Don't forget that tonight — Friday August 26th — at 6PM we will be welcoming Munly & the Lupercalians to our Twist & Shout stage! Those who pick up any title by Munly & the Lupercalians, Slim Cessna's Auto Club, or DBUK will get a wristband allowing first entry into the event and a spot in the signing line afterwards, but the event is free for all to come and enjoy! Read more details HERE. We've also got another live in-store coming up for you as well — on Friday September 16th at 6PM, we are proud to welcome Denver-based band Barbara to our Twist & Shout stage! Given that half the band consists of Twist alumni it'll have a special resonance for all of us here, but this band — consisting of members of Specific Ocean, The Beach People, Amazing Adventures, and other bands — will be bringing their vibrant, psychedelic sounds to our stage and your ears. We will see you there! And know that we're always working on more in-store events, so keep you eyes on this space for all the latest info. We are also carrying tickets for the upcoming Itchy-O Hallowmass shows, taking place at the Summit Music Hall on Friday and Saturday October 28th and 29th. Tickets will be $30.50 — so you can avoid excessive online fees — and we'll have them ready at opening!
Also I just want to make a special shout out to bring attention to our friend Andy Schneidkraut, owner of the legendary Boulder record store Albums on the Hill. He's been facing a series of health challenges lately that have kept the doors of Albums closed, and though he's planning on being there Labor Day weekend (and you should go shop there!), there's also a comedy fundraiser in his honor on Friday September 9th at the Dairy Arts Center in Boulder and all proceeds from the event will go to help Andy and his family with his medical bills. Two of Boulder's favorite Comedians — Nancy Norton and John Novosad — will headline the show with other funny friends of Andy. You can read details about the event HERE and show some love for our greater record store community by enjoying a good evening's entertainment!
In new music releases this week beyond another strong batch of big releases, there are a bunch of interesting smaller releases out and in stock today: the great rock band Blondie has released a collection spanning their first run as a band in the 1970s and early 80s, Against the Odds, that's available in a plethora of configurations — a 3CD set with a lovely book, an 8CD box set with book, a 4LP box with book, and for the super fan, the super deluxe box with 10LPs, 10” and 7” singles, and book in a huge box set; for fans of the metal variety, Denver-based progressive metal band Dreadnought had released their new CD The Endless (LP slated for 9/30 release); rapper Lupe Fiasco is back with his latest album Drill Music In Zion on both CD and indie exclusive clear blue LP; melodic punk rocker Ezra Furman's new album All of Us Flames is out now on CD (LP slated for a 10/7 release); producer/DJ Madlib's Medicine Show No. 3 is also out on indie exclusive purple vinyl LP; the late, great John Prine's first album for his own Oh Boy Records label, 1984's Aimless Love has been reissued on LP (and it includes his classic "The Oldest Baby in the World"); Florida-based House/EDM duo Sofi Tukker have released the LP of their latest album Wet Tennis on both regular vinyl LP and a limited picture disc (CD is out already); lastly, prolific singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III is back with his latest album Lifetime Achievement, out now on CD (no LP release date listed).
Over in DVD and Blu-ray, here are a few things that caught my eye: The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz is one of the best (and strangest) films from famed surrealist director Luis Buñuel from his period of making Mexican melodramas — it's available on DVD and Blu-ray coming soon; French director Marcel Carné, known for his hardened films of Poetic Realism, takes a break from that style with his lighter romance, 1938's Hôtel du Nord, released by the Criterion Collection this week on both DVD and Blu-ray; Criterion has also put out Sidney Poitier's first step into the role of director after a career in front of the camera, the 1972 Western Buck and the Preacher (in which he also stars alongside Harry Belafonte and Ruby Dee) — it's out on Blu-ray only; also out on Blu-ray only this week is the well-loved 1992 animated feature Ferngully: The Last Rainforest; and continuing the expanding 4K/UHD market, there are a few UHD releases of note this week — crowd fave Dirty Dancing, Scottish-set werewolf action/horror film Dog Soldiers (in a ltd. edition steelbook version), and Paths of Glory, one of the finest films of Stanley Kubrick's career.
Outside the store, please note that the summer concert season at the Levitt Pavilion continues through to the beginning of October with upcoming events by North Mississippi Allstars (next Wednesday!), Rebirth Brass Band, Chali 2na and Cut Chemist, and JD McPherson — and that's just in the free shows! Check the whole schedule HERE! And a lot of good stuff is coming up soon elsewhere — on Friday September 9th, only a couple weeks after our in-store with them, Munly & the Lupercalians will be performing a record release concert at the Bluebird Theater, with Church Fire and Emerald Siam in the opening spots. Read all the deets and get tickets HERE. And that same night, in Boulder, don't forget about the comedy benefit for Andy Schneidkraut that I mentioned above. Click THIS LINK for more info! Also returning to the Bluebird that following Monday the 12th will be the great Tuareg musicians Tinariwen, who always put on a great show, which you can read all about HERE. And then later that week, just down the street at the Ogden Theater on Thursday September 15th, Japanese psych-rockers Kikagaku Moyo will be putting on what will no doubt be a terrific show as well. Get more info and tix HERE. Also happening right there in mid-month is Bob Mould's solo electric show taking place at the Oriental Theater on Friday Sept. 18th. You can read all about that one and get tix HERE. And if you want to make a special trip for something unique, the Ukrainian group DakhaBrakha — another band I saw at Big Ears once who knocked my socks off — will be performing at Fort Collins' The Lincoln Center on Wednesday Sept 21st, bringing the sounds of Kyiv right to FoCo for their only performance date in the region. Read all the details and get your tickets HERE! And last but not least for this month, London-based Afro-electronic musicians Ibibio Sound Machine will be performing at the Gothic on Friday September 23rd in what will undoubtedly be a very high-energy show. If you haven't heard them, check out their latest video HERE and then check out show details on the Gothic's site HERE.
And looking out a little further to October, Denver's own Hugh Ragin brings his Creative Ensemble to Dazzle Jazz on Monday October 3rd. You can read more details and get tickets on their site HERE. And the week after that, at Globe Hall, the noisy, all-female Japanese punk band Otoboke Beaver will be playing on Tuesday October 11th. Here's a little taste of what they do, which sealed the deal for me to want to go see them, but might just as quickly ensure that you aren't interested in being there — check this video for their song “Don't Light My Fire” by clicking HERE. Also at Dazzle a week and a half later, the drums and keyboards duo of Scott Amendola and Wil Blades will be doing a pair of shows on Wednesday October 12th at 7:00 and 9:30. They're also bringing along special guest Skerik on saxophone, so it should be a great night all around. You can read more HERE (link is to the early set, but you can click your way around Dazzle's site to access the later show). At the end of that same week, Lost Lake's stage will play host to danceable art rockers Guerilla Toss, who are touring in support of their new SubPop album Famously Alive). The show is on Saturday October 15th and you can read more deets and get tix HERE. And out near the end of the month, DU's Newman Center will be bringing Mexican singer-songwriter Lila Downs on Friday Oct. 28th. This should be a rare treat, and you can read more and order tickets HERE.
