Pull into Mead Street Station for a steady stream of local talent

I listened to my share of Hendrix while learning to play guitar in high school, but somehow I overlooked one of his most gorgeous songs, “Little Wing.” In fact, I heard Sting’s watered-down version of the tune before I discovered Hendrix’s original on the Axis: Bold as Love album. But…

Rodrigo y Gabriela top seller at Twist and Shout

Rodrigo y Gabriela’s 11:11 claimed the top top spot at Twist & Shout, while Phoenix’s Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix came in second for the week ending January 3. Them Crooked Vultures’ self-titled debut and Tom Waits’ Glitter and Doom Live grabbed the third and fourth spots, while Tom Petty’s Live Anthology…

This Just In: Vampire Weekend, Owl City, Alkaline Trio shows announced

Although New York-based indie act Vampire Weekend isn’t releasing its highly anticipated sophomore effort, Contra, for another week, NPR is streaming the entire album until it hits the stores on Tuesday, January 12. Touring in support of the album, the band will trek across the UK and Europe in February…

Flaming Lips grab top spot at Wax Trax

The Flaming Lips’ latest effort, Embryonic, grabbed the top spot at Wax Trax, while Alicia Keys’ new disc, The Element of Freedom, came in second for the week ending January 3. The Felt Pilotes’ Wonderful Summer, Susan Boyle’s I Dreamed a Dream and the This is Gothic: The Bat Cave…

The Antlers top seller at Albums on the Hill

Brooklyn’s the Antlers grabbed the top spot at Albums on the Hill with Hospice, while Lyle Lovett’s latest effort, Natural Forces, came in at number two for the week ending January 3. Lhasa’s self-titled album, Neko Case’s Middle Cyclone and Otis Taylor’s Pentatonic Wars and Love Songs rounded out the…

The Snake Pit gets a dazzling makeover as Beauty Bar

Noah Ray McMahan would go to the Snake Pit twice a week when he was in college back in the ’90s. And this fall, after stints in New York and Las Vegas, he moved back to Denver and, along with former promoter and architect Justin Martinez, who designed Bar Standard…

DJ BloodPreshah ends five-year run at Kazmos this weekend

After five years of hosting weekly reggae dances at Kazmos Lounge on 13th and Kalamath, DJ BloodPreshah (aka Thomas Behler) is throwing one last bash at the joint starting at 10 p.m. this Saturday, January 2. As you might have heard by now, the club is closing this weekend. BloodPreshah,…

Carla Bley top seller at Albums on the Hill

Jazz pianist Carla Bley grabbed the top spot at Albums on the Hill with Carla’s Christmas Carols, an ECM release that also features bassist Steve Swallow and the Partyka Brass Quintet. Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros’ Up From Below and Gregory Alan Isakov’s This Empty Northern Hemisphere came in…

KKHi’s Smooth Sound of Colorado top seller at Twist and Shout

KKHi’s second volume of The Smooth Sound of Colorado, featuring Walter Beasley, Craig Chaquico, Euge Groove and other smooth jazz artists, grabbed the top top at Twist & Shout for the week ending December 27. Tom Waits’ Glitter and Doom Live remained in the second spot, while Susan Boyle’s I…

Willowz top seller at Wax Trax

Anaheim-based garage rockers Willowz grabbed the top spot at Wax Trax this past week with Everyone, the band’s latest effort on Steve Aoki’s Dim Mak Records. Rocky Mountain Low and 2010: Warp Records Collection compilations came in at second and third, while Lighting Bolt’s Earthly Delights and Jesu’s Opiate rounded…

This Just In: The Toasters, Street Dogs, POS shows announced

While last week was relatively slow in terms of show announcements, the folks at Soda Jerk Presents recently unveiled quite a few shows at the the Marquis Theater and the Black Sheep in Colorado Springs. Rapper P.O.S. hits the Black Sheep on Thursday, February 4, followed by a date at…

Young Money top seller at Independent Records

Young Money, a hip-hop collaboration lead by Lil Wayne, grabbed the top spot at Independent Records for the week ending December 27. The group’s We Are Young Money features Nicki Minaj, Drake, Jae Miltz, Lil Twist, Gucci Mane and more. Eminem’s Relapse checked in at number two, while Mary J…

Monsters of Folk grabs top spot at Albums on the Hill

​Monsters of Folk’s self-titled debut grabbed the top spot at Albums on the Hill, while eponymous releases from Blakroc and Them Crooked Vultures came in second and third for the week. Boulder-based guitarist Trace Bundy, meanwhile, checked in at number four with Adapt, and Michael Franti & Spearhead’s latest effort,…

Smoke ’em if you’ve got ’em at these area cigar bars

When I was a kid, every summer my dad and I would fly to Chicago. My grandfather would meet us at O’Hare, puffing on a stogie and blowing the smoke out the half-open window of his Buick. The car smelled like cigars, his clothes smelled like cigars, my grandparents’ apartment…

Bob Dylan top seller at Wax Trax

Bob Dylan’s Christmas in the Heart topped the charts at Wax Trax, while Shrinebuilder’s self-titled debut continues to be a strong seller and came in second for the week ending December 20. Susan Boyle, who’s tearing up charts everywhere, came in at the third slot with her debut, I Dreamed a Dream, while…

Susan Boyle on top again at Twist and Shout

Susan Boyle continues to dominate the charts at Twist & Shout and once again grabbed the top spot with her debut, I Dreamed a Dream. Tom Waits is still putting up a fight with Glitter and Doom Live and came in second while Christmas records from Sting and Bob Dylan…

Alicia Keys top seller at Independent Records

Alicia Keys grabbed the top spot at Independent Records with her fourth studio effort, The Element of Freedom, released last week on J Records. Gucci Mane, who was on top last week with The State vs. Radric Davis, slipped to number two, while Snoop Dogg’s Malice ‘N Wonderland came in…

Q&A with Sin and Kurt of Primasonic

Primasonic’s frontman Sin says the band’s latest effort, Unadorned, could have easily been called No Bullshit. With some help from the Overcasters’ Kurt Ottaway acting as co-producer and Module Overload’s Jamie Hillyer, Primasonic made a no frills, rock solid album that captures a lot of the band’s frenetic live energy inspired…

Bob Dylan top seller at Wax Trax

Bob Dylan’s first Christmas album, Christmas in the Heart, grabbed the top spot at Wax Trax for the week ending December 13. Shrinebuilder’s self-titled debut continues to be a strong seller and came in at number two, while Slayer’s World Painted Blood came in at number three. Them Crooked Vulture’s…

Behold the foot-stomping alt-folk of the Legendary River Drifters

Shortly after Suzanne Magnuson and Olivia Quintana formed Malas Semillas (“Bad Seeds” in Spanish) three years ago, they brought in Cyrus Greene, a naturally good blues guitarist who used to play in the punk band PBR Street Gang, and Curtis Wallach, who’d played drums in the Taints. When the group…

The Getdown!

On this three-song EP, the Getdown! — made up of singer/bassist Dustin Lawlor and drummer Tom Nelson — literally wears its influences on its sleeves with two covers by bands that helped inspire the duo’s fuzz-drenched garage sound. Lawlor and Nelson take Thee Milkshakes’ “For She,” strip out the original’s…