This past year saw quite a few interesting things happen in the jam-band world, with some bands announcing hiatuses while others had their songs sung at NFL games. While people enjoy heckling jam-band fans, there is no doubt that they are great at making things happen and making people laugh…
Jello Biafra has made an unmistakable and enduring impact both punk and counterculture internationally. The iconoclast grew up in Boulder and moved to San Francisco in the late ’70s, where he formed the Dead Kennedys and established the Alternative Tentacles imprint. As an outspoken critic of the more unsavory aspects…
So much metal. So little time. Three decades into extreme metal’s history, bands are still finding ways to squeeze something fresh out of its carcass. Unfortunately, most people, even metal fans, don’t have the bandwidth to accommodate it all and a few big albums can clog up the works pretty…
SPELLS (due this Friday, December 20, at 3 Kings Tavern) got together when Chuck Coffey and Rob Burleson, two longtime veterans of the scene, realized they shared a mutual love of East Bay pop-punk and San Diego noise rock. When the pair decided to form a band, they enlisted Ben…
Traditionally, lyrics have been the most important element of rap music, and while the most talented producers may not be as recognizable as the most famous rappers, they are becoming just as in-demand for their beats. In rap’s earliest days, the MC was secondary to the DJ. The increased focus…
Oh, what a year it’s been for rap. Kanye reached new levels of originality, and kinda went off the deep end at the same time, Kendrick put every other relevant rapper on call, and Eminem came storming back. Although this past year was one that focused, in general, on the…
Exhumed (due at Denver Black Sky this Saturday, December 14, at the Gothic Theatre) started in San Jose, California when Matt Harvey, the band’s sole original member, was just fifteen years old. Rather than following the trends of the genre at the time, Exhumed has remained faithful to the older…
The Head and the Heart (due tonight at the Ogden Theatre) came together when its members met while playing open-mic nights at a pub in the Old Ballard section of Seattle and decided to join forces. The band writes earnest, hushed, folk-inflected pop songs that recall Déjà Vu-period Crosby, Stills,…
With Porn and Chicken, DJs Dom Brown and Orville Kline have created the wildest and easily the most unique dance party in the country. Birthed in Chicago, a city that’s home to some of best house music going, Porn and Chicken has become a household name from the Windy City…
If you’re a metal fan, clear your calendar, because Denver Black Sky is a must-see. A brutal “boutique” metal fest at the Gothic Theatre this Saturday, December 14, it’s made up of killer death metal, thrash and grindcore bands, easily one of the best lineups in recent memory. Easy to…
Prime Element and Black Mask are two local hip-hop outfits making compelling music, and now members of the two acts are making music together. How Cliché, a new EP featuring A.V.I.U.S. from Prime Element and the multi-talented AG Flux from Black Mask, dropped today. In advance of the release party…
Nearly a decade into his career, Armenian-born Tigran Mkhitaryan, aka Mimosa, is settling into his own style, one that pulls elements from multiple genres, from grimy bass lines to smoothed-out hip-hop beats. With his latest album, Future Trill, Mimosa is building a brand that defies categorization. In advance of his…
When Phish reunited in 2009, the 3.0 era of the band was born. While classics like “Tweezer” and “Carini” still reap fantastic rewards, newer songs have been given a chance to shine and grow, be it through psychedelic looping or rapid-fire staccato rhythms. Despite what some may say, Phish still…
We’re back with another fresh batch of Colorado hip-hop, all with stimulating videos to bring the tracks to life. First, the often controversial Kevin Pistol returns with a track about his superior mike control, while Jahni Denver drops an inspiration track with help from Krizz Kaliko. Catch Lungs, meanwhile, attempts…
Formed in 2003 as a side project of the more ska-punk-oriented Disasterbators, the Dendrites became a primary concern when the band’s members became more interested in the roots of ska, particularly in artists from the late ’50s and the ’60s. The all-instrumental band soon made a name for itself with…
EOTO (due this Saturday, December 7, at Fillmore Auditorium) started as a String Cheese Incident side project between Michael Travis and Jason Hann, a studio musician who also played with Dr. Dre and was a member of Isaac Hayes’s band. Out of the practicality of the living situations of both…
moe. returns to Denver this weekend for a two-night run at the Ogden Theatre, fresh from recording a brand-new album. These jam-band veterans will be celebrating their 25th anniversary next year, but they’re still creating interesting new stuff while refreshing old classics. Bassist Rob Derhak spoke with us recently and…
For someone who’s been shooting concerts since the ’70s, you’d think Jay Blakesberg would be burned out on music. Not so much, it turns out. On the heels of releasing his latest book, JAM, Blakesberg is still striving to capture the feverish energy that explodes from the stages when the…
The progression of music will always be weighed down by periods of stagnation. Although new rap acts are presented into the mainstream every year, the actual newness of the music is generally overstated. The prime exception to this rule is the so-called “golden ages,” pockets of time where innovation is…
A few years ago, while she was touring, Megan Burtt came up with her ‘In Good Company’ concept. The idea was pretty straightforward: With so many songwriting friends in various places, Burtt decided she’d get together with each one, write a song in a day, learn one of their songs…
After reading a book about prostitutes in the Old West and how they basically ran things in places like Colorado, Johnette Napolitano (due at the Soiled Dove Underground this Wednesday, November 27) began working on a project a few years ago with a friend from England. That particular collaboration resulted…
Big Freedia (due this Saturday, November 23, at the Bluebird Theater) is the stage name of Freddie Ross, who began performing in his home town of New Orleans as a backup dancer and singer for Katey Red, a local drag queen who performed bounce music. Nicknamed “Freedia” by a friend,…
