Concerts

On its debut album, Carbon Choir shows off an undeniable mastery of the piano-and-falsetto, sensitive-guy rock form. The playing is skilled and the songwriting solid, even nuanced. Singer Joel Van Horne has a strong voice that falls somewhere between Thom Yorke and Chris Martin, with a touch of David Gray…

This debut from Crawl, which includes former members of Dethbox, is one track after another of hyper-aggressive punk that sounds like it was recorded in an indoor skate park. Just the same, the songs aren’t a full-on speed-driven assault. Whereas a hardcore band might pummel you until the end, Crawl…

You can almost see the four members of Makeout Point nodding at the beginning of “Breaking Point,” when the guitar rises from the white noise and the drums come tripping in. It’s the band’s moment of arrival, the fifteen seconds when it is clearest that they have something here worth…

After solidifying its lineup in May 2008, the Don’ts and Be Carefuls started playing a string of shows along the Front Range, including a high-profile opening slot with HEALTH at Rhinoceropolis that summer. Capitalizing on the enthusiasm that guitarist and singer Casey Banker and drummer Luke Hunter James-Erickson shared for…

In the world of hip-hop, mixtapes are the currency of the street, the vehicles that many underground artists use to create exposure and build their names outside the confines of major-label marketing campaigns. By creating a street-level buzz, such artists as 50 Cent have forced mainstream tastemakers to take notice…

David Guetta (playing Thursday, December 3, at Beta) may be one of the most in-demand stars of dance music, and it’s all but impossible to understand why that is. There’s no disputing his popularity — he’s recently been voted DJ magazine’s No. 3-ranked DJ in the world, he sells plenty…

Oh happy day! The bitter December chill that has frosted us to our very core this afternoon has been warmed by word that Nathaniel Rateliff & the Wheel’s Daytrotter session, which was recorded during a trip the band took back east this past fall for CMJ, has finally seen the…

Prince of tides: Looks like the Band Formerly Known As Prince is now merely the band fomerly known. Evidently, the uni-monikered members of the curiously named, dancetastic, barely-ready-for-primetime unit have opted to part ways. Aaron the frontman broke the news to fans this past Friday and said for his part,…

The Colorado Music Association has evidently come out of its COMA — uh, literally and figuratively. From hosting round-tables to providing artists one free barcode a year enabling them to sell their merchandise, the volunteer-driven non-profit has been an invaluable resource for some musicians. We’ve heard others, meanwhile, grumble that…

For more than a year, the Swayback have shuttled back and forth to Los Angeles to work with revered knob turner Andy Johns. While this news is not exactly new to us, it has managed to garner the notice of Music Connection Magazine, who included a photo of the outfit…

Sixteen Candles: Are you about to turn sixteen, or do you know somebody who is? Then pay close attention to this next item: Evidently, the one and only KS-107.5 drive time mixmaster extraordinaire DJ Chonz is willing to get behind the decks for you or your loved one’s sweet 16…

Global Dance Festival 2009 (Official Video)Monolith may get more press, but of the summer’s Red Rocks festivals, Global Dance Festival is not only bigger and more well-established, it’s also a better place to see lots of gorgeous, half-naked women (see the video embedded above, which may be NSFW depending on…

Syndrome of a Down, Dugout Canoe, Talk Normal and Zombie Bite Saturday, November 28, 2009 Rhinoceropolis Better Than: A show where the experimental bands are experimental in the same way. Playing it’s second show, Syndrome of a Down was a duo comprised of two guys using the pseudonyms “Reeves Impediment”…

Pacific Pride, Weed Diamond, Green Typewriters November 27 hi-dive What it was like: Making the most of a menu of three or four chords. The stark sounds of Pacific Pride’s CD release show at the hi-dive on Friday seemed especially fitting this weekend. Following the sumptuousness and excess of the…

Ah, man, it’s that time of year already? Time to start hearing all about how everybody’s preparing their livers for South By Southwest, yada, yada, yada? Yep. Appears so. Even though it’s still more than three months away, the shadow of Austin’s annual booze and schmooze fest looms large. And…

We would hate for you to miss out on all the awesome that happens every weekend in our fair city, so we’ve decided to run down three of the best shows in one easy-to-swallow post, with video and audio. Tell us — and the rest of the world — what…

Singing a cappella is an art — and artform that most of us would be better off not practicing at all. Ever. For any reason. (We’re not being mean here: We’ve heard you singing in the car. Really. Yikes!) Take it from us: It’s best to leave the art to…

We’re all about local. It’s what we do. It’s who we are. And so we’re all about buying local (well, aside from the American Spirit cigarettes we smoke, the Circle K coffee we drink and the Hondas we drive). So naturally, we totally appreciate and co-sign the sentiments behind the…

Determination and rock and roll run in the Avina blood. Maybe it’s a consequence of tight times and hard luck, the way families in poverty leaning on each other just to survive brings them a little closer together. Maybe it’s that relentless optimism of chasing the American dream that immigrants…

Two years ago, I made my first visit to Northfield Shops at Stapleton for the grand opening of the Denver Improv (8246 East 49th Avenue). Although Northfield can be seen from I-70 and is just a ten- or fifteen-minute drive from downtown, it still felt like it was in the…