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Colorado Music Review

19 stories

A bearded man in a navy cap and green work shirt over a yellow telephone-graphic tee stands on a farm.

MusicAlbum Review: Jackson Maloney – Dharma FarmJackson Maloney: singer, songwriter, folk musician, and Colorado transplant via Northern California. The coarse-voiced busker has found himself a home in unincorporated Boulder County, at a place called Dharma Farm – a small hippie commune near Hygiene, CO. The location, in fact, where Maloney recorded his latest EP – a six track EP that encapsulates the simplicity of a working farm, which, after having been recorded in a ruined grain silo, ‘checks out.’ It’s a bare-boned, extended play that is completely comfortable with skimping on the pleasantries.Cole Peterson · Sep 5, 2021

Photo for “Single Review: Eli Rey – That Kinda Feelin”

MusicSingle Review: Eli Rey – That Kinda FeelinWith slick, red dirt country rock production and a starry-eyed demeanor, Eli Rey elevates the local country scene to a radio-ready level with “That Kinda Feelin.”Laura Giagos · Aug 25, 2021

Reddish-brown ink illustration of three long-haired men's heads and shoulders against a beige background.

MusicAlbum Review: King Crawdad – King Crawdad 3Fort Collins-based rock outfit King Crawdad has hit an impressive new stride, producing an EP alive with the particular energy they are clearly looking to translate. Taking their latest material to the renowned Fort Collins recording studio The Blasting Room and adding Tucker Valentine into the mix on bass, King Crawdad 3 stands as some of their best work yet. It punches where it needs to punch, kicks out the jams when it needs it the most, and shows a band really honing in on their sound.Laura Giagos · Aug 10, 2021

Black and white photo of a person with long hair and round sunglasses, head tilted back against a dark background.

MusicSingle Premiere: Cody – “I’m Not Really Listening”After years of solely identifying as the co-front man of Colorado’s adored brother-band Slow Caves, Jakob Mueller steps away from those familiar indie guitar shoegaze shores.Kevin Johnston · Jul 15, 2021

Three men in dark and gray shirts stand against a red metal wall, hands in pockets, with no instruments visible.

MusicAlbum Review: Ms. Nomer – TAOTUNUFusion and rock group Ms. Nomer are releasing their debut full-length album TAOTUNU (IE; “things are on the up n up”) July 16 at the Aggie.Valerie Vampola · Jul 9, 2021

Black-and-white portrait of a bearded man in a wide-brimmed hat and white tee, gazing sideways on a dark backdrop.

MusicSingle Review: Cole ScheifeleCole Scheifele writers heartbreaking music and delivers a soaring melody with unrestrained emotion. Behind his voice, an ambient brew of siren-like drones creates texture while he keeps time on an acoustic guitar.Gabe Allen · May 10, 2021

Singer with eyes closed sings into a mic as bandmates play guitar, keys, and bass in blue stage light.

MusicAlbum Review: Mlady – Maladaptive DaydreamingDenver-based Mlady’s full length album Maladaptive Daydreaming feels like its title: an atmosphere of vivid dreams told by lead singer Hannah Beeghly, accompanied by washy, pop orchestration. The record favors reversed reverb and atmospheric textures to fill out the sound of Beeghly’s forlorn, direct delivery. Songs such as “Sadder Days” and “When Do You Know”Valerie Vampola · May 4, 2021

A bearded man with long brown hair and a black beanie stands by a railing near a waterfront in warm light.

MusicAlbum Review: Wolf van Elfmand – All BlueColoradan songwriter Wolf van Elfmand’s music has always had a western flair. This remains true in his newest album All Blue released in February, but he also incorporates what the title suggests: the blues. Cool and steady like a long lost J.J. Cale gem, van Elfmand incorporates improvisation and musical playfulness between the melody and simple chord structures, leaving comfortable spaces for harmonica, pedal steel and lead guitar to add conversational nuances to the texture.Valerie Vampola · Mar 8, 2021

The Crooked Rugs pose in western hats and vests against a white backdrop, holding guitars and a bass.

MusicAlbum Review: The Crooked Rugs – IT!On their debut LP IT!, Colorado quintet The Crooked Rugs take the compulsory ingredients of modern rock band instrumentation and create something wonderfully foreign. Echoes of psych, prog and garage rock resound, but each song is clearly the result of diligent experimentation. IT! was recorded this summer in Durango, and for an album made in a barn in rural Colorado, it’s anything but folksy.Gabe Allen · Jan 13, 2021

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MusicAlbum Review: Fresh Fruit! – IndependentlyThe groovy, Denver-based soul band Fresh Fruit!Valerie Vampola · Jan 8, 2021

Black-and-white photo of a bearded man in a cap singing into a handheld microphone on a dark stage.

MusicAlbum Review: Nick Sanville & Timo Massa – Eat Out Culture, Vol. 1For listeners looking to skip the drive-thru, Eat Out Culture, Vol.Diego Felix · Jan 4, 2021

A man in a plaid shirt and cap leans on a car trunk as a woman blows bubble gum on a sunny street.

MusicAlbum Review: Alright Alright – CrucibleAlright Alright’s new album Crucible is an intimate experience with dreamy orchestration and relatable lyrics, something for which they are already known. But here, that intimacy is closer than before, like the genuine musings of a close friend.Valerie Vampola · Dec 14, 2020

MusicSingle Review: Joel Ansett – “Ease”Denver’s Joel Ansett says he finally noticed how much emotional energy he spent on “just trying to be liked.Kevin Johnston · Nov 11, 2020

Photo for “Album Review: Stubby Shillelaghs – Glass To Mouth”

MusicAlbum Review: Stubby Shillelaghs – Glass To MouthThe Stubby Shillelaghs’ forthcoming full-length LP “Glass to Mouth” (out October 30) will mark ten years of silly drinking songs and sea shanties for this Greeley band, complete with impressive musicianship, humor, and well-placed profanity. All-in-all, “Glass to Mouth” is as good a jolly-olde-time as it is tongue-in-cheek.Nate Wilde · Oct 19, 2020

Two men outdoors by trees: one in a black tee and turquoise necklace, the other in goggles and a floral bandana.

MusicAlbum Review: Augustus – Color TV and Tall TalesFounders Colin Kelly and Jim Herlihy of the Boulder-based band Augustus have delivered a technicolor whopper.Kevin Johnston · Oct 5, 2020

Four men pose on a dirt path in front of red sandstone rock formations, wearing hats, button-up shirts, and a blazer.

MusicAlbum Review: Royce DeZorzi & The New Freedom MovementRoyce DeZorzi & The New Freedom Movement have a pocket groove, play elongated solos, and do a great job of building energy collectively. But what really stands out about their debut album is not the notes they play, but how they want the listeners to hear them: every track on the album is a first take recorded live, directly to tape.Valerie Vampola · Sep 24, 2020

Michael Morrow & The Culprits on stage: bearded singer in a hat plays a red guitar in smoke and blue light.

MusicAlbum Review: Michael Morrow & The Culprits – I’m With The BannedMichael Morrow & The Culprits have proved themselves to be a mainstay in the Colorado music scene with their latest effort: I’m With the Banned.Nate Wilde · May 11, 2020

False Report poses outdoors before a weathered white house, four men standing on grass at dusk.

MusicAlbum Review: False Report – Tear The PagesFalse Report is a band that hasn’t played by anyone’s rules.Laura Giagos · Oct 30, 2019

Photo for “Album Review: Vektroid – Seed & Synthetic Earth”

MusicAlbum Review: Vektroid – Seed & Synthetic EarthVaporwave is probably one of the most niche music genres in existence, as well as the only one that the Internet could claim as its own.Jay Wallace · Jan 1, 2018