Indie 102.3 Sessions

Straight White Teeth is the synth-pop solo project of Patrick McGuire, formerly of Denver indie rock band Flashbulb Fires. This week McGuire announced the follow-up to 2015's "Medicine Sword" EP. He'll release the record "Physical Truth" one song at a time over the course of 2018. McGuire brought Straight White Teeth into the CPR Performance Studio this month. He play...

Dragondeer released its debut album, "If You Got The Blues," last week. The Denver quartet has long been one of our favorite local bands for its lively blend of blues and psychedelic rock music. We welcomed them back into the CPR Performance Studio for the third time shortly before the record's release. The members of Dragondeer played three songs and spoke with Alisha Sweeney about...

Blake Brown & The American Dust Choir is one of eight Colorado acts performing at this year's South By Southwest music showcase in Austin, Texas. The Denver Americana-rock quintet formed in 2013 -- the same year it first played in the CPR Performance Studio. Last week the band released its debut album, "Long Way Home," before heading down to perform at SXSW. Brown and his band...

Neyla Pekarek has been the cellist for Denver folk-rock group The Lumineers since 2010. Despite that band's demanding touring schedule, the Colorado native found time to write and record the original folk opera "Rattlesnake," which she'll release as an album later this year. It's based on the life of Northern Colorado pioneer "Rattlesnake" Kate McHale, who in 192...

Denver keyboardists Sean Culliton and Xavier Provencher released their debut EP as Retrofette in 2016. They've since expanded the band's futuristic pop sound by adding two more members. The quartet's multiple-synthesizer attack has won over plenty of Colorado music fans: Westword readers named the quartet "Best Pop Act" of 2017. Retrofette visited the CPR Performance Studi...

Jessica Lea Mayfield released her fourth album, "Sorry Is Gone," last fall. The Nashville-based singer-songwriter continues to push her music toward an alternative rock sound while maintaining the country influences of her early work. It's also a deeply personal record for Mayfield, who addresses her experience as a domestic violence survivor on several of the album's tracks. M...

Last Of The Easy Riders released their new LP "Unto The Earth" with a concert last Saturday at Hi-Dive. The members of the Denver band met through Craigslist and bonded over a love for classic country-rock. They blend that genre with modern psychedelic rock influences on songs like "It Won't Be Long" -- which is featured on our latest Colorado Music Sampler. Last Of The Ea...

Boulder rockers The Velveteers released their self-titled debut EP this week. The sibling duo of singer/guitarist Demi and drummer John Demitro gained a large following last year: They played to packed houses at the 2017 Westword Music Showcase and Underground Music Showcase, and Westword readers voted them Colorado's "Best Rock Band" for their high-octane blend of punk and garage r...

Typhoon's fourth album, "Offerings," tells the story of a man whose memory is slowly disappearing. Frontman Kyle Morton, who visited our CPR Performance Studio for a solo set four years ago, drew on his experience in the age of information for the record's 14 songs. The Portland, Ore., octet adds a vast sound of rock instruments, strings and field recordings to accompany the of...

Noah Gundersen released his third album, "White Noise," last September. It marks a shift in the Seattle singer-songwriter's folk music. Gundersen brings in a backing band on several songs to give the record a fuller, uplifting rock sound -- though he includes some plaintive piano ballads as well. Gundersen visited the CPR Performance Studio accompanied by his sister Abby on violin....

The Hollow formed in 2013 and released its self-titled debut EP two years later. Since then, the Denver rock band has been fairly quiet while retooling its sound and lineup by recruiting former Epilogues drummer Jason Hoke. The quartet is back this year with the guitar-heavy EP "Contact," recorded in Evergreen, Colo. The Hollow made its debut in the CPR Performance Studio earlier this mo...

Grayson County Burn Ban features members of Denver rock bands Bud Bronson & The Good Timers, The Kinky Fingers and Ned Garthe Explosion. The quintet dubs its blend of rock and Americana "campfire country," which features pedal steel guitar along with typical rock 'n' roll instruments. Last week the band released its debut album, "Better Neighbor." Grayson County...

Since playing a session in our studio last year, iZCALLi wrote and recorded its fourth album. The Denver rock band released "IV" last week with a show at the Bluebird Theater. The self-produced record finds the band expanding from a trio to a quintet and continuing to blend English and Spanish lyrics with Latin and psychedelic music. iZCALLi played three songs from the new album in the C...

Rubedo last joined us in the CPR Performance Studio shortly after the release of its album "Love Is The Answer" in 2013. Since then the members of the Denver trio stayed busy playing in bands like Wheelchair Sports Camp and Kyle's Xmas Supergroup. Rubedo returned last month with "Vaca," a new album that pays tribute to their late producer Ikey Owens. Rubedo played three so...

R.L. Cole has been active in Denver's music scene as a trumpet player in various bands and as a solo blues artist. His latest venture is fronting R.L. Cole & The Hell You Say, a band that features members of Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Florea and A. Tom Collins. The quintet's sound is a potent mix of soul, jazz and blues rock. Cole and his band stopped into the CPR P...

Decatur formed in 2015 when producer and multi-instrumentalist Quinn Cox decided to take his music out of his studio and onto a live stage. After a lengthy search for like-minded musicians, Cox recruited four members to the alt-rock band including frontman Sean Decrescenzo. The Denver quintet released its self-titled debut EP last year. Decatur stopped by the CPR Performance Studio to play four so...

Kitty Crimes has been a visible force in the Colorado music scene for years. MC and guitarist Maria Kohler crafts energetic hip-hop that incorporates pop, rock and experimental music. Kitty Crimes' dazzling live shows are a big reason why Kohler won the "Best Hip-Hop (Solo)" award at this year's Westword Music Awards. Kitty Crimes stopped by the CPR Performance Studio earlier t...

The music of D.W. Doucet packs a big punch, but it all comes from just one person. The Fort Collins-based blues singer simultaneously plays guitar and percussion on anvils and chains. The one-man-band's debut album is "As I Roam Across A Dark Blue Night," which is based on Doucet's upbringing in Nova Scotia, Canada. D.W. Doucet visited the CPR Performance Studio to play some of...

Kramies Windt visited our studio earlier this year as a backing member of Joe Sampson's band. But the Denver singer-songwriter makes his own brand of acoustic folk music that has gained an international audience. Under the name Kramies, Windt has worked with producer Jason Lytle of Grandaddy and collaborates regularly with Colorado musicians like Sampson and Anthony Ruptak. Kramies returned t...

Jennifer Jane Niceley began playing music as a kid living on a farm in eastern Tennessee. She moved to Nashville to kick-start her career, but the singer-songwriter now calls Colorado home. The songs on Niceley's latest album, "Angels, Demons, Red-Tail Hawks," reflect the country music influences of her home state with elements of folk and Americana. Jennifer Jane Niceley visited th...

Fort Collins singer-songwriter Corey Wright began releasing music as weareforests last year. He released his debut album, "Part, Parcel," in July and the "Liturgy" EP just a few months later. His music features atmospheric vocal harmonies backed by acoustic folk instruments in the vein of Bon Iver and Iron & Wine. Wright visited the CPR Performance Studio last month for a...

Dee and Erika Rhodes make music as The APX. The Atlanta-based artists add electronic instruments to a classic funk sound on their debut EP "Electrik Funk." Their music has won praise from like-minded acts Chromeo and Empire Of The Sun and the married duo is a live favorite in its hometown. The APX stopped by the CPR Performance Studio after a Denver gig. Dee and Erika Rhodes played four...

The CPR Performance Studio got a full dose of holiday spirit when Kyle's Xmas Supergroup visited earlier this month. Led by Kyle Gray of Rubedo, the band includes members of Colorado acts déCollage, Dandu and Ancient Elk as well as a puppet named P. Miller. Kyle's Xmas Supergroup played three original holiday tunes during its session. Gray also spoke with Alisha Sweeney about his recent...

Sour Boy, Bitter Girl has been active since 2005, and the band shows no signs of slowing down. The folk-rock quartet-- which formed in Fort Collins and is now based in Denver -- released two records this year: the "Witchy Women" EP and full-length album "The Palm Reader And The Palm Writer." Sour Boy, Bitter Girl made its first appearance in the CPR Performance Studio last mont...

Curta is the alias of Denver MC Jake Danna who performs and records with producer 4Digit. The duo creates an unconventional take on hip-hop by adding elements from industrial, noise and electronic music. Their latest release is the "Click Bait" EP which features a guest verse from Chicago rapper Serengeti. Curta stopped by the CPR Performance Studio last month for a performance and inter...