128 APRIL 4-10, 2024 westword.com WESTWORD | MUSIC & VENUES | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | SHOPPING & SERVICES | CONTENTS | (drums), Scott Headley (percussion) and Travis Daudert (lead guitar/vocals), along with special lights from engineer Travis Lamb. The band aims to play a couple of shows per month through the summer and early fall, with outdoor performances that will really bring the lot experience to- gether. Follow the band on social media to learn about upcoming shows. Best New Hip-Hop Event Hip-Hop Summit @hiphopsummitdenver The inaugural Hip-Hop Summit just took place at the end of March, and we already can’t wait for next year’s show. Presented by Colorado Street Art and Moods R&B, the event was created by Jarred De Palo, BJ Quarles and Adam Clark and held at ABC Imaging on Kalamath Street. The place was abuzz with energy, with graffi ti artists live-painting on the outside and beats and breakdancing on the inside while people perused an exhibit of graffi ti photography from New York and Colorado and a pop-up shop of streetwear by Culture Street. A mini- skatepark for fi ngerboards hosted by Th!s Project and an open-mic cypher rounded out the festivities. It was like a renegade block party the founders remembered from hip-hop’s ’90s heyday — but as this event proved, it’s all still happening in the present. Best Hip-Hop Album The Wolf & The Social Club Ason Yugen soundcloud.com/xavyerbahari Last June was the fi ftieth anniversary of hip-hop, and we can’t think of an album that better refl ects the culture’s roots than Denver-based Ason Yugen’s The Wolf & The Social Club. Each of the eighteen tracks en- courages repeat listens, with pristine beats and Yugen’s buttery, emotive fl ow. Inspired by the way social media has impacted soci- ety, it’s a concept album that looks at social media as an alternate universe; from open- ing track “Login” to “The Portal,” listeners are placed in the real world, until the track “Algorithm” launches them into an other- worldly journey. A philosophical refl ection on tech coupled with classic, sometimes jazzy beats? More, please. Best Flow She Who Won’t Be Named shewhowontbenamed.bandcamp.com She Who Won’t Be Named is the MC of the Beats Bodega hip-hop event at River Bar. And it’s impossible to forget her after you hear her quick and witty fl ow. While it’s always a wild time at Beats Bodega, the artist gets refl ective on her 2023 EP, Time to Change (released on Bandcamp). We hear her look back on her Southern roots in “Flower Child From Memphis” and wit- ness her charismatic drive in “Light Shines ft J.Seuss”; she’s intimate and encouraging on “Sweetly,” sharing how creativity and a positive, open attitude can take you far. A lot of rappers have a tight fl ow, but when it’s paired with lyrical talent, that takes it to the next level. She Who Won’t Be Named has that and more. Best Hip-Hop Collab Music Video “PLZ” DNA Picasso and Malcolm Whyz3 As if the song “PLZ,” a collaboration be- tween rappers DNA Picasso and Malcolm Whyz3, didn’t already pop off enough, the accompanying music video, with its high quality and visual variety, takes this cre- ative collaboration even further. Malcolm Whyz3 entered the Denver hip-hop scene in 2019 with an emotional song about his grandmother’s passing, making Westword’s list of ten rappers to watch in 2023. DNA Picasso is also a mainstay in the city’s rap scene, and we’re hoping for more collabo- rations in the future between these two innovative musicians. Best R&B Singles Danae Simone danaesimonemusic.com There’s nothing like kicking back and put- ting on some R&B — and next time you do, be sure to add Danae Simone to your playlist. The singer-songwriter puts on a captivating live performance that includes both originals and covers, with vocals that will have you feeling like you’re fl oating in the clouds. The romantic lyrics on her 2023 singles “Is This Love” and “Got Me” are completely relatable, and the songs wrap around listeners like a warm embrace. They’re also both total earworms that will be playing in your head for days, begging you to press “play” once again. Best R&B Album a fools tale. Spinks @spinksmusic Spinks is a longstanding artist in the Mile High music scene, and her album a fools tale. has been a go-to listen since it dropped last April. Evocative of such artists as Lau- ryn Hill, Spinks’s vocals make listeners melt with a steady vibe that enlightens and intoxicates. Standouts from the album include “last call” and “lights on,” which both indicate that this is the perfect album for…we’ll say “making love.” Aside from the R&B, Spinks is a badass rapper, too: “This That New Flava in Ya Ear,” from Above Av- erage, is one of our favorites. Spinks will be dropping singles consistently this year, so save her on your streaming platforms ASAP. Best Hip-Hop Label Authentic 100 Entertainment 2331 West Hampden Avenue, #107, Sheridan @a100_recordingstudios @authentic100ent Authentic 100 Entertainment does it all, from recording, producing, mixing and mastering to promotion, merch and vid- eography. A100 stands out for its roster of hip-hop releases as well as its BoxedIn TV series on YouTube, which interviews such artists as local rapper ReSrface, along with the concerts it produces around town at such venues as the Black Buzzard and the Rickhouse. The studio has another incen- tive: It just partnered with Native Roots, a move that should take your session to new heights. Best Hard Rock Label Sailor Records sailorrecords.com Oscar Russ founded Sailor Records in 2011 to release the debut album of his band Lords of Fuzz, but as his studio began to help out other bands, he realized he was on to something (as well as a tax write-off). Now the label lists fi fteen bands that it rep- resents, and locals know it’s a big deal to be signed. With the tagline “Music We Believe In and Live By,” Sailor Records focuses on quality over quantity, only signing bands that put in serious effort. For proof, take a listen to the release from local band Ipecac that the label put out last year. Best New Label Mean World Records meanworldrecords.com An example of how the city’s tight-knit mu- sic scene only begets more creativity, Mean World Records launched in September 2023 after Hunter Bates moved to Denver and joined the band Magnolia Grove, where he met his fellow label co-founders, Jason Kaplan and Jake DeMarco. The three cre- ated the label in 2023, and it now represents Shady Oaks, the Losers Club, In Plain Air, the Study Abroad, Death Rali, Tarantula Bill and more. Mean World Records is commit- ted to serving the DIY community, and we see that community growing with its help. Best Punk Label Convulse Records convulserecords.com Convulse Records has grown a lot in just a little over fi ve years. Founder Adam Croft began the label in 2018 when he was living in Laramie, Wyoming, as a way to help fel- low musicians and friends there. After he moved to Denver the next year, the music community readily welcomed him into the fold, and Convulse now has 26 bands on its roster from Denver and beyond. Convulse makes vinyls, cassettes and T-shirts, too, refl ecting the DIY culture it helps to foster. Best DIY Label Unit-E Records unitedenver.org We chose Unit-E Records, champions of the growing art community, as Denver’s Best DIY Venue back in 2012, when it was just a rented-out space in the Art District on Santa Fe. It was the best place to go during First Friday Art Walks, because you always knew there would be art worth seeing and music worth hearing. Now, over a decade later, that DIY ethos is being channeled into a record label designed to provide op- portunities for local artists and encourage supporters through its record subscription program. The label might be relatively new, but it’s already started bolstering its roster with rising stars such as Cherokee Social and Machete Mouth alongside Denver mainstays RAREBYRD$ and Wheelchair Sports Camp, among others. Best Debut Album Okay Grandma, Your Turn May Be Fern maybefernband.co May Be Fern has been rocking Denver since 2022, but the band really captured our at- tention this year. With a unique, intentional and well-curated sound, the four-piece de- scribes its music as “queer funk rock,” and yes, that’s just as amazing as it seems. Take a listen to the group’s debut album, Okay Grandma, Your Turn, which showcases May Be Fern’s breadth of talent, from funky licks on each instrument to clever lyricism de- livered through powerful, melodic vocals. We only anticipate more greatness to come from Kate Fern (vocals/bass), Hannah May (vocals/keys), Madi Spillman (guitar) and Evan Jeffers (drums/vocals). Music and Venues continued from page 126 GETT Y IMAGES/ ILYABOLOTOV
