The DJs and Musicians of Artopia 2016

This year’s Artopia will feature an array of local DJs and electronic artists that will add sonic splendor to the event’s multimedia experience. Sound Off’s Silent Disco will take place in the City Hall Cue Room for a lively, headphones-only performance. The City Hall Amphitheater will feature the headlining act:…

Accusations of Sexism Spark Public Discussion in Denver Music Scene

This past year has seen an upsurge in the fight against sexism in the music industry, with several high-profile stories gaining national attention. In a Pitchfork piece early in the year, journalist Jessica Hopper asked, “Why are misogynist lyrics still entertainment in 2015?” Then, in August, Hopper used Twitter to…

R.I.P., Sugarloaf Bassist Bob Raymond

During bassist Bob Raymond’s stint with Sugarloaf, he played on each of the Denver-based band four albums, including the 1970 self-titled debut that included the hit single “Green-Eyed Lady.” Raymond, who was inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame with Sugarloaf in 2012, died on February 11 at the…

Maurice White and the Subtle Power of His Music and Message

When a musician’s career spans as many decades and is as prolific as Maurice White’s was, that person is often given the benefit of being many things to many different kinds of people. Most notably, White was founder of Earth, Wind & Fire, a group whose roots are very important…

Ballad of John Elway: DJ Lisa Wheeler on Long-Lost Broncos Jams

Forget Queen this Super Bowl as you prepare to celebrate the Broncos impending victory. This Sunday, February 7, Lisa Wheeler of KCMJ will be spinning obscure Broncos-themed anthems from long-forgotten Colorado locals like The Orange Crushers and Chris Taylor who, through the ’70s and ’80s churned out vinyl records celebrating…

Wiz Khalifa to Release Cannabis Line With Colorado-Based RiverRock

Wiz Khalifa announced today that he will partner with Denver-based RiverRock Cannabis on an exclusive line of cannabis products. This is the first collaboration of its kind that the multi-platinum-selling, Grammy-nominated hip-hop artist has done, though Khalifa has long been associated with marijuana culture, titling his 2011 debut Rolling Papers. …

Why Was Glenn Frey Always Wearing CU T-Shirts?

Glenn Frey, guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and founding member of the Eagles, died on Monday. Frey and the Eagles are deeply associated with the culture of the American West Coast of the 1970s due to their centrality to the country-rock scene that emerged from Los Angeles at that time, as well…

David Bowie Was the Greatest Gateway Drug

David Bowie always paid tribute to his older brother, most famously in “All the Young Dudes,” for changing his life as a teenager by turning him on to rock music and the Beat Generation. So it makes sense that Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars…

Remembering David Bowie’s Risks and Restlessness

Genre-defying pioneer David Bowie succumbed to an eighteen-month battle with cancer on Sunday evening, and left a massive hole in the world’s musical landscape. A statement issued on his social media accounts said that he “died peacefully surrounded by family.” Bowie was an artist in the truest sense of the word, never afraid…

Nirvana Was a Cover Band: The Ten Best Unexpected Cover Songs

When Radiohead demanded public access to Prince’s fantabulous cover of “Creep” recently, I couldn’t help but recall falling in love with creative covers as a teenage drummer and finishing all my own shows in the clubs, bars and garages of Pittsburgh with the punk trio Falling Short by blazing through…

Hardcore Tears: TRVE Brewing Pours One Out for Lemmy

Last Saturday, the mood at TRVE Brewery was somber yet jovial as patrons watched the live stream of Lemmy Kilmister’s funeral on a TV in the corner above the bar. There were drinks, laughter and pizzas, but overall the affair had an air of subdued reverence. Kilmister, beloved singer of…