This week in rap, we have the latest video from Aires Jackson, a project featuring Lenny Lenn and his brother James Ray, a brand-new funk track from Naeem Oba that’s so ill it came with a “this will make you dance” disclaimer, another new video snippet from Spoke In Wordz,…
A fiercely independent artist with a diverse, dedicated and ever expanding cult following, Tech N9NE (due tonight at the Fillmore Auditorium) has a hustle that simply cannot be knocked. Currently in the midst of an 82-date tour in support of his latest album, All 6’s and 7’s, the rapper has…
Aaron Johnson has a lot on his plate right now. He teaches fifth-graders by day, and by night he’s taking classes to get certified in teaching English as a Second Language. He’s also a Geeks Who Drink quizmaster. But tonight? Tonight Aaron Johnson (aka Ukulele Loki) is performing at Red…
You can’t really talk about guitar building in this town without mentioning Scott Baxendale. About a year and a half ago, one of the area’s most respected luthiers picked up stakes and moved to Athens, Georgia — home of the Drive-By Truckers, an act that holds him in such high…
For the past eight years, Action Friend (due Saturday, June 25, at the Meadowlark) has been evolving the kind of music played by what many would say is “a musician’s band.” Although all the players in the band are highly skilled, it’s the inherent weirdness to its compositions that has…
Gretchen Parlato (due at Dazzle Jazz for a series of shows tonight and tomorrow night) is often accused of restraint. Ironically, though, she holds absolutely nothing back. Her unmistakable vocal style evokes Chet Baker and Miles Davis’s famously muted performances, and like those giants of style, her lack of volume…
Kreayshawn this. Snow Tha Product that. These two white girl rappers are the talk of the hip-hop town right now. Both women are challenging society-driven stereotypes. Kreayshawn, of course, is the hard-core, smoked-out princess with swag “oozing out her ovaries,” who was just signed by Columbia Records, and Snow Tha…
If you were listening to electronic music after 2001 but still haven’t heard of Gabriel and Dresden (due at Beta on Thursday, June 16) … are you sure you didn’t hit the scene after the critically acclaimed duo called it quits in 2008? Just checking. At any rate, you’ve probably…
With her own band, Adrian & the Sickness (due tonight at 3 Kings Tavern with BugGirl and Cock N Balls), Adrian Conner gets to be herself on stage and on record. This isn’t the case with her day job: As resident lead guitarist for AC/DC tribute outfit Hell’s Belles, Conner…
Colin Chmielewski and Mahesh Patel have both been men-about-town in the electronica scene for more than a decade now; after both taking a break for various reasons, they teamed up for a New Year’s Eve party at the Clocktower that was a big success. That inspired them to team up…
Kaia Wilson (due tonight at Yellow Feather Coffee) was a teenager in the late ’80s and early ’90s in Oregon when she became involved in the Pacific Northwest’s underground music scene. Although she played shows with many of the famous bands of the era with her band Adickdid, she first…
These days, there seems to be more music than ever coming out of the Mile High City, from the hip-hop scene in particular. The masters have been hard at work, and the novices are on the come-up. This week, we’ve got a Britney Spears track remixed by Davey Boy, a…
Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey (due at Dazzle tomorrow and Thursday) has just made an important record. Just how important remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: When this quartet of proud Oklahomans turns its attention to one of its state’s most shameful events, the musical results are electrifying…
Bootsy Collins (due tonight at the Boulder Theater), a bass player with a larger-than-life persona, first came to prominence in the James Brown band. After leaving Brown’s outfit, Collins was convinced by a friend to go to Detroit, where he hooked up with George Clinton, with whom Collins ultimately formed…
Asobi Seksu (due tonight at the hi-dive with Grimes, Le Divorce) made a bit of a name for itself in its early days by blending solid pop hooks with strong rhythmic dynamics and a guitar sound that recalled early Lush and the more melodic end of My Bloody Valentine. Naturally,…
Young Widows (due Friday, June 3, at the Marquis Theater with My Disco, Lion Sized and Cannons), from Louisville, Kentucky, seems to evolve its sound with each album as a challenge to the songwriting skills of its members. In the renowned, post-hardcore band Breather Resist, Evan Patterson and Nick Thieneman…
There’s been a lot of talk about Rhianna’s controversial new video for the song “Man Down.” If you haven’t seen it, Rihanna shoots a man who is shown to be her rapist with a gun she calls “Peggy Sue.” The scene opens in a crowded area with a shot of…
In May of last year, guitarist Kevin Eubanks (due this evening at the Soiled Dove) stepped down from his gig leading The Tonight Show band after a fifteen year run. Although Eubanks performed a bit on his own apart from the show, he’s been touring a lot more these days,…
Tommy Metz released his latest album under the Iuengliss moniker way back in March, but there was never a proper release show for the record. That’s being remedied this Friday, June 3, when he hosts a big party for the Laser Palace-produced VHS tapes at Rhinoceropolis with DJ Gorinto, Alphabets,…
Yeasayer (due tonight with Hush, Hush and Smith Westerns at the Ogden Theatre) was started by three guys from Baltimore, who each moved to New York separately before starting the band. During its four-year existence, the trio has developed an experimental pop sound that is more akin to quirky synth-pop…
This week in rap, the beat makers are holding it down. We’ve got Nofrendo, with his KMD drum-and-bass remixed track featuring a Gil Scott Heron sample that’s most appropriate with the poet laureate’s passing. Mass Prod from Food Chain shows a bit of his Donald Byrd/Roy Ayers influence with his…
Janelle Monáe (due Sunday, May 29 at 1STBANK Center with Bruno Mars and Mayer Hawthorne), like Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, grew up in Kansas, and like that character, Monáe left home to go on something of a fantastic journey. But instead of Oz, Monáe landed in Atlanta, Georgia,…
