The Clash (Band)

Do drugs make musicians more creative?

Do drugs fuel creativity? Is an addled mind essential to making great music? Does sobriety cause creative impotence? What if Jimi Hendrix had suddenly decided to enter a twelve-step program? Would Are You Experienced? have sucked? To answer this nagging question, you have to take a look at rock's re ... 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 >>

Denver's ten best jukeboxes

More and more, you've probably noticed an influx of Internet jukeboxes, the kind that offer a seemingly endless assortment of songs, cropping up in bars. But there are still a handful of spots rocking old school CD jukeboxes that require a bit of taste-making. Here's the ten best, including this yea ... 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 >>

The ten dumbest things overheard at SXSW

For every insightful conversation I have heard or had at SXSW over the years, whether it was talking to Matt Pinfield while walking the streets of Austin talking about David Bowie, or telling The Clash's Mick Jones that he was in fact, in The Clash, I have overheard a thousand awful ones. Years of e ... More >>

Gateway Acts: How a Rush to judgment ultimately led to more affecting music

Gateway Acts is a new ongoing series on Backbeat in which we examine the music that served as an entry point for our burgeoning musical obsessions, a gateway drug that tuned us in and turned us on. Today, Noah Hubbell gives us the goods on a Rush to judgment that he made early on. I grew up in a ho ... More >>

Ten best concerts in Colorado this weekend, Friday, August 24, through Sunday, August 26

Welcome to the weekend! If you haven't made plans yet, there's an unreal number of shows, from five different festivals to several CD release shows to old school hip-hop. Of course, we have them all listed in our massive concert calendar. If you're feeling industrious, print that bad boy out and bre ... More >>

Does this rental car make me look grown-up?

A few weeks ago, a man knocked on the door of my commune around 6 a.m. He was pointing at the street frantically, barely able to sputter out the words "You? Subaru?" Yes, I owned a Subaru, and yes it was parked on the busy thoroughfare I call home on the west side of town. Apparently, a woman had pl ... More >>

Jimmy Cliff

Tuesday, June 19, Ogden Theatre, 888-929-7849.

Social Distortion's Mike Ness on must-have albums: If you don't have these, you're not alive

"One of my favorite things to do is look at the line of the people going into the show. It's totally diverse. And even back in the day, in the early days, I didn't want to play just for punk rockers. I felt that we had something more to offer. Maybe we didn't have quite the global message that the C ... More >>

Former Primasonic frontman starts new Post 303 channel, Clampdown Radio, and a new band

See Also: • Q&A with Sin and Kurt of Primasonic • Former Indie 101.5 music director and Lipgloss co-founder looking to break into Internet radio Sindo Lamas, the former frontman of Primasonic has been involved in radio off and on since the '80s. He recently launched Clampdown Radio, which grew ... More >>

In honor of Record Store Day this Saturday: Ten records we treasure. What's your favorite vinyl?

In honor of Record Store Day this Saturday, we dug deep into our collection to unearth our favorite pieces of vinyl. These are the records we treasure above all else. Don't even think about asking to borrow them. If there were a fire, these are the first platters we'd make sure to grab. You get the ... More >>

Jimmy Cliff at the Ogden Theatre on June 19

Jimmy Cliff at the Ogden Theatre on Tuesday, June 19. Tickets ($34.95 plus fees) to see the reggae legend, whose career spans five decades, go on sale this Saturday, April 7, at 10 a.m. via Axs.com. On his most recent effort, the Sacred Fire EP, released last November, Cliff collaborated with Rancid ... More >>

Damned Damned Damned turns 35

It's unfortunate that so many people assume that U.K. punk was all about politics. When Bill Maher interviewed Green Day's Billy Joe Armstrong on his show Real Time with Bill Maher last year, he questioned the singer's punk credibility for working to help elect Barack Obama in 2008, referring to Th ... More >>

Peter Hook on revisting classic Joy Division songs and what he learned about Ian Curtis

Timothy NorrisPeter Hook​With his ground-breaking band Joy Division, Peter Hook (due this Monday, September 19, at the Bluebird Theater) perhaps accidentally created a style of playing bass that made the instrument not just a part of the rhythm section but also a carrier of the melody.

Elway, Krayzie Bone, Aesop Rock & Kimya Dawson and more on tap this weekend

​Taking its name from a Colorado pop culture behemoth like John Elway could be a blessing or a curse for a band. But Elway, making an appearance tonight at the Hi-Dive with Michael Dean Damron, St. Fall Apart and The Holy Mess, gets the joke, and fans do too. Besides, a name is just a name, an ... More >>

311 frontman Nick Hexum on the Clash, being from Omaha and dealing with the haters

Hailing from Omaha long before bands like the Faint, Cursive or Bright Eyes became that city's chief exports, 311 (due tonight at Red Rocks with Sublime with Rome) was making its mark with its amalgam of rock, reggae, hip-hop and funk. Eight million records later, the outfit is still doing its thing ... More >>

Tyler Jacobson unveils Casual, a new Brit pop dance night at the Meadowlark, August 20

Todd Roeth​Tyler Jacobson can't stay away from the turntables for too long. The local DJ and tastemaker has been keeping busy since his 2009 departure from Lipgloss (a night he co-created) with his semi-regular throwback night, Mile High Soul Club. But on Saturday, August 20, at the Meadowlark ... More >>

Ten best songs about quitting your job

"Oh, I can absolutely work Saturday. I didn't have any plans anyway."​The job market's still very tough, your 401 (k) has probably lost its value over the last week, and your rent, car payment and baby mama aren't going to get paid on their own. You hate your job, your boss treats you like gar ... More >>

Elias Bender Ronnenfelt of Iceage on Copenhagen DIY, gear and zine controversy

Alberte KarrebaekIceage​Iceage from Copenhagen, Denmark (due tonight at Rhinoceropolis) are all under the age of 22 but in its relatively short time together, the band has garnered a buzz for the sonic savagery of its live shows and the harrowingly resonant emotional tenor of its music. Its de ... More >>

How would the Mexican secure the borders?

Tonight: Cowboy Mouth at the Bluebird

​For some bands, touring is a natural state of being. This is absolutely true for Louisiana's Cowboy Mouth, as the quartet comes through Denver tonight on it's 16th annual "Mardi Gras tour." Making country-twinged pop-rock since 1990, the band pulls from influences like The Clash -- heard loud ... More >>

Pretty Lights, Ween and Jay-Z filled 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 >>

Gorillaz at Wells Fargo, 10/24/10

Jon SolomonDamon Albarn of Gorillaz​ GORILLAZ With N.E.R.D. 10.24.10 | Wells Fargo Theatre In what will probably now become a legendary appearance at Wells Fargo Theatre last night, Gorillaz brought out a Colorado crowd in its truest form -- Dads, ravers, white people with dreads, babies, br ... More >>

Billy Duffy of the Cult on punk's influence and playing with Morrisey in the Nosebleeds

​ Many people heard The Cult after its breakthrough album, Love, which contained the classic single "She Sells Sanctuary," was released in 1985. But The Cult increasingly became a worldwide phenomenon with its following two albums, Electric and Sonic Temple.

American Tomahawk, Chromeo, Black Milk 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 >>

Cee Lo Green's inescapably charming (and shamelessly profane) kiss off tops our playlists

​As people who think about, talk about, listen to and make music, the most persistent 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 lis ... 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 >>

Westword Music Showcase headliners: Legendary, iconic ... those are just a few words to describe the splendor that is Superchunk

Jason Arthurs​ Superchunk never tried to be the biggest band in the land, but it did make music on its own terms and became an iconic outfit in its own right by embodying what it means to be an indie rock band. While the band didn't enjoy nearly the same level of commercial success as many of ... More >>

Ghostand Observatory, Jonathan Tyler on 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 >>

Danielle Ate the Sandwich, Otis Taylor and Trace Bundy 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 >>

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 >>

The Weekend Showdown: Mike Marchant and KVDU form like Voltron

Photo by Stephanie Borgman​ 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 co ... More >>

The Chain Gang of 1974, Jónsi, Wire Faces and more 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 >>

Heavy Rotation: Pretty Lights, Liars, Gorillaz top our weekly playlists

Pretty Lights. Photo by Aaron Thackeray​ ​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, o ... More >>

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

​As music critics -- and people who generally think about, talk about, listen to and make music -- the most common question we get asked (and ask each other, for that matter) is, "What are you listening to right now?" The pervasiveness of this query is precisely what inspired Heavy Rotation. ... More >>

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

​As music critics -- and people who generally think about, talk about, listen to and make music -- the most common question we get asked (and ask each other, for that matter) is, "What are you listening to right now?" The pervasiveness of this query is precisely what inspired Heavy Rotation. ... More >>

Heavy Rotation, our top spins for the week of February 1, 2010

​As music critics -- and people who generally think about, talk about, listen to and make music -- the most common question we get asked (and ask each other, for that matter) is, "What are you listening to right now?" The pervasiveness of this query is precisely what inspired Heavy Rotation. ... More >>

What is the true definition of punk? Let's consult the experts, shall we?

Patti Smith provided an interesting definition of punk rock in the current issue of New York magazine: "Punk rock is just another word for freedom." That got us thinking about what punk is and was, and how, as with all abstractions, you get to make up your own definition. As you can see in the ab ... More >>

Heavy Rotation, our top spins for the week of January 4, 2010

​As music critics -- and people who generally think about, talk about, listen to and make music -- the most common question we get asked (and ask each other, for that matter) is, "What are you listening to right now?" The pervasiveness of this query is precisely what inspired Heavy Rotation. F ... More >>

Not the Same Old Song

Heavy Rotation, our top spins for the week of December 21, 2009

​As music critics -- and people who generally think about, talk about, listen to and make music -- the most common question we get asked (and ask each other, for that matter) is, "What are you listening to right now?" The pervasiveness of this query is precisely what inspired Heavy Rotation. For ... More >>

Heavy Rotation, our top spins for the week of December 14, 2009

​As music critics -- and people who generally think about, talk about, listen to and make music -- the most common question we get asked (and ask each other, for that matter) is, "What are you listening to right now?" The pervasiveness of this query is precisely what inspired Heavy Rotation. For t ... More >>

Meet the New Model Army, same as the Old Model Army

Q&A with Justin Sullivan of New Model Army

​These days, a real punk band (sorry, Green Day) can almost never find its way onto the pop charts. But back in the day (see: mid-'80s), England's New Model Army released political punk that didn't merely sell to left-wing extremists. Almost thirty years ago, frontman/mastermind Justin Sullivan, w ... More >>

999

Monday, July 27, Marquis Theater, 866-468-7621.

Nostalgia and nausea: Putting together the perfect '80s mix

You've had the experience. You're driving in the car or Pandora-ing or even - gasp! - listening to the radio when that song comes on - the one you can't believe you forgot all about. Instantly, you're transported in time and space - back to that kegger during your freshman year when you got so ... More >>

Heavy Rotation, our top five spins for the week of May 11, 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 >>

Let your hair down at Eck's