FRIDAY, NOV. 21
- Shook Twins
Shook Twins
Originally from Sandpoint, Idaho, but now based in Portland, Ore., real-life identical twins Katelyn and Laurie Shook have voices that could charm birds out of trees, making their harmony-rich indie-folk music sweetly beautiful indeed. But although some aspects of their sound are common to folk music—the presence of mandolin, guitar and violin, for example—there's a lot about Shook Twins' approach that's unconventional. Enter their mysterious golden egg. On ShookTwins.com, the duo tell the story of how they received the large egg in 2010, from a guy who said he'd been told to sign the egg and pass it on. Once Katelyn and Laurie accepted it, they turned it into a musical instrument that's a cross between a drum and a shaker, and they're now rarely seen without it onstage. The egg plays an especially important roll in their song "Toll Free," from the Shook Twins' latest album, What We Do, released in April, and also serves as an eye-catching visual during their live shows. Zach Heckendorf will open. (Kolbie Stonehocker) The State Room, 638 S. State, 9 p.m., $15; limited no-fee tickets available at CityWeeklyStore.com
- Paper Diamond
Paper Diamond
Prepare yourself for some heavy bass when Alex Botwin, aka Alex B, aka Paper Diamond, hits the stage at Park City Live. With hard-hitting, choppy bass lines and hip-hop inspired hooks, the EDM producer's style gets every crowd moving. A Paper Diamond show is always full of surprises. He improvises every performance using only an iPad to remix his songs without a prepared setlist, and also doesn't stick to one genre, bouncing from trap and dubstep to rap and reggae. Local DJ Yada will open. (Nathan Turner) Park City Live, 427 Main, Park City, 9 p.m., $25, ParkCityLive.com
Flying Lotus
I like to imagine that if sampling existed hundreds of years ago, then perhaps famous composers like Mozart and Chopin would have loved banging on a MPC rather than a piano. Who's to say if any of us is alive at the right time? Currently, there are a handful of producers who are so ahead of their cohorts, it makes you wonder if perhaps they were supposed to be born on a spaceship orbiting Saturn, and Los Angeles-based beatmaker Flying Lotus is one of them. A nephew of legendary jazz saxophonist John Coltrane, FlyLo is a rare type of genius, a producer who drops projects that artists of almost every genre beg to be a part of. His most recent release, You're Dead, is one of his best, and features an impressive guest list including Herbie Hancock, Thundercat, Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar. (Colin Wolf) The Complex, 536 W. 100 South, 9 p.m., $20 in advance, $23 day of show, TheComplexSLC.com; limited no-fee tickets available at CityWeeklyStore.com
Cowboys & Indies
It's old, old news that the Provo music scene is blowing up right now. In fact, Provo has produced such a variety of bands that many of them may never be on the same concert bill because they belong to divergent musical genres. Shaking up those genre boundaries is Velour owner Corey Fox, who has curated nine diverse installments of Cowboys & Indies to "showcase a combination of 'cowboy' and 'indie' bands that might not otherwise have an opportunity to play on the same bill," according to Velour's Facebook page. Friday's show will feature Quiet House (orchestral indie rock), singer-songwriter Isaac Russell, Coral Bones' Chris Bennion and The Brocks (electro rock). Saturday's show will feature City Weekly Band of the Year Westward the Tide (folk rock), Seve Vs. Evan (synth pop), singer-songwriter Timmy the Teeth and Deadtooth (garage rock). (Kolbie Stonehocker) Velour, 135 N. University Ave., Provo, 8:30 p.m., also Nov. 22, $8, VelourLive.com
SATURDAY, NOV. 22
- Tyler Brooks
- Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks
Sometimes music videos lamely don't at all match their accompanying song, but Twin Peaks' (no apparent connection to the '90s cult-classic TV show) video for their track "Flavor" fits its breezy but rocking feel perfectly. In the video, the members of the Chicago band goof off at a pool party and drive around while smoking weed in their tour van, which ends up flying ridiculously off of a cliff and back into the pool they started at. But despite their penchant for cheap beer and van smoking, Twin Peaks make music that's lighthearted but meaty, and has the grittiness of psych and garage rock but also the catchiness and accessibility of pop. Other stellar tracks on their latest album, Bad Onion, released in the summer, are "Strawberry Smoothie" and "Making Breakfast," with the great line "Nothing is forever, but don't let it get you down." Also on the bill are Los Angeles garage-rock/punk band Criminal Hygiene and local experimental rock band Koala Temple. (Kolbie Stonehocker) Kilby Court, 741 S. Kilby Court (330 West), 8 p.m., $10, KilbyCourt.com; limited no-fee tickets available at CityWeeklyStore.com
- G-Eazy
G-Eazy
Upon first glance, G-Eazy looks like a boy-band member: troubled but suave, and ready to croon a love song. Once he picks up a microphone, however, he spins preconceptions of him on their head. A beat drops, the lights flash and he energetically moves around the stage as he begins to rap. Songs like "I Mean It" and "Almost Famous"—from his debut album, These Things Happen, released in April—are better seen live, where G-Eazy uses his rapping skills to get a crowd riled up. Alternatively, his versatility is heard in songs like "Let's Get Lost" and "Remember You," which make for a perfect soundtrack to lounge around at home and relax to. Also on the bill are E-40 and Jay Ant. (Rebecca Frost) The Complex, 536 W. 100 South, 6 p.m., $28, TheComplexSLC.com
MONDAY, NOV. 24
- Jason Quigley
- Sallie Ford
Sallie Ford
Although North Carolina-born musician Sallie Ford never gave up her trademark cat's-eye glasses, she did amicably part ways with the members of her former project, The Sound Outside, as well as their '50s-influenced sound, about a year ago. And since then, she's put together an all-female band and recorded an album that shows Ford jumping confidently into a variety of genres—and eras. Released in October, Slap Back is refreshingly tough to pin down, with styles that range from surf ("Give Me Your Lovin'") to hazy rock ("Workin' the Job"), and jumps around throughout musical history. "I wanted to blend different eras of music—the '80s, '90s, '60s, '70s—maybe some '50s," she says in her online bio. "I was kind of over the '50s." But uniting all these elements is one important unchanging element: Ford's unique alto voice, with which she delivers lyrics about heartbreak, endings, crushes and her adopted home state of Oregon. Local dream-pop band Strong Words will also perform. (Kolbie Stonehocker) The Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, 9 p.m., $10 in advance, $12 day of show, TheUrbanLoungeSLC.com; limited no-fee tickets available at CityWeeklyStore.com
