Music

Tired of regurgitated '80s flotsam and American Idol jetsam? Long for inspired songwriting and real musicianship, as you stare at your acres of jam band and one-hit-wonder CDs? Want to shake the dull "ooncha-ooncha" roar of electronica out of your brain pan? If your answer is, "Where do I get it and I'll take a dozen", then I invite you to check out 16 Horsepower.

The band actually broke up last year, leaving behind a catalog of bone-rattling roots music and legions of ardent fans. Their lead singer now is with an outfit called Woven Hand (Playing the Warsaw in New York October 6). In the interest of full disclosure, I'll tell you that much-obsessed about lead singer, David Eugene Edwards, is someone I've known since jr. high. His older sister and my older sister were pals and Powder Puff Hockey teammates. Dave and I dated here and there during high school, but mostly were just friends hanging out at the punk kids table. Anyway, you always knew David was bound for musical glory--he was obsessed with music, went to all the concerts, wore the coolest Brit-punk gear, and wrote "PUNKS (sic) NOT DEAD!!" in my yearbook. Although, I did those things and I am not a rock god. There goes that theory! Don't you hate when people blog about their friends in the biz and/or how they knew such-and-such before it was cool? Too bad!

Anyway, D.E.E. and his buddies formed a heavily U2- and Nick Cave-influenced band (Bloodflower) our senior year of high school. I attended their first show, at an old railroad depot. It occurs to me I might have been the first groupie. (No, not the going down on the roadie kind of groupie--instead, I was the slack-jawed and mesmerized kind who tends to obsess about things like the story behind the lyrics story.) I was also at the Warlock Pincher's first show, reporting for my college newspaper, but that's an entirely different blog.

Bloodflower moved out to San Fran for a minute, then came back to Denver. Pretty sure there was a Denver Gentlemen and some Slim Cessna Auto Club action before 16 Horsepower came to be. Guess what happened then, kids? You got it! They became HUGE in Europe. Just like the Backstreet Boys. Ok, maybe not so much.

I heard about the Europe thing from my friend Caroline, who at that time had a fabulous job tour directing for high-profile British businessmen visiting Russia. To everyone who made fun of her for majoring in Russian at Bryn Mawr, I say: Take that!

Anyway, Caroline was amazed at the transformation old Dave Edwards underwent and at the hysterical crowds waiting for 16 Horsepower to take the stage. She stayed, and she's a fan, too. The last time I saw them in person was in the late '90s in Denver, at the fabulous Gothic Theatre. I stood there in all my gigantic pregnant glory with David's parents and sister and marvelled at all the reverent navel-gazers in attendance. The band was friggin awesome.

Enough random trivia. Check out their CDs, their website, and their myspace and enjoy the pure genius that is 16 Horsepower. Hey, Marty? Got a Virgin Radio link?