The Best New Music by Colorado Musicians Released in February

If you asked for new local music for Valentine’s Day, then February couldn’t have been any better, as Colorado musicians obliged by releasing a heart-shaped box full of fresh tunes that covered everything from EDM to indie rock.

Thom LaFond
Lawless
Boulder-based singer-songwriter Thom LaFond started out the month by independently releasing his sophomore album, Lawless, on February 1. A followup to his solo debut, The Moon Leans In, the record tells a funk-infused alien love story that ultimately ends with the destruction of Earth (turns out even ETs get jealous). The sci-fi theme is further brought to life by LaFond’s penchant for synthesizers, but there are elements of jam in there to balance it out.

Songs “I Thought You Died” and “No Waves” are examples of LaFond’s eclectic musical background, which also includes fronting local band Banshee Tree.

Mike Colin reissues
Mike Colin might not be a household name in Denver music circles nowadays, but throughout the 1990s, he played in seemingly every alternative band in town. The eccentric vocalist and guitarist first fronted Phantasmorgasm, a funk-punk group that also included future Flobots drummer Kenny Ortiz, before going on to join Ratiocination, a live hip-hop group, and acoustic outfit the Acoustifuxx.

It's been decades since any of those groups hit the stage, but Colin independently released a trio of remastered albums on February 2 that perfectly reflect those times in Mile High music with a 27-song collection by Phantasmorgasm (Cactus Marco), the 1999 album by Ratiocination (That's Right!) and a 25-track record by the Acoustifuxx (Malt Liquor Baby).

White Rose Motor Oil
“You’re No Good”
Denver cowpunk duo White Rose Motor Oil is starting 2024 with a little cover series called Pre-Owned Songs that includes a new release every month or so. At least that’s the plan. But Eryn DeSomer and Keith Hoerig-DeSomer (they’re married, fyi) kicked it off by sharing “You’re No Good,” a 1963 Dee Dee Warwick original, on February 9.

Eryn’s pipes give the already empowering tune just a little more oomph, a little more yeehaw, while Keith holds it down on the kit. The homage is fitting and just downright fun.

Aphonix
twilight
Longmont solo artist Aphonix, the pseudonym of musician Alex McCarthy-Hessel, is a relative newcomer to the Colorado scene, but that doesn’t mean he’s not ready. The longtime KGNU Community Radio DJ has been releasing singles under Aphonix since 2020. After dropping an EP, Archetype, in 2021, he’s back with his first full-length, twilight (released independently on February 9).

The seven tracks continue to see Aphonix transmute thoughts into sounds with a meditative mix of trip-hop and EDM. Songs “afternoon sunrise” and “lost in the night” are soothing yet trippy, which make for an overall relaxing listening experience.

Skysia
Overture
Also on February 9, Denver’s own Skysia shared a new EP, Overture, via Odyzey Music. The solo project of Tanner Allen, Skysia’s recent output also includes last year’s full-length, Here, which is more of a concept album inspired by one person’s life journey from birth to death.

The four instrumentals on Overture also share a theme, as Allen took inspiration from nature to come up with tracks such as “Emerald Bay” and “Meridian.” Skysia’s favorite ingredients continue to be electronica, bass and downtempo, which he sprinkles throughout Overture. The EP isn’t as heady as Here, but a more chill offering to satiate the eardrums.

Cameron Cade
“changing (at your hands)”
Cameron Cade is one of Denver’s best kept secrets, but it won’t be long before she takes over the local airwaves, especially if she keeps writing songs like her latest single, “changing (at your hands),” which was released on February 10 under the friendly ghost records banner.

A blend of indie, folk and bedroom pop, Cade’s new song is captivating, harking back to a simpler time in the 1990s, when crooners such as Alanis Morissette and Hope Sandoval paralyzed audiences with their unique voices.

Cade, who released EP scared of the dark last year, has that type of vocal power. You heard it here first.

SunSquabi
“Trick Shots”
SunSquabi is cooking up something. The Denver trio independently released new single “Trick Shots” on February 16, just in time for a headlining show at Mission Ballroom on Saturday, March 9. It may or may not also be a preview of an upcoming EP (wink, wink).

Until something is officially announced, the latest instrumental sees SunSquabi continue its penchant for “hydro-funk,” which is a dynamic blend of fluid electronic rhythms and funk-driven grooves. As the band likes to describe its sound, it’s a fusion of live electronic music and jam band elements. Stay tuned.

Boot Gun
One for the Willing
The Denver rockers in Boot Gun released their new record, One for the Willing, independently on February 23. The album’s ten tracks are filled with rootsy, funk-loving rock, complete with lively keys courtesy of Steve Terry. Boot Gun, which has been around since 2018, also includes Davie Landry (lead vocals and bass), Keith Lawrence (lead vocals and guitar), Cody Hart (drums) and Jeremy Baugh (guitar and harmonica).

At times, One for the Willing rings like a classic-rock throwback, especially on songs such as “Primal Scream” and “Do This Twice,” but with a more modern twist.

Motifv
Where the Sun Sets
Northern Colorado’s Joseph Kechter, better known by his stage name Motifv, shared the first of his three planned 2024 releases on February 23 — a new EP titled Where the Sun Sets, via Philos Records. With five tracks, Where the Sun Sets is more of a prelude to Motifv's live shows than anything. But fans can anticipate a sequel, Behind the Moon, on March 22, then a “total solar eclipse,” as it’s being called, on April 8.

The younger brother of Pretty Lights, Motifv has managed to carve his own path within the bass scene. And Where the Sun Sets — an instrumental stew of jazz, indie and hip-hop — is the latest example that Motifv has the chops. It must run in the family.

Jon Snodgrass
“Crunchin’ the Numbers”
Fort Collins indie-rock songsmith Jon Snodgrass teased his new album, Barge at Will (set for release on March 29), by dropping the lead single, "Crunchin' the Numbers," on February 23. The short, poppy tune also features Chris Wollard (Hot Water Music and Ship Thieves) and Chris Cresswell (The Flatliners and Hot Water Music).

"I wrote that song at FEST [in Gainesville, Florida] walking between Bo Diddley Plaza and Loosey's with Cresswell," Snodgrass shares. "A year later I called Wollard from the pool, because I wanted both of my favorite dudes named Chris in on it.”

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