Finally! LCD Soundsystem Announces Red Rocks Shows

The rumors have finally been confirmed: this August, you get to dance yourself clean on the Rocks. LCD Soundsystem will return for two consecutive nights at Red Rocks Amphitheatre this summer. James Murphy’s reunited band will perform August 2-3 in Denver, as part of a slew of summer dates including…

Call of the Void’s Boulder Sludge

Gordon Koch, drummer with the local, intensely heavy grind-metal band Call of the Void, says that it’s not easy living, working and rehearsing in the metal-wasteland that is Boulder, a condition that’s made all the more difficult by the fact that it wasn’t always that way. “I grew up there…

The Broke Music Fan’s Guide to Denver

Being a music fan in Denver is kind of the best. There is no shortage of shows and talent, and there is some event or band news to bring a smile to a music-lover’s face every day of the week. However, if you fall into the main demographic of music-lovers…

Incite Productions Make Musicians’ Quirky Stage Dreams Come True

Incite Productions is a relatively unknown collection of artists and theater technicians who leave their mark all over Denver in unique, creative and often bizarre ways. They’ve floated down Delaware Street in a makeshift boat dressed as George Washington. They’ve danced on the steps of the Anthem Blue Cross building…

Gazebos Carry on Seattle Music Culture

Gazebos got off the ground in 2014 but its members have been around the Seattle scene for nearly two decades. As in any big city with an active music scene, people come together organically from going to shows and working at similar jobs. The members of Gazebos found in each…

The Seven Best Music Podcasts in Denver — 2016 Edition

Now well into 2016, we’ve reached a time where anyone with a microphone can host their own podcast. Denver has become a hub for podcasts, with subjects ranging from poop to beer and everything in between. Last month we introduced you to the Ten Essential Denver Podcasts of 2016, and…

It’s Arena-Rock Week in Denver

It’s a big week for arena shows, including the Who at the Pepsi Center on Tuesday, Carrie Underwood is at the venue on Wednesday and Bruce Springsteen is there on Thursday.  The Smashing Pumpkins, Chairlift and Murder By Death are also in the area this week. See the full list of our…

Santigold Waged War on Post-iTunes Consumer Culture at the Ogden

Last night, as the lights dimmed, two back-up dancers took to the stage at the Ogden. Wearing oversized T-shirts and sporting some serious “What’s good?” stares, they took seats on giant bean bags. One had a bag of Cheetos, the other had Gatorade. Then Santi White aka Santigold appeared and launched…

La Baby Smiley: A Case Gone Cold a Year After Her Murder

March 24 marks one year since Colorado rapper Rachel Aboytes was killed in a drive-by shooting in East Denver. In November 2015, Westword ran “Rhymes to Die For,” our cover story about Rachel’s life and music – and questions that have risen around her posthumous fame. Since the article ran, the family…

Hieroglyphics Performs With Full Lineup, Pays Respects to Phife Dawg

Oakland-based hip-hop legends Hieroglyphics, will be performing as a complete group this Saturday, March 26. All eight members (including those of auxiliary group, Souls of Mischief) began a short Colorado run this week. Husband-and-wife duo the ReMINDers will also perform, promising an energetic evening for Denver hip-hop fans. Hieroglyphics is one of the longest-running hip-hop…

Rossonian’s Tiny Desk Contest Entry Almost Won

NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest just finished its second year, and once again a Colorado band did not win. However, there were over a hundred entries from our talented state, and out of those, a single video caught the attention of Bob Boilen and compay: Rossonian’s “Love In A Wasteland.”  “I…

Randy Brecker on Having One Foot in Jazz and the Other in Pop

Not long after trumpeter Randy Brecker joined Blood, Sweat & Tears in 1967 and played on the jazz-rock group’s debut, Child is the Father of the Man, he left to join renowned jazz pianist Horace Silver’s quartet. Brecker says it was a logical choice but he had no idea that…