Rossonian

Being a late kid is something that a lot of "kids" in our wish-washy generation of graphic designers and freelance whatevers can relate to. We're a generation that was raised on hide-n-go-seek and dial up internet. Where having a a cordless phone was a sign of class and our expansive CD collection was one place we could continually rely on for solace. Rossonian has captured our angst and confusion and bottled it up into one comprehensive disk aptly entitled, "Late Kids".
The best way to describe this album as a cohesive whole is to say that it is a matured soundtrack to my awkward teen years..where braces and unrequited love was rampant. But matured in a sense that it mimics my cry for "belonging" that my twenties have brought. Stuck in the purgatory between being an adult and still wanting to call our parents each time we get a flat tire.
The first song on the album is "Late Kids" which is reminiscent of 90's rock. It's groovy, careless and catchy. A perfect introduction to the album and a glimpse into what Rossonian is all about. This transitions us into one of their more mellow tracks, "In The Summer" which unsurprisingly is our new summer anthem. It's a little more indie-electro and personally, the sound that I appreciate most from Rossonian. The third song on the 5 song album is "Stressed Out" which transports me to angsty car rides with my Walkman and my cheek pressed aggressively to the car window... (Don't talk to me mom, you don't know me)... "The Truth" and "Sidewalks" are the last songs on the album. Both are laid-back and in the same indie-electro vein as "In The Summer". "Sidewalks" is an experiential conclusion and surprisingly my favorite song on the album. Definitely a sound and conclusion that left me hungry for more.
As a comprehensive whole, the album is great. It dips and vibes through decades of strife and ends poetically in the present. A unique sound from some Late Kids dedicated to the craft of music production. We're excited to see where their talents take them. Hopefully to some local shows around the Denver Scene! - Ultra 5280

Indie rock has evolved as a very symbolic and passionate take on modern rock. This rings true in Denver, as we have watched The Epilogues, The Photo Atlas, and My Body Sings Electric take heartfelt and honest rock songs and bring them to masses. Somewhere along the line, however, that symbolism decided to stop for a very long PBR break at the Hi-Dive and seems to have forgotten where it was going. Other than MBSE’s The Night Ends, there haven’t been many fresh takes on the genre lately.
Luckily, we have Rossonian to put everything back on track. The band’s new EP Late Kids is as meaningful as the group’s name (taken from the historic hotel in Denver’s Five Points neighborhood). Each of the five songs paints a different lyrical picture. The songs are emotional and expressive, touching on the happy and the sad, the summer and the winter, and showcasing influence the band must have picked up from all of the touring they have done recently. Rossonian is ready to take the torch as the next big indie push to rise out of our rock friendly town, and this EP will certainly provide some fuel for the fire. - Colorado Music Buzz

The musical history of Denver's Five Points neighborhood is well-known, even though the cultural significance of places like the Rossonian Hotel has faded. With the name of the once-popular hotspot for their band name, Seth Evans, Kramer Kelling and Scott Roush obviously have that history in mind. The band just finished up its debut EP, You Are Your Own Dentist, which you can hear for free at rossonianmusic.com and pick up a hard copy of at the Deer Pile on Sept. 28.

Let's start with the EP. It's pretty musically varied for just five tracks.

Seth Evans: Yes, it is. I think we kinda didn't necessarily approach writing and arranging those songs with any particular stylistic ideas in mind, and kinda just let it go, and it started forming into something. We say that we play indie pop and rock, and you're right, it's pretty eclectic.

Is it just your inclination to mix things up a lot, or were you sort of trying things on for size?

Kramer Kelling: It's more just what we did, more than a conscious thing. The song that sticks out that's possibly the most drastically different is the acoustic sounding one, "Ticklish." That song started out as something for a different project that Seth was getting together. Then I was getting back into town from doing a different thing and he asked me to come over and record bass on it, and we just started working on it and it came together that way.

I think, as far as the other stuff goes, I think we just have a lot of things that we like aesthetically. We're trying to somehow satisfy some of those things.

SE: There's certainly a lot of experimentation going on in those things, as far as arrangement. Like Kramer said, I had some of those songs that I wrote before we had the band, and the band formed around the recording and producing of those tracks. The band is certainly a collaborative effort in writing and arranging


Rossonian (Courtesy photo)
and producing. We record everything at my house and spent a quite a good deal of time on all of those songs — experimenting with different techniques and instruments — and there's a good deal of vocal work that went into it.
Your name ties you pretty strongly to your neighborhood. Is Five Points' history something you have in mind when you're writing?

SE: That's a big part of why we chose that name. We don't live together but we all live within blocks of the Rossonian Hotel. While we're not necessarily looking back to the jazz music of the greats that played there, we do like to consider ourselves as tapping into American musical history, which jazz is a huge part of.

So what's next for the band?

SE: I'm staring at the box of the EPs right now that I'm starting to hand out to friends and press. We have the CD release show on the 28th at the Deer Pile. It's above City O' City ... It's kind of a DIY art gallery... It's real small and it has a bunch of pictures of deer banging each other.

KK: Musically, on the horizon, we have a slew of other things on the way, some that are farther along than others. We're looking to increase the pace at which we can release music that we still feel as at the quality we can all feel good about. That can be a tough thing to do — that's the point that we're at. We have things that are close to being done and some things that are not.

Contact Ashley Dean at 303-473-1109 or dean@coloradodaily.com. On Twitter: twitter.com/AshaleyJill. - The Colorado Daily

What sets Seth Evans apart from most local bandleaders is that he understands the importance of making personal connections through marketing. Since his band Rossonian formed in 2012, Evans has used physical "thank you" notes and cards to not only grab attention, but to connect with fans.

Before Rossonian left for their first Midwestern tour on Nov. 5, for instance, Evans rounded up as many addresses that he could and mailed out some quirky, mock postcards. The missives doubled as personalized greetings from the road and invitations to Rossonian's "welcome home" show Nov. 20 at the hi-dive.

"I designed the front with a free online photo program called FOTOR, the back with PowerPoint, and had them printed downtown at National Teleprinting on Blake St.," Evans recalls. "The front side said, 'Greetings From The Midwest' and included a collage of images of the band and stock images of some of the places we were going to play. The back side was that of a normal postcard where we wrote the addresses and notes to our friends."
To reach those friends and other potential fans, Evans, along with his keyboardist, Scott Roush, sent out texts and Facebook messages asking people for their physical addresses. Just before the "welcome home" show, Evans and his bandmates received plenty of responses thanking them for the postcards.
"I think [fans] liked them mostly for two reasons," Evans says. "First, people like holding the tangible object in their hands, which is something I think we take for granted in our now 'cloud-based' lives. Second, when they get a personal greeting in their mailbox from us they know that we thought about them individually and actually care for them. Not just their mouse clicks."  


And Evans does care, especially when it comes to his band. On August 28, just a few weeks before their first tour, Rossonian's van (the Ross van) was stolen from the front of Evans' house. Evans scrambled to find another ride so he wouldn't have to cancel the dates he worked tirelessly to book.
"I ended up paying $1,600 for an old '91 Dodge 15 passenger that had been a church van its whole life and it made the entire trip flawlessly, albeit getting about 12 mpg," Evans says.
Rossonian first music video for "Ra," off its 2013 debut EP You Are Your Own Dentist, features a bunch of girls dressed in plastic medical suits and bikinis holding plastic cups doing some cult-like activities as Evans and his bandmates play the song. The postcard idea started after Evans sent the girls in the video some personal "thank you" notes.

"The girls seemed to really appreciate the thank you's and we had a good turnout for the release, so I figured we would try again," Evans said. "It is much more personal than just casting a large Facebook net into the internet ocean. Also, we knew exactly who we sent invitations to and could gauge whether or not the invites brought people to the show depending on who actually showed up."
Of course, Evans isn't against using Facebook event pages or email lists. In some ways, those methods are a bit more practical and, when it comes to marketing, you have to use whatever means necessary.
"As a small time indie band, I'm not sure there is one catch-all method for inviting people to your shows. I honestly think you still can't beat word of mouth. Even if money was not an issue, I don't think we would send out postcards for every show. If we did, I think they would lose their effectiveness. 'Oh, it's just another stupid postcard from those smiling, Rossonian assholes,'" Evans muses.
If all goes as planned, Evans says, they will release the album early next year. And, with their new van, Rossonian is going to hit the road again in the summer, so expect a postcard. - Denver Westword

Preparing to hit the road to tour throughout their home turf, the Midwest, Mile High City electro-sensual rock ‘n’ roll quartet Rossonian is also in the process of mixing their newest EP, set to be released in early 2015. Don’t worry Denver fans of this one-of-a-kind, garage soul band! You can catch Rossonian at the Hi-Dive on Thursday, November 20 with The Raven and the Writing Desk.

Named after Denver’s iconic, 102-year-old Rossonian Hotel in Five Points, Seth Evans (lead vocals, guitar) and Kramer Kelling (bass, vocals) took a few minutes to chat with AXS in this exclusive interview.

AXS: Are you all Denver natives? If not, where is everyone originally from?
Seth Evans: None of the members are from Denver originally. Carl [Sorensen - drums] is a Colorado native, hailing from Louisville, so I guess you can call him a Denver metro native.
Kramer Kelling: Scott [Roush - keys, vocals, computer] and I moved here from Milwaukee, and Seth is from Minneapolis originally. We are all nice Midwestern boys.

AXS: What brought Rossonian together?
Seth: I had a group of tunes that I wrote and some concepts in my head as far as the band’s setup goes for quite some time, but was having trouble finding the right people for the group. In the summer of 2010 I signed on as the keyboard instructor for a children’s rock band camp called Camp Jam that was going on in Wheat Ridge. It was at Camp Jam that I met Scott and Kramer who were the drum and bass instructors, respectively. We started hanging out and playing music together but didn’t come together as Rossonian until late 2011.

AXS: How long has Rossonian been together? What have you learned during that time?
Seth: Rossonian has been playing live in Denver for about two years but we started putting together the first recordings about two and a half years ago.
I think the most important thing we have learned is that building and breaking a band takes (or is going to take) a lot longer than two to three years! Patience and persistence seem to consistently be emerging as the most important values for us to try and keep on the forefront of our characters(s). Also, trying to mold four individual’s egos into a collective entity is an eternal challenge.
Kramer: One of the most important things we have learned is how much work actually goes into presenting a band the way we would like to. Definitely a lesson that we have to keep learning over and over. With so much to be done at any given moment, it can be difficult to slow down, remain patient and enjoy the moment/situation that we are actually in.
We are all grateful of all the time and effort Seth puts in as Rossonian’s spearhead.

AXS: Where was your first show in Denver, and what was the experience like? Who else did you play with at the show?
Seth: Our first show was at the 2012 Underground Music Showcase and the performance was at Moe’s BBQ. I am really happy that this was our first live experience as a band because that festival, I know, is very special to all of us as Denverites. I honestly can’t remember who played before or after us (whoops) but I do remember it was on a sweltering Saturday afternoon.

AXS: Have any Denver musicians inspired Rossonian?
Seth: Absolutely, and actually some of the other groups we love Carl also plays drums with! I know we are constantly inspired by the seemingly endless creativity of Chimney Choir. I am totally drawn to how they project their image and are always creating exciting, multimedia events to present their music. Those cats are true artists. Science Partner is definitely another favorite of Rossonian’s and that is first and foremost because of Tyler’s fantastic songs. I know I am also consistently enthralled by their stage presence which is usually lighthearted and comfortable and the performances are on point! And f**k, they can sing so well.
Kramer: Some others that come to mind are Rubedo, and of course any number of Nathaniel Rateliff’s projects. We have also really enjoyed hearing some of Dave Devine’s projects, like Relay and Cop Circles, whom we feel we can always count on for a compelling live performance.

AXS: What projects are Rossonian currently working on?

Seth: We are going on a two week tour through the Midwest in November which will be our first extended trip playing outside of Denver. I did all the booking, promo, etc… on my own so that has taken a lot of time and has been proving to be a very large project!
We are also currently mixing our second EP which we hope to release in early 2015 so I am in the beginning stages of dealing with everything that goes along with that.

AXS: What else is Rossonian involved in locally, either as individuals or as a group?
Seth: Well, everyone else in the band but myself plays in other groups, so there’s that. We are also all teachers giving lessons in music studios and people’s homes throughout the city. So, YEAH!, we all do music full time and no, none of us have wives or kids, I don’t think.

AXS: Does Rossonian have a goal in mind for the sound the band produces? Are there certain influences or themes the band tries to inject into its own music?
Seth: We call our music, “hot-pop, garage soul, electro-sensual, rock & roll,” which is an attempt at coming up with something a little more descriptive than “indie rock” or “alternative rock” but basically we play alternative rock. I would say that our main emphasis is on the song. It is all about the song. When we are arranging something together the question is always whether or not a particular part or groove or effect or facial expression etc… caters to the greater whole that is “the song.” So it’s about our collective taste, you could put it that way. Singing is huge for us too. We have taken voice lessons together and often include two and three part harmonies in all of our material.
…and groove. We always want to be groovy. Which doesn’t necessarily mean funky. Which doesn’t always mean cool. Which certainly doesn’t mean we are always cool. Or eloquent.
But s**t, we we always try to make you move.
As a group I know all of our lives have been affected greatly by Radiohead. And I love Prince.
Kramer: I always appreciate a broad musical spectrum when I see a band, and I know that all of us have had diverse tastes in different kinds of music, and all enjoy learning more about music from other parts of the world, or from different eras. When we arrange a song, i think it’s a bit of a subconscious goal to draw upon these things, to make something different.

AXS: For someone who has never seen or heard Rossonian, what would you tell them to entice them to watch your set?
Seth: Check out our Tinder account and see if you are into “it”. We are like Viagra, ecstasy, and Altoids all pressed into one easy-to-swallow pill.

AXS: What would your ideal live show look like? Where would it take place? Any particular time of year? Would a specific band/musician share the bill with or open for Rossonian?
Seth: I’m sure everyone says Red Rocks, right? While obviously that would be the performance of a lifetime (probably sharing the night with someone like James Blake), it’s so hard to even imagine that far ahead. Currently we fantasize about becoming Denver mainstays so I would say our ideal show would be a sold-out night at the Bluebird sharing the bill with any number of our friend’s bands. déCollage, Science Partner, Flashbulb Fires, The Raven & The Writing Desk, or maybe bring Achille Lauro back!?!?!?

AXS: What shows are you looking forward to over the next few months?
Seth: We are looking forward to bringing Rossonian back to our Midwest hometowns. I am excited to play in Milwaukee for Scott and Kramer’s friends and families and to bring the band to the Twin Cities and have my people see what I have been devoting nearly all my time and energy to for the past three years.

AXS: What do you enjoy most about Denver’s music scene, and why?
Seth: I think the multitude of strong songwriters, singers, and performers and the folks who are all of those things rolled into one whom call Denver their home bodes for why we all still live here (run on sentence, much?) It’s inspirational. There are tons of places to play from vibe-y rock clubs, renowned theaters, to a handful of DIY venues where the artist can be in complete control of how the night goes down. Lastly, I think our cow town is growing at an alarming rate and the number of quality acts in town is rising along with it. This will undoubtedly begin to create a higher standard of art between bands and expectations from audiences. This is a good thing; a healthy competition that will help solidify Denver as a respectable music city and finally put us on the list of music hubs like Portland, Seattle, Minneapolis, and Austin. No, there are not just jam bands and EDM here. . . . Not that there’s anything wrong with that . . . - AXS

Welcome to 2014. It’s a new year and that means a lot of new music is in the future. Thankfully, such a thriving music scene that never seems to stop blossoming surrounds us on a 24/7 timetable.
Denver is a musical melting pot of every genre you could ever throw buzzwords behind. Everything from electro hip-hop soul to psychedelic infused garage-pop mixed with a deep soul infused touch of rock and everything in between.
This year looks bright for many Denver artists. Here are a few to keep your eye on over the next 12 months.
A hot-pop, electro sensual garage-soul outfit hailing from Denver’s historic Five Points neighborhood – had an incredible 2013, which saw them dropping their first 5-track EP, You Are Your Own Dentist. The band plans to purchase a van, tour the Midwest (where the boys are all originally from), drop a new 7-inch record and team back up with Scott McCormick who did the album art of You Are Your Own Dentist for a full on produced music video. Rossonian will be playing Lost Lake Feb. 21. - The Metropolitan

"Garuda," the first song on Rossonian's self-titled debut, sounds at first as though inter-dimensional aliens have taken over Steely Dan, but less than a minute in, the song shifts into syncopated, hazy pop akin to that of MGMT, only with more of a jazz foundation. "Love Clutch" has a power-pop vibe going for it, down to the hand claps and buoyant momentum. Next, "Ticklish" blends hushed, Laurel Canyon-flavored psych and chamber pop, while "Ra," which begins with moments of feedback drone, ends up being the heaviest and densest track of the bunch, the distorted melody and off-beat rhythm giving it a gritty, determined feel. On the closer, "Shooting Star," Rossonian flirts with Supertramp territory, channeling "Dreamer," but then shoots the song through with high energy before fading out.
- The Westword

Looking for a love song with both bee and gun metaphors? Download “Ticklish” from electro-sensual Denver rock band Rossonian.

In recent years, soul music has experienced a strong enough revival as to warrant a genre distinction, “neo-soul.” Largely lead by Daptone Records in Brooklyn, the bands leading this revival quite often create music that showcases soul music’s influence on funk and rap. What the movement seems to ignore, it seems, is soul music’s influence on contemporary R&B. Though singers like Frank Ocean create transcendent music, largely R&B today is best known for the schmaltzy vocal acrobatics of televised singing competitions that give us artists like Kelly Clarkson. It’s no wonder neo-soul ignores its harmless and dull cousin pop R&B.

Denver band Rossonian is brave enough not to ignore R&B and give it an electro-rock makeover, similar to what Daptone does for soul. Don’t misunderstand: Rossonian doesn’t wear the R&B badge on its sleeve. They’re a rock band with distorted guitar solos and chunky riffs, but all the while a warm electric piano warbles in the background, giving it a Steely Dan-ness. And the vocals and melodies, in a different life, could be sung by Sister Sledge. It’s music that respects ’70s R&B without being “American Idol” schlock.

Below, “Ticklish” from the band’s first EP, “You Are Your Own Dentist,” released Sept. 28. which features a mandolin, a decidedly non-R&B instrument. (There’s also a whistle track in this song that’s so low in the mix it’s barely audible, which is a shame. Music today needs more whistling.) Then, check out the whole EP on the band’s website.
- The Denver Post

Rossonian is a vista of careening, wooden harmonies. Soulful and danceable, Rossonian moves back to different fulcrum points in American music, touching each of their lights with a fresh compositional and textural pulse. And while they are playing in ancient cathedrals - this authentic kind of echo can often times play louder than what the tunnels of our past have gifted us. Walking backwards into the future we always are, with one eye over our shoulder - Rossonian is a sound engagement with our histories, whilst moving forward - away from the sepia light, toward the sun.
-Jonathan Bitz (Editor and Founder Denver Syntax) - Denver Syntax

Sorry, Mrs. Roush, your son Scott is coming home to Milwaukee for more than just your cooking, Sprecher Root Beer, late night George Webb and cheese curds! Roush is the drummer for Rossonian, a "hot pop, garage soul, electro-sensual rock & roll" band returning to the area to appear at The Jazz Estate on Thursday, May 7.
Roush can't wait to hit up his favorite local music store Cascio Interstate music when he's back in town.
"That place is truly special. We don't have a music store like it in Denver. It's great to see a place like that still exists in today's Guitar Center/internet sales dominated world. There's nothing like walking into a store with a huge inventory and being able to try before you buy," he says.
Roush and Rossonian's bassist, Kramer Kelling are former members of the Milwaukee jam band outfit, Toad King. The rhythm section met in UW-Milwaukee's Music Program and have been involved in several projects together. Toad King used to host The Up and Under's Monday night open mic, where the band cut their teeth backing a grab bag of artists from "punk rockers to hip hop MC's, from folk singers to jazz saxophonists." Roush credits the diverse exposure for helping them "refine our chops and develop our own eclectic sound."
Roush recalls a local music memory from 2008, when Toad King hosted a show at The Miramar Theatre.
"The show was billed as a psychedelic-music-and-arts festival and featured many of our non-musician artist friends performing alongside the band. We performed songs with a live painter, tap dancers, a fire spinner and even a friend of mine who raced to solve two Rubik's cubes before we finished a song exactly 3 minutes in length," says Roush. "He kept the crowd in suspense and barely beat us, making the final turn on the second cube a split second before we finished the song."
In 2009, all four members of Toad King relocated to Denver after enthusiastic reception from audiences there. Although the other half of Toad King has since moved away, Roush and Kelling remained in Denver where they formed Rossonian with vocalist / guitarist Seth Evans after meeting at a "School of Rock" type summer program called Camp Jam where they were instructors for middle to high school aged musicians.
The three began working together on some of Evan's original compositions and played their first show in 2012 as Rossonian at Denver's biggest music festival, the Denver Post's Underground Music Showcase. They released their first EP in 2013, "You are Your Own Dentist."
Rossonian's sound defies its namesake, the hotel / jazz club famously mentioned in Jack Kerouac's "On the Road." The band actually lives just two blocks away from what remains of the façade. Roush hopes "to continue embodying the same plethora of new music in the same neighborhood that it once stood. It is inspiring to think of all the musical greatness that once walked the exact streets, so close to our own home and rehearsal space."
Rossonian's EPK describes them as a "grittier, groove oriented Alt-J with Bowie / Prince-like multiform ingenuity and the beautifully pop polished quirkiness of bands like Steely Dan and Vampire Weekend."
Their tracks have a headiness that feels dreamy, yet are totally danceable while remaining accessible. This is major make out music to add to the playlist. Roush promises sensual pop songs, synthesizers, up-tempo drumbeats, and lush, three-part vocal harmonies at the Jazz Estate show, which happens to be his favorite club in the country.
Rossonian was named one of Metropolitan (Denver) Magazines "Bands to Watch" and their first single "Late Kids" from their next EP can be heard here.
American Flags are optional for the show. Doors open at 8 p.m. - On Milwaukee