This month's featured artists include: In Plain Air, Clementine Was Right, Shwarma, and even more!
In Plain Air (Photo Credit: Bee In Your Mind)
The purpose of this series is to spotlight some bands that are currently crushing it in the Colorado music scene! There's just so much talent to go around and not enough recognition, so this is just one way to shed some light on the incredibly unique acts that grace the stages around the Rocky Mountain region. There will also be a Spotify playlist every month with the featured bands to accompany these lists, so that you can give them a listen for yourself!
In Plain Air
Formed in 2019, In Plain Air consists of Jake DeMarco (Bass, Vocals), Nate Tharp (Drums), and Ben Maillaro (Guitar, Vocals). Ever since then these guys have been consistently playing shows around the Denver Metro Area and continue to impress all audiences they come into contact with, myself included. I've had the pleasure to share the stage with these talented individuals on a handful of occasions and every single time it is a blast!
Not only are they just awesome guys to be around, but they know their instruments better than most and this shows in their music, both in the studio and onstage. Combining prog rock elements with a psychedelic rock sound, In Plain Air creates a unique sound for themselves that helps them stand out on the scene.
Be sure to catch their next show at 100 Nickel up in Broomfield on September 14th and their new single “A View from the End of a Dream” is available to pre-save now and comes out on September 16th! Additionally, this single will be added to the Spotify playlist above once it's released!
Make sure to check out some of what they can do live down below:
Clementine Was Right
Made for those of us that love a good thought provoking song that allows us to take a deep dive into our own emotions, Clementine Was Right conveys a kind of emotion in their playing and songwriting that just can't be replicated or faked. They recently just put out a song called “River Boys”, which has been on repeat in my household since its release. Additionally, they are often on tour throughout the western and southern United States (so be on the lookout for them in your city soon), and you can catch their next show on September 17th at Enigma Bazaar in Denver! Believe me, you're in for a treat getting to see them live and it'll be a show to remember, because that's what Clementine Was Right does.
Watch their music video for “River Boys” here:
Shwarma
If you haven't heard of Shwarma yet, then you're missing out! I first met lead singer and guitarist, Jackson Kaufman, at a NAMM show a few years ago and ever since I've gotten to watch from afar as his music career continues to takeoff. I'm just ashamed of myself that it took me so long to finally go and see his band, Shwarma. So of course when the opportunity came up to go see them at this year's UMS Festival, you just know I had to take it. I had heard from many mutual friends and acquaintances that Shwarma dominated the stage and put on a show to remember, but all of that was an understatement compared to when I finally got to see them live.
The songs and energy of the band have a synergistic relationship in which they feed into each other and create an entertaining show that leaves you saying both “what the hell” and “hell yeah” by the end. I honestly couldn't tell you what genre of music they are, nor could I even describe the live show I had witnessed - but all I can say is that you just need to go see the magic that is Shwarma live and experience it for yourself. Drink an energy drink before going to see them, because you're definitely going to need it in order to keep up with their ferocity!
You can see Shwarma live on October 27th at Cervantes with Dopapod and a whole roster of other incredible bands!
If you need something to listen to in the car, then check out their full live set from Cervantes down below:
Long/Last
It's actually kind of a funny story on how I first came to know of these guys, as it was actually at a show that The Losers Club were also playing. In fact, this show was more than a year before I even joined the band! So it was just a lucky coincidence that I got to catch them that same night that plenty of my other favorite bands were playing. And if there's one thing I remember thinking as I was leaving that show (besides how much I adored The Losers Club, of course), it was just how damn good Long/Last was that night. I was even more shocked to find out that they weren't signed to a label or already opening for huge acts on national tours yet! With a sound like theirs, they're going to go far and I can't wait to see what's next for them. They just dropped a new single, “Therapy”, that is well worth the listen and you can listen to it wherever you stream music online.
Alternatively, watch their AI generated music video for “Therapy” here:
Relate.
Describing themselves as “Post Pop-Punk”, Relate. are one of the most underrated bands on the scene today. There, I said it and I'll stand by that statement. Blending elements of hardcore with the catchiness of Pop Punk, they manage to stand out from the crowd whilst also being able to write something for everyone. The songwriting abilities of these musicians is unmatched and their live shows are able to match the energy of their songs perfectly.
Relate. deserves all the hype and I can't wait to see what they do next, because the future is bright for them! In fact, The Losers Club will actually be playing a show with them later on this month on September 26th at Colorado Sake CO. - so you can get the best of both worlds by seeing us together!
Additionally, check out their music video for their song “Levitation” down below:
Check out the Spotify playlist with this month's featured artists HERE
Is there another band I should check out that deserves to be on this list for next month? Feel free to drop their name in the comments and I'll be sure to give them a listen and check them out! Additionally, be sure to catch October's list, which will drop on October 7th!