WASTED ENERGY

Blog on all things music. From local show reviews, to crusty opinion pieces, interviews with the stars, and historical content from "Waste Paper," a 1980s zine.
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Swords. Sorcery. Sick riffs: Castle Rat at the Ogden
Swords. Sorcery. Sick riffs: Castle Rat at the Ogden
Castle Rat is part of the recent revival of 1980s pulp fantasy aesthetics. The band’s members lovingly drape themselves in the nostalgic and campy fun of comic artist Frank Frazetta... Read more...
On the fringes of Insane Clown Posse
On the fringes of Insane Clown Posse
“This must be your first time,” the tall Juggalette yelled, tugging at the sleeve of the now-sticky trash bag I’d improvised into a poncho for Insane Clown Posse’s recent show... Read more...
The Plantasia Festival Experience
The Plantasia Festival Experience
Earlier this month I was lucky enough to be able to attend Day One of the annual “Plantasia” festival at Chicago’s Garfield Park Conservatory. This Conservatory puts this even on... Read more...
Music, Fashion, Film stays true to Charli, despite what some fans say
Music, Fashion, Film stays true to Charli, despite what some fans say
As a longtime Charli XCX fan, these last few years have been a total whirlwind. From pandemic DJ sets on Instagram and seeing her at the Ogden during what some... Read more...
Three Albums To Soundtrack Your Summer
Three Albums To Soundtrack Your Summer
If you’re like me, summertime can sometimes feel like nothing more than a three month, heat-filled, hurdle to get to Halloween. Up until a of couple years ago, summer was... Read more...
A night of mangled gold: King Tuff show at Globe Hall on 5/9/26
A night of mangled gold: King Tuff show at Globe Hall on 5/9/26
By Jeff Doan (guest contributor) A crowded room, a small venue, some good BBQ, and a killer show is all a music lover needs in life. That is exactly what... Read more...
Wax Trax 2026 Record Store Day Picks
Wax Trax 2026 Record Store Day Picks
Record Store Day 2026 is Saturday, April 18 — doors open at 8am By Wax Trax Staff If you haven’t had time to look at Record Store Day 2026 list,... Read more...
Gorillaz scale The Mountain of death
Gorillaz scale The Mountain of death
Death is one of the few things that all humans have to experience. Whether it’s your own clock coming to an end, or witnessing the aftermath of somebody else’s passing.... Read more...
St. Valentine’s Day Mayhem Ball, worth the wait
St. Valentine’s Day Mayhem Ball, worth the wait
It took us an extra five months, but I finally got to see Lady Gaga’s Mayhem Ball. Initially, my friends and I planned to see her in Chicago in September,... Read more...
Albums for the taken, the single, and the complicated
Albums for the taken, the single, and the complicated
Working in a record store means that you’re constantly reminded of love. From the many first dates nervously feeling out music tastes, to the old timers picking up classic rock... Read more...
Don’t Be Dumb and play it safe
Don’t Be Dumb and play it safe
Every once in a while, we get lucky and see an artist pull off the impossible – meeting the expectations of a highly anticipated release. After eight years of stop-and-go... Read more...
Wax Trax Best of ’25
Wax Trax Best of ’25
2025 is officially over. To celebrate making it to the next quarter-century (all our cigarettes and beer haven’t killed us yet), some staff compiled their list of the year’s best... Read more...
Spinnin’ around the Christmas tree
Spinnin’ around the Christmas tree
Some holiday staples recommended by our staff for your stockings There’s only one thing that can salvage our souls under the layers of Christmas consumerism this time of year, and... Read more...
RSD Black Friday: Wax Trax staff picks
RSD Black Friday: Wax Trax staff picks
We just dropped some info about our RSD Black Friday festivities. For the first time, considering we opened our new Northside location last month, we’re hosting it at THREE (3)... Read more...
The best Halloween records (that aren’t Halloween records)
The best Halloween records (that aren’t Halloween records)
Haunting a small space near our popular Christmas vinyl section lives our cobwebbed Halloween records. While we don’t have as many folks clamoring for a haunted house sound effects album... Read more...
Ethan’s guide to fall music
Ethan’s guide to fall music
For as long as I can remember, fall has been my favorite season. The leaves start to change color, Halloween is around the corner, and finally—finally—the weather isn’t so damn... Read more...
Ethel Cain: Last Exit To Tallahassee
Ethel Cain: Last Exit To Tallahassee
Treading close to the edge of bathos, Ethel Cain’s music seems to take place in a space of contradiction: dream-pop hymns that tell stories of captivity, abuse, and queer desire... Read more...
The risk and reward of Man’s Best Friend
The risk and reward of Man’s Best Friend
Before I get into the meat and potatoes of this review, a quick disclaimer: this record leans heavily into sexual content — as the not-so-subtle cover art makes clear. While... Read more...
A few masterpieces of production
A few masterpieces of production
It’s no secret that producers are the unsung heroes of hip-hop. Whether it’s flipping through the dustiest crevices of a record store to create an iconic sample, or adding the... Read more...
Blown away
Blown away
Nine Inch Nails at Ball Arena on August 15, 2025 Trent Reznor announced to the near capacity crowd at Ball Arena recently that he was “blown away” that so many... Read more...
A picture is worth a thousand notes
A picture is worth a thousand notes
Wax Trax takes pride in its creativity when it comes to displaying vinyl. In 1993, when the Pope came to Denver we had a Popeapalooza display with bands like Ministry,... Read more...
A messy conclusion to The Weeknd’s After Hours Trilogy
A messy conclusion to The Weeknd’s After Hours Trilogy
On May 16th, my roommate and I saw an opening day screening of “Hurry Up Tomorrow” – the film accompaniment to Abel Tesfaye’s final album as ‘The Weeknd’ that was... Read more...
Fontaines D.C. rocks Denver for the second time in six months
Fontaines D.C. rocks Denver for the second time in six months
Photos by Michael McGrath “My childhood was small, but I’m gonna be big.” Grian Chatten sang to a sold-out crowd at Denver’s Mission Ballroom last Tuesday. That lyric from Fontaines... Read more...
Wax Trax 2025 Record Store Day Picks
Wax Trax 2025 Record Store Day Picks
It’s time — Record Store Day is tomorrow. We’ve been busy repeating the alphabet to organize releases, polishing plates of treats for the audiophile, and grumbling about an 8am open... Read more...
Wonder from down under
Wonder from down under
Amyl & the Sniffers @ The Mission Ballroom on 3/31/25 Photos 1, 3, and 4 are by Michael McGrath Photos 2 and 5 are by Sam Zalkin As Amyl and... Read more...
Viva la soundtrack!
Viva la soundtrack!
Five top tracks from five top soundtracks Soundtracks can make or break a movie. I’m no critic, but I love music and I love movies, and if you’re reading this... Read more...
Mount Eerie’s ancient harvest dance
Mount Eerie’s ancient harvest dance
Mount Eerie / Ragana @ Fox Theater on 2/22/25 Mount Eerie @ Fox Theater 2/22 Phil Elverum would like to do things his own way. “My tour life exists in... Read more...
Drinking TNT, smoking dynamite
Drinking TNT, smoking dynamite
Delta Sonics at Clancy’s Irish Tavern – 1/24/25 I was out the other night to see one of my favorite Denver blues bands, the Delta Sonics. I would imagine that... Read more...
Duane’s baker’s dozen: Great albums from 2024
Duane’s baker’s dozen: Great albums from 2024
***Sadly, after this was written, we learned that QUITS singer/guitarist, Luke Fairchild, died on January 1. Luke pretty much lived his adult life in Rock ‘n’ Roll: the outpouring of... Read more...
Wax Trax Best of ’24
Wax Trax Best of ’24
As 2024 comes to a close, we asked our staff to compile their list of the year’s best music and music experiences. Peruse their picks below for their takes on... Read more...
Our Holiday Record Picks
Our Holiday Record Picks
We may have a reputation for being more of scrooges than cheermeisters over here, but that doesn’t change our love for a bangin’ holiday record. We asked our staff what... Read more...
What We’re Listening To: 12/5/2024 (Eric Dolphy, Charli XCX, & The Dead C)
What We’re Listening To: 12/5/2024 (Eric Dolphy, Charli XCX, & The Dead C)
Nick Tassinari- Eric Dolphy-Out to Lunch LP“If David Lynch made a detective noir movie this would be the soundtrack. Squanky and skrongly af.” Ethan Goddard– Charli XCX – How I’m... Read more...
What We’re Listening To: 11/28/2024 (Navy Blue, Daniel Johnston & Harry Pussy)
What We’re Listening To: 11/28/2024 (Navy Blue, Daniel Johnston & Harry Pussy)
Nick Tassles– Navy Blue – Ways of Knowing LP “Keeping up the tradition of talented story tellers of Brooklyn hip hop — introspective and conversational.” Daisy Spinelli- Daniel Johnston –... Read more...
Playlist for a new America
Playlist for a new America
The day after the election, against all odds, life continued on. The straw did not, in fact, break the camels back. I found myself behind the counter of Wax Trax.... Read more...
What We’re Listening To: 11/21/2024 (Radiohead, The Ex, & Amyl and the Sniffers)
What We’re Listening To: 11/21/2024 (Radiohead, The Ex, & Amyl and the Sniffers)
Gretta Stidman – Radiohead – In Rainbows LP “In Rainbows is a strikingly intimate and experimental album that blends lush, atmospheric soundscapes with raw emotional depth, showcasing Radiohead’s mastery of... Read more...
Wax Trax’s RSD Black Friday picks
Wax Trax’s RSD Black Friday picks
Record Store Day is the brainchild of the owners of Criminal Records in Atlanta and Bull Moose Records scattered all over Maine. Since then (2007) it has grown and evolved... Read more...
What We’re Listening To: 11/13/2024 (Kublai Khan TX, Saâda Bonaire, & Jimmy Fallon)
What We’re Listening To: 11/13/2024 (Kublai Khan TX, Saâda Bonaire, & Jimmy Fallon)
Yulia Macaroni- Kublai Khan – Exhibition of Prowess LP“…uh let me check my calendar Metalcore Monday Two Step Tuesday Windmill Wednesday Throw Down Thursday Floor Punch Friday Slam Dance Saturday... Read more...
What We’re Listening To: 10/16/2024 (James White and the Blacks, Jelly Roll & Unwound)
What We’re Listening To: 10/16/2024 (James White and the Blacks, Jelly Roll & Unwound)
Duane Davis, Supreme Arbiter of Taste– James White and the Blacks – Melt Yourself Down “Cold funk so brittle you’ll get splinters in your ear just listening to it! James... Read more...
What We’re Listening To: 10/10/2024 (Spazz, Melt Banana & Saib)
What We’re Listening To: 10/10/2024 (Spazz, Melt Banana & Saib)
Molly- Spazz – Crush Kill Destroy“ARF ARF! AOOOGAHHH! POWERVIOLENCE MAKES MY BRAIN GO BZZZZZZZ” Doug Emm– Melt Banana – 3+5 “This is the best record in 36 years. Is it... Read more...
Green Day and Smashing Pumpkins… together?
Green Day and Smashing Pumpkins… together?
I’ve often wondered how certain tour lineups come together. Sure, summer is full of festivals with a common genre or a mix of artists with a little something for everyone,... Read more...
What We’re Listening To: 9/20/2024 (Patti Smith, Gesaffelstein, & Open Mike Eagle)
What We’re Listening To: 9/20/2024 (Patti Smith, Gesaffelstein, & Open Mike Eagle)
Duane- Patti Smith – Easter “Released in 1978, Easter is the Patti Smith Group’s 3rd album. Rightly revered as one of the seminal sparks for the nascent NYC Punk scene... Read more...
Midwife releases “No Depression in Heaven” LP at the Bluebird with Polly Urethane and DBUK
Midwife releases “No Depression in Heaven” LP at the Bluebird with Polly Urethane and DBUK
“If Rock and Roll’s a dream, please don’t wake me,” Midwife sang on “Rock and Roll Never Forgets,” the opening track to her new album “No Depression in Heaven.” For... Read more...
Five albums on a Denver teen’s radar
Five albums on a Denver teen’s radar
Hi! I’m Sam, Wax Trax’s high school marketing intern, here to help promote events, put out this newsletter, and do fun social media things. I’m told that what a high... Read more...
What We’re Listening To: 9/4/2024 (Reverend Kristin Asha Puthli, Grouper, & Paris Texas)
What We’re Listening To: 9/4/2024 (Reverend Kristin Asha Puthli, Grouper, & Paris Texas)
Sam Z- Grouper – Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill “The only album I’ll listen to when it’s raining! Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill is Grouper’s acoustic... Read more...
What We’re Listening To: 8/28/2024 (Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter, Duster, & Risqué III)
What We’re Listening To: 8/28/2024 (Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter, Duster, & Risqué III)
Molly- Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter – Saved “From the artist formerly known as Lingua Ignota comes easily one of the scariest records I’ve ever heard. Imagine the O Brother, Where... Read more...
What We’re Listening To: 8/21/24 (Destroy All Monsters, DJ Rashad, and DIIV)
What We’re Listening To: 8/21/24 (Destroy All Monsters, DJ Rashad, and DIIV)
Molly- Destroy All Monsters – Destroy All Monsters “Perfect early Michigan art rock! Featuring members of MC5 and the Stooges, with pop-artist Niagara on vocals. Sounds like proto – Sonic... Read more...
What We’re Listening To: 8/15/24 (Myeye & Juicebox, Arthur Verocai, and Amyl and the Sniffers)
What We’re Listening To: 8/15/24 (Myeye & Juicebox, Arthur Verocai, and Amyl and the Sniffers)
Nick- Myeye & Juicebox – Psyche Gems “Full disclosure I went to music school with Juicebox and he was one of the most talented kids in my class. He’s been... Read more...
What We’re Listening To – 8/9/24 (The Dandy Warhols, Hiroshi Suzuki & Antonio Adolfo)
What We’re Listening To – 8/9/24 (The Dandy Warhols, Hiroshi Suzuki & Antonio Adolfo)
Liz- The Dandy Warhols – Rockmaker“The Dandies are back with their trademark snark and guest appearances from Frank Black, Debbie Harry and Slash. Highlights are I’d Like to Help You... Read more...
The Decemberists: As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again
The Decemberists: As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again
The Decemberists is a band that doesn’t fit neatly into one genre. They have been described as indie pop, alternative rock, indie folk, and baroque rock. Their 2009 concept album,... Read more...
What We’re Listening To: 8/1/24 (Spacemen 3, Homeshake, and Glaxo Babies)
What We’re Listening To: 8/1/24 (Spacemen 3, Homeshake, and Glaxo Babies)
Nick- Homeshake – Horsie “Homeshake is back for the second time this year. This album is definitely a return to his usual style. Melancholic and dreamy.” Duane- Spacemen 3 –... Read more...