Fleet Foxes

Chimney Choir channels the spirit of exploration on its new album, (compass)

The ten best concerts in Denver this week

Another great batch of shows this week. As always, there is a ton of variety for the music lover in you. Whether you're seeking EDM, jazz, metal, indie or country, there are at least ten reasons to stay up late this week and get down like there's no tomorrow. We've got all of the shows listed in our ... More >>

Night Beds

Wednesday, February 13, 303-733-0230.

The Walkmen at Ogden Theatre, 01/21/13

THE WALKMEN @ THE OGDEN THEATRE | 01/21/13 Like a punk band scoring a gothic Western, the Walkmen delivered a set at the Ogden last night that came off as a unique chemistry of contrasts. Blending all the feverish energy of rockabilly inside a tightly controlled package of casual style, the band tu ... More >>

The ten best concerts this weekend: Nov. 2-4

Welcome to the weekend! We made it. And as we already noted in Dance Card, there's an extra hour for you to enjoy. Depending upon how hard you go, this will either give you more time to imbibe or an extra hour to sleep off the effects of the night before. Whatever the case, there's plenty of quality ... More >>

Father John Misty brings humor and hard topics into balance

Beach House at Boulder Theater, 10/7/12

BEACH HOUSE @ BOULDER THEATER | 10/7/12 It's easy to be enchanted by the music of Beach House. The Baltimore outfit brings an underlying darkness to its warm, beached-out dream pop for a sound that is alluring, complex and, most of all, hypnotic. At the same time, Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally h ... More >>

Poor Moon's Christian Wargo on how Danielson Famile and Pedro the Lion led to Fleet Foxes

Poor Moon is a side project of Christian Wargo of Fleet Foxes fame, who before joining that outfit toured with both Danielson Famile and Pedro the Lion. Through his time playing guitar in David Bazan's band, Wargo became friends with the guys from Fleet Foxes and ultimately ended up joining that gro ... More >>

The ten best concerts this weekend: October 5-7

Welcome to the weekend, amigos! Cold enough for you this morning? Yeah, we're feeling all sorts of brrrrrr over here. Only in Colorado can you go from eighty degrees to the thirties in the expanse of a couple of days. Alas, though, there's relief on the horizion, plenty of hot music this weekend to ... More >>

My Morning Jacket at Red Rocks, 8/4/12

MY MORNING JACKET @ RED ROCKS | 8/4/12 See Also: - Review: My Morning Jacket at Red Rocks, 8/3/12 - Q&A with Jim James of My Morning Jacket My Morning Jacket albums are concise volumes, recalling '70s rock anthems that wailed but kept excess to a minimum. MMJ's concert at Red Rocks last night, how ... More >>

Weekend's best live bets: Lucero, Flipper, the Ting Tings, Say Anything, Jewel and more

Ah, yes, welcome to the weekend! Don't you just love living in the Mile High City? Besides the glorious weather we're enjoying right now, we have yet another weekend filled with a ridiculous number of enticing options: Lucero kicks off its two-night stand at the Bluebird, in addition to an in-store ... More >>

The Best of SXSW Music: Saturday 3/17/2012

So, we come to it: the end of all things. Four days of madness, Doritos, Skrillex and finally, St. Patrick's Day. Before we bid SXSW 2012 farewell, allow us to share our favorite moments from SXSW day four. Later, we'll let you know which shows weren't so hot. Find our favorites below, and if there ... More >>

Dear Mall Santa: Get here already. And bring that guy who smelled like Christmas with you.

Quit hiding the Ice Palace. Gimme Santa.​The Ice Palace will open its doors at the Cherry Creek Shopping Center at 5 p.m. today -- which means that Santa Claus will finally be in the house. Er, the mall. The Ice Palace -- a fancy name for a faux icicle-covered indoor forest -- will feature six ... More >>

Top Concert Photos of July, 2011

Aaron ThackeraySoundgarden at Red Rocks​As this time of year generally tends to be, July was a heck of a month for concerts with Tech N9NE, The Avett Brothers, Soundgarden, Umphrey's McGee, Katy Perry and plenty more gracing the stages. We've got so many photos, it might be hard to sift throug ... 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 September, Zac Brown is due at Red Rocks, followed by Jay-Z and Kanye West at the Pepsi Center and Neon Indian at the Bluebird in October. On local radio, Fierce Bad Rabbit, Snake Rattle Rattle Snake, Flashlights and King Mob got some spins. Mea ... More >>

Review: Fleet Foxes at the Fillmore, 7/21/11

Brandon Marshall​FLEET FOXES at THE FILLMORE | 7/21/11The Fleet Foxes didn't pull any punches during their two-hour performance at the Fillmore Auditorium on Thursday night. The sextet's set featured dizzying turns of instrumental skill, carefully layered compositions and fast-paced rhythmic s ... More >>

Eleven best beards at the Fleet Foxes show last night

​Seeing as Fleet Foxes' own Robin Pecknold dons a Christ-like beard, it would only make sense for his listeners to sport similar face rugs. Westword photographer Brandon Marshall eyeballed enough awe-inspiring beards last night at the Fillmore for us to dust off our fan-beard rating system (FB ... More >>

Fleet Foxes' Robin Pecknold respects the album format on Helplessness Blues

Tonight: Fleet Foxes at the Fillmore

​It is hard to believe Seattle's Fleet Foxes (playing the Fillmore Auditorium tonight with Adela Diane) was ever known as Pineapple. Luckily, another local band was using the same moniker, forcing the baroque-folk sextet to come up with something else, and thus Fleet Foxes was born.

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

We're blessed to be living in the best city in America.Here's what's good in the Mile High City this week: In October, St. Vincent is due at the Boulder Theater, followed by DeVotchKa who also appear there later in the month, as well as the Ogden, and Why? at the Gothic Theater. On local radio, Bop ... More >>

Alela Diane on her throwback sound and leaving her small California town for Portland

Chloe Aftel​Alela Diane (due tomorrow night at the Fillmore Auditorium with Fleet Foxes) was born in the small town of Nevada City, California, where she got a nudge from her friend Joanna Newsom to perform her solo material for the first time. After issuing her debut album, Forest Parade, in ... 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 >>

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 concert news, TV on the Radio is slated to perform two nights at the Ogden in September, Furthur is making its way back to Colorado for three nights at Red Rocks and blink-182 and My Chemical Romance headline KTCL's Big Gig in September. On lo ... 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 concert news, INXS is coming to the Ogden in July, Lil Wayne's coming to Comfort Dental in August and Steve Earle is due at the Ogden in September. On local radio, Force Publique, Signal Path and Bop Skizzum got some spins. Meanwhile, at our l ... 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 concert news, INXS is coming to the Ogden in July, Lil Wayne's coming to Comfort Dental in August and Steve Earle is due at the Ogden in September. On local radio, Force Publique, Signal Path and Bop Skizzum got some spins. Meanwhile, at our l ... 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 concert news, KMFDM is due at the Summit Music Hall and Ellie Goulding is over at the Ogden, both in August, while Bone Thugs N Harmony is slated to stop by the Gothic in June. On local radio, Quiet American, Juno What and My Body Sings Electr ... 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 concert news, Phish is closing out its tour at Dick's on Labor Day weekend, Roger Daltrey is performing the Who's Tommy at 1STBANK in October, Return to Forever is returning the Paramount and Sugarland is stopping by Comfort Dental with Sara B ... 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 concert news, we've received word that Lil Wayne is coming to town in August, followed by Santana and George Lopez, who are coming to Red Rocks in September. On local radio, Novus Folium, Justin Roth and Elephant Revival got spins. Meanwh ... More >>

Mile Highlights: Shows announced/on sale this week, local radio playlists and top local sellers

Here's what's good in the Mile High City this week: On the concert front,The Go-Go's are coming to the Ogden Theatre, Fleet Foxes are coming to the Fillmore, and Arvada Center has added shows to its summer lineup. Meanwhile, on local radio, Bad Weather California, Science Partner and Veronica got ... More >>

Slim Cessna, A. Tom Collins, Serious Moonlight and DJ MU$A 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 >>

Earth, Deca, DeVotchKa, Mogwai, Hindershot, Warsaw and Adele 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 >>

What type of folk song are you?

​With a cold and blustery day in front of us and the new Fleet Foxes song just released, we've been thinking a lot about what type of folk song we really enjoy. So much, in fact, that we've put together a handy flow chart for picking the right type of tune for the right mood. Click through to ... 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 >>

The Moondoggies

Monday, November 15, hi-dive, 720-570-4500.

Air Dubai, Lil Wayne and DJ Krush 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 >>

The Oriental Theater is back on the block

Oriental Theater up for sale

​Just a year after taking over the Oriental Theater, the owners of 3 Kings Tavern have thrown in the towel and put the historic, 700-person venue at 4335 West 44th Avenue up for sale. Jim Norris, one of those owners -- and now also part-owner of the new opened Rockaway Tavern -- says they trie ... More >>

Prog-folk: Five questions for Blitzen Trapper's Eric Earley

The Weekend Showdown: The Hollyfelds getting their Clint Eastwood on

Photo by Jesse Dawson​ We would hate for you to miss out on all the awesome that happens every weekend in our fair city, so we've decided to run down five of the best shows in one easy-to-swallow post, with video and audio. Tell us -- and the rest of the world -- what we missed in the comment ... More >>

Local Natives import a distinctively West Coast brand of indie rock

Vampire Weekend at the Ogden: Shake it, white boy

​ Vampire Weekend • The Blow 03.19.10 | The Ogden Theatre A lot of people accuse Vampire Weekend of not being original. "It's Paul Simon but smirkier," they say, or: "It's Afro-pop but whiter." And maybe it is those things. But you know what we're willing to bet no Afro-pop band, Paul Sim ... More >>

Over the weekend: Jolie Holland at the Walnut Room

Adam Perry​Jolie Holland, with Matt Bauer The Walnut Room Saturday, October 10, 2009 Better Than: Walking from Market St. Station to Walnut & 31st in the cold No one shines like Brooklyn-based indie-folk goddess Jolie Holland. Just as Neil Young was the depth and edge of CSNY, Holland was the ... More >>

Monolith Q&A: Thao with the Get Down Stay Down

​Thao with the Get Down Stay Down's latest record, Know Better Learn Faster, carries a wide menu of influences. Like the ensemble's previous work, the album draws from traditional American folk precedents, as well as snippets of other sounds that range from old Motown to '60s pop. The blend c ... More >>

Heavy Rotation, our top spins for the week of August 24, 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 >>

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 >>

Q&A with Conrad Keely of ... And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead

Conrad Keely, frontman for the indie-rock vets in ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead, is among the most articulate and opinionated figures in music. He earns this reputation anew it in the following Q&A, conducted for our profile of the band, "...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of D ... More >>

Derek Trucks Band tops Twist & Shout's top sellers list

The Derek Trucks Band's Already Free, released January 13, on RCA Victor, tops last week's top seller list at Twist & Shout, while Paper Bird's Anything Nameless and Joymaking comes in at number three again. The full breakdown is listed after the jump.

Top Ten Americana Albums of 2008

Over the next couple of weeks, Backbeat will feature some Top Ten lists from around the Village Voice Media chain. Click here for previous year-in-review coverage from Backbeat and VVM. Picking the best folk and Americana records of the year isn't nearly as hard as discarding those great records t ... More >>

Stereogum's Xmas gift for you

In an admirable show of Christmas spirit, MP3 blog Stereogum has thoughtfully compiled a list of its top 50 downloaded tracks of the year. Even more thoughtfully, they've zipped all 50 of the files into one conveniently downloadable archive! Among the gems are a radical Diplo deconstruction/remix o ... More >>

The Fleet Foxes hit a soft spot with their pastoral brand of baroque pop