LORD HURON at OGDEN THEATRE | 2/21/14 When the members of Lord Huron took the stage, they looked snappy, as though each member had actually taken the time to look like he was in a band but without hitting us over the head with a visual representation. The band’s music,…
FRI | PENTAGRAM at SUMMIT MUSIC HALL | 2/28/14 If you’ve seen Last Days Here, you’re familiar with the frustrating tale of Pentagram. Formed in Virginia in the early ’70s, the pioneering psychedelic metal band should have, by all accounts, realized massive worldwide fame. Instead, success evaded the outfit, thanks…
The time is now to pick up your Westword Music Showcase tickets. Starting today at 10 a.m., if you’re one of the first 2,000 folks to buy tickets using the “music” promo code, you’ll get an exclusive pre-sale price of $25. Act now to get this deal, as ticket prices…
It’s no secret that April 20 is a big day around here, and this year at Red Rocks, it’s going to be celebrated by some of ganja’s biggest advocates, Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa. Both cats are obviously no stranger to the herb, so it only makes sense that they’ll…
SAT | ARTOPIA at SOCO CLUBS | 2/22/14 Pruitt Poythress has crafted a sound that translates his fascination with the storytelling styles of hip-hop’s golden era into modern dance music. Creating big-room sounds minus the same old build-and-drop structure of most electronic sets, Pruitt works the ebbs and flows of…
SAT | ARTOPIA at SOCO CLUBS | 2/22/14 Artopia is always a blast, and this year’s lineup includes a cornucopia of producers and bands handpicked from the local scene, including Shady Elders, Confluence, FaceMan, Colfax Speed Queen, the Outfit, the Royal, Pruitt, Mikey Thunder, Decadon, Lotus Drops, Pan Astral and…
Bummer news if you were planning on catching Slaughterhouse at the Bluebird Theater on Tuesday, April 1. The show has been canceled, and refunds are available wherever you purchased tickets. According to the folks at AEG, the outfit has postponed its tour to focus efforts on finishing its forthcoming album…
A few months ago, the original Walnut Room on Walnut Street closed in its patio, put heaters out there and expanded the seating. Because of that, the spot has been a lot more busy and to accommodate for that the kitchen is being expanded and the bar in the music…
The title of “Reverend” is high on the list when Jason Downing breaks down his many duties in the Fort Collins-based quintet Musketeer Gripweed. “It’s teaching and preaching,” says Downing of his deeper mission in the folk, rock, roots and gospel outfit. “That’s what I’m interested in having in the…
Surprisingly, spoken word is not often successfully combined with rap. On Nightdreams & Daymares, however, Bianca Mikahn does a flawless job of bridging the two. Pulling from deep wells of assonance, consonance and rhyme, Mikahn dances in the ebb and flow of Dile’s dreamy production, her free association finding and…
It’s clear that the members of We’s Us put a lot of care, attention and craft into their self-titled full-length. The evidence lies in the complex melodies, nuanced effects and layered sounds that mark each of the album’s fourteen tracks. A lengthy stretch of effects-laden guitar lines and augmented chords…
It’s fairly evident from “Jackson Town,” the opening cut on the Railsplitters’ twelve-song, self-titled debut, and tunes like “Lonesome Feeling” and “Blue Moon” that the Boulder-based quartet has a respectable handle on traditional bluegrass. But elsewhere on the disc, it’s clear that bluegrass and roots are also something of a…
On his new EP, Man Mantis demonstrates how a year or two of experimentation across a handful of singles has sharpened his creative output. Compared to the material on his last album (Cities Without Houses), the rhythm palette has been expanded, and the sense of space within arrangements has improved…
Pruitt Poythress (due at Artopia this Saturday, February 22) has crafted a sound that translates his fascination with the storytelling styles of hip-hop’s golden era into modern dance music. Creating big-room sounds minus the same old build-and-drop structure of most electronic sets, Pruitt works the ebbs and flows of his…
Carter Matthews, better known these days as Toy Box, is bringing a new voice to the Colorado EDM scene. With a live show complemented by live instrumentation — namely, a 1911 Gibson mandolin — Matthews is putting a new slant on dance music. We spoke with the young producer about…
Back with another edition of In the Mix, a feature in which we spotlight new dance tracks and mixes from local producers and DJs. This week, we’ve got a tech-and-trap mix from Andy Immerman and Geodesic of the Souls In Action crew, a Valentine’s Day cut from Late Night Radio…
DEAFHEAVEN at MARQUIS THEATER | 2/16/14 There was some real emotional heft to Deafheaven’s set at the Marquis last night that was more visceral than most mere post-rock. Musically it felt like a fusion of black metal and a late ’90s post-hardcore, even treading into emo territory. The heaviness was…
TUES | MANOWAR at OGDEN THEATRE | 2/18/14 Manowar is powered by lyrics crowned in fantasy-flamed swords, armor, and everything having to do with metal warfare clashing into Norse mythology. Eric Adams’s powerful vocals are steeped in wordy wizardry that really drives home the aggressive themes. “Man o’ War” was…
After teasing Denver with a couple of dates that were eventually scrapped altogether due to health issues on his part, Morrissey is finally slated to make his way to the Mile High City for what will surely be a highly anticipated show at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House on Saturday,…
The Avett Brothers are making their annual trek to Red Rocks, but this year, the outfit will be setting up shop for a three-night run with Bob Weir & Rat Dog on Friday, July 11, Lucero on Saturday, July 12, and Shovels and Rope on Sunday, July 13. Tickets for…
PIXIES at FILLMORE AUDITORIUM | 2/13/14 Like the Ramones, the Pixies took stage and had little in the way of breaks between songs. There was no banter, no awkward joking and no meandering dialogue while anyone tuned or tried to read a set list. The only interruptions came when the…
FRI & SAT | DEVOTCHKA at MERCURY CAFE | 2/14-2/15 DeVotchKa is for lovers. So is Valentine’s Day. An absolutely ideal pairing, the two have been making beautiful music together for years, and the former is celebrating the latter with a three-day run, the second night of which is slated…
