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? Email thomas.rutherford@303magazine and/or james.lane@303magazine.com.
This month, we’re highlighting local Colorado artists who performed at this year’s FoCoMX!
5 New Tunes By Local Artists
Rosebay — “Waiting For Gus”
Rosebay brings a split personality to their latest double single and it works in their favor. “Waiting For Gus” leans into downcast guitar work and hushed vocals that have a heartbreaking, collapsing feeling to them. Flip it over, and “Heathrow Last Row Kind of Romantic” throws the mood out the window with raw guitars and shouted lines like “I don’t want to do anything,” delivered with just enough charm to make apathy feel kind of fun. The Fort Collins group alternates vocalists across these two tracks, giving each song its own distinct tone.
merch — “Sidequest”
Originally a transplant from Baltimore, MD, merch has been firmly rooted in Colorado Springs for just about a decade. His FoCoMX set turned the room into a full-blown dance floor. He has created a memorable connection with his fans by delivering authentic rap layered with clever hooks, and his merch crafts tracks that reward close listening due to the real creativity packed into the details. His latest single, “Sidequest,” featuring KO Kelly, rides a danceable jungle-inspired beat, showing off merch’s strength to connect high energy with sharp production. In addition to his own music, he is also the co-founder and producer behind Anthem Music Enterprises, a Colorado-based company founded on a mission to address the mental health crisis through music. Through this project, he helps reimagine how independent artists create, perform, and connect with their communities.
Cherokee Social — “Hookup Culture”
Cherokee Social brings a bold mix of experimental pop, high-impact rhythms, and Indigenous roots to the Colorado music scene. Based in Denver, the duo is on the rise, drawing crowds with their impactful, high-energy performances. Their latest track, “Hookup Culture,” has a into a warped pop sound with lots of reverb that makes the vocals shine. The track is genuinely danceable, yet strangely captivating in the best way. Led by an Indigenous frontman while also anchored by a sharp ear for production, Cherokee Social is one of the more distinctive voices that played FoCoMX this year.
Cactus Cat — “Summer Days” EP
Cactus Cat’s Summer Days EP has a knack for making music that feels adventure-filled with sunshine and joy, to sipping on a cocktail in a darkly lit jazz club. The Fort Collins group has a sax-heavy arrangement and light-footed rhythms that summon the notion of a poolside daydream or a late-night wander. Female and male vocals trade off across the record, giving each track its own identity while still feeling tied to a central place. It kicks off with “No Silence,” a breezy opener that sets the tone before easing into “Big City Lights,” which shifts gears with a more introspective vocal performance. “Sculptures” moves like a smoky jazz set, complete with a warm saxophone solo and a faint hint of vaporwave around the edges. “Wrong Side of Life” brings a moodier atmosphere, slower, more intimate, with a vocal delivery that sits right on the edge of breaking. “Bad Friday” is a curious tune, playful and exploratory. The title track wraps things up with a little extra snap from the guitar, but never loses that laid-back glow.
juney — “Puffin”
juney is quietly becoming one of Fort Collins’ exciting new voices, which he demonstrated during his FoCoMx set. His latest trio of singles includes “Tic,” “Yacht Woman,” and “Puffin.” They all flow with a cozy, easygoing charm that creates an image of sitting by a fire pit with friends or daydreaming at a coffee shop, sipping on your favorite brew. The songs carry a cinematic softness, as if they were pulled straight from the soundtrack of an indie film or a well-timed rom-com montage. There’s a gentleness to juney’s sound that fits right into the Colorado landscape of mountains in the distance, a breeze, and just enough emotion to keep things warm. His music is for those who enjoy a peacefulness and chill.
5 Local Up and Comers
VIVIAN OBLIVIAN
VIVIAN OBLIVION has a feeling of moody synth, hypnotic vocals, and a playful sense of darkness that lands somewhere between a basement goth rave and an old iPod commercial, in the best way possible. Songs like “Tick Tock Talk” and “Dom If You Want To” convey a shadowy, danceable energy with a confident edge, while their rework of “Fade Into You” flips the classic into something sleeker and more haunted without losing its original charm. Their 2024 track “Blah Blah Blah” brings even more texture with layering chants of driven vocals and saxophone into something that feels chaotic, but still somehow completely dialed in at the same time. VIVIAN OBLIVION was one of the more unpredictable and satisfying sets at this year’s FoCoMX
mon cher
mon cher makes soft, light-on-its-feet dream pop that drifts more than it drives, landing somewhere between bedroom daydreams and early morning kitchen dance breaks. The Fort Collins artist’s 2023 album sweet & heady and follow-up fool EP lean into hazy synths, hushed vocals, and the kind of phrasing that feels handwritten. Tracks like “this world” and “i am your fool” feel built for flower-filled windowsills and late-night playlists, where small feelings bloom into something weightless. The project’s aesthetic are minimal, soft-edged, and slightly vintage and it translates well on stage, too. mon cher brought her warm, late-summer energy to this year’s FoCoMX, offering a gentle pause in the festival’s louder moments.
illFRAME
illFRAME is a Fort Collins-based band pushing their way into Colorado’s heavier scenes with a raw, tightly wound debut EP, “Otis.” Across six tracks, the band flirts with chaos that’s combining hardcore urgency, alternative grit, and the occasional punk detour. It’s a project that doesn’t waste time on pleasantries. The opener “Intro” hits like a starter pistol, and “Rather Die!” follows with pointed, politically tinged aggression. The band’s sound leans toward the unpolished and volatile, with tracks like “Nihil” and “Bring Me Down” channeling a kind of frenzied, restless energy that feels like it would be played in tightly packed basements or DIY venues. “Red Sunset,” the EP’s closer, breaks form slightly with a sample intro and a switch in vocalists, hinting at range that makes it unpredictable and exciting. Only two years in, the band is still early in its run, but their debut shows a clear sense of intent to throw elbows at everything in their way. illFRAME joins the 2025 lineup of FoCoMX this month, bringing their explosive live set, be sure to check them out.
The Crooked Rugs
The Crooked Rugs sound like a dusty reel of film dug up from a 1970s flower field and played through a lava lamp. The Fort Collins five-piece leans hard into psych-pop nostalgia, complete with harmonies that shimmer and guitar tones with reverb and a tape hiss. Their latest full-length, Hear & Now, came out at the tail end of last year and it’s packed with tracks like “Melancholy Mind” and “Desert Waltz” that feel made for sun-dazed afternoons by a river, or slow drives through empty canyons. They’re clearly students of classic songwriting, but aren’t afraid to twist the knobs with their song like “THRILL” from an earlier release is a wall of pedal-driven guitar chaos that hits like a carnival ride. Elsewhere, “Midnight Cowboy” winds things down like a closing credits tune from an old Western.
Clementine
clementine brings a restless edge to Northern Colorado’s alt-rock circuit, folding punk flourishes into a sound that nods to ‘90s grunge without falling into full nostalgia. Their 2024 album, Makes Me a Machine, kicks off with “Non-Disclosure Agreement,” a standout that leans into clever phrasing and discontent, riding a distorted groove that wouldn’t feel out of place on a scratched CD next to Nirvana’s album Bleach. From there, the band swings into looser, hookier territory with “Plastic Smile” practically begging for a dive into a chlorinated pool, while “Lowlife” splits the difference between emo-era theatrics and backyard-set sing-alongs. It’s a mix that doesn’t take itself too seriously, but still hits with intention.
5 New Music Videos By Local Artists
Curci — “The Rum Diary” Featuring Boldy James
Curci returned to FoCoMX this year with a standout new visual release that puts his craftsmanship front and center. The lyric video for “The Rum Diary,” featuring Boldy James and production from MIKE SUMMERS, has the vibe of a late-night channel surf through a lost film reel, it’s cool-toned, jagged, and just left of familiar. The track opens with a cryptic voiceover pulled from an old movie, setting the stage for Curci’s quick-footed first line: “Listen, time’s not waiting for no man, I’m still swinging swords like I’m Conan.” Backed by a flickering stream of vintage cinema flashes of rooftop drinks, typewriters, and a speeding highway chase. This track is legitimately smooth like something you’d hear playing out of a car window at 2 AM. With this new release and a Fort Collins hometown slot at FoCoMX, Curci is building an empire of bangers that continues to string hot new songs throughout the coming months.
hunnie — “All I Ever Wanted”
hunnie is one of the newer names surfacing out of Denver’s R&B scene, and her latest video for “All I Ever Wanted” shows exactly why she’s starting to catch ears out here. The visuals move between gloomy shots of late-night carnivals and smoke-filled bedrooms; the frames are dialed in with deep, moody lighting that lingers longer than expected. There’s something slightly nostalgic running through it all, sorta like flipping through old photographs you don’t quite remember taking. The song feels confident, full of little moments that connect with the listener. “All I Ever Wanted” fits the build of a slow-burning scene to something that is probably much deeper.
Lane-O — “Beautiful”
Lane-O brings a polished ease to his Tiny Desk-style performance of “Beautiful,” captured live inside Denver’s Lawrence & Larimer, a very vibey streetwear shop. Backed by a full band complete with strings, backing vocals, and a guitarist who absolutely kills it in the opening, Lane-O delivers sharp, heartfelt lines with steady control. He kicks things off with a spoken intro that reads more like a mission statement than an icebreaker, setting the tone for a track that’s full of warmth and grounded optimism. The production is jazzy, kinda heading in the direction of lounge territory, which gives Lane-O plenty of room to stretch out his flow. His delivery is measured and purposeful, pairing well with the tight grooves and expressive instrumental work surrounding him.
RAT VON RAT — “Staples”
Fort Collins-based four-piece, RAT VON RAT, moves fast and loose, with their latest music video “Staples” capturing a raw energy with zero pretense. All studio sessions, the video has a laid-back jam room vibe, it’s all wood-paneled walls, stacked amps, and a group of dudes who clearly enjoy making noise together. Sonically, there’s a familiar charm of somewhere between ‘90s skate punk and late-night cable reruns. The riffs have bite, the vocals keep things punchy, and the lyrics brush up against the occult without going full doom and gloom.
Post Paradise — “The Place Where I Belong”
Post Paradise has quietly held their own in the Northern Colorado scene for over a decade, and their latest release, “The Place Where I Belong,” continues their steady run of ambitious rock arrangements with a cinematic edge. The video stitches together sweeping landscapes and fast-moving city moments. There are also sunsets, trails, crowds, and waterfalls, all in motion that mirror the band’s approach to scale and pacing. Built around an electric guitar and a cello that isn’t just for show, the track moves with intention, pulling from post-indie muscle and orchestral delight. It’s a song that feels just as comfortable in a theater as it would soundtracking a feel-good indie film.