In one of those nonsensical ironies that pepper Grammy Awards history, singer/tunesmith Shelby Lynne won the best new artist trophy for 2000 even though she made her major-label debut in 1989. But she quickly squandered much of the goodwill engendered by this belated recognition by following up her impressive comeback…
The last time Xiu Xiu toured the Midwest, Caralee McElroy, one of the band’s multi-instrumental members, was the focus of a mosquito feeding frenzy — from which she emerged with almost a hundred itchy bumps. Tedious tour-van commutes enhance the temptation to scratch bites bloody, so singer Jamie Stewart has…
A few weeks ago, a radio host likened the Westword Music Showcase, which took place this past Saturday in the Golden Triangle, to a ” mini-South by Southwest.” And aside from the binge drinking, BBQ, industry glad-handing and how damn hard I have to work on the Showcase, he’s right…
Less Than Human, the latest from James Murphy and Tim Goldsworthy’s critically lauded DFA label, finds former Six Finger Satellite member John Maclean taking advantage of the recent decision by indie kids that dance music can play their reindeer games. Human reeks of yesteryear, somewhere between the metallic robotics of…
Some bands grow up as they grow older; others are born ancient and simply erode. Over the course of the past fifteen years, Baltimore’s Lungfish has built an edifice of epic, imposing post-hardcore that resounds far beyond the small world that birthed it — and Feral Hymns is another chip…
“Lean Back” gave Fat Joe a chance to make the really big money, and he’s taking advantage of this prospect by embracing the mainstream. He came across as a genial glad-hander while working the red carpet at the recent MTV Movie Awards, and he makes repeated bids for airplay on…
Hand claps, cowbells, sassy horns and “Jumping Jack Flash” rhythms make Less Sophistication the best Summer of Love record not penned by mop-topped limeys in the ’60s. Hailing from the American-garage-rock capital of Scandinavia, the Jessica Fletchers lean heavily on the white-boy soul of the Zombies but aren’t afraid to…
At least one major adjustment was recently forced upon Static-X: Guitarist Tripp Eisen was given the heave-ho after being busted for allegedly having intercourse with minors. But when it comes to music, the bandmates (supplemented by returning power-chorder Koichi Fukuda) are digging in their heels. On Start a War, they…
In 1975, Brian Eno proved himself a polarized figure with the release of Discreet Music, an early ambient opus, and Another Green World, a masterpiece of avant-garde pop. With Another Day on Earth, an ostensible sequel to Green World, Eno manages to evoke the least compelling traits of both sides…
You wouldn’t think a band could do a lot of damage in the span of just five songs, but with its eponymous debut EP, the Autokinoton packs enough corrosive force to make most hardcore bands in town whimper in envy. Still, it isn’t all bloodletting: Rather than rely on the…
While touring Nigeria and Ghana four years ago, Arthur Lee Land, a Boulder transplant, came up with the idea for Afrograss: a synthesis of West African percussion and bluegrass in a folk-rock format. Less indebted to King Sunny Ade than David Grisman (guest fiddle and mandolin ace Joe Craven is…
Originally alternating between the somewhat prosaic handle Five Guys Named Moe and the more esoteric Haggis, in 1991 this quartet eventually settled on the monosyllabic moniker moe. (That’s right, race fans, lowercase and with a period.) The Buffalo-based act boasts an assortment of cap feathers, including a stint on the…
The idea of a two-person, retro-roots combo is about as played out as Stooges T-shirts at American Outfitters. There are only a couple of ways to convincingly pull off such a project in the age of the White Stripes and the Black Keys: Do it over the top and larger…
It’s generally assumed that rock music without guitars doesn’t exactly rock. The Apes (above) know otherwise. The Washington, D.C., band eschews Rickenbackers and Stratocasters, filling out its sound with Paul Weil’s singing, Jeff Schmid’s drums, Amanda Kleinman’s heavily amplified keyboards and Erick Jackson’s bass, which is regularly cranked to jet-engine…
Some of the original British punk bands of the 1970s went on to stardom, critical acclaim, even the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: the Sex Pistols, the Buzzcocks, the Clash. Even less successful ones like the Damned and the Undertones are still cited as influences and revered. Then there…
Guitarist Aaron Dalbec is no punker-come-lately, having first made a big noise in the ’90s with a terrific collective dubbed Converge. He contributed to fierce, unforgettable discs such as 1998’s Petition the Empty Sky and When Forever Comes Crashing, both of which were reissued earlier this year by Equal Vision…
The ratio of bands that play emo to the ones that have any clue about the genre’s rich tradition is pathetically small. But the Forecast serves up more than a history lesson. With its debut album, Late Night Conversations, this coed quartet from Illinois resurrects the taut, melodic urgency of…
What’s in a name? A whole hell of a lot, if yours sucks. After starting life in 2003 with the awkward moniker Tobias Jupiter, The FlashBangs adopted their current tag a few months ago — and picked up a Best of Denver award for Best Band Name Change in the…
DJ John Acquaviva has been blazing a trail in the dance scene since its earliest days. From launching the Plus-8 imprint with partner Richie Hawtin in 1989 to his involvement in pioneering Final Scratch technology (and his subsequent stake in Beatport.com), Acquaviva has been all about pushing the scene forward…
From their perch on the stage of the Bluebird Theater, the members of Matson Jones look almost like shadows. Drummer Ross Harada, limbs splayed, pounds a beat as bare as a rattling skeleton. Next to him, Matt Regan coaxes groaning notes from the belly of his upright bass. Seated before…
After draining a fifteen-dollar bottle of cabernet sauvignon with Eddie Turner, it’s hard not to laugh when he jokingly refers to Park Hill as a “bluesman neighborhood.” Just blocks east of the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, the renowned electric guitarist shares an upscale home with his girlfriend, Terri,…
In a tiny, cramped bedroom studio in east Denver, producer/MC Solpowa scrolls through beats on his computer while his cohort, MC Fist of Fury, aka Shunfist, alternately scribbles on a notepad and quietly recites the lines of verse he’s just penned. The warm smell of colitas hangs in the air,…
