Ah...another overlook by The Mountain Tempo. A few moons back I posted on a new obsession, Kaiser Cartel. One of my favorite songs (pun intended) of the year was their recording of "Oh No." Not until yesterday afternoon did I find out that this was a cover. And no, I'm not taking anything away from Benjamin and Courtney, as they cover the song beautifully and back it up with a whole album of stellar tracks.
And...they had a damn nice video to accompany their voices and raw version:
But, "Oh No" was actually written by Tracy Thielen, a singer-songwriter who lost his life due to a heroin overdose in 2006. I now know there are numerous covers of this song and I'll stand by KaiserCartel as my favorite. Shivaree is responsible for me diving a bit deeper into the song after hearing Ambrosia Parsley's voice carry that song a bit deeper back in 1999.
They're back! Well, not that they really left. But the duo of Courtney Kaiser and Benjamin Cartel that make up the light indie rock group KaiserCartel are back in my neck of the woods. I missed their last go-round at the Monolith Festival this fall, but thankfully their on tour again and will be visiting Denver this Saturday night for a show at the Hi-Dive.
KaiserCartel made my list of favorites in 2008 with "Oh No" form their very successful March Forth album from bluhammock Records. Still riding the wave that can't get enough of the indie rock couple that fulfills any needing ear with a minimal assortment of instruments, Courtney and Benjamin also released the enhanced limited EP titled Okay...and other things we feel. Full of a few extra songs from their tightly gorgeous sound, the Ep is a nice addition to bulk up the songs you must own from them. As I said, they're on tour now, so make sure you don't miss the opportunity to what the buzz is all about.
In my time in this industry, I've spoken with the likes of Steven Tyler, Art Garfunkel, Feist, John Hiatt and hundreds of other acts with ease, charisma and bolstering self-confidence. Who is the only singer that makes me buckle under the pressure so much that I've only been able to muster a simple incoherent stumbling "hey, good show" (great original comment Bodie, really)? She is the Heather Locklear to my Garth Algar. Sigh...
Katie Herzig hails from Ft. Collins, Colorado, though she calls Nashville her home now. Back in the day, a girlfriend of mine introduced me to Newcomers Home, a folk-bluegrass group that formed in Boulder while many of the members were students at the University of Colorado and headlined many of my evenings while at school. Now, why would a girl introduce her boyfriend to group with a female lead singer that plays guitar, spoons, djembe, and can make a newly married man question his recent commitment? That's shooting yourself in the foot. Unfortunately for me, but fortunately for her, Boulder's Newcomers Home broke up in 2006 as Katie decided to push her fortune and move to Nashville for a shot at the solo career her fans saw coming.
After a few warm-up albums, Katie Herzig was signed to a budding record label which was followed by strategic and relentless outside-the-box promotions/alliances and finally had a few songs end up on Grey's Anatomy. Katie is now scheduled in the pristine line-up of the Hotel Cafe Tour where she'll be joining alums like KT Tunstall, Imogen Heap, M. Ward, Alexi Murdoch, Gomez, Brett Dennen, Joshua Radin, Cary Brothers and on and on. This year, The Hotel Cafe Tour is striclty estrogen-backed and features artists such as Herzig, Rachael Yamagata, Ingrid Michaelson, Meiko, Priscilla Ahn, Jaymay, Kaiser Cartel, Lenka, etc. In addtion, September's Paste magazine named her in their "Best of What's Next 2008" preview and called her style a "brightly textured acoustic pop that's clever yet sincere, sunny but grounded..." Apple Tree contains one of my very favorites that has been ending up on numerous mix CDs for friends.
Herzig's most recent album, Apple Tree, is available (Radiohead-style) here for the price you're willing to pay for it OR passing along the artists' name to 3 friends. Very clever.
In closing, I think High Fidelity nailed my crush during their scene as they entered the venue to watch the seductive Marie De Salle. "Maybe a little picture of me in the liner notes."
This blog is a direct result of spying on the MySpace of Mountain Tempo's dear friend whose name "rhymes with 'lasagna'" - her words. She even blogged about KaiserCartel and posted a nice video that is definitely worth checking out...which may have started my obsession with this emerging band. Needless to say, a recent string in me was plucked and when I found out I actually had the whole album, I was blown away by several more KaiserCartel songs. One day later and I think I've logged over two dozen plays of their lead track, "Oh No." Despite the ironic reasons that allowed the song to infiltrate my head, I also dug the building choir-like harmonies and Courtney's voice that has hints of Zoey Deschanel (She & Him, Elf), Jenny Lewis (Rilo Kiley), and maybe Margo Timmins (Cowboy Junkies singing "Sweet Jane").
Let's get it straight so the picture up top doesn't throw you off. Brooklyn's couple,KaiserCartel, has no relevance (that I'm aware of) to an actual Kaiser or a cartel. Currently, Benjamin Cartel is an elementary art teacher while Courtney Kaiser is an elementary music teacher. I'm curious if the parents of Cartel's and Kaiser's students realize one used to be a backup singer for John Mellencamp and that they have a kick-ass band touring the entire nation during the summer?
KaiserCartel has an album out now from Bluhammock Music titled March Forth. I highly suggest you hike to your local music store and get a copy of your own...it's very rare now-a-days that I can listen to an entire album without my forefinger anxious to skip a song here and there. Plus, with lyrics like "Along the way, the headphones play, I can hear you. You're my favorite song, I wanna sing it again..." how you could you skip it?
Howdy! Thanks for visiting this soapbox of mine, produced from the fresh air of the Boulder valley in Colorado. If you have some general comments or maybe want to stand on your own soapbox, feel free to email at bodie_johnson at yahoo.com or leave a comment.
Let's keep the goal in mind here too. I work in the music industry while living in an amazing town offering me an abundance of recreational opportunities. I aim to introduce people to music and artists in hopes that they attend shows, purchase albums and spread the gospel...thus improving my profession and the industry as a whole. If you are an artist, a manager, and/or a label and prefer I remove a song posted here, simply let me know and I'll remove your art.
Ah...another overlook by The Mountain Tempo. A few moons back I posted on a new obsession, Kaiser Cartel. One of my favorite songs (pun intended) of the year was their recording of "Oh No." Not until yesterday afternoon did I find out that this was a cover. And no, I'm not taking anything away from Benjamin and Courtney, as they cover the song beautifully and back it up with a whole album of stellar tracks. 
