Aerosmith

And the season 11 winner of American Idol is...

Five months of auditions, live performances and rounds and rounds of voting led to last night's big moment. Who would be crowned the American Idol champion after so much anticipation? Who deserved to win? Phillip Phillips. Beating Jessica Sanchez, the season's runner-up, in a record-breaking 132 m ... More >>

American Idol recap: Phillip Phillips will sail through to the final, but who will join him?

It's down to the wire now. Last night's performances will determine which of the three remaining Idol contestants will make it through to the final and ultimately win the entire competition, which, with the elimination of Hollie Cavanagh last week, is anyone's game at this point. The contestants eac ... More >>

American Idol: Hollywood auditions, round 1

Last night's first Hollywood round of auditions on American Idol played like a rapid fire of hopes and dreams realized and shattered and realized and shattered, like an endless loop of Aerosmith songs -- at times, entertaining; at others, it dragged on. Even so, the three judges, Randy Jackson, Jen ... More >>

Guns N' Roses guitarist Dj Ashba on that time his pal Neil Diamond urged him to join GNR

​Guns N' Roses (due Sunday, December 11 at 1STBANK Center) is a household name at this point and hardly needs an introduction. During the late 1980s, Guns proved that you could come out of L.A. and not have songs that were just thinly disguised paeans to sexual conquest. Guns didn't go for t ... More >>

Phish Story: A fight on Shakedown Street left one man in stitches and another fearing for his family

​Guns N' Roses (due Sunday, December 11 at 1STBANK Center) is a household name at this point and hardly needs an introduction. During the late 1980s, Guns proved that you could come out of L.A. and not have songs that were just thinly disguised paeans to sexual conquest. Guns didn't go for t ... More >>

Asteroid! A look back at the cinematic space-rock bombardment of the late '90s

Only Bruce Willis can save us now.​At 11:00 this morning, an asteroid 5-20 meters in diameter came within 7,800 miles of Earth. Asteroids and meteorites (ever wonder the difference?) make close calls with Earth all the time, but no time in the history of the world was so harrowing as 1997 and ... More >>

Dave Chandler of St. Vitus on the band's early days at SST and what inspired the reunion

Tina-Korhonen​St. Vitus (due tonight at Summit Music Hall) were one of the pioneers of a style of music that took its direct inspiration from the first four, maybe even the first six, Black Sabbath albums. The band's aggressive guitar work flirted with psychedelia but was too heavy to ever be ... More >>

We brought this upon ourselves: A Michael Bay career retrospective

​America's favorite action auteur-savant, Michael Bay, has spent years telling whoever will listen that his directional style is too hardcore for 3D, that adding depth would be too extreme and punishing on the average filmgoer. With last week's official announcement that Transformers: Dark of ... More >>

Dan Maes calls Tambor Williams "establishment conservative" at lieutenant governor press event

Tambor Williams.​At a press conference today, Dan Maes announced Tambor Williams as his lieutenant governor choice -- and according to Westword's Johnny Molfetta, who attended the event and took the photos here and below, the tone was much more somber than at John Hickenlooper's introduction o ... More >>

Q&A with Rachael Yamagata

Hilary Walsh​Rachael Yamagata released her critically acclaimed debut disc Happenstance in 2004 only to be dumped by her record label, RCA, shortly thereafter. Last year the singer-songwriter and pianist finally resurfaced, on Warner Bros., with the wonderfully ambitious double album Elephants...T ... More >>

Q&A with John Osborne of KingBilly

KingBilly on the steps of Hotel Villa (Misa the Bear)​"This is the best ever job that doesn't make any money" says Donny Fallgatter, frontman for Nashville's young country rockers Kingbilly. It's unlikely that KingBilly will be broke for much longer, though. Riding high with the popularity of its ... More >>

Live Review: Experience Hendrix at the Paramount Theatre

KingBilly on the steps of Hotel Villa (Misa the Bear)​"This is the best ever job that doesn't make any money" says Donny Fallgatter, frontman for Nashville's young country rockers Kingbilly. It's unlikely that KingBilly will be broke for much longer, though. Riding high with the popularity of its ... More >>

Delegating Denver #25 of 56: Massachusetts

KingBilly on the steps of Hotel Villa (Misa the Bear)​"This is the best ever job that doesn't make any money" says Donny Fallgatter, frontman for Nashville's young country rockers Kingbilly. It's unlikely that KingBilly will be broke for much longer, though. Riding high with the popularity of its ... More >>

Chris Cornell, Together and Alone

KingBilly on the steps of Hotel Villa (Misa the Bear)​"This is the best ever job that doesn't make any money" says Donny Fallgatter, frontman for Nashville's young country rockers Kingbilly. It's unlikely that KingBilly will be broke for much longer, though. Riding high with the popularity of its ... More >>

Live Review: Dylan 66 at the Oriental

KingBilly on the steps of Hotel Villa (Misa the Bear)​"This is the best ever job that doesn't make any money" says Donny Fallgatter, frontman for Nashville's young country rockers Kingbilly. It's unlikely that KingBilly will be broke for much longer, though. Riding high with the popularity of its ... More >>

Letters to the Editor

From the week of June 15, 2006

Where You Been?

The alt-rock pioneers in Dinosaur Jr. return to the freak scene as seniors.

Best Bitch

It's a dog-eat-dog world at the Rocky Mountain Cluster.

Well Trained

Polar Express is a kids' action movie that parents will warm to.

Doll House

For the Dresden Dolls, home is where the art is.

The Beatdown

We built this city on rock and roll.

Motorized Madness

The boxy, vintage Caterham auto beckons the purist with unbridled speed.

The Thorns

The Thorns (Sony)

The Evolutionary

Charting the territory explored by John McLaughlin's guitar.

Local Color

Backbeat writers weigh in on local CDs

The Media Eye

It never blinks -- even when we wish it would.

His Way

As two of his competitors brace for a legal battle, a revived Barry Fey sits quietly by. Kidding!

Enter the Drag

Shanghai Noon goes way out West, but not far enough.

Road Rules

Guitarist Patty Larkin is a tour de force.

The Bottom Dollar

The members of the 8 Bucks Experiment enjoyed a moment as movie stars. Now they're back to the real-life business of punk rock.

Anthony B / Bob Marley

Seven Seals
(VP Records)

Chant Down Babylon
(Tuff Gong/Island)

Sweet Emotion

Hip-hop rock-fusionist band Rainbow Sugar believes it's a Wonderful life.

KISS-ed Off

This rock-and-roll road trip runs out of gas before reaching Detroit Rock City.

Feedback

This rock-and-roll road trip runs out of gas before reaching Detroit Rock City.

Run, Barry, Run

This rock-and-roll road trip runs out of gas before reaching Detroit Rock City.

Letters

This rock-and-roll road trip runs out of gas before reaching Detroit Rock City.

Letters

This rock-and-roll road trip runs out of gas before reaching Detroit Rock City.

Breaking Up Is Easy to Do

Local experts offer reasons why so many of Denver's biggest bands are vanishing.

Vanilla on Ice

The hip-hop trivia question wants to prove that he's still cool.

Feedback

The hip-hop trivia question wants to prove that he's still cool.

Playlist

The hip-hop trivia question wants to prove that he's still cool.

Feedback

The hip-hop trivia question wants to prove that he's still cool.

He's Got His Mojo Workin'

How onetime Denver resident Kirby McMillan Jr. was transformed into Mojo Nixon.

Better Red Than Dead

How onetime Denver resident Kirby McMillan Jr. was transformed into Mojo Nixon.

Kids Do the Darnedest Things

How onetime Denver resident Kirby McMillan Jr. was transformed into Mojo Nixon.

WALKER ON THE WILD SIDE

How onetime Denver resident Kirby McMillan Jr. was transformed into Mojo Nixon.

LIPS SERVICE

THERE'S PLENTY OF FIRE IN THE FLAMING LIPS.

THE KITTENS' MEOW

CUTTING UP WITH THE CHAINSAW KITTENS.

THE GRANDMA AWARDS

CUTTING UP WITH THE CHAINSAW KITTENS.

ALL FIRED UP

SEATTLE'S CANDLEBOX IS GETTING USED TO BEING HOT.