Tom Murphy

Review: Neon Indian at Bluebird Theater, 4/9/12

Review: Pure Sunshine II at BluebirdTheater, 3/02/12

PURE SUNSHINE II @ BLUEBIRD THEATER | 3.2.12 It would be hard to have picked the star attraction for this show because the crowd changed and switched throughout the show with some people sticking around for everything. But chances are, no one had seen Spell since its last show in July of 1995. With ... More >>

Denver's best music releases of 2011

PURE SUNSHINE II @ BLUEBIRD THEATER | 3.2.12 It would be hard to have picked the star attraction for this show because the crowd changed and switched throughout the show with some people sticking around for everything. But chances are, no one had seen Spell since its last show in July of 1995. With ... More >>

Reader: Aside from the obnoxious fans, the Portishead show was beyond description

​How was Portishead's show last week at 1STBANK Center? Well, guess that depends on who you ask and where they were sitting, apparently. Tom Murphy called it "one of the finest performances anyone is likely to see this year or any year." And while one commenter who was sitting in a box said th ... More >>

Wovenhand and Git Some at The Marquis 1/15/11

Tom MurphyWovenhand​ WOVENHAND With Git Some 01.15.11 | Marquis Theater On the cusp of its tour with Wovenhand, Git Some seemed in high form to win over at least a few people in the audience on Saturday night at the Marquis Theater. Less chaotic than earlier incarnations of the band, one thi ... More >>

Mike Marchant's Outer Space Party Unit, Le Divorce and I Know You, Rider at Larimer Lounge, 12/11/10

Tom MurphyMike Marchant's Outer Space Party Unit​ MIKE MARCHANT'S OUTER SPACE PARTY UNIT With Le Divorce • I Know You, Rider 12.11.10 | Larimer Lounge Le Divorce has always been good, but it seems the quartet has really honed its stage craft and sound in the past few months. Shrouded in a ... More >>

The Black Angels at the Bluebird, 12/07/10

Tom Murphy​ THE BLACK ANGELS With Overcasters 12.07.10 | Bluebird Theater For some shows, the vibe is everything -- a mix of the crowd's attention (or a lack there of) the lighting and other air-changing provisions, the quality of the sound and a band's presence, all factor into the success ... More >>

No Age at Bluebird Theater, 12/01/10

Tom MurphyNo Age​ NO AGE With Hot White and Lucky Dragons 12.01.10 | Bluebird Theater Hot White was first on stage and discharged its signature shards of angular, off-kilter, eruptive sound. It looked like the trio was more comfortable playing a big stage, and yet Tiana Bernard crossed over ... More >>

Tjutjuna at Larimer Lounge, 11/19/10

Tom MurphyTjutjuna​ TJUTJUNA Woodsman • Married In Berdichev • DJ Peter Black 11.19.10 | Larimer Lounge For his set, Peter Black used an iPad to control and trigger some of the sounds he was weaving into his live remixes. This set of songs had kind of a raw, percussion heavy sound and se ... More >>

Small Black at Rhinoceropolis, 11/13/10

Tom MurphySmall Black​ SMALL BLACK With Class Actress • Pictureplane • Vitamins 11.13.10 | Rhinoceropolis This was a grittier than ever version of Vitamins. On the first song, it was obvious that someone had triggered a sample or a loop or something generating electronic sounds behind th ... More >>

Yoda's House at Rhinoceropolis, 11/06/10

Tom MurphyMarried In Berdichev​ YODA'S HOUSE With Married in Berdichev • Hot White • Hideous Men 11.06.10 | Rhinoceropolis Things got started fashionably late at Rhino with Married in Berdichev. The first song sounded for all the world like a Brittany Gould original, with all the gorgeou ... More >>

Illiterate Gallery first year anniversary features the art of Brittany Gould and Drew Englander

Tom MurphyPart of "Leaving the Body" by Drew Englander​Several blocks outside the First Friday art-walk on Santa Fe sits Illiterate Gallery at 72 South Broadway. It's a part of town that some consider a place so-called "hipsters" call home -- but if you stand in front of Illiterate too long on ... More >>

Gathering of the Clouds, 10/21/10 - 10/23/10

GATHERING OF THE CLOUDS Overcasters • Swayback • Buckingham Squares • Gangcharger Achille Lauro • Light Travels Faster • Glass Homes • Juliet Mission Action Packed Thrill Ride • Hearts In Space • Anna.Martina.Ross 10.21.10 - 10.23.10 | The Weather Center, Denver, CO Overcasters ... More >>

Holy Fuck, Indian Jewelry, Gauntlet Hair and DJ Peter Black @ Larimer Lounge, 10/20/10

Tom MurphyHoly Fuck​ HOLY FUCK Indian Jewelry • Gauntlet Hair • Peter Black 10.20.10 | Larimer Lounge, Denver, CO As usual, Peter Black set the stage for what was to come with what sounded like some sonically-appropriate remixes. Right before the first band took the stage, it sounded lik ... More >>

The Legendary Pink Dots at the Gothic Theatre, 10/19/10

Tom MurphyThe Legendary Pink Dots: Edward Ka-Spel (from left) and Erik Drost​ THE LEGENDARY PINK DOTS Munly & The Lupercalians 10.19.10 | Gothic Theatre, Denver, CO Even if you've seen Munly play anytime within the past two decades, nothing really prepares you for this whole Lupercalians thi ... More >>

Surfer Blood, the Drums and the Dewars at Bluebird Theater - 10/10/10

Tom MurphyJP Pitts of Surfer Blood rides a wave into the crowd​ SURFER BLOOD With the Dewars and the Drums 10.10.10 | Bluebird Theater From the moment the Dewar brothers took the stage and opened with "Life is Like a Merry Go Round Until the Burial Ground," it was clear that they had ample p ... More >>

Last night: School of Seven Bells - 09/24/10

Tom MurphyPeter Black​ SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS With Active Child and DJ Peter Black 09.24.10 | Larimer Lounge, Denver Peter Black kicked off the evening with an hour-long set of remixes he's done for various artists, including songs by Chris & Cosey, Blonde Redhead and Glasser. Black moved in ... More >>

Tennis, Flashlights, Gauntlet Hair and Vitamins at Larmier Lounge - 09/10/10

Vitamins (Tom Murphy)​ Tennis • Flashlights • Gauntlet Hair • Vitamins 09.10.10 | Larimer Lounge, Denver If its last three albums are any indication, Vitamins seem to reinvent their sound every year or so. The band's latest material has the foursome stretching out quite a bit. While Vi ... More >>

Pavement at Ogden Theatre - 09.09.10

Tom Murphy​ PAVEMENT With guests Jenny and Johnny 09.09.10 | Ogden Theatre, Denver Jenny and Johnny opened this show and received a mixed reception from the crowd at first. But appreciative cheers for the group, which features Jenny Lewis and Jonathan Rice, increased with every song. The ban ... More >>

Denver Does Denver at Meadowlark over the weekend

Eric GruneisenOblio's Arrow does Los Dos and the New American Ramblers at Denver Does Denver​ DENVER DOES DENVER 08.28.10 | Meadowlark view full slide show This second installment of Denver Does Denver took place on Saturday night at the Meadowlark, both upstairs and downstairs, as well in t ... More >>

SFTSTPS' Nick Houde returns to Denver for a great night of music with friends

Pollination Population (Tom Murphy)​ SFTSTPS • Pollination Population Hideous Men • No Funeral • Married in Berdichev 08.20.10 | Rhinoceropolis, Denver For this show, Kate Ersing, who performs under the name Pollination Population, draped a string of tiny red lights along the edges of ... More >>

First night of Warlock Pinchers reunion ends in diapers and a minor flesh wound

Tom Murphy​ WARLOCK PINCHERS Cap'n Fresh and the Stay Fresh Seals • Murder Ranks • Dressy Bessy 08.06.10 | Gothic Theatre | Night One Because some of its shows are so absurd, it's hard to tell if Cap'n Fresh and the Stay Fresh Seals is some kind of a comedy act or not. You can't help but ... More >>

Second night of Warlock Pinchers reunion offers twice the mayhem, plus a marching band

Tom Murphy​ Warlock Pinchers Magic Cyclops • Hot White • Melvins Lite • Taun Taun • Itchy-O 08.07.10 | Gothic Theatre | Night Two Before taking stage, Magic Cyclops or someone was playing a bit of the music from the movie Fletch over the P.A., which was amusing on its own. After inf ... More >>

Minature Tigers get all sorts of interactive at the Larimer Lounge

Tom MurphyCharlier Brand of Minature Tigers reaches out and touches the fans​ Miniature Tigers • Sprinto Band • The Dont's and Be Carefuls 07.30.10 | Larimer Lounge, Denver At this point, the Dont's and Be Carefuls' "new" keyboardist, Dane Bernhardt, formerly of the Silver Cord, is fully ... More >>

UMS Night Four Travelogue: The Conjugal Visits, Constellation of Cars and more

Tom MurphyThe Conjugal Visits on the TS Board Shop stage​ UMS Travelogue, Night Four 7.25.10, Baker District/South Broadway Getting a late start, I got to the TS Board Shop stage in time to catch The Conjugal Visits. Before the show, I saw Pete on the side of the truck, and asked him about t ... More >>

UMS Night Three Travelogue: Light Travels Faster at TS Board Shop, Murder Pinchers at 3 Kings Tavern and more

Tom MurphyThe Murder Pinchers at 3 Kings Tavern​ UMS Travelogue, Night Thee 7.24.10 | Baker District/South Broadway The TS Board Shop stage was really an augmented version of the truck that Jeremy Gregory of Bands for Lands and The Construct uses to put on shows anywhere and everywhere. This ... More >>

UMS Night Two Travelogue: A Tom Collins at Club 404, Nathan & Stephen at the Mayan and more

Tom MurphyNathan & Stephen at the Mayan​ UMS Travelogue, Day Two 7.23.10 / Baker District, South Broadway Well away from the densest cluster of the festival was a place called Fentress Architects Materials Garden on 4th and Broadway, and when you walked through the glass doors, there was a l ... More >>

UMS Night One Travelogue: Hot White at Three Kings, Popwreck at Moe's Barbecue and more

Tom MurphyHot White at 3 Kings Tavern​ UMS Travelogue, Day One 07.22.10 | Baker District, South Broadway The first day of the UMS festival, a Thursday, was what you might expect in terms of attendees -- mostly other people in bands or those who are clued into the fact that there is plenty of ... More >>

Lil Slugger brings their comic book to life at Rhino

Tom MurphyGood Old Fashioned Sinners delving into some good old fashioned sin.​ Lil Slugger • Hot White • Good Old Fashioned Sinners 05.22.10 | Rhinoceropolis Evidently, this was some sort of reunion show for openers Good Old Fashioned Sinners, or perhaps just a coming out of hibernation ... More >>

Tow(ver) the weekend: Do Not Park in the bank parking lot on S. Broadway and Archer!

Here's a little public service announcement for you, just a quick heads-up in case you're blissfully unaware: As tempting as it may be, do not -- we repeat DO NOT -- park in the bank parking lot on S. Broadway and W. Archer (directly across from 3 Kings Tavern). Doing so, it seems, will absoultely k ... More >>

Over the Weekend: The Legendary River Drifters, Tin Horn Prayer and Broken Spirits at Old Curtis St. Bar

Tom MurphyBroken Spirits​The Legendary River Drifters w/Tin Horn Prayer and Broken Spirits Friday, December 18th, 2009 Old Curtis St. Bar, Denver Better Than: A show where everyone was trying too hard to get that Americana sound. A judgmental person might see Tin Horn Prayer and think, "Oh bo ... More >>

Over the weekend: Syndrome of a Down, Dugout Canoe, Talk Normal and Zombie Bite at Rhinoceropolis

Tom MurphySyndrome of a Down​Syndrome of a Down, Dugout Canoe, Talk Normal and Zombie Bite Saturday, November 28, 2009 Rhinoceropolis Better Than: A show where the experimental bands are experimental in the same way. Playing it's second show, Syndrome of a Down was a duo comprised of two guys usi ... More >>

Over the weekend: Sun Circle at Glob

Epileptinomicon (Tom Murphy)​Sun Circle, Epileptinomicon, Temples, Sterile Garden and nervesandgel Friday, November 20th, 2009 Glob Better Than: A noise show comprised entirely of purist noise projects. Epileptinomicon opened the show with just Mike Reisinger feeding his vocals through a series o ... More >>

Over the Weekend: Kissing Party at the Hi-Dive

Tom MurphyBad Weather California​ Kissing Party w/Bad Weather California Friday, August 28, 2009 hi-dive Better Than: What some would say of a Kissing Party show. The Bad Weather California set started off with Chris Adolf playing the recorder, making the song sound like a madrigal or a Kung ... More >>

Over the Weekend: Slight Harp w/Black Magicians From the Mountains of Mars and Pink Hawks at the Glob

Tom MurphyBlack Magicians From the Mountains of Mars​ Slight Harp w/Black Magicians From the Mountains of Mars and Pink Hawks Saturday, August 29th, 2009 Glob, Denver Better Than: Every other Slight Harp show I've seen. The three-piece Black Magicians From the Mountains of Mars looked like t ... More >>

Last night: Sunn O))) at the Bluebird

Sunn O))) rise (Tom Murphy)​SunnO))), Eagle Twin and The AccüsedBluebird TheaterThursday, August 13th, 2009Better Than: Some commentators on SunnO))) would have you believe. The two-piece Eagle Twin kicked off the show in high spirits. Although mining similar artistic territory as Isis, Twin b ... More >>

MP3 Freeloader: Behold the majesty of Yawn Tron

​In last week's issue, we weighed in on Open Captioning, the brand new Yawn Tron record and also the latest release from the burgeoning Bocumast imprint. "Had Front Line Assembly emerged now instead of in the '80s and dispensed with vocals entirely," wrote Tom Murphy, "it might have come up with s ... More >>

Over the weekend: Iwrestledabearonce at the Marquis Theater

Iwrestledabearonce (Tom Murphy)Iwrestledabearonce, Human Abstract and Vanna Friday, May 22, 2009 Marquis Theater Better Than: A full-on emocore show. Human Abstract started the show off with a blend of death metal and proggy screamo. Singer Nathan Ells switched between the death metal growl and hig ... More >>

Over the Weekend: Booze, bands and art

Photo by Tom MurphyHuman Abstract. It was a long weekend, and we've got lots of content to prove it. See photos from the Gin Mill and LoDo's, plus the downtown arts festival, at westword.com/slideshow. Read reviews of the weekends shows -- Iwresttledabearonce, Moderat, and Trouble Andrew -- on the ... More >>

Last night: Gojira at the Marquis

Krallice as seen through the lens of Tom MurphyGojira, Krallice and Wolves in the Throne Room Wednesday, May 13, 2009 Marquis Theater, Denver Better Than: A nationalist rather than socially conscious black metal show. Krallice opened the show. A four-piece whose membership includes Mick Barr, one o ... More >>

Over the weekend: Napalm Death at Marquis Theater

Napalm Death, Coliseum, Toxic Holocaust and KataklysmSaturday, May 9, 2009Marquis Theater, DenverBetter Than: A straightforward metal show.The last time I saw Coliseum, the band had played at a warehouse space with Motheater. For this show, even though it was a more conventional setting, these guys ... More >>

Last Night: The Prids at Larimer Lounge

Tom MurphyThe Prids, Overcasters, Gangcharger Monday, March 30, 2009Larimer Lounge, DenverBetter Than: A show featuring genre-specific, nostalgia acts.Gangcharger (Tom Murphy)Gangcharger set the pace for the show opening with a grittily atmospheric instrumental piece shot through with pulses of pure ... More >>

The Fluid and Overcasters featured on Brooklyn Vegan

While we'll be posting some pictures and a write up of our own shortly from Tom Murphy, who accompanied the Fluid and the Overcasters to the East Coast for a pair of dates this past weekend, Brooklyn Vegan posted a bunch of a great pics from the show. Unsurprisingly, both bands evidently kicked ass ... More >>

Live Review: The Pseudo Dates at Auraria Campus

While we'll be posting some pictures and a write up of our own shortly from Tom Murphy, who accompanied the Fluid and the Overcasters to the East Coast for a pair of dates this past weekend, Brooklyn Vegan posted a bunch of a great pics from the show. Unsurprisingly, both bands evidently kicked ass ... More >>

Live Review: Littles Paia, Slight Harp, Bird Names, Sic Alps and Milton Melvin Croissant III at Glob Glob Glob

While we'll be posting some pictures and a write up of our own shortly from Tom Murphy, who accompanied the Fluid and the Overcasters to the East Coast for a pair of dates this past weekend, Brooklyn Vegan posted a bunch of a great pics from the show. Unsurprisingly, both bands evidently kicked ass ... More >>

Over the Weekend...Broken Spindles, Red Orange Yellow and We Are! We Are! @ Larimer Lounge

While we'll be posting some pictures and a write up of our own shortly from Tom Murphy, who accompanied the Fluid and the Overcasters to the East Coast for a pair of dates this past weekend, Brooklyn Vegan posted a bunch of a great pics from the show. Unsurprisingly, both bands evidently kicked ass ... More >>