Animal Collective at Ogden Theatre, 9/9/13

ANIMAL COLLECTIVE @ OGDEN THEATRE | 9/9/13 There were some “gremlins” last night that plagued the stage for Animal Collective at the Ogden, but it didn’t hamper the performance. If anything, it heightened it. In one moment of perfect synergy during “My Girls,” the power dropped out for one of…

The ten best Norwegian metal bands

Sweden is to death metal what Norway is to black metal. Norway’s sixth sense for finding black metal with the right amount of heavy guitar distortion, banshee shrieking vocals and an unrefined recording quality gives them a black flame kick that fuels the fire of many metal fans. Keep reading…

Titwrench Night at Glob, 9/6/13

TITWRENCH 2013 at GLOB | 9/6/13 As if embodying a bit of the spirit of the event, Dangerous Nonsense donned costumes that evoked Russian punk band Pussy Riot. And like the latter, the former outfit performs with an intensity that elevates what some might see as pure theatrics. But then…

Deerhunter at Bluebird Theater, 9/7/13

DEERHUNTER at BLUEBIRD THEATER | 9/7/13 The other members of Deerhunter were set up ready to go when Bradford Cox made his way on stage clad in some kind of vest with a lot of buttons and/or patches. He was also wearing a Cramps T-shirt, and that was fitting because…

MGMT at Fillmore Auditorium, 9/6/13

MGMT @ FILLMORE AUDITORIUM | 9/6/13 There were two distinct, dramatically different moods to MGMT’s set at the Fillmore, and let’s just say that those who came to hear MGMT’s breakthrough hits — bright and peppy synthpop tunes like “Electric Feel,” “Kids” and “Time to Pretend” — were not disappointed,…

The best concerts in Denver this week

MONDAY | ANIMAL COLLECTIVE at OGDEN THEATRE | 9/9/13 Animal Collective’s unconventional rhythms and effervescent guitar sound can be heard in the music of countless indie acts that sprang up after the band formed in 2000. The band’s latest record, 2012’s Centipede Hz, is hailed as a return to form,…

The Howling Hex at Hi-Dive, 9/5/13

THE HOWLING HEX @ HI-DIVE | 9/5/13 Neil Michael Hagerty didn’t do too much physical emoting last night at the hi-dive, nor did the rest of the Howling Hex. But Hagerty projected his voice evocatively in an almost cartoonish fashion that matched his unusual guitar tones. Maybe he just EQ’d…

The ten best shows in Denver this weekend

MGMT @ FILLMORE AUDITORIUM | FRI, 9/6/13 Back in 2008, at the peak of their Coachella-studded career, Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser were living one dream (deliciously abstract pop art) and singing about another: one rooted in Paris, heroin, cocaine, “elegant cars” and “models for wives,” to quote their festival-friendly…

The best EDM in Denver this weekend

ARAABMUZIK @ RED ROCKS AMPHITHEATRE (WITH STS9) | FRI, 9/6/13 When it comes to EDM production these days, it seems like it’s all been done before. Just the same, Rhode Island’s AraabMuzik (aka Abraham Orellana) is doing everything he can to shatter any preconceived notions you might have about dance…

The ten biggest tropes in country music

What makes a great country song? Well, if David Allan Coe is to be believed, the songs require a few things: mama, trains, trucks, prison or gettin’ drunk. There’s got to be more to it than that, though, right? Like, at least five more things. Country music draws on the…

Jason Isbell at the Bluebird, 9/4/13

JASON ISBELL @ BLUEBIRD THEATER | 9/4/13 Jason Isbell didn’t demand respect last night, but he certainly commanded it with his music. As he played a blistering set at the Bluebird that spanned two hours, the crowd sang along, hooted and hollered out requests, but on multiple occasions the talkers…

On its debut, the Royal pays homage to the songs

No rules. Pay homage to the song. Don’t do too much or too little. These are the three philosophies that the Royal has adhered to since forming over two years ago. “Whatever is effective for the song, pay homage to the song,” frontman Tyler Hayden explains. “Because if the song…

Neil Michael Hagerty puts a Howling Hex on the hi-dive

From his time in the groundbreaking mutant garage-punk band Pussy Galore in the late ’80s to his long-running stint with outlaw experimentalists Royal Trux, Neil Michael Hagerty has long been a pioneering musician in the world of guitar rock. Ever since Trux split in the early part of the last…

The Monocle Band

Thanks to those Mumford and Avett chaps, donning vests, suspenders, fedoras and derby caps is as fashionable lately as making music with acoustic guitars, mandolins, banjos and fiddles seems to be. But while the members of the Monocle Band seem (based on their press photos) to have a kindred fashion…