91 MARCH 26-APRIL 1, 2026 westword.com WESTWORD | CONTENTS | SPORTS & RECREATION | SHOPPING & SERVICES | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | MUSIC & VENUES | FOOD & DRINK | 2025, especially with the release of its debut album, ROSEWORLD, last summer. After performances at festivals like Underground Music Showcase, the group celebrated the release at the Bluebird Theater in December with an all-local lineup that underscored its commitment to community and uplifting others. The album itself is uplifting, too, fi lled with queer anthems and authenticity shin- ing through in layered, textured sonics that enmeshed Bossa Nova, Latin rhythms, rock, jazz, soul and more into a sound completely unique to the band. DOGTAGS has found its sound, and the city is all the better for it. Best Album for Repeat Listens The Body Needs a Break Summer Bedhead Summer Bedhead went all out on The Body Needs a Break, which we haven’t taken a break from since it was released last Au- gust. Each instrument shines through across the thirteen tracks that are all pol- ished to perfection, with vocals that recall Hayley Williams of Paramore. It sounds just as good live, as well, as the band dem- onstrated at its release show in Denver. From tracks that dip into melancholy, like “Living in the Walls” or “Stranger,” or those that can be described as perfectly anthe- mic, like opener “Not Behind My Eyes,” The Body Needs a Break is an album you’ll fi nd yourself listening to over and over again. Best Stage Presence Old Man Saxon There’s something to be said for a man who shows up in a three-piece suit for literally every performance, even if it means sweat- ing through the dapper duds during summer shows. Old Man Saxon is a dedicated show- man, an endearing entertainer, and an instant pick-me-up in human form. His natural stage presence extends beyond music, too, land- ing him speaking engagements like his Ignite Denver talk on imagination in hip-hop. A fes- tival favorite, Old Man Saxon made his mark on the main stages of Underground Music Showcase, Roots Music Fest, and FoCo MX last year, and has already been confi rmed for FoCo MX 2026. He’ll be performing on the festival’s biggest stage, the Aggie Theatre, at 9 p.m. on Friday, April 24. If there’s one act you don’t want to miss, it’s this spry Old Man. Best Colorado Hip-Hop Ambassador TheyCallHimAP In a recent interview, Denver rapper They- CallHimAP responded to criticism that Colorado doesn’t “have a sound” by saying, “I’m the sound.” As one of the most recog- nizable names in Colorado hip-hop for the last decade and counting, he’s not wrong. In the last year, AP has been a go-to represen- tative for Box State hip-hop at Colorado’s biggest festivals and when national acts come to town. He’s shared stages with rap giants like Three 6 Mafi a and Yelawolf, and will perform at Red Rocks not once, but twice this spring, on April 20 and May 19. In February, he was named the 2025 Rapper of the Year at the Denver Spotlight Awards, which is based on a public vote. With over 90,000 monthly Spotify listeners from L.A. to Brazil, he’s introducing Denver rap to a national and even international audience. Best Bilingual Bars Monica The Great This is the year of the horse, but to us it’s also the year of Monica The Great. The fi rst- generation Mexican-American artist has a lot to look forward to, thanks to all the work she’s been clocking in through the years, especially going viral on TikTok and other platforms throughout 2025 with such songs as “Delusional.” Named one of the People to Watch in the music scene this year, Monica signed with UniversalMasters and plans to release more tunes this year that showcase her penchant for melding Latin beats and hip-hop. Even if you don’t speak Spanish, tracks like “Mala Vida” are absolutely ad- dictive and made to get you moving. Best Dynamic Duo in Hip-Hop Nelo and Siah Rain’n Last year, rapper Nelo and producer Siah Rain’n won our Best Hip-Hop Album award for their 2024 collaborative album, Born Yesterday. In late December, they followed it up with a second joint project, Today Years Old, cementing them as our favorite rapper-producer pairing in the city. Rain’n blends pop and R&B infl uences into his beats, like the bouncy pop melody on “Cotton Candy” or the dreamy synths on “MXC,” creating the perfect backdrop for Nelo’s bars. While their fi rst venture had features from a handful of other col- laborators, the dynamic duo shines on their own on the sequel (minus one contribu- tion from soul singer Alana K. on “Solar Return.”). The artists also teamed up for a youth concert series with The Colorado Symphony, and you’ll rarely (if ever) see a live set from Nelo without Rain’n support- ing him from behind the decks. Keep your fi ngers crossed for Act Three! Best Hip-Hop Debut Product of the World JD the M.C. Product of the World by JD the M.C. (which stands for “medicine child”) is a testament to the phrase “Good Music & Venues continued from page 88 continued on page 92
