Denver Music Blog

Adam Elmakias

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Sleeping with band dudes doesn't make you famous." The words scrawl across a closed door after the stock "band slut" walks in behind the drummer in All Time Low's new video for "Weightless." Just a few years back, the four Baltimore-based post-punkers wouldn't have known anything about that sort of thing. But they're now headlining their own tour, which has already seen sold-out crowds in various parts of the country. Lead heartthrob Alex Gaskarth took some time out to tell us about the experience of touring, necessary items on said tour and if he ever feared backlash for the scene-bashing they deliver in their new video.

Matt Fecher (left) and Josh Baker with Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips, whose band headlined the inaugural editon of Monolith

​Yesterday's news that the Monolith Festival is in financial straits and in need of a rather large infusion of cash just to continue wasn't completely shocking, especially given the modest turnouts and the fact that AEG Live opted out of helping produce and promote this year's fest, which seemed to underscore the notion that the fest -- in its current form, at least -- just isn't viable from a financial standpoint. Just the same, the news was disheartening for the more ardent music fans who appreciated the adventurous programming and ultimately planned their fall itinerary around the festival. We caught up with Festival Director and co-curator Josh Baker this afternoon and asked him for more details on the current situation and what some of the obstacles he and co-curator Matt Fecher have faced in producing the event.

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Nitzer Ebb, from Essex, England, helped to define the musical style called EBM with its heavy industrial rhythms and stark vocals. As with emo, another much-maligned genre, EBM started out as a vital and relevant music whose pioneers never chose to name with a blanket term to encompass a music that didn't fit within strict boundaries. Ebb's landmark debut full-length, That Total Age, displayed a feisty aggression and defiance couched in stark yet eminently danceable music that sounded equal parts industrial and punk rock. With each new release, Ebb explored another facet of its evolving sound until it split in 1999. For the next seven years, Ebb became something of a surprise hit with club DJs and their audiences, and Nitzer Ebb remixes, as well as the originals, gave the project a newfound popularity with fans who had not been previously exposed to the band's classic, electro-Teutonic chants. Ebb is now embarking on its first extensive tour in a decade, promoting its upcoming album, Industrial Complex. We were able to have a few words with co-frontman Vaughn "Bon" Harris about Ebb's development, his musical upbringing and the new record.

Alex Solca

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Cannibal Corpse didn't invent death metal, but it has become one of the genre's definitive bands. Forming in Buffalo, New York in 1988, Cannibal Corpse quickly came to prominence due to its decidedly brutal music and horrifically detailed lyrics to match. From the beginning, Cannibal's album covers were a source of controversy, leading to bans on the albums and songs in several countries. Former senator Bob Dole, among others, accused the band of being purveyors of immoral music capable of undermining the culture of America. Anyone with a functioning capacity for discernment, however, quickly realizes that Cannibal's corpus is like a series of horror movies and not a dictate to its listeners to actualize that world in real life. Nor is it an attempt to desensitize listeners to the very real violence going on somewhere on Earth every single day. Its latest offering, Evisceration Plague, may be its tightest, most cohesive album to date including some of the act's finest songs. We had an opportunity to chat with the band's original bassist, and one of its primary songwriters, Alex Webster, while he was at a stop in Baltimore, Maryland.

"My name is Maynard James Keenan -- and I think you've got a purty mouth."

​Maynard James Keenan is tough to pin down. Over the years, he's fronted a variety of different bands -- most famously Tool, but also A Perfect Circle and, currently, Puscifer, a wild and sometimes wacky ensemble that headlines on November 20 and 21 at the Paramount Theatre.

But Keenan's interests off-stage range from sketch comedy to winemaking. He owns his own vineyard in Arizona, and is considering branching out into cuisine that would make a perfect match with his particular brand of intoxicating beverage.

Keenan talked about all these subjects and more in an interview conducted for our Puscifer profile. Read the entire Q&A below:

Matt Miller

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Although tagged by some as "this generation's Black Flag," Converge vocalist Jacob Bannon is a long way off from becoming Henry Rollins -- off stage anyway. Onstage, Bannon is a whirling dervish of emotion, complete with violent fist pumps and blood curdling screams. Offstage, however, the singer is quiet, introspective and a gifted visual artist responsible for most of Converge's haunting album covers. The groups' most recent work, Axe to Fall, is the band's best album since 2001's Jane Doe and arguably the best heavy album of the year. We caught up with Bannon in one of his quieter moments and asked him, among other things, about the art of touring with cartoon characters.

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Electric Six have been bringing the party to the unwary for six albums in as many years, starting with 2003's Fire and leading up to the brand-new Kill. The group's songs combine '80s rock, disco and New Wave into a cranked-up, ultra-catchy sound all its own, with lyrics that mix a David Lee Roth-esque bravado with surreal barrages of imagery revolving around fire, sex, dancing...and air travel. Frontman Dick Valentine comes across like a smarmy cross between Mike Patton and a Baptist preacher, but underneath he's a funny, thoughtful and down-to-earth guy just looking to rock the crowd.

​Isaiah "Ikey" Owens is better know these days as the keyboardist of the Mars Volta. His versatile and creative musicianship, though, was honed in the '90s when he played with Sublime and later Long Beach Dub Allstars. Ikey first played with Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Cedric Bixler-Zavala in the dub project De Facto before being invited to join the Mars Volta as a live keyboard player once Omar and Cedric's notable previous band, At the Drive-In, dissolved. Throughout the past decade, Ikey has been in demand as a session player and collaborator and his work has been featured on albums by a wide range of artists including Saul Williams, Mastodon and the Aquabats. Ikey's musically omnivorous approach to playing and composition can be heard in the evocative and often haunting strains of Free Moral Agents. Something of a combination of experimental pop, ambient and trip hop, Free Moral Agents, while a collaborative effort, benefits from Ikey's direct creative involvement. We had a chance to talk with Ikey about the band, his development as an artist, the role of women in his music and an unexpected Denver connection.

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Micky and the Motorcars, led by Micky Braun, bring their rowdy brand of country rock to the Grizzly Rose tomorrow night. On the surface, the young Texas band's success might appear to have come relatively easy but ask any hardcore Micky and the Motorcars fan and they'll point out every small town beer soaked juke joint from the Canadian border to the tumbleweeds of south Texas the band got their start in. What's perhaps most amazing about the earned success of Micky and the Motorcars is the lack of mainstream country music media support -- the band has grown almost purely by word of mouth. Colorado has been a mainstay for Micky and the Motorcars for a few years now, and Friday's Grizzly Rose show represents the biggest show yet for the band. Motorcars frontman Braun was gracious enough to answer a couple of questions in advance of their biggest Colorado show yet. Read the short interview after the jump.

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Having released three albums in four years, Six Months to Live has been one of the most prolific of poppy rock and roll bands out of Denver. Formed by former members Mr. Tree and the Wingnuts, Six Months' membership has included Mendel Rabinovitch of Cabaret Diosa and Zack Littlefield of Sonnenblume. With the relatively humble goal of being a great rock and roll band, this quartet weathered the slings and arrows of playing the local circuit and became exactly that. These guys never assumed that they were not as good as their peers, rather they set out each show to be the best band on the bill and not be intimidated by anyone. This bravado was not without its share of good humor but any band worth its salt never tries to go for second best.

This amplified self-expectation resulted in This is What Happens, the band's worthy latest release and regrettably its swan song. We had a chance to speak at length with singer and guitarist Greg Hill for a candid discussion of the band's history, the artwork for its latest album, the pitfalls of phone interviews and the musical future of the members of the band. Hill's dry and absurdist humor informs much of the act's songwriting as well as its lively and bombastic performances. Catch Six Months to Live for the last time with Dario Rosa and deadbubbles at the Meadowlark this Saturday, November 14.

Chad Wadsworth

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After turning their hometown of Austin, Texas upside down on several occasions, Thomas Turner and Aaron Behrens continue to electrify audiences around the world as Ghostland Observatory with its vibrant stampede of symphonic blips and driving rock. We caught up with one of the group's masterminds, Thomas Turner, who talked about running Trashy Moped, the act's label, the balancing act of being a parent and being on the road, and how, to him, it sounds like the band sounds is playing in slow motion whenever Ghostland plays in Denver. Read the full interview after the jump.

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.