• Alex Munro
• Mmeadows

mmeadows, Will Sheff @ Urban Lounge 2/3
Today, up-and-coming New York duo mmeadows release their anticipated debut album Light Moves Around You. One of the standout tracks on the album, "By Design," presents an observant and elemental tone that spans the entire record. "The world we live in is built for convenience and comfort, flashy, slick and hypnotic. Whether purposeful or as an unfortunate byproduct, person-to-person connection is in perpetual obfuscation," said half of the duo, Kristin Slipp, via press release. "I feel like I'm constantly fumbling around in search of a human touch, and when I find it, all I want to do is grab hold and hang on tight. 'By Design' is an exploration of relationships in an ever-automating world, and writing it helped me sniff out my most basic desire—to care and be cared for." mmeadows are dropping by in support of singer/songwriter Will Sheff, well-known for his work in the band Okkervil River. Sheff released his first solo album in Oct 2022, receiving critical acclaim for his handling of candid feelings woven into effortless melodies. Sheff puts it all out there, singing about devastations in youth, moving across the country and the anxieties that come with that. Check out mmeadows and Will Sheff on Friday, Feb 3 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the 21+ show are $25 in advance, and $30 at the door. Find tickets at urbanloungeslc.com. (Emilee Atkinson)

• Eric Ryan Anderson
• The Lone Bellow

The Lone Bellow, Tow'rs @ Commonwealth Room 2/5
The Lone Bellow's newest album Love Songs for Losers marks an exciting departure for the band. For the last decade, the trio has recorded and had help producing their music, but this time they've stepped out of the familiar studio setting, journeying on their own. "That was exciting, especially after working with heavy-hitter producers like Aaron Dessner and Dave Cobb," guitar/vocalist Zack Williams told The Boot in January. "It was taking a chance on ourselves. We're 10 years into being a band. It's something that we [have] always wanted to do. I think that we needed to step out on our own and take a chance on ourselves. It was scary at first, for sure. When you're used to just having a professional producer come in and put his mark on your work, it's a comforting thing." They recorded their most expansive and eclectic work to date at Roy Orbison's former home in Nashville, putting the album together over the course of eight weeks. Joining The Lone Bellow are Arizona folkies Tow'rs. The group has released new singles in late 2022/early 2023 that are soft, introspective and vulnerable. Folk music is a good vessel for these feelings; the combo of soft string instruments along with gentle vocals help evoke sadness and hope at the same time. Come enjoy this folky bluegrass jam on Sunday, Feb 5 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the 21+ show are $28 and can be found at thestateroompresents.com. (EA)

333, The Tearducts, Gentle Tuesdays @ Kilby Court 2/6
Nothing quite keeps the heartbeat of SLC going like the number of fantastic indie bands in the area. This lineup at Kilby Court presents just a handful of some of the coolest up-and-comers around, including a debut performance. Leading the charge is local shoegaze/goth rockers 333. The trio dropped their self-titled debut in 2021, showcasing their brand of alt-rock that leans on obscured vocals, wacky guitar effects and general loudness. Joining 333, and playing their first show is The Tearducts, a project of local musician McCade Miller. Dropping in late 2022, The Tearducts' self-titled debut EP introduced a similar shoegaze sound to that of 333, but more ethereal; driving guitars are still loud and in the forefront, but vocals are dialed back, sounding far away. This effect almost sounds like beings from far off in space are trying to connect, but can't quite get through. Rounding out the lineup of up-and-coming locals is Gentle Tuesdays. Not a ton can be found online at the moment about Gentle Tuesdays, but in Dec 2022 they began posting videos of trippy digital effects on their page, which eventually also featured guitar tracks. It'll be cool to hear more from this project with 333 and The Tearducts on Monday, Feb 6 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show are $10 and can be found at kilbycourt.com. (EA)

• David KA
• JID

JID @ The Complex 2/8
JID has insane respect for his craft. The Atlanta musician's third studio album, The Forever Story, arrived in 2022, nearly four years after his previous LP, DiCaprio 2. Meticulous in the approach, JID tinkered with the project until the release. The Forever Story is an amazing achievement that transcends the genre, fusing modern hip-hop into the long history of great black music while it still manages to sound unlike anything that has come before. "It's all about trying to push everything forward. That's where I live at. I'm always trying to make sure what I'm doing feels fresh to me," JID told Vulture in September. Nuanced and sprawling, The Forever Story, doesn't offer any easy answers. It's compelling and unafraid to be really, really weird, too, with tempo changes and beats that are so oddly syncopated that most rappers probably wouldn't be able to flow over them. Hidden just beneath the frenetic beats and temporal shifts, JID is weaving a story in his lyrics which will leave your jaw on the floor when they hit home. Then, just when you've recovered, he'll knock you down again with the next track. Fine tuning that Dreamville records sound, JID is one of the best of the new generation and future of the game, a self-sufficient superstar in the making. We'll just have to wait. Doors to the all-ages show open at 6:30 p.m., show begins at 7 p.m. Co-headliner Smino opens. While at press time the show is sold out, find resell tickets at vividseats.com. (Mark Dago)

• Josh Wool
• Sarah Jarosz

Sarah Jarosz @ Egyptian Theater 2/8
Sarah Jarosz was something of a wunderkind. She first picked up mandolin at age 10, and from there, learned to play guitar and banjo. She was still in high school when she signed her first recording contract with Sugar Hill Records, but continued her education at the New England Conservatory of Music, where she graduated with honors and a degree in Contemporary Improvisation. Her career took flight almost immediately when, at age 18, she scored her first Grammy nomination for a song from her debut album Song Up in Her Head. The accolades then kept coming. The title track of her sophomore album, "Follow Me Down," was nominated for Song of the Year by the Americana Music Association, and its successor, Build Me Up From Bones, garnered Grammy nominations for Best Folk Album and Best American Roots Song. At that point, Jarosz might have simply settled for being a runner-up had it not been for the fact that her fourth album, 2016's Undercurrent, took home two trophies—Best Folk Album and Best American Roots Performance. Two years ago, her album World on the Ground bagged two Grammy nominations, winning one for Best Americana Album. She's also part of a supergroup of sorts, I'm With Her, with Sara Watkins and Aiofe O'Donovan. Happily, you can be with Sarah herself when she comes to Egyptian Theatre on Wed, Feb 8 at 8 p.m. Tickets for this all-ages show cost $35. Go to tickets.egyptiantheatrecompany.org (Lee Zimmerman)