The Donkeys on DIY, its videos and Daytrotter

The Donkeys (due tonight at the Hi-Dive) from San Diego often get lumped in with anyone inspired by the country rock of the ’60s and ’70s. But even a casual listen to its latest release, Born With Stripes, reveals a band not beholden to a specific aesthetic of times past,…

Tonight: Lucinda Williams at the Boulder Theater

Grammy Award-winner and ultimate musical collaborator Lucinda Williams (playing tonight at the Boulder Theater with Lionel Young) shouldn’t need an introduction. The rough-voiced storyteller has been making records since 1979, intertwining blues and rock n’ roll with her own salty version of Americana country…

Denver’s ProJect Aspect wins Waka DJ Classic

ProJect Aspect and friends made the trek to Lincoln, Nebraska last night for the Waka DJ Classic. The difference between Aspect and everyone else who entered is that he left with two artists passes to Wakarusa — and the opportunity to play an hour-and-fifteen-minute set at the Wakarusa Music and…

Top ten “oldster” bands still putting out great records

At the risk of alienating and outraging vast swaths of music fans, there’s really no polite way to refer to bands with a career spanning fifteen years plus as a whole. So here are ten “oldster” bands — written by a self-proclaimed oldster — that kept making great records long…

Tonight: Joe Purdy at the Bluebird

To say that Joe Purdy (due this evening at the Bluebird Theater with The Milk Carton Kids) is prolific would be, well, exactly accurate — the singer-songwriter has released ten albums in ten years, all while touring. His workman like approach has paid off in the form of devoted fans,…

Goodbye Yerkish. Hello Lexigram!

So the band formerly known as Yerkish will heretofore be known as Lexigram. If you’re just joining us, last week, Sprint, the behemoth telecommunications titan, signed on to help Yerkish come up with a new name as part of the company’s All. Together. Now. campaign. More than 54,000 suggestions were…

Bad Weather California to join the Meat Puppets on summer tour

This morning, we shared the unfortunate news that Bad Weather California won’t be performing at this year’s Westword Music Showcase. While this is most certainly sad news for us, it’s great news for the band, who will instead be joining Meat Puppets for a string of West Coast tour dates…

Tonight: Dredg at the Marquis

There isn’t much of a way to approach Dredg (who play the Marquis Theater tonight with the Trophy Fire, Balance and Composure and the Dear Hunter) without talking about the band’s legacy. Retaining its original lineup since its 1993 formation, the California outfit has weathered stylistic storms with its own…

Carbon Choir drops a radio in a field

Generally speaking, we’re not fans of photos on fliers. Not because we hate reality or looking at things in the real world or anything, but fliers made from photographs nearly always look like crap, because nobody bothers to spend the money on a good print. Of course, we’re proven wrong…

2011 Westword Music Showcase Local Lineup

It’s like the universe knows, like it waits patiently for us to go to press and then drops the hammer. The ink is almost literally still drying on the local lineup for the 2011 Westword Music Showcase (see page 45 of this week’s issue), and already, it’s changed: Bad Weather…

There’s a new Elway in town, with a new release to match

Tim Browne always knew that being a talkative and outgoing drunk would eventually pay off. One night, the perfect mixture of cocktails and dreams led the Elway frontman to start up a conversation with Brendan Kelly of the Lawrence Arms, which eventually led to a recording contract. “I always like…

Prohibition should have a classic, neighborhood feel

The Roslyn Grill was always one of Denver’s more colorful dives, both in its original home on 14th Street and the spot at 504 East Colfax Avenue where it moved two decades ago, when the Colorado Convention Center took its place downtown. When Prohibition opens in the space on Colfax…

Gritt Hitter, May 13 at the Gothic Theatre

Two years ago, Gritt Hitter (due at the Gothic Theatre this Friday, May 13) was a promising three-piece metal act that was clearly inspired by the new wave of British heavy metal, with a thrash undercurrent. Even though some of its sound was familiar, the band seemed caught up in…