This is our twentieth year putting on the Showcase, and it's a great place to find those new favorites. But it's also just one part of our ongoing effort to introduce you to the best of this city's music. All of the local bands playing the Showcase are also nominees for Westword Music Awards. That list is even more daunting, featuring over 300 bands and artists selected by our expansive nominating committee as the finest Denver has to offer. You can see the full list of nominees and vote for your favorites here.
See also: Meet 100(ish) of Denver's best bands: Part two
That list is organized by genre. You can find other introductions elsewhere in this section, including a playlist featuring many of the bands and some advice they have for newcomers to the scene. There will be more this week, including this series, where you'll find over 100 Westword Music Award nominees (those who filled out our survey) in alphabetical order. You can watch a video of each artist in action and read the one thing he/she/they hope you know about the project. If you're interested in what you see or hear, you can click on the name of any artist to go to a website, facebook or bandcamp page where you'll find information on buying music and upcoming shows.
No matter what kind of music you like, there are bands and artists making it right here in Denver. They've got that guitar tone that just sounds right to you, and harmonies that fill your head so perfectly, they must have been built specifically for you.
A Band In Pictures
Westword Music Award Category: Rock - Indie
What's the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
How we write our songs, and how we decide each little noise and beat. -- Emerson Murphy
Aires Jackson
Westword Music Award Category: Hip-Hop Group
What's the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
We take pride in giving the listener truth and honesty in every song we do. We don't try to make music to "turn up" or "get jiggly" to. We make music for the everyday person that may need to know they are not the only one going though it at the moment. -- James Ray
Allout Helter
Westword Music Award Category: Punk
What's the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
If you're a fan of thrashy, melodic hardcore that's a blend of technical finesse and ferocious energy, then you've come to the right place. -- Ross Hostage
Amanda Hawkins
Westword Music Award Category: funk -- soul -- R&B
What's the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
This year I'm debuting new music,and a new sound. I'm just now getting back on stage after having two vocal cord surgeries and I'm feeling better than ever! If you like screaming guitar, with a grimy beat and R&b vocals, this is your show! -- Amanda Hawkins
Andy Thomas' Dust Heart
Westword Music Award Category: Singer-Songwriter
What's the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
I called my last album Wicked, Dark, I write and sing a lot about death, but I'm actually a pretty pleasant guy who fosters dogs and cats. -- Andy Thomas
ATOMGA
Westword Music Award Category: World
What's the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
"What is afrobeat?" A dance music, with lots of horns and percussion. Be prepared to shake your ass and sweat it out at an ATOMGA show. -- Leah Concialdi
Babah Fly
Westword Music Award Category: Hip-Hip--MC (male)
What's the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
The Music opens minds and chakras --Babah Fly
Best Creeps
Westword Music Award Category: Rock -- Garage Punk
What's the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
We love you, let's hang out. -- Jeremy Spira
Black Lamb
Westword Music Award Category: Rock -- Heavy
What's the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
"1999AD: On the eve of what would be the most uneventful Apocalypse in the documented history of human hysteria, a Black Lamb was born. A promise decades in the making that could be realized by simply combining equal parts: (a.) Punk-rock's Orwellian dystopia, blooming in full view, (b.) those venerable words of the profit Prince Rogers Nelson, to "Party like it's the last day on Earth," (c.) reverence for the cantankerous and bombastic, ruler of all it surveys, the almighty Riff! and (d.) a handful of warrior monks to follow the teachings as they have been ordained
"2014AD: "Glory Bound" the latest offering will spill its life to all, anointed or not, this summer.
"A Black Lamb was born, went forth, and lives this very day! Harbinger of HEAVY RAAWWKK and ROLL for the next Apocalypse and beyond." --Brian Hagman
Bold Type
Westword Music Award Category: Punk
What's the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
Group of fellas not so different than you, having fun writing, expressing, and living the music they love. -- Mike Waterhouse
More artists are on the next page.
Calder's Revolvers
Westword Music Award Category: Rock -- Traditional
What's the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
We make people dance. -- Andy Schneider
Call Of The Void
Westword Music Award Category: Hardcore
What's the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
We make dirty angry music, but we are all really happy fun dudes. -- Patrick Alberts
Casey James Prestwood and The Burning Angels
Westword Music Award Category: Country
What's the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
How much we care about what we do. We are not the young bucks on the scene with minimal responsibility and an abundance of time. We all have families, full time jobs and all the things that make most bands break up or fizzle out. We love it so much, that we just keep grinding. There are quite a few of us (bands) in that category, and sometimes you wish the fans could see that. -- Jeff Martin
Chase Ambler
Westword Music Award Category: Punk
What's the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
Punk Rules. Love yourself. -- Anthony
Chimney Choir
Westword Music Award Category: Avant-Pop
What's the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
Chimney Choir is an exploration. It is the culmination of the interests and inspirations of everyone involved. It has a mind of it's own, which can change at any point in time. It all comes out of a love of a moment and the people in it. It's about taking what we've got and making something out of it, finding what is inherently magic about right now. If we don't have the resources, we make them out of cardboard, scrap wood, spray glue and fabric. Imperfection is what gives a creation it's personality, so we say we are "Janky-Fantastique!" As soon as Chimney Choir establishes a form it changes into another. What began with Americana, a singing 3 part harmonies around a campfire with banjo, mandolin and guitar, soon became an electronic, poly-rhythmic percussion, found-sound, field recordings, performance art and dance. At this point, we just do what we want, and we don't know what it's going to want tomorrow. What if we did know? Then we would be bored. -- David Rynhart
Church Fire
Westword Music Award Category: Electronic -- Pop
What's the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
Go out, be kind. -- Shannon Nonnahs
Colfax Speed Queen
Westword Music Award Category: Rock--Garage
What's the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
Brothers and Sisters of the revolution, unite! -- Matthew Loui
Band profiles continue on the next page.
Covenhoven
Westword Music Award Category: Singer-Songwriter
What's the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
Covenhoven is the name of the cabin my Grandfather built in southern Wyoming over the course of a decade. This music comes from that place. -- Joel Van Horne
CP-208
Westword Music Award Category: Post-punk
What's the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
"Prospective new fan"- that's a good one. -- Tiana Matsuko Bernard
More artists are on the next page.
CRL CRRLL
Westword Music Award Category: Electronic-Pop
What's the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
Where to download my music and my favorite Denver hangout. Crlcrrll.com and the goodness at the meadowlark every Sunday in the summer. -- Carl CarrellCult of the Lost Cause
Westword Music Award Category: Metal
What's the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
"Some say we are the Georgia O'Keeffe of Denver Music. -- Thom McLoughin
We deal in VOLUME. -- Mhyk Monroe
No singer and no plans to get one. -- Mike SalazarDecadon
Westword Music Award Category: DJ -- EDM
What's the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
The one thing that I wish a prospective new fan knew about my project is that though my productions are labeled in the Bass Music/EDM category, I draw most inspiration for my songs from what I have grown up listening to which is classic rock and metal. You can hear many similarities with everything from rhythmic structure to the feel of my music and those of Rock and Roll. -- Donnie Miller
Dj Cavem Moetavation
Westword Music Award Category: DJ--Hip-Hop
What's the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
International recording artist Dj Cavem is an O.G. (Organic Gardener), midwife, vegan chef, bboy, emcee, educator, founder of Going Green Living Bling, and producer - Arasia Alkemia Earth (manager)boyhollow
Westword Music Award Category: DJ -- Dance
What's the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
I DJ primarily because I love music. I also do it because I love the feeling I get from making people dance. Finally, I do it for the money. Too many DJ's have those same reasons but in the exact opposite order.
DJ Ktone
Westword Music Award Category: DJ -- Hip-Hop
What's the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
That I'm thankful to be where I am in my career. -- DJ KTONEDJ Low Key
Westword Music Award Category: DJ -- Hip-Hop
What's the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
Whatever event, party, bar I'm the DJ at, will not be average. -- DJ Low Key
Dragondeer
What's the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
If you want to check out Dragondeer's music form in the comforts of your home, we have our new record "Don't That Feel Good" and live performance videos up at www.dragondeer.com.. But most of all we'd love to play music for you live at one of our shows if you feel like coming outside. -- Eric Halborg
DubSkin
Westword Music Award Category: Reggae -- Dub
What's the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
We want people to know that all of our music is free at DubskinMusic.com so there is no risk in checking us out! -- Cory Eberhard
Echo Beds
Westword Music Award Category: Electronic -- Experimental
What's the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
We are the real deal. -- Keith Curts
Eddie Knolls
Westword Music Award Category: Hip-Hop -- Band
What's the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
I would want them to know that we represent real hip-hop. Our goal is to preserve the Golden Era sound of Hip-Hop music. -- Eddie Knolls
El Toro De La Muerte
Westword Music Award Category: Rock -- Progressive
What's the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
We are really easy going and just like to play music and have a good time. We like all kids of music. -- Ryan Spradlin
b>And here's a bunch more information about the Westword Music Showcase: -Eight reasons it's great to be a musician in Colorado, according to the bands -Build your own schedule with the Showcase app. -The 36 best songs you might hear on the main stage at this year's Westword Music Showcase -The 2014 Westword Music Awards nominees -The people of Westword Music Showcase 2013 -Ticket page for this year's Showcase
Follow @Westword_Music
