Joanna Newsom

The ten best concerts in Denver this week

KEGGS & EGGS @ LODO'S | FRI, 3/15/13 In addition to being a Denver institution at this point, Keggs & Eggs has become a signifier of spring and annual monument to daytime drinking. No matter who's playing KTCL's free St. Patrick's Day shindig, the lines start forming in LoDo just after midnight. In ... More >>

Thao & the Get Down Stay Down

Monday, March 11, Larimer Lounge, 303-291-1007.

Russ Waterhouse of Blues Control on the unlikely influence of New Age music

Blues Control is an experimental rock duo that got started in New York City in 2006 as a kind of side project from their New Age music project Watersports. The greater immediacy and visceral impact of Blues Control connected with audiences, and soon, the side project became the main band of Russ Wat ... More >>

Here's what we're all listening to right now. What's rocking your world this week?

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 >>

Our top five spins this week, September 24-30

In this very special edition of Heavy Rotation, you not only get a through-the-keyhole view of our musical proclivities, but you also get a few words from us on our top pick of the week. Keep reading to find out what Mark Sanders considers musical comfort food, why Kelsey Whipple can't think of Spac ... More >>

Jacqueline Cordova's mystical collages approach spiritual healing

Jacqueline Sophia Cordova wants to redefine the natural world. "I feel like so many people drive by in their cars, or walk by with their phones," she says, pointing out people doing just that, "and they forget how magical everything is. So when nature is represented in a surreal fashion -- in an oth ... More >>

Titwrench 2012 at Glob and Mercury Cafe, 7/27/12 and 7/28/12

TITWRENCH 2012 @ GLOB | 7/27/12 It felt like the summer broke just in time for Titwrench 2012, and when things got kicked off a bit after 8 p.m. on Friday night, the climate inside Glob suited the music of opening act, Cardinal Veil. Julie Slater has played violin solo before and used the instrume ... More >>

What's in your bag? Spirituality, Chipotle and more!

While there have been fires in the forests and fireworks in the sky, the streets are also on fire -- with hot, hot fashion. Check out this week's eclectic mix of frontwoman and skater styles. See Also: What's in your bag? Anime and spray paint at PrideFest and Comic Con What's in your bag? Dinosau ... More >>

Jolie Holland at the Walnut Room, 5/26/12

JOLIE HOLLAND @ WALNUT ROOM | 5.26.12 After the applause died down following her final song last night, Jolie Holland offered to pay someone in the crowd for gas if they could drive her to her next gig in Colorado Springs. It's a shame that she was forced to ask, and also rather bittersweet for fan ... More >>

Mariposa

Arroyo
Tiny Amp Records

Artopia through the eyes and ears of a veteran

A.H. GoldsteinO-tone Brass Band at Artopia this past Saturday.​Talk about sensory overload. Touring the five venues of Artopia over the course of three hours felt overwhelming at times. Skipping from band to band and exhibit to exhibit in the clubs along south Broadway was a frenetic way to ta ... 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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

A Hawk and a Hacksaw, Radical Knitting Circle, the Tanukis at hi-dive, 03/09/11

A HAWK AND A HACKSAW With Radical Knitting Circle • The Tanukis 03.09.11 | hi-dive A Hawk and a Hacksaw is not, in any certain terms, the type of band you yearn to see live. The outfit plays Eastern-European infused music with hat-tips to Middle Eastern and klezmer-inflected music with vigor ra ... 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 >>

Ian Cooke appears on Joanna Newsom tribute album alongside M.Ward, Billy Bragg and others

​On Versions of Joanna, the aptly titled tribute to Joanna Newsom, 21 artists from six countries cover Newsom's songs. Of those those acts, there's a number of familiar voices such as Billy Bragg, M. Ward, Owen Pallett and Ben Sollee. Astute Denverites, however, will instantly recognize one ve ... More >>

Danielle Ate the Sandwich

Two Bedroom Apartment
Self-released

Jakob Dylan's new album is artful and rough in all the right places

Westword Music Showcase 2010: Backbeat scribes' travelogue

​ Here's our massive, multi-page report/travelogue of the Westword Music Showcase from (in order) Tom Murphy, Cory Casciato, A.H. Goldstein, Jef Otte, Jon Solomon and Brain Frederick. Let us know in the comments what you saw and loved, saw and hated, or missed and hated yourself for missing. ... More >>

Bianca Casady on CocoRosie's new album, non-Western instumenation and the influence of the Wayans brothers

​ Founded in 2003 in Paris by sisters Bianca "Coco" Casady and Sierra "Rosie" Casady, CocoRosie has been responsible for making music that combines otherwordly electronic pop with organic sounds, hip-hop and conceptual art. As a whole, it's the musical equivalent of a magical-realism novel fe ... More >>

American Idol: Lilly Scott discusses her Idol experience

​ Lilly Scott isn't going to be the next American Idol. Not tonight. Not ever. And that's baffling. She should be. In spite of her undeniable talent, though, she wasn't even chosen to be among the final dozen contestants. Early on, before she was even cut, there was no shortage of folks (ours ... More >>

Nathaniel Rateliff, Sleigh Bells and Bruno Mars top 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 >>

Heavy Rotation, our top spins for the week of March 8, 2010

​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 >>

Flobots, Gorillaz top sellers at local record stores

​Flobots' Survival Story, released last week on Universal Republic, grabbed the top spot at Albums on the Hill, while coming in second behind Ludacris' Battle of the Sexes at Independent Records. Gorillaz's Plastic Beach was also a strong seller for the week ending March 21. See the full brea ... More >>

Gorillaz, Jimi Hendrix top sellers at local record stores

​On Plastic Beach, the Gorillaz first release since 2005's Demon Days, frontman Damon Albarn recruited a hell of a guest line-up, from Lou Reed and the Clash's Mick Jones and Paul Simonon to Mos Def, Bobby Womack and the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble. The album, which was released last week on Virg ... More >>

American Idol: Lilly Scott takes on Patsy Cline and helps keep things interesting. Is she too interesting or just interesting enough? We'll see.

If Lilly Scott doesn't win this whole thing on the strength of her talent, she should win just by virtue of the fact that she's infinitely more interesting than, well, everyone else on Idol this season. Really. Her song choices alone ("Lullaby of Birdland," "A Change Is Gonna Come" and "I Fall to ... More >>

Moving Units: Sade grabs top spot at local stores again

​ While there weren't any clear winners across the board at local stores for the week ending February 21, Sade's Soldier of Love did grab the top spots at Independent Records and Twist & Shout for the second week in a row. Beach House's Teen Dream and Yeasayer's Odd Blood were also strong sell ... More >>

Over the Weekend: Hot Congress at the Oriental

Achille Lauro​ Hot Congress Comp. 1 Release Party Achille Lauro, The Vitamins, Fissure Mystic, Action Packed Thrill Ride October 12, 2009 The Oriental Theater Better Than: A community garden, or most other team projects you can think of. There is more than music to address here because Hot C ... More >>

Polka Dot Dot Dot

Wednesday, December 9, hi-dive, 720-570-4500.

The Big Bang

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 >>

The polarizing picks of 3OH!3: Ten pop albums that should be listened to all the way through

JensenBlare Magazine. Familiar? Yeah, us neither. Regardless, the site (blog?) recently posted a list that struck us as fairly interesting: ten pop albums that Nate Motte thinks should be listened to all the way through. We stumbled onto the link via AbsolutePunk.net, where a number of folks express ... More >>

Vintage Q&A with Nathan Willett of Cold War Kids

Last Night...BDRMPPL, State Bird, The Tanukis, Mad Happy

Mile High Makeout, Scene 2: Skinning the Cat

Cool Björk

Cool Björk

Cold War Kids

The only faith this group of “skinny-jeaned Christians” harbors is that they'll outlast their current buzz.

Class of 2007

A half-dozen acts that we think will catch fire this year.

Cred Sheet

Stuff you need to know about to avoid cultural ostracism.

Joanna Newsom

Sunday, November 5, Bluebird Theater, 1-866-468-7621.

Some Velvet Morning

Brightblack Morning Light gets acclimated to city living.

Westword Music Showcase 2006

Be there or be square!

Sunshine Superman

Vashti Bunyan

Lookaftering (DiCristina)

Whirled Music

Devendra Banhart has plenty to Crow about.

Diane Cluck

Friday, July 8, Denver Zine Library, 303-297-1143; Saturday, July 9, Cedars Jazz Club, Colorado Springs, 719-578-5744.

Americana Pie

Grab a slice of 2004's best roots music while it's still hot.

The Sun Never Sweats

Two great mix tapes to get you rollin' and rockin'.