Eminem’s “The Monster,” featuring Rihanna: Why This Song Sucks

In his new column, award-winning goofball Shea Serrano, whose recent exploits include Bun B’s Rapper Coloring and Activity Book, writes about his life and times. Song: Eminem’s “The Monster,” featuring Rihanna History: Eminem did a freestyle battle. He went up against Papa Doc and choked. It was pretty sad. Then…

A. Tom Collins joins Atomic Music Group roster

A. Tom Collins recently submitted its music to be considered for a support slot for Reverend Horton Heat’s show at the Black Sheep in Colorado Springs on Saturday, December 28. Not only did the act land the gig, but it ended up getting picked up by the Atomic Music Group,…

The twenty best jams of Phish 3.0

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…

The Grammy hip-hop nods are a joke

That time again. The Grammy Awards have revealed this year’s nominees. The picks couldn’t be any less interesting, particularly the hip-hop nods. It’s as if the committee picked artists that, together, would satisfy the broadest audience — take the commercial hit of the year, the critical hit of the year,…

Review: moe. at Ogden Theatre, 12/7/13

MOE. at OGDEN THEATRE | 12/7/13 moe. opened its tour in Denver this weekend, and the time the guys spent in the studio really had them ready. Vocal harmonies were on point all night and the outfit played seamless transitions all night, along with offering a few moments of psychedelic…

Review: EOTO at Fillmore Auditorium, 12/7/13

EOTO at FILLMORE AUDITORIUM | 12/7/13 When Jason Hann sang the opening line of “In The Air Tonight” by Phil Collins towards the end of EOTO’s set, it seemed more appropriate than cheesy. Also a singing drummer, Hann offered a heavier dub take of the song, rather than the pounding…

The best concerts to see in Denver this week

ZZ WARD, ALICE IN WINTERLAND at SUMMIT MUSIC HALL | 12/12/13 Zsuzsanna Ward got her start singing classic blues and R&B in her father’s band at age twelve. The experience instilled in her a keen sense of melody and vocal expressiveness that served her well when she moved to Los…

Nelson Mandela inspired a rich musical legacy

Nelson Mandela was a pivotal agent for change who inspired a rich musical legacy of resistance. Biographer Richard Stengel describes Mandela, who passed away yesterday at the age of 95, as “the last pure hero.” And while he was all that and more, the music the iconic historical figure inspired…

Watch: The Fray’s video for “Love Don’t Die”

The Fray’s new video for “Love Don’t Die,” the first single from the band’s forthcoming fourth album, Helios (due out on February 25), just dropped. It’s mildly entertaining as far as videos go, which is to say it has something of a narrative, which a great many these days don’t…

The best concerts to see in Denver this weekend

FRI & SAT | MOE. at OGDEN THEATRE | 12/6-12/7 The latest studio album from moe., 2012’s What Happened to the LA LA’s, features the kind of lengthy improvisations and folk-rock structures that made the Buffalo natives such hits in the jam-band scene starting in 1989. The group’s live shows…

The best EDM in Denver this weekend

EOTO 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 musicians, EOTO began as more of an electronic…