Gazebos Carry on Seattle Music Culture

Gazebos got off the ground in 2014 but its members have been around the Seattle scene for nearly two decades. As in any big city with an active music scene, people come together organically from going to shows and working at similar jobs. The members of Gazebos found in each…

The Seven Best Music Podcasts in Denver — 2016 Edition

Now well into 2016, we’ve reached a time where anyone with a microphone can host their own podcast. Denver has become a hub for podcasts, with subjects ranging from poop to beer and everything in between. Last month we introduced you to the Ten Essential Denver Podcasts of 2016, and…

It’s Arena-Rock Week in Denver

It’s a big week for arena shows, including the Who at the Pepsi Center on Tuesday, Carrie Underwood is at the venue on Wednesday and Bruce Springsteen is there on Thursday.  The Smashing Pumpkins, Chairlift and Murder By Death are also in the area this week. See the full list of our…

Santigold Waged War on Post-iTunes Consumer Culture at the Ogden

Last night, as the lights dimmed, two back-up dancers took to the stage at the Ogden. Wearing oversized T-shirts and sporting some serious “What’s good?” stares, they took seats on giant bean bags. One had a bag of Cheetos, the other had Gatorade. Then Santi White aka Santigold appeared and launched…

La Baby Smiley: A Case Gone Cold a Year After Her Murder

March 24 marks one year since Colorado rapper Rachel Aboytes was killed in a drive-by shooting in East Denver. In November 2015, Westword ran “Rhymes to Die For,” our cover story about Rachel’s life and music – and questions that have risen around her posthumous fame. Since the article ran, the family…

Hieroglyphics Performs With Full Lineup, Pays Respects to Phife Dawg

Oakland-based hip-hop legends Hieroglyphics, will be performing as a complete group this Saturday, March 26. All eight members (including those of auxiliary group, Souls of Mischief) began a short Colorado run this week. Husband-and-wife duo the ReMINDers will also perform, promising an energetic evening for Denver hip-hop fans. Hieroglyphics is one of the longest-running hip-hop…

Rossonian’s Tiny Desk Contest Entry Almost Won

NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest just finished its second year, and once again a Colorado band did not win. However, there were over a hundred entries from our talented state, and out of those, a single video caught the attention of Bob Boilen and compay: Rossonian’s “Love In A Wasteland.”  “I…

Randy Brecker on Having One Foot in Jazz and the Other in Pop

Not long after trumpeter Randy Brecker joined Blood, Sweat & Tears in 1967 and played on the jazz-rock group’s debut, Child is the Father of the Man, he left to join renowned jazz pianist Horace Silver’s quartet. Brecker says it was a logical choice but he had no idea that…

Hinds Kicked Conscious Ass at Lost Lake Lounge

The thing with Madrid quartet Hinds is that they’ll lull you into a false sense of security again and again, especially if you’re not massively familiar with them going in. Like the Pixies (there are other reference points but Frank Black’s band works perfectly here), they’ll start a song with…

Taking Back Tuesday: Emo Revival Vs. Emo Nostalgia

It was Taking Back Tuesday, and I had nothing to wear. The Emo Night L.A. DJs brought another edition of their popular throwback party to the Marquis Theater last night, giving twenty- and thirty-somethings the chance to relive a very specific moment in recent music history — the third-wave emo-inflected…

Kevin Haskins of Bauhaus on Meeting David Bowie

Kevin Haskins was still his teens in 1978 when he became a founding member of post-punk band Bauhaus. Along with his brother and bassist David, guitarist Daniel Ash and singer Peter Murphy, Bauhaus brought together ideas from punk, glam rock and the avant-garde and created a brooding yet dynamic and…