The Library of Congress

Top ten hemp legends: Which myths are true -- and which went up in smoke?

Did Henry Ford really make a car out of hemp? Was the Declaration of Independence written on hemp paper? Did Abraham Lincoln use hemp oil in his lamps? The hemp plant, a variety of Cannabis sativa that's the subject of this week's cover story "Green Acres," is steeped in lore. Some hemp legends ar ... 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 >>

Hemp for Victory: Watch 1942 USDA film encouraging farmers to grow crop during WWII

This week's cover story, "Green Acres," is all about hemp: its past (outlawed by the feds), its present (resurrected thanks to Amendment 64) and what advocates say is a promising agricultural future. That past includes a push by the federal government during World War II to encourage farmers to g ... More >>

R.I.P. jazz pianist Dave Brubeck

According to his producer, conductor and manager Russell Gloyd, pianist Dave Brubeck, whose Time Out recording was one of the best selling jazz albums of all time, died of heart failure this morning, a day before his 92nd birthday, en route to a regular treatment with his cardiologist.

Free money! Denver bands have unclaimed SoundExchange royalties. Are you on the list?

The bad news is you didn't win a gazillion dollars last night in Powerball -- some lucky jerk in Michigan did, apparently. The good news is, however, you may still have some cashola coming your way that you weren't expecting. Think of it as finding a crisp twenty in the pocket of pants you haven't w ... More >>

Mickey Hart on Rhythm Devils, sampling the Big Bang and the healing power of music

Mickey Hart (due tomorrow night at the Ogden Theatre) was one of the Grateful Dead's two drummers; along with Bill Kreutzmann, Hart helped weave the unique polyrhythms of the legendary band. Whether as a solo artist, with the Dead or as an activist, Hart always puts his heart and his being into his ... More >>

Thomas Hornsby Ferril House is part of Denver's history -- and could be history

​The house has stood on the edge of downtown Denver for 120 years. For 88 of those years, it was the home of Thomas Hornsby Ferril, Colorado's first poet laureate; his words line the rotunda of the State Capitol and mark the spot where Denver got its start at Confluence Park. But today, the h ... More >>

Colorado Humanities might sell off the Ferril House. Throw the book at ’em.

Crave Real Burgers in Castle Rock meats expectations

Photos: See more burgers photos from Crave

Five dystopian futures that wouldn't be that bad

​Children of Men, Alfonso Cuaron's gritty and excellent film about a future where everyone has become sterile, plays tonight at the Denver FilmCenter as part of their recent sci-fi series. The film is a story about finding hope in an era of hopelessness. But gray skies and bombings aside, we d ... More >>

Hendrix and the asteroid movie boom of the late '90s: Michael Fairchild explains the connection

​While we were researching asteroid movies for Monday's honorary tribute to Earth's near collision with an oncoming asteroid, one thing was pretty apparent: In the late '90s there were a relative shit-ton of asteroid/meteorite/comet/basic space-junk-getting-hurled-at-Earth movies. Turns out, M ... More >>

Library of Congress and Sony Music team up for massive collection of free vintage recordings

The Library of Congress has just turned on its new streaming audio service, which includes a large piece of the national archives totaling around 10,000 titles. The joint venture of Sony and the Library of Congress gives users access to many Sony-controlled recordings that have long been out of circ ... More >>

Michelle Obama was touting mentoring while my father was practicing what she preached

Ms. Obama.​The president was not the only Obama to make a speech yesterday. Michelle Obama was at the Library of Congress celebrating the tenth anniversary of National Mentoring Month. My father didn't know it was Thank Your Mentor Day when he took his mentee, Byron, to his suburban Chicago Ro ... More >>

Free Movie Time: Killer of Sheep tonight at the Blair-Caldwell Research Library

​In the realm of cult classics, Killer of Sheep is king: Arguably one of the most cultish and the most classic films ever made, the movie boasts a compelling lore that involves a budget of less than $10,000 and a release that didn't happen until more than 30 years after it was made, the film n ... 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 >>

Por que do you deny your Mexican heritage, Senor Disney?

Telling Stories

Bee-luther-hatchee

Author! Author! A script that’s more talk than story.

Passport Privy: Wherein I Try to Hack My Own State Department File

Killer of Sheep

Charles Burnett’s revered, rarely seen South Central-set film finally gets its theatrical due.

Back-doored

Westword Music Showcase 2006

Be there or be square!

Jazz Rejuvenation

The Mingus Big Band follows in the legend's footsteps.

Flick Pick

Cat People

Slice of Life

Waves of Fascination

Music's lunatic fringe lives, breathes and flourishes on the shortwave radio dial.

A Grand Guy

How Steven Soderbergh kept the Terry Southern tale from turning tragic

Reel Liberation

A Denver psychotherapist reveals a rare stash of Nazi propaganda films.

Out of the Box

Her parents kept her prisoner in a storage unit, but words set Jodi Jill free.

End of the Road

Thirty years later, Harry Belafonte finds closure in a once-lost project.

Rodeo Roundup

Greeley Independence Stampede

Critic's Choice

Mingus Big Band

A Puff of Smoke

Paul Wesolowski knows the secret word: Groucho.

Spies, Lies & Portable Tapes

The feds were already suspicious of scientist Wen Ho Lee. Then they discovered he’d downloaded every secret in the nuclear arsenal.

Lady, Sing the Blues

Odetta is happy to find trouble everywhere she goes.

The Soundies of Yesteryear

The music that time forgot is in a warehouse in Colorado Springs.

Shifting Sands

Disconnected

As US West pulls strings at the legislature, it could cut the lines to competition.

Southern Discomfort

Writer Terry Southern helped shape a generation. Now his son is fighting for his legacy.

Night & Day

January 7 - 13, 1999

The Hype Report

Sleater-Kinney is a critic's favorite that makes music you might actually enjoy.

A Taste of Honeyboy

David Honeyboy Edwards wrote the book on blues in the twentieth century.

Small World

Etc.

Outstanding in His Field The recordings of Alan Lomax dig up the roots of American music.

PASS INCOMPLETEIF DALE PRUCE HAS SUCH A GREAT IDEA, WHY DO PEOPLE KEEP WAIVING HIS FLAG?

TOTALLY TUBULAR

THE INFORMATION HIGHWAY ARRIVES--AFTER A FASHION--AT TWO LITTLETON HIGH SCHOOLS.