Album Review: Companion – Second Day of Spring

June 8, 2022

Fort Collins based identical twin sisters Sophia and Jo Babb, otherwise known as Companion, release their debut folk/americana album Second Day of Spring with vocal harmonies that match as perfectly as their DNA.

They find creative ways to use their voices throughout, processing the trauma of their father taking his own life and their own feelings of isolation. Their unisons are striking, the balance and the carefully constructed harmonies giving the illusion that they are coming from the same person.

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Album Review: Neoma – Hyperreal

June 3, 2022

Denver synth-pop resident Neoma brings her Ecuadorian influences to the Front Range with her new album Hyperreal. Her definitive style brings a welcome slice of musical diversity to Denver’s predominantly americana/rock scene, and her ‘sad-girl’ aesthetic doesn’t stop listeners from wanting to dance-it-up like they’re at the club.

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Album Review: Draghoria – Dangerous Species

June 2, 2022

Colorado mainstay metallers Draghoria have long been a force to be reckoned with. Their latest effort, Dangerous Species, has not only maintaineed their place on the mountain but have effectively secured their territory at the top.
Draghoria is known in the Colorado community for sheer, sonic brutality, creating an amalgamation of old-school thrash and modern metal held together by forceful melodies, unmatched musicianship, and nods to a plethora of styles that scream (pun intended) pure metal.

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EP Review: Elektric Animals – Channels

May 2, 2022

Denver’s Elektric Animals ring in the summer via the upbeat rock sound of their new EP Channels. They guarantee that every song, no matter how few, is a bop you will dance to as the weather warms up.
“Come Clean” pulls listeners right in with a fast, dancy drum groove and rhythmic guitar and Nick Sanders’ gritty vocal is sent boiling into a fevered scream. If they haven’t already, 93.3 needs to put this track in their rotation now.

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Album Review: Anthony Ruptak – Backrooms

April 26, 2022

Like Ruptak’s earlier work, Backrooms is emotionally charged, but themes of anger, regret and despair are balanced by love and connection.

“The overall arc is one of evolution and healing,” Ruptak explained.

Scenes that play out over fragile, haunting melodies include a funeral for a well-loved dog, an ambulance ride to a hospice center and a white-knuckle drive to the house of a suicidal family member. On “Angie,” Ruptak proposes to his wife. Literally.

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EP Review: Ronan Andrews – Quarter Life Crisis

April 25, 2022

Ronan Andrews’ new solo EP Quarter Life Crisis features upbeat and bright pop with some groovy jazz and soul undertones that should please fans of Mayor Hawthorne or Silk Sonic.

There’s a happy, feel-good air about his songs, like the upbeat opening track “Dancing Like a Fool,” featuring a bouncing piano groove, full vocal harmonies and cool guitar licks. It gives “Sunday Morning” by Maroon 5 feelings, especially when the piano plays lush, jazz-influenced chord changes.

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Album Review: Holdfast. – Movies

April 6, 2022

Holdfast.’s new album Movies brings their expected electro dark-pop and rock aesthetic but leans into other styles that open their doors to new fans.

Singer Charlie Maddocks demonstrates a dramatic contrast in dynamics, one that MUSE’s lead Matt Bellamy is well known for, though Maddocks’ tone is undoubtedly his own, becoming one of Colorado’s most recognizable lead vocals. Holdfast. continues to deliver strong songs while experimenting with new sounds and textures.

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