The Best Indie Bands to See in Denver

The Denver music scene is bursting with talent — and it has been for years. Many indie bands from the Mile High City, such as DeVotchKa, the Lumineers and the Fray, have gone national, while talented musicians such as Gregory Alan Isakov and Todd Park Mohr from Big Head Todd & the Monsters have remained in Colorado, even as their tunes hit the mainstream.

What will be the next local act to make it big? Considering the array of incredible indie bands in Denver, it could be any group. But it's important to support these musicians at any spot in their career — you get extra cool points when you knew a band before it blew up, anyway. So take a listen to the following groups (organized alphabetically), buy a concert ticket, follow them on social media and give them the streams they deserve:
American Culture
As American Culture's Instagram bio states, the band has been "serving as a Trojan horse for poetry since 2014." Ten years on the scene, the four-piece toured the Pacific Northwest this summer after releasing a new album, Hey Brother, It's Been a While, which includes collaborations with Denver act Midwife. The album maintains the band's soothing sound and poetic lyrics; each track is distinct yet makes for a cohesive whole, with standout tracks including "Human Kindness," "Heavy Feeling," "Circle the Drain" and "Break It Open."
Bellhoss
Bellhoss founder Becky Otárola says she's very intentional about when the band plays live these days — including creating the recent DIY festival, SarahFest — but you can still catch Bellhoss around town in rare shows. The group is also still putting out new music, releasing a rose, a thorn, its first EP since 2021's Hiding. The sound is pure indie rock, with nostalgic lyrics, fuzzy guitar and excellent vocals on such songs as "I Love You" (from Hiding) and "Denny's," which Otárola wrote about working for Grubhub. Most songs on the new EP will be familiar to old fans, as Bellhoss has been performing them for years. The band puts on an energetic show, as you may know from past iterations of the Underground Music Showcase.
Blankslate
Speaking of the Underground Music Showcase, Blankslate was a standout set at this summer's festival. The three-piece group has been coming up on the scene for the past six years, since Tess Condron (drums/keys) and Rylee Dunn (guitar/bass) founded Blankslate and added lead singer Cameron Cade (who has her own solo career) this year. The band was already phenomenal with its 2022 debut, Summer on a Salt Flat, but Cade has helped take live performances to the next level, with vocals that emulate the depth of Mazzy Star's Hope Sandoval. Seeing Blankslate live is a sonic journey that grips audiences with story-telling lyrics and shredding guitar solos and energetic drums. We see this band really going places.
Corsicana
Oh, Corsicana. The many evenings spent listening to your tranquil, melodic music while burning candles and painting are too many to count. Led by Ben Pisaro, who created the project almost a decade ago while in high school, this band leans into shoegaze and dream-pop, winning an award for Best Shoegaze Album in this year's Best of Denver for Kept, which dropped in October 2023. But don't be fooled by the softness of the recordings — Corsicana's live shows are lively and dynamic, making for almost an immersive experience.
Elektric Animals
As for lively shows, you're in for a party with Elektric Animals. The Denver band has been playing on the local circuit since 2018 and dropped its debut album, Channels, with a deck of tarot cards and an unforgettable release show at Lost Lake Lounge in 2022. But we are especially in love with its latest album, A Bear and the Bull, which was released in April. Each track exemplifies Elektric Animals' seemingly effortless ability to write real earworms, all catchy and all quality. And that translates especially well at live shows, when gregarious frontman Nick Sanders works the stage with infectious passion.
Little Trips
Traverse phantasmagorical soundscapes with Little Trips, which won Best Dream-Pop Band in this year's Best of Denver. Founded by local musicians Greg Laut and Jason Paton in 2020 after the duo performed together as Whiskey Autumn, Little Trips released its debut album, Downhill to Paradise, that same year, and followed that up with live shows and single releases, including its latest, "Chit Chat." Blending indie rock with '80s tones and trippy dream pop, Little Trips provides a psychedelic experience whether you're seeing it live or listening through your headphones.
The Mañanas
The Mańanas comprise an indie powerhouse of lead vocalist/songwriter Brandon Unpingco and bassist/producer Danny Pauta, who is also the founder and director of Soundbreaker Records. Since forming in 2019, the Mañanas have been a constant on the local-music circuit, playing festivals like the UMS and at venues such as Lost Lake Lounge. The band won a Best of Denver for Best Indie-Rock Album this year for its latest album, 3000, a collection of nine pristine tracks that seamlessly flow from one to the next. And once the album's over, you'll find yourself pressing play again. The best part? The Mañanas sound just as good, if not better, live.
The Milk Blossoms
The Milk Blossoms have a new album, Open Portal, coming out on October 4, and we can hardly wait to hear it. While the band has continued performing and releasing singles (including the latest, "All Night My Hands"), it hasn't dropped an album since 2018's Dry Heave the Heavenly, which followed 2015's Worrier. The latest album will be celebrated with a release show at hi-dive on Saturday, October 5, with Wheelchair Sports Camp and George Cessna also performing. Don't miss out: The Milk Blossoms make for a truly dynamic show that will have you captivated.
Silver & Gold
If you missed out on Silver & Gold opening for Porridge at Globe Hall in August, never fear — the local quintet is still around. Just don't sleep on the group again, because it's worth seeing live at any cost. You'll recognize influences from the Cure and Arctic Monkeys in Silver & Gold, which formed about a decade ago as music students. With more than two million streams on the 2018 single "Feel a Little Closer," the band's sound clearly resonates, and its latest release, "In Due Time," polishes its oeuvre even further. Slow Caves
Slow Caves has been making waves in the greater indie scene for years, playing such festivals as South by Southwest after releasing its first full-length album, Falling, in 2019. The members have been making music together since middle school, and have created something special with Slow Caves. While the band hasn't released an album since Falling, it has released a couple of new singles this year that maintain its full, classic indie-rock sound. Be sure to catch Slow Caves live, where you can get the full experience; upcoming shows include the hi-dive on October 18 and Swallow Hill the next night.
Sponsored Content
Sponsored Content frontman Jason Edelstein says he wants every concert to feel like a party, and the band definitely achieved that during its music video-release show earlier this summer at Two Moons, which included bingo and prizes for the audience. The party was for the band's latest catchy single, "She Don't Care About Fine Dining," which continues the act's ironic humor with lyrics about a chef who only cares for authentic, in-season ingredients (the chef, as the music video shows, is a dog). Edelstein is also a co-founder of recording studio/creative agency the Salt Lick, which hosts the annual Cornhub Festival that Sponsored Content always plays. Follow the band and don't miss out on show announcements — while they may not all include bingo, they'll still be a party.
Sunstoney
While Sunstoney has only been in Denver for a year, the indie-pop artist has made a splash. Her tunes mix electronic elements with pop and indie rock for a shimmering, unique sound that beckons repeat listens and dancing. And if you were one of the lucky audience members at her UMS sets or caught her opening for Pleasure Prince in August, you know that Sunstoney's live sets have lots of dancing. The singer commands the stage with an infectious energy that pulls you into her lyrical story-telling, which you can hear throughout her latest album, The Mirror Is Calling.
Yugs
Yoni Gottlieb, the musician behind Yugs, blends indie rock, bossa nova, hip-hop, punk and lo-fi across his music, but the sound retains cohesion through it all. As he told us in May, "It’s cool to bring different types of music into one song and find the humanity in between.” And the lyrics draw that humanity out, too, delving into introspection and musing on the vicissitudes and joys of life. The live shows are always a big time; Gottlieb says you can expect dodging beach balls and "moshing with consent." And yes, that's as great as it sounds.