Tiffiny Kallina

Tinhorn Prayer has finished work on its brand-new album, Grapple the Rails. We've got a sneak peek of the cover art, designed by Ryan Besch, best known for his merch design work for acts like the Black Keys, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Flatfoot 56, as well as a look at a track from the forthcoming album. Slated for release this fall on Paper + Plastik Records, the imprint founded by Less Than Jake drummer and Fueled by Ramen co-founder, Vinnie Fiorello, Grapple the Rails follows a split seven-inch on P+P with Rob Huddleston, and a pair of releases by fellow locals the Gamits and Jon Snodgrass. Page down to get a gander at the cover and give a listen to "Call a Priest."

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See Also: The Foodchain pushes its live energy into the studio

Hot on the heels of its latest release, Brunch, the Foodchain is back with a whole bunch of new music. The crew will be releasing one song a week for the rest of the summer as a part of its summer series, which kicked off last week with "Gone." We've got that track below, along with this week's cut, "Young Amsterdam," an ode to the high-flying lifestyle of the Mile High City. This new smoker's anthem, produced by Mass Prod, finds the cats musing about Mary Jane over a laid back beat. Page down to get your Friday Freeloader on, and then turn this one up, roll your windows down and get high.

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Dirty Laboratory

Among a handful of the local music-scene tributes to recently deceased Beastie Boy Adam Yauch, Time offered his respects for the fallen MC and activist on a new tune, "Too Sweet to Be Sour," a cross-Atlantic collaboration with British MC Akira the Don. The track opens with a crisp horn line looping over a pounding '80s analog kit reminiscent of Rick Rubin's License to Ill-era productions. The sampled chorus, Yauch's line "Too sweet to be sour/To nice to be mean," introduces each MC, whose verses mingle memories and some clever Beastie references.

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Update 4/27/12: Contest is over. Congrats to our winners, Jese Kitty, Laura Dev, Ben Kurish and Corinne Wiehe, and thanks to everyone else for all the other entries!

Overhead view of Sonic Bloom Music Festival from 2011 at Shadow's Ranch in Georgetown, Colorado

See Also:
• Q&A with Scott Morrill and Jamie Janover
• (Review) Sonic Bloom Pre-Party at Cervantes, 4/29/11
• (Review) Sonic Bloom Day One, 6/24/11
• (Review) Sonic Bloom Day Two, 6/25/11

Sonic Bloom 2012 is coming up quick. Have you seen the lineup for the fest? It's pretty stacked. PANTyRAiD, Bonobo, Emancipator, VibeSquad -- those are just a few of the acts slated to perform at the Unified Field at Shadow's Ranch on Thursday, June 21 through Sunday, June 24. We've got two pairs of three-day passes up for grabs. Would you and a guest like to be our guest? Page down to find out how you can win.

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PhotoRoadies

Wheelchair Sports Camp performing on the way to this year's SXSW festival.

See Also: A comprehensive guide to Record Store Day 2012 activities
See Also: Wax Trax celebrating 33 1/3 birthday in April
See Also: In honor of Record Store Day this Saturday: Ten records we treasure. What's your favorite vinyl?

Wheelchair Sports Camp is back from this year's SXSW and survived their travels with very few cops and more than enough motivation. The band is set to release its new EP, Where We All Live, digitally on May 1, with limited copies available at Independent Records Store on Saturday, April 21, in honor of record store day. (The physical version features art by Frank Kwiatkowski with a poster and wheat paste recipe). The new joint boasts fresh production and newer than new rhymes from MC Kalyn Heffernan. The group has blessed us with a dope track from the record, "Are You Hung Up," to share with you. Be sure to check for saxophonist Abi McGaha Miller's sexy solo on this track. Page down to download the cut for free. We love it, and you're welcome.

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Catch Ian Cooke this Saturday night at the L2 Arts and Culture Center with Shenandoah Davis and the Centennial.

Ian Cooke is one busy boy. Since dropping Fortitude, his second album, this past November, the despondent dreamboat has been busily weaving himself in and out of video projects, mini-tours and a gig recording songs for a local play about online dating -- all while keeping his fashionable feet on the ground with his job at the Esquire Theater.

This Saturday, March 31, Cooke will join Shenandoah Davis and the Cenntennial at the L2 Arts and Culture Center for an intimate, no-distractions evening of finely cultivated music -- a vibe Cooke is looking to focus on more in the future.

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Dyalekt's Death By Ego drops today.

Dyalekt's first single from his new album, Death by Ego (free with a Tweet), is called "Tequila and Lime." The perfect feel good joint produced by the MC, it's all about every day being a shot at making the life you want and seizing every chance to become better. Sound poetic? It is.

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Not all Mondays suck. This one's pretty good so far, at least: Tickets for the Westword Music Showcase went on sale this morning, a reminder that summer is just around the corner, we received word that Jeff Mangum and Madonna are coming to town, and now we've got a couple of pairs of tickets to see Memoryhouse at the Larimer Lounge tonight. Wanna go? Let us know. Page down to enter, and we'll pick a pair of random winners around 4 p.m.

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Mane Rok is continuing his quest to work with each producer who crafted sounds for his album, The Ugly Truth, released last year. The remix for "Mama Said," originally featuring Zome and produced by Mr. Bostic, has taken on an entirely different feel and sound. The addition of Bravo One of One Eyed Kings adds a more polished effect to the production value from Bostic. Page down to download the remix for free and get the scoop on Mane's forthcoming album, Saul Amore: A Modern Day Massacre, due out on Valentine's Day.

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Don't miss FaceMan's Waltz this Friday, February 3, at the Bluebird.

This Friday, February 3, at the Bluebird Theater, FaceMan is celebrating the release of its new album, Feeding Time, with a full slate of guests, including members of Achille Lauro, the Knew, Flobots, Boulder Acoustic Society, Hindershot, Wheelchair Sports Camp and more. Feeding Time, the outfit's second full-length, was recorded at Uneven Studios by Bryan Feuchtinger and Evan Reeves at UI Sound in Boulder and then mixed and masterered by Orbit Service's Randall Fraizer at the Helmet Room.

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