Emerging from the no-wave scene in the New York underground in 1982, Swans became known for music that was forbidding, terrifyingly intense in its execution and lyrically uncompromising in its depiction of the darker side of human existence. Although an influence on industrial music and much of post-punk thereafter, Swans…
Yeah, the guys in Smith Westerns (due tonight at the Larimer Lounge) are young, and their attitude on stage and in interviews seems to be filled to the brim with youthful exuberance with a touch of bravado. But none of that would matter if this Chicago band didn’t write fundamentally…
Kevin Kain (aka Kevin Henderson) can typically be found posted up in the VIP area of the hottest clubs on any given weekend night, and occasionally a Thursday appearance at Club Vinyl’s Reggae on the Roof…
Denver has made quite the name for itself as one of the holy lands for American turntablism. After all, almost half of the national DMC competitors were from Colorado this year. While none of the locals placed in the competition this time around, scratch culture continues to thrive in the…
FOE, a staple in the hip-hop scene in Denver is working on a new campaign to not only extend his brand as FOE (which stands for “Father of Enemies,” BTW), the MC is out for unabashed truth. Always unafraid to say what’s on his mind, FOE says the “Fuck FOE”…
Marie Litton has always had such a lovely voice. It was a sad day for all of us when Ghost Buffalo broke up a few years ago. Inevitably, though, as is typical with these sorts of things, we ended up with two great bands as a result of the split:…
A year before Trombone Shorty (aka Troy Andrews) scored a number jazz album with his major label debut, he was already sparring with lions. Just check out the eight-minute YouTube clip of the young Shorty trading trumpet licks with Wynton Marsalis at the House of the Blues in New Orleans…
The most derided of the major award shows came and went last night in a flash of epileptic strobe lights, fake fire effects and surprise winners. We’re referring, of course, to The Black Keys’ win for Best Package. Oh, and some Canadian band on an indie label won Album of…
Churchill is releasing its debut full-length, Happy/Sad, tonight at the hi-dive. It’s been a long time coming — the band has been around for more than two years, and this album has been in the works for half that time. The album, partially funded by a successful Kickstarter campaign, is…
Lady Gaga’s back with “Born This Way,” which was officially released to much fanfare on her web site. It’s a ridiculous, home-run swing of a pop anthem, replete with about a thousand keyboard tracks and a full-choir chorus that gets an a capella breakdown the last time through. Gaga, somewhat…
On this eve of the release of Justin Bieber’s movie, Never Say Never, I felt it would be an appropriate time to discuss how I feel about him. Simply put, Justin Bieber makes me uncomfortable. This is not a dislike of him as a person or a hatefulness toward his…
With DeVotchka’s forthcoming album, 100 Lovers, the Denver quartet has released possibly it’s finest album to date. Frontman Nick Urata says they spent about a year making the album in Tuscon, and let the songs cook a bit longer and ferment than on previous efforts, which might explain why the…
Nyke Nitti (aka Nate Johnson and formerly known as Nyke Loc) is a veteran in the Denver hip-hop game. With over eight years of rap lore under his belt, he has watched the rise of some of the best who have helped shape the city’s scene. From Innerstate Ike, whom…
The 53rd ceremony to determine the absolute best music! It’s Grammy time, people, when we all leap off our couches to buy that Lady Gaga album from 2009 once we all realize it’s the best album of 2010. But seriously: the only people paying attention to who wins are people…
Snowy weather got you feeling glum? Yeah? We hear ya. Luckily, we’ve got just thing to turn that frown upside down. Meet Total Ghost. We don’t know where in the hell these dudes Chön and Biktor came from — they claim to be from Germany, but we suspect they’re about…
There will never be more people watching a musical performance at one time than during the Super Bowl, so it’s a good thing they always pick legends. In order, starting the year after Nipplegate: Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Prince, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, the Who and the Black Eyed…
800 the Jewell (aka Phillip Embry) is a man of many words and even more substance. In addition to his work as a producer, musician and rapper, he is the founder of Jewell Tyme Music, the label that houses such artists as Haven the Great, King FOE, Karma, and others…
Oh, these critical days of hip-hop. In the era of YouTube fame and other forms of rap exploitation, there are always the folks who stand up for the truth of the evolution in society. Things have changed, and every now and then, an artist puts their account of life’s changes…
Patrick Stump’s long-delayed solo debut, Soul Punk, will allegedly, finally be out sometime in February. Up front: We think it’s going to be incredible. Stump has taken an unconventional tack in promoting his solo career, best exemplified by last week’s elaborate a cappella medley of all the songs nominated for…
Dominic Lalli and Jeremy Salken are Big Gigantic, the sweeping Boulder-based duo taking over festivals. Born from Lalli’s own creative and abstract mind, the act came about after years of formal music training in New York, playing with the Motet and utilizing MySpace to spread their beats far and wide…
Fort Collins’ Sour Boy, Bitter Girl started 2011 with a weeklong tour of our neighboring states, playing shows in Kansas, Missouri, Texas and New Mexico. They released a record last year, but this was mostly a “because we can” situation. These sorts of tours, however brief, can be pivotal moments…
It’s been close to two decades since Rhett Miller and company fired up the Old 97’s in Dallas and helped pioneer the alt-country movement alongside Wilco and the Jayhawks. Since then, the quartet, which is known for its vigorous live sets, has gone on to release a string of solid…
