Ben Gibbard

The best of Coachella 2013: Weekend two

The Visual Stimulations for People Who Were High Coachella's art installations -- the ones designed to impress you while you're high, aka all of them -- were particularly impressive this year. There was the tesla coil, the crane that was formerly a flower but now a praying mantis, the giant floresce ... More >>

Best of Coachella 2013: Weekend one

Karen O's Outfit Karen O's wardrobe on Friday night was bad ass. The Yeah Yeah Yeah's frontwoman appeared on the main stage in a technicolor cape draped over a suit that looked like it was made of mercury. The vibrant collage was topped with a headpiece that Liberace might have worn had he ever been ... More >>

New shows: Disco Biscuits, Passion Pit at 1STBANK, the Walkmen at the Ogden Theatre

As reported yesterday, the Disco Biscuits are playing three shows in Colorado after the first of the year at the Boulder Theater, Ogden Theatre and 1STBANK Center. And while that's arguably the biggest concert announcement of the week, it's not the only one. After cancelling its co-headlining date w ... More >>

New shows: Taylor Swift, Public Enemy, Hot Water Music; Morrissey, Green Day postponed

Tons of concert news for you this morning: You've already heard about the Morrissey show this weekend being postponed and about Taylor Swift coming back to Denver next summer, but we've also got word of Green Day's 1STBANK show in February being postponed, K'nann show at the Gothic being cancelled, ... More >>

New shows: Ellie Goulding, Trampled By Turtles, Ana Sia/Kraddy, Toro y Moi, and more

Update 10/24/12: A Bob Weir solo date with Jackie Greene has been announced on Thursday, December 13 at the Paramount Theatre. Tickets for the show ($37.50 - $56, plus fees) go on sale this Friday, October 26 at 10 a.m. So now that the final debate's over, we still don't know who's going to be in t ... More >>

Review: Death Cab for Cutie at Ellie Caulkins, with Magik*Magik Orchestra, 4/10/12

DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE @ ELLIE CAULKINS OPERA HOUSE | 4.10.12 Is there a science to picking a day to start a tour, or is it all some big random coincidence? Last night's Death Cab for Cutie show at the Ellie Caulkins was sold out, and it had been for a while, actually. This was the opening night of th ... More >>

Mombi

The Wounded Beat
Own Records

Jimmy Tamborello of Dntel on getting his start making electronic music and the tools he used

Katie ByronJimmy Tamborello of DntelJimmy Tamborello. While the name might not register immediately, you've probably heard his work with the Postal Service, an outfit that also features Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard. On his own throughout the '90s, Tamborello, who plays under the name Dntel (due ... More >>

Dntel

Tuesday, August 9, hi-dive, 720-570-4500.

Indie collaborations: Are they taking cues from hip-hop?

​The National and Sharon Van Etten recorded a song for the Win Win soundtrack. It leaked yesterday, but Fox Searchlight has pretty well scrubbed the legal-ish streams. Regardless, the two artists are a good fit, Matt Berninger's sleepy baritone makes a seamless companion for Van Etten's own ho ... More >>

Tonight: Miniature Tigers at the hi-dive

​Tonight's hi-dive show headliner Freelance Whales are great and all, but we think tour mates Miniature Tigers are equally worth a mention. Part Ben Gibbard, part Kevin Barnes, bandleader and backbone Charlie Brand creates the kind of intelligent pop music that can only get better with time.

The top five music podcasts

​Music podcasts are a difficult breed. With the current outdated copyright law, most podcasts can't utilize full songs in their recordings, making anyone but the best sound like boring music nerds. Of course, we love boring music nerds but being able to speak eloquently or interestingly about ... More >>

Heavy Rotation, our top spins for the week of January 11, 2010

​As music critics -- and people who generally think about, talk about, listen to and make music -- the most common question we get asked (and ask each other, for that matter) is, "What are you listening to right now?" The pervasiveness of this query is precisely what inspired Heavy Rotation. F ... More >>

Heavy Rotation, our top spins for the week of January 4, 2010

​As music critics -- and people who generally think about, talk about, listen to and make music -- the most common question we get asked (and ask each other, for that matter) is, "What are you listening to right now?" The pervasiveness of this query is precisely what inspired Heavy Rotation. F ... More >>

The Antlers top seller at Albums on the Hill

​Brooklyn's the Antlers grabbed the top spot at Albums on the Hill with Hospice, while Lyle Lovett's latest effort, Natural Forces, came in at number two for the week ending January 3. Lhasa's self-titled album, Neko Case's Middle Cyclone and Otis Taylor's Pentatonic Wars and Love Songs rounded ou ... More >>

This Just In: Jay Farrar & Benjamin Gibbard, Michael Buble, Nick Jonas shows announced

​While recording songs for Jim Sampas' documentary about Jack Kerouac, Son Volt's Jay Farrar and Death Cab for Cutie's Benjamin Gibbard realized they both shared an affinity for the famed Beat writer. After recording songs for the film, the pair continued to work on songs using words from Kerouac' ... 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 >>

Converge top seller at Wax Trax

​Converge's Axe to Fall, released last week on Epitaph, grabbed the top spot at Wax Trax while the Flaming Lips' Embryonic and Atlas Sound's Logo came in second and third for the week ending October 25. Thao with the Get Down Stay Down's Know Better, Learn Faster and Radio 1190's Local Shakedown V ... More >>

Flaming Lips grabs top spot at Twist and Shout

​The Flaming Lips' latest effort, Embryonic, grabbed the spot at Twist & Shout for the second week in row while Flight of the Conchord and Lyle Lovett came in second and third. Monsters of Folk's debut and Shrinebuilder's new self-titled album round out the top five for the week ending October ... More >>

Papermoons

Friday, August 14, hi-dive, 720-570-4500.

NPR's All Songs Considered weighs in on the best music of 2009

​Last time we checked, there's still a good four months left until the end of the year. Regardless, that hasn't stopped Bob Boilen and company from NPR's All Songs Considered from weighing in on the best music of 2009 (so far). Actually, check that -- the results, which were posted on the show's b ... More >>

Last Night's Show: Broken Spindles, Born in the Flood, Iuengliss at hi-dive

Photo: Jon SolomonBroken Spindles, Born in the Flood, IuenglissThursday, February 26, 2009hi-diveBetter than: Eating chips and looking at a borrowed book of David Byrne's weird photography of furniture, which is what I would have been doingHere's what was weird about this show: Broken Spindles stole ... More >>

Shepard Fairey’s Manifest Hope camps out at Andenken Gallery

DNC Music Cheat Sheet

DNC Cheat Sheet

The DNC cheat sheet: From Rage to Flav, Backbeat has you covered

Update: Silversun Pickups, Cold War Kids and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! to perform during DNC

Last Night...Death Cab for Cutie and Rogue Wave @ Red Rocks

Tokyo Police Club

Thursday, May 22, Bluebird Theater, 303-830-8497.

Valentine's Day Heartbreakers

Songs not to include on your Valentine’s Day mix CD.

Last Night: Ben Gibbard Interviewed by Blonde-Highlights McTeeth @ The Filmore

Westword Music Showcase 2007

Saturday, June 16

The Thermals

Thursday, March 22, hi-dive, 720-570-4500.

On the Record

Weighing in on ten of 2006’s most stellar releases.

Jenny Lewis

Saturday, September 30, Fillmore Auditorium, 303-830-8497.

Ratatat

Classics (XL Recordings)

Death Cab for Cutie

Saturday, October 8, Fillmore Auditorium, 303-830-8497.

Death Cab for Cutie

Plans (Atlantic)

(die) Pilot

Radiation, Weather, Art (Self-released)

Made to Be Broken

From four-track pluck to orchestral ambition, Destroyer keeps busting the mold.

The Postal Service

Give Up (Sub Pop)

Flame On

The Thermals light a fire under indie rock's ass.

Pop Goes the Heartbreak

Death Cab for Cutie lays the sorrow on sweetly.