Mazzy Star at Ogden Theater, 11/10/13

MAZZY STAR at OGDEN THEATRE | 11/10/13 At about the halfway through Mazzy Star’s show last night at the Ogden Theatre, the stage went dark, and most of the band had left the stage. When the low lights came back on, they illuminated the forms of Hope Sandoval and David…

Kreator at Gothic Theatre, 11/08/13

KREATOR at GOTHIC THEATRE | 11/8/12 One of the most arresting moments of Kreator’s show at the Gothic Theatre came when the band performed “Phobia.” The way the melody seemed to swim inside the aggressive main riff gave the song a layer of atmosphere without compromising how hard the song…

The best concerts to see in Denver this week

WEDS | NINE INCH NAILS at 1STBANK CENTER | 11/13/13 After what had originally been billed as the band’s retirement in 2009, Nine Inch Nails returned from the dead this year to release a new album, Hesitation Marks. The project received a mixed response from fans and critics: Some bemoaned…

The best concerts in Denver this weekend

SUN | MAZZY STAR at OGDEN THEATRE | 11/10/13 David Roback was a leading light in the Paisley Underground movement with his band Rain Parade. When that group split up in 1986, Roback formed another outfit, called Opal, with former Dream Syndicate bassist Kendra Smith. Opal released Happy Nightmare Baby…

The best EDM in Denver this weekend

CLAUDE VONSTROKE @ CITY HALL | SAT, 11/9/13 Claude VonStroke, founder of the illustrious Dirtybird record label, flirts with genres from all over the spectrum, nodding to hip-hop, garage and soul while infecting the dance floor with his playful, upbeat take on house. Although he’s long been a presence on…

Ten acts that could almost pass as jam bands

There are countless bands that stray from the traditional song formula and jam the hell out live. Many of these acts fall under the amorphous indie tag, but there are a few that have notable prog- and psychedelic rock undercurrents flowing through their music, which is naturally conducive to improvisation…

Review: Toro Y Moi at Ogden Theatre, 11/6/13

TORO Y MOI at OGDEN THEATRE | 11/6/13 Toro Y Moi’s earliest shows were sometimes poorly received because they weren’t what people were expecting. It’s safe to say that Chaz Bundick has stepped it up considerably since then, and not just as a songwriter, but as a performer whose former…

Turner Jackson is back in the D.O.P.E. Game

This is a new day for Turner Jackson. He’s completely reshaped, reinvigorated and ready to take on everything that’s in store for him. He has a whole new perspective these days, but it came at the immeasurably high price of losing friend and mentor Marcus “Arrilius” Hayes. Before his untimely…

GRiZ

Songs like “Getting Live” — which opens this album and drips with funky guitars and gritty bass lines before reaching a crescendo of futuristic sounds and robust beats — notwithstanding, it’s clear that GRiZ (aka Grant Kwiecinski) is much more interested in letting Rebel Era tell a story with emotion…

The Blue Rider

The Blue Rider’s self-titled release has a number of touchstones, among them Nuggets-era garage rock, the Stooges and the Cramps, and the resulting music sounds like something out of an early-’60s Louisiana juke joint, especially songs like the ultra-short “Innertube.” The record encompasses a variety of sounds — from psychedelic…