Tom Murphy

Boris at the Bluebird Theater, 5/14/13

BORIS @ BLUEBIRD THEATER | 5/14/12 The fact that you could hear Atsuo Mizuno's drums or his hype-man shouts at all is a testament to whoever was running sound last night at the Bluebird. With two full Sunn stacks powering Takeshi Ohtani's guitar and a full stack and a half of Orange amps behind Wat ... More >>

Velvet Acid Christ at Casselman's, 2/9/13

VELVET ACID CHRIST @ CASSELMAN'S BAR AND VENUE | 2/9/13 At one point or another during Velvet Acid Christ's set, Bryan Erickson became winded, and he joked about how it was the altitude. He then said it was probably that he was out of shape because of too much eating, and then noted how at this age ... More >>

The Black Angels at Bluebird Theater, 12/30/12

THE BLACK ANGELS @ BLUEBIRD THEATER |12/30/12 One of the best moments of the Black Angels' show at the Bluebird Theater last night came in the middle of the set when the band -- playing the first of its two night New Year's Eve run -- played "Phosphene Dream," the familiar title track from its 2010 ... More >>

Get to know Westword's Tom Murphy -- and more! -- at the Onus Spears talk show Rawlitix

I can vouch for Rawlitix because I was a guest last month, and I had the time of my life. The Denver-centric live talk show conceived and hosted by local funny man and comedy promoter Onus Spears is still finding its legs, but it's a grand idea. Spears focuses on people -- writers, musicians, comics ... More >>

Backbeat writers sound off on the year's best national albums

See also: Moovers and Shakers 2012: Backbeat writers praise the year's best local albums

Weekend's best EDM: VS, Chris Malinchak, Roger Sanchez, Michal Menert and more

Hallelujah! It's finally Friday. Feel like cutting loose this weekend, having a few cocktails and then cutting a rug like nobody's watching? You've come to exactly the right place. As with every week around this time, we've put together a full rundown of the best EDM options available to you, and th ... More >>

Kreayshawn at the Fox Theatre, 12/5/12

KREAYSHAWN @ FOX THEATRE | 12/5/12 Part of Kreayshawn's appeal is the pure curiosity and spectacle of what she must be like "in real life." As a Tumblr princess (her page is currently decked out to look like a exactly like a Myspace page, circa 2004 -- which would have made her fifteen) who raps ab ... More >>

The Afghan Whigs at Ogden Theater, 10/30/12

THE AFGHAN WHIGS @ OGDEN THEATRE |10/30/12 Probably the biggest surprise of the Afghan Whigs show last night at the Ogden came right before the end of the set when Greg Dulli revealed that his band had a Colorado connection. He told us how more than two decades ago, the Fluid heard a Whigs demo tap ... More >>

Melvins Lite at Bluebird Theater, 9/12/12

MELVINS LITE @ BLUEBIRD THEATER | 9/12/12 Melvins Lite? There was nothing "lite" about this show. As soon as the stage lights dimmed and a loop of the coughing at the beginning of Black Sabbath's "Sweet Leaf" filled the air for what seemed like a comically extended period of time until Trevor Dunn ... More >>

Liars at Bluebird Theater, 7/13/12

LIARS @ BLUEBIRD THEATER | 7/13/12 See Also: Liars dance to the beat of their own drum After one of many short pieces of connecting music that resembled a science fiction movie synth sound backed by a big bass pulse, Julian Gross came in with the urgent, curiously toy-like, drum beat of "Hold Hand ... More >>

Your 2012 Westword Music Showcase winners, party with us Thursday at the Bluebird

See Also: - Photos: Locals only! 2012 Westword Music Showcase - Set recaps by Westword music writers - Photos: The people of Westword Music Showcase The votes have been been tallied for the 2012 Westword Music Showcase ballot, and we're doing things a little bit differently this year. Rather than ... More >>

Review: The Dandy Warhols at the Gothic Theatre, with 1776 and Wymond Miles, 6/12/12

ManCub at Larimer Lounge, 5/25/12

ManCub @ Larimer Lounge | 5/25/12 With a perforated, paneled structure as its backdrop with lights shining through and strung along the top edge, ManCub started things off with a forceful flood of low end, and both Alex Anderson and Ethan Converse seemed to push themselves headlong into the music ... More >>

Review: Explosions in the Sky at Boulder Theater, 4/5/12

EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY @ BOULDER THEATER | 4/5/12 Explosions in the Sky began the show on a high note with the familiar, siren-like guitar figure of "First Breath After Coma." Sounds came in waves and then floods, as Chris Hrasky struck an almost martial beat with his snare and propelled the song in ... More >>

Review: Scott Kelly at the Hi-Dive, 12/3/11

Tom MurphyScott Kelly​SCOTT KELLY at HI-DIVE | 12/3/11There were plenty of signs around the hi-dive last night indicating that this was an acoustic show. Meaning: Talking was ill-advised. Even so, some people near the stage decided to have a conversation at the beginning of Scott Kelly's set, ... More >>

Review: Peter Hook & the Light at the Bluebird Theater, 9/19/11

Tom MurphyPeter Hook and The Light​PETER HOOK & THE LIGHT at the BLUEBIRD THEATER | 9/19/11It was to be expected that Peter Hook & the Light would be playing Unknown Pleasures in its entirety, and that it wouldn't be a half-hearted and insincere attempt at re-creating that music live. What was ... More >>

The UMS, New Belgium Urban Assault Ride, Fitness freaks at Red Rocks and more

At the UMS on Saturday​The Underground Music Showcase took over South Broadway Thursday through Sunday night with bands, DJ's, singer-songwriters and MC's performing at venues from afternoon through the night. As you can see from our slideshow page, we shot the Faces of UMS on Friday and the P ... More >>

Our 55 favorite musical releases of 2010

Moovers and Shakers: Our favorite Denver music releases of 2010

Tame Impala at the Bluebird, 12/4/10

Tom Murphy​ TAME IMPALA With Achille Lauro 12.04.10 | Bluebird Theater Stardeath and the White Dwarfs was originally slated to be part of this bill but couldn't make it, so last minute, local band Achille Lauro was added, which is just as well because that band shares a bit of the same exper ... More >>

Best Coast at the Bluebird, 11/03/10

Tom Murphy​ BEST COAST With Sonny & The Sunsets 11.03.10 | Bluebird Theater The Twitter Universe is a strange one: The ability for fans to connect with and receive semi-personal information directly from people like Dolly Parton and Just Bieber -- or in this case, Bethany Cosentino aka Best ... More >>

Gary Numan at The Gothic Theater, 10/28/10

Tom MurphyGary Numan​ GARY NUMAN With Blackcell 10.28.10 | Gothic Theater, Denver, CO Local IDM/experimental electronic duo Blackcell kicked off this show with synths and maybe drum machines and computers as sequencers. As deeply textured percussion filled the room, various other generated ... More >>

Of Montreal at the Ogden Theatre, 10/24/10

Tom MurphyOf Montreal's Kevin Barnes ​ OF MONTREAL With Janelle Monae 10.24.10 | Ogden Theatre, Denver, CO After seeing her perform on Saturday night, it's no wonder why Janelle Monae was picked by Erykah Badu to open her most recent tour. Monae isn't just a great soul singer, her songwritin ... More >>

PS I Love You at hi-dive, 10/17/10

Tom MurphyVan Louvin​ PS I LOVE YOU With Van Louvin and Paean 10.17.10 | hi-dive Van Louvin opened this show. Those who have been around the Denver scene long enough would recognize its members from some of best indie pop bands of the past decade, namely Kent Phillips and Al Rich from Thank ... More >>

Rusko, M80 Dubstation at the Ogden Theatre - 09.21.10

Tom Murphy​ RUSKO M80 Dubstation 09.21.10 | Ogden Theatre, Denver Last night, the first of Rusko's two sold-out shows in Colorado had the Ogden bursting at the seams, with glow bracelets (as opposed to the glow sticks popular at '90s raves) dotting the crowd. Denver has earned a reputation f ... More >>

Treeverb and Ross Etherton and the Chariots of Judah at 3 Kings Tavern

Tom MurphyRoss Etherton & the Chariots of Judah​ Treeverb • Ross Etherton and the Chariots of Judah 09.17.10 | 3 Kings Tavern, Denver Three years ago, Bright Channel and Red Cloud were two of the highest-profile underground bands in Denver -- not to mention the most interesting and consist ... More >>

Sleep at the Gothic Theatre - 09.05.10

Brian Landis Folkins SLEEP Git Some • Russian Circles 09.05.10 | Gothic Theatre view full slide show From brutal, clipped guitar work to huge, foreboding sounds created by guitars that are more akin to synths, Russian Circles scrolled through a wide range of styles that it executed with both eas ... More >>

Titwrench 2010 at Glob

Titwrench 2010 Friday, July 9 - Sunday July 11, 2010 | Glob | Denver Over the course of one weekend, Titwrench 2010 brought together artists and people of all stripes from around the country and attracted a wider than usual swath of the local community. On Saturday afternoon, there were worksho ... More >>

Over the weekend: St. Vincent at the Bluebird

St. Vincent, with Wildbirds & Peacedrums Saturday, February 13, 2010 Bluebird Theater Tom MurphySt. Vincent​ Wildbirds & Peacedrums opened the show. A two-piece from Sweeden made up of Mariam Wallentin and Andreas Werliin, the act has crafted a sound built upon creative use of various percus ... More >>

Over the weekend: Alan Alda, Accordion Crimes and I Sank Molly Brown at the hi-dive

Alan Alda, Accordion Crimes and I Sank Molly Brown Friday, January 15th, 2010 hi-dive Tom MurphyI Sank Molly Brown​ Opening the show was I Sank Molly Brown. When I had seen the band on previous occasions, I was never impressed. So it came as something of a surprise when the song that began M ... More >>

Over the weekend: Six Months to Live at the Meadowlark

​Six Months to Live, deadbubbles and Dario Rosa Saturday, November 14, 2009 Meadowlark Better Than: The second big snowstorm of the season outside. Opening act deadbubbles set the pace for the rest of the show with an energetic set of rock and roll full of more than its fair share of weirdness an ... More >>

Freeloader: Time CD release show tonight at the hi-dive

​ Tonight's a pretty big night for local hip-hop. Two significant releases are both being released tonight. The first of today's Freeloader tracks is taken from Naked Dinner, Time's brand new album, which he'll be dropping tonight at the hi-dive in the company of Whygee, Agent Strange and Damon J ... More >>

Last Night: Desolation Wilderness at Rhinoceropolis

M.Pyres and the Skygaze Family Band (Tom Murphy)​Desolation Wilderness, M. Pyres & the Skygaze Family Band, Woodsman and Milton Melvin Croissant III Thursday, August 27, 2009 Rhinoceropolis Better Than: The previous Desolation Wilderness appearance in Denver. The show opened with M. Pyres &am ... More >>

The Westword.com blog shortcut, August 14 edition

Photo by Tom MurphyThe Sunn O))) will come out tomorrow....​Getting your weekend off on the right note.... Today in Backbeat Online: • Last night: Sunn O))) at the Bluebird. • Hearsay bits: Van Morrison, Yonder Mountain String Band, Tyler Despres Band, Pictureplane. • Freaky Friday - "P ... More >>

Last Night's Show: The Church with Adam Franklin & Bolts of Melody at the Gothic

Tom MurphyThe Church The Church w/Adam Franklin & Bolts of Melody Thursday, June 18th, 2009 The Gothic Theatre, Englewood Better Than: A show you'd normally expect from a band 29 years into its career. Adam Franklin's bass player had to perform sitting down due to a broken foot, which may have had ... More >>

Westword's favorite national albums of the year

Q&A with the Overcasters

Top 10 Denver Band Names

Live Reviews: Blue Million Miles, Overcasters, Bad Luck City at hi-dive

Live Review: Action Packed Thrill Ride, Sofo, Chuck P and Antz, Mon Marie at the Lion's Lair

Live Review: Pictureplane, Yukon, Josephine and the Mousepeople at Rhinoceropolis

Live Review: Eef Barzelay w/The Tanukis and Pee at Hi-Dive

Live Review: Fertile Crescent, Hot White August and Yoda's House at Rhinoceropolis

Live Review: the Threatened and the Wilder Situation at Larimer Lounge

Live Review: Gravy Train!!!!, the Pseudo Dates, Triangle Forest at hi-dive

Live Review: Des Tours, the Don'ts and Be Carefuls, Pleistocene at Larimer Lounge

Live Review: I Was Totally Destroying It, Alright Alright at hi-dive

Nationalistic

Our music writers pick the year’s national bests.

Moovers and Shakers 2006

Backbeat writers sound off on the best local releases of 2006.

Rabbit Is a Sphere

Larimer Lounge