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Local Reviews: Society Mis-Call
Here’s the kind of hardcore I like to see coming out of Utah. Pure Reagan-era throwback that owes more to Dischord’s Flex Your Head compilation and Midwest mutant thrash than Earth Crisis, stretched earlobes or the vegan apocalypse. Possibly recorded in a garage under water during a power outage, it’s the slightly sloppy charm, the pissed-off drill sergeant vocals and the self-deprecating wit (“We Suck”) that keeps me coming back to it. Songs range from the outlandish (“Society Mis-call”) to the accusatory (“Fuck the Lies”) to the spooky (“Halloween”). … read more
Local Reviews: Scapegoat
Utah has played host to its fair share of visionaries and eccentrics. Edward Abbey, Joe Hill, Wallace Stegner and LaMonte Young (Southeast Idaho is close enough) have spent time (or died) here in Utah. Drinking from that pool of collective genius is the dark ambient artist Scapegoat. … read more
Local Reviews: It Foot, It Ears
It Foot, It Ears is a tricky animal. One part Nick Foster from Palace of Buddies, one part Jason Rabb from Bad Yodelers fame, It Foot, It Ears is cut from the same cloth as their experimental predecessors. Day Type is full of strange tunings, even stranger time signatures, disjointed melodies, loads of negative space and pregnant pauses. … read more
Local Reviews: Avintage
Harkening back to the alternative-pop that was popular a decade ago, Avintage have put a new spin on the anthem rock genre that met its doom when post-grunge came into fashion. Formed late last year by two college roommates, the duo picked up bandmates from around the state and quickly hit the studio with everything they had. … read more
Local Reviews: Arson Car
As much as Arson Car would probably like to be revered as an eclectic indie-rock band with a lot of their Provo peers, the truth is their music feels more like a 90s throwback to the college-radio days. The vocals are an immediate giveaway, as if in adulation to Michael Stipe circa R.E.M.’s Reckoning album—they come across haunting and passionate with a sense of frailty. … read more
Local Reviews: Adam and Darcie
Adam and Darcie continue to create a delicate blend of poetic hymnals with their new six-song EP, Early in the Morning. Each track delivers a personality that washes over the listener with effortless precision. “Linoleum,” the first track, puts a romantic spin on the original NOFX song with the aid of Darcie Sanders’ elegant vocals and features singer songwriter Drew Danburry while “Aotearoa” swells into a misty anthem of love. … read more
Local Reviews: The Suicycles
The Suicycles’ first EP, Four Chaotic Car Rides, showcased the band’s ability to write smooth electro-pop anthems, and now they have followed it with Experiments In Being Awake, which captures the controlled chaos that heavily defines the band. A notable distinction between the two releases is the addition of horns throughout the latest EP. … read more
Local Reviews: Split Lid
The great thing about the alternative metal push in the early ’00s was that headline bands recognized they all had a distinct sound and did their best not to copy one another. Everyone following them, however, did, and have not stopped since 2001. … read more
Local Review: The Old World
The Old World is an album that catches a group of skilled musicians halfway through a transition from a power pop band to a ballad-brandishing folk rock ensemble. Though each song on the album displays their prodigious aptitude for their instruments and is entertaining in its own right, as a collection, the album is a bit sporadic. … read more
Local Reviews: Exer Ovu
“Where was this recorded, and who recorded this?” is the first thought in my mind as I listen to Exer Ovu’s latest effort. I’m not even sure what I’m listening to for the first few songs. What I can make out is that the band consists of a guy and a guitar, and that’s about it. Most of it sounds like that point on acid when you’re jamming with your friends and you think you’re awesome, but really it’s just erratic noise. … read more