Courtesy Angels in Electric Chairs
Audio By Carbonatix
Local artists showered us with new releases in April, and we dug it, as up-and-coming singer-songwriters, off-the-wall rock and roll and epic doom metal sprouted and surprised throughout.
Here are our favorite picks from Colorado musicians this month:
Angels in Electric Chairs
“Everything”
Denver alt-metal trio Angels in Electric Chairs is settling into its sound after coming together in 2024, and right now, that means not being afraid to mix industrial elements and synth segments into its already established melodic metalcore. New single “Everything” features, well, a little bit of everything, in that sense.
‘Everything’ was our first attempt at a lot of things — combining synths and heavy guitars in a way that felt directive and creating a vocal chop that could stand on its own in a metal track,” the band explains. “It’s really an assimilation of the emotions we were experiencing at the time.”
Bianca Lipton
“Weapons”
Denver singer-songwriter Bianca Lipton has been putting in extra credit. The University of Colorado-Denver student is applying what she’s already learned through her recording arts and songwriting programs by sharing her own music, including latest single “Weapons,” released independently on April 23.
“It’s given me the ability to write, record, produce, mix and master my music all on my own to bring my ideas to life,” Lipton, 21, shares.
Her fourth single in the past year is a slow-build of alt-indie folk and bedroom pop that showcases Lipton’s burgeoning talents.
Dirty Snowman Society
“Slow Water”
Grungey Colorado group Dirty Snowman Society pulled inspiration from an unlikely place while writing new song, “Slow Water,” released independently on April 17.
“‘Slow Water’ is a heavy track about a heavy subject, a murder that occurred many years ago in Louisville,” the band explains. “To us, it’s a meaningful artistic expression of a tough topic.”
While the subject matter is ominous, the murder ballad is more hard rock and groove than one might initially expect, but that’s what the five-piece does best.
honeybunches Of DEATH
Waist of Money
Weirdos honeybunches Of DEATH claim Denver as home, but the eccentric groove-metal troupe may be from another planet, or at least a parallel universe where alien orgies are the norm.
Learn about that, and more, on the band’s sophomore album, Waist of Money, released independently on April 17. Other than the banger “Alien Orgy,” enjoy soft-rock (sarcasm) jams “Don’t Do the Necrophilia,” “Diarrhea Surprise” and the Lou Bega homage, “DUI No. 5.”
“Waist of Money was written to improve public health, therapeutically addressing divisive social issues such as necrophilia, binge-drunk-driving and men dressing up as cows hoping to be ‘milked,’” the band proclaims.
Jesus Christ Taxi Driver
Taxi the Rich
Jesus Christ Taxi Driver put out a twisted modern rock album, Taxi the Rich (April 24 via Kanas independent label Midtopia), for these twisted modern times, taking on everything from the cultish alt-right to social-media induced religious fervor with such songs as “Have It” and “Lana Del Rey” (it’s not really an homage to the popstar).
“Taxi the Rich is a worried perspective of our current time. The album’s subject matter looks at the world from afar and from up close, even looks within and into the past,” according to the Jesus Christ crew. “We wonder how we got here, we recite mantras to ease the fear, and sometimes we play our instruments loud to show our teeth.”
Khemmis
“Invocation of the Dreamer”
Khemmis is mounting a comeback. Not that the Denver doom vets really went anywhere, but the epic foursome announced its first album in five years — a self-titled set to drop on June 12 — with the release of lead single “Invocation of the Dreamer” on April 9 via Nuclear Blast.
The fresh cut is trademark Khemmis, as the soaring dual guitars of Ben Hutcherson and Phil Pendergast lead listeners on a familiar high-fantasy foray, but delivered a little meaner and leaner this time around, giving it a reinvigorated edge and further building hype around the upcoming record. Plus, the hometown heroes are Decibel magazine’s June coverboys. Khemmis is ready for its closeup.
waxpool
“getting stale”
Denver alt-rockers waxpool shared another sneak peek of its upcoming EP in the form of latest single, “getting stale,” released independently on April 14. An optimistic jangle-pop jingle, the song rolls along effortlessly with a composition that matches its sunny disposition.
And there’s more where that came from: “‘getting stale’ is the last stand alone single before our debut EP, i love it here, is released on May 22,” waxpool explains. “The band is continuing to dive deeper into our own sound, and we hope that this song can highlight that.”
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