Cee Lo Green

Backbeat's top five spins: This is what we're listening to this week. What's on your playlist?

As people who think about, talk about, write about, listen to and make music, it's not surprising that the most common (and favorite) topic of conversation among us is the same: "What are you listening to right now?" Stick a quarter in us, and, boy, wouldn't you know it, off we go, on and on about t ... More >>

The ten best New Year's Eve shows in Denver

Wow! Has 2012 really already come to a close? If you are anything like us, you might be relieved, but either way, you're ready to start the new year. That doesn't mean this year shouldn't end on a good note (pun fully intended). With that in mind, we've compiled a list of the ten best shows with whi ... More >>

The ten best concerts this weekend: Dec. 14-16

It feels like we say this every week, and we probably do, but we're continually astounded by how good we have it here music wise. If you haven't noticed, this time of year, the number of touring acts decreases dramatically, generally in line with the music industry itself, which pretty much slows to ... More >>

Win tickets to see T.I. at 1STBANK on Saturday

Trouble Man: Heavy is the Head, T.I.'s brand new album doesn't hit until Tuesday, but there's a solid chance you'll get to hear at least part of the record, including "Hello," the new cut featuring Cee Lo that just dropped, at 1STBANK Center when T.I. headlines KS 107.5's Jingle Jam with Lupe Fiasco ... More >>

Backbeat's top five spins, week of October 1-7

As people who think about, talk about, write about, listen to and make music, it shouldn't be too surprising to find that the most common (and our mutually favorite) topic of conversation among all of us is the same: "What are you listening to right now?" Stick a quarter in us, and, boy, wouldn't yo ... More >>

If Britney Spears accepts X Factor job, she could still learn a sexy thing or two from Christina

This time last year, the most contagious pop trend was working with Pitbull, and what a bandwagon trend that was. As much as we're glad the Pitbull days are over, we're not too hot for this new thing, either. And this new thing, somewhat strangely, is serving as a judge for a televised singing compe ... More >>

Nicki Minaj's Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, is a Minaj-à-trois of pop, dance and hip-hop

It's telling that one of hip-hop's most braggart raps from one of its most unpredictable MCs possesses 2012's most ridiculous breakdown: "Dick in your face/Put my dick in your face." A lyric like that, unique as it is, says a lot -- mostly, there ain't no one that does it quite like Nicki Minaj.

Outkast is one of hip-hop's most successful and creative groups

​Outkast is easily one of the most noted and respected hip-hop groups in the game. Big Boi and Andre 3000 met in the East Point section of Atlanta when they were sixteen. The outfit combined funk, soul, jazz and blues influences with hip-hop lyrics on its 1994 debut, Southernplayalisticadillac ... More >>

The 54th Grammys: who will win (Adele) and who won't (Lady Gaga)

From power pop to power ballads, rock anthems to rap staples, the nominees of the 54th Grammy Awards, which airs this Sunday night, sees no dearth of great music. There's little doubt that it will be Adele's night, but others, like Kanye West and Mumford & Sons, could win big too. Continue reading f ... More >>

Aretha Franklin is the greatest vocalist of all time

Aretha Franklin is the greatest soul singer to ever live. She's the reason we have Mary J. Blige, Cee-Lo Green, Adele, you name it. The singer, born Aretha Louise Franklin in March 1942, paved the way for all of the artists who followed. The Queen of Soul sang on a slew of hits such as "Natural Woma ... More >>

Madonna upstaged by M.I.A. and Cee Lo Green during the Super Bowl halftime show

Cee Lo Green outsings Madonna during the "Like A Prayer" portion of the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show.​Forget the New York Giants and Eli Manning. The true winner of yesterday's Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis was pop music. Heralded in by Queen Madonna herself, the halftime show was truly an ... More >>

Pumped-up hits: Songs we loved until they got played to death

"Man, I used to really love that song until it got played to death!" How many times have you heard somebody say that? It's a legitimate gripe, especially if you work in place where the radio is played day and night. You inevitably suffer hearing the same goddamn songs hundreds of times a day. It's e ... More >>

Reader: "Big money draws thieves as much as a cow patty draws flies"

Imagine that: John Lennon fans turn into zealots over Cee Lo's change in lyrics

2012 Grammy Nominations: Kanye West and Adele clean up, Katy Perry earns pair of nods

Grammy nominations for 2012 were announced last night during the Grammys Nomination Concert -- which was, oddly, just that: a concert, not a nominations show. Nominations in four major categories were announced, plus performances by major players in mainstream music like Lady Gaga, who performed twi ... More >>

The new Muppets movie succeeds when following its original story arc

Michelle Obama-like-Planet of the Apes-character comment earns laugh from radio host

Michelle Obama.​Denver blogs posts take a licking and keep on ticking. BigMedia.org's Jason Salzman on a radio listener saying Michelle Obama recalls Planet of the Apes -- and host Jimmy Lakey guffawing. Colorado Independent's David O. Williams on federal loan guarantees earmarked for a sout ... More >>

2011 Westword Music Showcase: Backbeat scribes' travelogues

Every year, we enlist our Backbeat writers to host various stages at the Westword Music Showcase, and in addition to their emcee obligations, we ask them to pull double duty and write up the acts that appear on their individual stages. Click through to read travelogues from Thorin Klosowski, Ru John ... More >>

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 >>

String Cheese Incident at 1STBANK - 3/10/2011

Britt Chester​ STRING CHEESE INCIDENT WINTER CARNIVAL 03.10.11 | 1STBANK Center The String Cheese Incident has played eleven shows since partially disbanding in 2007. The few shows they have played since then -- six of which have been in Colorado -- have been received with mixed feelings fro ... More >>

Gwyneth Paltrow signs $900,000 deal Atlantic can't afford and she doesn't need

​This week's sign of the music industry apocalypse: Atlantic has signed singing hobbyist Gwyneth Paltrow to a $900,000 deal. This, of course, is total batshit lunacy for every reason, starting with fact that there is no way this relationship is worth $900,000 to either party and ending with th ... More >>

New releases from DeVotchKa, The Frantix, Nicki Minaj top sellers locally this week

​DeVotchKa's excellent 100 Lovers, released last week on Anti, debuted at number one at both Albums on the Hill and Twist & Shout and rounded out the top five at Wax Trax. Two Rick Kulwicki-related releases, meanwhile, The Frantix's My Dad's a Fuckin' Alcoholic and the Fluid's Purplemetalflake ... More >>

Never have there been so many F Bombs on the Billboard top ten

Grammy winners: The Arcade Fire, Esperanza Spalding and The Grammys

Probably should have seen this coming, actually.​The most derided of the major award shows came and went last night in a flash of epileptic strobe lights, fake fire effects and surprise winners. We're referring, of course, to The Black Keys' win for Best Package. Oh, and some Canadian band on ... More >>

Placing odds on Danger Mouse's next collaboration

​Danger Mouse just announced he will be collaborating with Jack White, which makes White the billionth musician Danger Mouse has worked with after Beck, the Gorillaz, MF Doom, Cee-Lo, James Mercer, U2, the Rapture, Sparklehorse, Black Keys and, oh, just about everybody else. He's the hottest c ... More >>

Grammy 2011: Five performance collaborations we're rooting for

​The 53rd ceremony to determine the absolute best music! It's Grammy time, people, when we all leap off our couches to buy that Lady Gaga album from 2009 once we all realize it's the best album of 2010. But seriously: the only people paying attention to who wins are people betting on it. What ... More >>

The Decemberists, Nicki Minaj, Gregory Alan Isakov top sellers

​The Decemberists' latest effort, The King is Dead, moved back up to claim the top spot at Twist & Shout, while moving in the opposite direction at Albums on the Hill to the seventh slot for the week ending February 6. Nicki Minaj's Pink Friday held on to the number one spot at Independent Rec ... More >>

Iron & Wine, Decemberists, Nicki Minaj are this week's top local sellers

​Iron & Wine's first studio effort in three years, Kiss Each Other Clean, released last week on Warner Brothers, debuted at number one at both Twist & Shout and Wax Trax, while coming in at number two at Albums on the Hill for the week ending January 30. The Decemberists' latest effort, The Ki ... More >>

Patrick Stump is basically a very talented, very wealthy kid

​Patrick Stump's long-delayed solo debut, Soul Punk, will allegedly, finally be out sometime in February. Up front: We think it's going to be incredible. Stump has taken an unconventional tack in promoting his solo career, best exemplified by last week's elaborate a cappella medley of all the ... More >>

BLKHRTS, Wu-Tang top our weekly playlists

​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?" 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 al ... More >>

Top sellers this week: Elephant Revival back on top at Albums, Mumford & Sons at Twist

​After a month of holding down the number one spot at Albums on the Hill and then being absent from last week's top sellers, Nederland-based Elephant Revival is back on top for the week ending January 9. Mumford & Sons, meanwhile, who have been a strong seller at local stores, took the number ... More >>

T.I., Whiskey Blanket, Ebbets Field comp, Sufjan Stevens top local sellers

​After being on top at Albums on the Hill for a month, Nederland's Elephant Revival has vanished from the top ten. Whiskey Blanket now holds the top spot with its latest effort, No Object. Elsewhere, the Live at Ebbets Field Vol. 4 comp is back on top at Twist and Shot., T.I.'s number one at I ... More >>

Our 55 favorite musical releases of 2010

T.I., Elephant Revival, Ebbets Field comp and Belle & Sebastian top local sellers this week

​T.I. grabbed the top spot at Independent this week with his latest, No Mercy, featuring Kanye West, Drake and Eminem, among others. Nederland's Elephant Revival claimed the top spot for the second week in a row at Albums on the Hill. At Twist & Shout, meanwhile, the new Live From Ebbets Field ... More >>

Zip up your track jacket: The original Shag! is back, December 23 at Beauty Bar

​Before Beauty Bar, there was the Snake Pit, a club best known for its dance nights. From Drum and Bass to '80s throwbacks, each weekly event brought a slightly different but enthusiastic crowd to the cozy, two-room club. Beauty Bar is paying homage to the nights with some reunion-style dance ... More >>

Elephant Revival, Nicki Minaj this week's top sellers at Albums, Twist and Independent

​In-stores last week by Elephant Revival might have helped the Nederland quintet grab the top spots at Albums and Twist, with its latest effort, Break in the Clouds, released last month on Ruff Shod Records (the indie imprint headed by Chad Stokes of State Radio and Dispatch). Nicki Minaj's Pi ... More >>

Record Store Day: Black Friday Edition

​The super-official, absolutely real, Record Store Day might have been earlier this year, but there's no reason why we can't celebrate our favorite holiday twice. Instead of cutting each other's throats and arguing with old folks at the mall today, maybe you'd like to consider spending your Bl ... More >>

Bruce Springsteen, Cee-Lo, Rihanna top sellers

​Kid Cudi's Man On The Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager might have dominated last week's charts, but this week, it's disappeared from the top ten at Albums on the Hill and Twist & Shout and moved down to the number four at Independent Records.

Kid Cudi, Cee Lo, Belle & Sebastian top sellers at local stores

​Kid Cudi's Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager, released last week on Universal Motown, debuted very strong, claiming the top slots at Albums on the Hill, Independent Records and Twist & Shout for the week ending November 14. Cee Lo Green's Lady Killer, meanwhile, issued last week on ... More >>

Aloe Blacc, Harry Nilsson, Kid Cudi fill 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?" 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 al ... More >>

Pretty Lights, Ween and Jay-Z filled 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?" 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 al ... More >>

The National, Bassnectar, Sleigh Bells, the Slits filled our playlists this past 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?" 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 al ... More >>