Tommie Phillips Creates Album Art From the Heart for The Syn

Tommie Phillips has one foot in the past and the other securely in the future. Having lived through the psychedelic sounds of the ’60s, the progressive rock of the ’70s, the revival of both in the ’90s and the death of numerous music formats and their subsequent resurrections, he’s seen…

High Plains Underground: 21st Century Colorado Shoegaze and Dream Pop

One of the sounds that has long been part of the Colorado music scene is lush, atmospheric rock. Even though Colorado boasts more than 300 days of sunshine each year, many significant Colorado artists have an indisputable attraction to music that, if not exactly dark,  suggests an inward expansiveness and…

33 Great Album Covers From Denver in the ’90s

The ’90s in Denver, as in much of the rest of the world, was a time of great creativity in music — and if not for the lack of a spotlight directed at the Mile High City, some of the local talent probably would have enjoyed national as well as…

New Children’s Book Tackles the Question: What Is Punk?

My daughter, Sidney, is somewhat of a punk-rock connoisseur, at least for a Boulderite, and especially for a five-year-old. Sure, she’s obsessed with Cinderella (the princess, not the band) and digs Frozen, but “Rebel Girl” by Bikini Kill is near the top of Sidney’s favorite songs. Plus, when she heard…

The Wide-Ranging Power of Denver’s Lust-Cats of the Gutters

With the 7th edition of Titwrench in the rearview, now is a good time to consider the legacy of one of festival’s mainstays: Lust-Cats of the Gutters, which is no longer an active project. The duo featured former Westword contributor Robin Edwards on guitar and vocals and Alex Edgeworth on…

Hether Fortune of Wax Idols on Goth Fans and Justin Bieber

Wax Idols is making an appearance at Juice Church on Friday, October 23. The band has long been the outlet for songwriter and lead vocalist Hether Fortune, who started the band while she was living in the San Francisco area. Initially, the band was often described as garage rock, but…

R.I.P., Chris Forsythe: Much More Than a Sound Man

Chris “Sizzle” Forsythe passed away in the early hours of October 14, 2015. Not long before that, he’d been dropped off at his home after a night serving as sound engineer at the Black Sheep, the club in Colorado Springs where he’d been working for a decade. He was among…

Scenes From a Denver Punk Reunion at Mutiny Information Cafe

Saturday’s release party for Bob Rob Medina’s illustrated memoir chronicling the ’80s Denver punk scene packed Mutiny Information Cafe — and that was before most attendees found out The Frantix were going to play.  The Frantic, who played their last show in 1983, said they  got in a mere two…

The Twelve Most Essential Songs About Colorado: Part Two

Last time, we listened to half a dozen great, if sometimes strange, songs with Colorado connections. Our state seems particularly to inspire mishaps involving musicians – not to mention terrifying crimes such as the 2005 shooting of Marc Cohn during a carjacking attempt in Denver. It’s a long, long list,…

Colorado Record Store Named One of America’s 21 Best

If you’re still laboring under the misconception that digital is the future of music, open your eyes. Physical formats – cassettes and records especially – are everywhere, and record stores, once predicted to be the ill-fated Neanderthal of the music-buying world, are thriving and even spawning in some places. Hell,…

Vast Aire of Cannibal Ox on Art, Samurai and Classic Hip-Hop

A Ronin, which means wave man, is a samurai that has no master, either due to the fall of his master or through the act of privilege during the feudal period of Japan. For Vast Aire of Cannibal Ox, the Ronin represents the characteristics of him and his bandmate, Vordul…

Mister Freedom Is a Breath of Fresh Air for Colorado Hip-Hop

Despite being from Denver, producer and DJ Alex Warzel (who goes by Neon Brown and is now based in Oakland), says he never thought much of the city’s hip-hop scene. “I’ve never been into rappers from Denver at all,” he says. “I didn’t think hip-hop existed here.” But whenever he…

Titwrench 2015 Lineup: Look Back With Scenes From 2011 to 2013

The seventh edition of the Titwrench festival is happening this Saturday, October 3, at Dryer Plug Studios (3050 E. 43rd Ave.). Starting at 10:30 a.m. with Showga (music and yoga), conducted by the inimitable long-time host of Titwrench, Piper Rose. From noon to 2 p.m. there will be a clothing…