Curtis Mayfield

Denver's ten best jukeboxes

More and more, you've probably noticed an influx of Internet jukeboxes, the kind that offer a seemingly endless assortment of songs, cropping up in bars. But there are still a handful of spots rocking old school CD jukeboxes that require a bit of taste-making. Here's the ten best, including this yea ... More >>

Sick lines and the stories behind the rhymes: Rooke5 breaks down some of his best lyrics

Rooke5 (aka Luke Whitrock) grew up in Loveland and Greeley, but he moved to El Paso, Texas, in the middle of high school. Though he has a self-described "southern twinge" to his personality and cites Kanye West as an influence (who isn't influenced by the omnipotent Yeezy), lyrically, he is far more ... More >>

My Morning Jacket's Jim James on the idea of letting fans tweet the songs they want to hear

See Also: My Morning Jacket at Red Rocks, 8/3/12 - 8/4/12 Having formed in the late '90s, Louisville, Kentucky's My Morning Jacket has continued to evolve over the course of six studio albums. At the same time, the band has managed to hang on to that reverb-drenched magnetism that fueled its first ... More >>

Cornel West steals the show at Auraria social-justice conference

After three days of panels on everything from feminism and film making to bicycles, banks and Burger King, the Art of Social Justice conference on the Auraria campus came to a close last night with a breathtaking speech by human rights activist, Dr. Cornel West. The Turnhalle Ballroom in the Tivoli ... More >>

Sounds of Blackness: Fishbone releases documentary in honor of Black History Month

Fishbone, the self-described "disparate, all-black oddball crew," has released a documentary in honor of Black History Month. Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone is a brutally honest portrayal of one of the wildest and most influential black alternative bands in our culture. Fishbone began as ... More >>

Fresh new hip-hop from BMore, Zome, Spoke In Wordz and a brand new video from Babah Fly

Zome of Diamond Boiz​Ah, yes, each week we bring you the latest and greatest in the world of local hip-hop and rap music. We're all across the map with this installment of That's a Rap, bringing you a sexy freestyle from singer Bmore, a beautifully crafted joint from Zome of Diamond Boiz, a se ... More >>

Updated: Jay-Z and Kanye West's Watch the Throne tour due at Pepsi Center on October 10

​Update (7/28/11): We just received word from LiveNation that due to an overwhelming demand, additional dates are being added to the Watch the Throne tour, featuring Jay-Z and Kanye West. The tour is slated to hit Denver on Monday, October 10. The additional dates are due be announced on Augus ... More >>

Round two with Trattoria Stella's Valentino Ujkic

Lori Midson​ Valentino Ujkic Trattoria Stella 3201 East Colfax Avenue 303-320-8635 http://trattoriastella.squarespace.com This is part two of my interview with Valentino Ujkic , executive chef of Trattroria Stella. Part one of that interview ran yesterday. Favorite restaurant in America: K ... More >>

800 the Jewell on founding a label and what inspires him

Phillip Embry with his family.​ 800 the Jewell (aka Phillip Embry) is a man of many words and even more substance. In addition to his work as a producer, musician and rapper, he is the founder of Jewell Tyme Music, the label that houses such artists as Haven the Great, King FOE, Karma, and ot ... More >>

Street Fashion: Larry Green at the Denver Art Museum

​Being that the Denver Art Museum's Hamilton Building kind of looks like a gigantic DeLorean collided with the landscape of Tron, it's saying something that Larry Green's shoes came pretty close to upstaging it. In today's edition of Street Fashion, wherein we talk to random people on the stre ... More >>

2010 Red Bull Big Tune Finals, 11/18/10

Jennifer Boyer​ RED BULL BIG TUNE FINALS 11.18.10 | Metro, Chicago First there were eighteen. Then there was one. Last night at the Metro in Chicago where the 2010 Red Bull Big Tune finals took place, aspiring producers from around the country competed against each other in the hopes of rece ... More >>

Tonight: Aloe Blacc at City Hall

​In an age where "vintage polaroid" is considered a look, Aloe Blacc's throwback style isn't much to write home about. But its not Blacc's retro-cool appearance that makes him stand out -- its his stunning, soulful voice and desire to mobilize social change through his music that deserves th ... More >>

The Heavy's Kelvin Swaby talks about the band's music, Jim Jarmusch and Marmite.

Joshua BradleyThe Heavy appears tonight at the Bluebird with Wallpaper​ The Noid isn't just that pesky pizza-chilling character from old Domino's commercials from the '80s. It's a region of England from which the neo-soul, garage rock band known as The Heavy hails. Fronted by the charismatic ... More >>

Graffiti Black on his muses, inspiration and the four categories of Colorado hip-hop

​Hailing from Montbello, Graffiti Black is a 23-year-old producer, writer and graphic designer known for creating sharp and distinct sounds that are both vibrant and accessible. He flips familiar elements and samples with flair and an experienced ear. Artists such as Innerstate Ike, Mr. Midas, ... More >>

Ghostand Observatory, Jonathan Tyler on 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 >>

Macho meets homo in the laudable but terrible La Mission

Memorial Day Playlist: Ten patriotic (and vaguely patriotic) songs that don't suck

​ As we all prepare to take time out from our hurried lives to remember the brave men and women of the armed forces who fought (and continue to fight) to keep us all free to live our lives as we please, we came up with a list of ten tunes to cue up this Memorial Day as you fire up the grill. ... More >>

The Heavy

Friday, May 28, and Saturday, May 29, Larimer Lounge, 303-291-1007.

Littleton's got the blues — and proves it at the Blue Moo'd

Q&A with DJ A-What from the Pirate Signal

Because of his outsized persona, Yonnas Abraham is the face that most people generally associate with the Pirate Signal. If you look over dude's shoulder, though, there's another cat that cuts an equally impressive figure in his own right on the ones and twos. That distinguished chap's name? Alejand ... More >>

Mini Reviews

Over the Weekend ... Stand By Your Band II @ hi-dive

Visualizing Change

A new film festival champions independent media.

Welcome to Beyond Playlist

Roll Over, Paul Oakenfold (and Tell DJ Tiësto the News)

Top 10 DJ Mixes of 2006.

Listen Up

Fast reviews of recent releases

Nicole Willis and the Soul Investigators

Keep Reachin' Up (Pony Canyon)

Meditations

Saturday, January 28, Fox Theatre, Boulder, 303-443-3399.

Listen Up

Fast reviews of recent releases

Bun B

Trill (Rap-A-Lot/Asylum)

The O'Jays

Friday, September 16, Coors Amphitheatre, 303-830-8497.

Rootsy Return

Rickie Lee rises

Best Jukebox

Lion's Lair

Van Hunt

Van Hunt (Capitol) The Soul of John Black (No Mayo)

Critic's Choice

Skeleton Key

Perfect Rx

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists find that just a spoonful of anger helps the medicine go down.

Free Bird

Me'Shell NdegéOcello may not have platinum sales, but she's got peace of mind.

Heavy Soul

Paul Weller, the mod heavyweight champion of the world, weighs in with Illumination.

Smokey Robinson & the Miracles

Ooo Baby Baby: The Anthology (Motown)

Various Artists

Cinemaphonic Volume 2: Soul Punch, A Selection of British Library Music 1970-1976 (Motel Records)

Discmania

Backbeat writers revisit their favorite albums of the year.

Bilal

1st Born Second (Interscope)

Hit Pick

The Motet

Backwash

Quixote's stays true blue, but it's movin' on down the road.

Leon Huff & Gladys Knight & the Pips

The Seventh Deadly Sin(Coroner Records/Atomic Pop) & The Seventh Deadly Sin(Coroner Records/Atomic Pop)

The Return of Superfly

One of the best albums of the Seventies is more timely than ever.

Playlist

THE GOODS

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

PLAYLIST

SPIKED NOSTALGIA