Year: 2013
Local Reviews: Desert Noises
If I had to pick one local album to share with a friend from out of state, Mountain Sea would probably be it. To me, it represents the real quality folk-inspired rock n’roll that comes from Utah. Its sound is big enough to fill wide-open spaces and its feeling is intimate enough for a good pair of headphones. … read more
Local Reviews: Eyes Open
The EP is short but sweet, consisting of just three four-minute-plus rock-ballad style songs that flow in and out of each other easily. They are pretty, nicely executed, neatly produced, and clearly reflect the influences (such as U2 and Foo Fighters) that the band members have listed on the back of the album sleeve. … read more
Local Reviews: Fever Dreams
Even though they’re from St. George, I’m pretty sure that anytime Fever Dreams play a show in their hometown, we’d be able to hear ‘em all the way up in Salt Lake. This is dirty, mean, evil shit. … read more
Local Reviews: Huldra
After an EP and a split with fellow locals Dustbloom, Huldra have finally released a proper full-length, and it’s a beast. It’s bigger. It’s louder. It’s more intense. It’s simply more of everything Huldra does well. … read more
Local Reviews: Johnny Utah
Johnny 3:16 is a massive collaborative effort with over 15 emcees and producers lending Johnny Utah a hand on the album, including well-known locals Linus Stubbs, Yoga Flame Kane and Brisk One. The wide variety of beats keeps your ears from glazing over. … read more
Local Reviews: Better Off With the Blues
This album is blues, through and through, with a thoughtful song selection and excellent execution. This is truly an anytime album, but personally, I just wanna sit and listen to it on the porch in the evening sun with a cold drink. … read more
Local Reviews: Funk&Gonzo
Chyeah, brahhhhhh … ahem … Sorry, this reggae is twisting my brain up. Funk&Gonzo are a reggae, funk and alt-rock mash-up that had me checking the computer after every song to make sure it hadn’t shuffled to a different artist. … read more
Local Reviews: Chivers Timbers – Freedom + Stability
Chivers Timbers’ debut release is a 10-track ode to lo-fi rock n’ roll with a little reggae infusion. The album blends together sounds that were heard more prominently in the early ‘90s—the acoustic guitar taking the lead while the electric provides harmonics in the background.
Local Reviews: Daniel Day Trio – Black on Black
Black on Black is composed of the well-known Trio’s ambiance-enhancing, jazz-infused covers of a wide range of artists and genres. Recorded during a live performance on KRCL, Black on Black possesses every element that you would hope to hear from a live performance.
Local Reviews: Einstein In A Patent Office – Supernova Sounds
“Supernova sounds” is right! This album is a fantastic voyage through time and space, ambient but driven, with a totally modern production, but somehow still takes me back to my favorite classical songs.
Local Reviews: Exer Ovu – Fell On a Faultline, Rose...
Exer Ovu is definitely not your garden-variety act. For starters, the band is a product of a single dude who double tracks his voice on top of a (at most) two-instrument arrangement—which is predominantly acoustic guitar—that’s comparable to a modest freak-folk band.
Local Reviews: Eyes on Kites – La Distancia
From the onset of listening to this album, I was intrigued, and multiple listenings have only opened up more of that initial fascination. I’m partial to compositions that lack lyrics, with the notion that they can free your mind in a way that words limit you.
