Kid Cudi

New Denver shows on sale this week: Megadeth, Tricky, Wiz Khalifa, A$AP Rocky and more

Megadeth's Gigantour, which features HellYeah, Newstead, Black Label Society and is making a stop at 1STBANK Center in August, goes on sale this Friday, May 10, while Tricky at the Gothic, and Wiz Khalifa and A$AP Rocky at Fiddler's go on sale on Saturday, May 11. Keep reading for the full rundown t ... More >>

A rundown of the rap world's favorite drugs

Drug culture isn't relegated exclusively to rock, obviously. For its part, the rap game is equally loaded with drug references of all kinds, from Promethazine and DMT to LSD and PCP, and likewise addled with its own cautionary tales and fatalities. While there's nothing as concrete to suggest that d ... More >>

Here's what we're all listening to right now: What's on your playlist this week?

Music is life. Or at least it is for us. When we're not writing about it, we're thinking about it, talking about it or listening to it. These are the things that were in heavy rotation for us this week. What are you listening to? What should we be listening to? C'mon now. Sharing is caring. Don't ho ... More >>

The 50 best rap lyrics of all time: Complete list

Last week, we took a look at the fifty worst rap lyrics of all time. Going through all the dreck and drivel to get to the crème de la crème of crappiness was tedious and rather exhausting. This week, we even things out by taking a look at the other end of the spectrum and examining rap lyrics to f ... More >>

The 50 best rap lyrics of all time: 50-26

Last week, we took a look at the fifty worst rap lyrics of all time. Culling through all the dreck and drivel to get to the crème de la crème of crappiness was tedious and rather exhausting. This week we even things out by taking a look at the other end of the spectrum and examining the fifty best ... 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 >>

Backbeat's top five spins: This is what we're listening to this week. What's on your playlist?

As people who think about, talk about, write about, listen to and make music, it shouldn't be surprising to find that the most common (and mutually 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 ... More >>

Kreayshawn on how she deals with criticism

Kreayshawn (aka Natassia Zolot) got a video camera at age ten and started making and editing her own videos for several years before formally trying her hand at music. Although she's a high-school dropout, Kreayshawn landed a scholarship to study film at the Berkeley Digital Film Institute. During t ... More >>

The five best concerts this week: December 3-7

Good morning, y'all! And oh what a joyously good morning it is, eh? Is it just us, or is the sun shining a little brighter today? With the Broncos clinching the AFC West division yesterday here at home on an unseasonably agreeable day at Invesco, well, it just feels like one of those green-lights-al ... More >>

Kreayshawn

Wednesday, December 5, Fox Theatre, Boulder, 303-443-3399.

Street style: What's in your bag? Novels, sandwiches and more!

While many people laid out by the pool or devoured BBQ on Memorial Day weekend, wearing nothing more than a bathing suit or old T-shirt and shorts, true street fashion never takes time off. For proof, look no further than these stylistic movers and shakers we found downtown over the holidays, who c ... More >>

Chartbreaker: Taylor Swift and The Hunger Games top Adele and One Direction this week

Lots of noise on the Billboard 200 albums chart in the past two weeks, and it hasn't been from Adele...for once. Last week, newcomers One Direction made history as the first British import with a number-one album debut -- neither the Spice Girls nor the Beatles had albums ever debut at number one in ... More >>

Chartbreaker: Adele on top once again for the 23rd week

Watch out, Prince. Adele is about to set fire to your "Purple Rain." One more week, and Adele's 21 will boast the same chart record Purple Rain did in 1984 and 1985: reigning at the top of the Billboard 200 for 24 whole weeks.

Mile Highlights: Denver/Boulder area concert news, local radio playlists and top album sales

​ Here's what's hot this week in music on the Front Range: On the concert front, new shows featuring Madonna, Jeff Mangum, the String Cheese Incident, Jane's Addiction, B.B. King and more were announced; Lola Black, Fresh Breath Committee and the Autumn Film got spins on local radio; and recent a ... More >>

The 54th Grammys: who will win (Adele) and who won't (Lady Gaga)

From power pop to power ballads, rock anthems to rap staples, the nominees of the 54th Grammy Awards, which airs this Sunday night, sees no dearth of great music. There's little doubt that it will be Adele's night, but others, like Kanye West and Mumford & Sons, could win big too. Continue reading f ... More >>

Global Dance Festival three-day passes to go on sale Wednesday

Get your track pads and refresh buttons ready, electro-heads! Exclusive three-day passes for the 2012 Global Dance Festival at Red Rocks Amphitheater are about to go on sale. This Wednesday, February 15 at noon, Triad Dragons are releasing exclusive, three-day passes to the largest electronic music ... More >>

2012 Grammy Nominations: Kanye West and Adele clean up, Katy Perry earns pair of nods

Grammy nominations for 2012 were announced last night during the Grammys Nomination Concert -- which was, oddly, just that: a concert, not a nominations show. Nominations in four major categories were announced, plus performances by major players in mainstream music like Lady Gaga, who performed twi ... More >>

The Kool Crue

American Dreams
Self-released

Odd Future due at the Fox Theatre on Saturday, October 8 and Ogden on Sunday, October 9

Dang, dude. Shit just got hella interesting. Word on the street is that Odd Future is slated to make its Colorado debut at the Fox Theatre on Saturday, October 8, and its Denver debut at the Ogden Theatre on Sunday, October 9. That's right, the night before the Watch the Throne tour hits the Pepsi C ... More >>

A-Trak spins May 9 at the Gothic

Wilco, Odd Future, Kid Cudi: Who needs a label when you can just start your own?

Wilco's got its own label now, Kid Cudi has Wicked Awesome Records, and Odd Future just launched Odd Future Records. Everyone seems to be moving away from the old model, where the majors handled everything, and have opted to do their own thing. Of course, it's all a bit of a misnomer: While all thes ... More >>

In honor of Modest Mouse and Big Boi: A look at the Top 10 rap/rock collaborations of all time

​In case you haven't heard yet, Modest Mouse is working with Big Boi on its next album. Seriously. Yeah, we're having a hard time even trying to imagine what that's going to sound like. The news, however, did get us thinking about the ten of the best and rap/rock collaborations. You know Aeros ... More >>

Global Dance Festival expands to three days

​It just keeps growing: Last year, the annual Global Dance Festival expanded from one rave-tastic night at Red Rocks to two -- and the Triad Dragons have just announced a third GDF night at the premier outdoor concert venue in the country. Headlining will be Australia's Empire of the Sun, an e ... 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 >>

It smells good in here: High Times Medical Cannabis Cup this weekend

​This will be a weekend to remember, though I doubt I'll remember much of it. The High Times Medical Cannabis Cup is at the Exdo Event Center this weekend. If you have trouble finding it, look for the rising cloud of deliciously fragrant smoke northeast of downtown.

Rockin’ the Joint

Tanya Morgan heads up Ahead of the Class Tour

JJ Casas​ Tanya Morgan, once a group with a following confined to the East Coast underground hip-hop scene, has seen several layers of artistic success since first coming onto the scene. Anyone affiliated with the following of Donwill and Von Pea can assert the mainstream success of artists l ... More >>

All Of The Lights video: Is Kanye West actually going small?

​Either the third or fourth (depends if you count the leaked but never released "Monster" monstrosity) video from Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy came out over the weekend, for current single "All of the Lights." And after all the billionaire, art house, heaven-and-hell enormity ... More >>

Lissie

Monday, January 17, Bluebird Theater, 303-830-8497.

Our 55 favorite musical releases of 2010

Kanye West, Metallica top local sellers this week

​With all the hype surrounding Kanye West's latest effort, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, it's not surprising that disc, released last week on Def Jam, debuted at number one at Independent Records and Twist & Shout. But West didn't make the top ten over Albums on the Hill, where Metallica' ... More >>

Bruce Springsteen, Cee-Lo, Rihanna top sellers

​Kid Cudi's Man On The Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager might have dominated last week's charts, but this week, it's disappeared from the top ten at Albums on the Hill and Twist & Shout and moved down to the number four at Independent Records.

Kid Cudi, Cee Lo, Belle & Sebastian top sellers at local stores

​Kid Cudi's Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager, released last week on Universal Motown, debuted very strong, claiming the top slots at Albums on the Hill, Independent Records and Twist & Shout for the week ending November 14. Cee Lo Green's Lady Killer, meanwhile, issued last week on ... More >>

Aloe Blacc, Harry Nilsson, Kid Cudi 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 >>

Bad Religion, Shad and Eels 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 >>

Kanye West's SNL performance and a collection of everything else he's been up to

Kanye West has been busy the past couple of months making everyone else in music look lazy. Not only did he perform on Saturday Night Live over the weekend with two of the best musical performances we've seen in a while, but he's also been dropping free MP3s in a series called "G.O.O.D. Fridays." ... More >>

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 >>

If President Obama has a thing for hip-hop, here are five artists to add to his iPod

​In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, our president revealed that his music palette has expanded slightly in recent years with a little help from his personal aide, Reggie Love. New additions to his usual standbys of Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones include Nas and Lil' Wayne. It's a lit ... More >>

Of Montreal, Kayne West and Air Dubai 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?" 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 >>

Nathaniel Rateliff, Kinetix and Broken Social Scene 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?" 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 >>

We Are the World 25/2010 performers pull off impressive performance

All right, so we were admittedly skeptical of how this whole "We Are the World" remake was going to turn out with the seemingly random cast of characters organizers assembled. When we first glimpsed the initial list of those present the night of the recording, there were some head scratchers in the ... More >>

Bonnaroo 2010 lineup revealed: Chromeo with Daryl Hall, Stevie Wonder, the Avett Brothers, Against Me!, Kings of Leon, Dave Matthews Band and more...

As if we didn't already have enough reason to find our way to Tennesee to catch the Flaming Lips playing Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety, we now have even more incentive -- namely, Chromeo with Daryl Hall and Stevie Wonder!

Top Ten Dance Albums of 2009

​The past year brought the worst economy since the malaise of the 1970s, and like that era, it also saw dance music sweep the nation. Lady Gaga, the Black Eyed Peas, Beyoncé and P. Diddy all dabbled in the sound. Even Michael Jackson was said to be working on a dance album with the Peas' Will ... More >>

3OH!3 nominated for VMA for Best New Artist

​Props to 3OH!3. Adding to its global ubiquity, the Boulder-based act was nominated as Best New Artist at this year's MTV Video Music Awards. From the looks of it, the hooligans from the People's Republic have a viable shot of taking home honors, as the competition doesn't seem to be too stiff thi ... More >>

Last Night: Kid Cudi and Asher Roth at the Ogden

Aaron Thackeray Tuesday, July 21, 2009 Ogden Theatre Better Than: Chaperoning an unchaperoned prom. Not that different, but definitely better. It's not often someone asks you, during the first song of a headliner's set, "Who is this?" It's even less often that when you answer with the name of the ... More >>

Kid Cudi remixes 3OH!3

3OH!3 has officially achieved ubiquity. The duo performed live yesterday on MTV's It's On with Alexa Chung. The guys are featured among people.com's hottest bachelors. Oh, and in actual music news, "Don't Trust Me" has reached the number five spot on Billboard's top 40 chart. As the B ... More >>

The Westword.com blog shortcut, June 18 edition

Mike Honcho. He's spinning in a better place.... Today in Backbeat Online: • RIP Mike Honcho. • Everything is ridiculous at the Air Guitar Championship. • Kid Cudi remixes 3OH!3. • Q&A with the Church's Marty Wilson-Piper. • Q&A with Adam Franklin of Swervedriver. • See the Epilogues f ... More >>

Over the Weekend: KS-107.5's Summer Jam

Luda. KS-107.5 Summer Jam Fiddler's Green June 12 By their very nature, hip-hop radio station festivals like KS-107.5's Summer Jam (the station's twelfth consecutive sell-out) tend to promise more than they can deliver. The lineups are generally stellar -- proof that despite changes in the music i ... More >>

Atmosphere, Bat for Lashes, Brad Paisley shows announced

After a killer two-night stint at the Ogden Theatre last year, the hip-hop duo Atmosphere returns will return to these parts Friday, August 15, when the pair headlines Red Rocks. The British group Bat For Lashes, who mezmorized folks at the Larimer Lounge in 2007, will play the Bluebird this time ar ... More >>

A quick look at albums due out this summer