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Denver

BandWagon Magazine has covered Denver in 426 stories since 2012, including 152 features, 140 reviews and 79 photo galleries.

426 stories · Page 9 of 22

Three people in black-and-white on orange crinkled paper: two long-haired men flank a woman in a patterned blouse.

FeaturesPink Fuzz: Blood Runs DeepIf you notice a particular sweetness in the vocal harmonies soaring above the sludgy riffs, ripping guitar and ruthless drums of Denver rock trio Pink Fuzz, you’re on to something.Kevin Johnston · Apr 12, 2022

Black and white photo of three young men standing in a field before a white farmhouse and utility pole.

MusicAlbum Review: Holdfast. – MoviesHoldfast.’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.Valerie Vampola · Apr 6, 2022

Kaitlyn Williams sings into a mic with raised arms under teal stage lights, a blurred guitarist behind her.

MusicAlbum Review: Kaitlyn Williams – Under These Lights“Under These Lights,” the new album from Denver’s Kaitlyn Williams, walks the line between neo soul and music for the masses, departing from the bedroom pop she showcased in her 2019 album and subsequent singles. A contributing factor to this shift in style is the live recording, which leaves less room for glittery production and more room for natural musicianship.Valerie Vampola · Apr 4, 2022

Man in a cream woven cowboy hat and dark jacket glances sideways in a dimly lit room with rustic log walls.

FeaturesCorb Lund: Country Muse, Clean Water and Frontier JusticeCorb Lund is the son of a ranching family that goes back eight generations in Southern Alberta. If he can tell you something in three words, he won’t use 20. “Pretty country,” was all he needed to say in an interview with BandWagon to evoke the rolling sage brush on his family’s ancestral homestead. While Lund may be conversationally economical, he is lyrically verbose. Over the course of twelve full length LPs, he has become one of Amercana’s most beloved songwriters; lyrically and sonically a modern embodiment of life on the range. Last May, the Alberta provincial government rescinded a 1976 ban on open-pit coal mining on the slopes of the Canadian Rockies which threatened to scar the landscape and taint the water of nearby communities. “It pissed off everybody up here, not just the lefties — ranchers, hunters and the first nations people,” Lund said. “It affects the water I drink. This was too egregious to let go.” Lund collaborated with other Canadian musicians to re-record his 2009 song “This Is My Prairie,” in protest. A few months later, the government backed down and even introduced new protections.Gabe Allen · Mar 11, 2022

Five people sit smiling along a concrete loading dock ledge with yellow edging, in front of a white garage door and a brick

MusicAlbum Review: Big Brooklyn – Everyone EverywhereDenver based Big Brooklyn begs the question “what is jazz?” with their new album Everyone Everywhere, in which every track dips a toe into different sub-genres underneath the jazz umbrella.Valerie Vampola · Mar 9, 2022

A man in a white tank top and necklace plays an acoustic guitar in a grassy field at sunset.

MusicAlbum Review: Thom LaFond – The Moon Leans InNederland, Colorado’s Thom LaFond is most well known as the guitarist and singer in Denver’s four-piece gypsy jam rock outfit Banshee Tree. But on this, his debut full-length, he lets his inner voice shine. Close, acoustic and intimate speckles of piano, pizzicato violin and nimble upright bass frame his hushed, masculine baritone with gorgeous minimalism; a composition on par with a Kandinsky. “Did they take the moon you were after and give it back piece by piece?” the record’s first lyric asks, initiating a song and an album dense with gorgeous prose, artful arrangements and beautiful music.Kevin Johnston · Mar 8, 2022

Photo for “Math Rock and the Immigrant Experience: ZETA “Dances It All” – from Venezuela to Miami to Fort Collins”

FeaturesMath Rock and the Immigrant Experience: ZETA “Dances It All” – from Venezuela to Miami to Fort Collins“Every song is a different rhythm that represents a region in Latin America,” Zeta’s Juan Yilo Alvarado says of Todo Bailarlo, the Venezuelan punk orchestra’s upcoming LP. “It was really liberating and really challenging at the same time.” “Our communities dance through everything: sadness, happiness, the good, the bad,” Alvarado said. “We are always dancing through life, moving and adapting and looking for better opportunities in remote places.” But Zeta has not lost its frenetic exuberance by embracing its roots. This is calypso (and salsa, samba, latin jazz…) made for moshing. “It’s still rock and it’s still progressive,” Alvarado assures. While Zeta’s sound might be aggressive, the band’s ethos is the opposite. They are compassionate, inclusive and intent on fostering community wherever they go. Dani “Debuto” Hernandez, the band’s other guitarist/vocalist in addition to Alvarado, is notorious for feeding tour mates, fans and anyone else that walks by. In keeping with the band’s shared pacifistic and environmental ethics, his cooking is vegan (with a Venezuelan flair). “We’ve connected to, not only to latinos, but also to immigrant people from other countries and ethnicities,” Alvarado explained. “We all feel very identified with the immigrant struggle. In the band and orchestra we are all either immigrants or the kids of immigrants.”Gabe Allen · Mar 7, 2022

A smiling man with his hair pulled back wears a black Denver Nuggets hoodie at a bar, with a candle flame in front.

FeaturesRight Back Into It: Ben Pu Stays TrueAt the end of most of his gigs, and in conversations with other musicians or friends, Ben Puchalski gets the question: “Dude, why aren’t you bigger?” Puchalski, these days,…Dan England · Mar 2, 2022

A man in sunglasses and a red t-shirt plays an acoustic guitar and harmonica under tall palm trees and a blue sky.

FeaturesStill Thirsty: G. Love & The Juice Stir it UpThe band still carries his name, but G. Love is taking a step back from the spotlight.Dan England · Feb 23, 2022

A man in a dark knit beanie and sweater sits cross-legged in a grassy field, smiling and gazing to the side.

FeaturesSpoke In A Wheel: Zachary Williams of The Lone Bellow Hits the Road with Dirty CamaroZachary Williams, whose powerful voice drove him out from the Brooklyn Bar4 open-mic world and onto the international stage, is best known as the belting leader of The Lone Bellow. His new solo record Dirty Camaro is indeed an escape from that band’s gravity; one that’s weird, head-turning, soulful and fresh. Williams says “I’ve wanted to do it for a long time – really, right after Jim James from My Morning Jacket released his solo record.” He says James had “graciously come out to a couple of my shows,” and the two connected. What began as a two day trial session resulted in the full length record. The album is rich with expert pedal steel guitar, orchestral strings, saxophone and a Texas-band backbone that really cooks.Kevin Johnston · Feb 9, 2022

A bearded man in a cowboy hat and leopard shirt leads a group in front of an orange and black wall.

MusicSingle Review: The Burroughs – “My House My Car”The Burroughs continue to progress their sound while retaining some of the retro vibe that first captured the hearts of Northern Colorado: 70’s and 80’s musical tropes, a…Valerie Vampola · Feb 4, 2022

Five people pose in a dark, warmly lit room, with a man in a leather jacket at center and no instruments visible.

MusicAlbum Review: Fast Eddy – Take A LookAs modern rock groups lean into synthesized productions, Denver’s Fast Eddy keeps the standard rock ‘n roll traditions alive in their new full-length album Take A Look.Valerie Vampola · Feb 3, 2022

On a dim stage, a bearded singer in a hat and fringe jacket sings while a woman and a guitarist perform.

FeaturesWriting at the Helm: Hunter James & The Titanic on the Creative Process“A lot of bands say ‘well, we can’t box ourselves into a specific genre because we play funk and jazz and rock or whatever,’” Hunter James & the Titanic says. “It’s nice to be in a band that says, ‘we play rock and roll 109% of the time.’” Hunter James & the Titanic refuse to be lured into the post-genre vortex despite that impossible percentage and their lineup of eclectic players. They play Americana — no caveats. Well maybe a couple. “I really wanted to have this band feel really focused.” Hunter James explained. “But, there’s something inside of me that won’t let me just write like that. But, we always sound like us no matter what.” In just three years, the band has put out an EP, five singles and two full-length LPs. Their latest album, 2021’s La Liberté, finds the band settled even deeper into a roots rock sound.Gabe Allen · Feb 2, 2022

Two men pose outside a weathered brick building, one in a doorway and one seated on a chair in a cowboy hat.

105.5 The Colorado Sound's Featured ArtistsGeorge Cessna: 105.5 The Colorado Sound Featured Artist, January 2022Hundreds of hours spent in the basements of dive bars don’t often yield respectable accolades, but for George Cessna, that’s arguably how he came to be this month’s Colorado Sound featured artist. Cessna and his close friend Brian Buck literally clocked as much time in the basement of Denver’s beloved Hi-Dive, recording and eventually emerging with Lucky Rider, a twangy, dark and lo-fi album released in December.Kevin Johnston · Jan 14, 2022

Four men pose together in front of glowing green circular light displays at a venue, with no instruments visible.

MusicSingle Review: Co-Stanza – “20 Minutes”Dropping realness like a reference to FaceTime helped folks relate to FoCo’s Co-Stanza (to the tune of nearly 2 million streams on “I Don’t Mind”) and by the sound of this hooky new toe tapper, Co-Stanza will continue racking up fans with each tick of the clock.Kevin Johnston · Jan 10, 2022

Mom Rock members in pinstriped baseball jerseys and red caps pose on a dirt infield at dusk.

FeaturesMom Rock Wants To Kiss You On The MouthIndie quartet of Berklee graduates is full of love for fans on their first ever national tour .Gabe Allen · Jan 7, 2022

Four people in fur and patterned knitwear pose in a dark room lit by spotlight beams.

MusicSingle Review: DEBR4H – Cassi-0-PeiaIt’s 2022 and yes, it’s possible that your garage band owns 100 synthesizers.Kevin Johnston · Jan 5, 2022

Photo for “Album Review: N3ptune – RENAISSANCE”

MusicAlbum Review: N3ptune – RENAISSANCEN3ptune’s RENAISSANCE is an appropriate title for an album by an artist who does it all: acting, singing, modeling, producing and performing. It is a birth of style that combines elements of trap, dark dance pop, and heavy blues rock and there’s nothing else like it.Valerie Vampola · Jan 4, 2022

Five men in caps, jackets, and casual streetwear pose side by side in front of a corrugated metal wall outdoors.

FeaturesPecos & The Rooftops: More Than One Damn SongThe night Pecos & the Rooftops wrote the song that gave them their breakout success, they really weren’t even a working band yet – just a bunch of friends who liked to hang out and jam to cover songs. The quintet’s frontman, Pecos Hurley, had just begun writing songs, and he was playing the chords to one when magic struck: One of the other guys began singing a chorus to it. “Damn, that’s good,” Hurley recalled saying during a phone interview for BandWagon. “Do you care if I try to finish it?” Finish it he did, and the result, “This Damn Song,” was a smash hit.Dan England · Jan 3, 2022

Crowd with raised hands under sparkling disco balls, with confetti and warm stage lights filling the air.

New Year’s Eve 2021 Shows: BandWagon’s Top PicksDance 2021 into oblivion with the best shows inGabe Allen · Dec 14, 2021