Courtesy Derek Bremner
The first full month of summer brought an array of new music by local musicians, including a long-awaited doom album and fresh debuts from up-and-coming indie acts.
Here are our favorite picks from Colorado musicians this month:
A Place For Owls
“To Be Found”
Denver emo group A Place For Owls teased its next EP, “All Thieves, Vol. 1” (September 25), by releasing first single, “To Be Found,” on June 12 via banner Broom of Destruction.
The acoustic slowcore song is a collab with Nashville lofi legend phoneswithchords and showcases the band’s softer, more vulnerable side in an indie-folk tone. The upcoming release is a cooperative effort between several other artists A Place For Owls are fond of, so stay tuned.
Dead Pioneers
“Wagon Burner”
Denver politico punks Dead Pioneers dropped a heater of an album, “Wagon Burner,” on June 26 via London independent label Hassle Records. The third record in six years, the five-piece is never short on material to blast about, thanks to frontman Gregg Deal’s way of addressing the current ills befalling America through searing lyricism and blunt spoken word poetry (“Seeing Red” is the latest example of his Indigenous-informed writing).
Dead Pioneers recruited Colorado Springs femmecore punkers Cheap Perfume for “Nazi Teeth,” and teamed up SoCal ska group The Interrupters on “Never Alone.” The message is getting louder.
Entropist
“The Vision”
Demons and celestial beings battle on the precipice of the void on “The Vision,” the debut concept record from Denver prog-metallers Entropist, released independently on June 25.
The origins of this nihilistic search for the meaning of life began over a decade ago, but Entropist only recently came together to start formulating it all into a proper album. Across eight acts, vocalist Parker Kitching, guitarist-vocalist Solomon Smith, guitarist Will Vinson, drummer Matt Gleason and bassist Jeremy Smith take listeners to some unlikely sonic places – “The Ritual” and “Revelation” — through off-kilter post-metal and djent.
Float Like a Buffalo
“Get in the Van”
Denver funk troupe Float Like a Buffalo offered up a breezy summer song, “Get in the Van,” which released independently on June 4. Carefree and upbeat, the jingle is an ode to wanderlust and filling your cup.
“At its heart, the song is about saying yes,” says lyricist and trombone/keys player Cory “Beef” Meier. “It’s about getting out of your comfort zone, chasing something you care about and seeing where the road takes you. For us, that’s music. For somebody else, it might be a new city, a new opportunity or just one more adventure with friends.”
Khemmis
“Khemmis”
The first Khemmis full-length in five years lived up to the hype, and then some. The Denver doom lord’s latest self-titled, released June 6 via Nuclear Blast, is a powerful, polished masterclass in modern epic metal led by the fierce and crisp guitar work of Ben Hutcherson and Phil Pendergast. Dueling leads have become a Khemmis calling card, and the new record features some of the duo’s best work, particularly on tracks such as “Corpsebloom Garden” and “Carrion King.” All killer, no filler here.
Matt Suave
“My House”
Denver house DJ Matt Suave celebrated Pride Month with new dance single, “My House,” released on June 19 via his independent label PlayHaus.
The founder of the local queer collective PlayHaus, Suave is a global DJ known for his community-building and LGBTQ performances around the world. His latest track is infused with all of that.
“Every groove, every influence I’d absorbed on the dance floor, poured into a single track for the first time,” he says. “The result is a vocal disco house cut with a classic piano breakdown in the second half that has since become one of my signature instruments in all my tracks.”
Trouble’s Braids
“Tarantula”
Originally a duo between couple Emily Pennington and Oliver Franklin, Trouble’s Braids became a proper four-piece while working on sophomore EP, “Tarantula,” released independently on June 5.
The four songs are Pennington and Franklin originals but brightened up with the addition of drummer Ryan O’Malley and bassist Jordan Smith — both now full-time members of the folkish Boulder country band. “Lion’s Mouth,” Pennington’s cowpunk opener, and “Drug of Choice,” a Franklin indie-rock ode, bookend the record and showcase the Western range of the burgeoning project.
Weapönizer
“Victory”
Denver speed-metal maniacs of Weapönizer are fast and furious as ever on single “Victory,” which was released independently on June 6. It’s been a minute since the crew threw us freaks a bone, but the good news is that the latest rager is part of the band’s upcoming third album (release date TBD). But in the meantime, “Victory” and its message of crushing fascism should hold you over.
“‘Victory’ is dedicated to those who fought fascism then — and a reminder that the fight never truly ends,” Weapönizer shares, pointing to the release date being the anniversary of WWII’s Operation Overlord and the landings at Normandy.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.westword.com ’
