No one would blame John Baldwin Gourley if he never listened to oldies again. That’s all the frontman of Portugal. The Man listened to when he was growing up — at least until he was old enough to drive himself. Despite this over-saturation, the classics stuck with Gourley. And last…
3OH!3 is a group you either love or loathe. Judging from the response the act has gotten both here and across the country, most listeners land comfortably in the former category. Stuffy literary types who blanch at the simplistic synth lines, rudimentary beats and admittedly crass lyrics are missing the…
Things don’t always work out how you planned. Given the copyright date on the back of this one (when the band originally intended to release this disc), that clearly seems to be the case here. Regardless of how long it took to issue, the Swindlers’ latest is a great. Filing…
Europeans often display greater appreciation for American soul and blues than does the average U.S. citizen. Yet English singer-songwriter James Hunter takes his love of these genres to startling extremes, channeling the sound and style of vintage R&B in a manner that transcends mere imitation. The Hard Way, his new…
Unfortunately, the creamiest talent doesn’t always rise to the top — which explains in part why the growing popularity of Ray LaMontagne (who joins Ingrid Michaelson at a taping of etown) is so gratifying. The folk-and-roots-infused music he makes is about as trendy as bustles and Sansabelt slacks, and the…
Although Baltimore, Maryland may not be the home of the new wave of tribal sounds in underground music, it is most certainly one of that movement’s centers — as evidenced by Teeth Mountain, which uses driving percussion in layers like some bands use guitars. The outfit’s hypnotic drones, which at…
Hailing from Seattle, Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground is a loose collective of musicians anchored by Kirk Huffman and Kyle O’Quin (K and K, get it?), both erstwhile members of the melodic punk sextet Gatsby’s American Dream. So there’s no “Kay Kay,” per se, but there can be as…
Last year, Black Kids released a blogosphere-revered EP full of electro-tinged dance songs addressing themes of incest and gender ambiguity. The Jacksonville quintet’s full-length debut Partie Traumatic contains the entire EP and six more songs continuing in the same, party-starting-then-party-fouling vein. Nearly all the tracks boast immediately accessible progressions and…
Despite all the chatter about Antony and Tim Goldsworthy — and make no mistake, they’re both crucial to the success of this album — Hercules and Love Affair is very much the brainchild of Andrew Butler. The New York-by-way-of-Denver DJ shares his DFA cohorts’ ability to channel the entire history…
A Git Some show is a visceral, high-voltage experience. The act is a bundle of frenetic energy on stage, as dangerous as it is magical. The band’s new album, Cosmic Rock, deftly captures the vitality of the group’s live show. We caught up with the guys at the downtown warehouse…
In November of 2006, the former members of Small Objects recruited a new drummer and adopted the name Blue Million Miles, which they borrowed from an old Captain Beefheart song. The quality of the songwriting didn’t fundamentally change, but the act went from a solid indie band to a full-fledged…
I’ve gotten used to walking into places and getting that look from regulars. You know, the “Who the fuck are you and what the hell are you doing in our bar?” look. It used to make me a bit nervous, since it felt like I was walking into a party…
The Enemy UK We’ll Live and Die in These Towns Warner Music 01:30-02:15 of “Had Enough”: You know, if you’re going to have your record released on a major label like Warner, you really ought to be able to afford some pretty happening cover art – especially when your bio…
Pictureplane, Josephine and the Mousepeople and Yukon Tuesday, August 5, 2008 Rhinoceropolis Better Than: A fun, sweaty show when the heat was a lot more oppressive earlier this summer. The first time I saw Josephine and the Mousepeople, it was briefly at Louis Vuitton Night in June, and I didn’t…
Although we’ve yet to receive a press release confirming a date, we’re pretty sure Weezer is going to be coming to town on this leg of its tour. At least that’s what we can deduce from the video posted after the jump. Pulling a page from Tom Waits Glitter and…
Panic at the Disco hits Broomfield Event Center Oct. 17. It’s been an insanely busy week for concert announcements. We also just got word that Moby will in town for DNC and doing a DJ set at the Church on Wednesday, August 27. But in the meantime, here’s a sampling…
Eef Barzelay played the Hi Dive Monday night. Photos by Tom Murphy. Eef Barzelay w/The Tanukis and Pee Pee Monday, August 4th, 2008 Hi-Dive, Denver Better Than: A show with songwriters peddling hackneyed premises. When I got to the Hi-Dive, I discovered I’d missed all but the last two songs…
The Apples in Stereo still list Denver as their home on their MySpace page. And you know what? We’re totally cool with that. For one, it’s kind of true: Eric Allen and John Hill still live here — the former, in fact, name check Paper Bird in a recent interview…
Don’t let the sunshine and blue skies fool you: It’s yet another downcast day in the Mile High City. It’s with a heavy heart that we bring you word of Amy Fisher’s passing this past weekend. Countless members of the Denver music community know Fisher from her years of working…
Photo: Jon Solomon See a slideshow of Sunday’s show, plus other music and arts slideshows, at westword.com/slideshow. Tickle Me Pink, Foxy Shazam, Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Finch Sunday, August 3, 2008 Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom Better than: Remembering a fallen friend with a quiet and staid ceremony. It was the sight…
The Threatened and the Wilder Situation Sunday, August 3, 2008 Larimer Lounge Better Than: Everything else going on late on a baking Sunday night. The members of the Threatened, who played an acoustic show without their drummer, informed us sometime toward the end of their set that they’re normally a…
The Fertile Crescent, Hot White and Yoda’s House Saturday, August 2, 2008 Rhinoceropolis Better Than: Having to spend the money to go to the actual Middle East to hear music like this. It was still a sweltering 90 some-odd degrees by the time I got to the Rhino late after…
