Nick RalloOh nothing, just a guy in a wolf mask playing “Happy Birthday” on the violinIf you’re familiar with chaos theory, which in its basic form is the attempt to find patterns in the random acts of shit on Earth, then you may understand the difficulty that comes with describing…
Mark Farina is back for another soul-filled evening that’s bound to pack the dance floors at Bar Standard; Detroit’s Mike Huckaby will also be in town tonight, which might make things difficult for lovers of electronic music in this city. And that’s far from the only such conundrum on this…
With pretty much the entire music world holed up in Austin this weekend for this year’s edition of SXSW, it’s amazing that there’s any musical options to choose from this weekend at all, much less decent ones. Alas, though, there are still plenty of compelling reasons to leave the house…
If you’re in Austin right now at SXSW, we envy you (if only for the music you’re getting to see right now; weather wise, we’re stuck in the majestic Mile High City where it’s, oh, a brilliant 64 degrees right now). As grizzled SX vets, we also trust that you’re…
Nick RalloSharon Van Etten, at the NPR showcase, was a stunner. Plus, there was a box accordionIf you’re familiar with chaos theory, which in its basic form is the attempt to find patterns in the random acts of shit on Earth, then you may understand the difficulty that comes with…
The Joy Formidable (due this Saturday, March 17, at the Bluebird Theater with A Place to Bury Strangers) is one of the most aptly named bands of the last several years. Its dream pop atmospheres and sheer exuberance as a live band have wowed audiences wherever the band plays. Part…
Unknown Mortal Orchestra (due Friday, March 16 at the Gothic Theatre) is based on Portland, Oregon. The band’s frontman, Ruban Nielson, however, spent nearly a decade in punk band the Mint Chicks while based out of Auckland, New Zealand. After a few records on the legendary Flying Nun label, Nielson…
Update 3/14/12: The polls are officially open. Please feel free to make your way to the 2012 Westword Music Showcase ballot and register your vote! The 2012 Westword Music Showcase ballot is here — no more waiting. Well, that’s not entirely true: You will have to wait another day or…
RADIOHEAD @ 1STBANK CENTER | 3.13.12 Thom Yorke apparently has no idea where he is right now. “Wassup,” he intones after a lively rendition of “Morning Mr Magpie,” a decidedly jittery track from King of Limbs. “Where are we? Where the fuck are we? We’re on the ground somewhere, near…
Update 3/14/12: Radiohead at 1STBANK Center review posted with photos and setlist. Looking for a date to Radiohead tonight at the 1STBANK Center? Why, you’re in luck. We found a lovely lass willing to accompany you, as long as you’re willing to give up one of your tickets. Other pleas…
Update 3/14/12: Radiohead and Other Lives at 1STBANK Center review posted with photos and setlist. Other Lives (due at 1STBANK Center tonight with Radiohead) started in Stillwater, Oklahoma, in 2004 under the name Kunek, but when one of the founding members of the band left, the remaining members switched to…
Several prominent artists and musicians are Denver natives — Philip Bailey from Earth Wind and Fire went to East. Isaac Slade and Joe King of the Fray were schoolmates at Faith Christian Academy. Denver’s First Lady Mary Louise Lee is aiming to continue Denver’s notable legacy with “Bringing Back the…
We’re BigWheel Electrosoul,” DJ Check One announces after the band’s first song before adding, “and we’re here every Tuesday at Appaloosa.” Before the percussionist can take his next breath, a highly inebriated gentleman begins to chant with slurred thunder, “One more song! One more song!” which inspires sardonic shrugs and…
To a lot of people with mostly mainstream sensibilities and cultural affiliations, grindcore, crust and death metal will always just sound like a bunch of noise with terrible vocals. But a band like Dripfed — and most of the acts that probably inspired it — found that a splintery guitar…
Christopher Owens and Chet White formed Girls in 2007, when the two met in the Bay Area. Owens, who was brought up in the Children of God cult, had effectively been cut off from the kinds of cultural knowledge most kids experience before the age of sixteen. Once he had…
One of Detroit’s most knowledgeable and respected producers and DJs, Mike Huckaby has been an integral part of that city’s underground dance-music scene for nearly thirty years. Despite being a huge gearhead — his recording studio boasts a mind-boggling array of top-flight digital and analog equipment — Huckaby offers up…
Ritzy Bryan and Rhydian Dafydd grew up together in North Wales and formed their first band, Tricky Nixon, while living in Manchester. When that outfit split up, in 2006, the two wasted little time in putting together what would become the Joy Formidable when they moved back to Wales. Over…
Like David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust, Edward Sharpe is the mythical creation of singer Alex Ebert (also of Ima Robot). Originally taken from an unfinished novel written by Ebert, Sharpe is a messianic character whose mission to save mankind is constantly interrupted by his falling for cute girls. Ebert teamed up…
Since even before Boyz II Men implored us to not wait until the water runs dry — which, obviously, would have been the biggest mistake of our lives — no genre of music has done earnestness with even close to as much sincerity as R&B (I’m looking at you, emo)…
Erstwhile Tulip Wars members Dan Barnett and Sean Geisthardt discovered that their catalogue of shared influences (including Radiohead and Battles) translated easily into sounds for their new project, Goer. The pair’s second EP in as many months finds them continuing to develop a cerebral blend of electronica and indie rock…
Super Dope is not so much a compilation album as it is a collaborative effort by the members of the Super Dope crew, combining Boy Davey’s beats, A. Fox’s mellow flow and Bigg Jeff’s determined gruffness. Jeff’s rhymes stand out and complement Fox’s singing and the melodic tone of his…
At the outset, the cutting build of “Extractor” lets you know that maybe these guys listened to a bit of Shellac. Bryon Parker’s impassioned vocals wouldn’t be out of place on one of those classic records out of Louisville from the early ’90s, owing to their ability to be melodic…
