Music
Review: Austra – Habitat
Austra = Trust + Grimes … read more
Fitz And The Tantrums: Life on the Road and the...
Fitz and The Tantrums are widely known for their catchy tunes, writing chart-topping songs that stick in your head for hours. While six neo-soul indie-poppers might have your head in the clouds listening to “The Walker,” they’ve got their feet planted firmly on the ground. They welcome change and innovation, taking chances and staying humble in their successes. I had the lovely opportunity to speak with John Wicks (drummer and electronics), who shared some of his perspective about life on the road and the road to success. … read more
2014 Utah Arts Festival: Sunday 06.29 with Zodiac Empire, Watches,...
This year’s Utah Arts Festival was rad!!! No, it really was. After skipping out on the last few years to do absolutely nothing I finally decided to check it out again when the opportunity came up for this assignment. What was really impressive was the amount of entertainment available that didn’t require me to spend a small fortune buying pretty things for my apartment. Aside from music, the 6+ stages offered everything from local comedy shows to beatboxing to children’s theatre. … read more
Local Review: Visitors – Blueshift
Visitors Blueshift Self-Released Street: 06.20 Visitors = Deftones + Rush Rarely does an EP sound so much like a full-fledged album. Musical offerings of such satisfying integrity do not hatch, fully formed, by sheer happenstance. Blueshift combines fist-sized chunks of aboriginal talent with months of coffee-addicted, all-night hunkering sessions, to yield prog metal that feels
Local Review: VISTAAS – Sunkhronos
VISTAAS Sunkhronos Self-Released Street: 01.14 VISTAAS = Pierre Schaeffer + Oneohtrix Point Never Sunkhronos is a sample-heavy, cut-up work. This record has the feel of a found cassette in sections—the rare type where ferric tape hiss actually adds to the musicality. I would refer to it as musique concrète more readily than, say, a beat
Local Review: Sam Page – The Slog in Uncertainty
Sam Page The Slog In Uncertainty Self-Released Street: 05.01 Sam Page = Pixies + Placebo + The Red Hot Chili Peppers The blind passion and talent for melody that came out of the early ’90s summarizes this album completely. The fact that it’s the brainchild of a Utahn just makes my music geek heart sing.
Local Review: Oxcross – Tree and Stone
Oxcross Tree and Stone Self-released Street: 04.15 Oxcross = USX + Clutch + Karma To Burn Heavy and extremely loud rockers Oxcross bring forth the riffs. Those riffs flow like the springs and streams of the Wasatch Front, starting as trickles and turning into massive rivers. There’s a familiarity in the styles Oxcross throw down,
Local Review: OK Ikumi – Outside
OK Ikumi Outside Hel Audio Street: 04.30 OK Ikumi = Corduroi + Ethernet Once again, Karl Jørgensen has won over my heart with the ambient sounds of his latest synthesized magnum opus. This time, Outside translated into a more themed, cohesive work than its predecessor 10/13. The collection of sounds weaves an intricate tapestry of
Local Review: Lindsay Heath – Holy Medicine
Lindsay Heath Holy Medicine Self-Released Street: 08.02 Lindsay Heath = PJ Harvey + Fiona Apple With a lead-in as powerful as “Holy Medicine,” fit with deep cellos, quivering violins and soulful serenades, Lindsay Heath summons spirits with a particularly chilling and intimate sound. Holy Medicine is not for the meek. With longer songs, the depth
Local Review: Honey Pine – Self-Titled
Honey Pine Self-Titled Self-Released Street: 04.05 Honey Pine = Deer Tick + Grateful Dead Honey Pine is an alternative rock band from our backyard. The Honey Pine guys didn’t name the band after a tree, but rather the verb—to pine—which makes sense. These rockers are after something, and you can hear it when they play.
Local Review: Henry Wade – Meet Your Creature
Henry Wade Meet Your Creature Self-Released Street: 04.22 Henry Wade = Joshua James + The Avett Brothers If there’s a simple formula for making Western-folk music, I’d say it includes an ingredient list of steel guitars, banjos, harmonizing female vocals, brass instrument, along with references to trains, the night sky and Jesus. Henry Wade pretty
Local Review: Giraffula – Smile and Wave
Giraffula Smile and Wave Self-Released Street: 04.25 Giraffula = Neon Trees + TOBACCO A variety of influences are packed into this electro-pop composite. There’s some Robert Smith–inspired vocals on “Haunting Me,” bass akin to Radiohead on “Magic Figure 8,” and even some Kraftwerk-meets–Black Moth Super Rainbow on “Geronimo.” Wacky hip-hop track “Pizza Party” sounds like
