Local Reviews: Atheist

Local Reviews: Atheist
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I was blown away by this release, straight up. It has everything I love in a hip hop record: rich and dusty beats from classic source material, tight verses by the main emcee and more than a few collaborations.  … read more

Local Reviews: The Young Electric

Local Reviews: The Young Electric
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It takes about 150 seconds for this album to establish itself as one of the tightest, most well produced local efforts this year. It’s a seamless transition between the opener, “Patterns & Processes,” which subtly incorporates elements of its successor on the album, “Machines,” that sets the feeling for the remainder of The Young Electric’s debut effort as more of a complete package rather than an assortment of randomly distributed tracks.  … read more

Local Reviews: Various Artists

Local Reviews: Various Artists
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The sampler begins with a fantastic track by Mystique, a local amalgam of young musicians from varied backgrounds who came together under the guidance of Spyhop. It is a delightfully upbeat, bouncy song paired with rich, soulful vocals performed by the female singers of the project. It’s a great way to start the album.  … read more

Local Reviews: Totem and Taboo

Local Reviews: Totem and Taboo
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From the ashes of The Suicycles, we are given Totem and Taboo. Former frontman of the “dirty electronica-rock”-branded Suicycles, Camden Chamberlain, along with others in the band, have teamed up with some newcomers to deliver a new sound that is certainly dark and proggy.   … read more

Local Reviews: Secret Abilities

Local Reviews: Secret Abilities
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The feminine sound of Tink Safeer’s backing vocals gives the already danceable “You’re Alive” a dash of ’60s pop.  Decapitated slows to an end with a narrative sung from the perspective of a deceased lover accompanied only by acoustic guitar: “I Stopped Loving You Tonight” could be Deadbolt on open mic night. … read more

Local Reviews: Quiet The Titan

Local Reviews: Quiet The Titan
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This is definitely a high school band, but if you take the pubescent-sounding vocals with a grain of salt, you’ve got the skeletons of a fairly impressive debut garage rock album. Using acoustic guitar intros, Weezer-ish bass progressions and youthful lyrics to their advantage, these teens manage some great jams that seem to be echoing the successful indie Provo/Velour scene.  … read more

Local Review: Little Sap Dungeon

Local Review: Little Sap Dungeon
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Six years since their previous album, Kevin Cazier (Perception Cleanse Perception) and Christopher Alvarado (Twilight Transmissions, Roses and Exile, Harsh Reality) are back with seven (no, eight! There’s a hidden one!) tracks, marrying their dismal dystopian visions to harsh yet beautiful, heavy post-punk industrial noise. … read more

Local Review: Lady & Gent

Local Review: Lady & Gent
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This debut album from the five-piece Provo group features a plethora of pure folk music—lots of singing along with acoustic instruments. Made up of brothers Garrett and Ben Williams, Jeff Adams, Dana Sorensen and Chris White, Lady & Gent demonstrate how the Americana genre is done. … read more

Local Review: Irun Toh

Local Review: Irun Toh
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Where Reality Sleeps is a smorgasbord of heady guitar licks compiled haphazardly into an enigmatic debut compilation. The entire project is reminiscent of late-’60s/early-’70s heavy blues (with a modern twist).  … read more

Local Reviews: Hot Club of Zion

Local Reviews: Hot Club of Zion
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Hot Club of Zion is one of the best jazz trios around. They play a gypsy style of jazz, and even though the mention of the genre brings to mind the great Django Reinhardt, they still maintain their own identity while paying proper homage. … read more