Music

When brothers Kevin and Craig Caldwell took over the former Aroma Cafe at 2017 South University Boulevard near the end of 2009, they’d hoped to reopen the spot as the Crimson & Gold Tavern in the spring. But in February, they were denied a liquor license; turns out the address…

Chamber pop has been done to death at this point. But with Lady Parts, Katie Gold and Becky Christian have taken the idea to another realm. Using classical and electronic instruments, the duo writes songs that seem to come right out of a William Morris or George MacDonald fantasy novel,…

Named after a mythical pickpocket academy in South America, School of Seven Bells is made up of former members of some noteworthy experimental bands such as Tripping Daisy, Secret Machines and On! Air! Library! With this latest project, the trio creates a sound that sometimes recalls the spacious krautrock leanings…

Since Jerry Garcia’s passing fifteen years ago last month, the surviving members of the Grateful Dead have gone through several different projects. None, however, have come as close to capturing the sound of the original Dead as the current incarnation of Furthur. Guitarist John Kadlecik has an uncanny knack for…

Although Nate Birkey grew up in Evergreen, the trumpeter spent a lot of time in Santa Barbara, where he split his time playing in jazz clubs and with local indie-pop band Spencer the Gardener. For the past five years, Birkey has lived in New York City, where he’s refined his…

If there’s one thing Strung Out represents, it’s longevity. Formed in 1992, the California quintet has been pumping out its brand of metal-infused punk over the course of seven full-length albums and numerous EPs and seven-inch releases. Fronted by founding member Jason Cruz, it has the distinction of being one…

“A Pixies album at 3 a.m./’Cause it’s the small things that win in the end,” sings Le Divorce’s singer-guitarist Kitty Vincent on “Analogue,” one of five songs on the band’s debut, Pull Yourself Together. But don’t read into that too literally. Le Divorce doesn’t sound anything like the Pixies; rather,…

Dirty Tricks, Onic Deemo’s latest effort, is made up of twelve distinct tracks that at times recall Paul Van Dyk and Armin Van Buuren, but mostly seem to be influenced by trance legend DJ Micro. The album begins with a classic (albeit dirty) trance sound for the first several tracks…

It took six months for the Knew to make Pulpería, its long-player released earlier this summer. In contrast, the guys banged out the three songs on this seven-inch vinyl EP in a weekend. While both recordings prove that the Knew can put out quality stuff whether it’s months or days…

On II’s opener, “Allison,” Alan Alda steps away from its proggy indie-rock sound for a few moments to allow Luke Goodhue to croon about a bittersweet memory. “Logarithms,” meanwhile, finds the band striking melodic atmospheres bolstered by muscular rhythms. The song’s dark tone is a bit of a departure for…

There will be plenty of acts vying for your attention at Skylab this year, but the one you won’t want to miss is rising electro sensation Wolfgang Gartner. His stated intention is to create something entirely new in the world of dance music, and while it’s debatable if that’s even…

Birthed from the DIY music scene in New York City, Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino didn’t start out trying to have a proper band. But at their first show, respected underground promoter Todd Patrick gave the then-unnamed duo a fairly obvious moniker that managed to stick. For the past few…

Idealism doesn’t age as well as cynicism. Perhaps that’s why punk’s earnest socio-politics evolved into the ironic distance of indie rock. It may also be why there are so few artists like Ted Leo, who’ve retained both the brash tone of their rhetoric and punk’s compassionate spirit through two decades…

This afternoon, the second round of artists due to perform at this year’s CMJ Music Marathon in New York on October 19-23 was revealed. In addition to DeVotchKa, which had already been announced, near as we can tell after wading through the massive list, three more Denver acts have been…

Okay, music history might not be the best word for this. It’s more like a piece of music’s present. Starting today, you can begin placing bids on the xx’s lighting gear in an auction that runs through October 2, shortly after which the band will finally take a break from…

RUSKO M80 Dubstation 09.21.10 | Ogden Theatre, Denver Last night, the first of Rusko’s two sold-out shows in Colorado had the Ogden bursting at the seams, with glow bracelets (as opposed to the glow sticks popular at ’90s raves) dotting the crowd. Denver has earned a reputation for being one…