Hey all -

Firstly, we want to extend a huge THANK YOU to everyone who came out last weekend for this year's Record Store Day! It's always our busiest day of the year and that is always because you show up in force to make it that way. This year since the weather cooperated for once, we had our longest line in many years at opening, but it all ran super smoothly and despite allocations having an impact on a number of titles, most everyone seemed to be pretty happy with how it all went — I know we were! We've still got a good number of things we did not get allocated on and stocked up well on in stock to sell, so if you couldn't make it down (or didn't want to deal with the crowds), you can still get in on some of the RSD action. Come on down and check it out. And as a reminded, all our RSD weekend restrictions are lifted — you can buy as many copies as you need, we're happy to do mail orders/online orders for items in stock, and we will hold in-stock items for you as needed. Give us a holler with any questions you may have and we'll help you out!

We also want to make sure everyone is aware that we will be closing early this Sunday April 20th for the Easter Holiday. Our hours will be 10AM — 5PM on Easter.

And coming up in just about a week and a half, we are happy to be playing host to a listening party for the new album by Blondshell If You Asked for A Picture! On Monday April 28th at 5PM we'll have out early listening party, while the album doesn't release until that Friday May 2nd. As usual, we will have a limited bunch of free stuff while supplies last — on a first come-first served basis. There's no need to RSVP, just come on down on the 28th! We'll be kicking off the listening a little after 5 PM — and make sure if you're a fan that you get your tickets to her show at the Bluebird on Sunday June 8th!

During the BRT Bus Line construction project on the Colfax Corridor, please check this page on our website HERE that will house all the latest information and links to many of our favorite local business neighbors on this stretch of Colfax. Please make an extra effort to support these businesses during the construction project!

And right after the intensity of RSD, we're right back with another strong week of releases — several biggies are noted below, but some folks have issued smaller-scale stuff out that's worth noting, so read on: TV on the Radio founding member Tunde Adebimpe releases his very first solo album Thee Black Boltz this week (we've filed it in with TVOTR if you want to find it though!) — it's out on CD and we've got the Loser edition clear black/white vinyl LP as well; L.A. indie musician Banks is back with the CD release of her fifth album Off With Her Head (LP is already available); indie/folk group Beirut returns with their seventh album A Study of Losses, out on CD and clear blue vinyl LP; Osees frontman John Dwyer and David Barbarossa of Bow Wow Wow/Adam & the Ants have teamed up for a new project called Chime Oblivion, and their self-titled new release is out now on both CD and colored vinyl LP; the Original Jazz Classics label has joined the group of labels reissuing lovely LP pressings of jazz classics in their catalog and this week they bring us two by the inimitable Miles Davis — the 1955 release The Musings of Miles (unique in being the only album in Miles' extensive catalog with only trumpet and a rhythm section) and the 1957 release Walkin' (recorded 1954 with two different groups), an early hard bop landmark; and in more jazz news, the Resonance label released four limited vinyl RSD releases last week, but this week they're all out on CD, with titles by Kenny Dorham, Freddie Hubbard, Charles Mingus, and Wes Montgomery; and in more jazz vinyl news, Verve Records brings three LP reissues as well — the Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges small group classic from 1959 Side By Side is part of their Verve Acoustic Sounds series and Bennie Maupin's 1977 fusion-jazz release Slow Traffic to the Right, his second solo album after leaving Miles Davis' 1970s groups, is from their Verve By Request series, and Pharoah Sanders' 1974 Love In Us All has also been issued in the Verve By Request series; long-running Dutch political punk band The Ex is back with their first new album in seven years, If Your Mirror Breaks, out now on CD and LP; Rhiannon Giddens has re-teamed with her Carolina Chocolate Drops bandmate Justin Robinson for the new album What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow?, released today on CD and LP; and in another RSD vinyl release (which we've still got stock on as of today) being issued on CD the week after, we've now also got CDs of the Francoise Hardy collection En Vogue: Best Of 1962-1967; the Melvins continue their unstoppable chain of albums with Thunderball, out now on CD and indie exclusive grey/black smoke LP; the reunited Zorn/Laswell/Harris group Painkiller completes their trilogy of new releases with the heavy/ambient new CD release The Great God Pan (no LP release listed); also out this week are reissues on both CD and LP of the first two albums by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers — the self-titled debut and 1978's You're Gonna Get It; and last but definitely not least, Blue Note Records also has a pair of LP reissues this week as part of their Blue Note Classic Vinyl reissue series — Don Pullen's great 1989 trio album New Beginnings, and Tony Williams' penultimate album, the 1996 release Civilization, featuring Herbie Hancock and Pat Metheny among others.

This week in movies new releases it's again a milder week, but as always there are a few goodies worth noting. Here's what we've got in stock: on Blu-ray this week we have the early John Sayles drama Baby It's You, Radiance Films' release of the Shohei Imamura's Palme d'Or-winning 1997 film The Eel, and two John Wayne hits — Donovan's Reef and Sands of Iwo Jima. We've also got a pair of music Blu-ray releases this week — The Darkness — Welcome to the Darkness and Lettuce — With the Colorado Symphony. We've also got the Criterion Collection release of Wong Kar Wai's classic Chungking Express, out on both Blu-ray and a 4K UHD/Blu-ray combo pack, plus a UHD release from Synapse Films of the 1978 cult horror film Blue Sunshine.

Outside the store, tomorrow night (Saturday April 19th) Scream Screen returns to the Sie Film Center, continuing their year-long 10th anniversary celebration with the brand-new Vinegar Syndrome original They Call Her Death, presented on 35mm film! The film will be preceded with an opening performance by the long-dormant Denver gothic-folkloric band Tarantella and you can read all about the event and get your tix HERE! Our pals at the Sie also have a terrific series running throughout the month – April Showers, a varied batch of films that share one trait: they're all merciless tearjerkers. Check the full list HERE to make your plans. And don't worry — tissues will be provided! Coming up at Dazzle on Tuesday April 29th and Wednesday the 30th the hard-to-categorize (but jazz-leaning) group Kneebody will be appearing for three shows — on Tuesday at 7PM and on Wednesday at 7:00 and 9:30. HERE is the link for the Tuesday show and you can move around site for the shows on the 30th!

And looking out to May, we definitely want to take a moment to draw your attention to Still Loud! A Celebration of Michael McGrath, a tribute to the great local music photographer, scene legend, and all-around great guy. He was recently diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer, but rather than hold a memorial, his family is holding a celebration of his life while he's still with us to enjoy it. On Friday May 30th at the Oriental Theater, the event will be taking place, featuring performances from Pink Mountaintops, Rowboat, Peter Paul & Gary, and Porlolo, plus a gallery-style show of his photography work, and you can read all about the event HERE. Proceeds from both ticket and photo sales go to help the McGrath family out. Also happening on Friday the 2nd one of the West Coast's best and most underheralded hip-hop MCs, Lyrics Born, will be in town performing at Ophelia's Electric Soapbox. You can read all about him and the show or secure your tickets HERE. And then on Sunday May 4th, Cervantes will be playing host to a great show rescheduled from last year, as two legends of African music, Ebo Taylor and Pat Thomas roll into town. Read more about these greats and get tix HERE! And then the multi-sensory overload that is an Itchy-O show will be happening on Saturday May 10th at the Ogden Theater, with Australian post-punk/electronic music wiz JG Thirwell opening the show. Get deets and tix HERE. Of course if that doesn't sound like your cup of tea English singer-songwriter Yola will be taking the stage at the Bluebird that same night, and everything you need to know about that show can be found HERE. The following night, Sunday May 11th, Cervantes again plays host to some of Africa's finest when Seun Kuti and his band take the stage. You can get info and tix HERE (and note that they are also playing The Aromry in Fort Collins on Friday 5/9!). At the Gothic Theater on Thursday May 15th, the legendary post-punk band Gang of Four will be taking the stage. Tix and info are both to be found HERE. Jumping back to the local scene, progressive metal band Dreadnought wraps up their tour alongside Philly metal band Witching with a homecoming show on Saturday May 17th at the Hi-Dive. Info on that event and tickets are available HERE. On May 30th & 31st, Denver-based non-profit organization, the Denver Rock Orchestra will be kicking off Pride Month a little early with their show Rainbow Connection, taking place at The People's Building in Aurora (just across the street from the Aurora Fox Arts Center). For two high-energy nights on the eve of Pride month, come enjoy a mix of familiar rock and pop music that honors the spirit and joy of the LGBTQIA+ community, reimagined with classical instruments and killer vocals. You can read more about the event and score your tickets HERE or read more about the Denver Rock Orchestra's mission HERE! Closing out a very busy month and bridging our way to the next one Southern Culture on the Skids will be performing two nights at Globe Hall, Saturday May 31st and June 1st and everything you need to know for it can be found HERE!

Be sure to stay safe and healthy out there. Please feel free to take advantage of our complimentary masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer while shopping to help keep yourself and your community healthy!

Cheers,
Patrick