French Connection

Eels
There are a few songs I never tire of hearing. Jimi Hendrix’s “Little Wing” is one of them. Billie Holiday’s “God Bless the Child” is another. Elvis’ “Suspicious Minds” and KISS’ “Rock and Roll All Nite” are all on that list. And another one near the top is the Eels’ “Mr. E’s Beautiful Blues.” From the first time I heard the tune on the Road Trip soundtrack, I was absolutely hooked on this sugar-pop confection. The fuzzy warmth of the Eels sound isn’t limited to this tune, and that’s despite the fact that much of lead singer Mark Everett’s material is heavily somber. He’s a master of incongruous juxtaposition, and probably one of the finest songwriters alive today. 8:30 p.m., April 9, Fox Theatre, Boulder, 303.443.3399. $20

Kanye West
It would be easy to dismiss Kanye West as just another loudmouthed, egomaniacal rapper with too much bling and too little talent. But then you’d be out of touch. Kanye’s proved he’s arguably the most talented hip hop artist on the scene with the release of the song “Jesus Walks” off of his debut album, The College Dropout. From that cut, West proven that not only was he a cut above his contemporaries, but that he was every bit a college professor’s son. Kanye’s educated in matters political and musical, and his sound keeps hip hop from descending into stale obscurity. 7:30 p.m., April 27, Pepsi Center, Denver, 303.405.1111. $30+

The Subdudes
Ringing in its 25th anniversary last fall, Herman’s Hideaway celebrated quite a landmark—it’s one of the longest continually operated live music venues in Denver. One of the reasons for that is a band that brought the house down whenever it played there. The Subdudes were a regular fixture at the club after relocating to Fort Collins in 1987, and steadily built an impressive fan base on the Front Range. The band’s tambourine-driven, Big Easy-bred sound certainly influenced Colorado’s homebred acts such as Leftover Salmon and String Cheese Incident. Though this show doesn’t take place at Herman’s, it’s still a bit of a homecoming. 7:30 p.m., April 10, Boulder Theater Boulder, 303.786.7030. $21