Denver Music Blog

Black Mountain Studios

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Hearts of Palm started out in the winter of 2006 as a pop song writing collaboration between former Roper and Black Black Ocean guitarist Stephen Till and longtime friend Nathan McGarvey. Within the following year, the project expanded to eight plus members and the band's sound went from a spare and earnest beauty to an exuberant and impassioned exorcism of melancholy moods. During the course of the band's existence, it won accolades from critics and fans alike and released two EPs before deciding to fold the band in 2009, with two final shows slated for this weekend at the hi-dive marking the occasion including a 16+ show tonight on Friday, November 6, and a 21+ show on Saturday, November 7. We had a chance to speak with lead singer Nathan McGarvey at length about the history of Hearts of Palm, its experiences and what we can expect from its members after the break-up.

​Stryper arrived on the metal scene in 1984, clad in yellow and black spandex, and quickly became major players in the exploding melodic hard rock scene. The foursome played catchy tunes and won the ears of millions of listeners, but what stood out most and invited controversy, was the band's clear, evangelical Christian message. Earlier this year, the band released a new studio record, Murder by Pride, with their lyrical convictions and melodic sensibilities firmly in place and embarked on a supporting tour. We  had the opportunity to sit down with guitarist Oz Fox in advance of Stryper's upcoming November 10 date at Cervantes' to discuss the new record, his approach to the guitar, and what it's like to be cranking up the volume and hitting the road 25 years later.

​In the short time Jonny Woodrose & the Broken-Hearted Woodpeckers have been together, the outfit has grown from being a bit of a joke band vehicle for singer Jonson Kuhn's humorous storytelling into one of the most engaging and fun Americana bands in the scene. The project's early shows consisted of Jonson playing guitar and singing songs, but it quickly evolved into a full, four-piece band including guitarist Charles Kern, drummer David Vanderiet and bass player Brian Payne. Consciously or otherwise, the songs of the Woodpeckers are firmly in the tradition of songwriters and performers like Woody Guthrie and Will Rogers who both incorporated humor and sharply crafted observations on society and the human condition without resorting to being preachy. We recently had a chance to speak at length with Jonson Kuhn about the origins of the band, its songwriting, its artistic roots and Kuhn's literary projects. Read the full interview after the jump.

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Anyone remember powerhouse industrial metal bands like Thrill Kill Kult and Stabbing Westward back in the day? Krashkarma sure does and has become torchbearers for the style. In advance of the band's three-night-stand in Colorado (Saturday, October 31 at Union Station in Colorado Springs, Sunday, November 1 at Hodi's Half Note in Fort Collins, and Tuesday, November 3 at Cervantes'), we had a chance to catch up with frontman Ralf Dietel to talk about stuff like his epic dreadlocks and the band's various adventures in bringing it's brand of rock to the masses. Read the full interview after the jump.

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At lot has happened to Lou Barlow in the past four years. Around the time his daughter was born, he released his solo album Emoh, reunited with Dinosaur Jr. and recorded two albums and just released another solo album, Goodnight Unknown, earlier this month. Barlow will be performing both with Dinosaur Jr., as well as opening the show with the Missingmen, who toured with Mike Watt earlier this year, this Thursday, October 29 at the Boulder Theater and Friday, October, 30 at the Aggie Theater in Ft. Collins. We spoke with Barlow about the sonic nature of Dinosaur Jr.'s shows, how a guy threatened to kill the band for damaging his ears, lo-fi music and Goodnight Unknown.

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Every artist's dream is to be able to control their own destiny. The Sounds, who have ignored all major label proposals for their new album Crossing The Rubicon, are doing just that. This album is their third full length studio and employs a handful of interesting producers that build on their familiar new wave sound, but also add to it their own eclectic form. After it was decided that their label's idea and theirs was in-cohesive, The Sounds decided to do more of what they knew best, touring. For a band that gains their inspiration from being on the road, they've been able to see a lot of it. Keyboardist Jesper Anderberg gave us some insight on how it feels to be in control of your art and a look into what we can expect for the future of The Sounds.

Todd Roeth

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It's been a year and a half since Hello Kavita graced us with its debut long-player, the unforgettable And Then We Turned Sideways. Since then, the quintet of songwriter/frontman/guitarist Corey Teruya, guitarist Luke Mossman, multi-instrumentalist Ian Short, bassist Jimmy Stofer and drummer Leor Manelis seems only to have grown and deepened its commitment warm, honest, countrified rock. We were fortunate to grab a few minutes with Teruya on the eve of the release of the band's stunning second effort, To A Loved One.

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Every Friday we spotlight the hottest cats behind the decks in the MHC, grilling them to gain some insight on what it takes, exactly, to get the party rocking, to find out about their most treasured crate digging experiences and what they really think when we stumble up to them half cocked and ask them to play that new song by such and such -- you know, the one that goes... This week's subject: Kid Hum.

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Adrian Belew has lead something of a charmed existence as a musician for the last thirty years, from his first high-profile gig as a guitarist for Frank Zappa in 1979 to his later work with Talking Heads, Trent Reznor, David Bowie and King Crimson. Though possessed of preternaturally able technical chops, Belew is one of a handful of guitar wizards whose creativity was never hampered by his virtuosity. In February of 2006, Belew formed the Adrian Belew Trio with Eric and Julie Slick, siblings who attended the Paul Green School of Rock where Adrian performed as a guest musician that year. Never content to being stuck with one musical style, Belew's music is remarkably for its rich variety of tone and technique without losing a signature sound. Touring in support of its latest album e, the Adrian Belew Trio is playing small clubs across the country. We had a chance to talk at length with Belew while he was at home in Nashville and discussed his history, his art and his favorite guitar, the Parker Fly.

​This week's preview of the Pogues' show this Friday at the Ogden Theatre only scratched the surface of our interview with guitarist Philip Chevron, who also talked at length about Just Look Them Straight In The Eye And Say... Pogue Mahone!!, the five-disc box set of b-sides, outtakes and live tracks released last year that's currently only available as an import. We spoke with Chevron, who was in Seattle to rehearse a few days before the tour started, about working with singer Shane MacGowan again, touring with Joe Strummer, plans for recording again and MacGowan's teeth among other things.

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For the last 15 years, Matthew Kelly has been entrenched in the Colorado hip-hop scene. Although his stage name has changed over the years, Kelly, now known as Babah Fly, has been one of the most consistent artists in the scene. Whether it's as a solo artist or as part of groups like Bugaboo, Babah Wird or Denver Avengerz, you always know what you're going to get from Babah Fly: boom bap hip-hop paying homage to the foundation of the culture. We caught up with Babah Fly recently and spoke with him about his new project, its inspiration and how he feels about Colorado hip-hop in 2009.

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The past two years have served as a period of transition for ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of the Dead. After splitting with Interscope Records in 2008, the Austin-based sextet started their own label and drew on its own funds to record and release its latest effort, Century of Self, which boasts a decidedly rougher and edgier feel than the group's earlier material. We caught up with Trail of Dead frontman Conrad Keely to discuss the band's new directions, his recent move to Brooklyn from Austin and his creative output with a ball-point pen.

Michael Muller

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Mumiy Troll from Vladivostok, Russia is one of that country's most popular bands. The act's combination of energetic rock and moodily atmospheric pop, for which lead singer Ilya Lagutenko coined the term "rockapops," has been gaining popularity in America despite the fact that, up to the release of the new English-language EP Paradise Ahead, the band's albums are all in Russian. Anyone lucky enough to have seen Mumiy Troll's recent U.S. tours witnessed a lively and charismatic performance that would have made an impact regardless of the language used in the songs. Critics have called the band the Russian Rolling Stones, but its songs, while spirited on stage, contain smartly crafted hooks that weave in an introspective quality revealing a deep reservoir of feeling and an incisive intelligence behind the songwriting. We caught up with Mumiy Troll's charming and engaging frontman and talked about the band's history, its songwriting and other underground artists of the Soviet and post-Soviet era.

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Jam band faves Rusted Root, which had a taste of mainstream stardom with the 1995 near-hit single "Send Me on My Way" and a popular cover of The Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want," is touring in support of Stereo Rodeo, the group's first studio album in seven years. Rusted Root kicks off its fall tour with a trio of gigs in Colorado. The Pittsburgh-based band plays Monday, October 19 at the Ogden Theatre, then at the Belly Up in Aspen on Tuesday, October 20, and closes its Centennial State run at the Fox Theatre on Wednesday, October 21. We caught up with bandleader Michael Glabicki while he drove through Indiana last week to knock out some solo dates. Glabicki explained the recording hiatus, why he's glad to no longer be on a major label and what Rusted Root plans to do in celebration of its twentieth anniversary.

​If you need a set of playful yet sexy techno, you could do a lot worse than calling upon the services of Les Freres Courvioiser, a faux-French duo with a penchant for spicing up their sets with ridiculous costumes and general hijinx. In the course of putting together this week's Scratching the Surface on Les Freres, the twosome (Jonathan Canupp and Joshua Smith) gave us more bon mots and insight into their performance and influence than we could cram into the tiny profile -- and now we're bringing it to you.

Roger Daltrey.

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Just because Roger Daltrey is 65-years old doesn't mean he'd like to spend his golden years sitting on his sofa listening to all the Who albums he helped make so memorable. He's currently in the midst of his first solo tour since 1994 [see comments, below], and by the time he's done, he hopes his voice will be ready for its next big challenge: Floss, the in-progress rock opera being penned by his only surviving Who compatriot, Pete Townshend.

When it comes to conversation, he's already in fighting form, as he proves in the following Q&A, which serves as the backbone for a Westword profile advancing his October 20 headlining gig at the Paramount Theatre.

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If you've never heard of Owl City until now, you're forgiven. The brainchild of young pop composer and producer Adam Young, Owl City, seemingly came out of nowhere in the past six months and is quickly becoming a phenomenon. Foisted to the forefront solely on the strength of a strong word of mouth following, the Minnesota-based outfit produces endlessly catchy synth pop songs that have an open tab with Erasure and the modern french electro popsters Air. Every song on the newest Ocean Eyes, the act's latest, is an exercise in feel good fluffiness with hooks aplenty. We caught up with Young recently in advance of his band's sold out show tomorrow night at the Bluebird. Read the full interview after the jump.

Jason Peckovitch (Illusive Dreams Photography)

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Back in 2008, we named Boostwell Crew the best hip-hop crew in Denver. Headed by SP Double, the crew consisted of local emcees and producers, Flawless, Fo Chief, ManDaMyth, Catch Lungs, EMB, Purpose, Procise, Kontrast and a few others. Shortly after the recognition, a number of members left the crew and launched the Fresh Breath Committee (FBC). Lead mostly by Flawless, FBC is a collective of like-minded solo artists, who, at first, came together to support each other but quickly realized the chemistry they had together as a full-fledged group. The group is now preparing to drop its debut album, CPR, this month. We caught up with Flawless (aka Paul Padilla) and talked about the new crew, the new  album and hip-hop in 2009. Read the entire interview after the jump.

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These days, a real punk band (sorry, Green Day) can almost never find its way onto the pop charts. But back in the day (see: mid-'80s), England's New Model Army released political punk that didn't merely sell to left-wing extremists. Almost thirty years ago, frontman/mastermind Justin Sullivan, who has been compared to punk legends like Joe Strummer and Dick Lucas, named New Model Army after Oliver Cromwell's successful (at least for a while) 17th century antiroyalist forces; Sullivan's intelligent, well-informed and captivating songwriting helped get the group signed by EMI, deliver a string of Top 30 British singles before descending to the worldwide cult status New Model Army holds today. We caught up with Sullivan recently and asked him about the Clash comparisons and how spirituality effects the band's music.

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Time, aka Chris Steele, has been involved in the Denver hip-hop scene for over a decade, and his current and future collaborators include Sole of the Anticon collective, Talib Kweli, Drake, Kool Keith and C-Rayz Walz. The snarkier hip-hop aficionados refer to the form Time writes and performs as "alternative hip-hop" -- probably because it's as musically daring and as experimental as its equivalent in the underground rock scene.

Time's lyrics are remarkable for their literary quality, layers of humor and meaning that can be enjoyed on the surface as part of a catchy song, but they also contain deeper meanings for those who enjoy a deft turn of phrase, counter cultural references and social and existential commentary. With longtime collaborator AwareNess and a group of high-profile collaborators, Time is releasing his latest opus, Naked Dinner. The album explores the theme of paranoia and triumph over it with an impressive creative use of interlocking and overlapping metaphors, the appropriation and free association of cultural references and the reworking of cliches into brilliantly poetic phrasing. Time recently completed a tour of Europe and the American west and we caught up to him to talk about his new album and possible status as one of the secret rulers of the world.

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Jeremy Gregory had some innovative ideas for this weekend's Endotrend Festival - such as silk-screening t-shirts as admission rather than issuing hard-tickets. Unfortunately, it's going to take a little while longer for some of those ideas to take flight. Just a week before the event, being billed as the country's first fully altruistic and sustainable music, art and film fest, Gregory and his Bands for Lands associates had switch venues due to some last minute stipulations being added on by officials at Auraria Campus, where Endotrend was originally slated to take place. A subsequent move to 3 Kings Tavern and the Oriental Theater has resulted in Gregory and company having to scale back the proceedings fairly significantly. We caught up with Gregory to find out what we can expect from this inaugural edition of Endotrend. See what he had to say after the jump.

Gonna hire a Wino to redecorate our living room

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In this week's issue, we ran a short profile on Wino by Phil Freeman culled from his recent conversation with Scott "Wino" Weinrich, a singer/guitarist who's split his time with a slew of revered metal and hard rock acts such as Saint Vitus, the Obsessed, Spirit Caravan, Place of Skulls, the Hidden Hand and Shrinebuilder. Read the full interview after the jump.

Bryan Adams self-portrait

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Bryan Adams is on the short list of the most successful and popular of rock singers to emerge in the '80s. The Canadian-born Adams has had a string of hits in the last three decades, while 1983's Cuts Like a Knife and 1994's Reckless are albums that became part of the musical lexicon of anyone who grew up during that decade. In 1991, Adams won a Grammy for the then ubiquitous "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You," from the soundtrack to Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Throughout his career, Adams has been a visible and wide-ranging activist for social issues including human rights, poverty and the peace process in various parts of the world. He has also become a well known and sought out photographer whose work has appeared in Vogue, Vanity Fair and Harper's Bazaar. In 2008, Adams released his latest studio album, 11 and received lukewarm reception from critics, despite being well received by fans. We had a chance to speak with Adams in London as he prepared for his first acoustic tour. Read the full interview after the jump.

Photo by Drew Reynolds

​Brooklyn's the Depreciation Guild has spent the last few years fusing elements of synth pop, dream pop and experimental electronic music into an indistinguishable amalgamation of the band's wide-ranging sonic influences. In reviews and profiles of the band, much has been made of the group's use of an old piece of digital sound equipment (discussed below) but the Guild are not 8-bit composers nor are they neo-shoegazers trying to recreate a sound of times past. Instead, the act's dreamy, reflective, almost introspective music is awash with bright colors, dense atmospheres and a calming spirit. Singer, guitarist and programmer Kurt Feldman also plays live drums for the Pains of Being Pure at Heart and on the eve of the Monolith Festival, we had the opportunity to speak with him about the Famicom, the roots of the Guild's aesthetics and the other machinery he and his bandmates utilize to create some of the most beautifully textured pop music going.

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Know for some insanely explosive shows, Israeli rock monsters Mononotix often move their shows into the crowd, creating sweaty pits of madness. On Where Were You When It Happened?, the band's first full-length, released this week on Drag City, guitarist Yonatan Gat says the band captured some of the energy on record and thinks its much better than last year's Body Language EP. In anticipation of the trio's set on the Southern Comfort Stage Sunday at 3 p.m., we spoke with Gat about getting hit in the eye with a cymbal, how the act's frenetic shows go down and making the new album.
 

​With the recent release of its sophomore EP, This is Character, Denver metalcore group the Skyline Surrender is starting to gain ground in the local scene--although it hasn't been an easy victory. The original quintet of singer Josh Viles, bassist Jinji Thompson, drummer Ben Scarbro, and guitarists Justin Williams and Jake Parsons went through major upheaval over the past few months, with newcomers Anthony Archuleta and Ryan Simms replacing Viles and Parsons, respectively. With almost an entirely new front end, the band has hit the road and cultivated a solid following among kids weary of glamour and gimmickry--and more interested in earnest, soaring, brutally melodic metal. Still surfing on the energy of Character's release, and with a show at the hi-dive on Saturday, Thompson spoke with Westword about the group's journey so far.

​There is a long tradition of ex-punk rockers trading in their power chords and electric guitars for the idyllic green pastures of folk music. Frank Turner of Winchester, England made that very leap a few years ago after the breakup of his progressive hardcore band Million Dead had reached its zenith and he hasn't looked back since. Armed only with his voice, an acoustic guitar and a batch of socially conscious and sometimes politically flavored folk rock songs, Turner has garnered a growing legion of fans through his tireless touring schedule. Saturday Sunday, September 13 marks the folk-punk balladeer's first second appearance in Denver at the Ogden Theater, with the Gaslight Anthem, whom he has been touring with the last few months around the globe. Ever wonder what types of contraband young musicians smuggle into their rooms growing up? After the jump get a chance to discover the answer to that question along with other keen insights from Turner himself.

Update: Just got word from Andy Thomas at Suburban Home Records that Frank Turner was here back in April. And also that September 13 is Sunday, which we probably should have figured out ourselves. We apologize for the errors.

​Thao with the Get Down Stay Down's latest record, Know Better Learn Faster, carries a wide menu of influences. Like the ensemble's previous work, the album draws from traditional American folk precedents, as well as snippets of other sounds that range from old Motown to '60s pop. The blend comes largely from the tastes of the band's lead singer and guitarist, Thao Nguyen. Originally from Virginia, Nguyen blends the traditional and the contemporary in her high-energy guitar lines and plaintive vocals. In anticipation of their appearance at this year's Monolith Festival, Westword questioned the Get Down Stay Down's leader about the amphitheater, the band's touring schedule and her contributions to a girls' rock and roll camp in Portland.

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According to Cymbals Eat Guitars 20-year-old frontman Joseph D'Agostino, Lou Reed didn't want a lot of cymbals on the first three Velvet Underground albums because "cymbals eat guitars," which explains the copious amounts of floor toms on those early discs. While that might have inspired the band's moniker, there's still a fair amount of cymbals on the band's debut, Why There Are Mountains, but they get lost the thickness of D'Agostino's J. Mascis-esque guitar tone. The band, which D'Agostino formed with drummer Matthew Miller in high school, has been creating quite the buzz since a glowing Pitchfork review last March. We spoke with D'Agostino, the band's singer, guitarist and chief songwriter, about the band's new found fame, the importance of Arcade Fire's Funeral, the Wrens' Charles Bissell and the DIY approach to releasing albums.  

Photo by Alicia J. Rose

​The Thermals new album, Now We Can See, represents more than simply a fresh recording for the Portland-based trio. After an amicable departure from the iconic Seattle label Sub-Pop, the group released their new disc on Kill Rock Stars. According to frontman Hutch Harris, the shift afforded the band the opportunity to take another role in the album's production - namely, the financing for the record. Harris spoke to Westword about the transition, as well as the rigors of touring and the advantages of playing a large, outdoor festival like Monolith.