Quincy Jones

The Gentileschi Touch

Hip-hop's ten most impactful deaths

​Today marks the anniversary of the day that the world lost the greatest rapper of all time. Christopher Wallace's untimely death on March 9, 1997, had a significant impact on the rap game. If Biggie had lived, for instance, his presence would have essentially erased the need for Jay-Z. Unstop ... More >>

Local reaction to My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Kanye West's acclaimed new album

​Kanye West released My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy yesterday amid rave reviews -- Pitchfork gave it a perfect ten rating, Spin gave it nine out of ten stars, Rolling Stone gave it five stars, Urb gave it four and a half out of five stars, and XXL has reportedly given the album an XXL ratin ... More >>

Denver's emerging hip-hop producers speak out

​Kanye West released My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy yesterday amid rave reviews -- Pitchfork gave it a perfect ten rating, Spin gave it nine out of ten stars, Rolling Stone gave it five stars, Urb gave it four and a half out of five stars, and XXL has reportedly given the album an XXL ratin ... More >>

Anatomy of a hip-hop song: Local producers weigh in on what it takes to make a great track

David Lang / Red Bull PhotofilesBoonie Mayfield (top) and Xperiment Beats​The term "producer" has very different connotations in the worlds of rock and hip-hop. Although they're both instrumental in shaping the sound, they serve very different functions. Generally speaking, in rock, a produc ... More >>

Meet Nathan Reid, studio wiz extraordinare

​Many people in Denver may not know Nathan Reid by name. Just the same, over the course of his career, which spans three decades, he's had the chance to work with a host of prominent acts from Ghostface to Damien and Stephen Marley. Currently operating out of Mercury Sauce, his private produ ... More >>

Big Boi, the Roots, Rick Ross, FOE & Whygee dominate our playlists this week

Jason StoffBig Boi, shown here at this past weekend's Pitchfork Festival, dominated our 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, ... More >>

Top five TV themes ripe for mashup

Have you heard "Office Musik" yet? It's Clockwork mashing Lil' Wayne's "Hustler Musik" with the theme from The Office. It's good. So good that we listened to it about fifteen times yesterday. So good that it was Hype Machine's number one track at the same time that Entertainment Weekly wrote it up ... More >>

Precious

Have you heard "Office Musik" yet? It's Clockwork mashing Lil' Wayne's "Hustler Musik" with the theme from The Office. It's good. So good that we listened to it about fifteen times yesterday. So good that it was Hype Machine's number one track at the same time that Entertainment Weekly wrote it up ... More >>

Ten iPod-worthy original TV theme songs

​TV theme songs have gotten a little more hip in recent years -- from Cake lending "Short Skirt, Long Jacket" to Chuck to Lazlo Bane doing "I'm no Superman" for Scrubs, to any of the seasonal iterations of Tom Waits' "Way Down in the Hole" on The Wire. But there was a time -- it still happens ... More >>

Art in the Cabinet

​TV theme songs have gotten a little more hip in recent years -- from Cake lending "Short Skirt, Long Jacket" to Chuck to Lazlo Bane doing "I'm no Superman" for Scrubs, to any of the seasonal iterations of Tom Waits' "Way Down in the Hole" on The Wire. But there was a time -- it still happens ... More >>

RooBar

A Cherry Creek mainstay reappears near RiNo.

Best New TV Theme Songs

A Cherry Creek mainstay reappears near RiNo.

John Hickenlooper Gets Profane in Saluting Director Norman Jewison

A Cherry Creek mainstay reappears near RiNo.

Westword Music Showcase 2007

Saturday, June 16

Critical Fatwa

Michael Jackson

Foxx Is Pitch Perfect

The actor breathes life into a formulaic Ray.

This Week's Day-by-Day Picks

The actor breathes life into a formulaic Ray.

The Show(case) Must Go On!

The actor breathes life into a formulaic Ray.

Hit Pick

Billy Tolles

Dread Again

A true modern classic, dub poet and reggae revolutionary Linton Kwesi Johnson turns another page.

Exploring the Future

Veteran jazz player Herbie Hancock searches for new frontiers.

Peoples Get Ready

As part of underground hip-hop's newest dream team, Dilated Peoples are at the top of their game.

Beauty and the Beat

Nikka Costa has a big, funky voice and a great butt. Which will you notice first?

Critic's Choice

Nikka Costa

Critic's Choice

Los Hombres Calientes

The Invisible Hand

Greg Osby
(Blue Note)

In the Name of the Father

Femi Kuti represents the next generation of Afrobeat.

Give the People a Hand

A new generation is rediscovering one of Denver's strangest bands.

Smooth Talker

A Denver music backer gets charged as a con artist.

The Power of Positive Thinking

For the members of Thinking Plague, simple isn't necessarily better.

Thrills for the week

For the members of Thinking Plague, simple isn't necessarily better.

Feedback

For the members of Thinking Plague, simple isn't necessarily better.

The Odd Couple

A new boxed set paints Miles Davis and Gil Evans in black and white.

Horning In

A new boxed set paints Miles Davis and Gil Evans in black and white.

THRILLS

A new boxed set paints Miles Davis and Gil Evans in black and white.

THE JACKSON FAMILY DISHONORS

THE GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS OF AMERICAN MUSIC'S MOST DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY.