The best concerts in Denver this week

FRI-SUN | MURDER BY DEATH at STANLEY HOTEL | 1/17-1/19 When Murder by Death first formed in Bloomington, Indiana, nearly fifteen years ago under the name Little Joe Gould, the outfit was somewhat of an anomaly, as the whole chamber-pop phenomenon hadn’t happened yet — and wouldn’t for another five…

The best EDM in Denver this weekend

SAT | CEDRIC GERVAIS at BETA | 1/11/14 French-born, Miami-based Cedric Gervais crafts a brand of house that weaves threads of electro and progressive house into a big, shimmery, club-smashing tapestry of late-night abandon. On hits such as “Spirit in My Life,” Gervais displays a talent for slick, vocal-driven progressive…

The best concerts in Denver this weekend

FRI & SAT | ADVENTURE CLUB at OGDEN THEATRE | 1/10-1/11 The Montreal-based Adventure Club is a duo that started as a pop-punk act. Quickly outgrowing that hybrid, Christian Srigley and Leighton James started making electronic music, their first foray into it being a remix of Brand New’s “Daisy.” Adventure…

Coachella 2014 lineup includes Big Gigantic

This year’s Coachella lineup, which was announced yesterday, has a few marquee names such as Outkast, Arcade Fire and Neutral Milk Hotel that no doubt turned heads. The roster is otherwise dependably made up of a mixture of heritage acts and buzzed upon rock and rap acts, as well as…

The best rap shows in Denver in January

MON | EARL SWEATSHIRT at CERVANTES’ | 1/13/14 After releasing his prodigious self-titled debut at age sixteen, Earl Sweatshirt was exiled to a Samoan disciplinary program by his mother during the most exciting years of Odd Future’s meteoric rise, depriving the act’s rabid fans of his music. As a result,…

Vinnie Maniscalco has big plans for the future

The first show that Vinnie Maniscalco put on was busted up by the DEA. “They were taking pictures of all our gear and taking samples of all the beer cans on the floor,” he recalls of the gig, which took place at the now-closed Primer Dome. The 24-year-old Colorado native…

Andy Sydow

After listening to the first few songs of his self-titled debut, it’s clear that Andy Sydow is no one-trick pony; a multi-instrumentalist, he’s also well versed in a number of genres. Sydow kicks the album off with the Americana-steeped “Soul Searchin’,” which shares a passing resemblance to Billy Bragg &…

Paul Basic

It may have taken a few years, but it seems that Pretty Lights Music artist Paul Basic has finally come out of his shell with Transient Horizons, his latest effort. “Dark Dream,” with its dancing, synthesized strings, could easily serve as a standalone single primed for remixes, but Basic brings…

Mosey West

The psychedelia-tinged Americana and expensive spirit of Mosey West’s Bermuda evoke Green on Red’s 1985 opus Gas Food Lodging, except that these songs have an atmospheric quality that contrasts with the earthy honky-tonk vibe of that record. “The King and Queen of L.A.” offers a gritty Memphis-via-California feel without mixing…

In the Whale

“On a Roll,” the first of three songs on Eric, In the Whale’s bombastic new EP, tells a story that could fit seamlessly into a vintage Sam Peckinpah Western: “Forty-five hours to the Mexican border/I got the sheriff’s daughter and he’s breathing down my shoulder,” sings Nate Valdez. Instead of…

The best DIY shows in Denver in January

SUN | KID MASK at SEVENTH CIRCLE MUSIC COLLECTIVE | 1/12/14 Back in 2011 and 2012, Pete Bell was the guy with the camera whom you’d always see shooting footage of shows at Rhinoceropolis. Bell was in high school then, and making a documentary about the long-running DIY venue for…

Denver Ska Fest at the Gothic on February 22

With a new release set to drop from the A-Oks at Moe’s Original BBQ this weekend and another issued in past month from the Dendrites, the ska scene in Denver is off to a great start heading into the new year. And the momentum continues next month with the Denver…

The best EDM in Denver in January

FRI | KILL THE NOISE at BETA | 1/17/14 Finding success in signing with Skrillex’s OWSLA record label, Kill the Noise has grown into one of the heaviest producers currently touring. Jake Stanczak, the brains behind the operation, has been developing Kill the Noise’s sound for years. His powerhouse club…

The best punk shows in Denver in January

FRI | NAKED RAYGUN at SUMMIT MUSIC HALL | 1/31/14 In the annals of Chicago punk, Naked Raygun was one of the longest-running and most beloved of bands. But while sharing stages with the hardcore bands of the day, Naked Raygun was always just a bit more experimental than most…

Review: Sleep at Gothic Theatre, 1/3/14

SLEEP at THE GOTHIC THEATRE | 1/3/14 Cannabis is legalized here in the same week Sleep comes back to Colorado to play a show. Coincidence? Whatever the case, this show surpassed the last time the outfit played at the Gothic in September 2010. Something just seemed more coherent and focused…

The best concerts in Denver this week

FRI & SAT | ADVENTURE CLUB at OGDEN THEATRE | 1/10-1/11 The Montreal-based Adventure Club is a duo that started as a pop-punk act. Quickly outgrowing that hybrid, Christian Srigley and Leighton James started making electronic music, their first foray into it being a remix of Brand New’s “Daisy.” Adventure…

The best jam-band shows in January

DISCO BISCUITS at OGDEN THEATRE / 1STBANK CENTER | 1/23-25 Pioneers of the jamtronica genre, Philly’s Disco Biscuits build interesting set lists; they invert portions of jams into each other, surprising the crowd again and again while shining a mega ton of lasers in your face for an overstimulation extravaganza…

The best EDM in Denver this weekend

FRI | ILL.GATES at BETA | 1/3/14 With more than two decades in the electronic-music scene under his belt, ill.Gates is now helping to inspire a wave of new-school producers via his ill.Methodology online courses and the events he hosts, which cater to those interested in stepping up their game…

The best concerts to see in Denver this weekend

FRI | SLEEP at GOTHIC THEATRE | 1/3/14 Stoner rock and doom metal gained mainstream popularity over the past decade thanks to acts like Queens of the Stone Age and High on Fire, whose reach expanded beyond metal fans. Before playing in the latter band, guitarist Matt Pike had been…