The scene on Colfax last night reminded me of another rapper from California, one who wrote a song called “Just Like Compton”. As the ambulance sirens blared, the police lights created a kaleidoscope of color from the Ogden to the 7-11. The bass reverberated from the venue as the cops carried belligerent kids out of the show. It seemed Denver really was just… Read more →
Most of July was spent in transit, so my tastes might be skewed towards albums that sound good turned up loud while flying down the freeway, but that’s not to say there wasn’t variety in my roadtrip soundtrack. The past month might have been heavy on metal, but it also saw exciting releases in hip-hop, rock and synthpop. And as… Read more →
May was almost overwhelming in its presentation of new music. Not only were there countless new releases, I also took the time to catch up on some of the metal I had been missing out on, making this a heavy month in recommendations. And as much as I hate grouping these into posts like this, other aspects of life are… Read more →
1964 – 2012 Adam Yauch has died. He was 47 years old. The man known as MCA was diagnosed with cancer back in 2009 and today he succumbed to the disease. Yauch was one third of the Beastie Boys — the group who started out punk before enraging parents in suburbs all over the country with Licensed To Ill, an… Read more →
April was a good month for music, but it did provide a lull in what has been an incredible start to the new year. That being said, there are still quite a few albums worth checking out, and as much as I hate grouping recommendations into posts like this, other aspects of life are getting in the way of individual… Read more →
Nas is one of the best rappers alive. I am happy to say I never gave up on him. In fact, I just saw him perform a couple years ago and he killed it like it was 1994. Sure, not everything he’s released since Illmatic has been newsworthy, but if I’m not mistaken, Nas has never done anything to embarrass… Read more →
March was another great month for music releases, and as much as I hate grouping recommendations into posts like this, other aspects of life are getting in the way of individual recommendations. These types of posts will have to serve as ‘better than nothing’ for the time being. Arliss Nancy – Simple Machines (Suburban Home, 2012) Back in April of… Read more →
It makes sense that 2012’s first youtube-born ‘next big thing’ would land on Tri-Angle — the home of How To Dress Well, Balam Acab, oOoOO and Clams Casino. The label just dropped this mixtape of the 8 tracks the enigmatic Evian Christ posted in late December. Having only listened to “Fuck It None Of Ya’ll Don’t Rap” before this release,… Read more →
Cleveland’s Cloud Nothings have arrived with Attack on Memory. There was no doubt this album would be my pick for this first month of 2012. It’s inevitable that I miss out on a band at Fun Fun Fun fest every year and it seems 2011 was no exception. I had no desire to see this band based on their past two albums, but every time I listen to Attack I kick myself for missing their set. ‘Addictive’ is the right word to explain this 33 minutes of lo-fi garage punk. Read more →
In a time when the naysayers are declaring the death of hip-hop, there is a rebirth happening in the underground scene. If you dig deep — past the bloated carbon copies of a long gone golden era — you will find hip-hop. It might not be recognizable to those who are assaulted with Top 40 singles all day, but those… Read more →
Looking out my window on this crisp November morning, all the Fall colors have disappeared and left only a few survivors hanging from the naked trees in the neighborhood. Winter is upon us here in Denver, Colorado and those few hangers-on will be gone with the next storm. It’s a transitional time, out with the old (and after a few… Read more →
