I think it goes without saying that music, and experiencing a wide variety of it, is an important part of how I rate the quality of my life.  There have been a number of artists and bands over the years that have caught my attention and captivation.. In each instance, the music was the beginning and the end of why I came to be enthralled with their work.. It’s gotta be better than what’s on the radio.. You know?  Make it, musically — worth MY time.. And my time, is valuable..

Brooklyn’s Here We Go Magic led a Denver audience through a dream on Thursday night at the Larimer Lounge.

Spring is in full swing, and the music scene is bursting with options. There are so many tour announcements that resurface like the tulips in one’s garden, so there must be a way to stand out amongst all of the others. I am by no mean saying that world famous British DJ Simon Posford does not stand out on his own with his signature feathered cap and suspenders. But, with the addition of an 18 ft.

The Bridge, winding down from their April tour, played with Strange Arrangement, building up for their summer tour, at Martyr’s in Chicago on 4-30-2011.  Next time Strange Arrangement will play the Chicago crowd it

The New Pornographers kicked off their spring tour to a packed house at the Fox Theater on Wednesday night. What you get from a Pornographers show is a mix of melodies and catchy pop hooks tempered with a sufficient balance of edge, and banter laced with plenty of f-bombs and sarcasm.

A blazing beacon of turquoise and teal crowns SF’s Bottom of the Hill, as Seattle sextet The Head and the Heart shuffles modestly onto a cramped stage. Delirious fans push forward for an intimate look at the Pacific Northwest folk rockers, as intense high-pitched shrieks erupt from the audience.

“Happy Earth Day!  We burned a bunch of gasoline to get all these people into this room, but we try to be low impact once we’re here.  I suppose we could have been super environmental and not played but… Hey! It’s 12:31 am! It’s not Earth Day anymore! Yeah!

The beauty of the Grateful Dead legacy extends far past the demise of the original line-up that sadly ended with the death of Jerry Garcia in 1995. The Grateful Dead created a dedicated community, or rather a counterculture, based on music and family values that have since refused to give up and let go.

April Fools Day.

Cornmeal and The Giving Tree Band have a lot in common.  They're both from Chicago, both play bluegrass/folk music, and both even have a set of brothers in the band.  When I asked Wavy Dave Burlingame of Cornmeal what he thought of the greenest band in