As we soak up the last full month of summer, our August Local 303 is full of warm-weather tunes to get you in your feels. From hitting the dance floor, rocking out at a show, or cruising through the mountains on a long night drive we've got your soundtrack.
Colorado’s music scene is all about collaboration, and this month we're highlighting two new team-ups: VIVIAN OBLIVION, a full-band evolution of the Northern Colorado duo VIVIAN, and Glamour Shot, a new dance duo from Kyle Williams and Turner Jackson that’s ready to make you move.
Another featured artist is ghost gnotes, the dreamy indie rock project of Luke Mossman, lead guitarist for Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats. His hushed, atmospheric sophomore album came out in spring but has left a lasting impression all summer too. We’re also spinning the newest "lush" electropop song by mon cher who teams up with Best Man on a shimmering single full of desire.
Riah, known as Denver’s resident dark-pop queen, had the crowd gripped at last month’s Underground Music Showcase. Now she makes her Indie 102.3 radio debut with sensual, sassy bops that demand your attention. From Boulder, On the Dot brings playful indie rock to the radio after we first discovered them at our Local 303 music meeting earlier this year, and now they’re officially part of the class!
Denver duo Marfa have been heating up this summer as a support act for The Head and Heart across the US, and they return to the Local 303 after first appearing last December. Their song "Daisy" was re-released and the band has even more exciting news on the horizon and you discovered them on the radio first in our Local 303!
Join us for our Local 303 Meetup on Monday, August 25, at Bar 404 (404 Broadway, Denver) from 6:30–9 p.m. Meet this month’s featured artists, hang out with Indie 102.3 hosts, and catch a live set from Glamour Shot. We’ll also host our signature music meeting where you can vote on new Colorado submissions and we’ll have a surprise ticket giveaway!
The event is free, all ages, and open to everyone (under 16 must be with an adult). Food and drinks will be available for purchase—so bring a friend… or a few!
A special thanks to our Local 303 Meetup sponsor, Cambio Tequila.
Are you a Colorado musician who wants to be featured in the Local 303? Send us your music!
Meet August's artists:
ghost gnotes
Band Lineup: Luke Mossman
Colorado Home: Denver
Formed: 2020
Latest Release: "how does compliments" album self-released April 18, 2025.
Upcoming Shows: None! But I also play in Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats and you can see us at Empower Field on 8/2
About: ghost gnotes is the nom de plume of Denver musician Luke Mossman. Through the years of collaborating with others as a guitarist, he has always had songs that were uniquely his. Songs that felt too personal to share. But after longtime friend and producer Brian Joseph (Bon Iver, Sufjan Stevens, Local Natives) got wind of the demos, he convinced him to come to Eau Claire, Wisconsin and make something of these sonic landscapes. The new album “how does compliments” is the second release from this project.
Mossman has spent much of the past ten years touring the globe as part of Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats, returning home between tours to write and record on his own. Luke says of ghost gnotes, “This project is my therapy. It’s the process by which I work through my own demons and my adversity with the world. And it’s something that thankfully is always there for me, late at night, aching for discovery.
This record features Ben Mossman on drums and percussion, and guests Mark Shusterman, Chris Jusell, and Matt Tiller contributing bits and pieces.
What has inspired your latest release: Oh ya know, relationships, religion, politics, and all that
Any upcoming plans to share or behind the scenes work you're excited to tell us about: Currently planning to maybe play a show next year!
Website: https://www.ghostgnotes.com
Get Social: https://linktr.ee/ghostgnotes
Glamour Shot
Band Lineup: Kyle Williams production and brains of the operation. Turner Jackson vocals and personality hire.
Colorado Home: Denver
Formed: 2023
Latest Release:
"Can I Have it All" (August 15th 2025)
"Black Out" ( Released June 20th 2025)
"High Tide" (Released May 9th 2025)
Upcoming Shows: Thursday August 14th @ The Match Box w/ Cherokee Social
About: Glamour Shot is not just a band; it's a sensation that brings the essence of disco and house music to life. With our energetic performances and captivating beats, we create an electrifying atmosphere that keeps the audience grooving. Our music is a story that transcends boundaries and connects with people on a whole new level.
Our journey began with a passion for music and a vision to revitalize the disco and house music scene. Each member of Glamour Shot brings a unique blend of talent, creativity, and passion to the group, resulting in a sonic experience that is second to none. Get ready to embark on a musical journey like never before with Glamour Shot!
What has inspired your latest release: We really enjoy dance music. We also enjoy making songs about the human condition. Love Lost Struggle and Joy are all topics that we cover accompanied by a sexy sound. Mix all of that together and you get Black Out, our latest release!
Any upcoming plans to share or behind the scenes work you're excited to tell us about: The music video to our song Black Out will be released soon. We are also putting the finishing touches on our next single “Can I Have It All”!
Website: https://www.glamourshotmusic.com
Get Social: Instagram, SoundCloud, Facebook
Marfa
Band Lineup: Bryce Menchaca – lead guitar, vocals / Kellen Wall – guitar, vocals
Colorado Home: Denver
Formed: 2024
Latest Release: “Daisy” (Single)
About: Born and raised to a Texas country soundtrack, forged in Colorado from a shared love of rock icons past and present, and ignited by the spirit of California's Laurel Canyon sound, Marfa has arrived with an undeniably authentic sound as familiar as your favorite pair of Wranglers while as fresh as the morning Rocky Mountain air.
Their debut single "66", produced by Grammy® Award winning producer Nick Waterhouse (Leon Bridges, Jon Batiste) and recorded at LA's EastWest Studios inside the same four walls that gave life to The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds and The Mamas & the Papas' California Dreamin', puts the pedal-to-the-metal straight out of the gate on this top down road trip through the highways, byways, and everywhere in between.
With the release of “Daisy”, produced by Grammy® Award nominated Josh Block (Caamp, Leon Bridges) and written in the storied Canyon itself, the band channels influences from CSNY to the Eagles, taking listeners on an harmony-driven acoustic journey to find a long lost friend.
Any upcoming plans to share or behind the scenes work you're excited to tell us about: Big happenings in 2025 TBA -Upcoming releases produced by 3-time Grammy® Award nominated Jonathan Wilson (Dawes, Father John Misty, Billy Strings) coming soon.
Website: https://nfan.link/66 / https://www.marfabandofficial.com/
Get Social: Instagram, TikTok, Facebook
mon cher
Band Lineup: mon cher is Meghan Holton (she/her) - vocals, keys, guitar and Caitlyn Sullivan (she/her) - drums, backing vocals. Best Man is Emily Eicher (she/her) - vocals.
Colorado Home: Arvada
Formed: 2020
Latest Release: "lush" (ft. Best Man) - self-released June 27th, 2025
Upcoming Shows: none for mon cher yet - will keep you posted. Best Man (with me on guitar) is performing September 12 at Larimer Lounge
About: mon cher is the indie electronic project of Denver-based artist Meghan Holton - blending textured synthscapes, punch drumbeats and ethereal vocals into emotionally rich soundscapes. Following the 2023 LP sweet & heady and 2024's fool EP, Holton continues to build momentum with the upcoming 6-song EP you don’t feel it when you fall slow, set for release on September 19, 2025.
On stage, she performs alongside her partner and drummer Caitlyn Sullivan, transforming intimate studio work into vibrant, emotionally charged live sets. Performance highlights include opening for Soccer Mommy, Cannons, and DeVotchka, selling out the MCA Denver rooftop, and touring throughout the Midwest and Western U.S.
What has inspired your latest release: "Lush" is a song is about crushing hard, having that will-they-won't-they feeling with someone. The title "lush" is meant to evoke all of its definitions: growth & vibrancy, rich sensory pleasure, excessive drinking.
This is my first collaboration, making this with Best Man as she was living in my basement writing her debut album, People Pleaser, that debuted June 20th. I heard some oooos on her song "Look What You Did" and was like omg yes can I please sample those. I made those ooos a fun synth sound, she came up with a sweet chorus after I had the instrumental/verse, and here we are
Any upcoming plans to share or behind the scenes work you're excited to tell us about: NEW MUSIC IS COMING! New singles "nazare" out August 1, "wasted love" will come out August 22, and the new EP you don't feel it when you fall slow EP will come out on September 19.
you don’t feel it when you fall slow is a 6-song exploration of longing, devotion, and the consequences that follow. Each song is about how desire reshapes your thoughts and each track captures a different shade of emotional gravity: the intoxication of new infatuation (“lush”), the escape found in someone else (“nazare”), the ache of losing what was never yours (“wasted love”), and more. It’s a dreamy, vulnerable map of falling—so slowly you don’t realize until it's too late.
Website: www.moncher.us, https://linktr.ee/monchermusic
Get Social: Instagram
On the dot
Band Lineup:
Carmen Micheal Yon III (he/him) - Guitar, Bass, Vocals
Calder Haubrich (he/him) - Bass, Guitar, Vocals
Harrison Peña (he/him) - Keys Guitar Vocals
Nathan Burak (he/him) - Drums
Colorado Home: Boulder
Formed: 2022
Latest Release: Sea in Between, May 22nd. Self produced album
Upcoming Shows: Lost Lake Lounge, August 7th
About: On the Dot is a band of four that formed three years ago from within CU Boulder. From the beginning, their members enjoyed writing and recording songs together with a special attention towards achieving a unique and catchy sound. Through their recordings, they explore many different instruments and feels while still maintaining a cohesive sound specific to the band. As a live act, they put on an electric and lively show. Their dancy drums and memorable guitar lines are signature to their set. And with three lead songwriters and singers, vocal variety and harmonies are a proud and prominent feature. Now, with two albums done and a substantial local reputation, On the Dot aims to widen their audience and continue deliver a unique take on popular music.
What has inspired your latest release: After the release of our first album, we wanted to continue to explore the possibilities of recorded music. By that point, we had written a repertoire of about 50 songs, and we chose 13 that we thought would all fit together. Each song had a solid structure, melody and lyrics. We then recorded our main instrumental parts, most of the time live and in the same room. After that, we’d spend many days recording additional parts and playing with different sounds until a song felt lively and distinct enough to call it done. With “Sea in Between”, we were aiming to create a textural, distinct and rewarding album that brings the listener at least one new sound and feeling in every song.
Any upcoming plans to share or behind the scenes work you're excited to tell us about: We’re excited to get together and work on all new songs for our next project. We’re also collaborating with a lot of artists on new merch designs so look out for those at our shows. We’re always thinking of new fun things to make in addition to our music, one thing we’ve been quite enjoying is making videos together, so expect more On the Dot videos in the future!
Website: www.onthe.band
Get Social: Instagram
Riah
Band Lineup: Riah (she/her) - singer/songwriter/creative director
Colorado Home: Capitol Hill Denver
Formed: I've been in the music industry since early 2000s. I released my first indie album in 2022.
Latest Release: Skin on Chrome (ft. Alissa Ann) - single July 7; video August 8. Self released.
Upcoming Shows:
AUGUST 3: Soulful Sunday at Globe Hall
AUGUST 17: Atlantis with Deja View Productions at Cervantes
SEPTEMBER 13: Album Release event with Callywood Music at Denver Open Media
OCTOBER 10: Uprise Showcase at The Pearl
About: Riah is a rising force in the Bedroom Pop scene, known for her introspective, emotionally charged music that explores love, sex, loss, and a signature “villain energy.”
Having entered the Los Angeles entertainment industry at just 17, she endured the harsh realities of the pre-Me Too era, which ultimately drove her to reclaim autonomy over her art.
Now a successful entrepreneur, Riah returns to music on her own terms—infusing each lyric with raw honesty drawn from personal experience. A seasoned performer at festivals, clubs, and acoustic venues, she also channels her expressive power through competitive pole dance.
With her unique blend of vulnerability and strength, Riah is redefining Bedroom Pop with authenticity and edge.
What has inspired your latest release: “Skin on Chrome” is a sultry, synth-laced exploration of desire, identity, and the magnetic pull of the forbidden. Drawing on her background as a former sex worker and performer, Riah invites listeners into a dark, neon-lit moment of temptation—where the thrill of being seen collides with the ache of self-discovery. With lyrics that flirt with danger and vulnerability, the track captures the tension between who we are and who we want to be under the lights. Featuring fellow pole dancer and singer-songwriter Alissa Ann, Skin on Chrome pulses with feminine power, sensuality, and a touch of recklessness.
Any upcoming plans to share or behind the scenes work you're excited to tell us about: I may or may not be releasing a visual EP (pulled from my new album The Fourth Wall) at my Album-release event that I am SUPER excited about ;-) Otherwise, the album is dropping September 12!
Website: https://linktr.ee/riahmusic1991
Get Social: @riahmusic
VIVIAN OBLIVION
Band Lineup:
Alana Rolfe (she/her) -Lead vocals, violin, guitar, keys, bassVI, production
Timo Massa (he/him) -Guitar, BassVI, production
Bob Shipton (he/him) - Bass
Chris Thompson (he/him) -drums, production
Colorado Home: Fort Collins & Denver
Formed: 2020 - formed as a dream pop duo (VIVIAN) by Timo and Alana
Latest Release: "Animals" - Single released 7/18/2025
Upcoming Shows: VIVIAN OBLIVION as "The Cure"! A tribute set at Washington's FOCO Halloween night 10/31/25 with All My Senses as "My Chemical Romance" and No Fauna as "The Pixies"!
About: VIVIAN OBLIVION is Timo Massa, Alana Rolfe, Chris Thompson, and Bob Shipton. Often performing as a duo composed of Alana Rolfe and Timo Massa formed VIVIAN in Fort Collins, CO, have been referred to as, "glitchy and glittering indie-rock". Since then, the band has traveled, relocated to New Orleans, LA, relocated back to Colorado and are planning some big releases in 2025.
Their 2024 live recording of "Blah Blah Blah" featured some of Fort Collins best talent including: Shane Zweygardt (drums), Chris Thompson (drums), Brett Schreiber (synth), Menyus Borocz (bass), Steph Johnson (vocals), Timo Massa (guitar and production), and Alana Rolfe (vocals & viola) all recorded at The Blasting Room by Brittany Helton (video by Kevin Kirschner & John Barnhardt).
The 2023 release of their Mazzy Star cover, "Fade Into You" won "Best Cover of 2023" on The Colorado Playlist listener poll. Vivian's sophomore LP, "Pressure Makes Diamonds" peaked at #221 on the College Radio Charts while their 2020 debut release, "The Warped Glimmer", hit #89.
VIVIAN layers psychedelic and glitched-out stylings over crisp hip-hop inspired beats and smooth vocals, some have referred to this as "mushroom pop". The act was also selected to score a short film, "Birds Eye View” for Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, they were featured twice on NPR Live Sessions, selected for album of the week by105.5 KJAC and have toured across the U.S.
What has inspired your latest release: VIVIAN began with one foot planted in the trip-hop genre. We've been playing with hybrid styles ever since. As we started adding members in "VIVIAN OBLIVION", we wanted to focus on the live show experience. We were trying to create a nostalgic feeling that also made you want to happily dance, throwing all your cares away. "Animals" is what came out.
Any upcoming plans to share or behind the scenes work you're excited to tell us about: Now that we're getting settled back in Colorado we're planning to start releasing singles every few months and playing shows around regularly. But FIRST we will be diving into the vast catalog of The Cure for not only our Halloween tribute set, but also for future inspiration.
Website: https://vivianmusicco.com/
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