I appreciate bands that try to do something different. I do. But, seriously, whoever came up with the idea of rapping over a horrific mesh of post-rock with jam-band tendencies — it sounds like Phish outtakes as produced by Tortoise — needs to sit down and re-evaluate their record collection…
Chad “Chadzilla” Johnson has kept time for a slew of local musicians in addition to filling the drum throne for his main projects, Double Parked, Chadzilla & the Asteroids and Chadzilla3. Here, he teams up with Ed Contreras for the world-percussion-driven endeavor known as Istari, which got its start performing…
Although the lo-fi quality of this recording rivals releases on the Siltbreeze imprint, its songs are similarly worthwhile for their earnest sonic character. Matt Sage, formerly of Castles and Swordfight, is the sole performer and songwriter in M. Pyres, and he brings with him an undeniable knack for superlatively catchy,…
It’s official. King Rat’s Luke Schmaltz & Jennifer “Mama” Foreman have assumed ownership of Bender’s Tavern. They both started working at the spot right after it opened in 2004, and Schmaltz has been the general manager for the past three years. For now, things will be as is at Bender’s,…
So I got a pretty rad note the other day from my friend Suzanne about my most recent obsession, Danielle Ate the Sandwich. Suzanne, God bless her soul, spends countless hours analyzing and ruminating the business aspect of, well, the music business. Unlike a good number of us, who are…
Kind of a freak about Ol’ Blue Eyes, so pardon the giddiness in advance, but as we write this the Swayback are — well, who the hell are we kidding? probably barely coherent given this late hour and the fact that they’re in Hollywood right now hanging with Andy Johns…
Admittedly, we clearly have a thing for Houses at the moment (if you’ve seen this band live or heard the new record, you understand why). Nonetheless, there’s something striking about the flier promoting the band’s EP release party this Friday, May 1 at the hi-dive. There’s just something about the…
All right, so, yesterday, the always dependable, completely reliable, trustworthy sleuths over at TMZ posted a series of photos of some guy, who looks a helluva lot like Tupac, that were allegedly snapped in some bar in the Big Easy last weekend. Seems viable. I mean, everybody knows that a…
Welcome to another edition of Sound Bites, our economy-sized album reviews. This week, Chris Callaway and Mark Bliesener weigh in on recent national releases from Quiet Company, Death Cab for Cutie, Pete Doherty, the Fratellis, the Life and Times and the View after the jump…
Absolutely killer show last night. Make no mistake: We’re not being haughty here, particularly since it really had nothing to do with Andy or I. We were dependably dooftastic as always. No sir. Show was epic thanks to a sweet, sweet playlist and some stellar guests. With regard to the…
Here what the area’s local-centric specialty radio shows were playing this week. We’re currently tracking the playlists a number of different shows, including Radio 1190’s long-running Local Shakedown, KTCL’s Locals Only, the Colorado Sound, which originates at KRFC and is re-broadcast all over Colorado, the Colorado Wave, which is syndicated…
My Bloody Valentine, Kurt Heasley and Bright Black Morning Light Friday, April 24, 2009 Fillmore Auditorium, Denver Better Than: Mere nostalgia for the band could account…
MSTRKRFTFist of GodDim Mak/DowntownMSTRKRFT’s latest electro opus highlights both the duo’s ace skill set and inherent limitations. The eleven tracks all feature gigantic synthesizer riffs and banging percussion arranged into head-nodding, fist-pumping anthems. That’s a good thing in the sense that everything here is pretty catchy but it gets tiresome…
All right, just when you thought it couldn’t get any better (or at least that’s what we thought), it has. Talking about the 15th annual Westword Music Showcase here, an event that already includes more than fifty of Denver’s best and brightest and a main stage offering that features Built…
Things slowed down a bit this week with concert announcements, especially compared to the past few weeks, but we did the get the word on some noteworthy shows including Sonic Youth Friday, July 31 at the Ogden Theater, Yes and Asia at the Paramount Theatre Sunday, July 12 and a…
As music critics, the most common question we get asked (and ask each other, for that matter) is, “What are you listening to?” The pervasiveness of this query is precisely what inspired Heavy Rotation, our latest feature. For the benefit of those who happen to be curious, we’ve compiled a…
3OH!3’s single, “Don’t Trust Me,” is currently the number one four downloaded song on iTunes. If you haven’t yet heard the Colorado-grown duo’s big-time debut, Want, you can now download the whole record without putting a penny in Steve Jobs’s pocket. Lala.com is offering the album for a mere $3.99…
Last week, I downloaded the latest free EP from the Autumn Film, a local act that makes a habit of giving its tracks away online. I must admit that, before I got my hands on this collection, a three-track-and-a-video collection called Heart-Shaped Box, I was far from being a fan…
British hardcore veterans Discharge topped Wax Trax’s best seller list for the week ending April 26 with the band’s latest album, Disensitise. PJ Harvey & John Parish, Metric and Wolves in the Throne Room were also in the top five while local bands Bum Kon, the Omens and the Local…
Depeche Mode’s brand new disc, Sounds of the Universe, grabbed the top spot at Twist & Shout for the week ending April 26. Iron & Wine’s Norfolk 6/20/05, which was a Record Store Day release, nabbed the second spot while new albums by Manchester Orchestra, Camera Obscura and Booker T…
Rick Ross’s new album, Deeper Than Rap, released last week on Def Jam, topped Independent’s best seller list for the week ending April 26. Asher Roth’s new disc, Asleep in the Bread Aisle, grabbed the second spot while the Dream, UGK and Jadakiss rounded out the top five. See the…
If you’re like me, when you go out to see live local music, you’re not really thinking about the ecological impact of the experience. You drink a few beers out of plastic cups. You set those beers on a paperboard coaster. You spill beer down your shirt, then wipe it…
