Britt Chester

GLOBAL DUB FESTIVAL @ RED ROCKS AMPHITHEATRE | FRI, 5/17/13
The music of Excision (due at Red Rocks this weekend with Flux Pavilion, Zomboy, Dirtyphonics and Designer Drugs) is a fitting soundtrack to the desolate, gritty, apocalyptic landscape of a future ruled by homicidal machines. His tunes are warped, stuttering affairs studded with samples from both sci-fi and hip-hop (and probably some sci-fi hip-hop for good measure).

See also:
- Review: Excision at the Ogden Theatre, 2/16/12
- Slideshow: The People of Global Dub Fest, 5/18/12
- Review: Global Dub Festival at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 5/18/12

Jon Solomon

NATHANIEL RATELIFF & NIGHT SWEATS @ BOULDER THEATER | 5/17
At this stage of his career, particularly in Denver, Nathaniel Rateliff is a man who requires absolutely no preamble. Nonetheless, the limited-edition two-song seven-inch he produced for Record Store Day feels like a fresh and glorious reintroduction to a songwriter. Although Rateliff has one of the most silken voices around, on these vintage-flavored, horn-bolstered soul songs, he sings with a fervent abandon that adds an unexpected but completely gratifying layer of depth and expressiveness. Catch Rateliff tonight when he warms up for the glorious James Hunter Six.

See also:
- Nathaniel Rateliff reinvents himself with the Night Sweats
- Dragonette's Martina Sorbara on writing songs about cheating
- Tech N9NE on being a major artist that's fiercely independent

PRINCE @ OGDEN THEATRE | SUN & MON, 5/12-5/13
Prince became a household name after the release of his third album, 1982's 1999. Over the years, his perfectly realized blend of rock, pop, funk and jazz has proved equally popular with audiences and critics. Throughout the '80s, Prince released hit records that broke genre barriers, not just in terms of radio programming, but within the music itself. His versatility and breadth of musical vision have influenced a broad spectrum of popular music ever since. Prince is playing four-shows at the Ogden this weekend with his new band 3rd Eye Girl.

See also:
- The best EDM in Denver this weekend
- 3rd Eye Girl's Donna Grantis on what it's like to play with Prince
- Zac Brown Band's Jimmy de Martini on going from an airport shuttle to eight buses

SLOW HANDS @ NORAD | SAT, 5/11/13
There are plenty of DJs out there who are skilled at crafting upbeat dance sets to high-tempo music -- after all, it's easy to keep the dance floor moving when you keep the beats-per-minute at a fast-paced 160-180. Even dubstep only slows the tempo to around 140 BPM. It takes a true expert of pacing and timing -- someone with an ear for funky grooves and an ability to weave them together -- to create a soulful, hip-shaking, foot-stomping set that stays at the lower end of the electronica tempo spectrum (100 to 110 BPM).

See also:
- Donna Grantis of 3rd Eye Girl on what it's like to play with Prince
- The 2013 Westword Music Showcase lineup
- The ten best concerts in Denver this weekend

HANEYSTOCK @ GOTHIC THEATRE | FRI, 5/3/13
Although the lineup for this show would otherwise be considered pretty great, with Havok, Speedwolf, the Limbs and Lola Black, the reason everybody will be heading down to the Gothic Theatre tonight is to celebrate the life of Chris Haney, a dearly departed friend to so many. The Gothic will be brimming with those who loved this devout metal head who had a heart of gold. There's cover, but donations are being accepted and will go directly to benefit Haney's beloved daughter Lydia.

See also:
- R.I.P., Chris Haney
- Horns for Haney: A photo tribute to Chris Haney
- Chris Haney, Gothic Theatre staffer, dies in Denny's shooting

Daniel Zetterstrom

VIBESQUAD @ THE UNIFIED FIELD/CERVANTES' | FRI, 5/3/13
Playing under the VibeSquaD moniker, Aaron Holstein creates music that straddles several genres, blurring the lines between breakbeats and bass without straying far from his hip-hop roots. Live, a VibeSquaD show can quickly go from Holstein setting the groove with a nice house tempo to an insane, raging, full-blown dance party. Catch him with Orchard Lounge and more at Cervantes' Unified Field on Friday night. (8 p.m., 16+, $25) -- Britt Chester

See also:
- Aaron Holstein of VibeSquaD on balancing home life with being a touring DJ
- A chat with Finnish dance-music producer Ville Virtanen, aka Darude
- Why EDM is thriving while other genres aren't

SPEAKEASY TIGER @ MARQUIS THEATER | SAT, 4/27/13
Half a decade ago, Speakeasy Tiger seemed to be in the right place at the right time, with a kind of electro-rock that was equal parts Yeah Yeah Yeahs and the Gossip, only gone in a more pop direction. The group got its start as an expansion of original singer Kyle Simmons's folky solo project, Girl Named Kyle, and with Simmons at the helm, Speakeasy Tiger put out The Sore Throat EP in 2008, followed by The Public in 2009 and an odd single or so.

See also:
- Men in Burka defies convention with purpose and promise
- The Root 40 Music Fest takes over East Colfax
- Disco Biscuits' Aron Magner on making every Bisco show special

BONOBO @ OGDEN THEATRE | FRI, 4/26/13
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 for both Tru Thoughts and the epic Ninja Tune. His use of exotic instruments such as the sitar blended with soulful, funky horns and gentle cymbals creates a soundscape reminiscent of a laid-back DJ Shadow.

See also:
- The ten best concerts in Denver this weekend
- Nicolas Jaar on his Communikey debut in 2008 and what's in store for his return
- Hot 107.1 reborn online as Beatgasm.com

Jonn Hawley

JONN HAWLEY @ FUNKY BUDDHA | SAT, 4/20/13
It's extra awesome that Audio Indika is facilitating this year's 4/20 show at the Funky Buddha, and those responsible loading the decks have outdone themselves by bringing Jonn Hawley to town. The Minneapolis-based DJ/producer has more than twenty years of experience, and he's been a fixture in the underground Twin Cities scene for at least that long. No one spins house music like Hawley spins house music; his sound is a tad more insistent and robust than most house tracks you'll hear, but he retains the sassy, soulful vibe that Chicago made famous, adding a unique twist to make it all his own. Catch him with the rest of the Audio Indika crew. (9 p.m., 21+, no cover)

See also:
- Maya Jane Coles on her quick rise in America
- The best EDM shows in April
- The twelve best concerts in Denver this weekend

LUCERO @ BLUEBIRD THEATER | THURS, 4/18/13
Outside of perhaps the Hold Steady -- which shares a proclivity for Bruce Springsteen -- nobody plays straight-up rock these days as convincingly as Lucero. Led by Ben Nichols's gravelly croak, Lucero borrows liberally from the Boss and Lynyrd Skynyrd on songs with swaggering piano lines and organ flourishes that have just enough sunburned Southern-rock licks on the outfit's ditties to remind us that they're indeed from Dixie, the land of Skynyrd, and not Jersey.

See also:
- Johnny Marr on how he created the sound for "How Soon Is Now?" without effects
- Slightly Stoopid's Miles Doughty on playing at Red Rocks on 4/20 and couch-lock ganja
- Raekwon's thoughts on storytelling in hip-hop