Wild Blooms

Inside Outside Magazine
Music Review
by Todd Thompson

Wild Blooms
Modified Additive
Euro America Records

Perhaps the most accomplished of the national refugees, the Wild Blooms moved to Pagosa Springs from Austin, Texas, a few years ago. They have since released two albums, toured extensively, and played a few local shows, most notably the opening of the refurbished Abbey Theater in Durango. Their most recent CD, Modified Additive, is a departure from their traditional folksy groove. Now the groove is predominant and the lyrics are passionate and original.
The strength of the delivery comes from Carol Turner on lead vocals and keys. Her range runs rampant through angry, tough, enlightened, sad, and sultry. She is an absentee diva pursuing a more thoughtful career. The strength of the source material comes from Kevin Johnson, the songwriter, guitarist and backup vocalist for Wild Blooms. The music is hard enough to dance to, soft enough to listen to, and smart enough to be interesting, The lyrics are mature, funny, and devastating, often in the same song.
This is a band that is unabashedly populist both politically and musically. Above the chaos of the music industry's fixation on pop music, Wild Blooms exhibit a worldly awareness of what make music solid and good. - Inside Outside Magazine

Aspen Daily News
by Adam Preskill


Just a few years ago, musical duo Kevin Johnson and Carol Turner were right where they wanted to be: touring nationally with big-name headlining acts, selling out major venues nationally and around their home base of Austin.
Then they started over.
The two found success in the 90's as the driving force behind Panic Choir, a folk-funk jam band that toured with Dave Matthews Band, Jeff Buckley, Colonel Bruce Hampton and Blues Traveler. But after some downtime doing production work in their Austin recording studio, Johnson and Turner decided to relocate to Pagosa Springs, Colorado and reinvent themselves for another run at satisfaction.
Now the multi-talented duo have formed Wild Blooms-appearing tonight at the Golden Horn in Aspen-a more sophisticated, melodic take on Panic Choir's approach to mixing musical genres, but still characterized by Turners powerful lead vocals.
"It's very song oriented, but we're definitely bringing an almost psychedelic, very textural edge to what we're doing," says Johnson. "It has a very modern rhythm section, a fusion of extremely danceable grooves and really memorable songs."
Wild Blooms is just making it's name in Colorado, and gigs at venues like the Golden Horn are a trip back in time for Johnson and Turner after their success with panic Choir. But small-town bars mat not be on the bands list for long, as it has set a goal of returning to a full, 250-day-a-year national touring schedule.
"We're definitely trying to get back on those kinds of tours again, and we've had a lot of success in smaller theaters, and rooms dedicated to exposing emerging artists." Johnson says. "But this is great for us too, it's an ideal venue if you want to hear us in a more intimate space. The important thing is that we need to get our music out to people to let them know who we are and what we sound like, because what we are doing now is really much more interesting."
Wild Blooms defies categorization to an extent, with high-energy rhythms matched with modern effects and Turners acrobatic voice. But Johnson concedes the band is probably most easily identified by the sort of acts seen at Lilith Fair, a traveling festival that features female rock and pop performers.
"There's a general thread through a lot of that music, in that it's more about the songs and the lyrics and the melody. There is a similar sensibility there," he says.
Wild Blooms is currently working on a new studio album, but Johnson says they are still writing and working out production for the new release. "Right now we are breaking in the new show." he says. (Panic Choir) was really a jam band. We were very prone extended solos and 20-minute versions of our songs, it was really fun and really appropriate for it's time. But we don't want to do that anymore, we want to focus on better songs and tighter arrangements where every instrument is serving a specific function at a specific time." - Aspen Daily News

By Zebual Early

Though the temperatures are getting colder and the hillside grass is turning brown, some untamed blossoms have yet to appear. The Wild Blooms, an acoustic duo from Pagosa Springs, will play the Princess Wine Bar this Saturday, August 30.
The Wild Blooms are usually five-piece, full-electrified ensemble that brings dancers to their feet. However, for this tour they are only two: Kevin Johnson and Carol Turner. Together they are performing, writing and recording for more than a decade, touring as headiners in support of three full-length cd's, through theaters, clubs, and coffee houses in the U.S. and Europe.
They describe their sound as very modern folk with a steady danceable groove.
One thing they are not is a bluegrass band. With Johnson on guitar, percussion, samples, and vocals and Turner on accordion, flute, percussion, and vocals, they sound more gypsy than country.
"We have a very unique sound and we have to sell it every night because it's not familiar," said Johnson from his recording studio in Pagosa Springs."Lyrically and melodically our music sounds like folk...but it's not traditional. people are always saying "Wow, I've never heard anything like this."
But some fans have heard their sound before and travel to hear it again. At their recent performance at the Crested Butte Festival of Arts, fans came up just to hear the Blooms. Some remember these musicians from the popular Austin, Texas band, Panic Choir. The Panic Choir was at their peak in the mid 1990's when they toured with bands such as BLues Traveler, The Dave Matthews Band Jeff Buckley, and The Aquarium Rescue Unit. Their sound was based on a myriad of southern musical styles, folk,rock,and jazz. They have also received press in magazines such as Relix.
For now, the focus is The Wild Blooms acoustic project. The duo plays many of the same songs that the full band would play, but with a different intent and style."The duo allows us time to hone in on our songwriting and vocal harmonies whereas the larger band's goal is to improve arrangement and overall groove," said Johnson. He explained, "Every night we have to stretch out and put our hearts on our sleeves or the people won't dig it."
If you feel like digging some Blooms and listening to some original acoustic music, then come on out and welcome The Wild Blooms to Crested Butte this Saturday, August 30 at The Princess Wine Bar. The show starts at 8 pm.
- The Crested Butte News

By Lindsay Nelson

Tough times in the music industry might actually be good for independent local musicians, Freedom from record label tyranny and the marketing possibilities of the Internet amy be the makings that transform a deep- cover underground scene into a thriving cultural force. The Wild Blooms are on the bleeding edge of that trend.
Saturday night, The Abbey Theatre stage belongs to th e Wild Blooms in their first headliner show in Durango. Another area group, the LIndells, play a later show at 10pm. A recording of the Wild Blooms performance will become a live album follow-up to their 2003 self-titled release on Euro-America Records.
This Pagosa Springs-Durango band is poised on the metaphorical cusp of the kind of musical success that means hometown name recognition and packed regional shows. Weekend jaunts to the Front Range and northern New Mexico are generating a healthy buzz, and in September they opened for Joe Ely at his Abbey Theatre show. At other times and in other incarnations, members Kevin Johnson and Carol Turner have shared billing with the Dave Matthews band, Blue Traveler, John Wesley Harding, Cake, Jeff Buckley, and several other national acts.
Big Mountain Music, a management company, is wooing them these days.
Kevin Johnson is a veteran of the music industry trenches, and has high hopes for a revival of the local music scene and his band's place in it.
"i think we're right on the cusp: there is so much talent and potential here," he said.
After 10 years in Austin, Texas- one of the alt-music hotbeds of the past decade- Johnson and Turner came to the Four Corners seeking a new spot to grow the Wild Blooms.
"We have a very unique musical identity," Johnson said. "We don't want to sound like anyone else." Others have compared the Wild Blooms' sound to the artists of the Lilith Fair tour , such as Sarah McLachlan and Tori Amos, whose only real similarity is strong female vocals with spacious range. Turner's voice is equally dynamic. As Johnson puts it, "Carol's singing kicks ass."
Johnson described the Bloom's music as "song-oriented, melodic, dynamic, sometimes ethereal and sometimes we really throw down."
"It's a fusion of story songs and dance grooves, sometimes an urban kind of sound," he said. "We want to give the audience a visceral experience."
Along with her emotional singing, Turner plays the flute and uses an Eastern European gypsy-style accordion sound to add another aural dimension.
"Because we're not restricted by a style or a sound that is expected of us, we have the freedom to express ourselves as individuals,"Johnson said. "We run the gamut. People are discovering that it's eclectic and diverse with some world influences. We dip into anything that feels good to us as long as the color and texture feel good. The band is wonderful at approaching everything as a unique, clean, palette."
That diversity fits in with the band's vision for the Durango music scene."Every kind of music you can imagine is being played and recorded here," said Johnson.
Turner said she feels the slump in local interest in live music is partly the result of a climate of fear and uncertainty after 9-11 and during a time of war. Turner said it's time for people to reclaim their lives.
"We want people to wake up , get out and be with people--blow out the cobwebs and the fear... Music is one of the basic joys of life,"she said. - An eclectic group on the road to musical success

By Sara Wilson

Wild Blooms will perform a concert May 30 in the Pagosa Lakes Clubhouse for the benefit of friends of Performing Arts. Doors open for refreshments at 6:30 p.m. and the performance starts at 7:30.
Kevin Johnson and Carol Turner moved here from Austin and became known as the Wild Blooms. Prior to their move here they were known as Panic Choir, and were successful in Austin with 25-30 venues a month and a weekly show at the Steamboat.
Before their 10 years in Austin, Kevin and Carol played along the West Coast, including many shows in Los Angeles and Hollywood.
They loved playing on the beaches because, as Kevin said, Bars and nightclubs don't have the best listening audiences. Playing songs for live audiences can give a song new meaning for both the performer and the listener."
The band's name change from Panic Choir to Wild Blooms reflects a change in their musical style, which "is now more eclectic, more modern, and more unique to us."
Kevin is the lyricist and plays rhythm guitar for Wild Blooms. Carol is the lead vocalist and plays accordion and flute.
Kevin and Carol have been performing musicians since their teens. Kevin attended the New York Academy of Performing Arts in New York, and played in the subways during college to earn money for school. Carol grew up in a musical family and sang for her dad's country/western band.
The two met in Texas and Kevin remarks that "Carol was the vocalist I'd been searching fro for a long time."
As for many in Pagosa Springs, moving here was a leap of faith. For Kevin and Carol, it was a time of leaving behind the known, the success, the comfort, friends and connections.
Why did they do it?
During musical tours, the straightest road from Austin to Telluride was through Pagosa Springs. They were drawn here by the beautiful surroundings and the appeal of backpacking. they feel that Pagosa Springs is the perfect place to call home, to create and to recharge, and it has an energy that attracts artists and musicians.
The Wild Blooms are doing this performance for the benefit of FoPA because they believe in the goal of building a performing arts center in Pagosa Springs and Kevin and Carol will soon be on tour again to promote their new CD, 'Wild Blooms," which they recorded at River Run Recording Studio in Aspen Springs.
Cass Calley, a local artist produced the cover art work for them. this Cd will be hot-off-the-press and available for the first time at the May 30 concert. and to quote an informed source, This is exciting... yah!"
The Wild Blooms concert is sponsored by Sierra Pagosa Builders. Tickets are now available at WolfTracks Bookstore, Moonlight Books, and the Chamber of Commerce at $10 in advance and $ 12 at the door. - The Pagosa Sun

By Andrew Harley

Skip the greenhouse. The freshest sounds can be found in the Wild Blooms at Sanctuary tonight at 9.
The Wild Blooms includes Kevin Johnson on vocals, guitars, percussion, and samples and Carol Turner on vocals, piano, synths, accordion, and flute.
The band's original songs are as versatile as its lists of instruments.
"All our songs are original," said Johnson, who writes the majority of the music. " our sound sometimes hints at Sarah McLachlan and Tori Amos with harder grooving rhythms".
Wild Blooms doesn't fall into the generalization of jam band. The band's very song-oriented.
" We're trying to sound different than everybody else," said Johnson. "We're trying to carve out our own niche."
The band's stage presence is led by the captivating vocals of Carol Turner.
"Carol's compared to a lot with people like Stevie Nicks and Grace Slick. She has a very dramatic voice," said Johnson. "She doesn't have a typical voice. She definitely has her own trip going on."
The Wild Blooms released its first album in June, which was self-titled.
"We're coming at music from grass-roots perspective,"said Johnson. "We're trying to make an impact in our region first, and then we'll try and grow across the country."
" The musical variety presented on today's radio stations is very narrow in scope. People don't have a lot of choice in terms of what's being put out. There's a very narrow scope that shows no signs of improvement." - Vail Daily

By Cassie Pence

Can you think and dance at the same time? Wild Blooms hopes you can. That's exactly what the band is aiming for tonight at the Sandbar Sports Grill in West Vail. Based in Colorado, Wild Blooms is currently in the midst of shifting gears. The band has always been singer/songwriter type players. Now the group is being influenced by dance music coming out of Europe, like Chill Cafe. The progression is evident on their second and latest compact disc, "Modified Additive," where the group began experimenting with electric loops and samples.
We have always been and will always be a very song-oriented band. We like lyrics and melodies and the interplay of arrangement," said Kevin Johnson, guitar, vocals, percussion and samples."We're looking to fuse together the rhythmic aspects of dance music, that really infectious groove that DJ's lay out, but put really strong songs with those grooves. That's one thing I think is missing in the dance world. I like the visceral end of it, the driving beats, but the cerebral part of it leaves me empty."
Johnson and lead vocalist Carol Turner, who also plays the flute, accordion, percussion and guitar, were first turned on to the grooves of dance music when they were touring in Europe. then Johnson, A professional musician for fifteen years, started noticing a trend in dance clubs around the country-- the places were packed.
"What we see is that the DJs are the ones who are driving big crowds now. It used to be live bands, now it's the DJs. And the reason I know the minute I walk through the door there is a guy whose entire job for the whole night is to make me want to dance," johnson said.
Johnson along with Turner are making a conscious effort to connect with the audience and impel the audience to dance and react.
"Live bands have gotten away from that. we want people to join the vibe and energy of our show," said Johnson.
Hawaiian transplant Jamie Gallo Lee will open for Wild Blooms. You may have seen her wow the crowd during Sandbar's open mic night night on Mondays. - Vail Daily