Paw Paw

This debut solo album from former Woodsman drummer Eston Lathrop reveals that Lathrop wasn’t just a talented, sensitive and tasteful percussionist in that band; he was also an active participant in creating the shimmering drones and melodies that made Woodsman so consistently fascinating. “Derail” has an otherworldly exhilaration and calm…

Patrick Dethlefs

Patrick Dethlefs started penning tunes at the age of fifteen, and while the songwriting on his debut, 2010’s Stays the Same, showed a great deal of depth, his sophomore release, Fall & Rise, makes it even more apparent that he has talent beyond his years. Dethlefs has a warm delivery…

Joy Subtraction

It’s not often that bass lines stand out as the featured instrumentation on an album, but here you’d swear the bass was recorded during a 9.0 earthquake in a concrete bunker with a shard of glass for a pick. Songs like “Kill the Blue Dogs” and “The Process of Ripping…

The Stripe Stripe Fiasco

The four members of the Stripe Stripe Fiasco refer to what they do as “skitzRock,” and that’s not far off: The ten high-powered, high-impact tracks on this release are indeed sonically schizoid, not to mention rockin’ throughout. Divided between the eerie, relaxed vocals of multi-instrumentalist Rachel King and the deep,…

AU’s Luke Wyland on strange venues and Denver connections

AU started off as “luc,” a solo project of Luke Wyland’s when he was attending college in Boston. The band formed after Wyland’s graduation, in 2005, when he and some friends took a trip along the West Coast. Settling in Portland, they began carving out a niche for themselves on…

East meets west with Manik, August 11 at NORAD

When east meets west, it usually results in a clash of creative energy, and that’s exactly what’s in store for attendees of Saturday night’s East Meets West bash at NORAD. Headlining is New York City-born and -bred Manik, who was named on DJ Mag’s “Hot to Watch 2011” list and…

Michael Kiwanuka at the Bluebird, 8/7/12

MICHAEL KIWANUKA @ BLUEBIRD THEATER | 8/7/12 Judging by the instrument setup on stage, you could have guessed what sort of music Kiwanuka would be playing: congas prominently pushed to the front of the stage, a classic sparkle drum kit reminiscent of something Ringo might play, an organ and handful…

Justice at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 8/7/12

JUSTICE @ RED ROCKS AMPHITHEATRE | 8.7.12 See Also: Justice, March 2008 profile Let’s review last night’s Justice set by the numbers. The number of towering Marshall amps outfitted with LED lights: eighteen. The estimated rank of those bad boys on the volume scale: eleven. The number of smooth-operator Frenchmen…

Die Antwoord at the Ogden Theatre, 8/6/12

DIE ANTWOORD @ OGDEN THEATRE | 8.6.12 See Also: – Slide show: Die Antwoord in Denver – Freaky Friday: “Enter the Ninja” – Die Antwoord – Go shopping with Die Antwoord – Die Antwoord take us deeper down the zef rabbithole Die Antwoord’s draw is a bit beyond the realm…

25 ass-shaking GIFs from Lollapalooza 2012

See Also: – Four reasons Lollapalooza needs EDM – Enjoy these dance-move GIFs from Global Dance Festival – Ten Coachella dance-move GIFs to make you feel good about yourself This past weekend’s running of Lollapalooza in Chicago was intense. The heat, the monsoon-like storm on Saturday, and even the lobster…

Four reasons Lollapalooza needs EDM

Photo by Erik HessSee Also: – Lollapalooza Sunday: The Hottest Day of All – Ten things your Lollapalooza outfit says about you By IAN TRAAS With every year that passes, it feels like electronic dance music gains a bigger foothold in the summer festival circuit, and the climb in popularity…

Photos: Libation Fridays at the Hive

See Also: – Slideshow: Libation Fridays at the Hive – Together Productions’s Jason Bills on Libation Fridays, the Hive’s brand new weekly club night The Hive kicked off its new club night, Libation Fridays, with the internationally-renowned house DJ, Bass Kleph, on Friday, August 3, 2012. Jason Bills of Together…

My Morning Jacket at Red Rocks, 8/4/12

MY MORNING JACKET @ RED ROCKS | 8/4/12 See Also: – Review: My Morning Jacket at Red Rocks, 8/3/12 – Q&A with Jim James of My Morning Jacket My Morning Jacket albums are concise volumes, recalling ’70s rock anthems that wailed but kept excess to a minimum. MMJ’s concert at…

Joy Subtraction at the hi-dive, 8/4/12

JOY SUBTRACTION @ HI-DIVE | 8/4/12 See Also: – Joy Subtraction? Its members just enjoy screwing with Joy Division. “This is the first song on our new album,” Joy Subtraction’s Abe Brennan announced last at the hi-dive, goofing on Cheap Trick after the first couple of songs of the set…

Lollapalooza suspended, resumed after dangerous weather conditions

Photo by Erik Hess BY ERIK THOMPSON The 2012 installment of Lollapalooza has thus far brought the requisite extremes, in terms of performances and potent weather. A two-hour delay cut through the middle of Saturday’s entertainment at Chicago’s Grant Park, and a good many people were wishing they had just…