Whitney Houston

Hey, Kanye, that Notorious B.I.G. track being used to hype Taco Bell: Selling out or buying in?

This past weekend at London's Hammersmith Apollo, Kanye West went on a rant about selling out. Apparently, he now hates the Grammys, corporations and possibly the new Justin Timberlake song. Ironically, the self proclaimed "Louis Vuitton Don" saw absolutely no conflict of interest in calling out art ... More >>

VHS junkies and YouTubers, unite: It's the Cassette Regret edition of Black Sheep Friday

The programming at Black Sheep Fridays is very good at making adults feel awkward -- but in the best way possible. Now in its second year, the end-of-the-week get-together at the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver challenges our stuck-up, grown-up brains to play live versions of Japanese game shows, ... More >>

Whitney Houston, actress

Jason Anderson: "Whether there are five people or fifty people... I just give everything I have"

See Also: - Tonight: Jason Anderson at the hi-dive - The members of Holophrase on working with Ikey Owens on Horizons of Expectation Jason Anderson's startlingly unvarnished yet well-crafted songs and his intimate and charismatic performance style evoke the sense of a compassionate and unpretentio ... More >>

American Idol Top 8: '80s songs prove difficult for all but Skylar Laine and Phillip Phillips

Last night's performances by the American Idol top eight were all over the place. The theme, '80s songs, proved difficult for some, while other contestants chose just the right song for their voices and their personalities. The group performances were the most off-putting. "I'm So Excited" by Holli ... More >>

Chartbreaker: Bruce Springsteen shows Adele who is Boss with his new album, Wrecking Ball

Adele finally fell from the top this week, thanks to none other than the Boss. That's right -- Bruce Springsteen's new release, Wrecking Ball, his seventeenth studio album, managed to end Adele's reign at the top of the Billboard 200, shifting 224,000 units to Adele's 195,000. Sales for Adele's 21 d ... More >>

American Idol: Jeremy Rosado goes home, Top 12 move on

So there you have it. As of last night's elimination round, American Idol is now down to the Top 12, and the person sent home quite frankly deserved to go. Good job, America. The top thirteen opened the show with Stevie Wonder's "As." For a group number, it was nothing special, but the inspired, ye ... More >>

Chartbreaker: Adele on top once again for the 23rd week

Watch out, Prince. Adele is about to set fire to your "Purple Rain." One more week, and Adele's 21 will boast the same chart record Purple Rain did in 1984 and 1985: reigning at the top of the Billboard 200 for 24 whole weeks.

American Idol Top 12: Jessica Sanchez makes Whitney Houston proud

Last night's episode of American Idol wasn't nearly as awkward as we had anticipated. With the ladies required to perform songs from the late Whitney Houston's catalog (and the men required to do Stevie Wonder), we expected there to be more sensitivity surrounding the singer and her recent passing. ... More >>

American Idol: From 25 to the Top 13

After weeks of anticipation, the top thirteen contestants of American Idol were revealed. Last night's episode, however seemingly straightforward, wasn't short of Adele-drenched drama, though. Spoilers: Jen Hirsh, Reed Grimm and Brielle Von Hugel all had to sing for their lives -- and all fell flat ... More >>

Chartbreaker: Adele beats Michael Jackson's record and eyes Prince's Purple Rain next

Yet another big week for Adele, who continues to dominate the charts. With a ninth consecutive week at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, the 22nd week overall, Adele's second album, 21 recently supplanted The Bodyguard soundtrack in the record books and now the album has is closing in on Prince ... More >>

As Black History Month comes to a close, we reflect on the influential Sounds of Blackness

Black History Month 2012 has been a doozy. Beginning with the tragic and shocking death of Don Cornelius to dealing with equally troubling news of Whitney Houston's passing as the month wore on. Most interesting about this time is the ways in which the music healed us. When Whitney died, DJs played ... More >>

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

Here's what's hot this week in music on the Front Range: On the concert front, new shows featuring Girl Talk, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Battles, Bon Iver and Feist, LMFAO, Destroyer, Anders Osborne and Classix were announced; the Swayback, Coles Whalen and Strip the Stars got spins on local radio; ... More >>

After Whitney died, pundits got out the soapboxes in record time

Video: Video: With Whitney Houston, the only difference was that everyone knew her name

Adele breaks Whitney's record, goes double-platinum on iTunes and flips off Brit Awards

Let the comparisons to the late Whitney Houston begin. As of yesterday, Adele, the vocal powerhouse and people's champ of 2011, has broken Houston's record for number of weeks atop the Billboard 200 albums chart. As 21 logged 21 nonconsecutive weeks at the top yesterday, 365 days after being relea ... More >>

Video: With Whitney Houston, the only difference was that everyone knew her name

The only difference between Whitney Houston and the guy who pissed himself in his cot and died last night in the Salvation Army shelter is that nobody knew that guy's name," says Jef Otte in this week's video sidebar to his "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart" weekly column, After Whitney died, pundits ... More >>

Happy birthday, Rihanna. "Turn Up the Music," but no "Birthday Cake" for you, Chris Brown!

Update: Chris Brown's "Turn Up the Music" remix featuring Rhianna added below. Happy 24th birthday, Robyn Rihanna Fenty. We remember your first record, "Pon De Replay." Nice, disposable dancefloor pop. It was urban enough to get people dancing in high school, but not sexy enough to fertilize anythi ... More >>

Photos: Whitney Houston's New Jersey mansion touted as place where she came undone

The house formerly owned by Whitney Houston at 22 N. Gate Road, Mendham Township, New Jersey.​In addition to other items once owned by Whitney Houston being offered up to the highest bidder, the sprawling mansion where the legendary performer once lived in Mendham, New Jersey, is reportedly be ... More >>

Zoe O. wins Queen of Aces Pageant 2012

Emily DriskillPast winners crown the 2012 queen.​Miss Zoe O. has won the 2012 Queen Of Aces title, the third annual pageant and benefit put on by the Colorado Gay Volleyball Association at Hamburger Mary's. Prior to the contest of pageantry and drag, Westword spoke with with now winner, Luke ... More >>

2012 Grammy Awards: Adele sweeps, Bon Iver surprises and Kanye West missing in action

As anyone and their mother could have (and, ahem, did) predicted, it was Adele's show at last night's 54th Grammy Awards. The singer, who absolutely swept the awards, took home six Grammys -- meaning she won in every category in which she was nominated, including the big three: Song of the Year, Rec ... More >>

CU Boulder meme page: Web humor in the Buff

The new University of Colorado Memes Facebook page was launched last Tuesday morning, and it's already a campus must-see, with more than 5,000 likes and new content -- frequently rude (especially toward CSU), often politically incorrect (there's already a Whitney Houston entry) and usually funny as ... More >>

Whitney Houston built trust among her audience with her perfect pitch

Trying to think with structure about an artist like Whitney Houston's ability to influence the entire world is as difficult as trying to squeeze your head in a jar. Her voice had a soaring power that transcended pop appeal and packed the gusto of an entire gospel choir. Houston's contributions to mu ... More >>

Chaka Khan remains one of the most prominent figures in funk and R&B music

Born Yvette Marie Stevens in March 1953, Chaka Khan sang songs written by Stevie Wonder and Prince as though they were crafted from her own pen. The Queen of Funk has a fiery soul about her and an undeniable rhythm that oozes from her pores. With hits from her collaborative years with Rufus and solo ... More >>

Aretha Franklin is the greatest vocalist of all time

Aretha Franklin is the greatest soul singer to ever live. She's the reason we have Mary J. Blige, Cee-Lo Green, Adele, you name it. The singer, born Aretha Louise Franklin in March 1942, paved the way for all of the artists who followed. The Queen of Soul sang on a slew of hits such as "Natural Woma ... More >>

Eat their words: Kimbal Musk of The Kitchen, Ann Cooper and Robyn O'Brien talk better eating at TEDx Boulder

Kimbal Musk of The Kitchen​You could almost hear Whitney Houston singing "I believe that children are our future" playing in the background of TEDx in Boulder Saturday night, because according to the speakers, food issues start with kids. The night of lectures -- offered with the tagline "idea ... More >>

Review: Katy Perry at 1STBANK Center, 7/26/11

Katy Perry last night at 1STBANK Center with Skeet Skeet and Robyn​KATY PERRY at 1STBANK CENTER | 07/26/11The crowd at Katy Perry last night was exactly as expected -- armies of sprayed and glittered bodies evoked every variation of Perry's persona over the last half-decade: girls from prescho ... More >>

Top five retro breakfast cereals that deserve a comeback

Rice Krispies: choked by their own hubris.​According to a recent article in 24/7 Wall St., a handful of beloved breakfast cereals are steadily declining in popularity -- and may end up in the annals of cereal history rather than being shoveled into the eager mouths of children every morning. ... More >>

Alex B.'s Pirates of the Caribean remix: Top five other recent local remixes

Alex Botwin of Pnuma Trio, Paper Diamond and the head of Elm & Oak Records, recently dropped a little tune for the Pirates of the Caribbean score that made it onto the official soundtrack for the movie. Now Alex B. will forever be printed next to Hans Zimmer and Rodriogo y Gabriela with his remixed ... More >>

Top 5 Famous Writer/Musician Feuds

​Sometimes hurt feelings and death threats bring people closer together -- that definitely seems to be the case of the former web editor at our sister paper in Los Angeles, Erin Broadley, and shock-rocker Marilyn Manson, who once threatened to kill her. After the two met, they came to the real ... More >>

Tracy Morgan or Tracy Jordan? A quote quiz

​Tracy Morgan called Sarah Palin "good masturbation material" last night on national television during a TNT broadcast of an NBA game. Maybe not what the network would have preferred that he say, but a). he was sort of baited and b). this is Tracy Morgan, who is more-or-less completely indisti ... More >>

Milton Melvin Croissant III and Colin Ward give you Mel Gibson and hot dogs. Lots of them.

Nothing says summer like hot dogs, ice cream cones, and Whitney Houston's head exploding into a pile of raw meat. Artist Milton Melvin Croissant III (www.mmciii.com) and musician Colin Ward (of local outfits Phonebooks and Alphabets) celebrate the end of the season with "Summer Hitz 20XX," a music ... More >>

Jonathan Peters at Beta

The Legendary Griffin

Heavy Rotation, our top spins for the week of October 5, 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 ... More >>

Jay-Z grabs top spot at Independent Records

​Blueprint 3, Jay-Z's highly anticipated follow-up to his two previous Blueprint albums, grabbed the top spot at Independent Records while Raekwon's latest effort, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2 came in second for the week ending September 13. Insane Clown Posse's Bang! Pow! Boom!, which was the top se ... More >>

Insane Clown Posse top seller at Independent Records

​Insane Clown Posse's Bang! Pow! Boom!, released last week on Psychopath, grabbed the top spot on Independent's charts while new releases from Trey Songz and Whitney Houston came in second and third for the week ending September 6. Twista's Category F5 was knocked down to the fourth slot after han ... More >>

Cross Canadian Ragweed grabs top spot at Twist and Shout

​Cross Canadian Ragweed's Happiness and All Other Things, released last week on Universal South, grabbed the top spot at Twist & Shout while the Black Crowes latest effort, Before the Frost came in second for the week ending September 6. Drive-By Truckers' The Fine Print, Whitney Houston's I L ... More >>

Nostalgia and nausea: Putting together the perfect '80s mix

You've had the experience. You're driving in the car or Pandora-ing or even - gasp! - listening to the radio when that song comes on - the one you can't believe you forgot all about. Instantly, you're transported in time and space - back to that kegger during your freshman year when you got so ... More >>

Helping you express how you feel on love's biggest holiday

The Basement is way tight — really

Shmuck: The Obama plotters

Delegating Denver #34 of 56: New Jersey

Celebrity Bucket List

Amy Winehouse, Chuck Berry, Bobby Brown: Who'll be the first to go?

Meow Mixed

Catwoman prompts both purrs and hisses.

The Beatdown

Welcome to the school of hard rocks.

A Joyful Noise

Golden pipes -- not a genie in a bottle -- helped fifteen-year-old Rachael Lampa land a lucrative record deal and a rare position in the world of Christian pop.

Feedback

THE APPELLATIONS OF OUR EYE

MUSIC BY FAMOUS PEOPLE

SHE AIN'T HEAVY

SHE'S THE BRAND NEW HEAVIES' N'DEA DAVENPORT, A SOUL SONGSTRESS FOR THE NINETIES.