Win tickets to see Mazzy Star at the Ogden

Update, 11/8/13: Congrats @kmartinico. You and a guest will be our guest at the show this Sunday. Check your email for details on how to claim your tickets. Thanks to everybody else for the entries — and for reading Backbeat! After nearly two decades, Mazzy Star is back with a…

The best rap shows in Denver in November

FRI | DELTRON 3030 at 1STBANK CENTER | 11/15/13 Deltron 3030 isn’t so much a group or an album as it is a mode of thought, and there are few hip-hop albums (or albums of any genre, for that matter) with the cinematic quality of this group’s self-titled debut. Dan the…

The best concerts to see in Denver this week

WEDS | TORO Y MOI at OGDEN THEATRE | 11/6/13 With the recent release of the latest Toro Y Moi album, Anything in Return, Chaz Bundick should be able to transcend the chillwave label that’s been assigned to him by countless critics. Like his friend and mutual mentor Ernest Greene…

Eminem zings the Denver Broncos on MMLP2

Eminem’s new album, MMLP2, comes out next week. It’s fire, from what we’ve heard so far. Anyhow, you’ll be especially interested in the opening track, “Bad Guy,” in which an associate of an old friend, a fella you might remember by the name of Stan, makes an appearance, and towards…

The best EDM shows in Denver in November

SAT | MICHAL MENERT at FILLMORE AUDITORIUM | 11/16/13 Since his debut solo album Dreaming of Something Bigger, Michal Menert has been steadily touring the country building a grassroots following in the same way Derek Vincent Smith of Pretty Lights did when first hit the scene. Menert has one fans…

Review: DeVotchKa at Gothic Theatre, 10/31/13

DEVOTCHKA at GOTHIC THEATRE | 10/31/12 Nick Urata was quite engaging throughout last night’s show, but one of the most compelling moments came when he introduced a song as one written by one of the band’s heroes. The tune wasn’t immediately recognizable, as the band had expertly reworked the song…

The best concerts in Denver this weekend

SUN | OF MONTREAL at MARQUIS THEATER | 11/3/13 Among the most popular and successful of the bands associated with the Elephant 6 collective, Of Montreal started off as a sort of indie pop band with an experimental edge. The band evolved dramatically across several records, fearlessly exploring lyrical themes…

The best EDM in Denver this weekend

FRI | BONOBO at FILLMORE AUDITORIUM | 11/1/13 Simon Green’s Bonobo project has taken chilled-out downtempo on a meandering journey through complex syncopation, sweeping strings and heavy bass lines since 1999, when he released the single “Terrapin” on the Tru Thoughts label. Since then, Green has created four full-length albums…

Your Denver Halloween concert/party guide

Happy Halloween! What are you doing tonight? Have you decided where to strut your get up yet? If not, lucky you; we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of everything going down tonight and this weekend. Keep reading to see what’s good, and of course, feel free to let us know if…

The best punk shows in Denver in November

FRI | NEGATIVE APPROACH at MARQUIS THEATER | 11/23/13 In a just world, John Brannon would be as hallowed a punk icon as anyone out of early ’80s and D.C. Hardcore. As the frontman for the Detroit-based Negative Approach, Brannon was involved in making some of the most confrontational and…

The best DIY Shows in Denver in November

SAT | RETOX at 7TH CIRCLE MUSIC COLLECTIVE | 11/2/13 Retox’s Justin Pearson has been in a handful of the most respected punk and experimental bands for more than twenty years. He helped found hardcore band Struggle when he was fifteen. By 1994, that project was through, and Pearson was…

The West Coast was wild, but H*Wood sees his future in Colorado

No matter what you do in life,” declares Brandon Bordeaux, better known musically as H*Wood, “you’re going to trip, you’re going to fall, you’re going to make errors. But in the grand scheme of things, the grand scheme of the goals, the errors are the lessons.” Bordeaux speaks from experience…

Time makes memories with Newstalgia

Chris Steele got the nickname “Time” while playing basketball in elementary school. Like time itself, evidently, he fancied himself unstoppable. Steele still plays basketball regularly, but since his school days, he’s also become one of the most eloquent and literate rappers out there. He grew up in northwest Denver and…

Distant Correspondent

A richly melodic yet hushed set of songs, this self-titled debut by Distant Correspondent is reminiscent of Sarah Records bands like the Field Mice, but with less jangle and darker dream-pop sensibilities. The album also makes some daring sonic choices — more like what you’d expect from an experimental post-punk…