Iron & Wine

Bon Iver

Thursday, May 31, Red Rocks, 303-697-5968.

Record Store Day, the Black Friday edition

​Record Store Day was originally started a few years ago as a once-a-year celebration for some 700 independently owned record stores in the U.S., including Twist & Shout and Wax Trax, but the organizers have also included today, Black Friday, as another chance to for music fans to get their ha ... More >>

The Belle Jar

Fall Systems Go
Self-released

Tonight: S. Carey at the hi-dive

​As S. Carey (performing tonight at the Hi-Dive with Other Lives), vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Sean Carey's solo material is definitely in line with the work he did as a part of a part of Bon Iver's back-up band -- and his voice is also a sweet but resilient focal point of a soothing Mi ... More >>

Elton John, Ray LaMontagne, Iron & Wine shows announced. Tickets on sale this weekend.

​Elton John is performing at the Wells Fargo Theatre on Tuesday, April 12 to benefit the Matthew Shepard Foundation, founded by Dennis and Judy Shepard in memory of their 21-year old son, Matthew, who was murdered in an anti-gay hate crime in Wyoming in October 1998. Tickets ($49-$149) go on s ... More >>

PJ Harvey, Drive-By Truckers, Nicki Minaj top sellers at local stores

​PJ Harvey's Let England Shake, released last week on Vagrant, took the top spot at Twist & Shout and claimed the sixth spot at Albums on the Hill for the week ending February 20. The Drive-By Truckers, meanwhile, debuted at number one at Albums with their latest effort Go-Go Boots, also relea ... More >>

Decemberists, Akron/Family, Gregg Allman, Nicki Minaj top sellers at local stores

​The Decemberists latest effort, The King is Dead, continues to hold on the top spot at Twist & Shout, while Gregg Allman's Low Country Blues, released last month on Rounder, came in first at Albums on the Hill for the week ending February 13. Akron/Family's new album, meanwhile, S/T II: The C ... More >>

Bernie Buescher Pandora ad wins national award (despite not winning him the election)

​So what if Secretary of State Bernie Buescher didn't win re-election last November. In our book, he's still the coolest cat at the Capitol for being the only Colorado candidate (and one of the few in the country) to advertise on Pandora Internet radio, a move that just scored him a prestigiou ... 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 >>

Sasquatch 2011 line-up announced: Vanilla bands covered in vanilla sauce

​Sasquatch became the second major summer festival to announce its lineup last night. The George, Washington (kills us every time) indie-fest is always heavy on the hipster-bait, but this year is egregious. The top of the bill looks like this: Foo Fighters, Death Cab for Cutie, Modest Mouse, W ... 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 >>

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 >>

Sea Change

Horse Feathers

Friday, November 13, hi-dive, 720-570-4500.

Heavy Rotation, our top spins for the week of August 3, 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 al ... More >>

Regina Spektor top seller at Twist and Shout

Regina Spektor's latest release, Far, was the top seller at Twist & Shout for the week ending June 28. Local faves Paper Bird's new EP, Sky Underground, nabbed the number two slot and brand new albums from Dinosaur Jr. and Mars Volta also grabbed slots in the top five. See the full breakdown aft ... More >>

Okay, Denver, we need to talk.

I just received a press release from the Salt Lake City Arts Council (cue the Pace picante sauce dudes asking incredulously, "Salt Lake City?!") informing me of their Twilight Concert Series. Evidently, the concerts, which are free and take place every Thursday night at the Gallivan Center in downto ... More >>

Sonic Youth top seller at Twist and Shout

After two decades on Geffen Records, Eternal, Sonic Youth's Matador Records debut released last week, was the top seller at Twist & Shout for the week ending June 14. Mos Def's The Ecstatic,  Dirty Projectors' Bitte Orca, both released last week, came in at the second and fourth slots while ... More >>

Dave Matthews top seller at Twist and Shout

The Dave Matthews Band's brand new album, Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King, was the top seller at Twist & Shout for the week ending June 7. Albums released last week by 311, Rancid and Elvis Costello debuted on the store's top ten as well. See the full breakdown after the jump.

Grizzly Bear top seller at Twist and Shout

Grizzly Bear's Veckatimest, released last week on the Warp imprint, knocked Green Day down to the second slot at Twist & Shout for the week ending May31. Phoenix's new album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, grabbed the third slot while Steve Earle and Bob Dylan rounded out the top five. See the full b ... More >>

Metric grabs tops spot at Wax Trax

Metric's Fantasies grabbed the top spot at Wax Trax for the week ending May 24. St. Vincent's Actor,  Peaches' I Feel Cream and the Colorado late-'70s punk compilation Rocky Mountain Low each held ground in the top ten. See the full breakdown after the jump.

Green Day top seller at Twist and Shout

After coming in second to Steve Earle's Townes last week, Green Day moved took over the top spot with 21st Century Breakdown at Twist & Shout for the week ending May 24. New releases by Tori Amos, Eminem, Iron & Wine and Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood rounded out the top five. See the full ... More >>

Death Vessel

Wednesday, May 27, hi-dive, 720-570-4500.

Death Vessel

Steve Earle grabs top spot at Twist and Shout

Steve Earle, who performed songs from his new Townes Van Zandt tribute album at Twist & Shout last Friday, beat out Green Day for the top spot on the store's best seller list for the week of May 17. Bob Dylan, Ben Harper, Iron & Wine and Conor Oberst continue to hold down spots in the top te ... More >>

Flight of the Conchords and Iron and Wine

Saturday, May 16, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 303-830-8497.

Depeche Mode grabs top spot at Twist & Shout

Depeche Mode's brand new disc, Sounds of the Universe, grabbed the top spot at Twist & Shout for the week ending April 26. Iron & Wine's Norfolk 6/20/05, which was a Record Store Day release, nabbed the second spot while new albums by Manchester Orchestra, Camera Obscura and Booker T were al ... More >>

Discharge top seller at Wax Trax

British hardcore veterans Discharge topped Wax Trax's best seller list for the week ending April 26 with the band's latest album, Disensitise. PJ Harvey & John Parish, Metric and Wolves in the Throne Room were also in the top five while local bands Bum Kon, the Omens and the Local Anesthetic com ... More >>

Silversun Pickups grab top spot at Twist & Shout

The brand new Silversun Pickups album, Swoon, grabbed the top spot at Twist & Shout for the week ending April 19. Since the store was pretty busy on Record Store Day (April 18), it's not surprising that special releases for that day by Iron & Wine, My Morning Jacket and Tift Merritt also mad ... More >>

DeVotchKa at the Paramount

Photo: Gary Isaacs DeVotchKa, Quixotic Friday, Feb. 13 Paramount Theater Better than: Seeing one of Denver's most effusive and entrancing local acts in a stripped-down, sullen setting. Atmosphere can make a big difference.I've seen members of DeVotchKa play in various incarnations and in a wide var ... More >>

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 >>

Delegating Denver #45 of 56: South Carolina

The Best Soul-Blues Album Covers and Other Assorted Goodies

Over the Weekend ... Iron & Wine, Nick Urata and Tom Hagerman of Devotchka

Punk Rock Flea Market

Beyond Playlist: Foo Fighters and More

Phosphorescent

Thursday, October 18, hi-dive, 720-570-4500.

Sound Bites

Brief reviews of recent releases

Zach Attack

Whether he thinks so or not, Zach Braff is a tastemaker.

Whirled Music

Calexico unearths treasures on Garden Ruin.

Dark Horse

Band of Horses' rise to prominence has been dramatic.

Alexi Murdoch

Monday, July 17, Walnut Room, 303-292-1700; Tuesday, July 18, Trilogy Wine Bar, Boulder, 303-473-9463.

Teletunes

Indie rock meets prime time in a post-O.C. world.

Okkervil River

Monday, October 31, hi-dive, 720-570-4500.

Iron & Wine/Calexico

Wednesday, October 26, Fillmore Auditorium, 303-830-8497.

Calexico/Iron and Wine

In the Reins (Overcoat Recordings)

Iron & Wine

Woman King (Sub Pop)

Trend-Spotting

In a scandal-ridden election year, the year's top ten music stories were all about winning the popular vote.

Marrying the Mainstream

White men learned to dance, and the emoting was as thick as the eyeliner on the year's best pop-rock records.

Iron & Wine

Our Endless Numbered Days (Sub Pop)