Cyndi Lauper

The ten things rockstars do to try to remain relevant when their stars start to fade

We all have to make a buck, and musicians are absolutely no different. When their music careers start to fade, they still have to pay the bills. And with the endless parade of also-rans appearing on Celebrity Apprentice, we are continually reminded just how low some will go to keep their name in the ... More >>

Vibrators: A pop-culture history of this buzzed-about device

Like gay marriage, marijuana use and tattoos, public perception of female sex toys is not what it used to be. While male sex toys still weigh heavy on the shame scale, a female pleasure device is mostly seen as a cute novelty. Encountering one while snooping is comparable to finding a rutabaga in th ... More >>

American Idol Top 8: '80s songs prove difficult for all but Skylar Laine and Phillip Phillips

Last night's performances by the American Idol top eight were all over the place. The theme, '80s songs, proved difficult for some, while other contestants chose just the right song for their voices and their personalities. The group performances were the most off-putting. "I'm So Excited" by Holli ... More >>

Wait, so Dave Grohl doesn't hate dance music? Evidently not.

So Dave Grohl, through his peeps at Nasty Little Man, just clarified the seemingly incendiary remarks he made during his acceptance speech at the Grammy Awards last weekend when he was picking up his Gramophone trophy. Turns out, as suspected, he wasn't ripping on dance music specifically, his com ... More >>

Rock Around the Clocktower

Review: Katy Perry at 1STBANK Center, 7/26/11

Katy Perry last night at 1STBANK Center with Skeet Skeet and Robyn​KATY PERRY at 1STBANK CENTER | 07/26/11The crowd at Katy Perry last night was exactly as expected -- armies of sprayed and glittered bodies evoked every variation of Perry's persona over the last half-decade: girls from prescho ... More >>

Mile Highlights: This week's concert news, local radio playlists and top album sales

​Here's what's good in the Mile High City this week: In October, Portishead hits the 1STBANK Center, Bring Me the Horizon comes to the Fillmore, and the Pains of Being Pure at Heart is due at the Bluebird. On local radio, Fierce Bad Rabbit, Veronica and Andy Hackbarth got some spins. Meanwhile ... More >>

Adrian Conner talks Justine Bateman movies and her day job as Angus Young in Hell's Belles

​With her own band, Adrian & the Sickness (due tonight at 3 Kings Tavern with BugGirl and Cock N Balls), Adrian Conner gets to be herself on stage and on record. This isn't the case with her day job -- as resident lead guitarist for AC/DC tribute outfit Hell's Belles, Conner channels her inner ... More >>

End of the Rainbow

Rowdy Roddy’s Greatest Hits

Rowdy Roddy Piper on Charlie Sheen and staying in the ring

Watch out, Cindy Lauper.​Rowdy Roddy Piper is one of the stranger interviews I've ever done. He's a hard man to get a hold of -- he juggles a variety of projects from showbiz to professional wrestling -- but once you get him on the phone, he's like a spigot unstopped, a torrent of tangentially ... More >>

Ten Songs about masturbation

​Hanging the Hamster. The Five Digit Disco. Jerking the Johnson. There's a million terms for the ingratiating act of self-love. Look, if we're being real here, there's no shame in the game. After all, not everyone can be pleasured by super-fantastic lovers all day, everyday, and sometimes this ... More >>

Top 5 Possible Names for MTV's 'O' Awards

​Fucking MTV. On the heels of its "extreme" strategy, we just heard the network is introducing another awards show that is apparently supposed to celebrate the "migration of music to the digital space." The show will honor tweets and best apps...uhhh...what?!? This isn't an awards show; this i ... More >>

Derek Miller of Sleigh Bells talks about past, his creative partnership and the artwork for Treats.

Sleigh Bells is Derek Miller (from left) and Alexis Krauss​ So the story goes: Derek Miller met Alexis Krauss one day when he was serving her and her mother at a restaurant, and Krauss's mom pushed her into working on music with Miller. Until a few years ago, Miller had been living in souther ... More >>

Introducing Split Decision: Tale of the tape

​Cassettes, in case you haven't noticed, are once again becoming viable. The number of tape-only imprints that seem to keep cropping up have not only made for decent blogger bait (see our recent Deathbomb Arc item or the recent NPR blog post focusing on Ft. Collins Patient Sounds), it's served ... More >>

B.o.B., Tiësto, Joe Satriani shows announced

​After a supporting slot on Lupe Fiasco's tour earlier this year, B.o.B. will be making his return to the area for a date at the Boulder Theater on Saturday, October 9, followed by a show at the Ogden Theatre on Sunday, October 10. Tickets for the Boulder show, which are $36, went on sale yest ... More >>

Lust-Cats of the Gutters have a few new Love interests

Boulder Organic Pizza is now open

​What would Cyndi Lauper think? A new pizzeria with a name reminiscent of one of the '80s-era pop singer's most notorious tunes opened up shop last week at 1175 Walnut Avenue in Boulder featuring "affordable, sustainable Southern Italian dining and drinks for eco-conscious Boulderites." Boul ... More >>

Heavy Rotation, our top spins for the week of August 17, 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 ... More >>

Helping you express how you feel on love's biggest holiday

DNC Music Cheat Sheet

DNC Cheat Sheet

What the blood clot?! Method Man among early celeb sightings

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

DNC Dance Card Is Filling Up

Torche Proves Metal Doesn't Have to Be Generic

Drawing equally from the Melvins as it does from My Bloody Valentine, this Florida metal quartet sets itself apart.

Beautiful Like A Rainbow

The legendary Cyndi Lauper headlines the True Colors Tour.

The Elm

Guys with guitars.

Delegating Denver #36 of 56: New York

Yeasayer

End of days? Why not dance the night away?

Best 2007 - Los Angeles: Margaret Cho's Sensuous Sides

Debbie Harry

Sunday, June 10, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 303-830-8497.

Singles Going Steady

The best end-to-end albums from a single-driven year.

The Sounds

These Swedes think their country is becoming too Americanized.

Yin-Yang Sisterhood

The Dearly Beloved strike a balance between fringe folk and Buddhist blues.

Ninja Tunes

Cutting and scratching with DJ Rap.

Critic's Choice

All Girl Summer Fun Band

The Great Escape

Baz Luhrmann makes movies--and audiences--in his own image.

Scenes of Queens

Christopher Walken and Cyndi Lauper make the most of The Opportunists.

Party On, Garth

DJ Garth delivers a blast from the Eighties past.

Christmas Packages

The best holiday discs, as well as others that will make you pity the yule.

Thrills for the week

Feedback

JILL OUT!

JILL SOBULE IS KEEPING HER BEDROOM PROCLIVITIES TO HERSELF.

THE BETTYS ARE OFF