Extended family getting you down?

Extended family can be a real frustration. It is never easy to deal with extended family, but if they are getting you down, then here are some tips for dealing with the frustrations and challenges of extended family, as there are sure to be some:

1. Identify the problem. What is really bothering you about your extended family? Are they expecting you to do too much? Are they always letting you down? Are they pushy or rude? The fact is, often family is not considerate of one another. It is like the closer you are to someone, the less polite you have to be to them. They also often take one another for granted. They just expect your kind gestures, or your favors, as if it is something you owe them. Everyone with a family has gone through this. The point is, instead of letting it get you down, do something about it. You have to know what it is that is bothering you if you want to fix the problem. So, start out by evaluating the source of your feelings and figuring out what is at the root of them.
2. Determine the best course of action. Sometimes with family the best course of action is to simply stand up and say what you feel. Other times, a bit more tact and maneuvering is required. You have to determine based on your problem what the best course of action might be. For example, if you feel taken for granted, then simply let the people who take you for granted know that is how you feel. Tell them you want a little more appreciation for your efforts and sacrifices. If that does not work, you could try another approach. Quit making those efforts and sacrifices for a time, and see if they start to notice. Usually moms feel taken for granted. They cook, they clean, they keep everything together, etc. so when someone needs socks, they just assume they need to open their drawer to find them. So, if mom stops doing that, then they might notice. Just remember, that sometimes you end up changing yourself and not the people you want to change, so be careful about that. You do not want to end up a selfish person just because people weren't thanking you enough, do you?
3. Look for distance and do some talking. Sometimes the best thing you can do when extended family gets you down is take a break from them. If you are spending too much time with them, it can get overwhelming, and their life becomes too entwined with yours. Their dramas affect you, and their problems. So, often, the best thing you can do is take a two week break. This does not mean ignore them, just give yourself some space so that you do not have to spend every moment on the phone or at their home, etc. Then, do some talking to sort out any leftover problems that time and space can't cure.

When family won't help

Family is supposed to be the people who are there for you and do things for you because you are family. So, what do you do when your family won't seem to help you out? It can be incredibly frustrating and hurtful when family doesn't seem to want to be part of your life or aid you in any way. Because of the idea that family is supposed to be the people you can rely on, often when a family turns down your request for help, it is far more frustrating and hurtful than when a friend does not want to help. Here are a few tips:

1. Explain your feelings. Let's say you have kids and ask a family member to help you out and watch them for an event or something you have going on that kids can't attend. If they turn you down, it is a good idea to tell them how you feel. Sometimes a few words can really change the situation, "I feel like you never want to see or spend time with my children, and it can be really frustrating to me when you won't help me out when I really need it. " They may have a perfectly reasonable explanation for why they can't help you. This is understandable, but occasionally, after several refusals to help, it can start to feel pointed. By letting them know that you feel that way, you give them a chance to clear things up, and help you feel better about it. If they do not take that chance, then maybe they do not feel a responsibility to the bond of family like you do. They may not like your children, or maybe there are selfish and refuse to be put out no matter who it is. You won't know if you do not get your feelings out there.
2. Define expectations. It is important in family relationships to be on the same page as far as what you expect. For example, if you expect grandparents to attend events for your child simply because they are grandparents, they should be made aware of that. If you expect siblings to take time out of their weekend to help you move, it is a good idea if you let them know that in advance. Sometimes the hurt that comes when a family neglects to help you in a time of need comes from a miscommunication of expectations. You can't know unless your expectations are clear.
3. Recognize that not everyone holds the same ideals. You may be willing to bend over backwards to help your family if they need it, but that does not mean your family members feel the same way. You may not be a top priority in their life. This does not feel good, but it is a good things to recognize so that you can change your expectations and not continue to be hurt by their lack of help.
Family is not always as ideal as we would like, and they may end up hurting you by not caring enough to help. Just remember what you would like from them, and give that in return, regardless of how they treat you.

Fighting with family

Fighting with family sucks. No one wants to be in a fight with the people who they are supposed to be able to count on the most. However, often our families are the people we interact with the most. As a result, they are the ones who get the brunt of our bad moods, our insecurities flaring up, etc. Often, because we are dealing with family, we are less thoughtful, and quicker to anger or other damaging emotions.

The reasons family fights happen are plentiful, and often boil down to the simple idea that we often take liberties with family that we would not take with others because it is family. We may not treat friends the same way, or co-worker, etc as that could damage a relationship, but with family, the relationship is forced, and so often the relationship suffers.
What can you do when you are in a fight with family? You can start by taking a step back and evaluating your personal behaviors. Do not consider what they did, or whether or not you can justify your own behavior, simple ask yourself whether or not you would do or say the same things to someone who is not family. Would you guilt trip a friend for not helping you move because they have work? Would you say hurtful things to a neighbor if they spilled coffee on your shirt? The point is, evaluate your own behavior and ask yourself if there is room for improvement with how you treat your family.
You may be fighting for perfectly good reasons, and have every reason in the world to be angry, hurt, etc. But, if your actions were out of line, start by rectifying that. Next, give yourself some distance if need be. One of the best cures to family drama is simply having a little time away. Because family is close, and you live with them, and tread on one another's toes every day, it can be hard to work through the hurt and frustration of a fight, especially if there are reminders of the wrong doing all around you. So, take a break. Take a time out from your family. A little time apart, a little distance, a little separation of lives can go a long way in letting tempers calm, and feelings settle.
Lastly, work it out because it is family. It may suck. They may have been really out of line. You may have every reason in the world to hold a grudge, or never want to speak to your family member again, but it is family, which is enough incentive to figure things out. So, put your pride aside, and do what you need to in order to repair the problem and the relationship so that the problem does not continue to persist in the relationship. Pride does not taste good, but family is just that.family, and the relationship is worth preserving.

Friendships with family are not always easy

Your family members might be some of your closest friends, but all too often, they can become bitter enemies, or at least far from friendly. We often find that we treat our family members poorly, and as a result, real friendships with family members can be difficult, strained, or stressful.

We sometimes treat our family poorly. This is a fact, but it does not make it right.
Why we do this:
Too close. When you have at your disposal an arsenal of knowledge about what someone does, who they are, what makes them tick, and probably the most dangerous, what their insecurities are, it is easy to cross lines and boundaries. Why? Because we may not even realize we are crossing them. When someone is family, you know so much about them, that hurting them is an easy task. You can pin point their weaknesses, and prey on them quickly and easily.
Too easy. Family is easy to prey on, and hard to be friends with because you are around them, you have to share everything with them, they know your secrets, and you theirs. Thus, it is easy to treat them bad because the opportunities are ample, and the ammunition ample as well.
Expect unconditional forgiveness. Often, we do not gauge the severity of our words or actions as we would with a friend because we have this expectation of unconditional forgiveness because it is family. Family is stuck together, and so we lapse into thinking that it doesn't matter how we treat them, they are stuck with us anyway.
Being friends with your family members can make life a lot more enjoyable, and make life easier. One should always strive to build good, happy relationships with their family, and make those bonds as close as family should be, and as fun and desired as friendships.
Imagine how much better the time you spend with family over holidays, weekends, and the other times through out the year, would be if you were surrounded by friends? It is a good thing to think about. You may not be able to choose your family, or the additions that come to it through marriage and birth, but you can choose whether or not you will make the most of the situation, or make it hard on yourself.
You would not willingly spend hours in the company of people you do not consider friends if you could help it, so why make it any different with family? Why not build friendships with them, the same way you do with others, by talking, sharing experiences, looking for common ground, etc.
Being friends with family members is not always easy. You are more vulnerable because they know more about you. It can be difficult because chances are there are things about them that drive you crazy, and you would not pick in a friend. However, they probably feel the same way about you. So, get over it, and become friends with your family. It is well worth it.

Creating sibling bonds

Do you see friends who are really close with their brothers or sisters and wonder what you can do to create such good friendships with your own. Sibling friendships and bonds often take a great deal of work to keep in a happy state, and other times come naturally and easily. Regardless of what the situation is for you, having a sibling to whom you are close can really benefit your life. Here are some tips for helping to create sibling bonds:

1. Shared experiences: Often the best way to bond with someone is to share something with them. Sometimes people who go through a terrible experience are bonded together and remain in touch their whole lives as a result. You do not need bad experiences to bond with siblings, but experiences in general. The more you share, the more your memories, and identities are intertwined.
2. Work together, play together: If you want strong bonds with your siblings, you need to have experiences on all ends of the spectrum. It is hard to really like someone when the only capacity you ever share with them is doing chores, etc. So, make sure that you spend time together doing fun things, as well as the normal, everyday, and even often difficult or challenging, tedious, or boring things. It helps you get to know people well, and figure out what it is about them that makes them tick.
3. Don't force it: No one is going to be forced into friendship. Siblings may not be the best matches, but if you try to hard a friendship and strong bonds are never going to happen. Let things occur naturally. The more you spend quality time together and have shared experiences, the easier it will be.
4. Find common ground: Sometimes siblings have a hard time being friends because they have such different interests. So, one helpful thing is to focus on the things you do have in common. You need to seek common ground, and make the most of it. If you both love a specific television show, make a point of watching it together. If you both love ice cream, start a ritual of eating it together and scooping about your day. The point is, if you have something in common, your bond can grow from there.
5. Be kind: Often in families we feel like we can do and say whatever we want because it is family. This can be to blame for your sibling relationships not being as close as you would like. Remember that just because they are family does not give you license to be rude, insensitive, or unkind. Instead, treat them as you would someone outside your family, you will find that it can greatly improve a relationship. There are times to be honest, but always treat your siblings with the respect you would treat a friend of someone unknown to you.

Know yourself, for better, more meaningful relationships

If you know yourself better, you will have better, more meaningful relationships. The fact is, people who aren't sure who they are, what they want in life, etc. are the people who can't seem to get relationships right. They get upset when their partner does not provide them what they want, but they can't define what they want, so it is an impossible task.

The following are a few tips for getting to know yourself better, and thus being able to have more meaningful, fulfilling relationships:
Tip one: Get definitive. You may not know what you want, but you know what you don't want. Start with that. You can exclude the things in your life you don't want, and by doing so better shape what you do want. This applies to all aspects of your life, your careers, the characteristics in a partner, the food you eat for lunch.
Tip two: Start a journal. A journal is a personal book where you get to be the real you. It is assumed no one else will read it, and so you do not have to affect anything, or pretend to care about things you don't care about. Your thoughts and feelings in your journal are usually as good an insight into yourself as any. Of course, they may be tainted by what other people think and feel, and have influenced you to think and feel, or they might just be the real you. Go back and reread your entries, and start keeping a daily log of your feelings. As an added benefit, it is therapeutic.
Tip three: Define your beliefs, and why you believe them. It is important to know what you believe, and discover why you believe that. If you believe all mankind is inherently good, then you may find yourself getting taken advantage of regularly. If you believe that no matter what you do, your path is set, you may find it hard to make good choices. The point is, if you can define your belief set, you will understand better how and why you interact with people the way you do. This can be a huge help for making your relationships healthier.
Tip four: Start paying attention to your thoughts when you are by yourself. These can give you real insight to who you are. How do you react when you hear good news? What about when you hear bad?
Tip five: Identify your natural talents. Learning what you have a natural ability to do can help you know yourself better. As you develop those natural talents, you gain an even greater understanding of yourself. If you want to have healthy relationships, it is important to be healthy yourself. This is an excellent way to start down that path, learning to appreciate your own abilities and foster them.
When you are in touch with yourself, you will find that your relationships are more meaningful and better.

Local Opera Singer Robert Breault

There’s nothing quite like the human voice. Musical instruments can create a unique tone, but a person’s vocal chords not only deliver notes but also a slice of their personality. The human voice is integral to our identity. And so, it’s even more impressive to hear someone like Robert Breault, whose delivery can carry the dramatic arc of an opera.

Opera News described Breault’s voice as such: “Besides a ductile tenor that allows him to negotiate a full dynamic span, from silvery head tone to ringing forte, even within a single phrase, Breault offers truly superb diction.”

Professor of Music and Director of Opera at the University of Utah, Breault has been blessed with time off to travel and perform in operatic productions, and his credits are some of the most impressive companies in the world, spanning the entire operatic repertoire.

His performances on the concert stage include Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 9” with the Atlanta Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Florida Orchestra, Utah Symphony, and the Cleveland Orchestra; “Plump Jack” with the Puerto Rico Symphony and London Philharmonic Orchestra; and Bach’s “St. Matthew Passion,” “B Minor Mass” and Haydn’s “Creation” all with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. He has performed Handel’s “Messiah” with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Jacksonville Symphony, University Musical Society (Ann Arbor), the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra under Nicolas McGegan, the Colorado Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Eugene Concert Choir, and with the St. Louis Symphony.

His performances of Verdi’s “Requiem” include appearances at the Elora Festival, Florida Philharmonic, and with the Tucson Symphony. His appearances as the roasted swan in Orff’s “Carmina Burana” have elated audiences in performances with the Pacific Symphony, Utah Symphony, Elora Festival, California Symphony, Baltimore Choral Arts, Conspirare (TX) and the Houston Masterwork Chorus. He has sung Haydn’s “Creation” with the Winter Park Bach Festival, Weill’s “Seven Deadly Sins” with the Utah Symphony and Opera, and Gounod’s “Missa Solennelle” with the Vancouver Bach Choir.

Breault has also performed with Montreal Symphony, American Bach Soloists, Oregon Bach Festival, Madison Symphony, Washington’s National Symphony, Lansing Symphony, L’Orchestre Métropolitan du Grand Montréal, the Hamilton Philharmonic and Toronto Symphony. Engagements at New York’s Carnegie Hall include the role of Argirio in Rossini’s “Tancredi” with the Opera Orchestra of New York, as well as performances of Rossini’s “Armida,” Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde,” “Messiah,” Mendelssohn’s Second Symphony, and Mozart’s “Requiem.” Performances with the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra under Nicholas McGegan for Handel’s “Messiah,” “Hercules,” and “Solomon,” and no less than the role of Christ in Beethoven’s “Christus am Olberg.”

Several years ago, Breault served as a judge for local tryouts for American Idol, and was less than impressed by the entrants. His tenet is the old adage, “Practice doesn’t make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.” Originally from Michigan, he’s a vociferous Green Bay Packer fan, worries about contracting a Utah accent from over a decade living here, and musically could have almaost come up with any kind of wild card on his iPod, from Carmen to Captain Beefheart, as he explains that his musical tastes include “anything good.”

He begins, “An apologia of sorts to start. I am an opera singer. I sing for a living, I teach singing, and I don’t keep two iTunes libraries. The majority of my library is devoted to pieces I’ve worked on—or, is it?”

Miniature Tigers

Worlds Apart: Miniature Tigers wander through time and bare their teeth.

As a Phileas Fogg for the 21st-century indie-pop set, Charlie Brand is there to guide you through woolly and far-fetched terrain. Through 2008’s Tell It to the Volcano (Modern Art), the Miniature Tigers lead singer/guitarist encounters “Haunted Pyramids,” invokes iconic markswoman Annie Oakley, details the side effects of baby dinosaurs maturing, and banishes an ex to a volcano. In “Cannibal Queen,” the album’s dulcet, irrepressibly hooky standout, Brand unashamedly feasts on a female’s heart, noting, “Oh, she lets me right in and I fed ’til I’m full.” These aren’t the scenarios you’d expect to hear an unassuming Phoenix-bred band discuss on their debut, which is precisely why the premise is captivating. Imagination transforms their American pop into something exotic.

Like the best yarns, Volcano’s metaphors stem from stinging realities. “‘Cannibal Queen’ was about my girlfriend,” explains Brand. “I was having this summer where I was obsessed with cannibals and native tribes. I was watching a lot of Discovery Channel and reading books about it. I wanted to write about that but it didn’t feel right to be like, ‘Then, the natives rode down the river.’” Filtered through the songwriter’s life, “Cannibal Queen” became “something that felt real to me.”

Brand typically begins his journey into the unknown with a song title pulled from the far-out. Armed with a Blackberry, he keeps an electronic ledger of possible future tracks. “Sometimes, a weird combination of words—made-up nonsense, essentially—will come into play,” he says. “I’m really not even sure. It just happens.”

The majority of Volcano was penned when Brand was between relationships. (There’s no telling who “Cannibal Queen” is about, then.) Coming off a break-up, he recalls, “It was a bad time. I was writing songs that reflected that.” Then, as his situation improved and he found someone new, his material gained a brighter tone. Looking back at work created when his feelings were particularly strong, he doesn’t apologize for anything said in those metaphors. “I stand behind the songs but I don’t feel as close to them as I did. When I wrote them, I felt intensely close. Now, we’ve been touring all year and play those songs every night. It’s almost like muscle memory.”

Keeping muscles in mind, another trait embedded in Brand’s repertoire is his use of the human body—and its destruction—as metaphor. Beneath the Tigers’ sweet veneer is an undercurrent of emotional and physical brutality. In “Dino Damage,” little creatures grow up to dismember their elders: “You gotta let go when they get that old / You gotta let ’em go / ’Cause if you hold on, they’ll puncture your lungs / And separate your spine from your skull.” A woman’s “Hot Venom” meshes with Brand’s blood, painting a picture of both lust (“I can feel it on my fingers and taste it on her tongue”) and its consequences (“You can’t go back now/ That’s not how this works/ And as long as she’s gone, I can never be happy”). Perhaps the traumatic is “Cannibal Queen”: Sure, the protagonist claims to love his victim but she is, after all, being exploited for his satisfaction.

Until evaluating it, Brand didn’t realize the abundance of body imagery in Volcano. “I guess I’ve never really thought about it,” he says, sounding bewildered. “I guess I was going through a phase. On the album we’re working on now, there is not a whole lot of that.”

To record their currently untitled sophomore album, the Tigers will soon travel to Dreamland, a church-turned-studio in Woodstock, New York. Brand emphasizes that the follow-up will expand on previous ideas, but is hesitant to relate exactly how. “It’s a little less based on metaphors,” he offers. “It’s less romantic than the last album, if you consider the last romantic. It’s a weird album.”

“Weird” is a word that Brand says a lot, but it’s hardly a negative. In the hands of the Tigers, weirdness is fanciful. “We set out to do something different each time. The album after this one could be electronic,” considers the frontman with a laugh.

Summer's Dead Festival

DieMonsterDie, Spawn, Victims Willing, Wanna! Gotta! Gimme! & Simian Greed at Burt's Tiki Lounge.

Take your pick: A. a traditional love ballad, probably including something about trains, or B. a horrific love-death song dealing with gruesome train wrecks and undead prom queens? If you chose B, you probably prefer the music of local horror-punk band DieMonsterDie. The band, known for their heavy thrashing, bloody costumes and special way with balladry, are cleaning out their seasonal closets with the mantra “Out with the old, in with the ... er, dead” by hosting the first Summer’s Dead Festival at Burt’s Tiki Lounge.
The veterans of the tiny niche of horror-punk have steadily gained recognition, says bassist Shane Diablo (Hansen), whose stage name is Meat. “We started out because we wanted to blend the theatrical stuff with the music. We’ve been around for 10 years and have a huge following all over the world because this tight-knit genre of music is so underground. There are kids as far as Russia that love it.” The theatrics, at one time as extreme as hanging a bloody bride on stage, have been toned down through the years. “We’ve been banned from a couple of clubs,” Diablo says. "We put on a bloody good time and sometimes it gets out of control. The [theatrics] were starting to overshadow the music."
DieMonsterDie isn’t just a bunch of morons in monster masks who hang out with hot zombie chicks; they’re philanthropists, too—in a sense. They’ve been known to open up bar tabs for their fans to swill down, and this festival is no exception. Starting a half-hour before their set and going until the tab runs out, drinks are on them (tips are on you)—same goes for the barbecue, brats, burgers and brains (for zombies only) if anyone in the costumed crowd can’t afford them. “If we supply all the drink and food for them and they go home and say, ‘That was the greatest and cheapest night of my life,’ we’re satisfied with that,” Diablo says.
Diversifying the lineup each night, DieMonsterDie will share the mayhem-laden stage with horror-punk Spawn Atomic, punk-metal Victims Willing, punk rockers Wanna! Gotta! Gimme! and stoner-rock/punk band Simian Greed, each performing a 45-minute set.
So, should you dress up for the shocking sci-fi spectacle that’s arriving just after a full moon? Yes, but no one’s judging and all are welcome, says Diablo. “You can’t go wrong with a good zombie or any type of bloody mess like car accidents, vampire masks and Frankenstein heads. Or, just come as you are.”

Michael Gross & The Statuettes

Low-End High: Michael Gross & The Statuettes get back to basics on Impulse & Exports.

Michael Gross & The Statuettes conned Matt Glass into playing with the band. The local pop-rockers recruited him to “fill in” but the short-term gig turned into full-fledged membership.

“Our plan worked,” James Kelly jokes. “Unintentionally.”

Of course, diabolical trickery had nothing to do with Glass staying put—his bandmates simply, conveniently, never brought up his departure. “We’re glad he decided to stick around,” Kelly says.

Glass, an accomplished photographer/ drummer, is certainly a keeper, but he’s in good company. He originally hooked up with Michael Gross in 2007, recording demos in his basement with his longtime friend under the name Let’s Become Actors. Gross had just left The Brobecks after a four-year tenure to refocus on personal motivations that no longer jibed with the group’s professional vision. “Our styles just drifted apart,” he says.

Gross and Glass forged ahead, churning out rough demos on a digital 16-track recorder Gross purchased for $1,000 in 2003. “It’s probably worth $100 now,” he says. “Nothing fancy.”

“Nothing fancy” is sort of Gross’ calling card. Raised in Davis County, he now resides on a farm in Hooper with his wife, whose family once ran a commercial dairy. He’s never sampled the town’s colorful cowboy bars—places likely to include the name “rowdy” on their marquees. Gross is shy, but approachable and genuine—just like his music.

Impulse & Exports, his latest release with The Statuettes, is six tracks of surging, straightforward pop with a glistening electronic edge pulsing beneath crystalclear vocals. They took a risk recording the EP at home, but after working with a professional to produce their previous EP, Dust and Daylight, the DIY approach just couldn’t be ignored.

Time is money, and when you’re paying an engineer by the hour, the creative process is understandably compromised.

“Dust and Daylight isn’t bad—it’s just not what it could have been,” Gross says. “We didn’t have the money to keep going.”

And that’s where “nothing fancy” comes in handy. Armed with Gross’ trusty 16-track recorder and Adobe Audition—the wallflower to Pro Tools’ prom queen—they achieved a high-end sound with low-end means and zero concrete deadlines.

“If we’d wanted to record every day we could, knocking out something like this in a couple of weeks, but we took our time and spent three to four months just writing it,” Gross says, adding that much of their material takes shape during jam sessions, with each member contributing to a song’s formation. It helps that the band actually gets along. Kelly and Gross describe their working relationship as dedicated, but drama-free. They take the music, but not themselves, seriously. No individual member fights for the limelight or puts his high-maintenance agenda above the band’s needs.

For Gross and Kelly, the music has always been the easiest part of making art. Now they can focus on that aspect without personal conflicts tainting the end goal, which is in this case achieving “Wilco-level” success. Like Jeff Tweedy and Co., Michael Gross & The Statuettes would love to sell enough albums to quit their day jobs.

But in an industry only partially driven by online buzz, success is easier to come by on the road—and touring isn’t as risk-free as it once seemed.
“The last thing we want to do is play for two people,” Gross says, adding that he doesn’t expect them to sell out every gig. They just want to make it worth their while. “The dynamic has changed. Now that’s we’re older, it doesn’t make sense to throw money down the drain. We need to approach this the right way.” 

Highland Lumpys Poker, Reopening Bar-X & Club Try-Angles

Poker at Lumpy’s: Texas Hold ’Em, Too
Lumpy’s is a great sports bar, and we’re not talking about just the downtown Pierpont location—the original Highland Drive (and 3000 South) spot is still active, too. Utah Poker Tour (UtahPokerTour.com) hosts Texas Hold ’Em tourneys every Monday and Wednesday at the old-school Lumpy’s from 8 p.m. till close, so you can get your sports and poker in one place, finally!

Dead Clubs Rising: Bar-X to Reopen
A sad yet jovial crowd met last month to mourn the passing of Bar-X (155 E. 200 South), but fans of the location will have no reason to cry now. Bar-X Inn is no more, but Bar-X is rising from the ashes, sans the “Inn.” A new group of owners is betting big that they can obtain a full liquor license, and anticipate opening in October with a minor face-lift on the old space, and promises of more enhancements to come. Note to new owners: Don’t get rid of too many of those smile lines/wrinkles or the old barflies will not attend the rebirth.

Curious? Club Try-Angles
Like most great neighborhood bars in bigger cities, Try-Angles (251 W. 900 South) is close enough to the high-rises of downtown to feel like a city bar, yet is still situated in a residential district. Also close to TRAX, this bar features several different themed nights for its lesbian, gay and straight patrons. Sundays feature barbecues on the patio, Mondays feature concert videos from the likes of Cher, and Tuesdays offer ballroom dance lessons for Salt Lake City’s “sultry queers.” Fridays and Saturdays feature local club DJs Dennis and BoyToy spinning dance music to groove to. Try this bar if you’ve never been and are one of the open-minded set.

Synthy, Snazzy Duo Chromeo Brought Back '80s

Thursday Aug. 19 at Twilight Concert and W Lounge

Sitting on park benches in Montreal, Canada, back in the day, wasting time whistling harmonies, Chromeo’s Dave1—Dave Macklovitch—and P-Thugg—Patrick Gemayel—couldn’t have imagined they’d eventually spearhead the revival of ’80s music, let alone electro-dance music. Best friends since high school, the two were too engrossed in hip-hop to mess with the genre. Things changed when, in the mid-90s, they met local Montreal DJ/producor Tiga, who introduced them to Daft Punk and a new musical world.

The two-man band with Dave 1—guitar and vocals—and Pee Thug—synthesizers, talk box and bass—aided by a vintage drum machine, hit stardom with 2007’s Fancy Footwork, but they’ve been pumping out ’80s-style dance tunes since signing a record deal in 2001. Now, Chromeo’s musical agenda is to enlighten the masses about the music they missed, wrote off as cheap electro-glam or weren’t yet alive for, all while not being too pretentious. “It’s like a reference book we have in our heads about every band and every style post-’70s. That’s our little pot where we have influences, riffs and ideas. We try to raise up the best of it and not make it too serious. We’re going to keep it light-hearted,” P-Thugg says. Their rise to fame was perfectly timed with the past decade’s hipster-scene’s deep connection to music blogs and desire to ride the crescendo to “the next big thing.” That, apparently, was to be sweat- and soul-drenched, dance-floor-ready funk.

However, P-Thugg says the duo was often ridiculed for their musical sensibilities and subsequent sound, pulling from Hall & Oates, The Time, Rick James and New Edition, among others. “People thought it was funny,” P-Thugg says. “It’s not funny; Rick James is a musical genius. It was hard to make people take Midnight Star seriously and Hall & Oates was still very tongue-in-cheek, but from the beginning, we said these are great songwriters

“Retro music comes back in trends and doesn’t always reflect what was happening when that music came out. For example, disco in the early ’80s,” says P-Thugg, who, despite criticism, persisted in reintroducing synth-heavy electro-funk to the mainstream. “Now it’s very high-brow and intellectual, but back then it was music for guidos—like trance today. The perspective changes with time, and to put a tag on certain music is ridiculous.”

By sticking to their vintage sounds, they’ve captivated an audience and garnered respect from peers. Two years ago, Chromeo performed a two-day session on Hall & Oates main man Daryl Hall’s web series, Live From Daryl’s House—the duo’s first encounter with their idol. That led to a combination performance earlier this year at Bonnaroo, where they alternated songs from both catalogues. “Just to be on stage playing those huge hits they have ... replacing the choruses with my talkbox (on “No Can Do”) and Dave singing with Hall (on “Adult Education”), it was surreal. We owe a lot of our songs to [Hall], so it was cool to hear him playing ‘his parts’ in our songs,” P-Thugg says.

Playing with Hall helped shape their upcoming September release Business Casual. Hall’s ability to piece harmonies quickly and effortlessly inspired the band. And P-Thugg began to delve further into chord progressions, while both musicians started scrutinizing song structure like never before. “There’s more work musically, more progress, on the album, but without losing our candidness. There’s more ballads, too,” says P-Thugg.

New material’s slowly seeped out at Chromeo’s live performances of nonstop dance music, which will be no exception at this week’s Twilight Concert Series. Although growing up fully engrossed in the style, Chromeo has never opened for a hip-hop artist, and P-Thugg says he’s excited to see what happens when they are paired with Big Boi. The W Lounge after-party DJ set might be even livelier, as well as more sweaty and intimate. “We go on with the ’80s hits ... you have to keep the crowd dancing,” says Pee-Thug, who, varying from nontraditional club songs to classics on their laptop, takes cues from the audience during DJ sets.

Ha Ha Tonka's Tunes Reflect Ozarks Roots

Thursday Aug. 26 @ Kilby Court

  If you’re unfamiliar with Missouri and are hearing about Ha Ha Tonka for the first time, the band’s name probably sounds like nonsense—a non sequitur mash-up of a laugh and a company known for producing toy trucks. In actuality, that peculiar string of words is cribbed from a state park of the same name in the Ozarks region of The Show-Me State.

That the group uses that as their current moniker (Amsterband was the original) testifies to how smitten they are with connecting their lively Americana rock to their state and, in turn, the American South. “Growing up in the town of West Plains, Mo.,—right on the Arkansas/Missouri border—still has a Southern feel to it. When you write about the Ozarks, it’s influenced by Southern culture,” says Brian Roberts, guitarist and lead vocalist for the Springfield, Mo.,-bred quartet.

2007’s Buckle in the Bible Belt, Ha Ha Tonka’s inaugural full-length, was their first foray into rummaging through local folk history. The rollicking “Caney Mountain” throws you right into the story of an alleged murderer attempting to outrun a mob. The unruly group hopes to finish him with a cross they fished out of the water in Hodgson Mill. (Presumably, the item hung around the murder victim’s neck). The track both begins and ends with Roberts’ twangy warble asking if the fugitive can climb the titular peak found in Gainesville, Mo., and escape. Though there is no resolution to the narrative, “Caney Mountain” is an excellent example of how Tonka pulls you into a place dotted with local color and allows you to wander freely, even as metaphors grow tangled and difficult to digest.

Sophomore release Novel Sounds of the Nouveau South expands the band’s geographical reach while still expounding on the past. “Pendergast Machine” covers a Kansas City mob kingpin gaining power through violence in the Great Depression, while “The Horse in Motion” sees Union General William Sherman and his men proudly ravaging Athens, Georgia, during the Civil War.

Even when stripped of American figures or minutiae, Tonka’s work remains potent and smart: Self-righteous fundamentalism runs amok in “The Outpouring,” and “Close Every Valve to Your Bleeding Heart” explores “the death of hope.”

In a similar way to those lyrics, Tonka’s earthy aesthetic also draws upon Southern culture. The band’s early blueprint merged Ozarks bluegrass with the alt- and indie-rock Roberts grew up on.

“Early on, we were trying to write songs by our favorite bands. We wanted to try to write something like Radiohead or R.E.M,” he says. “You start out trying to imitate people and eventually stumble onto your own sound.”

After recording Buckle in an aged church (a control booth sitting in place of the pulpit) and Novel Sounds in a studio, the group’s upcoming third album (which will ideally see release in March 2011) will be a product of an old barn in upstate New York. With two thorough explorations of the South behind them, Roberts hopes to champion personal stories over the historical on this next work which, as he explains with a laugh, entails “a little bit more ‘I,’ ‘me,’ and ‘you’ in the lyrics, as opposed to ‘William Sherman.’”

Despite that, old creative impulses don’t die that easily: one of the latest compositions Tonka is assembling involves Mark Twain, perhaps Roberts’ “favorite author of all time,” and a man born in Missouri.

Though Roberts speaks enthusiastically of all those decades he spent in Missouri (he now resides in Santa Barbara, Calif.,), he doesn’t want Ha Ha Tonka to represent a singular vision of the South.

“It’s a complex picture. I found the dichotomy that exists between the horrific past in the South and its enormous hospitality so interesting,” says Roberts. “Hopefully, whatever we painted reflects that.”

Jenny Lewis & Johnathan Rice Introduce a New Joint Effort

Wednesday Sept. 8 at the State Room

The list of boy-girl singing duos isn’t especially long, but when you find the right combination of performers, it can be magic. Consider some of the great examples from pop history: Johnny and June Carter Cash, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, Ike and Tina Turner, Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, John Doe and Exene Cervenka of punk pioneers X.
Real-life couple Jenny Lewis and Johnathan Rice have some work to do before ascending to that group, but their debut album under the Jenny & Johnny moniker, I’m Having Fun Now, is a fine introduction to their distinct brand of sunny, folk- and soul-inflected pop.
Lewis and Rice were introduced by Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst five years ago, and Rice has been part of Lewis’ band during the Rilo Kiley singer’s two solo tours—in addition to putting out his own albums—in the years since. Spending so much time together, as a couple and as working musicians, it was just a matter of time before the two started writing together. It wasn’t until last year, though, that they started working on a batch of songs that didn’t seem right for either of their respective solo careers.
“They were a little more collaborative than songs we’d worked on in the past,” Lewis explains on a phone call from her Los Angeles home, where the couple was prepping for the first Jenny & Johnny tour, packing up keyboards and cables (“We have a very small band and an even smaller crew. Jenny & Johnny—we’re recession friendly,” Lewis jokes).
“We had written a little bit together, but it was always really clear whose song it was. This time, it was really open. Johnathan would have a song like ‘Committed,’ for example, that was almost completely finished, and I heard the song and wrote the bridge.”
Like many couples five years into their relationship, Lewis and Rice are at the point where they can complete each other’s sentences, and usually one comes up with a good punchline to punctuate an exchange. To wit:
Johnny: “Some songs, like ‘Scissor Runner,’ are written in a matter of minutes. But other songs, like ‘Big Wave’ …
Jenny: “That took me about a year.”
Johnny: “Yeah, Jenny worked on the lyrics for like a year.”
Jenny: “I’m still kind of messing with the lyrics while we get ready for the tour.”
Johnny: “It might be ‘Small Wave’ by the time we get there.”
They recorded the rough tracks in Los Angeles, then packed up their little blue station wagon and headed to Omaha, Neb., to finish production with Bright Eyes’ Mike Mogis. Naturally, the SoCal kids hit one of the nastiest Midwestern winters in recent memory while they were holed up in the Cornhusker state.
“Jenny started only communicating with Mike and I through email,” Rice recalls, “which was really weird because she was in the same room as us.”
“I refused to go outside because I packed mostly hotpants and sundresses,” Lewis says with a laugh. “I’ve spent so much time in Omaha, I’ve made three albums there, but I still can’t get it right, especially the footwear. But we wanted to go out to Omaha because that’s the reason we know each other, and all the big changing moments in my musical life have taken place in Omaha. I recorded the first Rilo Kiley there, we recorded [her solo debut] Rabbit Fur Coat there, Johnathan did his first solo album there, and now this. I think it was kind of a sentimental move.”
There’s little arguing with the results. I’m Having Fun Now is a breezy half-hour of insistent pop-rock sure to please both artists’ long-term fans. On Lewis’ last solo tour, they covered the Emmylou Harris/Gram Parsons version of “Love Hurts,” and Rice likens their new collaboration a bit to that of Evan Dando and Juliana Hatfield in early ’90s.
“I just feel cooler when Jenny’s singing with me,” Rice says. “I just feel like we’re our own little gang or something.”
And while the long-term future of the Jenny & Johnny project is unclear, the immediate future is easy to determine.
“I just want to play some good rock shows, get out on the road and eat some good Mexican food,” Lewis says.

Avett Brothers Avoid Cliche Brother-Band Disputes.

Fri. Sept. 3 at Deer Valley

  Brother bands have a unique connection. Take, for instance, The Allman Brothers, The Beach Boys, The Kinks, the Everly Brothers, Kings of Leon, Radiohead—the list goes on. Sure, traditionally, some blood relatives, even playing music, don’t endure, due to petty bickering—The Black Crowes—and fiery breakups—Oasis. By and large, though, there’s an unmistakable harmony that can be achieved when brothers join musically. Perhaps it’s derived from the adolescent years of playing together (and vying for attention from cute neighbors).
Add The Avett Brothers to the list of brother bands that work. Somehow they’ve managed to avoid the tired brother-band cliches while reaching semi-stardom with their major label debut, I and Love and You.
The Concord, N.C., country-punk/folk-rock trio is comprised of Avett siblings Scott (banjo) and Seth (guitar), along with nonbrother bassist Bob Crawford. Crawford doesn’t object to being adopted into the clan to join the band, though.
“It’s glorious,” says Crawford, who’s been holding down the Avetts’ one-man rhythm section for nearly a decade. “The brother relationship is so fair. Scott and Seth are so good to each other—there’s no jealousy or rivalry, no tension. Which creates the same vibe for me and everyone around them ... I don’t feel alienated at all. It’s not too unlike getting married. If everyone is well-intentioned, it can make for some nice chemistry.”
Crawford says he’s only seen the Avetts in minor disputes a handful of times. He attributes the Avetts’ smooth relationship to good parenting: “They instilled the feeling that in this world there are going to be people that don’t have your best interest at heart, and they needed to be each others’ best friend, care for each other, and they’ll be stronger for it. They bring that to what we do.”
Success has come slowly, and after five full-length albums and two EPs, their 2009 Columbia release hit No. 16 on Billboard’s album-sales chart. I and Love and You’s 13 tracks diverge from the gritty country-punk riffs and shouted vocals of their older material, instead ambling along for a softer, more refined listen. “The lyrics are getting better, deeper and more well-crafted,” Crawford says.
“The Perfect Space” and “Head Full of Doubt, Road Full of Promise” are prime examples, while “I and Love and You,” “Kick Drum Heart” and “Slight Figure of Speech” have a tuneful, ready-for-radio playability.
However, with success comes disappointment, and some long-term die-hard fans of the raw, early Avetts think the band has “sold out.” Crawford disagrees. “I think of it as the next evolutionary, maturing step that we have taken. Then, the next step will be the next step,” he says.
Their newfound musical sensibilities paired nicely with producer/Zen master Rick Rubin, a veteran of projects with the Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Johnny Cash. “He was mostly a silent partner, there to preach patience and to help us realize if there’s an idea, it’s worth trying,” says Crawford. Rubin encouraged taking as much time as they needed for each song, letting each develop thoroughly.
With that mentality, Crawford says, each song dictated its own instrumentation and recording method, thus becoming more nuanced than on previous albums. “We were never much for being musicians, [but] we are getting good at what we do. With more time in the studio, you learn the possibilities of the studio. You treat that differently than you would live,” Crawford says.
Crawford’s come a long way since majoring in jazz guitar and auditioning for the band. Those fledgling days were filled with street-corner folk revivals and a spontaneity Crawford misses. And now they’re opening for the epic jam-band rockers Gov’t Mule. “To be a small part of a big rock show, to touch its cloak, it’s a dream come true,” Crawford says. “When you’re up there playing these sort of shows, you hold on to them. Everything is fleeting. It’s an honor.”