Buzz Blog

So last week we skipped over the local releases section, primarily due to the fact that the shows were so spread out across the week and there was little in the online category, that if we promoted anything it would have been quickly forgotten before most of the shows came up. So today we're playing catch up from last week and previewing shows happening this weekend. First we'll get to previous and online releases and we'll start with Sen Wisher, the musical surname of Provo-based musician Ben Swisher. Swisher has been a part of the music scene for a few years now in various projects, including this project for over a year now. He's probably more prominently known to other musicians in the area as a man of many hats at Studio Studio Dada. His brand new EP called Glow marks his first voyage into solo albums, it has an interesting Radiohead-like quality to it without relying on filler in the background. You can download it for $4 off his Bandcamp page.


Sticking with smaller releases, we have the debut release from Scary Uncle Steve. This is an SLC punk rock band with some damn fine musicians in it who are all experienced hands. The group just released a 7" called Stuffed In A Crawl Space, and it sounds pretty damn good.I highly suggest snagging a copy, which you can do for $ from their Bandcamp.


Keeping with the punk theme, The Ladells released their debut album last week. I'd tell you more, but you can read what Kolbie Stonehocker had to say in last week's issue of City Weekly about them. Once you're done there, head over to their Bandcamp and plunk down $5 for their self-titled full-length.


Switching it up a tad to the alt-blues, we have a brand new record from Tony Holiday and The Velvetones. You may recognize Tony or his band from, well, every venue you've ever been to. The lead singer, as well as the band, have weekly and monthly gigs all across the city, so if you've never seen these guys perform we truly have to ask how often you get out of the house. Their latest album, No Need To Rush It, just came out on Midnight Records. You can download a copy for $5 off the label's Bandcamp page.


Going more for psych-rock, we have the latest from The Wild War. This is a trio made up of Kevin Edwards, Phoenix Martinez and Dan Johnson, who have slowly been making a name for themselves through the Kilby and Urban crowds. They released the Valley Rain EP back in February of 2014 to some decent buzz, but this new EP called City Of Thieves is primarily home-made demos. The title track is available on Bandcamp at the moment, no word on when the full EP will be online.


Moving into electronic alternative, we have the latest from Valerie Rose Sterrett. The singler/songwriter made her debut last year on Swoody Records with the impressive album Monsteria in the fall of 2014. Now she's returned with a follow-up album called Riveting Blue that features more pop-oriented sounds than before, but still containing elements of the experimental. You can download it for whatever you'd like to pay on the label's Bandcamp page.


Next up is an album from four different performers in one. The bands Dance On My Grave, Generous Drugs, Bird Watcher and Westing all came together to form a super full-length. Or at least that's the name I'm calling it because a "four-way full-length" sounds like a category I should be looking up on porn websites. In any case, Fall Songs is a fantastic collaboration between the four Ogden-based musicians, where the songs bend and weave between each other into a really cool mix of acoustic alternative music—it's at least worth a listen. You can purchase it for whatever you'd like to pay on Bandcamp.


Getting to a slightly lighter side of alternative, we have the debut EP from TJ Smith. A relative newcomer to this end of the music scene, Smith has some mighty fine chops as a musician and started off his solo career well by hooking up with Andrew Goldring to produce his first venture. Fade is a pretty good EP, definitely has more of an indie sound to things, but it's a nice opening venture. You can download it for whatever you'd like on Bandcamp.


Getting to release shows, tonight we'll have the latest from Advent Horizon. This group has been around for over a decade, cranking out their own version of progressive rock. Trying to boil down their career into a paragraph doesn't do them justice, you should just go look up what they've done over the years. The last album we saw from these guys was Immured back in 2011. After four years without a release we finally get Stagehound, which you can snag from the MusicGarage tonight at their release show. Terence Hansen will be opening the show, tickets are just $5 and the show kicks off at 8 p.m.


Finally, Saturday night, we'll see the latest release from Entomb The Wicked. This is a five-piece death metal/grunge band out of SLC comprised of Kelby Blakeslee, Tyler Bromberg, Noah Nielson, Niall Cummins and Braden Persch. The group have been kicking around since the end of 2013 with a couple lineup changes along the way, and released an EP called Decomposing Thoughts last August. Mortem will be the band's first full-length album, complete with grittier vocals and a faster-paced tempo than the EP. You can pick up a copy of the album tomorrow night at The Murray Theatre, who have become the defacto metal venue for bands under the age of 21. Along for the ride that evening will be It's Awake, Away At Lakeside, Deicidal Carnage, Mortigi Tempo and Ossatura. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door, doors open at 6:30 p.m. and music kicks off at 7 p.m.


Love music, head out, buy local!