This is the kind of city we live in: Last weekend, local band conglomeration Hot Congress organized a benefit at the Skylark to help friend and longtime music supporter, Erica Beegle, with some hefty vet bills. After her pup Anton spent a rather expensive day at the animal hospital, her…
On Tuesday, Amazon surprised everyone by introducing Amazon Cloud Drive. Everyone was literally surprised, including the record labels, consumers, journalists — nobody had a clue this was coming. In case you’ve missed it, Amazon Cloud Drive is an online file locker where you can store your files, including your audio…
Proto-pop punks Smoking Popes have always existed like two bands in one quartet’s shared body; compositionally, the group creates powerful and speedy melodies with classic punk instrumentation. But lead singer and guitarist Josh Caterer’s voice swings smoothly like a cross between Bobby Darin and Morrissey, and it’s this sonic divergence…
PRETTY LIGHTS Broadway and Maple | 3.31.11 In a crazy turn of events, Pretty Lights music producer Derek Vincent Smith played an impromptu 2 a.m. set in a small garage near the corner of Maple and Broadway last night. No fliers, no advertising, not even a press release — just…
SKRILLEX With Nate Ishe and Trajikk 3.31.11 | Beta Last night, the number-one DJ in the world gave a piece of himself to one of the top clubs in the world. With little standing room, hardly a line at the bar and sweat dripping from the everyone standing on the…
Got a Chevy? Mr. Midas is looking for you. This Saturday at noon, the rapper is filming a video at Swansea Park, at 48th and Clayton, and he wants you to come show off your ride. The single, “Feeling Me,” is from his award-winning album, Son of the Crack Era,…
Looks like we’re not the only ones who think Beta is still the best dance club. In its list of Top 100 Clubs for 2011, DJMag.com just listed Beta at number fifteen — in the world, behind world-renowned instutions like Space in Ibiza, which earned the top slot, Fabrik in…
Dance pop is alive and well in Colorado, and Kill Paradise has been gleefully spearheading the movement for almost a decade. Celebrating the release of its latest single, “Party With My Best Friends” at the opening of 2011, mastermind Nick Cocozzella and Bryce Hoops fluidly move their bouncy electro-infused energy…
If you’ve been itching to learn how to record your music yourself or you just want to hone your skills a bit, here’s your chance. Next month, as part of FoCoMX, music producer John Alagia (Herbie Hancock, Paul Simon, Ben Folds) will be hosting a free workshop for budding engineers…
DJ Low Key, the DJ ambassador of all things good music wise, has moved his sushi bar rocking operations to a new location. Well, sort of. This Sunday, his new night, Connected, is taking a trial run at Hai Bair (Sushi Hai), where Low Key will be spinning soul and…
Hot on the heels of SXSW and in the midst of spring break, we sent Sara Century and Tom Murphy on the town for a week of shows and had them report back what they saw/heard, with Sara drawing all of the pretty pictures and Tom stringing all the words…
Looking for Best Monthly Party? (Whomp Truck), Best New Venue (Summit Music Hall) or Best Hip-Hop Album (Mr. Midas’ Son of the Crack Era)? You can find those awards and more in the Best of Denver® 2011: Arts & Entertainment section. For the full Best of Denver® 2011 awards, go…
Things are moving along swimmingly for The Epilogues, due tonight at the Bluebird with fellow locals My Body Sings Electric and Input (both celebrating new CDs this evening), Monroe Monroe and Mr. Right. So swimingly, in fact, that tonight’s appearance was added after the show this Friday (an official Westword…
For a flier to get a nod in this space, it’s either about technique or execution. This week, it’s a little of both. The flier — touting Paper Bird’s show this Saturday with Princess Music and A.Tom Collins at the Gothic Theatre — is so damn adorable, it captured our…
After the untimely passing of G-Funk era staple Nate Dogg, the hip-hop community was once again reminded of its mortality. As is typical during the time of mourning, memorial funds were established for the family and loved ones of the late crooner, followed by an outpouring of benevolent memories…
Just one of the many generations of heavy acts on the Metalliance Tour stopping in Denver tonight, Helmet perfectly represented the era from which it emerged. Formed in 1989, the band first found prominence in the mid-’90s when the “alternative” blanket covered every band from the Afghan Whigs to White…
This past weekend, organizers of the CHUN Capitol Hill People’s Fair, with some help from the fine folks at Doghouse Music, hosted their annual Ultimate Music Experience (aka UMX) auditions at Bender’s Tavern. For two full days, eighty-some acts showcased their wares in hopes of landing a slot to perform…
Colorado has never been short on novelty shows. We’ve had beach parties, fort-building parties, high-concept art-installation shows — you name it, we’ve probably tried it at least once. That said, we’re pretty certain that Sk8Bit, slated to take place on Saturday, June 18, at Rollerland in Fort Collins, is Colorado’s…
Singer-songwriters are a dime a dozen these days. It’s like they’re being churned out on a never-ending assembly line, manufactured with the same blueprint: rough-hewn voice, tattered button-up shirt, handsome face, guitar. Rocky Votolato is like the original of those copies of copies, and he has the lyrical integrity and…
Among the many things happening this past weekend in the Mile High City, the venerable 3 Kings Tavern was celebrating its fifth year in business with Drag the River providing the soundtrack for the evening, which involved lots of drinking and socializing. Ace photographer Aaron Thackeray was on hand to…
CAFFEINE 03.26.11 | 1STBANK Center view full Caffeine slideshow Ah, Caffeine – stronger than a triple espresso but mild enough for mass consumption. With its “spring break” theme, Caffeine feels like a frat party on The Hill — only with much better music and minus the burning couches. Over the…
PURE SUNSHINE Overcasters • the Buckingham Squares • the Purple Fluid The Omens • The Geniuses • Git Some 03.26.11 | Bluebird Theater Git Some kicked off night two of Pure Sunshine last night at the Bluebird Theater. The act’s lyrics are often washed out by the torrent of guitar…
