Welcome to our monthly series on new Colorado music. Every month we highlight five local musicians, five local music videos and five local songs. Go here to check out previous entries to the series. Are you a Denver artist with fresh music you would like us to check out? Send to Mariah.Hansen@303Magazine.com for consideration.
As 2020 nears its end, it’s become increasingly more clear that the local music community is nothing if not resilient. Throughout months of quarantines and stay at home orders, the Colorado music scene has remained creative, finding ways to continue to create and share new music. Keeping with that creative theme, this month we’ve rounded up unique music that blends styles that don’t normally go together, songs that are full of unique lyrics and even sprinkled in a brand new genre – proving that new Colorado music is always fresh and exciting.
Five Up and Coming Local Acts
Yail
Listen if you like Touche Amore
Pioneers of a new genre they call beaker-core, Fort Collins band Yail draws inspiration not from traditional sources like their own human experience or emotions, but rather from science. Combining upbeat pop tempos with the aggression and frenzy of hardcore, Yail is a unique addition to the Colorado music scene.
Modern Lingo
Listen if you like The Strokes
With only six singles released so far, Modern Lingo draws on a variety of alternative rock bands for influence, ultimately melding all of it to create a distinctive sound. Combining the uptempo aggression of pop-punk with the easy melodies of bands like Artic Monkeys, Modern Lingo’s music highlights everything there is to love about the alternative genre.
Herenow
Listen if you like Bali Baby
Politically charged and dripping with sensuality, Denver-based solo artist Herenow’s debut release, Sugar Baby Songs, is impossible to ignore. The explosive debut explores the artist’s own personal experience with sex work before ultimately becoming a dominatrix, marking Herenow as a bold new voice in the local music scene, with quite a bit to say.
SPELLS
Listen if you like Teenage Bottle Rocket
No stranger to the local scene, Denver-based rock group SPELLS has been steadily building their discography for quite some time. However, they make it clear that their unique sound won’t be leaving the local scene anytime soon with their latest album, Charlie & The Shithead Take It Down a Notch.
Random Temple
Listen if you like Longlake
Originally from Oregon, the now Denver-based solo artist Random Temple layers instrumental melodies together to create songs driven by both the music and the emotion behind them.
Five New Local Songs
Joseph Lamar – “Obedience”
Listen if you like Childish Gambino
The third track from Joseph Lamar’s highly anticipated release Sin. [Act 1], “Obedience” showcases the solo artist’s distinctive sound. A chorus of voices pushes Lamar’s vocals forward, creating an almost religious experience.
Sister Neapolitan – “Devils Lament”
Listen if you like Christine and the Queens
“Devils Lament,” the latest single from Denver-based trio Sister Neapolitan, stays true to the folk band’s polished sound. The gentle melodies blend together effortlessly, serving as a perfect complement to the strong vocals.
The Mazlows – “Nightcaps and Goodbyes”
Listen if you like Knuckle Puck
Keeping themselves busy, local pop-punk outfit The Mazlows have reimagined some of their most popular songs – with the help of local artists like Slex Allen and Retrofette. Combining their classic pop-punk sound with the sounds of Denver’s beloved electronic scene, The Mazlows’ remixes are sure to be a favorite amongst local music enthusiasts.
Talk Is Cheap – “Time Heals Nothing”
Listen if you like Harms Way
Slowly but steadily making their name known within the local hardcore scene, Talk Is Cheap’s latest single “Time Heals Nothing” is their third release of 2020. Explosive and charged with aggression, the single is both heavy and melodic – without sacrificing any of what makes Talk Is Cheap a force to pay attention to.
Atomga – “Which One Are You”
Listen if you like Chopteeth
An introspective new single from Atomga, “Which One Are You” encourages listeners to turn our gaze inward and assess things like how we treat one another – and the impact that our actions can have. Released on election day, the single is a powerful call for fans to determine for themselves what kind of person they choose to be.
Five New Local Music Videos
Gestalt – “Connect the Dots”
Listen if you like Tigers Jaw
Filled with explosively bright colors, Gestalt’s latest music video showcases the local pop-punk outfit’s ability to juxtapose the highs and lows of life. Exploring how miscommunication can wreak havoc on relationships, “Connect the Dots” and the accompanying video is Gestalt’s most polished release yet.
Modern Leisure – “Rita”
Listen if you like Vampire Weekend
Filmed and finalized in the days before the COVID-19 pandemic led to shutdowns across the country, Modern Leisure’s latest music video is a pleasant reminder of what life looked like before the pandemic. Fittingly, “Rita” is a song about change – and the impossibility of trying to avoid it.
Tennis – “How To Forgive”
Listen if you like
A live video from their live stream, “How To Forgive” showcases Tennis at their finest. Appearing to perform inside a kaleidoscope, the video is enchanting and easy to watch, but even easier to get lost in.
3OH!3 – “Lonely Machines”
Listen if you like Metro Station
Marking the Boulder-based duo’s return to music, “Lonely Machines” is 3OH!3’s first release since 2016. Followed by the release of a holiday music video, it appears that “Lonely Machines” is the first of many releases that fans can expect from the electronic duo.
Milquetoast and Co. – “Hummingbirds”
Listen if you like Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra
Animated by award-winning director Brendan Huza, “Hummingbirds” explores the highs and lows of love. It explores what happens when comfortability leads us to do monstrous things to the ones we love and how we can recover.