Aphex Twin

Tamed Animals

Obsolescence
Self-released

The best EDM in Denver this weekend: Pan-Pot, Prefuse 73, Bad Boy Bill, Tommy Lee and more

Are you ready for this weekend? Are you sure? Because there's a lot on this weekend's Dance Card, from tech-house darlings Pan-Pot to the illustrious and always brilliant Prefuse 73 to the persistent house stylings of Bad Boy Bill. Tommy Lee from Motley Crue, meanwhile, will be drumming up a set at ... More >>

The five best jazz shows in Denver this month

There's another great month of jazz on tap for December. Legendary trumpeter Tom Harrell kicks off a three-night stint Dazzle this evening, while John Scofield teams up with Medeski, Martin & Wood for two shows in the area later this week. Then later in the month, Denver native Brad Leali performs w ... More >>

Lockbox

Archangel Heat
Self-released

Dyad

Cyberia
Self-released

The five most listened-to songs and albums of the week, August 20 through August 27

Well, lookie here. What you do know? It's the return of Heavy Rotation. Longtime readers of Backbeat will remember this feature as one in which we shared our weekly listening habits in hopes of giving you some insight into our individual sensibilities. It's been dormant for a while, but starting tod ... More >>

Sleepdial

Leadpiles
Self-released

Sonolumina

Solar Logos
Symbolic Insight

Andy Turner of Plaid on The Black Dog, Michael Arias, Scintilli and virtues of soft synths

Terrorbird MediaPlaid​Andy Turner and Ed Handley of Plaid (due Saturday, November 19, at the Bluebird) were part of the groundbreaking electronic music project The Black Dog in the late '80s through the earliest part of the '90s with Ken Downie. Mixing ambient soundscaping with textured, synco ... More >>

London riots: ten albums we'd have saved from the PIAS fire

​The riots in the U.K. destroyed a lot of things, but one dear to our hearts is the Sony distribution center that housed the bulk of one of the largest distro's in Europe, PIAS. On the August 9, looters torched the entire facility, destroying the inventory of over 150 labels, including the lik ... More >>

Styles Davis spins on April 16 at the Meadowlark

Constellations

Bicycle Tropics/Savage Orb
Self-released

Skrillex on his stage name: Blame AOL

Two major synth and drum machine apps make music making easier on the iPad

We don't generally spend too much time talking about gear here, but over the last couple of days, two incredibly rad and hard to ignore apps made it onto the iPad. We're talking about the release of ReBirth and the Korg iMS-20 -- both of which, even if you're not a musician, are exceptionally keen ... More >>

Tennis, Flashlights, Gauntlet Hair and Vitamins at Larmier Lounge - 09/10/10

Vitamins (Tom Murphy)​ Tennis • Flashlights • Gauntlet Hair • Vitamins 09.10.10 | Larimer Lounge, Denver If its last three albums are any indication, Vitamins seem to reinvent their sound every year or so. The band's latest material has the foursome stretching out quite a bit. While Vi ... More >>

Grab Iuengliss' first album, 07/01, for free

​Iuengliss is the brainchild of Bocumast co-owner Tommy Metz. A mess of pop-candy and '80s synth, it's a project that has produced countless releases and remixes. To celebrate the unveiling of Metz's new website, you can snag 07/01, luengliss' first album for free. Let's be perfectly clear he ... More >>

Cee Lo Green's inescapably charming (and shamelessly profane) kiss off tops our playlists

​As people who think about, talk about, listen to and make music, the most persistent question we encounter is: "What are you listening to right now?" So whether you're looking for recommendations, trying to get a feel for our individual sensibilities, or are just curious, we've compiled a lis ... More >>

Swimming With Models

Hypnautix and Pork Produx
Self-released

Nathaniel Rateliff, Sleigh Bells and Bruno Mars top our playlists this week

​As people who think about, talk about, listen to and make music, the most common question we encounter is, "What are you listening to right now?" So whether you're looking for recommendations, trying to get a feel for our individual sensibilities, or are just curious, we've compiled a list of ... More >>

Constellations Lady Coast EP heralds the band's return

​We told you back in February that Constellations were returning with new music. Now, almost three months later, the first release has arrived. The Lady Coast EP is here for your free downloading pleasure. You get two new songs and two remixes of "Lady Coast." The original of "Lady Coast" is ... More >>

Five Classic Kids' Books That Should Be Turned Into Weird Films (and Who Should Film Them)

You have to hand it to Tim Burton. Not only did he pull off the biggest opening of his already formidable career with the record take for Alice in Wonderland, he managed to turn one of the weirdest kids' books in history into something even weirder. Of course, he took massive liberties with the so ... More >>

Sing the Body Eclectic

Constellations return as a "nationwide collective" with new music

So, here's some good news for fans of adventurous music in the Mile High City: the long-quiet post-punk/dance/experimental band Constellations have announced they'll be returning from limbo in 2010. This has got us pretty damn excited -- before disappearing a few years ago, we considered Constellati ... More >>

Top Ten Best Soundtracks of the Decade

CQ took itself seriously despite its absurd premise.​Movie soundtracks are a difficult beast to master. They have to take an already existing song and apply it to a new medium in a new context. This often works with varying results, and many songs are so overused in soundtracks, they've lost a ... More >>

Heavy Rotation, our top spins for the week of November 2, 2009

​As music critics, the most common question we get asked (and ask each other, for that matter) is, "What are you listening to?" The pervasiveness of this query is precisely what inspired Heavy Rotation. For the benefit of those who happen to be curious, we've compiled a list of all the things we'r ... More >>

Heavy Rotation, our top five spins for the week of May 11, 2009<

As music critics, the most common question we get asked (and ask each other, for that matter) is, "What are you listening to?" The pervasiveness of this query is precisely what inspired Heavy Rotation, our latest feature. For the benefit of those who happen to be curious, we've compiled a list of al ... More >>

Welcome to the magnificent (and unpronounceable) world of Iuengliss

Q&A with Ryan Hendrix of Colourmusic

My first interview with Ryan Hendrix, one of the co-founders of Oklahoma's Colourmusic, didn't happen for one reason or another. But he more than made up for it the second time around. He was incredibly generous with his time, and extremely interesting and honest, too. These qualities come through ... More >>

Mugison

Mugiboogie
Ipecac Recordings

Class of 2008

Here are the other six artists worth keeping an eye on this year.

Prefuse 73

Saturday, January 5, Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom, 303-297-1772.

Prefuse 73

Ninth & Lincoln Orchestra

Tyler Gilmore’s ensemble is working hard to expand the boundaries of jazz.

45 Second Reviews

Telefon Tel Aviv

Boulder Theater

Richard Swift Earns Praise

Nothing like getting Dressed Up for a Letdown that never happens.

Swift Response

Various Artists

OHM+: The Early Gurus of Electronic Music: 1948-1980 (Ellipsis Arts)

The Flaming Lips

Late Night Tales (Azuli Records)

Plaid

Spokes (Warp)

Kid Alienated

Kid 606 separates the beats from the crap.

The Beatdown

New Backbeat editor throws his first punch.

Shaggy Character

The founder of Denver's first Brit-pop night moves into the future with Shaggy Robot.

Critic's Choice

Squarepusher

Critic's Choice

The Orb

Playlist

Primus, The Go, At the Drive In, Method Man/Redman

Plugged In

Just in time for Lollapalooza, a list of the albums you need to understand electronica.

Beck on the Highway

The man of the moment wants some moments for himself.

Playlist

THE GOODS

THERE WEREN'T THOUSANDS OF FIRST-RATE RECORDS RELEASED IN 1995. BUT THERE WERE NINETY.