Like so many rock kids curious about “this techno thing,” one of my first introductions to the world of electronic music came via Warp’s incredible Artificial Intelligence compilation. Along with the early Orb and Orbital releases, it was my first taste of what became a lifelong love affair, and two…
While today’s hip-hop is supposedly all about collaborations, a lot of performers who share tracks don’t even record their contributions at the same time or place, much less work together on a shared vision. In that sense, Dojo is a throwback — a collective in which artists truly combine forces…
Mixing styles of music is a dubious proposition and often produces uneven results, especially when it comes to mixing hip-hop with any type of rock. Artists who do so run the risk of coming across as wanting to be all things to all people. On Grain of Sand, however, Lynx…
DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist influenced an entire generation of turntablists — Shadow with his critically acclaimed 1996 debut, …Endtroducing, built entirely from other records, and Cut by constructing beats for Jurassic 5. The two Californians joined forces in 1998 for Brainfreeze, an hour-long mix that served as a response…
The relaxed, warm vocal style of Glen Phillips can be deceptive. It allows him to tell stories of human depravity, evoking the darkest depths of human emotion, while still pleasing the ear. His innovative folk-rock songwriting was honed during his tenure as frontman for the critically acclaimed Toad the Wet…
Art Lande isn’t afraid to take chances when it comes to playing piano. The guy’s a true musical explorer, and some of his most adventurous playing can be found on the two albums he recorded with the like-minded musicians in the Russian Dragon Band. The Boulder-based group takes its moniker…
During the late ’80s, Neil Young released “This Note’s for You,” a critically praised tune (and accompanying video) in which he defiantly refused to let his music be used for advertising purposes. Today, a performer making a similar declaration would be judged insane by any court in the land, and…
In 1994, before most of America knew who the hell he was, Marilyn Manson told Westword that people who go to extremes “have to be ready to deal with the consequences. And I’m ready.” Lucky thing, since his eager courting of controversy made him both a twisted role model for…
Call it an amendment to Godwin’s Law: As reviews of Vampire Weekend accumulate, the probability that they’ll mention Paul Simon’s Graceland approaches 100 percent. It’s a lazy game of connect-the-dots, really. Graceland traces an MOR-shattering pilgrimage wherein Simon spent seventeen days recording in South Africa, cheesing off the U.N. and…
Jack Johnson would undoubtedly make a wonderful dinner companion. Unlike the average rock star, who might well break the good china, wipe his face on the curtains, call your mom the C-word and violate your Pomeranian, he’d be charming and kind even if he found out you use environmentally unfriendly…
The profile of the Jonas Brothers in Westword’s February 7 issue was culled, sort of, from that most irritating of modern publicity techniques: the teleconference. But in this case, the following Q&A with Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas, the oh-so-adorable co-stars of the Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of…
Helio Sequence Keep Your Eyes Ahead Sup Pop 02:00-02:45 of “Lately” I remember this band sounding totally different. It seems like they used to be sort of electro-pop. Now they sound like U2. I guess they’re just copying U2 in reverse historical order. Anyone remember Pop? Man, that record would…
MGMT and Yeasayer took the stage at hi-dive February 4 and brought out a die-hard crowd in spite of weather that would have sent meeker souls packing. That’s just the kind of rock troopers they are. Slide show review by Cory Casciato…
Here’s a selection of the best of last week’s music blogging from around the Village Voice chain: One man’s quest to make it okay to love Rod Stewart again is awash in booze, bouffant hair-dos and lots of gaudy, tacky-ass clothes in this man-crush love letter/concert preview…
Slide Show The Pink Hawks, BRMPPL, Married in Berdichev and Slight Harp Saturday, February 2 Rhinoceropolis “We’ll be playing fort-building music tonight,” said Yuzo Nieto, the Pink Hawks keyboardist and saxophonist, before the band launched into a half-hour-long exploratory set. Every show the Hawks play is improvised, and Nieto not…
Slide Show Liars, No Age Friday, February 1, 2008 Marquis Theater Better than: Waiting in line to get in. What a night filled with hope! A certain elation was running under my skin. Liars, a magnificent band who has made left turn after pleasant musical left turn over the past…
The ongoing concert promotions battle in Denver just became a little more heated. Just received word from Live Nation that Eric Pirritt has been named Vice President of Booking. Pirritt joins fellow VP of Booking, Peter Ore, and will now go head-to-head with his former associates at AEG Live, vying…
Prior to the creation of the Backbeat Online blog, Westword conducted plenty of Q&As with plenty of rock stars, schlock stars, rising stars and fading stars — and oftentimes only a small percentage of the conversations made it into the finished articles. So in the coming weeks and months, we…
Ever since he started roaming the streets of Denver last year and then putting the footage on YouTube, Maestro Jeff Hughes has been a hot commodity. As Colorado’s own hip-hop violinist, Hughes impresses even the most critical of hip-hop haters by deftly adding a classical touch to hip-hop classics. But…
Ever since, let’s say 1968, people in the music world have just loved talking about DIY – Do It Yourself. If you use the term in the UK, people will think you’re talking about home improvement projects, but here in the colonies, that phrase carries a deep, complex and emotionally…
Fred Frith, Wu Fei, Janet Feder Wednesday, January 30, 2008, First Unitarian Church Better than: Any Eric Clapton guitar solo. Expectations, at least last night, were useless. The venue, a small, yet comfortable church stowed away off Colfax, was not a place where one would expect to see one of…
By my count, there are nearly 600 active bands on the Front Range now — 600! And those are just the ones I’m aware of. With that many acts crowding the landscape, an artist has to be compelling as hell to stand out. But as I marveled in my year-end…
