Concerts

Well, that didn’t take too long. Back in March, we had the unfortunate displeasure of reporting that after a great run, the members of Animo had decided to part ways. This week, we received word that the three of the four members have regrouped under a new name, Heart and…

Gotta love Denver, man. At the risk of sounding like a homer, the creativity here is invigorating. It seems cats are constantly striving to come up with compelling ways to put on shows, Stand By Your Band at the hi-dive, Denver Does Denver and now Hip-Hop Bites Back, an idea…

While we’re on the subject of name changes today, it has come to our attention that the distinguished gentleman and bewitching lasses that currently answer to the name Paper Bird are in the process of modifying their name. It seems another outfit in Austria staked claim to that moniker some…

For reasons that are seemingly innumerable, the outfit formerly known as Shitwolf has rinsed off its fur and will now be known simply as Undead Uglies. Too bad, Shitwolf was such a memorable moniker. Besides the fact that the name looked, uh, killer on fliers (check out past handbills on…

I could handle seeing the original sign for the Rainbow Music Hall still standing even though a Walgreen’s had taken over the space of the legendary music venue years ago. It was a little piece of music history that I could still hold on to, considering that most of my…

I had my big thirtieth-birthday party the other night,” says Josh Wambeke, singer/guitarist and leader of Fell. “I just bought a new home in Arvada, and we’re surrounded by older people, so we had to make sure they were going to be okay with it.” Respecting your neighbors isn’t exactly…

A strong police presence near a bar definitely makes you think twice about drinking too much. It can also make you feel safe — or make you mighty suspicious of a saloon’s clientele. Particularly when three squad cars are constantly circling a place, as was the case at the grand…

At Denver Does Denver, some of the most talented and interesting musical projects in town will do an entire cover set of material by another Denver band or songwriter. With at least two dozen bands playing on four stages in two venues half a block apart (Old Curtis St. Bar…

You don’t have the career longevity of DJ Micro in a style of music as fickle as electronic without being willing to change it up. During his thirteen years in the business, Micro has progressed from yesterday’s acid-flavored breakbeats to today’s bouncy, techno-tinged trance. He’s a tireless performer, playing at…

The music industry may be melting down, but plenty of great new albums are slated for release this summer. Spanning folk to electronic to rock to hip-hop — with some drawing from multiple genres — here are eight worth a listen. Neil Young, Neil Young Archives, Vol. 1: 1963-1972 (Reprise):…

While Christian Scott is hailed as one of the hottest young trumpeters on the jazz scene, the Grammy-nominated musician doesn’t listen to much jazz these days. Lately he’s been lending his ears to more indie rock and hip-hop (he’s performed with Mos Def). Scott says he doesn’t expose himself to…

The latest project by Lazyface vets Aaron Rocha and Andy Anderson doesn’t qualify as an enormous departure. Planted, the subject of a Friday, June 5, CD-release party at the Gothic Theatre co-starring the Alan Baird Project, Quillon and the Side Project, embraces the mainstream via classically structured pop songs replete…

Falling somewhere between Tom Waits and the Misfits (with a generous helping of classic seafaring work-song influence), the debut album from Boulder zombie folk-punkers the Widow’s Bane is arresting and addictive. These pitiless lads got their start performing in storefronts on Pearl Street, and their self-titled CD was recorded partly…

Power pop, by its nature, is a regressive genre, and Hot Robots is no different. The only thing that’s in doubt is exactly which decade the band has so gleefully embraced. Built to Tilt, the Robots’ full-length debut, re-creates every hook ever beaten to death by Cheap Trick, the Plimsouls…

This experimental pop duo’s debut EP begins with the lo-fi indie rock of “Circus.” Frayed but controlled guitar riffing and just-off-melodic harmonies give the song a slightly emotionally ragged feel to match the lyrics. “Haircut” introduces vintage keyboard sounds into the band’s palette; its freewheeling dynamics are reminiscent of Matt…

Like many electronic acts at the moment, Baltimore’s Ear PWR is clearly drawing inspiration from analog synth-pop bands of the ’80s as well as the bizarre disco/ambient/experimental pop hybrid made famous by Giorgio Moroder. There’s also a hint of that surrealistic Teletubbies air (minus the borderline creepiness) to the band’s…

Last year’s Cadillac Records didn’t catch on with cinema lovers as did recent biopics of Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, etc., in part because of its split focus. Viewers got a mere taste of assorted Chess Records performers who deserved more screen time than they got — particularly Etta James, portrayed…

Few, if any, bands can claim the level of notoriety enjoyed by Norway’s black-metal legends Mayhem. From lurid but true stories of suicide to intra-band murder and connections with the burnings of numerous churches to purge the Viking homeland of the taint of Christianity, the music of Mayhem is almost…

Mutating faster than a flu virus, Seattle’s the Dead Science has grown from a mildly arty indie-rock combo into a full-on deconstruction crew since the release of its rich and challenging 2003 debut, Submariner. Lest you miss the title’s reference to one of Marvel Comics’ B-list superheroes, frontman Sam Mickens…

Loretta Lynn’s hipster quotient shot up considerably after the country legend invited White Stripes frontman Jack White to produce her most recent release, 2004’s Van Lear Rose. While it might seem like an odd pairing, White and the coal miner’s daughter made a diamond of an album (named after the…

Okay you rock snobs, listen up. It’s time to stop hating on electronic music. For years now, electronic in all its incarnations has been the go-to format for haters to dump on safely (remember eight to ten years ago when it was country and/or rap?) and frankly, it’s bullshit. These…