Heavy Rotation, our top spins for the week of September 28, 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…

Dialed In: This week’s local music radio playlists

Here what the area’s local-centric specialty radio shows were spinning this week. We’re currently tracking the playlists a number of different shows, including Radio 1190’s Local Shakedown, KTCL’s Locals Only, 99.5 the Mountain’s Homegrown Show, the Colorado Sound, which originates at KRFC and is re-broadcast all over Colorado, and the…

Friday Freeloader: Vendetta Festival MP3s

As mentioned earlier today, this weekend marks the third annual Vendetta Festival, slated to take place over the course of three days in three different venues. There’s still time to enter for your chance to win a weekend pass if you haven’t already. In the meantime, as promised, to get…

Are you the best band in Denver?

Yes, we know. That’s a loaded question and also an unreasonable query. Best of anything is relative. Music is subjective. It isn’t and shouldn’t be a competition. While we tend to agree with all that, we feel compelled to inform you that the folks at KBPI are once again in…

Now, that’s dedication. It’s also, um, forever.

Platinum records? A sold-out tour? Countless songs licensed? A female following that presumably rivals Oprah’s? Pffft — all things that time will inevitably erase. Now, a tattoo, on the other hand — that shit’s forever, man. Apparently no one mentioned that to the lovely young lass pictured at left, who’s…

Friday Freeloader: Win tickets to this weekend’s Vendetta Festival

Update: Congratulations Jessica Martinez.You and a guest will be our guests at this weekend’s Vendetta Festival. Check your e-mail for details.Ah, dark days are here again. This weekend, Denver is playing host to the Vendetta Festival, the biggest festival of its kind in the United States and the third largest…

Aloft in the Sundry’s van breaks down on tour

Everybody wants to be in a band. From the outside, it all looks so glamorous, doesn’t it, all the sex and drugs that go along with the rock and roll? If only they knew… Fact: In real life, the sex only leaves you with regrets or worse. The drugs don’t…

Ellison Park

Driving eastbound on I-70, Ellison Park has one hand on the wheel while the other navigates an iPod mounted to his dash. Scrolling through the songs, Park makes his way to the batch of demos he recorded on his MacBook and pushes play. As his voice pours from the speakers…

Win tix to see Mayer Hawthorne at the Larimer Lounge tonight

Update: Congrats Mike Shapiro and Courtney Ozaki. Both are going to see Mayer Hawthorne at the Larimer Lounge tonight. Have a good time!It’s fitting that Mayer Hawthorne originally hails from Michigan, the sacred soil that birthed Motown, as his throwback sound evokes the trademark brand of soul that iconic imprint…

Tonight at La Rumba: I fought the law and the law won

All right, better be careful what we say about this one, lest we get sued by one of these litigious bastards. Tonight at La Rumba five bands — with criminally underwhelming monikers as the Hip Replacements, the Propane Daisies, Togad, Not Mona Lisa and the Downtown Girls — made up…

MP3 Freeloader exclusive: brand new Tauntaun song “Murderauder”

Ah, a fitting end to a dour day that was once again saved by music. Just got blessed with a brand new track from Tauntaun that the dudes literally just finished recording at frontman Chris Fogal’s studio, Black In Bluhm. Tune’s called “Murderauder,” and right now, it’s not available anywhere…

The Chain Gang of 1974 premieres new song

Wow. Ran into Kam from Chain Gang several times since he returned from tour with 3OH!3 and he said that he’d been writing new material and that it was different from the old stuff. And how, daddio. On the brand new track that he just premiered a bit ago on…

Win tix to see Autolux tonight at the Bluebird

Update: Congrats Ted Alvarez and Carly Billings. Both are going to see Autolux at the Bluebird tonight. Have a good time!The Los Angeles trio known as Autolux hits the Bluebird tonight in the company of Mini Mansions and Gangcharger. Should be a rad show. Wanna go? We’ve got two pairs…

Hello Kavita’s readies excellent new album for release

Life is completely kicking my ass at the moment. My bank account is overdrawn, I’ve been dragging ass all day from staying out way too late on a Monday night, drinking whiskey at Sancho’s after the Sunny Day show, talking up random strangers. The weather sucks … eh, you get…