The Jesus Lizard

Alex Edkins of Metz on pushing limits to make music that seems like it's about to fall apart

Even though the band has been around for five years, Metz just released its self-titled debut full-length on Sub Pop this year. Even prior to that, the Toronto-based trio only released a few seven-inches. Mostly these guys have spent their time focusing on developing as a group by touring and playin ... More >>

Twenty fabled moments in Denver music: #10: Nirvana's first post-Nevermind show here, 1991

Over the course of the next few weeks, Backbeat will be counting down the twenty most fabled moments in Denver music history. Today, a look back at when Nirvana came back to town for a show at the Gothic Theatre with Dinosaur Jr., fresh off of recording Nevermind. When the members of Nirvana left a ... More >>

Hunter Pritchett, exec chef of Luca d'Italia, on bum piss and fried fish

Hunter Pritchett Luca d'Italia 711 Grant Street 303-832-6600 www.lucadenver.com This is part one of my interview with Hunter Pritchett, exec chef of Luca d'Italia. Part two of my chat with Pritchett will run in this space tomorrow. Hunter Pritchett and his kitchen crew are thumbing through an Ita ... More >>

Ten best Beavis and Butt-head music-video riffs

​In honor of MTV's 30th Anniversary this week, we're reflecting on the network's best moments from the past three decades. Today: Our favorite music videos riffed on by Beavis and Butt-head. The duo tackled something around 250 different videos throughout the show's eight seasons, and although ... More >>

Action Friend on For You the World, Toshi Kasai, Zorn and Spruance

Tom MurphyAction Friend.​For the past eight years, Action Friend (due Saturday, June 25th, at The Meadowlark Bar) has been evolving the kind of music played by what many would say are "a musician's band." Although all the players in the band are highly skilled, it's the inherent weirdness to i ... More >>

Westword Music Showcase 2011

The Westword Music Showcase celebrates seventeen years, a lifetime for some of 2011's performers

Swans at Summit Music Hall, 2/22/11

Tom MurphySwans​ SWANS With Wooden Wand 02.22.11 | Summit Music Hall Last night, James Jackson Toth, aka Wooden Wand, was joined by two other guitar players -- Brian Lowery and William Tyler. And although there were three guitars and the guys were playing through Orange amps, they did not pr ... More >>

Critic's Choice: Smoothbore at 3 Kings Tavern

Top 10 College Rock (or whatever you want to call it these days) Albums of the Year

Thanks to Micachu & the Shapes for making us keenly aware of a vacuum cleaner's emotional properties​Yeah, pal, that's "college rock," scare quotes very much included. Look, it's a meaningless term. As are "indie," "alternative," "hipster," etc., etc. Let's not overthink this: Here we have ten ... More >>

Season to Risk

Monday, November 30, hi-dive, 720-570-4500.

Top ten reunions we'd like to see

Gail Butensky​In recent history we've been treated to the reunions of Mission of Burma, Gang of Four, Antipop Consortium, among others. This year, Faith No More, Sunny Day Real Estate and Pavement got back together, and, of course, there's the ever pervasive rumors of Soundgarden reconvening at so ... More >>

Record Store Day preview: The MC5 will be kicking out the jams tomorrow

The MC5. Plenty of amazing seven-inch singles will be available at Twist & Shout for Record Store Day other than the ones we've featured thus far in April -- stuff by Sublime, Taking Back Sunday, Tom Waits, Magnolia Electric Company, the Pretenders, the Jesus Lizard (a pack of nine singles, believe ... More >>

Git Some: It's what you get when Lynyrd Skynyrd meets Jesus Lizard

Q&A With Git Some

Last Night...Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers @ Bender's Tavern

Punk'd

A TV-news cameraman finds a forum for his secret passion: rock and roll.

Kathy McCarty Talks About Daniel Johnston

Harvey Knuckles Scores a Knockout

This Fort Collins foursome’s new record nods to ZZ Top — literally.

Qui Gets a Boost

Having David Yow join your band equates to instant notoriety.

Strip Search!

Listen Up

Fast reviews of recent releases

Rye Coalition

Curses! (Gern Blandsten)

Breather Resist

Saturday, November 13, the Construct, 303-292-2234.

White Dynamite

The Bleeder Broadcast EP (Self-released)

High Snakes

Seattle's lauded These Arms Are Snakes prepares to strike.

Hit Pick

The Swayback

Discmania

Backbeat writers revisit their favorite albums of the year.

Season to Risk

Shattering (Owned & Operated)

Letters to the Editor

From the week of March 23

The Bottom Dollar

The members of the 8 Bucks Experiment enjoyed a moment as movie stars. Now they're back to the real-life business of punk rock.

So long, Slim.

A Denver favorite gets ready for a long-distance commute.

It's a Family Tradition

Hank Williams III hopes to do it his way, with or without Nashville's help.

Army Men

Fort Collins's Tanger moves to the front line of innovative punk.

They're Not Wimps

The Weaklings want to kick your ass.

Log On

Doo Rag's Bob Log III proves that he can be outlandish all by himself.

One (Or More) Against the World

Gifted singer-songwriter Rebecca Gates says the Spinanes are both singular and plural.

Off Limits

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Dirty Work

The Dirty Three make instrumental music with plenty to say.

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HOLLYWOOD PUNKS OUT

STICK A FORK IN IT

FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES, LOLLAPALOOZA IS DONE.

JESUS LIZARD SUPERSTAR

PROBABLY NOT--BUT LOLLAPALOOZA REMAINS THE BIGGEST GIG YET FOR CHICAGO'S JESUS LIZARD.

CRITICS' CHOICE

FROM GLASS EYE TO DEAD DOG'S EYEBALL, K. MCCARTY HAS A UNIQUE VISION.

IN YOUR PIGFACE

UNSANE IN THE BRAIN

WELCOME TO THE BLOODY WORLD OF NEW YORK'S UNSANE.

LIPS SERVICE

THERE'S PLENTY OF FIRE IN THE FLAMING LIPS.