The Cult

In 1985, Love was the Cult’s breakthrough album, helped along by the single “She Sells Sanctuary” — but the band switched gears, stripped things down and started rocking out a few years later on the Rick Rubin-produced Electric. Since then, the Cult has been through a few lineup changes and…

4H Royalty

Since 4H Royalty’s Zach Boddicker spent time playing in Drag the River, it wasn’t surprising to find a few similarities to the latter’s sound on 4H’s debut, 2010’s Colossalalia. And while there are still hints of the same to be found on the act’s followup, Where UFOs Go to Die…

Kajmir Royale

Kajmir Royale is not just an MC; he’s also a producer. His street mixtape, Heir to the Throne, features damn near every MC you love out of the city, including Rockie, AP and Mr. Midas, to name a few. The project is a mix of anthemic rhythms, hard-body rhymes and…

Bostic Beats

Beat tapes can be some of the most enjoyable releases to vibe out to, especially when you don’t feel like hearing someone’s voice in your ear. Bostic Beats, half of One Eyed Kings, just released his debut instrumental album, Spring Cleaning Sessions: Volume 1. It starts slow, with a couple…

Galaxies

From the beginning of “Across the Ocean,” the opening track of Galaxies’ Letters From Sea, it sounds as though Dillon Groeneman recorded the album while on a ship. And it’s not just the sound samples that make it feel that way, but also the sense of peace and isolation that…

Rockie wants to tell you all about his Gold Dreams

Last winter, Rockie released Censored, a project that gave the MC the chance to say everything that he didn’t get to say out of the gate: He talked about the bitches, the money and being a single father in a city where damn near everyone is a rapper. Amid the…

Photos: Five Points Jazz Fest, 5/19/12

This past Saturday, the annual Five Points Jazz Festival returned to its namesake historic district with performances from a slew of acts like Carmen Sandiem and Aakash Mittal, among others, spread out across six stages all along Welton Street. Our own Nick Callaio was on hand for the fest and…

R.I.P. Robin Gibb, 12/22/49 – 5/20/12

Robin Gibb’s musical genius stood out in a crowded field of competitors. It was about taking existing musical ingredients and creating a sound that was entirely new. Gibb, the Bee Gees co-founder who lost his long battle with cancer on Sunday at the age of 62, had a key role…

Creed at the Paramount Theatre, 5/19/12

CREED @ PARAMOUNT THEATRE | 5/19/12 There are two kinds of people in this world: Those who can be open-minded about Creed and those who cannot. It’s fair to say that the majority of the mainstream media falls into the first category, and perhaps for good reason: The ’90s all-stars…

Video: Welcome to the Dubstep Parking Lot

In 1986, one man took to a Judas Priest concert with a video camera to document the mayhem prior to a real rock and roll show. The video, aptly titled “Heavy Metal Parking Lot” became a cult classic, and has since inspired a descendant: “Dubstep Parking Lot.” Here is our…

Global Dub Festival at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 5/18/12

GLOBAL DUB FESTIVAL @ RED ROCKS AMPHITHEATRE | 5.18.12 Barely half way through the show and still awaiting the headlining acts, Red Rocks Amphitheatre was absolutely blowing up with the sounds of Datsik. Flipping the script on everybody with an explosive remix of M.O.P.’s “Ante Up,” the British Columbia producer…

Lupe Fiasco at City Hall, 5/17/12

LUPE FIASCO @ CITY HALL AMPHITHEATRE | 5.17.12 See Also: Five things non-Lasers need to know about Lasers, Lupe Fiasco’s diehard fans Lupe Fiasco loves his fans, and clearly the feeling is mutual. The more he gave last night, the brighter his Lasers shone. The connection Fiasco has with his…

Mickey Hart Band at Ogden Theatre, 5/17/12

MICKEY HART BAND @ OGDEN THEATRE | 5.17.12 Maybe it was the energy in the room, this veneration coming off the crowd in adoring waves. Maybe it was the clapping, like an old-time spiritual keeping time with sacred rhythm. Whatever it was, the Ogden felt something like a church service…

Listen to Donna Summer’s “Denver Dream”

Here’s an interesting tidbit about Donna Summer, who passed away today at the age of 63, vaguely related to our fair city: Did you know that she once sang a song called “Denver Dream”? The storyline for the lesser know cut from 1974, written by British songwriter Pete Belotte, centers…

R.I.P. Donna Summer, 12/31/48 – 5/17/12

Donna Summer died this morning in Florida after succumbing to lung and breast cancer. Born on New Year’s Eve 1948, LaDonna Adrian Gaines was a trained traditional gospel singer who grew up in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston. As Donna Summer, she went on to change the landscape of dance…