The best concerts to see in Denver this week

MON | JUNIP at SUMMIT MUSIC HALL | 10/14/13 Formed in 1998, Junip fuses an acoustic folk sensibility with a meditative psychedelia driven by synthesizers. Before the Swedish outfit took off, guitarist and singer José González had a bit of a successful solo career with songs that were used in…

The ten best non-rap covers of rap songs

In the past few years, it has become fashionable for non-rap artists to cover rap songs, and it’s often with an overwhelming irony. Most of the time, though, the best covers are ones that take the tune seriously enough to create something that expands on the original in a creative…

The best concerts to see in Denver this weekend

FRI | GARY CLARK JR at OGDEN THEATRE | 10/11/13 Austin-bred guitar prodigy Gary Clark Jr. is focused on reconnecting the blues with its roots. The electric bluesman not only cites Jimi Hendrix as an influence, but with his slender frame, long fingers and soaring bellow, he might remind folks…

The best EDM in Denver this weekend

JAMES HOLDEN @ NORAD | SAT, 10/11/13 James Holden has been a household name in tech house since 1999, when he released “Horizons” at the tender age of nineteen. Since then, he’s gained recognition worldwide by launching the esteemed Border Community label in 2003 and using that platform to release…

Ticketmaster fan reviews of ten Colorado acts

So we were looking something up on Ticketmaster the other day, and it turns out the site is quite a treasure trove of fan reviews. Kind of like the Yelp of music, only without all the vitriol. Who knew, right? Granted, some of the criticism is misdirected, from complaints about…

The twenty smoothest Grateful Dead transitions

One of the things that made the Grateful Dead so special was its ability to flawlessly transition from one song into the next, often taking the audience, as well as band members, completely by surprise. Masters of improvisation, these musicians had such great non-verbal communication on stage that they could…

Jonas Brothers Denver show canceled

Heartbreaking news for fans of the kiddie pop (or more like parents of those fans): The Jonas Brothers have canceled their tour. (Cue: chorus of deflated sighs.) According to the official release, the band, originally due at Bellco Theatre on Friday, November 1, as part of its nineteen-city tour, is…

Mr. Steak is in character and out of control

Like any other town, Denver has its share of cover bands, and those bands often tend to get overlooked, because, well, they’re playing somebody else’s music. Thus, our latest feature, Cover Band of the Week (or, perhaps more accurately, every few weeks, because let’s be honest: There’s a finite number…

What we’re all listening to right now

Music is life — or at least it is for us. When we’re not writing about it, we’re thinking about it, talking about it or listening to it. These are the things that were in heavy rotation for us this week. What are you listening to? What should we be…

The ten greatest jam-band meccas

For many jam band fans, traveling and seeing concerts goes hand in hand. Often when a favorite band announces its tour, folks will scan the tour dates and choose which dates to go to depending on which venue they are booked at. From giant outdoor summer sheds to intimate houses,…

The Inactivists’ twisted humor shines on their latest release

This band with costumes would be GWAR,” says Victoria Lundy, who plays theremin for the Inactivists, offering one of the most astute assessments that’s been uttered yet regarding Denver’s strangest and most eclectic underground rock band. For a decade now, the Inactivists have amused, confounded, offended and even inspired other…

Katey Laurel

Katey Laurel has arrived. While she’s always shown potential, on Periscope, she really lives up to that promise. Her voice was amiable enough before, but her material just wasn’t that memorable. Here, though, she shows tremendous growth, singing with greater confidence, which adds heft to the overall affectiveness of her…