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Trevor Christensen
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Bat Manors
After much deliberation among our nomination committees, The Best of Utah Music 2015 polls are now live at
CityWeekly.net/BestOfUtahMusic. There is a poll for each of the three categories of Best of Utah Music—Best Band, Best Rapper/Rap Group and Best DJ—and everyone is invited to cast one vote in each category for their favorites. Once the polls close at midnight on Sunday, Feb. 1, the top 10 frontrunners in each category will go on to perform at the Best of Utah Music showcases in February.
But before you cast your votes, you'd like to make sure that you're making an informed decision, right? After all, even though you maybe haven't heard of some of the names on the poll, that doesn't mean you wouldn't dig their work if you had the change to check it out. So, before you vote, read up on the
City Weekly coverage some of the nominees have gotten recently, and see exactly why they've ended up on this year's polls.
Meet the Bands
Bat Manors
When Provo chamber-pop band
Bat Manors released their debut album,
Literally Weird, during the summer, City Weekly Music Editor Kolbie Stonehocker
interviewed frontman/songwriter Adam Klopp about the inspiration behind the album and the band's changing style.
Baby Ghosts
After the pop-punk band
Baby Ghosts released their full-length album
Maybe Ghosts in August, Kolbie Stonehocker
reviewed it in City Weekly. Gavin Sheehan also
mentioned Maybe Ghosts in his weekly blog about local album releases.
Big Wild Wings
Electro/indie-rock band
Big Wild Wings was interviewed by Gavin Sheehan in his
Gavin's Underground blog in September, and discussed how the band got its start, inspirations for their music and more. The band also got a
mention in City Weekly in November, in a blurb written by Kolbie Stonehocker about the release show for their album
Speaking in Cursive.
The Blue Aces
Provo pop-rock band
The Blue Aces were
interviewed by Kolbie Stonehocker in 2013, and talked about how they got their start and what they have planned for the future. The Blue Aces were also
mentioned in City Weekly in 2014 about their latest release,
Gave You My Heart.
Cult Leader
City Weekly contributor Matthew Nanes wrote
a feature about metal band Cult Leader in April 2014, and the interview included discussion about the band's post-Gaza future. Frontman Anthony Lucero was also
interviewed by Gavin Sheehan in his Gavin's Underground blog in December 2014.
Dark Seas
Surf-y psych-rockers
Dark Seas have gotten a few mentions in
City Weekly, including blurbs written by Kolbie Stonehocker in
December 2014 and
December 2013.
Fictionist
City Weekly contributor Spencer Flanagan
interviewed pop-rock band Fictionist in 2011 after they missed out on the opportunity to be featured on the cover of
Rolling Stone. Kolbie Stonehocker interviewed
Fictionist for
a feature in October that discussed the band's recent "comeback" and new self-titled album.
Grass
Gavin Sheehan mentioned
Naysayer, the latest release from experimental psych-rock band
Grass, in his
weekly blog post about local album releases.
Great Interstate
Kolbie Stonehocker reviewed
Inversion Songs, the latest release from alt-rock band
Great Interstate,
in City Weekly in May 2014. Gavin Sheehan also interviewed the band in
his Gavin's Underground blog in June 2014.
Koala Temple
After the release of
Blue Milk, the latest album from experimental garage-rock band
Koala Temple, Kolbie Stonehocker
reviewed it in City Weekly in July 2014.
The Ladells
In October, Kolbie Stonehocker
recapped Muse Music Cafe's 2014 Battle of the Bands, which was won by punk band
The Ladells.
Minx
In November 2013, Kolbie Stonehocker
interviewed electro-pop duo Minx when they released their album
13, for a feature in
City Weekly. She also interviewed frontwoman Ischa in October 2013, for
a blog post about the duo's latest album and film project,
Together Forever.
The National Parks
Kolbie Stonehocker included a blurb about indie-folk band
The National Parks' album-release show for
Young in
a rundown of fall concerts happening in 2013. The National Parks were also mentioned in
a City Weekly blurb about their appearance at the Rooftop Concert Series in 2014.
Salazar
Kolbie Stonehocker reviewed
Saudade, the latest album from dream-pop/folk band
Salazar, in
City Weekly in 2014. She also included
Saudade on
her list of the top 10 local albums of 2014.
The Salt, The Sea, and The Sun God
It's All for You, the latest album to be released by experimental-rock band
The Salt, The Sea, and The Sun God, was
reviewed by Kolbie Stonehocker in City Weekly in September 2014.
Secret Abilities
In 2012, former
City Weekly Music Editor Austen Diamond interviewed pop-punk band
Secret Abilities about
the inspiration behind their album Rise From Your Grave in his Liner Notes blog. In May 2014, Kolbie Stonehocker
reviewed their album The Dat Goh-Git! Split in City Weekly. And she
interviewed the band for a City Weekly feature in November 2014 about their latest album,
Music to Break Up By, which was also included on her
list of the top 10 local albums of 2014.
The Souvenirs
Kolbie Stonehocker interviewed country/Americana trio
The Souvenirs for a
City Weekly feature in September, which discussed the dissolution of their former project and why The Souvenirs came together, as well as the inspiration behind their debut album,
I Ain't Happy Yet. The record was also included on Stonehocker's
list of the top 10 local albums of 2014.
Static Waves
Indie-rock band
Static Waves was
interviewed by Gavin Sheehan for his Gavin's Underground blog after they participated in Velour's Battle of the Bands in June 2014. In September, Kolbie Stonehocker wrote
a City Weekly blurb about the release of their self-titled album.
The Strike
Funk/pop band
The Strike was mentioned in
a City Weekly blurb written by Kolbie Stonehocker about their appearance at the Rooftop Concert Series in June 2014.
VanLadyLove
In February 2014, pop-rock band
VanLadyLove was mentioned in
Gavin Sheehan's weekly blog about local album releases, for their album
Love Matter. In June 2014, Kolbie Stonehocker mentioned
the band's appearance at the Rooftop Concert Series in a City Weekly blurb.
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Meet the Rappers/Rap Groups
Burnell Washburn
In 2012, former
City Weekly music editor Austen Diamond
interviewed Burnell Washburn about the inspiration behind his EP An Apple a Day. In 2013,
City Weekly contributor Colin Wolf wrote about Washburn and other Utah rappers in his
cover story "Paying Dues."
Calhoon Popadopolis
Cheat to Win, the latest album from
Calhoon Popadopolis, was included on
City Weekly contributor Colin Wolf's
list of the top 10 local rap albums released in 2014.
Cig Burna
Paradise Lost: New Nigga Same View, the latest album from
Cig Burna, was included on
City Weekly contributor Colin Wolf's
list of the top 10 local rap albums released in 2014.
Dine Krew
In 2013,
City Weekly contributor Colin Wolf interviewed Dine Krew in
a feature about their debut album, Dine and Dash. In September 2014, Wolf also
interviewed Dine Krew offshoot WE when they released their second album, WE-ET's Vol. 2, which he also included on his
list of the top 10 local rap albums released in 2014.
FunKtional
In June 2014, Gavin Sheehan mentioned
FunKtional's
MixTape Vol. 1 in his
weekly blog post about local album releases.
House of Lewis
House of Lewis rappers have been mentioned in several different features. In February 2014, Kolbie Stonehocker
interviewed Donnie Bonelli about his full-length debut, Shakeface. Shakeface was included on Colin Wolf's
list of the top 10 local albums released in 2014, as well as Stonehocker's
list of the top 10 local albums released in 2014. In June 2014, Stonehocker
interviewed Atheist about his new video project, Rhyme Time Television.
Illwinded P
In November 2014, Gavin Sheehan mentioned Illwinded P's album
Spirited Away Vol. 1 in his
weekly blog post about local releases.
Malev Da Shinobi
Colin Wolf included
Malev Da Shinobi's various singles on his
list of the top 10 local rap albums released in 2014.
New Truth
In June 2013, Colin Wolf mentioned
New Truth in
a feature about CrucialFest including rap in its lineup for the first time. He also included New Truth's EP
Truth Hurts on his
list of the top 10 local rap albums released in 2014.
Omeed the Nag
In April 2014, Kolbie Stonehocker mentioned the release show for
Omeed the Nag's album
Bird of Prey in
a City Weekly blurb. Gavin Sheehan mentioned the same album in his
weekly blog post about local releases.
Pat Maine
In March 2014, Colin Wolf interviewed
Pat Maine for
a City Weekly feature about a series of music videos he released in connection to his 2012 album Doomsday Charades.
Q1
In February 2014, Kolbie Stonehocker reviewed
Q1's album
To End Is to Begin in
City Weekly.
Umang
Colin Wolf included
Umang's album
The Black Rose Certificate on his
list of the top 10 local rap albums released in 2014.
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Zigga, Burnell Washburn, Dine Krew, KIS.B and
New Truth are mentioned in an
article Colin Wolf about the Urban Legends Music Festival in in June 2014.
Several of the rappers and DJs who were nominated for this year's Best of Utah Music poll also participated in Best of Utah Music 2014. You can read about the rappers
here and the DJs
here.