The best EDM in Denver this weekend

DJ TENNIS @ NORAD | SAT, 7/13/13 Like much of the electronic world’s cream of the crop these days, DJ Tennis lives in Berlin, but he grew up in New Jersey and moved to Italy to play semi-professional tennis (hence the moniker), where he threw parties at his tennis club…

The ten weirdest hip-hop releases of all time

Weird is not a bad thing. It sets you apart. So, in rap, where so often so much music sounds so much like the same thing, weird can be a part of something really, really good. It’s not surprising, then, that some of the weirdest rap albums of all time…

Ten most common metal subgenres examined

Keeping track of metal and all its subgenres can often be confusing and frustrating. Classic and thrash metal are at the center of the metal universe, while various other styles are major and minor constellations radiating manic energy. Sorting through the subgenres can be a tedious task. This is why…

Chimney Choir

Since the 2011 release of (feather), its debut EP, Chimney Choir has put out another EP, (turtle), and a full-length, (ladder), which came out last year. Not only is the band prolific, but it just keeps getting better, as evidenced by the sizable catalogue of really good material it’s amassed…

Qknox

For those in search of a chill soundtrack to fight the summer heat, the prolific Qknox has delivered right on time. From back-room, cool-jazz musings to pulsing, post-Dilla neck-snappers, the eight tracks that make up On a Remote Frequency Outpost in Space deliver across the spectrum of beat-driven possibility. The…

(G)nosis

Rapper (G)nosis’s new album, The Midnight Drifter LP, is conscious but not preachy, deep but not overwrought, forward-thinking but not inaccessible. More impressive, there aren’t any bad songs to be found here, and that’s most certainly a feat for such a lyrically ambitious project. On Midnight Drifter, (G)nosis challenges you…

Fingers of the Sun

It’s clear from the material on 3 that the members of Fingers of the Sun have greatly matured as songwriters. A tune like “Skinny Pert and Cool,” for instance, sustains the band’s signature knack for infectious melody while commenting on the beautiful ignorance of youth versus the depressing security of…

Rick’s Tavern is now officially closed

Update, 12 p.m. 7/10/13: The final celebrations slated for this weekend have been canceled because the buyers of the business received their liquor license earlier than anticipated and will take possession of the business tomorrow, July 11. Rick’s Tavern is now officially closed. After more than two decades of being…

Barry Manilow donates piano for Jeffco Public Schools instrument drive

Pop icon Barry Manilow is donating a new Yamaha piano to launch an instrument drive for Jefferson County Public Schools, which is partnering with The Manilow Music Project, which provides musical instruments to high schools and middle schools as well as music scholarships at universities throughout North America. Anyone who…

Ten musicians who have taken a political stand

It’s one thing to be a political musician, to point out the inherent wrongs of our social and political constructs from afar. Admirable as that is, it takes a truly special person to take a personal stake in perceived injustice and do something that goes beyond music. A couple days…

The ten most ferocious female pioneers in metal

In metal, a genre teeming with testosterone and addled by adrenaline, women have made leaps and bounds over the years. Defying dainty stereotypes, these beauties have butted heads with the best of them. More salty than sweet, these ladies are tougher than leather. Keep reading for the ten most ferocious…

Tryst to reopen at 1320 15th Street next weekend

After eight years at 1512 Larimer Street, Tryst is set to reopen next week a block west at 1320 15th Street in the former Mix Music Lounge location between the Drink and Chances. In honor of the occasion, Tryst is hosting a pre-party on Friday, July 19, from 8 to…

The ten most influential mainstream girl groups

There have been countless girl groups throughout history, but only a select few have had as undeniable an impact on mainstream rock and pop as these ladies. Breaking gender barriers, they influenced countless other groups that followed and inspired a legion of young women across the globe. Keep reading for…