I am stubborn, closed minded and a little arrogant when it comes to my taste music : ). When people ask what i listen to or what my influences are, i usually respond with ' i like good music.' And I find it in countless genres. I have been in the music scene for almost 1 year and 9 months and am fortunate enough to have crossed paths with some incredible "local" artists who i passionately support. Check them out!


Rob Drabkin-- GO EGO GO!! : ) About 10 years ago, our family subscribed to AOL and my sister was the one to make up screen names for the fam. "Robrocks" was already taken so without any say, i became "Robbrocks." For some reason it stuck and now i am stuck explaining to people that my last name is not "Brocks" and I spell Rob with one 'b', not two. I figured anyone who looks me up on myspace would type in www.myspace.com/robdrabkin so that's why its there. I put some other tunes on that site, so check it out.

The Flobots-- A 5 piece rock/funk band fronted by 2 MC's. The tune that got me hooked is called "The moon." I hit repeat on my player at least a dozen times listening to the intro alone. simple chord progression, beautiful viola line (best violist ever by the way), ingenious rhymes and finally the bass/drums enter unexpectedly on a unique timing and send the tune into an incredible jam. Every Flobot tune is of this caliber if not better. After hearing Jonny 5's lyrics, I am left thinking there is no way on earth i could ever come up with something so innovative and cleverly worded. The live show is high energy, interactive, well rehearsed and is a true performance in every aspect of the word.

Kevin Mileski-- I met Kevin at a poorly-attended open mic at a Mexican restaurant on the outskirts of Boulder : ). He walked on stage (by stage i mean a small cleared area next to the hostess and waiting area), and began playing a slow intro for "dueling banjos." He walked back and forth on stage taking the role of both guitar players. "Cute" I thought. Then he started finger picking the crazy ho-down section and "cute" all of a sudden turned into "holy crap!" I found him online shortly after and his songs are simply incredible. "mmmstop" is a catchy groove that still rattles my brain and the 4 words "in the cafe brioche" (of his song "cafe brioche") might seriously be the most beautifully sung phrases i've ever come across.

Aaron Espe-- Aaron and I shared a slot at The Swallow Hill Folk Festival Summer 2006. I listened to Aaron a few times on myspace before meeting him. I thought "Dragons" was great. The songs he played during our set were mostly pretty chill, melodic finger picking, and solid singing. Then he did it... He closed our set with his song "Grace" and for about 2 months, i swear i never bothered listening to any other song on his CD. There was just no need. Its incredibly simple song: two verses, a chorus and bridge and I have this feeling he wrote it in about 20 min. which kind of scares me. It remains the only song I cover from a "local" artist.

Katie Herzig-- I actually came across Katie's name with a slight bitter taste. She kept "stealing" my gigs! : ) Emails were frequently responded with, "sorry Rob, Katie Herzig already on it." We finally shared a bill together opening for Dave Beegle and truth be told, I paid little attention to her set as I had to play directly after her. Finally on a flight to South Carolina, my stubborn ears listened to her album, I actually paid attention, and this 3 hour flight became one true inspiration. Uniqueness is an honest understatement for her; she really actually commands a genre of her own. The timbre of her voice has an inherit floating innocence, but it resonates so powerfully i swear all she has to do is sing 'ah' and i'd sheepishly be in line for her record. Her lyrics range from fun and quirky to insightful, thought-provoking material. No two songs are alike and each one is a true gem. I saw her live a 2nd time and I left praying my live set never has to follow her high ranks again.

12 Cents For Marvin-- Without even aware of it, Twelve Cents introduced me to the Colorado music scene well before the thought of becoming a musician ever crossed my mind. I followed the band all over the state, snuck into many many a show, became aware of most Colorado venues, and have seen members come and go. They've lasted over 11 years and a live show never fails to get my groove on. They are sick of playing it, but "Meant to be" was always the tune i dug the most.

Kate Laurel Smith-- My first acquaintance in the songwriter scene who got me amazing gigs busking outside a Starbucks on 16th st mall (i still do those by the way). She was the first to tell me to set up a myspace account, and has pretty much held my hand every encounter of the "business" side of music (which i still know nothing about). She writes prolifically and poignantly, already has a few hits under her belt and has recently put together a pretty tight sounding band. "Home" has always been my tune of choice.

Cait-- Cait walks on stage, strums her guitar, sings like 3 notes and a bar full of loud drunks no longer exists. The "fly on the wall" show suddenly becomes this invite-only house concert in a living room and everyone in the room is lucky to have been in there. er exists. The "fly on the wall" show suddenly becomes this invite-only house concert in a living room and everyone in the room is lucky to have been in there. What's best is that she does it effortlessly with grace and a giant grin on her face . Poetically Familiar is the one i groove with the most. She is bound for greatness!

Mackenzie Roberts- Viola Goddess. First off, the viola- higher than a cello, lower than violin, held like a violin, sounds more like a cello. Please don't confuse them, she plays the viola. Mackenzie is such a terrific musician i don't know where to begin... She can play circles around anyone and she can show if she needs it, but her ear and good taste and feel for a song are first priority. She comes up with amazing parts for my songs, she improvises, she teaches, she writes her own music, she has a beautiful voice and rumor has it she is dating john mayer...