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Uncategorized

This Week’s Best Music Bets

Elliott Johnston
Elliott Johnston

Juana Molina, Fox Theatre
Saturday, July 17 | Read more | Listen

It’s tough to pin Juana Molina to a genre, but she’s also hard to ignore.

The former Argentinian TV star turned electro-folkie brings a truly unique euphoria to the stage, with acoustic strings, warm, synthetic sounds, and a breathy, hypnotizing voice.

Boulder-based arts nonprofit Communikey hosts Molina, as well as local acts Via and DJ Brandon Brown as openers.

More: Global Dance Festival | Kings of Leon

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Uncategorized

This Week’s Best Music Bets

Elliott Johnston
Elliott Johnston

Eufórquestra and Ocote Soul Sounds, Fox Theatre, Boulder
Thursday, July 1 | Read more | Watch Eufórquestra | Watch Ocote

Two groove-heavy world music acts take the Fox’s stage when Fort Collins’ Afrobeat-leaning Eufórquestra (pictured) plays with the Latin-inspired Ocote Soul Sounds, which features members of Antibalas and Grupo Fantasma. Dance your tush off while helping to raise money and aid relief for the Gulf Coast oil spill.

More: Galactic | Thao and Mirah | Ralph Stanley | The Hold Steady

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This Week’s Best Music Bets

Elliott Johnston
Elliott Johnston

Habib Koité, Boulder Theater
Thursday, April 8 | Read more

As West African music becomes more popular in the States, it transcends the vague “world music” qualifier. More than a little credit is due to the magnetic Malian singer, songwriter, and guitarist Habib Koité, one of the region’s most successful sonic exports. Koité and his group, Bamada, use indigenous African instruments as well as American blues forms to put down a warm and infectious sound.

More: John Brown’s Body | Adam Green | Snake Rattle Rattle Snake | Girls

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This Week’s Best Music Bets

Elliott Johnston
Elliott Johnston

St. Vincent, Bluebird Theater
Saturday, February 13 | Details | Read more | Watch and listen

Honey-voiced Annie Clark (aka St. Vincent) finds an absorbing tension between witty sophistication and raw emotion, between carefully crafted, orchestral indie pop and thorny rock ‘n’ roll. Come see why Clark’s towering musical chops and endearing stage presence are creating a burgeoning, smitten following.

More: Les Claypool | Eyedea & Abilities | Gov’t Mule

St. Vincent “The Strangers” from Lake Fever Sessions on Vimeo.

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This Week’s Best Music Bets

Elliott Johnston
Elliott Johnston

Charlie Hunter, Dazzle Restaurant & Lounge
Thursday, January 14, and Friday, January 15 | Details | Read more | Listen and watch

A guitarist of superhuman ability, Charlie Hunter has stood high in the jazz and jam worlds for years with his custom, eight-string instrument, on which he plays bass and lead lines simultaneously. Accomplished Denver trumpeter Ron Miles joins Hunter’s group for this intimate two-night run.

More: Reverend Horton Heat | Wailers | Anti-Flag | Split Lip Rayfield

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This Week’s Best Music Bets

Elliott Johnston
Elliott Johnston

Bebel Gilberto, Ogden Theatre
Saturday, December 5 | Details | Listen | Watch

Hailing from a famous Brazilian musical family—her father, João, helped define bossa nova—Gilberto has admirably walked the line between modern art-pop and the classic sounds of her roots. On her latest album, All In One, Gilberto sings mellow, tropical love songs in her native Portuguese, seamlessly transitioning to bass-heavy dance tracks cut by super producers, such as Amy Winehouse-vet Mark Ronson.

More: Finn Riggins | WhiteWater Ramble | Pete Yorn | Zero 7

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This Week’s Best Music Bets

Elliott Johnston
Elliott Johnston

Emmylou Harris, Macky Auditorium
 Friday, November 20 | Details | Read more | Watch and listen

Macky Auditorium, an elegant and intimate concert hall on the University of Colorado campus in Boulder, is a fine venue for one of the most influential and angelic voices in American music. Emmylou Harris’ forte—interpreting country, pop, and folk songs with a rustic, heartrending beauty—will guide a set list that spans more than 40 years of recording.

More: Puscifer | Pink Mountaintops | Billy Joel and Elton John | Corb Lund | The Fiery Furnaces

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This Week’s Best Music Bets

Elliott Johnston
Elliott Johnston

Afro-Punk Tour, Fox Theatre
Sunday, November 8 | Details | Read more | Listen

Afro-Punk—a Web site, documentary, and now, a concert tour—asserts that a burgeoning community of African-Americans love and play punk rock, a musical form mainly credited to Caucasian musicians. Slam poet/musician Saul Williams headlines the show, which includes a host of other acts that dig upending expectations of race and genre.

More: Art Brut | Dirty Projectors | Pinback



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This Week’s Best Music Bets

Elliott Johnston
Elliott Johnston

Devotchka poster

DeVotchKa, Boulder Theater
 Friday, October 30, and Saturday, October 31 | Details | Read more | Watch and listen

The globally inspired Denver rock group fills its homestate Halloween shows with otherworldly elegance.

In honor of All Souls Day, the group will stir up spirits with their anachronistic stew of accordion, violin, tuba, and romantic folk-pop crooning.

More: Dinosaur Jr. | The Motet | Ghostface Killah | Bassnectar | David Gray | Trans-Siberian Orchestra

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This Week’s Best Music Bets

Elliott Johnston
Elliott Johnston

Cake, Boulder Theater
Sunday, October 18 | Details | Read more | Watch

The ’90s, alt-radio darlings bring their minimalist lounge rock and speak-sung, deadpan humor to eTown for the first time. This live taping of the Boulder-based, music-and-interview show from National Public Radio also features rock ‘n’ roller Chuck Prophet.

More: Rahzel | A Hawk and a Hacksaw | Gregory Alan Isakov | Gossip | Roger Daltrey | Bob Dylan | Meshell Ndegeocello

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This Week’s Best Music Bets

Elliott Johnston
Elliott Johnston

Gil Scott-Heron, The Soiled Dove Underground
Thursday, October 8 | Details | Listen and Watch

One of the godfathers of hip-hop, R&B spoken-wordsmith Gil Scott-Heron’s consciousness-raising street poetry has inspired politically charged M.C.s like Chuck D and Mos Def. Heron, backed by his band, the Amnesia Express, will give an intimate performance at the cozy Soiled Dove Underground.

More: Lyle Lovett | Butthole Surfers | Why? | Mastodon | Yo La Tengo | Dr. Dog | Stone Temple Pilots

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This Week’s Best Music Bets

Elliott Johnston
Elliott Johnston

Monolith Festival, Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Saturday, September 12 and Sunday, September 13 | Details | Read more

Now in its third year, the Monolith Festival is on its way to establishing Denver as a music fest destination, a la Southern California/Coachella and Chicago/Lollapalooza. This year, the cultivated two-day lineup features headliners The Mars Volta and Yeah Yeah Yeahs along with Colorado indie bands Boulder Acoustic Society and Danielle Ate The Sandwich.

More: Cool Kids | Tesla | The Gaslight Anthem | Wavves | The Get Up Kids

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