The Roots (Band)

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 fifty greatest rap groups of all time

There's something great about a hip-hop group. From the beginning, it was never intended to be a solo endeavor; rap began in cyphers at block parties, and the first established rappers were components of a collective centered around the more important DJ. Even now that the rapper is the star, it's n ... More >>

A.J. Boik: Local artist launches Kickstarter to make custom portrait for victim's family

Chris Bates's reaction to the Aurora theater shooting last summer was one shared by countless other Coloradans. "I felt this really strong urge that I had to do something," says the Fort Collins artist. But Bates was initially at a loss as to what. After listening to a talk about "art's ability to ... More >>

Trumpeter Dave Douglas on touring fifty states in celebration of his fiftieth birthday

When trumpeter Dave Douglas played at Dazzle just over a year ago as part of Greg Garrison's Improvised Roots series, he was introduced to Crooked Still's Aoife O'Donovan, who sang during the sets. Douglas went on to recruit O'Donovan -- who is also joining Douglas's his two-night stand at Dazzle th ... More >>

Tatanka

Cloudless Thunder
Self-released

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 >>

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 >>

DJ Big Styles shares a few of his favorite memories from So What! The Club

Tomorrow night at Beauty Bar, So What! The Club celebrates its twentieth year of keeping Denver funky. Earlier this week, we shared some of the fliers from the early days when the night first got going at City Spirit on through its move to various other locales, including 9th Avenue West and Rock Is ... 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 >>

10 things to do for $10 this weekend (6 free!), October 26-28

The great thing about Halloween falling on a week day is that it means there will be parties on both of the surrounding weekends. The fun kicks off tonight, and there are plenty of inexpensive events to enjoy -- everything costume parties to pet-costume parties to a chance to be an amateur sleuth. A ... More >>

Backbeat's five most listened-to songs and albums, week of September 5, 2012

As people who think about, talk about, write about, listen to and make music, it shouldn't be too surprising to find that the most common (and our mutually favorite) topic of conversation among all of us is the same: "What are you listening to right now?" Stick a quarter in us, and boy, wouldn't you ... More >>

10 things to do for $10 this weekend, August 31-September 3, 2012

Since etiquette of yore prohibits the wearing of white after Labor Day, be sure to wear all of your white attire on this three-day weekend. And there will be plenty of places to display your duds, from food-truck pool parties to tiny art shows, vintage auto exhibits to free film screenings. The best ... More >>

Support DJ Cavem on his Bold Food Initiative travels to Africa

DJ Cavem, the local O.G. (organic gardener), has been literally feeding the community through events geared toward the "green" movement for years. Using a hip-hop agenda (even rocking with a children's choir), Cavem has broadened his audience to include discussions that involve enhancing the communi ... More >>

Hipp-E and Greg Eversoul: "When we tag-team, it comes out in our sound and in what we do"

Arguably the biggest DJ ever to come out of Denver, Eric Galaviz aka Hipp-E made his bones promoting and deejaying at some of the earliest raves in Colorado. After leaving his indelible mark on our city, he moved to San Diego in the '90s, where he became an influential part of the West Coast house s ... More >>

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

​​Here's what's happening in music on the Front Range this week: On the concert front, shows from Red Hot Chili Peppers and Icelantic's Winter on the Rocks featuring Atmosphere, Common, Greives Budo and Get Cryphy were announced; the Swayback, Fierce Bad Rabbit, Monroe Monroe and Juno What ... More >>

#FreeQuesto: Leave ?uestlove alone, NBC! A petition and tell the 30 Rock brass to back off!

​Word on the street is the suits over at 30 Rock will now be censoring ?uestlove of the almighty Roots over that whole lyin' ass bitch incident with Michelle Bachmann, in which Questo subversively played the intro of Fishbone's "Lyin' Ass Bitch" as the Republican presidential candidate made he ... More >>

Leave it to Jimmy Fallon to screw up a good thing

They're Playing Our Song

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

Here's what's happening in music on the Front Range this week: On the concert front, December shows by Beats Antique and Pretty Lights were announced. On local radio specialty shows, Veronica, Vices I Admire, INCA and Hazel Miller all got some spins. Meanwhile, at our local record stores, new and re ... More >>

Wazee Supper Club will celebrate 37 years in business next week

Cassandra Kotnik​Wazee Supper Club opened its doors back in 1974 under Angelo and Jim Karagas, five years after the same duo erected My Brother's Bar just nine blocks away. Since then, the bar and restaurant, which has since been passed from the hands of the Karagas brothers to the Wynkoop Hol ... More >>

Despite off-screen drama, the Tribe Called Quest documentary is phenomenal

Stephen Marley

Saturday, June 25, Boulder Theater, Boulder, 303-786-7030.

William Elliott Whitmore

Friday, May 13, Fox Theatre, Boulder, 303-443-3399.

2011 Westword Music Showcase Ballot

​Seventeen years! It's hard to believe we've been doing the Westword Music Showcase for that long. I can still remember being at the first one in LoDo nearly two decades ago. And when I think back, it seems like that cold, rainy Sunday night was just a few years ago.

Bad rap: Ashley Judd calls hip-hop the soundtrack to misogyny. Is she right?

​Whoa, swag. Ashley Judd has made some pretty inflammatory statements about hip-hop, saying that hip-hop is the "soundtrack to misogyny" and insinuating that the genre's "abusive lyrics" perpetuate "rape culture." She's since backed away from her statement. Even so, once you get past the initi ... 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 >>

Tomorrow: Black Thought at Casselman's

​Black Thought is the best rapper alive. Ok, so that's a lofty statement. Still, in many hip-hop circles, there are few who would disagree. The frontman for the legendary, world famous Roots crew more than rocks the mike. He draws shapes with his words and paints a picture of clarity on a dizz ... More >>

Mile Highlights: Shows announced/on-sale this week, local radio playlists and top local sellers

​ Here's what's good in the Mile High City this week. On the concert front: The Fox Theatre and Boulder Theater are hosting the first annual Boulder Blues and Roots Summit. Bad Brains is coming to the Summit Music Hall in August and Blues Traveler is coming back to Red Rocks for its annual Fo ... More >>

Indie collaborations: Are they taking cues from hip-hop?

​The National and Sharon Van Etten recorded a song for the Win Win soundtrack. It leaked yesterday, but Fox Searchlight has pretty well scrubbed the legal-ish streams. Regardless, the two artists are a good fit, Matt Berninger's sleepy baritone makes a seamless companion for Van Etten's own ho ... More >>

Galactic gives props to the music, and musicians, of New Orleans

FanTrail app aims to mobilize fans. Take to the Oars one of the first acts on board for launch.

​It's no secret that smartphones have changed the way we experience music, but most of the apps we've seen thus far have been spotty, poorly realized cash grabs that have little or nothing to do with the artists in question.

Whiskey Blanket

No Object
Self-released

Max Cavalera of Soulfly talks about his history and darkly humorous song titles

​As the leader of Sepultura for over a decade, Max Cavalera helped put Brazil on the map. From the beginning, the outfit was clearly influenced by punk rock as much as it was by other metal bands, as evidenced by its socially conscious lyrics, its grassroots efforts to get its music out into t ... More >>

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade: Pretty much one long advertisment

Ahoy, I have a product tie-in!​The custom of watching The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, as Kiernan Maletsky pointed out the other day, is one of our more bizarre holiday traditions: There is almost no cultural event more boring than a parade in real life, but watching one on TV? Coma-inducin ... 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 >>

Danielle Ate the Sandwich, 3OH!3 top sellers at local stores

​While national acts like the Roots, the Black Keys and the Wolf Parade continue to be strong sellers at local record stores, local acts came in on top at two stores for the week ending Sunday, July 11. Danielle At the Sandwich, who gave an in-store performance at Twist & Shout last week, debu ... More >>

3OH!3, the Roots, Eminem top sellers at local record stores

​Streets of Gold, 3OH!3's new disc, which dropped last week on Photo Finish/Atlantic, grabbed the top spot at Twist & Shout, and claimed the top two slots (both deluxe and regular versions) at Albums on the Hill and snagged the third position at Independent Records for the week ending July ... 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 >>

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 >>

Hey, DJ! Q&A with DJ Big Styles

Dave Gaslin Every Friday we spotlight the hottest cats (and kittens) behind the decks in the MHC, grilling them to gain some insight on what it takes, exactly, to get the party rocking, to find out about their most treasured crate digging experiences and what they really think when we stumble up to ... More >>

Heavy Rotation, our top spins for the week of August 31, 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 ... More >>

Beyond Playlist: Cobra Starship and more

​Cobra Starship Hot Mess (Decaydance/Fueled by Ramen) Don't know why clueless reviewers continue to refer to Cobra Starship as "an emo band." At this point, the main emotion they display is giddiness, and frankly, that's a blessed relief. From the group's beginnings, frontman Gabe Saporta, Ry ... More >>

Claude VonStroke at Beta

TheSaurus

Kids Gather Round
Self-released

The Roots

Monday, June 2, Fillmore Auditorium, 303-830-8497.

Al Green

Lay It Down
Blue Note

Rock & Roll Grill

A recent benefit ends up helping no one.

Rahzel

Saturday, January 26, Fox Theatre, Boulder, 303-443-3399.

Common

Electric Circus (MCA)

Jazzanova

In Between (JCR/Atlantic)