Happy November + The Mystery of the B-Side Albums

November is finally here, which means Thanksgiving, having Christmas everything crammed down your throat for the next month and half and last, and more relative to When In Doubt, Clap!, a number of bands are putting out albums of unreleased material and b-sides from previous albums.

Included in the list of bands putting out albums full of not-so-new material during November are Copeland, The Format, The Killers, Thursday and Anberlin.

Coincidentally, three of these albums (with the exception of Kill The House Lights by Thursday and Sawdust by The Killers), a deluxe two-disc edition of U2's Joshua Tree and an album of material from Taking Back Sunday off of Tell All Your Friends will hit shelves on exactly the same day - Nov. 20.

Even though Thursday's album was released Oct. 30 and The Killers released Sawdust Nov. 13, you've got to wonder, what's the mysterious fixation surrounding this pre-Thanksgiving release date?

That's what I'd like to know. Was there some sort of contract time where they couldn't do anything with these songs after Thanksgiving or vice versa? I really don't know what the reasoning is, but I would love to find out.

Two pretty good shows make one great one

Scheduling changes bring Interpol, Liars and Shout Out Louds to the same stage

The band that epitomizes the term “New York City hipsters” will be hitting up Salt Lake’s In The Venue on Monday, Oct. 15. Interpol is currently touring to support the release of their new album, Our Love To Admire.

But this trip to town for Interpol has had its fair share of twists and changes. First, the tour was scheduled for the McKay Events Center with Cold War Kids. Then Cold War Kids decided to take a spot on the White Stripes’ tour that never happened. Now the show has changed to In The Venue, which provides a little more intimate atmosphere.

Currently taking the supporting role for the show, opening up for Interpol is another group who got together in New York City and recently released an album – Liars (that’s the name of the band, not an accusation). Liars’ new self-titled album hit shelves at the end of August.

Then to shake things up a little bit, Oct. 15 was also the night Swedish indie pop outfit Shout Out Louds planned to play a show at Urban Lounge in Salt Lake City. Turns out Morrisey and a couple of other shows are scheduled for the same evening.

So, as confirmed just this past week with Postfontaine, who organized both the Shout Out Louds and Interpol shows, the Shout Out Louds cancelled their appearance at Urban Lounge and have now been added to the bill for the show with Interpol.

Unless you’re a die-hard Smiths fan or love Morrissey’s ravishing chest hairs, Oct. 15 at In The Venue is the place to be. Three of indie’s hippest bands on the scene right now will be all together in the same place on the same night, united by a series of scheduling changes that created the next in a series of must-see shows coming to the area over the course of the fall season.

The show is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. that evening and tickets are priced at $27 if purchased in advance or $30 the day of the show. Tickets, regardless of when their purchased will also have a service fee of $4.50.

The Smashing Pumpkins persevere

I reviewed the Smashing Pumpkins show that passed through on Sept. 28 for the College Times. The Pumpkins came to UVSC's McKay Events Center with support from The Bravery. It was a good show, and I collaborated on the write up with Greg Wilcox, who also writes for the newspaper as a Life writer. He deserves a lot of credit for the details of the show, I deserve credit mostly for the photo. Here's the link to the article on the new, revamped Web site for The College Times. I like the new format and feel I should support it a little bit.

The Smashing Pumpkins persevere

And since I took a bunch of photos and only one gets any real recognition, here's a few more to blow your mind...

Arcade Fire warms up the cold night

Despite cool fall weather two great bands draw big crowd

Never having played a show in Utah previously, Arcade Fire and LCD Soundsystem decided to make the trip together, playing Thanksgiving Point’s Electric Park on Wednesday, Sept. 26.

Both bands are currently touring together to promote their latest releases. Arcade Fire’s Neon Bible has received quite a bit of acclaim, and on the back of their initial release, Funeral, the band has achieved a mass audience and gained a fair amount of popularity.

James Murphy’s LCD Soundsystem has earned quite a bit of buzz in its own right. The new album from the dance-punk outfit, Sound of Silver, has definitely lived up to the standard set by their Grammy-nominated release, LCD Soundsystem.

The hype generated by these two phenomenal releases generated an awesome crowd Wednesday evening, despite the fact the show was set outside and it wasn’t exactly warm after seven that evening. Both bands brought their A-games and satisfied the crowd that had anticipated the day this show would finally materialize.

Murphy and crew got the evening going right on time and in great style. Opening with their stand-out track, “Daft Punk is Playing at My House,” everyone got to dancing and the dancing did not stop for the rest of the night.

One of the most intense moments of the set was when Al Doyle (guitarist, also a member of Hot Chip) shredded his guitar to death at the end of “Movement.” Doyle went to town on his strings and on a myriad of other instruments throughout the set, but the way he took of during “Movement” was truly compelling.

Other than that, Murphy and the rest of the crew were pretty stationary, but that’s their style, and it works. LCD Soundsystem performed well with a good mix of new songs, “North American Scum,” “Someone Great,” and “New York I Love You, but You’re Bringing Me Down,” as well as the classic songs from the self-titled album.

Comprised of ten members and countless instruments, Arcade Fire was impossible not to enjoy. Opening with “Black Mirror” Win Butler and wife Régine Chassagne led the crew through a twisting set of emotional stories unveiled through song. The lights and video that accompanied the group helped turn the set into an experience instead of a concert as well.

They moved between the four “Neighborhoods” from Funeral and hit “Intervention” with the booming organ throughout and hit “No Cars Go” as well. Butler even dedicated “Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)” to his grandpa, Alvino Rey, who, according to Butler, took him and his brother William into the surrounding mountains fishing numerous times. He also hinted at the fact that those memories made it hard for him to be back here, perhaps one reason they’ve only passed through Utah on tour until now.

Ending the set with an encore preceded by the rambunctious “Rebellion (Lies),” Arcade Fire put on a spectacle that tops the list of live performances which have come through the state this year. Despite the cold night air and large numbers of people crowding around to take it all in, this show was void of filler and full of incredible music and performance.

Both Arcade Fire and LCD Soundsystem would be more than welcome back for another show anytime.

One legendary band, one stellar album and two shows impossible to miss

Zeitgeist of Pumpkins, Bravery, LCD Soundsystem and an Arcade Fire

Biblically, after the feast comes the famine and vice versa. If this ideological maxim holds true in all aspects of life, then the return of Billy Corgan's "machine," Smashing Pumpkins is a great example.

In 2000, after the release of Machina: The Machines of God (and an online release of a series of songs called Machina II: The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music), Corgan's supergroup called it quits. Since that time, there has been a Smashing Pumpkins famine. For seven years the alternative rockers that were a dominating force in music remained silent.

Then, on June 25, 2005, in a full-page advertisement in the Chicago Tribune, Corgan announced plans to reunite the band. Though only drummer Jimmy Chamberlain jumped back on board with Corgan to reform the band, the two forged on to tour and produce the bands seventh album, Zeitgeist, which was unleashed in July.

While the album takes a different direction than the Pumpkins' previous albums, Zeitgeist stays true to the heavy, emotional style the band is most famous for. Corgan himself summarized the themes of the album as "love, loss and the government." The last topic is most apparent at first glance of the record. The cover pictures a sun-lit Statue of Liberty robe deep in water -- an obvious statement about current global warming trends. Song titles like "United States," "For God and Country" and "Doomsday Clock" solidify the message being put out in concern to political issues and trends.

But Zeitgeist isn't just an avenue for Corgan's political views to be expressed, the second single, "That's the Way (My Love Is)" attests to the well-rounded attempt Corgan and Chamberlain made to hit the "love, loss and the government" themes. "That's the Way" seems to echo Machina era Pumpkins and is arguably the catchiest track on the album.

Of course each track is good in it's own right, but, even so, Zeitgeist is not comprised fully of hit material. In fact, the album as a whole takes some getting used to before it's committed to memory and becomes a go-to album. An initial listen actually leaves the listener wondering where the transitions between songs even is most of the time.

The album tends to start really heavy and get lighter and lighter toward the end. It makes the listen flow, but also a little one-sided. It feels unbalanced at times but somehow, with each additional listen, it seems to even itself out and take on a more solid feel overall. For the listener spinning Zeitgeist for only the first or second time, do not worry that Corgan is going the way of his solo release.

Smashing Pumpkins are back, with a vengence, and with each unique listen a new track will mean more and gain more favor as the progression to loving the entire album becomes possible. Corgan, Chamberlain and the new crew stay true to the sound that is Smashing Pumpkins and Zeitgeist should be a perfect fit in completing any fan's catalog of the band.

In step with supporting the new album, Smashing Pumpkins are out on the road and will making an appearance in Utah at UVSC's McKay Events Center on the evening Friday, Sept. 28. Doors for the event open at 6:30 and ticket prices range from $36.50 to $47.50 depending on how close you want to be from the action.

Directly supporting the Pumpkins on this leg of the tour is The Bravery. The Bravery also recently put out a new album, The Sun and the Moon, which includes the hit song "Time Won't Let Me Go."

This is one of the must see events of the fall, as is another show which will be coming through Utah only two days prior to the Smashing Pumpkins concert.

Wednesday, Sept. 26, marks a most rare event for music fans in Utah Valley. Indie superheroes Arcade Fire are actually coming to perform in the state of Utah. In support of their incredible release, Neon Bible, and with direct support from LCD Soundsystem, this is a concert that anyone with any taste for indie music cannot miss.

Held at Thanksgiving Point's Waterfall Amphitheatre in Lehi, gates will open at 6:00 and the show will get underway at 7:00. The amphitheatre is a grassy venue and blankets are exceptionally handy for seating. Tickets for the show are $36 for general admission. Between the energy and ingenuity of Arcade Fire and the dance-punk infusion of James Murphy and LCD Soundsystem, whose latest release, Sound of Silver, has been well-received worldwide, this show cannot be missed.

So This week it's the battle of the two super shows in Utah County. Smashing Pumpkins and Arcade Fire. The Bravery and LCD Soundsystem. If there is any possible way to catch both of these mammoth-sized events, it's highly recommended.

In anticipation of Sept. 26, here is an old review/preview combo

Note: The following post is made up of a review for the LCD Soundsystem album Sound of Silver and a brief preview of Arcade Fire's Neon Bible which I wrote before it came out (obviously the information is dated, but it's about showcasing some writing I have done previously about the band and the album). I'm posting this review/preview combo in lieu of their upcoming visit to Thanksgiving Point on Sept. 26. It is looking to be one of the best shows on the year and you should expect a full rundown as soon as it's over on When In Doubt, Clap! So for now, enjoy a review/preview combo of each respective band's latest release.


Sound of Silver sounding more golden
New release by acclaimed disco-punk outfit aims for aesthetics

Sound of Silver, the latest release by LCD Soundsystem, is a major staple in dance albums produced this year.

LCD Soundsystem is the side project of James Murphy, co-founder of Death From Above (DFA) Records. Sound of Silver is the follow-up record to the 2005 self-titled release that made everybody want Daft Punk playing at their house.

LCD Soundsystem’s Sound of Silver was released through DFA/Capitol. It hit stores until March 20 in the United States. The record also leaked onto the internet months before the release date, and numerous fans had already put in a few good listens before the album ever touched the shelves. Those who wanted to get a preview, but not just a pirate copy, got a taste of what’s on the new album on the band’s Web site.

This new effort by Murphy is a standout, sporting tracks that could have been on the self-titled album as well as new standouts that are sure to perk up a lot of ears. Must-here tracks on the album include “North American Scum”, which is the first single from the record, “All My Friends”, and “Someone Great.” “Someone Great” was extracted directly from a 45-minute track Murphy put together for Nike and iTunes, aptly titled "45:33," in 2006.

Despite being a well-put-together release, Sound of Silver does have a couple of the nine tracks that quickly become mundane and overly repetitive. One track in particular, the opener “Get Innocuous”, lives up to its meaning. It fails to catch the listener’s interest throughout its seven-minute plus duration. Murphy and the sound system are in full force on this sophomore effort. He continues expanding his sound on the album, sampling from other influential artists like Bowie, Talking Heads and New Order.

Sound of Silver is possibly one of the most anticipated dance/disco/punk albums of the year. Clips of the new album on the LCD Soundsystem website, lcdsoundsystem.com


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Music Noteworthy of the New Year

A new year means a fresh chance for some excellent music. A number of artists are taking advantage of this by releasing their albums right away in the first few months of 2007.

Numerous releases doesn’t necessarily mean loads of excellent, listen-worthy music. To help alleviate some of the stress of picking through what’s promising and what wasn’t worth the cost of printing, there are some albums worthy of recommendation out there.

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Arcade Fire – Neon Bible

Canadian super group Arcade Fire, masters of utilizing large numbers of instruments as opposed to digitally combining their sounds using technology, bring forth their new effort, entitled Neon Bible, March 6. Neon Bible rings true to the band’s patent sound, and seems to pick up where their initial release, Funeral, left off. Singles like “Intervention” and “Black Wave/Bad Vibrations” make this effort seem a very listenable album that will be worth the anticipation.

In an effort to build some excitement about the release, earlier in January the band created a toll-free phone number which was answered by the first single of the album, “Intervention”. Though not the first to try this technique of getting a song into the public without the cliché internet “leak”, Arcade Fire is working hard to create a buzz about Neon Bible, which, hopefully, and likely, the album can match.

Sleeping With Giants in Salt Lake City

The Academy Is... headlining tour sweeps through In The Venue

As part of their headlining tour, which is better known as the Sleeping With Giants tour, The Academy Is..., brought friends Armor For Sleep, The Rocket Summer and Sherwood to Salt Lake's In The Venue Wednesday night, Sept. 12.

The tour began Sept. 5 and is scheduled to run until the end of November. Still on their first leg of the tour, most of the bands were partial, so far, to a wild, dancy Utah crowd that showed up despite stiff competition from a slew of other concerts in town that same evening.

The show started off with California five-piece group Sherwood. The group had a little trouble getting going as they experienced some technical difficulties with a microphone. But after realizing how distracting from the song the problem was, the guys quit playing, tackled the technical stuff and took it from the top.

Though they were only opening up the tour and it was still early, the Utah kids in attendance were ready to dance to Sherwood's poppy music and crowd surfed the Sherwood set away. Once Sherwood finished up, the crowd intensified in anticipation for Bryce Avary's The Rocket Summer.

By now most every pop-punk fan knows the name Bryce Avary. Since releasing Do You Feel back in July, The Rocket Summer have taken off with their single "So Much Love." The Rocket Summer have been to In The Venue a couple times previously this year, playing with The Early November and headlining with Daphne Loves Derby.

Despite The Rocket Summer's good track record with putting on energy-rich, fun performances, their new-found fame really turned the crowd that turned out to see them into a mob of crazed teens pushing, punching and kicking their way to be Avary's number one fan.

It really put a damper on the experience of the set. Between that and the fact that Avary and crew put on the exact same show (including the confetti cannon) as last time, almost song for song, this trip The Rocket Summer was a bit of a let down.

The surprising act of the night was definitely Armor For Sleep. Though they were the number two band on the bill for the evening, they drew by far the smallest crowd. But everyone that bailed after The Rocket Summer really missed out as Armor For Sleep put on an amazing set.

Playing from their two current releases, What to Do When You Are Dead and Dream to Make Believe, and playing a couple songs from an upcoming album, the boys from New Jersey brought a good energy onto the stage, though their music was a bit heavier and felt a little out of place with the other bands on the tour.

Even though Armor For Sleep was the surprisers for the evening, headliners The Academy Is... really brought the show together and made the evening worthwhile.

With the relative success of both their debut and sophomore albums, Almost Home and Santi respectively, The Academy Is... has achieved about as popular a status as a band of their nature could without"blowing up," as many of the bands on their label, Fueled By Ramen, have in recent years (Fall Out Boy, Gym Class Heroes and Panic! At The Disco come readily to mind). And they proved it with a non-stop power set that hit on near every song in their two-disc library.

Much of the band's draw, as most critics would say, comes from the honest, melodic delivery of vocalist William Beckett. But the entire band deserves credit for the spectacular performance of their stop at In The Venue. Every song was spot on in every possible way, and the presence of each and every member contributed to the power the performance brought into the venue.

Of course, the crowning performance of the night had to be the first single off of the new album, "We've Got A Big Mess On Our Hands," which the crowd went nuts for. And with good reason, as Beckett and crew fed into the energy and intensity of the crowd and played it up for all it was worth.

Though the Sleeping With Giants tour met with some serious competition as both Muse and Rise Against were in town on that same evening, any fan that picked The Academy Is... over the competition that evening did not leave disappointed. Even if the success of the show rested squarely on the shoulders of the headliners, The Academy Is... brought the skill, energy and stage presence that made the Sleeping With Giants tour anything but a giant sleeper.

Modest Mouse draw impressive crowd at McKay Center

Matt Costa and Rilo Kiley play in house with Modest Mouse

Fans packed the McKay Events Center on Monday, Sept. 10, to see indie supergroup Modest Mouse perform with Rilo Kiley and Matt Costa as part of a current west coast tour.

It was an extremely eventful evening which began with a very relaxed set by young singer/songwriter Matt Costa. Costa performed tracks from his 2005 album, Songs We Sing, and other various songs from EPs and singles he has put out since 2003. The Orem crowd was very receptive to Costa's Jack Johnson style deliveries performed with his travelling troupe.

Rilo Kiley presented what some fans may consider was the best performance on the night. Really Jenny Lewis and crew put on a rather standard performance of their new material from Under The Blacklight. Their sound was definitely right on, but their presence on stage wasn't exactly impressive.

Beyond Jenny Lewis' random get-up of black leather, black nylons and high heels, there really wasn't much else happening on stage with Rilo Kiley. It could have been anybody up on stage with the band playing somewhere off the side of the stage and it would have created the same effect. Overall, Rilo Kiley were good, but with all the standing around and just swaying to the beats made it less than complete.

The lack of completion was more than filled with an electric performance by the revamped Modest Mouse lineup, which, of course, now includes former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, who joined the group during the production of their latest release, We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank. Not only did the lineup feel more complete, but the songs felt fuller and stronger even than some of their studio tracks.

Isaac Brock, Eric Judy and the rest of the crew took the stage, which featured a spectacular two-drum setup, with clear plastic masks and an intense performance of "Bury Me With It" from Good News for People Who Love Bad News. Right from the get go the band attacked every song with captivating stage presence, precision sound and a passion for the music they have created.

The crowning song in their set was when they pumped out a pounding rendition of the "Tiny Cities Made of Ashes." The extended version of the song epitomized a set of songs which included unique performances of singles like "Dashboard," "Float On," and "We've Got Everything."

Isaac Brock's between song banter wasn't too bad either. He made off the wall commentary that matched his quirky one-liners that make up the lyrics to a lot of the bands songs. Johnny Marr's dry wit was quite delightful as well. But other than the occasional witty remark, Marr pretty much stayed in his corner and let his guitar genius speak for him.

Capping the night off with a phenomenal encore, which included "Spitting Venom," Modest Mouse made their mark on the crowd at the McKay Events Center. A show that looked to be a fairly good show turned out to be an incredible evening of live music, mostly due to the untouchable indie genius of Isaac Brock and Modest Mouse.

Jamboree Music Festival Guest Review

Jamboree Rocks Thanksgiving Point

Greg Wilcox
Life Writer for The College Times

The Jamboree music festival kicked off this last Saturday at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi. Somewhat resembling a low-key Vans Warped Tour, The event featured many famous artists on the music scene today, including Dashboard Confessional, The Format, and Limbeck band to name a few.

The doors for the show opened at around 1:00. Shortly after, the show was started by the local favorite Love You Long Time. Although they did manage to give an energetic performance and get the festival started, they were also incredibly cheesy with their onstage dancing and very poor, nasally vocals from the singer.

A highlight of the jamboree for many attendees was the reprisal performance of The Aquabats, who delighted the audience with their onstage antics and live performance of fan-favorite songs such as “The Super-rad”. In particular, they had a seahorse ride competition, where they had two kids crowd-surf race across the audience on inflatable seahorses.

Older audiences and new fans alike welcomed Toad the Wet Sprocket who played some of their early era hits as “All I want” and ”Walk on the Ocean”. One must admit, however, that this band was a somewhat odd addition to line-up of more modern music. They weren’t the only ones that were surprising to see though. Colbie Caillat also performed, and, despite being somewhat out of place compared with the other bands, she gave an excellent performance.

The Format likely drew the most fans next to Dashboard Confessional. Playing a live energetic set, they played such fan favorites as ”The First Single” and “On Your Porch”, the latter turning into one massive sing-a-long. Limbeck Band also performed a good set, and in particular gave a great performance on their song “Honk and Wave”, which incidentally is a song about driving through Utah.

It was the headliner, Dashboard Confessional, however, that most of the audience was there to see. Dashboard’s singer Chris Carrabba started off the set with “Vindicated”, and continued through playing all the fan favorites, eventually ending with “Hands Down”. In between songs, Carrabba told the audience how much he loved playing in Utah, and that he will be back very soon on another tour.

The downside of the Jamboree was that they had only one stage. This made many somewhat impatient, as some bands did take a while to set up and play. Another drawback was the high prices for food, and the restrictions the festival had, such as not allowing backpacks into it. Despite this, however, many bands showed that they were worth the wait, and in general fans seemed to be satisfied and having a good time.

My hope is that the Jamboree will continue, probably not “Next Week!” as the Aquabats singer exclaimed several times, jokingly, but rather on a yearly basis and attract more bands and become a bigger event. How cool would it be to see a rival Coachella Music Festival in Utah?

The New Nervous gets frantic on debut EP

Local band's first album makes social issues listenable and danceable

The local music scene in Utah Valley is hit or miss most times. One of those times when a direct hit occurred was when The New Nervous formed in late 2005. Another direct hit was when The New Nervous released their debut EP, Frantic Is The New Nervous, earlier this year.

Frantic is a solid seven-song effort accompanied by a couple of bonus tracks (practically making it a full-length release). According to the band, the idea of the record stems from the fact that “In a world overwhelmed by sensationalism, being nervous is no longer enough.”

Being nervous may not be enough to get a point across, but Frantic gets its message across loud and clear. An album full of social commentary on hot issues and fresh takes on often abused thematic elements, Frantic is sure to strike a fancy with listeners from all walks of life.

Opening the album is the catchy, fast-paced “Hum.” This track appears to be chronicling the ups and downs in a relationship packaged in a symphonic vocabulary full of new catch phrases and one-liners that could easily grace an infinite number of MySpace profiles. “Hum” also hits some of those bumps and smooth spots in the music as well. As the song opens with a pounding introduction, it immediately slows down as it begins the first verse. Then it speeds up again and takes several twists and turns that weave a beautiful story, punctuated by phrases like “I hear my heart in the stereo, rhythmically repeating.”

Into the middle of the album, “Our Mission Statement” and “Collapse Your Lungs” stand out as tracks that make bold statements about social trends. “Our Mission Statement” feels like a social deconstruction on the entertainment industry's stranglehold on the American public at large ,and how the public sits back and soaks it all in (“Hollywood dictates, you take the notes, on the very paper designed to slit our throats”).

“Collapse Your Lungs” takes on the issue of obsessing over body images as they are portrayed in the media. This story of someone chasing a “perfect” body image is noted in phrases like “pain is pretty,” “your enchantment with enhancement leaves you inadequate” and a line from the title of the track, “collapse your lungs, not enough room in your body.”

Scott Shepard's (vocals, guitar) lyrics are so thought provoking and immediately relevant to today's society while maintaining a sort of timeless quality that gives it staying power. And he takes one last jab at a hot social issue in the last track (not counting the bonus tracks) of the EP with “Pharmacadia.” Most easily The New Nervous' most danceable song, “Pharmacadia” addresses the topic of a societal dependence on prescription medications, as the title implies.

The song sets up a scene where the town of Pharmacadia everyone “thrives on what the doctors prescribe.” But then the song turns to the chant of “let's burn this temple down” and “I've got this body full of chemicals and I want out,” which seems to reference a desire to escape the dependency of drugs and live life without that chemical attachment.

Rounding out the Frantic experience, The New Nervous toss listeners a couple bonus goodies starting with a bare-bones, guitar-and-piano version of “Hum,” which superbly showcases the actual talent that stands at the core of The New Nervous. The other bonus track, “Deathcare Industry” feels like it is deserving of only being a bonus feature on the album. The bass-heavy, Deftones-esque song feels very forced and cliché. It definitely doesn't fit with the rest of Frantic and doesn't really seem to fit in with what anyone would expect from these local dynamos.

No matter the spin you take on Shepard's points of view purveyed in his songwriting, Frantic is a unique and experience with each and every listen. Each song envelopes the overall idea of “being frantic” to attack social issues in a manner that makes people want to hear about them. It addresses what people often choose to overlook without shoving it in your face. Frantic Is The New Nervous is one of the most impressive and powerful debut releases I've ever encountered. It's highly recommended for anyone interested in or a fan of the local Utah Valley music scene.

The revival of The Rentals

'90s alternative rockers hit the road with Copeland and Goldenboy

A newly revived and revamped lineup for Matt Sharp's The Rentals blew through Salt Lake City Wednesday, Aug.8, on the first part of their current national tour with Copeland and Goldenboy. Putting on a somewhat intimate show at In The Venue, the former bassist for Weezer's project is making a comeback. The Rentals are touring in support of their first release in over eight years, The Last Little Life EP, which is due out Aug. 14.

Doors at the venue opened at 7 p.m., but the line to get in was less than impressive. With not much waiting time for entrance, and not too many people gathering for the show, it seemed that the show may be over before it really began. Then Goldenboy took the stage. Driven by Shon Sullivan's deep, soothing vocals, listening to Goldenboy perform their set, comprised primarily of songs from their release Underneath The Radio, was like taking a nice relaxing drive on an open highway at sunset. Most of the tunes were melodic, low tempo and easy on the ears. Their performance was pleasantly inspiring.

Even perhaps more inspirational was the crucial middle set performed by Florida-based Copeland. Aaron Marsh's swinging piano melodies and the repetition of “You would break your neck just to keep your chin up,” from the song “Chin Up,” was a perfect beginning to what would be the best performance of the evening.

Playing a good selection of songs from Eat, Sleep, Repeat, including "Control Freak," and filling in the rest of the set with classics from Beneath Medecine Tree and In Motion, including "Pin Your Wings" and "Testing The Strong Ones,"Marsh and company dispelled the often thrown around notion that their live shows are lacking (see his response to these rumors in the previous post when I interviewed him about this very thing). Copeland brought an energy which, though not accompanied by any acrobatic feats, is undeniably moving.

Between Copeland's performance and The Rentals taking the stage it seemed the venue switched up the audience a bit. Many of the younger persons that huddled around the stage during Goldenboy and Copeland seemed to fade into the background and some of them even calling it a night. In their place came many of a more mature persuasion, some of them it seemed had come straight from the office as they were still dressed up with suit coats and loosened ties. A new group that obviously had been fans of The Rentals when they first began rocking in the late '90s.

Matt Sharp and the new crew, which includes Rachel Haden from the original lineup and Ben Pringle of Nerf Herder, took the tempo of the evening up a few notches more. What Sharp brought with him to The Rentals from Weezer was easily recognizable, but The Rentals really do bring their own vibe on stage with them. It's like a party all the time. A geekfest of a party, but a party nonetheless. Sharp's quirky personality mixed with a menagerie of instruments (keyboards, guitars, Moogs and much more), alternating male and female vocals and plenty of dancing made for a very entertaining performance.

Each band brought their own style of what they do best to the stage, and each had their own profound influence on those in attendance.