Sole Launches a New DIY Label in Denver

It’s been five years since MC and activist Tim Holland, aka Sole, parted ways with the seminal hip-hop label Anticon, which he co-founded. In the interim, he moved to Denver and has been focusing on his own music. But now he’s back with a new imprint: Black Box Tapes. Holland…

A Golden Era For Creativity in Colorado

City Hall was packed this weekend for Westword’s Artopia, which featured highlights from the Denver art, fashion and music scene. On four stages throughout the venue, musicians ranging from the Reminders to members of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra.  The event showcased the collaboration between artists, both within Denver and outside…

Cody ChesnuTT Will Debut a Denver Collaboration at Artopia

Artopia, Westword’s annual celebration of art, culture and fashion, returns to City Hall this Saturday, February 21. In addition to plenty of visual artists and the Whiteout fashion show, the event will feature some highlights from Colorado’s music scene — this year, over a dozen groups and artists will perform on four…

Denver Music TV Series Aims to Capture “Intimate and Inspiring” Moments

Now Playing, a multi-media collaboration between Denver Film Company, Black Shirt Brewing and several Denver musicians, premiers Saturday, Feb. 21 at 10 PM on CPTV 12.  The debut show will be thirty minutes long and feature Denver band Covenhoven. Future episodes will feature Sawmill Joe, R.L. Cole, Haunted Wind Chimes, Glowing House, The Centennial, Strange Americans,…

Interview: Dr. Dog Explains How It Stays Scrappy

Dr. Dog rolls into Denver to play the Ogden Theater on Thursday, February 19 in the thick of a three-month tour that began January 9 with “4×4,” an eight-show Brooklyn and Manhattan run. The energetic and soulful Philadelphia indie-rock stalwart, whose best tunes juxtapose the Beatles and the Band, is…

New Band Practice Spaces Coming to Fort Collins

Fort Collins bands will soon have a new place to practice. Cohere Bandwidth, at 265 Linden Street in Old Town, comprises 24/7 rent-by-the-hour rehearsal spaces that were inspired by the creativity and camaraderie found in music. They were also inspired by thieves. In December 2012, Shane Zweygardt of the Fort…

Swallow Hill Music Opens New Satellite Location in the Highlands

Swallow Hill Music announced this month its expansion into the Highlands neighborhood in northwest Denver. With classes to be held in Highlands United Methodist Church at 3131 Osceola Street, starting March 2nd, Swallow Hill is holding an open house on Thursday, February 26th from 4 to 7 p.m.. The revered…

Red Rocks Is (Almost) a National Historic Landmark

In all likelihood, Red Rocks will soon be a National Historic Landmark. That would be particularly gratifying for the group Friends of Red Rocks., which has been trying to get the designation for the park since 1999. “People thought it was a historic landmark already because it has been treated that way,”…

DJ AWHAT!! on Artopia and What the Denver Scene Needs

Artopia, Westword’s annual celebration of art, culture and fashion, returns to City Hall on February 21. In addition to plenty of visual artists and the Whiteout fashion show, the event will feature some highlights from Colorado’s music scene — this year, over a dozen groups and artists will perform on four stages. …

Review: Sleater-Kinney Is Still a Riot

Here is how reunion tours go, for the most part. The band, long past relevancy decides to get together one last time. Sometimes they make an album that every one pretends doesn’t exist (see: Chinese Democracy) and then set off on a tour far more extravagant then they deserve and…

Marilyn Manson Still Puts On a First Rate Horror Show

He slashed at the air with a large knife. Well, it was a knife on one end and a microphone on the other, an instrument of terror that Marilyn Manson took turns screaming into and then waving across his face wearing a threatening smile. As he came to the end…

How DeVotchKa’s Nick Urata Is Making His Mark on Hollywood

In addition to fronting DeVotchKa, singer and guitarist Nick Urata has composed music for close to two dozen films over the past decade. But he’s never worked on a project as big as Paddington.He spent nearly three months in London composing music for the film, which stars Nicole Kidman and…

Clouds and Mountains Spotlights Denver Music Scene Anchor Macon Terry

Macon Terry is sitting on the rooftop patio of Weathervane Cafe, drinking carrot juice. He’s talking about the thing he’s spent most of his life doing, which is playing music. The longtime Paper Bird bassist has been a fixture on the Denver scene for years, also logging time with Gregory…