Email Author Dave Herrera

2009 Stories by Dave Herrera

• The Trampolines

  published December 17, 2009

  More than three years after releasing their self-titled debut, the Trampolines return with Between the Lines, a solid album that finds... More >>

• Flashbulb Fires

  published December 10, 2009

  If it's true that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then a number of celebrated indie-rock bands should be positively gushing after... More >>

• DJ Quote

  published December 3, 2009

  In the world of hip-hop, mixtapes are the currency of the street, the vehicles that many underground artists use to create exposure and build... More >>

• Fresh Breath Committee

  published November 12, 2009

  Emerging from an already vibrant hip-hop scene, the aptly dubbed Fresh Breath Committee presents a classic-feeling album filled with fluid... More >>

• The Endotrend Festival has some great ideas worth latching onto

  published October 1, 2009

  Jeremy Gregory had some innovative ideas for this weekend's endOtrend Festival — such as silk-screening T-shirts for admission rather... More >>

• Ellison Park

  published September 24, 2009

  Driving eastbound on I-70, Ellison Park has one hand on the wheel while the other navigates an iPod mounted to his dash. Scrolling through the... More >>

• Some say Denver's goth scene is dead. Dave Vendetta says otherwise.

  published September 24, 2009

  Goth is dying in Denver, some fans complain. Charles Russell, aka One Skinny DJ, and Dave Vendetta, two prominent... More >>

• The Trampolines bounce back with a solid new album

  published July 30, 2009

  You've heard the old aphorism that being in a band is sort of like being married, right? Only it's not sort of like being married; it's... More >>

• Speak up! The Colorado Voice Clinic thinks every person has the right to be heard

  published July 16, 2009

  He knew something was gravely wrong when he tasted the blood in the back of his throat. He'd been forcing out sounds for nearly an hour, his... More >>

• Mile High Music Fest: Who to watch and what to watch out for

  published July 16, 2009

  For years, we here in Denver watched enviously as festivals such as Bonnaroo, Coachella, Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, Rothbury and... More >>

• Remembering the King of Pop

  published July 2, 2009

  Love him or hate him, I think we can all agree that Michael Jackson was an icon. Although in recent years, his vast musical accomplishments... More >>

• Meet the Pirate Signal, one of Denver's most compelling hip-hop acts

  published June 11, 2009

  "At 26, dude, I can't really split my time anymore," declares Yonnas Abraham. "You know what I mean? It's like, what you cash your checks doing... More >>

• The young men of Havok prove their metal

  published May 14, 2009

  I can't even drink yet," notes Havok frontman Dave Sanchez. "But I've probably played and been inside more bars than people who are 25 years... More >>

• After playing a supporting role for years, Elin Palmer has moved to the forefront

  published April 30, 2009

  Elin Palmer has spent a great deal of her career playing a supporting role, adding majestic violin textures to the music of some this town's... More >>

• Overlook a few bands on the Showcase ballot, and people start calling for your head

  published April 30, 2009

  Jeez, man, leave a few bands off the Westword Music Showcase ballot, and suddenly the hordes show up outside your window with pitchforks and... More >>

• Behold the hard rock and hijinks of Forth Yeer Freshman

  published April 16, 2009

  If you heard Forth Yeer Freshman's 2001 debut, Drunkinomicon, and then listened to Regulators, the band's new album, and thought... More >>

• Immortal Dominion rounds off its edges on a new album

  published April 16, 2009

  Over the past few years, the members of Immortal Dominion have undoubtedly experienced a gamut of emotions, from paralyzing grief spurred by a... More >>

• The Denver scene: more fertile than Octomom after a fistful of Clomid!

  published April 9, 2009

  If you've been reading the Backbeat blog, then you know that the Denver scene is en fuego right now, muchachos. Muy caliente! The amount of... More >>

• The seasoned men of Horse are making the best music of their life

  published February 26, 2009

  Before Gregg Stone quit drinking nearly five years ago, playing metal was just "something to do while I got drunk," he declares without the... More >>

• Skeleton of God

  published February 19, 2009

  From the colorful insert, splendidly illustrated by frontman Jeff Kahn, to the lyrics, which fall eloquently between proverb and poetry,... More >>

• The Fray

  published February 5, 2009

  The Fray's latest feels like a natural progression from its massively successful debut. Everything that drew listeners in the first time... More >>

• Whose opinions hold more weight, those of the critics or those of the fans?

  published February 5, 2009

  Is it more important for an artist to be embraced by critics or loved by fans? I pose this question as the first reviews of the... More >>

• So what's with all the talk during shows?

  published January 29, 2009

  Lately, I've been thinking about all the talking that takes place during shows. I first broached the subject a few years back after seeing... More >>

• The Class of 2009

  published January 15, 2009

  Remember a few months ago, when I wondered whether our scene had peaked or if we were just experiencing a temporary lull? Turns out it was the... More >>