Even though metal has smoked and drank its entire life, it will never die. This year, metal embarks on another era opening up the swinging saloon doors for new inebriated metal degenerates to steal the show. Below the radar, most of these metal bands have what it takes to break…
Sure, romantic gestures are always a nice way to observe Valentine’s Day, but so is going to a good concert or dancing the night away with your significant other. Looking for something to do tomorrow night? You’ve come to the right place. We’ve put together a comprehensive rundown of ways…
STEPHEN MALKMUS & THE JICKS at GOTHIC THEATRE | 2/12/14 During their time in Denver, Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks were apparently staying in a hotel in Cherry Creek. We know this because Malkmus asked if anyone hung out there or skateboarded in Cherry Creek or went rafting in it…
Deafheaven (due this Sunday, February 16, at the Marquis Theater) formed in San Francisco in 2010. Starting modestly, writing its earliest demos on acoustic guitar, the outfit has since made its mark with a unique sounding hybrid blend of black metal, shoegaze and post-rock. The band’s expansive songs deal unflinchingly…
When metal outsiders think of the massively influential Swedish death metal scene, Dark Tranquillity co-founder and vocalist Mikael Stanne is probably not be the type of person they’d expect. Stanne is not intimidating,abrasive or angry. Instead, he has a very positive attitude, which is difficult to reconcile with the stereotype…
Artist Drowning doesn’t stick to one kind of sound or formula on Driving Home In Reverse, the debut studio album from the Boulder-based indie-rock outfit. That diversity is for the best, considering that the record weighs in at an ambitious nineteen tracks, which include understated instrumentals like “Darkness Coming” as…
While the Hayward Strangers have a few high-octane foot-stomping bluegrass cuts, like “Drinkin’ Ain’t Hard to Do” and “Standing in the Kitchen,” on their fifteen-song debut, Making Ground, it’s fairly clear elsewhere on the disc that the six-piece isn’t solely a bluegrass act. Sure, these folks have an affinity for…
On Hyperspace, Jay Jaramillo’s fourth 1320 release as Project Aspect, he keeps things pretty status quo. On “The Beat Drops,” which features fellow Mile High Sound Movement member Kruza Kid and Boss Miller, the vocals are chopped and repeated until, well, the drop. Some of the tracks seem a little…
“Fox,” the opening track on Paw Paw’s new three-song EP, 3 Eye, immediately separates this release from the band’s 2012 album, Lay Down In the Flower Bed. Whereas that effort was bright and glistening with luminous, uplifting tones, these songs are darker and more organic. They’re the next step in…
On every album that drummer Brian Blade has made with his group the Fellowship Band, from the act’s 1998 self-titled debut to its forthcoming release Landmarks, there’s a cohesive group sound that’s immediately recognizable. “I have to attribute that evolving oneness to everyone in the band,” Blade says. “I’m thankful…
On Wednesday, June 11, Lionel Richie is making his way back to the Mile High City for a date at Red Rocks with CeeLo Green. Tickets for the All the Hits All Night Long Denver tour stop range from $49.50 to $125 and go on sale next Friday, February 21,…
When Richard Reinhardt auditioned to become a member of the Ramones in 1983, few knew what an asset he would be to the legendary punk outfit. Not only could Richie Ramone play the hell out of the drums, he could also sing and write songs. With Richie aboard, The Ramones…
PAUL SIMON & STING at PEPSI CENTER | 2/11/14 When Paul Simon and Sting took the stage together, they were each accompanied by their full bands, which often appeared on the stage with them at the same time throughout the set, working together to create an even more lush and…
Music is life — or at least it is for us. When we’re not writing about it, we’re thinking about it, talking about it or listening to it. These are the things that were in heavy rotation for us this week. What are you listening to? What should we be…
Over the years, Christian metal bands have played in a variety of styles, from death metal to metalcore to ’80s metal. Some artists in this realm often wish that critics and fans would focus less on the religious aspect — claiming it detracts from the music — while others embrace…
This past weekend, the Solution crew kicked off #TheSolution7 at the Meadowlark, commemorating the seventh year of the long-running, award-winning hip-hop night. The celebration continues this Friday, February 14, with a special Valentine’s Day edition at the Meadowlark with a playlist of slow jams at the end of the evening,…
The Pixies (due this Thursday, February 13, at the Fillmore Auditorium) formed in 1986, and by the time the landmark album Surfer Rosa was released, in 1988, they had become one of the most important and influential bands of the alt-rock era. Though credit for the loud-quiet-loud dynamic the foursome…
Mastodon is at the Ogden Theatre on Monday, May 5, with Gojira and Kvelertak, Tickets are $25, and go on sale this Friday, February 14, at 10 a.m. Phantogram is also set to be at the Ogden on Tuesday, April 15. Tickets are $23.75 and go on sale Saturday, February…
Westword will keep it all in the family early next month when Kiernan Maletsky, who got his start here three years ago as a freelancer music writer and intern, takes over as our new music editor. He replaces Dave Herrera, who announced in late January that he is leaving after…
Taking jazzy grooves and elevating them to frenzied funk levels through samples, synths and heavily textured percussion, Lotus played two sets of high energy dance to the younger skewed crowd Saturday night. Though no surprise MCs showed up to perform any songs off the act’s latest hip hop release, Monks,…
In an interview with Australia’s Speaker TV show, Big Gigantic’s Dominic Lalli shared some details regarding the 2014 edition of Rowdytown: The Boulder-based duo will expand the show to two nights. Previous editions of Rowdytown have featured artists like Dillon Francis, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, Adventure Club and GRiZ, so…
Chad Aman, like many musicians in Denver, has been playing at El Chapultepec for years. Celebrating its eightieth birthday last August was no small feat for the jazz club that has survived the changing face of its Lower Downtown neighborhood, and now Aman is spearheading an effort to bring the…
