Authors: Kia McGinnis
Local Reviews: Burning Olympus
Words Taken From Books caught me off guard in a good way. These five songs are lustrous and captivating, with a spacey, dream-rock vibe and just enough grunginess. Vocalist Devin Powell is successfully emotive and visceral, while the band handles the rest with lo-fi texture and intriguing rock patterns. … read more
Local Review: Dine Krew
Salt Lake seems to be spouting out a steady stream of promising, uprising hip hop artists lately—Dine Krew included. We-E.T.’s presents unassuming, mellow beats and slow, satisfying flow, with short tracks that place emphasis on transitions. … read more
Parchment and Pallet: CLC Vintage Vendor
Parchment and Pallet etsy.com/shop/ParchmentAndPallet “Be still, my heart,” I thought as I saw Jacqueline and Logan Whitmore bustling around their baby blue, 1950s Shasta trailer, making sure each item was nestled just right. Parchment and Pallet collect classic American retro items, mostly from the ’40s to the ’70s. You could find all sorts of gems
Salt Valley Vintage: CLC Vintage Vendor
Salt Valley Vintage etsy.com/shop/SaltValleyVintage Stepping into Jane Stringham’s apartment—which doubles as her work space—is like stepping into an episode of Mad Men. She has an eye for aesthetics that are clean, effortless and simultaneously charming, rich and, dare I say, groovy. Case in point: Hanging on her wall is a 1960s floral dress in
Grieves & Budo @ Kilby 10.15
Grieves & Budo picked up some worthy fame while touring with Atmosphere and being a part of Warped Tour. With the show they put on here in Salt Lake, it’s no wonder. As they played ‘’Pack It Up,” I could see hearts in most everyone’s eyes as they sang along—‘’Ooo, I got a feeling you could be my baby.’’ For being a skinny kid with less than perfect teeth, Grieves has the means to get serious booty. … read more
Priory @ Kilby Court 11.21
You gotta hand it to these hipsters. And when I say hipsters, I mean the Portland dwelling, bearded, easy-going, most likely stoned kind. Yes, Priory fits said cliche, but let’s not be too hasty to judge. The dudes of Priory stood out enough amongst the masses to land a tour, hop in a bus and live the musician’s dream. … read more
Twin Sister and Ava Luna @ Kilby 02.11
I’m one of those people who can have one song by an artist in my music library and still call myself a fan—Twin Sister being a solid example of that. Once upon a time, I came across their track, “Lady Daydream,” and was obsessed with it for approximately one day. It was with that in mind and an altogether hazy idea of what they might actually sound like live that I stumbled into this show. … read more
Snowbird Speed Dating 02.14
If you’re anything like me, then you think speed dating is for the sad, lonely and desperate––or for BYU students. Alas, I decided to hush my preconceptions and try out Snowbird’s Valentine’s Day version of speed dating. The resort offered $40 all day passes for singles and set aside a chairlift on the Peruvian run with a line for the ladies and a line for the dudes. … read more
The Shins, The Head and The Heart, Blind Pilot @...
What’s better than getting to see The Shins? Getting to see two bands you’ve been solidly obsessed with for ages beforehand, making for a holy trifecta of folk pop. This Red Butte show sold out like crazy despite $50 tickets, so clearly I wasn’t alone in recognizing the glory of this lineup. … read more
Dirty Projectors @ In the Venue 07.21
Here’s a fun fact: In The Venue opened doors a full hour before any music started, so show attendees got plenty of time to stand around looking hip or whatever. There were a lot of chicks wearing glasses and mom jean cut-offs, which made me think about how funny Portlandia is, and I was hoping that this show proved to be worth it, because I could be at home watching hilarious hipster satire. As fate had it, the evening redeemed itself and I was even able to celebrate at the end with Mexican food. … read more
Aesop Rock @ In the Venue 07.23
Before the king himself took the stage, a team of intimidating bouncers pushed people around until there was a path for him to walk through. It was hot as balls in the room and bumping with fans. Finally, the trio—Aesop, DJ Big Wiz and Rob Sonic—appeared and everyone got their hands in the fucking air. … read more
The xx @ The Complex 10.16 with 2:54
The xx have been a consistent favorite on the ol’ iPod since approximately 2008, when I happened upon their video for “VCR,” which at the time had a meager amount of views. Since then, they have exploded ferociously into the hip music hemisphere and when it became public knowledge that they would be playing here in Salt Lake, I couldn’t go anywhere in the city without hearing their name dropped. … read more
