Concerts

The nostalgia is infectious on The Motet, the recent self-titled full-length from the Boulder-based funk outfit. Part of that feel comes from the band’s expertise in analog effects; thanks to a mastery of old-school pedals, keyboards and horns, songs like “123” sound like they’d fit on any vintage P-Funk record…

Brad Fitch shares more than a passing resemblance to John Denver, and he’s performed at a number of the late folksinger’s tribute concerts. That’s fitting, as Denver happens to have been an early influence on Fitch, whose music straddles the line between folk and country and Western. John Denver devotees…

It’s clear from opener “Artist’s Way” that the new release from local hip-hoppers the Abstract Collective is more organic than electronic. The rapping, meanwhile, blends the rapid-fire delivery favored by Anticon artists — particularly Yoni Wolf — with the more R&B/jazz-inflected instincts of Blackalicious. Despite the soothing effect of Cody…

Illenium’s Risen is the kind of album that will cause jaws to drop. Opening with the silky vocals of Sirma on “Drop Our Hearts,” which has a grimy sort of Skrillex growl at the drop, the record moves to a more club-like vibe on “Up,” incorporating a monumental build topped…

TREY ANASTASIO BAND at OGDEN THEATRE | 1/28/14, NIGHT ONE The Trey Anastasio Band kicked off its spring tour in Denver last night and debuted a couple of new songs in front of a sold-out crowd whose members had been lined up down the block and across the street before…

Folk music fans woke up some very sad news this morning. Banjo player, guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, folklorist and all-around activist Pete Seeger died late last night in New York from natural causes. He was 94. The loss is tough to quantify for fans of any folk, roots, blues and Americana…

Back with another edition of In the Mix, where we spotlight new dance tracks and mixes from local producers and DJs. This week with a couple fresh remixes from some familiar faces in Denver’s dance music scene, along with a couple grimy originals, one from Roots Mass, a member of…

The great thing about Bisco Inferno weekend is that you get two nights packed in with the fans in the intimate Ogden shows, providing its own level of energy, and then they stretch out to the space of 1STBANK Center, where the lasers get put on steroids. After two wonderful…

THE DISCO BISCUITS at OGDEN THEATRE | 1/24/14 When we spoke with Marc Brownstein last week before this year’s Bisco Inferno: Winter Edition, he talked about how the band was comfortable with just being a jam band again rather than trying to push every electronic idea, particularly in light of…

EYEHATEGOD at BLUEBIRD THEATER | 1/26/14 A couple of people tried to heckle Eyehategod, but Mike Williams was took the flak deftly and turned it into comedy; you had to hand it to him. Someone yelled out, “I’m bored.” Williams told the guy to come down front where there was…

FRI | ICELANTIC’S WINTER ON THE ROCKS at RED ROCKS | 1/31/14 More than misogyny or materialism, intelligence and verbal skill are championed by Jurassic 5; the vocabulary is impressive and the verbal acrobatics the guys perform are outstanding. J5 carries the energy and excitement of a newer era group…

Once upon a time, it was enough for a DJ to weave a spell on the dance floor, but those days are long gone. Now, anyone dabbling in electronic music had better have some serious chops as a producer. And when it comes to production, Alex Metric is one of…

DISCO BISCUITS at OGDEN THEATRE / 1STBANK CENTER | 1/23-25 Jamtronica pioneers the Disco Biscuits build interesting set lists: They invert portions of jams into each other, surprising audience members again and again while shining a mega-ton of lasers in their faces for an overstimulation extravaganza. The Biscuits will take…

Dave Watts released the reins for the Motet’s latest album. According to the drummer and founder of the Boulder-based band, writing and recording tracks for the new record was much different from the creative process on past efforts. Whereas those featured a revolving cast of musicians led by a single,…

There’s no denying the strong sense of musical history that propels much of Back to the Country. This ragtag ensemble has clearly done its homework when it comes to making American folk, country, blues and roots music, as evidenced by the stunning acoustic solos and heartfelt pedal-steel guitar that drive…

Catholic Girls features Cole Paulson of Perspective, Tim Espiritu of Cheyenne’s Reproacher, and Andy Robbins, drummer for the now-defunct local hardcore staple Bankrobber. Although the band’s brand of punk and grind-infused hardcore takes brief detours into doomy dirges — as in the intros for “Dead Fawn” and “1996” — the…

Putting a modern twist on classic-rock jukebox favorites, Ben Samples displays a healthy application of glitch on Sex Drugs & Bass Vol. 2, offering everything a club’s sound system needs to get the party going, throwback style. Throwing up a middle finger to the bar crowd that begs DJs to…

There’s a bit of pop punk’s upbeat, defiant, hopeful energy coming off the songs on Letters From Home, the latest from Birthday Candles. But there’s also more sonic detail in the melodies than is often encountered in a lot of that music. “Otherside” and “Without a Trace” begin with a…