Rocky Votolato built himself a sturdy platform for going solo. When his band, Waxwing, imploded in 2005, Votolato was in the right place at the right time. Emo had taken the nation by storm, and teenage girls were replacing their Backstreet Boys posters with depictions of sensitive tattooed boys. Votolato’s…
It’s probably just a coincidence that St. Vitus formed the same year Ozzy Osbourne parted ways with Black Sabbath. Nonetheless, this Los Angeles outfit was central to evolving Sabbath’s classic sound and dynamics into the kind of metal that was more concerned with genuine heaviness and mood than the party-time,…
Akron/Family started in 2002 as what some might call a “freak folk” band. But the group quickly headed in its own idiosyncratic direction. In 2004, the Family became involved with the Young God label and served as Michael Gira’s band on that year’s Angels of Light tour. It would be…
Okay, this has the potential to either be one of those shows that you can tell people you were at in a year or two and they’ll be like, “No shit? Nice!” — à la the Killers or Arcade Fire at the Larimer Lounge — or one of those shows…
When Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” exploded into ubiquity in 1991, the traditional American model of the recording industry was having a heyday. Major record companies dominated the way people consumed music, and to stay on top, they stayed on the lookout for the Next Big Thing. And they were…
On songs like “Left-Right,” Pacific Pride sounds like a conjunction of the Buzzcocks and Pavement, with simple lyrics worthy of sarcastic Devo slogans. And yet there’s something exuberantly un-ironic about the way Pacific Pride plays its music. There’s no tongue-in-cheek, even with a song titled “Yankee Soda.” Paul Garcia comes…
On the David James Band’s first full-length, it’s clear that the group’s namesake has a deep affinity for Ben Folds, particularly in his vocal phrasing. At times his voice is a dead ringer for Folds. Musically, James’s piano-led quartet owes a lot to Folds, too, especially on cuts like “Stored…
To call the members of the Black Dots voyeurs might be a stretch — but they certainly like to watch. For the past few years, singer/guitarist Wade Henderson and his wife, bassist Nicole, have been staples at numerous shows throughout the metro area — up front and singing along to…
Pop-punk stalwart My Body Sings Electric used to lean heavy, but the band heads more toward pop on its latest release. Recorded at Interlace Audio in Portland, Changing Color is a highly polished affair of airtight instrumentation and squeaky-clean vocals. This album would have no problem finding airwaves a half-decade…
The Big Motif started as a prodigious high-school blues-rock trio and has evolved into a more mature, funk-based jam act. While the group’s self-titled EP, released last year, was jazzy, groove-laden and polished, the Big Motif has crafted a much more raw sound on its new seven-song EP, Does It…
Detroit and techno go together like peanut butter and jelly. As the birthplace of techno (and, some would argue, electronica as a whole), the Motor City has exported more than its fair share of talented, innovative techno artists — even today, in an era in which electronic music is commonplace…
After an enormously successful outing last year, Heaven Fest, which reportedly drew more than 25 thousand fans last year, is on the move again. Last summer, as you might remember, the Christian-centric festival moved from its original location at Northern Hills Christian Church just west of Brighton to its spot…
Lupe Fiasco’s Lasers was the album he didn’t like and the label didn’t want to release. It’s a disaster of pandering, middle of the road pop from a rapper, who, at the very least, seemed full of fight until now. Most of the album couldn’t hold its own in a…
Formed over two decades ago, Ireland’s Saw Doctors are an enduring force in that country’s popular music, but when the band tours stateside, fans come out in droves. The line-up has fluctuated a bit since its 1986 inception, but The Saw Doctors have stayed true to their solid rock and…
If you’ve ever had to deal with attempting to transfer an e-ticket purchase, there’s good news coming from Minnesota. A ticket resale proposal has made its way to the Senate Judicial Committee in that state that will potentially change the way e-tickets are handled. Right now, e-tickets are non-transferable by…
This here — in case you haven’t seen it yet — is what they call a classic case of “not waving but drowning!” When the elementary kids at the end of this next clip applaud, let’s just say it’s not because they’re stoked about the utterly dazzling performance they’ve just…
DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS With Casey James Prestwood & the Burning Angels 03.19.11 | Ogden Theatre After being on the road pretty much nonstop since the beginning of February, the Drive-By Truckers rounded out this leg of their tour with a two-night stand at the Ogden Theatre before heading back home to…
BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE With Houses 03.19. 11 | Boulder Theater Dressed in a cream-colored parka, Broken Social Scene frontman Kevin Drew skipped onto the Boulder Theater stage last night pumping his fist along to the Toronto-based indie supergroup’s customarily euphoric opener, “KC Accidental,” from the band’s 2003 breakthrough You Forgot…
Saturday, March 19 Good morning — or should I say afternoon? — from the beautiful city of Austin! SXSW has gotten crazier by the day, and the day has come for Wheelchair Sports Camp to tear the roof off of Austin at the legendary Red 7 venue! We were cited…
DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS With Heartless Bastards 03.18.11 | Ogden Theatre Last night at the Ogden Theatre, the Drive-By Truckers — who have notable Denver ties, with guitar tech Damon Scott in tow and charged with overseeing the group’s axes, many of which were custom crafted by master luthier Scott Baxendale, formerly…
INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS With Greensky Bluegrass 03.18.11 | Fox Theatre Greensky Bluegrass and the Infamous Stringdusters concluded their two-night Colorado run last night at the Fox. Greensky kicked things off with a ninety-minute set. The band has spent a great deal of time touring through in our state. And clearly, it’s…
Saturday, March 19 Update From a Post-Show Hangover: Since our last post no one has died, though some attempts at inter-band murder have been made along with a few bouts of minor larceny. Shortly after our romp in the river, Andy befriended a good-natured water moccasin who shortly thereafter was…
