Matt Gangi and Eric Chramosta grew up together in La Crescenta, California, which may account for some of the free-flowing energy of their musical collaboration. Often dubbed “electronic psych,” their music definitely has a mind-altering quality to it in terms of the layers of sound and the insistent underlying beat…
With five critically acclaimed mixtapes and an independent release already under his belt, it’s easy to forget that Kendrick Lamar’s first major-label LP hasn’t even dropped yet. The much-blogged-about good kid, m.A.A.d city isn’t due until later this month, but Lamar is already generating more media attention than a Mitt…
Following Ian Curtis’s suicide in 1980, the remaining members of Joy Division processed their grief in part by carrying on. While New Order’s stark and brilliant 1981 debut, Movement, sounded like what might have been Joy Division’s next step, the band went on to be innovators in electronic dance music…
In his attempt to compose a soundtrack to a novel — Lair Hunt’s The Impossibly — Roger Green, with the help of Mark Harris on saxophone and bass clarinet, Janet Feder on prepared acoustic guitar and James Han on piano, delivers an emotionally complex, sonically inverted collection of instrumentals. By…
It’s hard to articulate exactly what it is that makes a person charismatic, but it’s obvious when someone has that subtle something that sets him or her apart. Black Mask’s Aklock, who’s captivating, plain and simple, is just such a person, and Build Small showcases his down-to-earth personality while highlighting…
Local trumpeter Ron Miles and former Denver native Bill Frisell have performed and recorded together on a number of occasions, but they’ve only teamed up with drummer Brian Blade a handful of times. One of the reasons this trio works so well is that its members share certain sensibilities, and…
True to her moniker on the fittingly titled The Rebellion Vol. 1, J. Rebelz rebels against the misogynistic stereotypes of self-deprecating females cast upon many of her contemporaries. On the album, which boasts meticulous production, J. Rebelz evokes the feel of a ’90s female MC, with a demeanor that’s ladylike…
Three decades into her career, Aimee Mann remains as consistently fresh and challenging a singer-songwriter as in her days fronting the mid-’80s new-wave band ‘Til Tuesday. Since then, Mann has had a strong solo career, delivering one of the greatest film soundtracks in recent memory for P.T. Anderson’s Magnolia. With…
The world of electronic music is lucky that Max Cooper, a computational biologist who earned his Ph.D. at Nottingham University, decided to pursue a life behind the decks. Before 2010, music was an evenings-and-weekends gig for Cooper, who was working as a post-doctoral genetics researcher at University College London. These…
The Twins of Evil Tour last night at 1STBANK Center featuring Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson drew an ardent array of fans from all walks of life, all united by their unrelenting love and devotion of Zombie and Manson. Eric Gruneisen had the profound pleasure of meeting many of these…
Hip-hop and it still don’t stop. This afternoon at 1 p.m., the inaugural Hip-Hop Legacy Literacy Conference kicks off with a screening of Ice-T’s Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap documentary in the St. Cajetan’s building on Auraria, and, tomorrow, the Sankofa Lecture Series welcomes its fall keynote speaker,…
ROB ZOMBIE & MARILYN MANSON @ 1STBANK CENTER |10/2/12 With the theme to Suspiria pumping out through the speakers as a preamble, Marilyn Manson took the stage with a huge, glowing, red, psychic cross hanging overhead — a nice touch. The distorted, driving bass line of “Hey, Cruel World” let…
The defining narrative of American politics since the turn of the millennium seems to be that ‘We the people’ are screwed no matter who gets elected. Elect a Republican: We engage in pre-emptive war, the national deficit skyrockets, and we sacrifice education and infrastructure investment. Elect a Democrat hoping things…
There’s no question that the President — in town this evening to debate Mitt Romney — is a huge music fan. From quoting Sam Cooke during his ’08 acceptance speech to randomly singing Al Green verses during a fundraiser to citing Stevie Wonder as being responsible for his marriage, Obama…
A bunch of new dates going on sale later this week: This November, the Coup is coming to Summit Music Hall, Killswitch Engage is due at the Fox, and Interpol frontman Paul Banks is slated at the Bluebird. In December, Broncho will be at the Gothic and Macklemore & Ryan…
Update: Contest is over. Scott Rudderham is our winner. Thanks for reading Backbeat. Aw, yeah! More free tickets! Got plans for this weekend? You do now. K.Flay is coming to the Marquis Theater this Saturday, and we’ve got a pair of tickets up for grabs. Want the hookup? Would you…
While September was a stellar month for nationally known jazz talent coming through town, October has some equally compelling acts, including legendary bassist Ron Carter, forward-thinking trio the Bad Plus, acclaimed pianist Vijay Iyer and guitarist Lionel Loueke. Keep reading for a full rundown of this month’s five best jazz…
Tomorrow night, the Twins of Evil Tour pulls into Colorado for a show at 1STBANK Center featuring co-headliners Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson, two of the more diabolical, intelligent and entertaining figures in mainstream music. Tom Murphy, our resident interviewer extraordinaire, recently spoke with both Zombie and Manson and had…
Welcome to Rawktober! The month is getting kicked off with a bang tomorrow night at 1STBANK Center with the Twins of Evil Tour featuring Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson, and the rest of the week is shaping up to be pretty stellar, too, with some dubstep and doom metal shows…
Since David Bowie made his first mark on the world — and beyond — with 1969’s “Space Oddity,” decoding his music has been a prime pastime for his fans. It’s also been a cottage industry for music journalists, most of whom have been content to simply rearrange the pieces in…
PETER GABRIEL @ RED ROCKS AMPHITHEATRE | 9/30/12 Shortly before launching into an epic set that spanned nearly three hours at Red Rocks last night, Peter Gabriel took the tack of a well trained maître d’, explaining that the program would come in three courses, kicking off with a four-song…
CHURCHILL @ BLUEBIRD THEATER | 9/30/12 Last night, when Tim Bruns and Bethany Kelly left the stage and sprinted to the Bluebird’s upstairs balcony to sing a couple songs, you could tell this was a special night for Churchill. “We didn’t think anyone would show up if we played a…
