These days you hear that sludgy, crypto-psychedelic heavy metal called “stoner rock” all over the place — or at least the influence of such when so many bands rediscover early metal influences like Deep Purple and UFO. Sleep didn’t necessarily pioneer stoner rock or doom metal, but its 1992 album,…
Le Tigre made feminism, leftist politics and sexuality seem fun and confrontational at the same time, and the act’s mixture of electronic music and rock crystallized during its live shows. When Le Tigre went on temporary hiatus in 2007, JD Samson and Johanna Fateman started MEN as a DJ and…
A throwback to a time when popular music had an intentionally kitschy side, Scissor Sisters runs its fingers through the dirty hair of New York Dolls while maintaining a musical intelligence even Elton John has come to admire. The quintet’s lyrics are threaded with smart, sexually aware social commentary that…
On its latest release, Git Some doesn’t exactly break new ground. Instead, the band cracks it beyond recognition, leaving it covered in broken glass and drenched in sweat and blood while destroying pretty much everything that rests upon it. Loose Control, the band’s second full-length and first on Jello Biafra’s…
After honing his skills at local open mikes, Sean Hunting Morse started hosting a night at the Ubisububi Room, below the Thin Man. Being around some of the best singer-songwriters, he absorbed something through osmosis, it seems — or maybe the guy already had it. Either way, Morse’s seven-song EP,…
The down-tempo “I Had Another Dream Last Night That You Were a Ghost” sets the pace and tone for this album. Something about this set of songs has the feel of a Shirley Jackson novel: It’s all haunted moods and impressionistic imagery, tied together with scenes of striking emotional power…
Me Against Sunrise is extremely talented yet weighed down by the well-worn musical cliches of the bands that clearly inspire it. The act’s latest disc, If Ghost Was a Color, pays homage to metal-core heavyweights like Atreyu and Killswitch Engage, borrowing from them liberally and often. Arpeggiated guitar flourishes, double-bass…
In the late ’90s, the Gamits were part of a relatively small but thriving punk scene that included artists like Pinhead Circus, the Fairlanes and Four. Unlike most groups of that era, the Gamits survived beyond the first couple of years of the new century and, with numerous national and…
Having fulfilled its commitment with former label Nonesuch, Wilco finds itself in a pretty enviable position right now. With a core fan base firmly established, the band has, in essence, established a framework to assume greater control of its career by releasing its own music — in its own time…
There are many ways for dance-music artists to make a name for themselves, such as blowing up dance floors as a globe-trotting DJ, crafting original tracks as a production wizard or fixing and remixing others’ material into new forms. Italian-born EDX carved out his niche with that last option. He’s…
Alright, so we were perfectly content with the minimalism of the video that introduced us to this undeniably charming and defiantly profane track from Cee-Lo Green. Got the point across rather eloquently and succinctly, we thought. And well, if it ain’t broke, don’t, uh … how to put this? …..
Turner Jackson is still a youngster in the game. Just shy of 22 years old, he doesn’t consider himself a “rapper.” You’d be hard pressed to find him spouting capricious odes of gratitude to the heart of hip-hop — he’s still a novice when it comes to the foundations of…
Have to admit — didn’t really see this coming. The Rouge is moving to Nashville. Shouldn’t be that surprising, though. From what we’ve hear, Nashville just happens to be the place where many of the band’s recent songwriting collaborators hang their hat. Although the outfit promises to return to the…
Update: Tickets are gone! We’ve picked and notified four winners, who will each be receiving a pair of tickets for the show this Friday. Thanks for the all the entries and even more, for reading Backbeat! Keep your eyes peeled for more giveaways…
This week’s flier is a testament to getting a lot of mileage out of very few elements. In the flier for Impact, a new weekly night at Milk Bar for bass-loving dance music aficionados, there’s not a lot going on. No crazy dinosaur or giant ape images to catch the…
Dubstep is taking the electronic-music world by storm these days — but for those who dismiss the genre as just another dance-music trend, we’d like to fire back with ammunition from Alert, a local DJ/producer who creates the darkest, creepiest dubstep you’ve ever heard. It’s clear from the music he…
Our Denver Rock Atlas feature is precisely what it sounds like: a compendium of storied Denver venues, past and present, in which we pick a place and share our favorite memories of the joint. After you read our memories, please feel free to share some of your own. Next up…
Update: Tickets have been spoken for. We’ve picked and notified three winners, who will each receive a pair of tickets for tomorrow night’s show. Thanks for all the comments and even more for reading Backbeat! Keep your eyes peeled for more giveaways. So we got our hands on some more…
Here what the area’s local-centric specialty radio shows were spinning this week. We’re currently tracking the playlists a number of different shows including, KTCL’s Locals Only, 99.5 the Mountain’s Homegrown Show, The Colorado Sound, which originates at KRFC and is re-broadcast all over Colorado, and The Colorado Wave, which is…
Joe Thunder is not a DJ. Nor is he an MC. Just the same, he’s a widely recognizable figure in the local hip-hop scene, and he’s equally as well regarded as those who are making the music. A tireless champion of Colorado hip-hop, Joe has been doing everything he can…
If you were desperately hoping for a Tuesday afternoon diversion that combined your love of music with your love of tacos, have we got great news for you. Welcome to the wonderful world of Album Tacos. WTF are Album Tacos, you ask? It’s exactly what it sounds like: Your favorite…
Brooklyn-based dance-punk duo Matt and Kim’s new single, “Cameras,” was released on the group’s website today. They play here on September 24 at the Ogden Theatre…
