The ten metaliest metal bands

There is the best of this, the best of that, and then you have the metaliest metal bands forged by lyrical blacksmiths deep down in the mines of heavy metal. The metaliest, you know, metal. Not as in the genre-est of metal, but the bands that sing of metal the…

The Motet keeps the party going on its latest release

Dave Watts released the reins for the Motet’s latest album. According to the drummer and founder of the Boulder-based band, writing and recording tracks for the new record was much different from the creative process on past efforts. Whereas those featured a revolving cast of musicians led by a single,…

The Piedmont Brothers Band

There’s no denying the strong sense of musical history that propels much of Back to the Country. This ragtag ensemble has clearly done its homework when it comes to making American folk, country, blues and roots music, as evidenced by the stunning acoustic solos and heartfelt pedal-steel guitar that drive…

Catholic Girls

Catholic Girls features Cole Paulson of Perspective, Tim Espiritu of Cheyenne’s Reproacher, and Andy Robbins, drummer for the now-defunct local hardcore staple Bankrobber. Although the band’s brand of punk and grind-infused hardcore takes brief detours into doomy dirges — as in the intros for “Dead Fawn” and “1996” — the…

Ben Samples

Putting a modern twist on classic-rock jukebox favorites, Ben Samples displays a healthy application of glitch on Sex Drugs & Bass Vol. 2, offering everything a club’s sound system needs to get the party going, throwback style. Throwing up a middle finger to the bar crowd that begs DJs to…

Birthday Candles

There’s a bit of pop punk’s upbeat, defiant, hopeful energy coming off the songs on Letters From Home, the latest from Birthday Candles. But there’s also more sonic detail in the melodies than is often encountered in a lot of that music. “Otherside” and “Without a Trace” begin with a…

Should rap lyrics be used in criminal trials?

Legions of angry parents were already up in arms when gangster rap arrived on the scene. After the 1985 PMRC Senate hearings helped institute “Parental Advisory” stickers, albums by Ice-T and N.W.A. were among the first to be branded. Since then, rap as a musical form has continued to take…

Ten psych acts to watch in 2014

Good psych-based music has certainly never gone away. While it may not have necessarily been as prominent as other styles over the years, it has always existed in one form or another, particularly in the worlds of vinyl collectors and audiophiles. With the success of bands like Tame Impala and…

What we’re all listening to right now

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…