Music of Utah

Utah music has long been dominated culturally by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the "Mormons"), although other groups have also played an important role. The local music scene thrives in clubs. However, the musical history of Utah, and much of its current distinctiveness, is owed to the LDS Church.

Mormon folk music

Main article: Mormon folk music

Mormon folk music constituted some of the earliest white/euramerican music in the boundaries of modern Utah. These songs, simple and easy to remember, were usually sung without accompaniment because of the scarcity of musical instruments in territorial Utah. Although they often employed the same tunes as folk music elsewhere, Mormon folk is distinctively Utahn. The songs often include unique pioneer-era Mormon culture references such as crossing the plains, Mormon ecclesiastical leaders, and LDS religious convictions.

Mormon Tabernacle Choir

Since 1847, the Latter-day Saint influence in Utah music is manifest in the state’s most famous musical institution: The Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Named after the Salt Lake Tabernacle on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, the 300+ member choir is world-famous. The choir performs at least weekly at the Tabernacle for a radio program called "Music and the Spoken Word" which is the longest-running national radio program in the US. The Mormon Tabernacle choir has released innumerable albums since it first recorded in 1910.

Other Utah music institutions

The Park City &SLC Music Festival and Autumn Classics Music Festival [1] are projects of the Park City Chamber Music Society. Founded in 1983 by violist Leslie Blackburn Harlow [2], PCCMS founded the original Deer Valley Music Festival and the name was changed to Park City International Music Festival after a number of years. After the first two summers, clarinetist Russell Harlow joined the Park City Festival as co-director. When the Utah Symphony started its own Deer Valley Festival in Park City, the PC Chamber Music Society, in order not to have to compete with the new event, split its Park City International Music Festival into two separate festivals and added concerts in the Salt Lake City area as well. Utah's oldest classical music festival, the Park City &SLC Music Festival continues to garner rave reviews for its chamber music concerts.

The Utah Symphony [3] was founded in 1940 by Maurice Abravanel and performs at Abravanel Hall, a modern concert hall in downtown Salt Lake City. Controversially, the symphony merged in 2002 with the Utah Opera Company [4], which was organized in 1978. At the time the organizations were the largest two arts organizations in the state. Some opera and orchestra aficionados claimed that combined production quality would decline. Furthermore, there were questions about the wishes of the symphony's late founder. However, critical response to the merger has been good so far.

The Utah Valley Symphony [5] is a community orchestra organized in Utah County, Utah in 1959.

Notable mid-20th century musicians from Utah

Donny [6] and Marie Osmond [7] and the other Osmonds hail from Ogden, Utah. In the 1970s they rose to prominence with Donny even becoming a teen idol.

The Deseret String Band [8] formed in 1972 has gained some notoriety and performed across the world. They play a mixture of old-time music, Utah pioneer songs and Celtic music.

Contemporary Utah music scene

In addition to overtly religious music, Utah's music scene features local blues, rock, and punk bands. Straight edge hardcore punk is popular largely due to the relative prominence of straight edge culture in the state. However, violent outbreaks in some past punk shows compelled several venues, including Kilby Court, to ban groups they consider "hard" punk.

In addition, post-rock has a fair showing in Provo and Salt Lake, with groups like Uzi and Ari and The Weak Men gaining national and international attention. Renouned post-rock website, The Silent Ballet, ranked The Weak Men's most recent album, "Weak Men DOG", the #39 best instrumental album of 2007.[9] The website has also named The Weak Men as one of the most up-and-coming post-rock bands in the U.S.[10] and praised other bands in the area, including Theta Naught, Coastal, and Coup de Grace.

As evidence of Utah's burgeoning music scene, over 200 bands submitted tracks for a 2004 compilation by a local music zine, SLUG ("Salt Lake Underground"). The 15 year-old free monthly zine trimmed the submissions to 59 selections featuring diverse music types such as hip-hop, jazz, jazz-rock, punk, and a healthy variety of rock and roll.")

Another meeting point for musicians in the Utah music scene is the website The Rock Salt, which boasts a flourishing forum for local musicians. Started by local musicians, it provides a place of community for the Utah and Salt Lake City music scene.

Venues

Northern Utah

Notable venues for local music include Burt's Tiki Lounge, Liquid Joe's, Club Halo, Port O' Call, Harry O's, Club Suede, The Depot, Monk's House of Jazz, Broken Record Bar & Grill (formerly Todd's Bar & Grill) [11], the Urban Lounge [12], and Brewski's [13].

There are also several venues that are open to all ages, such as Kilby Court in Salt Lake's aging factory district, the Avalon Theater (previously the Lo-Fi Cafe), The Circuit, PATS BBQ 155w 2125s slc ut, and Velour in Provo, Mojo's Caffe' and Gallery [14] in Ogden, and Club NVO [15] in Logan.

Venue Closures along the Wasatch Front

In the latter half of 2007, several popular or up-and-coming venues closed their doors or stopped featuring live bands, many at the hands of local police or other authorities. Shortly after the owners of Club Boom Va in Ogden sold the venue and purchased the Country Club Theater down the street, Boom Va was converted to a Latin dance club and the Country Club was shut down by local police. The Diamond Lounge, a popular bar owned by the Ben Lomond Hotel in Ogden, stopped featuring local music in September; it then brought in its previous management, changed its name, and cancelled all its scheduled live bands. In Salt Lake, police shut down Double D's and Bada Bean after playing only a handful of shows. Salt Lake County health officials closed the Lo-Fi cafe, and Starry Night in Provo also closed its doors on August 26th.

Southern Utah

Despite a quickly growing population base in Southern Utah, local venues remain few in number; there are only a few with regular performances. These include The Electric Theater and the Dixie Center in St. George, Kayenta in Ivins, Utah, Neverland in Washington, and The Grind Coffee House in Cedar City.

Record Labels

Though no major record labels are found in Utah, there are several small independent labels in Utah, such as Differential, ExUmbrella, Rest 30, Sickboy Records, and Sound vs. Silence. The End Records, an independent metal and rock label and home to a number of avant-garde and experimental groups, was formed in Salt Lake City, but is currently based in Brooklyn, New York.

Rock groups

Clifton, a metalcore band from Utah, performing in Cedar City, Utah.

The popular post-hardcore band The Used was formed in Orem and is currently signed to Warner Music Group-owned Reprise Records. They have released two gold albums in the United States. The growingly-popular indie rock sisters Meg and Dia Frampton formed their band, Meg & Dia, in Draper and are currently signed to another Warner Music Group-owned label, Doghouse Records. However, neither band is considered local, each having comparatively small local followings before signing to their respective labels.

Other current notable acts who tour nationally include Form of Rocket, Gaza, and Clifton. However, unlike the Used and Meg and Dia, these bands gained large local followings of all ages before signing. Form of Rocket and Gaza were both recorded by local engineer Andy Patterson, who also played drums in incarnations of local bands The Red Bennies and Iceburn. Form of Rocket is signed to Sick Room Records. Gaza, a hardcore and metal band, is signed to Black Market Activities. Clifton, a metalcore group, is signed to Abacus Recordings, an imprint of Century Media Records.

One band, Erosion, was perhaps the best-known local group before disbanding after a show on November 11, 2003. Erosion won several awards including a Salt Lake City Weekly battle of the bands. The four-person group encompassed a wide variety of styles, but was never sent to SXSW, a notable regional music festival. For this reason, SLUG referred to them as "the Susan Lucci of local music."

Several current rock bands have a following in the Salt Lake City music scene. The Red Bennies [16], playing since 1996 have toured the West and released many albums. Starmy [17], winner of several Salt Lake City Weekly recognitions (including best local CD and 2002 battle of the bands). Loud rock group Thunderfist [18] is noted for their sometimes raucous stage mannerisms in Salt Lake clubs. Similarly loud, punk/rock bands Form of the Rocket has a very loyal local fan-base as well as Cornwall Chee. Tolchock Trio, borrowing their name partially from the book "A Clockwork Orange" plays eclectic and often experimental-sounding rock. The Debonairs, a three-man Ogden group, successfully mix rockabilly and punk styles. Formed in Provo, The Last Turkish Poets have been a true "indie", unsigned garage band for over 16 years. [19] The New Evils [20] whose members have punk rock roots extending back into the 1980s, started a label, Sound Co Records [21]. The Rodeo Boys have been trying hard since 2001. Books About UFO's (a name taken from the Husker Dü song) has been a staple of the Utah music scene as well. The 70's garage rock sound of Last Response [22] has made a re-emergence in 2007, reflecting the influences of national acts, Iggy and the Stooges, The MC5, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, and Television. The Americana band Atherton [23] has had multiple songs featured on MTV's Laguna Beach. Their song "California" was included on the compilation CD "MTV Presents Laguna Beach: Summer Can Last Forever."

Underground Black and Death Metal scene

Salt Lake City has been the home of several underground extreme metal music bands such as Ibex Throne (black metal), Minion (death metal), Wicked Innocence (grindcore), The Obliterate Plague (black/death), The Pagan Dead (psychobilly/metal), Yaotl Mictlan (aztec inspired black metal), and a host of others. A common theme with most of the black metal and satanic bands is the act of self-mutilation which has been frowned upon by many of the venues in Salt Lake City. The extreme metal underground scene in Salt Lake City is vehemently opposed to and against the LDS church and takes no direct influence from their standards of living or beliefs. While some members are active in satanic and occult practices most are vehemently anti-religious and share a disdainful view of the LDS church and its members. Many musicians are active in alcohol and drug use as well, another practice frowned upon by the LDS church.

Many groups have released albums and toured nationally. More notably, Ibex Throne have enjoyed moderate underground worldwide success after releasing two albums through indie extreme metal labels Elegy Records and Goatowarex. Ibex Throne disbanded in 2007 due to differences in ideology and musical directions within the group. They are still known as one of the most controversial acts of Salt Lake City today for reasons that include being banned from several clubs from performing, anti-religious statements, racist outlooks (mainly from the non hispanic members of the group), and violent behaviour towards other musicians and patrons. A former vocalist had committed suicide in 1998 forever linking the group with grim imagery and death. The Pagan Dead is a successful national touring act with two albums released. They are a mainstay on the Salt Lake City local club scene playing well received concerts with their own brand of psychobilly music with black metal elements and imagery. Wicked Innocence also enjoyed moderate underground success after being signed to indie underground label Napalm Records and touring nationally. They have since disbanded. The Obliterate Plague has been in the scene since the fall of 1999 with the curse of many frequent line up changes, but the band still rages on by their wicked onslaughts of what they call dark metal. The band, says that this town has lots of potential with metal, especially with so much religious oppression going on. Not to compare it with the 2nd wave of black metal in Scandivavia in the early 90's but in a way it sort of is. You don't have to burn churches to influence what you are trying to do. We feel that people just need to be shown the way on how to be able to step out of the sheep herder's farm and realize that they are capable making the choice to avoid the path of the inevitable slaughter if they choose to.

The extreme metal scene exists still in Salt Lake City to this day with many underground and obscure bands forging ahead with limited commerical success; many of whom will not compromise their goals or ideology as is common with the musical genre.

A cappella

Utah has a flourishing a cappella music scene. Some groups include Voice Male, InsideOut, Octappella, Eclipse, The Standards, T Minus Five, Sixth Gear, and BYU's Vocal Point. Newly on the scene is the extremely popular female group, Noteworthy.

Other groups

Artists outside the rock tradition include Bob Moss [24], an older beatnik and folk music performer who has had albums released on Sound Co Records. Hello Amsterdam [25], a five-member group with only two of its originals left is known for syncopated indie music sound. Stacey Board [26] is one successful Salt Lake City folk music singer and her group has performed in several out-of-state acoustic music events. The Park City Club and Bar & Grill scene is predominantly frequented by strong vocal solo artists such as Vocalist/Guitarist Dave Hahn [27], Vocalist/Piano Man Rich Wyman [28], Vocalist/Pianist/Guitarist Jojo Hahn [29], and Joy & Eric. Another well-known popular Vocalist/Pianist from Park City is MaryBeth Maziarz [30], who is known for her contributing music for the popular television show "Dawson's Creek". Newgrass artists Ryan Shupe and the RubberBand [31] had a country music hit single in 2005, "Dream Big." Songwriter Peter Breinholt's [32] debut album, "The Big Parade", became an underground classic on Utah college campuses, and has made him a major concert draw in the state since the mid 90's. The Haole Boys [33] a four-member group has been playing hapa haole hawaiian music for land-locked listeners since 2000.

The Numbs [34] are a team of five DJs and emcees from Provo who have been played on TV shows, movies, and video games. The Dub Scouts, Rebel Alliance, Nemesis, Ethics, Merryl, Illoom, Djunya, Rendr801, J Law, Pelpp, A.Vanvranken, Chris Wright of Audioflo, J Luvv, and Destrukt are DJ's from the Salt Lake Valley and beyond. The Dub Scouts also get together in a purely acoustic set with a variety of drums exercising a variety of drum patterns - a personal invitation is often required to attend these experiences. DJ 5150 [35] is also widely known and respected as a significant contributor to breakbeat music in Salt Lake and surrounding cities. A relatively new musical phenomena are sites like Myspace.com. Bass Motive [36], an experimental electronica ensemblage, and many other bands of Salt Lake have used this site exclusively for exposure and feedback. COSM [37], an electronica group is known for their "organic breaks" and vocals over walls of synth and drum machine sound.

Joshua James [38] is a fairly recent addition to the Utah music scene, performing Indie/Folk music, often in intimate settings, for the past year. Joshua James has gathered a small but strong local following. Joshua also appears with an assortment of various local artists, including the Southern Boys [39]. The Southern Boys add more rock to the mix enabling the soul of Joshua James to come through to larger live audiences.

Events

The Sego Music, Art, and Film Festival[40] is an annual festival, free to the public, held in Provo each fall. In 2007, it featured 40 bands, 30 artists, and 20 filmmakers all from Utah Valley. The festival is attended by thousands of concert-goers annually.

New Mormon music

Beginning in the 1960s, gospel music gained some success, and Mormons played an integral role in the development of Christian Contemporary Music (CCM) into the 1970s. Since then, Michael McLean [41] from Heber, Utah and Kenneth Cope [42] in Salt Lake City have become relatively popular among mostly-older Latter-day Saints for their religiously charged easy listening music.

Another new strain of music that is marketed primarily toward youthful Latter-day Saints is sometimes called "Mormon pop". The well-reviewed acoustic-heavy musician Shane Jackman [43], local band SweetHaven, and the acoustic pop group Colors arguably fit into this category. Mormon pop has received a boost from the new phenomena of Mormon cinema and their accompanying soundtracks. Some Mormon cinema soundtracks sold well. In light of this success, independent Utah-heavy collections of youth-oriented LDS music have been released. Often they feature traditional LDS hymns that are rearranged into heavier rock songs. Some groups perform these songs almost exclusively while others like the established Salt Lake band Magstatic [44] record LDS-themed music on the side.

See also

• Mormon music

External links

• Official site of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
• SLUG, a Salt Lake City music zine founded in 1989
• Utah Metal
• Salt Lake City Weekly 2003 "Slammy Awards" (for local music)
• PROVOPODCAST.COM, award-winning weekly internet radio show from Provo,UT
• The Rock Salt ~ we suck at the internet
• University of Utah student newspaper article on local music
• Audioflo, local electronic music collective
• a.vanvranken, Downtempo/IDM producer
• Local Utah Music - Utah Out Loud
• DJ 5150
• Annual Indian/Carnatic Classical Music Festival held in Salt Lake City, UT