Bizarre Learning Center

Kicking off with the bubbling and feisty “Bigger,” this EP finds the mostly instrumental Bizarre Learning Center channeling the distorted, glittery melodies of the Pastels or Black Tambourine, only at double speed. Robin Walker’s soothing vocals are mixed at a level comparable to the rest of the instrumentation, resulting in…

Jaden Carlson

Not yet in her teens, Boulder-based singer-songwriter Jaden Carlson already has three albums under her belt. Even more impressive, the gal started playing guitar at age six; since then, she’s developed some fine picking and songwriting chops and has shared the stage with major acts such as Michael Franti and…

Calder’s Revolvers

It’s still a bit early to start engaging in any album-of-the-year type of discussion. Just the same, Steady by Your Side, which offers one of the most exhilarating listening experiences of the year by far, warrants inclusion in any such conversation. Yes, Andy Schneider’s burnished vocals and the band’s blend…

Damian Lazarus will bring range and experience to the Jet Hotel

Damian Lazarus has plenty of experience in the music industry — not just as an artist, but also as a writer and an A&R executive on the City Rockers label, where he helped sign some major talent. Lazarus, who’s been searing dance floors around the world since he was invited to…

Halloween in Denver: Where to go, what to do

While a lot of people began celebrating Halloween this past weekend, there are still a ton of parties to check out, where you can show off whatever clever costume you dreamed up this year (we’re going as either King Diamond — or one of the baseball furies, depending how our…

The Afghan Whigs at Ogden Theater, 10/30/12

THE AFGHAN WHIGS @ OGDEN THEATRE |10/30/12 Probably the biggest surprise of the Afghan Whigs show last night at the Ogden came right before the end of the set when Greg Dulli revealed that his band had a Colorado connection. He told us how more than two decades ago, the…

Last call for Bender’s Tavern is tomorrow night

Lest it get lost in all the hubub of Halloween, be advised: Tomorrow night marks a significant and bittersweet moment in the Denver music scene. It’s the last call for Bender’s Tavern, which is slated to change hands in the next few weeks and become the new home of Quixote’s…

Ryan Adams at the Boulder Theater, 10/29/12

RYAN ADAMS @ BOULDER THEATER Half of the fun of seeing Ryan Adams live, apparently, is getting to hear all his banter. He has a fascinating duality: One minute he’s completely enthralling the crowd with a heartfelt ballad, and then he bookends the tune by casually offering up a hilarious…

Taylor Swift Denver date set for June 2, 2013

Taylor Swift fans — and judging by the enormous first week record sales of Red, her latest platter released last week, that accounts for a great many folks — will be rejoicing at news that Swift is heading back out on the road this spring (to wit, that means 58…

The ten best concerts this week: 10/29-11/2

Happy Monday, amigos. Hope you didn’t go too hard this past weekend — though, judging from the pics from Rockbar’s last call, some of you apparently did — because there’s at least four truckloads of shows (including Ryan Adams acoustic set at Boulder Theater tonight) going down this week, which…

The twenty best scenes from Rockbar’s last call

After last call this past Saturday, Rockbar went dark for good. From the looks of it, the beloved Colfax bar didn’t go gently into that good night, but rather went out with a bang — ladies on tables and babies boozing. Oh what a night, as the Four Seasons once…

Beats Antique at the Fillmore, 10/27/12

BEATS ANTIQUE @ FILLMORE AUDITORIUM | 10/27/12 As the lights rose for the encore, multi-instrumentalist David Satori made sure to inform everyone at the Fillmore the importance of voting, and then went on to note that if you weren’t planning on taking part in the process then in the very…

The ten best concerts this weekend: Oct. 26-28

Welcome to the weekend, amigos! Ah, yes, we finally made it. Is it just us, or has this seemed like the longest week ever? Ah, maybe it’s just the weather. Whatever the case, it’s in the rearview now, and it’s time to blow off some steam. Drinks are on the…

Raekwon Rocks the Vote at Auraria, 10/25/12

RAEKWON @ ROCK THE VOTE ROAD TRIP / AURARIA | 10/25/12 “Whether there’s twenty people or 2,000,” said Raekwon, painfully aware of which side of that spectrum this small gathering was on, “I’m always gonna give it 200 percent.” And he did, with grace. He spoke directly to the front…