“Metal bands want to portray the opposite of a happy life on their album covers,” says Ken Sarafin, and the Vale of Pnath frontman knows from whence he speaks. In addition to creating the awe-inducing artwork for his band’s latest release, The Prodigal Empire, Sarafin has illustrated at least a…
Colorado is an incredible place for live music — from our outdoor venues, one of which is world-renowned, to the vast festivals, shows and indoor venues we have to choose from. The growth of the music scene has created a small niche of music-industry jobs. In case you missed it,…
Twelve years in the making, the sequel to Deltron 3030 has attained mythical stature in many underground hip hop circles. The original — a turn-of-the-millenium sci-fi concept record that sprang from the collaboration of Del the Funky Homosapien, Dan The Automator and Kid Koala — balanced a dark, post-apocalyptic technological…
Quote/Unquote is our periodic feature in which we hunt down some awesome lyrics, examine the best lines and then get the story behind the song. This week, we unearthed a few gems from Joe Sampson from “Kill Our Friends.” For a certain type of music fan, most any song can…
Since 1983, the Melvins have been perfecting their brand of influential rock, inspired in part by punk and in part by the music Buzz Osborne and Dale Crover grew up hearing as kids in the ’60s and ’70s. With the Melvins, the two have taken that sound to different places…
Coady Willis and Jared Warren formed Big Business in the wake of break ups by the Whip and Dead Low Tide. Prior to that, the two had been in a number of noteworthy — even legendary in some circles — Pacific Northwest bands like Karp and the Murder City Devils,…
A cursory listen to its repertoire, which has a sound akin to some unlikely admixture of Molly Hatchet and the Cult, suggests that Calder’s Revolvers could be yet another band to have hopped on the classic rock bandwagon of recent years. But these guys aren’t just copying what someone else…
George Lewis Jr. grew up in Florida but moved to Boston where he formed his punk-funk cabaret outfit Mad Man Films. That band split after releasing two albums, and Lewis moved to Brooklyn, where, inspired by the music of his childhood, he started writing songs on his own under the…
Hearing a song on the radio for the first time is always exciting. Hearing your own song on the radio for the first time is even cooler. When Krewella came to Denver earlier this summer for Global Dance Festival, we got to witness this monumental moment for the act, as…
Why? was one of the flagship bands of the nascent Anticon imprint ten years ago. Like its labelmates, the outfit was expanding and pushing the boundaries of what hip-hop was and where it could go. But Why? in particular has blurred the line between hip-hop and experimental pop music in…
See also: Hank 3 at Boulder Theatre, 9/4/12 Hank 3 has one of the most unimpeachable country music pedigrees of anyone alive: His grandfather is the late Hank Williams Sr., one of the pioneers of both country and rock and roll, and his farther is Hank Williams Jr. To his…
See also: Meet Maulskull, the highly prolific Johnny Appleseed of underground hip-hop Welcome to the revamped version of Quote/Unquote, our feature in which we hunt down some awesome lyrics — or in this case rhymes — and get the story behind the song. This week, we unearthed a few gems…
During beat battles, the mysterious man in the Guy Fawkes mask sometimes brazenly introduces himself by announcing, “My name is Jomeezius the Genius…and I’m not like these motherfuckers,” just before winning over the complete adoration of the crowd by blending Nicki Minaj with the “Imperial March” or a sped up…
Dwarves are one of the most notorious punk bands of all time. In a time when punk rock has become a kind of brand rather than an authentic lifestyle, Dwarves are always dependable to show what the real thing looks, feels and sounds like. With a reputation for dangerously raucous…
On Survival Story, Flobots’ last album, Jamie Laurie (aka Jonny 5) said he spent hours and hours with Stephen Brackett (aka Brer Rabbit) mapping out cross references between songs and burying hidden treasures, as he put it, for the diehard fans to discover, all of which he revealed was inspired…
See also: King Tuff at Moe’s Original BBQ, 8/28/12 King Tuff is the latest project of Kyle Thomas, who has been seen in the psych-folk band Feathers, the garage-punk outfit Happy Birthday, and the doom band Witch, with J. Mascis. With King Tuff, Thomas has written a pretty diverse array…
See also: Purity Ring at Larimer Lounge, 8/29 Purity Ring came together when Megan James and Corin Roddick started writing electronic songs together after having served as touring members of experimental pop band Born Gold. Rather than rushing to put out material, this duo has spent the last couple of…
See also: – Profile: The Knew never really set out to find success – The Knew (CD release) at the Lion’s Lair, 8/24-8/25 – The Knew at Wax Trax with the Outfit, 8/24 The Knew has been kicking around Denver for roughly eight years, having played its first show on…
What’s the best thing you’ve heard recently? Me? Easy. Ending People. Hands down. Best thing I’ve heard in a while. In fact, I’m harboring a pretty unhealthy obsession with this band right now. The new record, Fill Your Lungs, is painfully-short at just six songs. I’ve been listening to it…
Colorado is an incredible place for live music — from our outdoor venues, one of which is world-renowned, to the vast festivals, shows and venues we have to choose from. The growth of the music scene has created a small niche of music-industry jobs, including these five coveted positions. Continue…
See also: Gun Street Ghost EP release party at the hi-dive, 8/17/12 Gun Street Ghost is the latest project fronted by Mike Perfetti, perhaps better known from his stints in Ideal Fathers, Johnny Knows Karate and Raleigh. With bassist Tyler Campo (ex-Cowboy Curse, also in Port Au Prince), guitarist Daniel…
See Also: – Sauna Farewell Show at Larimer Lounge, 8/17/12 – After a whirlwind year, members of Sauna look back at 2011 – Best of Denver 2011: Best Band That’s Still in High School – 2011 – Sauna’s “Glitter Party” video premieres on Stereogum Sauna played its first show just…
