Local Reviews: Austin Joseph

Local Reviews: Austin Joseph
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Early Years, Austin Joseph’s first album, has an intriguing duality to it—whether it was a conscious effort is left to the listener to decide. To start, Mr. Joseph looks pretty clean cut: all smiles, hair gel and jeans. His musicality reflects this clean-cut image: uplifting keys and inspirational guitar. It’s clear that Joseph has extensively studied the catalogs of Pete Seeger, Gordon Lightfoot and other guitar-wielding good guys.  … read more

Local Reviews: The Anchorage

Local Reviews: The Anchorage
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Welcome to emo-ska! This is a fun/hate romp through two genres, which actually works for locals The Anchorage. Lyrics about pointing fingers at the lazy, the runaways, the suicide-attempters and those who aren’t facing reality in general, meet a wall of happy horns. … read more

Chant @ The Depot 03.28 with Legion Within, KMFDM

Chant @ The Depot 03.28 with Legion Within, KMFDM
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Folks who waited to show up late made a real mistake. Austin, Texas’ two-piece Chant blew both of the following bands out of the water. … read more

Local Reviews: The New Electric Sound

Local Reviews: The New Electric Sound
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Whether it was serendipity or just savvy marketing, the debut album from Provo-based surf-rockers The New Electric Sound has arrived just in time for summer. Generally speaking, the words “surf-rockers” and “Provo” don’t jive with one another, but this album just might change that. It’s the type of music that screams to be blasted out of topless convertibles cruising down the Pacific Coast Highway as the sun lazily sets over the horizon. … read more

Local Reviews: Mr. Richter

Local Reviews: Mr. Richter
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I’m all about the classic heavy metal revival. Mr. Richter join the mêlée of Utah’s virtuosic-vocal NWOBHM with their debut, six-song EP, where they find a good portion of their heavy metal niche with elegiac songs including opener “Mr. Richter,” which pounds along at a heavy, steady pace set by drummer Tyler Russell, along with chuggy guitars that blast in and out of dual harmony from both guitarists. … read more

Local Reviews: Mechanical Skies

Local Reviews: Mechanical Skies
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This five-song EP continues the journey of Mechanical Skies, following their first release in 2010. Exploring the three members’ influences, which they list as ranging from Jimi Hendrix to All-American Rejects, this material has a definitive classic rock undertone throughout. … read more

Local Reviews: Markham Sound

Local Reviews: Markham Sound
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At first, I didn’t know if this was a serious attempt to create an album, but I quickly realized it’s some kind of blend between comedy and music. The album opens with the tune “Mom & Dad,” with a chorus that rambles off a list of bands, “Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Seals and Croft, Three Dog Night, Chuck Berry, Sly and the Family Stone.”  … read more

Local Reviews: Kristen Nelson

Local Reviews: Kristen Nelson
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Beautiful, soulful melodies with drawn- out, twangy vocals comprise the majority of this seven-song EP/album, and a dash of pop helps keep it current and catchy. Kristen Nelson, originally hailing from Washington, brought the melancholy vibe often associated with her homestate to Utah.  … read more