• Jacob Funes

Insta Stream with Ivouries
Local pop quartet Ivouries are one of many local SLC artists who had big plans that have been altered by the pandemic, including an EP which was almost completed when everything started getting serious in the world. But those events didn't hamper them as much as spur them to finish it—a good thing, too, since the pop princes have been building a name for themselves off spare singles here and there since 2017. After streamlining the work of completion through Zoom, the only disappointment was not being able to have a release show for the self-titled EP, which came out May 7. "We feel like we're a band whose live show is a huge part of our draw, so since that couldn't be a part of this release, we felt like we had to make it something that was really worth people listening to," says keyboardist Adam Fuller. And it's still very much worth listening to—they've crafted earwormy, jangly pop-centric sound for years, right down to production, and their progress is evident on the EP. Combining heydey-era 1975, angsty electro-funk, a few jammy guitar moments ("It's Wearing Me Out") and an extra shot of dappled sunshine, it quite frankly slaps. With the EP out, they're focusing even more on production-heavy work, with a single planned for release in June. Other than working on music, they've found comfort in interacting with fans via Twitch streams, and hope to organize a live-stream concert soon. "We're working with some people to make it something that's unique to us and represents our vision," Fuller says. If it's anything like the energy of a live Ivouries show, it's worth looking out for. Follow them on Instagram @ivouries to keep up with live-stream dates and times.

Easy Tiger is Far from Easygoing
Local act Easy Tiger has also been hustling during these lockdown days. He specializes in experimentation of all kinds, especially on his recently-released mammoth of an album, the 21-track Jacuzzi Love 2020. The release marked the synthesis of a year's worth of poetry stowed away by Easy Tiger and a rapid completion with the help of fellow local and production whiz Super Young Adult, with whom Easy Tiger has collaborated before. Easy Tiger has also made music under monikers like Daisy on Drugs and Gemini Bridges, and with a new country project on the way, Jacuzzi Love 2020 was something of a purge. "We worked on it a bunch during quarantine just finishing it up. But we kind of just imagined it to be a big dumpster full of glitter, old computer parts, etc.," he says. "Most of the songs I've been writing lately have been country songs, so this was just a project/mixtape to get rid of all the old ideas and not overthink it too much." The two capped each song's production time at an hour max, and it certainly is a big dump of varying influences that reflects Easy Tiger's apparently wandering mind, inspired initially by a big Playboi Carti phase, and his wanting to mimic the pitched-up voice of Carti. He also cites Doja Cat, Lana Del Rey, Blood Orange, hi chews (yeah, the candy), glitter, Riverdale the TV show and Jackass 3 as influences. Chaotic as that may sound, trust me: It translates. Give it a whirl on all streaming platforms if you need a sugary jolt to your system.

Eccles Seeks SLC's Talent
While there was certainly a lot of behind-the-scenes work required in figuring out how to deal with show and tour cancellations, Live at the Eccles has been biding its time with how to get involved in the community during the pandemic. But they're now out there offering a little morale-booster by way of Salt Lake's Got Talent. The project is not so much a competition, like America's Got Talent, but a fun opportunity for anyone with a creative or performative side to flex their muscles and maybe get featured on the Eccles's Facebook page alongside other talented locals. Not only musicians or soloists are welcome, but dancers, acrobats and comedians. And if you're wondering if there are enough acrobats in SLC worth mentioning, keep an eye on Facebook.com/liveeccles for updates and posts of the selected contributions. Maybe even take up the challenge yourself, and put what you've got out there where everyone can see. Anyone interested in submitting a video of their talents—acoustic sets, duets, drumming extraordinaire, anything from the beautiful to the strange—can submit videos directly via Facebook through the Eccles DMs, or by posting the video as a comment on their original post about the event.

Dis House Uploads to the Web
Curator and organizer of all things punk, local musician and mainstay Discoid Sam operates the richly-stocked punk label City of Dis (cityofdis666.bandcamp.com), as well as the DIY punk venue Dis House, which I embarrassingly haven't been to as of yet. Before you call me a fake local-lover, know that it's because every time I see videos from the small venue, I'm freaked by how crazy, wily and packed the little spot can get—not a bad thing if you're looking for a real punk show. If you don't believe me, then you're in luck, because I've got evidence, coming your way via the My Bowler Looks Fuck Fest. The fest takes a different approach from what some other local venues and artists have been attempting lately—instead of operating as a live stream, it will exist on YouTube and consist of compilations of videos from Dis House shows over the years. On May 16, recordings of old Dis House shows and sets were posted on YouTube (mybowerlooksfuck). Included in the video collection are sets by both super-small punk acts and familiar names in the dark-wave and post punk scenes, like New Cruelster (née Perverts Again), Choir Boy, All Your Sisters, Fearing, Black Marble, Soft Kill, Drab Majesty and The KVB. Head over to the City of Dis Bandcamp to get an even better idea of what the world of Dis has to offer.

• Page on Salt Lily Magazine’s Website

Local Binge: Salt Lily Magazine
While it may not usually be kosher to shout out another local publication explicitly, anyone doing work to champion local artists during this difficult time deserves credit. This much is true for Salt Lily Magazine, a small local publication that does a damn fine job when it comes to churning out coverage of local arts and work from artists themselves—from poetry to frequent profiles on up-and-coming locals or ambitious ex-locals, with a few inspired locals-centric playlists sprinkled in for good measure. I have a distinct memory of meeting the young stewardess of this dedicated mag years and years ago. Once, perhaps even while she was still in high school, Meira Bashir wandered into the vintage shop where I was working, and fell into conversation with me, saying something sticking about feeling different from those around her. It seems she's since channeled that outsider energy into this project, which she describes as a "love letter to all the feral outcasts of SLC," on saltlilymag.com. Available in print and online, Salt Lily is a great resource for those looking for new local musicians, poets and photographers to keep an eye on. Visit their oh-so-pleasing Instagram page (@saltlilymagazine) for glimpses of locals holding bouquets of flowers—the Salt Lily signature, an unabashedly tender one, and not unlike the mag itself.