Denver Indigenous Indie-Pop Group Cherokee Social to Drop Debut Music Video

Alien girls, bounty hunters, space outlaws and a strange musical virus called “Cinnamon Sugar” — it could be a kids’ make-believe game or perhaps a cyberpunk sci-fi graphic novel or even the latest cinematic spin-off from the Star Wars franchise. But it’s actually the debut music video from Denver’s innovative Indigenous indie-pop band Cherokee Social. The official release date for the video is Saturday, July 13, but you can preview the song now on YouTube and streaming platforms.

Evolving from Julian Navarro’s previous project Faceless Ones, the duo Cherokee Social, comprising percussionist and vocalist Navarro and guitarist Alex Creighton, is finding its niche in the Denver indie scene. “We have an ongoing joke that I’m Cherokee and Alex is Social," Navarro says. "Obviously, I’m the Native American in the band.” But Navarro emphasizes inclusivity in teaming with Creighton, even encouraging him to embrace Indigenous attire, such as the beaded guitar strap given to the band by the Mother Sierra organization. In Navarro’s cultural experience, “If you hunt with us and stay with us and eat with us, you’re part of the tribe. Well, Alex and I live together, so we check those boxes.”

Talking with the band is as wacky and fun as the video for “Cinnamon Sugar,” with Alex and Julian often finishing each other’s sentences or elaborating on an idea. It’s easy to see how their creative process leads to collaboration and the writing of hundreds of songs. In fact, the band is set to release its first full-length album of twelve new songs with Pretty Boy Modeling School, though the single “Cinnamon Sugar” isn’t even on the LP because, according to Navarro, “'Cinnamon Sugar'’s era has not happened yet in Cherokee Social.”

Read the rest of the story at Westword.com

Bask in the Music of John Prine at Four Mile Historic Park

Any discussion of American songwriting must include the legendary country-folk singer John Prine. Once called the "Mark Twain of American songwriting” by Rolling Stone, Prine is considered one of the most influential musicians and songwriters of the twentieth century. His songs are pure Americana, sharing stories of joy and pain with a touch of sardonic wit and the calm, comfortable twang of a rural everyman telling stories on the front porch.

For Brian Johanson of Fort Collins honky-tonk band Sugar Britches, Prine is more than just an influence — he’s an inspiration. Prine’s life and career are a piece of American history, with a musical legacy reaching back to folk legend Woody Guthrie. “His life is just such a great story,” Johanson notes — “returning from military service and working as a postman, writing songs in his head while walking his route.” Prine’s untimely death during the pandemic hit Johanson particularly hard, and from the moment he heard the news, he wanted to do something to remember and honor the man and his music.

Read the rest of the story at Westword ...

The Best Punk Bands From Denver and Beyond You Need to See Live

It's been a while since I posted here because I've had a few pieces in the works for Westword. Here's my latest about the local punk rock scene.

Denver’s indie music scene is broad, diverse and absolutely thriving right now. With live music available across the city, including at hubs on South Broadway and along Colfax, Denver music fans are in a true oasis of sound. “It’s amazing how you can go out any night of the week and see five, six, even eight or more really great bands, all doing original music," says Felipe Patino, bassist and singer for Peruvian-punk band Bricheros and owner of Green Door Recordings.

Nearly every genre of music is well represented in Denver, but the punk scene has a long, rich history going back decades, though defining punk can be challenging, with so many derivative terms: punk, hardcore, post-punk, pop punk, melodic hardcore, Midwest emo, riot grrrl...the list goes on, all describing what is essentially raw, scaled-down rock music with high energy and attitude.

Cheap Perfume
With the seminal Riot Grrrl punk-rock outfit Bikini Kill hitting the road for a North American tour in August and lead singer and guitarist Kathleen Hanna releasing her best-selling memoir, Rebel Girl, any Denver punk-rock story would be remiss if it didn't mention Colorado’s premier fem-core band, Cheap Perfume. Cheap Perfume will open for Bikini Kill on August 25, when the tour stops in Salt Lake City ahead of its Denver stop at Mission Ballroom on August 27. The band has been tearing up the club scene between Denver and Colorado Springs since 2017 with a punk-rock aesthetic that is unapologetically political and in-your-face fierce. With hard-hitting, fast-paced screeds like “Yes, It’s Ok to Punch Nazis,” “Fauxminism” and “No Men,” Cheap Perfume songs pull no punches. And the band’s live shows are raucous, riotous celebrations of energy and attitude, especially when singer Stephanie Byrne charges into the crowd from the first chord.

Dead Pioneers
Since releasing its self-titled debut album in September 2023, Indigenous Denver punk band Dead Pioneers has been on a meteoric rise, garnering international attention. Led by acclaimed visual artist Gregg Deal, the band hit the Denver scene in January opening for Cheap Perfume at the Skylark in a show that was attended by punk icon Jello Biafra of Dead Kennedys fame. Since then, Dead Pioneers has signed a three-album deal with Hassle Records, a London label, and has secured a spot opening for punk-rock legends NOFX and Suicidal Tendencies at the 2024 Punk in Drublic festival on July 21. With a searing sound of raucous punk-rock chords and riffs from guitarists Josh Rivera and Abe Brennan over Deal’s scathing spoken-word lyrics about social justice and Native activism, Dead Pioneers represents punk rock’s new conscience. The band’s debut single and video, “Bad Indian,” has racked up thousands of views on YouTube and nearly a million streams. With heavy influences from Minutemen, Rage Against the Machine and Rollins Band, Dead Pioneers has crafted a unique and impressive sound that represents the best of the punk-rock ethos and the Denver indie scene. Dead Pioneers next plays the Punk Rock Saves Lives fest at Ratio Beerworks on July 7.

Read the rest of the article at Westword.com to learn about even more great bands ...