Kanye is the most exciting man in rap because he puts out quality, popular albums. Forget the artless 50 Cent and Akon — Kanye tries harder, and Graduation, which has thirteen bangers and zero skits, reflects the man’s tireless work ethic. Having united backpackers and clubbers with his first two…
Earlier this year, 50 Cent made millions from an investment in Glaceau Vitamin Water — so much loot, in fact, that he’s bragged about how he “doesn’t even have to rap.” That’s clearly the case on Curtis: 50 is no longer hungry, and it shows. This summer alone, he released…
The opening salvo of Astronautilus, New Ancient Astronauts’ second long-player, is the bombastic and campy “Catasteroid.” Who else but maybe Blue Öyster Cult could take the idea of a gigantic asteroid about to hit the earth and end all life on the planet as we know it and not only…
Their moniker may sound jokey, but the Skivies — who’ll join New Ancient Astronauts and Amphibious Jones on Saturday, September 15, at Cricket on the Hill, for a three-way Denver Art Rock Collective CD-release party — are more than a novelty. The humor on Between Appliance and Apparel has a…
Black Francis, Blue Finger (Cooking Vinyl). What’s in a name? Attitude. Under the Black Francis moniker, Frank Black returns with a gritty performance reminiscent of his earliest Pixies days. Angular guitars thrash against embattled basses, angry drums, spacey harmonies and creepy organ fills, backed by edge-of-scream vocals that cover Black’s…
Portland troubadour Kelly Joe Phelps began as just another kid locked in his bedroom hacking out Led Zeppelin riffs. He eventually broke free of the confines of hard rock to study classical guitar, delve into the free-jazz movement and discover a passion for blues-centric folk. This stylistic combination and an…
The adventurousness of Kate Bush’s quirky and consistently innovative music didn’t just inspire Tori Amos’s intense, introspective songwriting. Clearly, Annie Clark, performing under the name St. Vincent, has learned a thing or two from Bush’s unique and artistically ambitious vision. Clark’s songs have an oddly nostalgic feel to them, as…
In the video for “Pretty Handsome Awkward,” an entertaining track from Lies for the Liars, the latest CD by the Used, bassist Jeph Howard dons drag — and he believes he pulls off the look pretty well. As he points out, “I think I could fit in on Santa Monica…
Like their contemporaries in U.K. Subs, who lived in the same building, the seasoned pub musicians who formed the Vibrators in 1976 brought a blues tradition to the infantile punk scene. But while the scene was highly politicized and angry, the Vibes got their kicks from sexually charged fun; tunes…
Austin-based singer-songwriter Chris Simpson, who was raised in Littleton, first came to the fore as a member of Mineral, a band whose two full-lengths, 1995’s The Power of Falling and 1998’s End Serenading, would undoubtedly hit the sweet spot of many a post-millennial modern rocker. Simpson, though, was too creatively…
So I head over to the Iliff Park Saloon (2300 South Chambers Road, Aurora) with the idea of having a nice, quiet happy-hour beer and maybe getting a tattoo at Ill-Mannered Tattoos, the bar’s ink parlor that opened last month. But the next thing I know, it’s fucking mayhem outside…
Those old enough to remember Pee-wee’s Big Adventure surely recall being haunted by Danny Elfman’s spooky soundtrack, the demented carnival music heard throughout the movie. A similar eccentric and darkly compelling sensibility informs the moods and sounds of Abracastabya (due at the Black Sheep in Colorado Springs on Friday, September…
The highlight of this year’s Skylab party (slated to take place this Saturday, September 15) is Lee Burridge, who’ll be headlining the Beatport stage. Burridge helped create a dance-music scene in Hong Kong during the ’90s before returning to his native U.K. and rising to prominence as part of Tyrant,…
Rilo Kiley, Jonathan Rice and Grand Ole Party September 11, 2007 The Ogden Theater Better than: The next Denver show they play, which will undoubtedly be at the Fillmore and I’ll be that snob you know who says, “I saw them at the 15th Street Tavern on their first tour,…
Dodos and Jennifer Gentle September 11, 2007 hi-dive Better than: Wearing yet another hole in my Syd Barrett vinyl. Due to a late cancellation by one of the opening bands, the Jennifer Gentle show started late. As is usually the case when a show starts late, I arrived early which…
The Chris Cornell show originally slated to take place on July 14 at the Fillmore Auditorium has finally been rescheduled. He’s now due to hit the venue on Tuesday, November 20, and tickets from the original date will be honored at that time. (Ducats can also be purchased at the…
Devendra Banhart The Ogden Theater September 10, 2007 Better than: Actually being at a show in 1972, the Ogden was apparently a shithole back in the day and the sound last night was incredible. Also better than the Ben Gibbard nonsense that went on down the block. A few songs…
Ben Gibbard at MGD’s “The Craft” September 10, 2007 Better Than: Not seeing Ben Gibbard play at all, but just barely. Like the smell of freshly laid carpet. Or the pungent odor of melting polyvinyl chloride mixed with smugfuckness. That’s what my mouth tasted like after tonight’s Ben Gibbard show…
Jerry Hahn, Paul Romaine, Jeff Jenkins and Peter Huffaker Saturday, September 8, 2007 Dazzle Better than: Seeing Hahn solo Eleven years ago, jazz guitarist Jerry Hahn had a regular gig at Denver’s Trio Enoteca with drummer Paul Romaine and pianist Jeff Jenkins. Last Saturday the guitarist, who now lives in…
The Goddamn Gallows, The Wheel, Widowers and Paleo September 7, 2007 3 Kings Tavern Better than: Killing your last remaining brain cell with another episode of “American Idol Rewind” The 3 Kings Tavern has a made a name for itself by hosting some of Denver’s hardest rock shows. Black Lamb…
So you’ve thought the MTV’s Video Music Awards have sucked in recent years? Well, the 2007 edition aired on September 9 brought sucking to a level that even the pros on the Hoover design team never imagined possible. Although the startlingly pathetic opening number by Britney Spears has received the…
Sound Tribe Sector 9 isn’t a group that embraces conventional wisdom. The act has built an expanding audience by specializing in instrumentals — a format most popularizers reject out of hand. Moreover, STS9 appeals to fans of improvisational music played on traditional gear (guitar, bass, keys, drums) even though its…
