Music Mailbag October 2024 Part 2 

• @kkatherinethomas
• Eyes of Eva

No Such Animal, "Medusa": No Such Animal is a young band that crafts incredible rock tunes beyond their age. When you press play, you hear heavy, driving guitar, vocals that are mature and deep, with a good rasp and high amounts of energy. Their new song, "Medusa," feels like a track straight out of the rock 'n roll playbook, in the best way possible. It's not overly formulaic and feels like it flows nicely, allowing for an enjoyable listening experience. "Medusa" would be the perfect soundtrack to someone zooming down the road on a Harley, a feeling greatly helped by the titular character doing exactly that on the art for the single. If you're needing some good old-fashioned rock 'n roll, look no further. The genre is definitely alive and well with No Such Animal. "Medusa" is streaming everywhere now.
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Belle & The Blackbird, "Purple Lightning": In another offering to the gods of rock 'n roll, Belle & The Blackbird's newest track "Purple Lightning" is fast, rhythmic, loud and oh-so-easy to headbang to. Here you'll find thrashing drums, ripping guitar solos and crisp vocals. There's not too much to say about this one other than "it rocks"—and if you want to rock out, you should listen to it. "Purple Lightning" is streaming everywhere now.
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Duncan Lutz, Live from Ogden Canyon: Full transparency: I'm an Ogden girlie, and as such, I'm going to be a tad biased toward songs about my hometown, especially ones that involve the gorgeous mountains and canyon that have been dang near in my backyard since I was a kid. Singer/songwriter Duncan Lutz seems to be someone who also loves O-Town, and paid a loving tribute to the city with his new EP, Live from Ogden Canyon. Unsurprisingly, it focuses on the mountains, enjoying life and making it through hard times. This EP is stripped back, featuring Lutz and a guitar, but nothing more is needed. His sweet voice paired with equally sweet-sounding strumming and picking will have you mesmerized and putting the songs on repeat. Even if you're not an Ogdenite, you can still enjoy these musings from an incredibly talented local musician. Live from Ogden Canyon is streaming everywhere now.
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Pdubba-U, Past Lives: Back in July, Pdubba-U was featured on Van Sessions (a live music show/podcast in Ogden) and gave a stunning performance; since then, I haven't been able to stop thinking about them, especially now that their debut album Past Lives is out. The album is theatrical, fun and well-done in almost every aspect. The musicianship featured on the album is out of this world, as are vocalist Wesley Knight Jensen's pipes. He's able to belt and reach the highest of high notes with grace and ease. Throughout the album you'll hear shredding guitar solos, punchy drums and captivating lyrics. If you're a friend of alt-rock, this is an album you need to run, not walk, to listen to. Past Lives is streaming everywhere now.
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Eyes of Eva, music video for "Drown With Me": "I'll give you blood to drink / with these last words I speak / I'll give you ash to breathe / As I begin to sink / Take my hand and inhale the deep / I'll make you drown with me / I'll make you drown with me." So sings Shawnii Secrest, vocalist for Eyes of Eva. "Drown With Me" is heavily inspired by the Salem Witch Trials back in 1692—more specifically, the story of Sarah Good, who was sentenced to death that year. Her last words before her execution were, "I am no more a witch than you are a wizard, and if you take my life from me, God shall give you blood to drink." The band wrote the song in honor/remembrance of Sarah Good, and all of the women who were falsely accused and put to death centuries ago. The song is dedicated to these women, and the music video gives listeners a beautiful visual not only for the song, but the situation in which Good found herself before her life was cut short. The song and video are both incredibly poignant, and fans of metal and history can come together to appreciate both. This music video release isn't brand-new, but as we get closer to Halloween, more people will be thinking about all things spooky and tragic, and the Salem Witch Trials definitely fall into those categories. "Drown With Me" is streaming everywhere now and the music video can be found on YouTube.
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The releases on this list aren't the newest of the new, but if you haven't come across them, now is the time to do so—you'll be glad you did.