Darren Emerson at Beta

As one third of seminal dance act Underworld, Darren Emerson was a key player in creating some of the best, most memorable dance anthems of all time. Tracks like “Born Slippy,” “Cowgirl” and “Push Upstairs” not only set dance floors worldwide on fire, but they also made it onto soundtracks…

Animo making-of documentary debuts tomorrow

The lovable pop-punk scamps in Animo are debuting the first of a dozen epsiodes documenting the recording of their upcoming album tomorrow on the band’s MySpace page. The band promises “a closer look at our writing process, how and where we record, playing and prepping our instruments, and all the…

Dialed in: This week’s local-music radio playlists

Here’s this week’s playlists from the other local-centric music shows around your radio dial, including Radio 1190’s long running Local Shakedown, KTCL’s Local’s Only and the Colorado Sound, which originates at KRFC and is rebroadcast all over Colorado. If there are any others you’d like to see us track, let…

Ben Folds and the CU Buffoons

If you love a cappella versions of funny, smart-guy piano tunes (and really, who doesn’t?), the world is smiling on you today. Ben Folds is releasing an album of covers of his tunes by college a capella groups — I know, what took so long, right? It’s due to hit…

Freaky Friday: Smearballs

Today’s weekly look at the wonderful world of WTF is brought to us by Smearballs. It’s a mind-melting video mashup that puts me in mind of the classic audio collage genius of Negativland, only with an added video element that pushes it to the next level of bizarrely awesome. It’s…

A Real Scream

The current trend in horror movies might charitably be described as shock and awe — a caustic blend of whiplash editing techniques, extreme gore and “gotcha” moments designed to make you jump in your seat. The art of the creepy, tension-filled build and skin-crawling reveal has been neglected, all but…

DJ Dan at The Elements

If you need to get a party started, you could do a lot worse than DJ Dan. Since the early years of the L.A. rave scene, almost two decades ago, Dan has been a force behind the decks and in the studio. He’s remixed everyone from crossover acts like Depeche…

See Slipknot free, courtesy of FashioNation

Fans of scary-ass clown/serial killer metal, rejoice! Not only is Slipknot coming to town, but venerable Denver goth boutique FashioNation is giving away free tickets. All you have to do is stop by the store, located at 613 East 13th Avenue, write down your name and contact info and drop…

Ten bands we’d watch on TV

The breakout success of Flight of the Conchords got us thinking of other bands that would make for must-see TV. After all, no one makes money selling records these days, and a band’s gotta make a living somehow, right? So we went into brainstorming mode (in this case, that means…

Free beer and funky tunes, courtesy of U.S. Pipe and Flying Dog

As if you needed another reason besides the band’s funky tunes to head down to the Bluebird this Thursday, February 19, for the U.S. Pipe CD-release show (check out Jon Solomon’s Backbeat feature on the band from this week’s paper if you haven’t already), you can grab yourself a free…

Freaky Friday: David after the dentist, a metal tribute

If you’ve somehow avoided seeing the now-ubiquitous “David after the dentist” clip, this might not make a whole lot of sense (also, welcome back from your weeks-long slumber and/or hermitage, I hope the recovery/reintegration is going okay). For everyone else, this remix of the original, already bizarre clip should provide…

Limp Bizkit: the prodigal tools return

In what may be a sign of the apocalypse — or, more likely, just a sign that Fred Durst finally blew through his ill-gotten gains and doesn’t want to get a real job — Limp Bizkit has announced a reunion tour and new album. I’ll pause here to allow all…

Widowers live on the (Internet) radio

Just received word that psych-pop magicians Widowers are making an appearance on KVDU, the University of Denver’s college radio station (wait, DU has a college radio station? Who knew?). Tune in to your Internet — it appears that KVDU is an Internet-only radio station (sorry commuters!) from 4 to 6…

Konrad Black at Beta

DJ Konrad Black is all about the dirty, dirty bass. His signature sound evolved from his involvement in the drum-and-bass scene, and echoes of the dark, deadly tones so prevalent in that form make up the basis of his distinctive take on techno. His work as a producer has made…

Grandpa Mojo

The self-titled debut from Grandpa Mojo is a solid introduction for an up-and-coming talent. Its twelve tracks of dubby breakbeat are a showcase for Grandpa’s top-notch production skills, solid tunes and impressive musical acumen. Musically, Mojo mixes up a nice blend of stellar synthesizer timbres and organic instruments including stand-up…

Get “Pussy Whipped” for free

With the blessing of Orange Peel Moses and DJ Hot to Death, we are pleased to present you with a free remix of Orange’s latest opus, “Pussy Whipped,” a song that celebrates the joy of casual hookups, friends with benefits and other non-traditional sexual arrangements. The track is something of…

Glitch Mob invading Colorado over the next few days

Hip-hop laptop wizards Glitch Mob are bringing their jungle/electro/crunk/kitchen sink take on the junction of dance music and hip-hop to Colorado over the next few days. They’re starting things off with a night at the Fox in Boulder tomorrow, then heading to the Church Thursday before visiting some of the…

Freaky Friday: The legend of Weng Weng

Today’s informative and mind-bending video is a tribute to the world’s shortest leading man, 2′ 9″ action-movie legend Weng Weng. If you don’t know about this Filipino legend, no worries: Until a friend sent me the link to this video, I was similarly ignorant. No more! No, now I am…

Missed the list: Kanye West 808s and Heartbreak

Every year, in the weeks after I have submitted my year-end best-of lists, I take a few days to go through everyone else’s lists to catch things I overlooked, ignored and missed out on. This has been a ritual since the days I was only making those lists for myself,…

Born in the Flood announces a mountain mini-tour

Good news, Born in the Flood/The Wheel fans: The boys have just announced their first shows, and they’re coming up soon. The first of five dates (four Flood, one Wheel) comes just before the end of this month, at the hi-dive, and the rest follow in various charming mountain locales…

Handmade With Care

If you’re looking for the hippest, most fashion-forward design in Denver, Fancy Tiger’s monthly Denver Made trunk show is a good place to start. Featuring some of the most innovative works in the city, the monthly show is an attempt to get designers and their wares in front of the…

Glitch Mob

Clubbers, beware! Something wicked this way comes — an alien hybrid built out of the DNA of hip-hop, electro, jungle and glitch, fused together via DSP wizardry and masterful laptop skills. With bowel-rupturing sub-bass, teeth-rattling beats and mind-bending cuts, edits and processing, it’s the aural equivalent of an industrial-strength cleanser:…