Indie 102.3 Sessions

Elephant Revival last joined us at OpenAir in 2014 as they were preparing for a Red Rocks Amphitheatre show opening for Devotchka. The band will perform at the famous Colorado venue again on May 22, but this time around, they will be the headliners. The Nederland-based quintet just released its latest album, "Petals," which they recorded in part at eTown Music Hall in Boulder. The band p...

The band Caveman tells a story on its website about a group on a desert planet who seek an "archaic apparatus." The device is said to end the so-called "Otero War," which is the title of the forthcoming third album from the Brooklyn band. Caveman will release "Otero War" on June 17. The band was tight-lipped about the concept behind the new album when they recently pe...

Matthew Logan Vasquez spent the past decade fronting the California-based band Delta Spirit, which has released four albums. The band's music soundtracked the final scene of the television series "Friday Night Lights." Delta Spirit is currently on a break, but Vasquez isn't slowing down. He released his debut solo LP, "Solicitor Returns," in February and recently play...

Denver band Pan Astral kicked off their OpenAir session with a song that pays tribute to their hometown. "Mile High City" appears on their recently released third studio album, "Suburban Blues." Pan Astral has a growing reputation for live performances. The group recently expanded into a fuller rock band sound with strong electronic influences thanks to new member Kyle Zender.

We first heard the music of Whiskey Autumn in the band's submission to NPR Music's 2016 Tiny Desk Contest. The Boulder trio's video for "Dog Days" introduced us to their smart, catchy electronic pop and we included it as one of our 10 favorite Colorado entries this year. The band played four songs at OpenAir and spoke with OpenAir's Jeremy Petersen about the productio...

Denver singer-songwriter Rachael McCuaig was one of thousands of artists around the country who submitted an original video to NPR’s second annual Tiny Desk Concert Contest earlier this year. She used a simple setup in her contest submission -- just vocals and guitar -- but it was enough to make our list of 10 favorite Colorado entries from 2016. McCuaig hasn't recorded an official release, s...

Brooklyn composer Ellis Ludwig-Leone formed San Fermin for a one-off performance of his sheet music compositions in 2012. However, that music would live on past that show: The band recorded and released those songs in 2013 on San Fermin’s debut self-titled album. Ludwig-Leone then solidified San Fermin as an eight-piece touring band with two lead vocalists and a blend of rock and orchestral instru...

Dan Boeckner puts most indie musicians to shame as far as his energy and sheer output. The Canadian musician co-founded the pioneering indie band Wolf Parade, fronted Handsome Furs and collaborated with Spoon’s Britt Daniel in Divine Fits. Now, he leads the new band Operators. The band played at OpenAir on the release day of its debut album, "Blue Wave." The record is a continuation of t...

Hard-rocking Colorado band The Yawpers brings their national tour to Lost Lake Lounge in Denver on Saturday. The Yawpers' released their latest album, "American Man," last year on Bloodshot Records. The group talked about its songwriting inspirations, new love for Bruce Springsteen and the challenges of life on the road during its recent CPR Performance Studio session.

Karen and Ryan Hover are the married duo behind Fort Collins band Sound of Ceres. They recorded three synth-pop albums as Candy Claws before venturing into ethereal space-rock territory with their new group. The Hovers recruited members of The Polyphonic Spree and Brooklyn indie rockers The Drums for "Nostalgia For Infinity," their debut album as Sound of Ceres. The band stopped into our...

Colorado-born rapper and singer Turner Jackson set out to tell a coming-of-age story based on his life with his new EP, "Red Plastic Cup."​ The MC, who's now based in New York City, breaks away from a pure hip-hop sound on "Red Plastic Cup" and verges into soul and rock. Jackson and his band stopped into the CPR Performance Studio for an OpenAir Session.

Seattle artist Austin Crane started Valley Maker as an undergraduate thesis project in 2010. He's a doctoral student in geography at the University of Washington but still finds time to play his folk music. His most recent album is last year's "When I Was A Child." He stopped into our CPR Performance Studio while on tour last month to play a solo set.

Montoneros is a Denver-based space rock band formed in 2014. Argentinian-born singer Gaston Leone fronts the group, which is set to release the new EP "Heat Horse" this week. The band performed three songs at OpenAir and spoke with Alisha Sweeney about recording at the local Black In Bluhm studio and writing lyrics in two languages.

Fort Collins band Pandas & People crafts energetic folk music. The group began in 2013 as a side project of singer and bassist Joshua Scheer and guitarist Johnny Day, and has gone on to open for acts like The Doobie Brothers and Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

Diane Coffee is the performing moniker of Shaun Fleming, a former Disney voice actor who started his music career as the drummer for childhood friends Foxygen. Fleming's music combines rock, soul and classic psychedelic influences. Listen to Diane Coffee's session at OpenAir.

Denver band SPELLS built its reputation on aggressive punk rock, energetic and comedic live performances and a vacation-inspired wardrobe. Ben Roy of Denver comedy troupe The Grawlix leads the group. Listen to their session recorded live in the CPR Performance Studio.