Audio By Carbonatix
Your new favorite band is from Denver — you just have to find it! No small task in a city with thousands of artists and hundreds of venues, we know — but you can start this weekend at the Westword Music Showcase. More than 140 of our favorite local artists will play sixteen stages around the Golden Triangle neighborhood, and we’ll tie the whole thing together with an outdoor main stage featuring a few party-starting out-of-towners, including Diplo and 2 Chainz.
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 one, part two and part three
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.
Westword Music Award Category: Reggae/Dub
What’s the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
We know that life is about friends, family, and having a good time. –Dana Oviedo
Westword Music Award Category: Rock-Traditional
What’s the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
Hello prospective new fan! First off, thanks for checking us out. Second, listen to our music for free on our website. Third and last, if you choose to come to one of our shows, know that we will rock as hard as humanly possible. –Seth Larson
Westword Music Award Category: Rock-Indie
What’s the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
There is no female in the band, despite the name. Please, stop asking where she is. — Benjamin Buttice
Westword Music Award Category: Hip-Hop — MC(Male)
What’s the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
I want people to feel and relate to my music. That feeling I got when I listened to WuTang, Tribe, The Pharcyde, Nas, 2 Pac & Biggie ext. I feel it is my responsibility to continue the legacy they left behind. — Spoke in Wordz
Westword Music Award Category: Reggae/Dub
What’s the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
We do this for the fans and to spread Reggae/Dub music to the people. We want the reggae to grow just as much as we want our band to grow. –Ian Gastl
Westword Music Award Category: Folk
What’s the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
Whether you’re at a show or listening in your car, The Belle Jar’s music is a head nodding, toe tapping dance party about to happen. –Matthew Vermillion
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 you to dance! — Keith Turner
Westword Music Award Category: Rock-Alternative
What’s the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
Everyone is welcome, have fun and drink. –Erik Arvoy
Westword Music Award Category: Avant Garde/Eclectic
What’s the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
If you stand too close to the theremin, Vic will taser you. –Scot Livingston
Westword Music Award Category: World
What’s the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
Where to find us or hear us playing is the primal instinct. We write original material to express our ideas about life and feed off the audience for the energy that drives the music. –Damien McCarron
Westword Music Award Category: Rock-Garage
What’s the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
We did it our way. –Sara
Westword Music Award Category: Folk
What’s the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
Though the music comes off a little sad sometimes, we are all really fun, happy people.–Max Winne
Westword Music Award Category: Rock– Alternative
What’s the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
We just released a new single called “Station Wagon Apocalypse” that rocks pretty hard. Also we do not smell bad. –Mike King
Westword Music Award Category: Rock-Garage>
What’s the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
We enjoy rock music and play a loud, energetic show. –Joe Schramm
Westword Music Award Category: Rock-Garage
What’s the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
We have been 100% DIY so far! — Ray Koren
Westword Music Award Category: Rock-Traditional
What’s the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
Give us a listen. I promise you’ve not heard anything like it before and you’ll find lots of hooks, heavy riffs and old familiar melodies. You’ll find at least one song you like. Get some! –Mike Mitchell
Westword Music Award Category: Hip-Hop — MC(Male)
What’s the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
I feel like most people don’t like or even give local Hip-Hop a chance, because the sound is just that… Local. My aim with my album “Caffeine Dreams” was to give the listeners quality. From production to lyrics, it’s a fun album with something for everyone. I feel like the casual and lyrical Hip-Hop fans alike will be able to appreciate the project. –Thomas
Westword Music Award Category: Hip-Hop — MC(Male)
What’s the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
That for me this is art I do is showing love and bring good music to the people. –townn story’z
Westword Music Award Category: Hip-Hop — MC(Male)
What’s the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
We Just want you to have fun and enjoy yourselves. Don’t worry about being cool just have a good time. –Turner Jackson
Westword Music Award Category: Rock– Indie
What’s the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
We have incredibly rad, long songs. Dont worry about taking them in all at once, you will need several listens to fully hear everything. — Wes Waddell
Westword Music Award Category: Pop– Alternative
What’s the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
I believe that if they were to listen to our music or see us perform, they would essentially know everything they need to know about us. After that, they should know that we will always be around to support them and that we appreciate them very much! –Alex Simpson
Westword Music Award Category: Rock – Traditional
What’s the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
The best thing to do would be to give us a listen. Our debut EP, This is Walter, can be streamed or downloaded for free from our website, walterthewebsite.com. –Kyle Lysek
Westword Music Award Category: Pop-Alternative
What’s the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
That its ok to like pop music, its ok to love a hook. — Tim White
Westword Music Award Category: Metal
What’s the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
We wish they truly understood what classic, underground and actual metal was. –Ale Wülf
Westword Music Award Category: Rock– Traditional
What’s the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
We play because it is fun. –Andrew Oakley
Westword Music Award Category: Hip-Hop – Band
What’s the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
We are not inspirational. –Kalyn
Westword Music Award Category: Hip-Hop – Band
That we incorporate music from a wide variety of genres into a unique style of indie hip hop that’s not only unique and accessible, but driven by a decade of shared experience as trained musicians. Whiskey Blanket is not what you think it will be. –Steven Pampel
Westword Music Award Category: Punk
What’s the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
We started a music program called Authors of the Future. We go to high schools, middle schools and other educational and/or mentor-based establishments for youth to bring the energy and fun of music (particularly punk and rock) and a positive and empowering social message. We charge small ticket fees and donate all proceeds to the arts departments of the schools. –Mark Hibl
Westword Music Award Category: Metal
What’s the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
We place a crossover style of music so we cross genres and generally people who didn’t think they would like us, do. –Alton Aberrant
Westword Music Award Category: Jam/Improv
What’s the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
You can both dance and head bang. –David Duart
Westword Music Award Category: Pop-Traditional
What’s the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
We play a somewhat broad range of music, if you are feeling bored with one of the slower songs wait a few minutes and we will throw in a cover or a song to get everyone back to dancing. Also please please never be afraid to come talk to us before, after, hell even during a show…we wouldn’t be able to be up on stage if you didn’t come out, and we really appreciate all the support we receive from our fans. –Tyler Kellogg
Westword Music Award Category: Metal – Extreme
What’s the one thing you wish a prospective new fan knew about your band or project?
We’re just getting warmed up. The band is relatively new (3 yrs old), and the original material you’ve heard from us is just the tip of the iceberg. There’s so much more to come… — Jarrett Mason