94 MARCH 26-APRIL 1, 2026 westword.com WESTWORD | FOOD & DRINK | MUSIC & VENUES | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | SHOPPING & SERVICES | SPORTS & RECREATION | CONTENTS | and wind around you with the howling punk spirit of ’80s and ’90s riot grrrl groups. Also featuring Maxx Goodman on guitar, Mag- gie Kempen on drums and Addy Harrison on bass, Diva Cup enters a venue with true punk-rock attitude and a no-holds-barred ethos. Decades after the riot grrrl movement began, we’re grateful to see groups like this carrying the torch. Bands like Sleater-Kin- ney or Bikini Kill would be proud. Best Hardcore Punk Album Cop Killer Cop Killer Hardcore punk is inherently political, and when a band names itself after a notorious anti-police song, then you don’t need a poli sci degree to understand exactly where it’s coming from. Up-and-coming Denver group Cop Killer — that’s a reference to the 1992 Body Count anthem, which frontman Ice- T still proudly performs — is unapologetic in its approach. Vocalist Alex Goldsmith is known to use a megaphone live to punctuate the points the four-piece makes on its self-titled de- but. The crew cries, “Stop watching me!” on “Police State,” while other anti- authority songs such as “Copaganda” and “Three Letter Organizations” are equally scathing and suc- cinct middle fi ngers. Best Punk Album to Rile You Up for Protests Don’t Care. Didn’t Ask Cheap Perfume The past year was flush with protests, as people took to the streets to show- case their frustration at the current presidential administration’s incom- petence and frankly fascist moves. And punk purveyors Cheap Perfume did not hold back on its latest album, Don’t Care. Didn’t Ask, which dropped in October behind two no- holds-barred single releases, “Woke Mind Virus” and “Down to Riot.” Across the album, the band pulls punches at capitalism, right- wing religious zealots, Elon Musk, MAGA and Donald Trump. As vocalist/guitarist Jane No puts it: “A system that allows extreme poverty and billionaires to exist on the same planet is disgusting.” Well said. Best Psych-Punk Album Aghast, Aroused, Appalled Bitchfl ower Fort Collins band Bitchfl ower is quickly be- coming one of our favorites, solidifi ed by its latest album, Aghast, Aroused, Appalled, which released last July. The songs come at you like a racehorse bolting out of the gate, with an en- suing stampede of fast-and-furious sonics that oscillate between heavy and upbeat (or both at once). Pulling in heavy-metal infl uences, the guitar playing is tantalizing and fantastic, and somehow the band sounds even better live, as it proved at its album-release show at the Bluebird Theater in November. Best Sibling Punk Band Kung Fu Juice Box Longmont siblings Lars and Maximus Messmer grew up in a punk-loving family, so naturally, the brothers started a band, Kung Fu Juice Box. Talk about keeping it in the family. The relatively young endeavor has produced a handful of singles so far, including “Insecure” most recently. But the Messmers are really making a name for themselves live, playing out as much as pos- sible as a two-piece with a youthful take on three-chord punk. It’s refreshing and fun, and only just the beginning, as thirteen- year-old Maximus is a budding drummer, while the elder Lars, who is currently a student at University of Denver, leads the charge with his vulnerable lyricism and pop-punk guitar. Best Single to Examine Key Colorado History “KILLDOZER” Rugburn Psych fuzz-rock band Rugburn elaborated on one of Colorado’s most idiosyncratic yet horrifi c historic events with its latest single, “KILLDOZER,” named after the time Marv Heemeyer built a homemade tank and used it to drive into and shoot at buildings of businesses he thought had wronged him. The destructive, disastrous and tragic event (which ended with Heemeyer killing him- self) has sparked creativity for musicians and comic-book artists since it happened 22 years ago, and “KILLDOZER” is the latest installation. Clocking in at almost fi ve minutes, the single begins with some doomy riffs before winding into a break- neck speed that illuminates the story Colo- radans will never forget. Best Single to Listen to While Crying In Your Car “Act Like U Loved Me” Keenan TreVon Does a long drive on a rainy day make you feel like the main character in a romantic drama? Then Keenan TreVon has the per- fect song for you. “Can you please act like you were in love with me?” the Aurora- based R&B singer croons on “Act Like U Loved Me,” appealing to broken hearts everywhere. He released the track in De- cember, and it landed on Spotify’s R&B Weekly roundup Music & Venues continued from page 93 continued on page 96 ILLUSTRATIONS BY GETT Y IMAGES
