50 STATES IN 50 WEEKS…WEEK 13: COLORADO

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Home of: Amy Adams, Jello Biafra, Jessica Biel, DeVotchKa, 3OH!3, The Apples In Stereo, The Fray, OneRepublic, Lon Chaney, the String Cheese Incident, Cephalic Carnage, Dressy Bessy

Fun Facts: State flower; Rocky Mountain columbine, state song; “Where the Columbines Grow,” state animal; Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep

The Venues: This September 12th and 13th, over 50 artists will take over Red Rocks Amphitheatre for the 2009 Monolith Festival. This year’s lineup features Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Mars Volta, Method Man & Redman, Of Montreal, Doom and Chromeo, with local DJs spinning between sets. Named “Best Live Music Venue in North America” by Pollstar, Red Rocks is a geologically formed Amphitheater that has been hosting performances for over 100 years.

The Larimer Lounge is a dive bar in the best sense of the term that showcases indie up-and-comers like Great Lake Swimmers, A Place To Bury Strangers and French Horn Rebellion.

The Music:

The Haunted Windchimes – The Haunted Windchime’s country-tinged folk has lead them to share the stage with bands like DeVotchKa and Magnolia Electric Co. “Leaving Here” showcases the band’s trademark harmony vocals. This fall, The Haunted Windchimes will be playing a string of shows, including the Monolith Festival, with fellow OurStage artist Caitlin Rose.

Rojos Calientes – Rojos Calientes combine Andean musical traditions with bluegrass, country and a little bit of gypsy jazz to create their own genre, “Latingrass.” The first track from their 2009 release Corazon, “Tantos Anos” earned the band a Top 10 finish in the July 2009 World Channel. Check out AidanR’s Q&A with Rojos Calientes here.

Odd Squaad- You may recognize Odd Squaad MC H2 from 2001’s Hard Knock Life Tour DVD: His backstage freestyle earned him fist-bumps and handshakes from Jay-Z and DMX. H2 and the rest of the Squaad use their wit and talent to combine hip-hop and country on “Half of Y’all.”

Renegades – Friends since highschool, the two members of Renegades (RNGDS) make synth-laden, 80s-inspired dance music. The band has played with Hollywood Undead, The Chain Gang of 1974, and 3oh!3, whose Sean Foreman used to play keyboards for Renegades gigs. “Dawn Rider” is a must-listen for fans of Walter Meego and Justice.