MUSIC PICKS FEB 8 - 14 

• Drew Kuyoth
• Ideal Horizon

Ideal Horizon, Victory Lungs, Blue Valerian @ The DLC 2/8
There's nothing quite like jamming out to a punk band on an evening out. It can be so cathartic to headbang along with the chugging guitar, powerful vocals and (often) angry lyrics. If you're needing a punk fix, you'll want to head out to see SLC rockers Ideal Horizon. Their most recent single, "Only Me," is an epic anthem that is perfect for singing at the top of your lungs when you're deep into your feelings; it should also be an incredible listen live. This is the third and latest single from the group, and is rapidly becoming one of their most popular releases on streaming services. It's got classic punk-rock vibes that are exciting to old and new fans of the genre alike. Joining the fun is Victory Lungs, another group that leans heavily towards a punky sensibility. Rounding out the bill are newbies to the local scene Blue Valerian. Their self-titled debut EP, released in August 2023, has a unique sound—a little funky, a little rock-y, a little pop-y, the four-song collection is an interesting journey that makes you wonder what will come next. This will be a great night of music, so be sure to head out to jam on Thursday, Feb 8. at 7 p.m. Tickets for the 21+ show are $10 and can be found at 24tix.com. (Emilee Atkinson)

• @m.eyring.photography
• Emily Bea

Les Femmes Night One @ Velour 2/8
Women rock. In more ways than one, women do so much to make the world awesome, and that includes music. In a multi-week celebration put on by Velour, you can head out to support your favorite women in the local music scene and have a blast with their incredible music. The 2024 Les Femmes De Velour celebration takes place at the end of each week for the month of February. That's nine nights of shows with nearly 40 acts—name a better way to spend your money. There will be shows Feb. 8-10, Feb. 15-17, Feb. 22-24 and Saturday, Feb. 29. You'll be able to catch acts like Emily Bea, The Plastic Cherries, Anna Beck, Mel Soul and Little Moon, just to name a few. You can go to every show, or stop by just a few of them, but no matter how many shows you go to, you'll be showing love to the amazing women in the local scene. Each night the show costs only $10, except for Friday and Saturday Feb. 23 and 24, which are $15. For a full list of artists head to 24tix.com, and that's also where you'll grab your tickets. (EA)

• Alysse Gafkjen
• Dylan Leblanc

Dylan LeBlanc @ Kilby Court 2/9
Like many artists who make a habit of sharing their own stories, Dylan LeBlanc draws from personal experience, detailing the troubles and travails that once dogged him from early on. A self-described loner for most of his life, he's dealt with any number of personal challenges including addiction, parental separation and his own mental malaise. Nevertheless, music allowed him a means to overcome his anguish, and in the process, he's successfully found a career that's reaped him accolades and admiration from pundits and the public alike. His new album, Coyote—now recently expanded with extra tracks—marks his most ambitious effort yet. The album is a semi-autobiographical series of songs centered around the character tagged in the title, a flawed individual who's determined to overcome a difficult past. The choices he makes are intended to lift him beyond those bleak circumstances, but ultimately they lead him to an even deeper desperation. LeBlanc tells the story with empathy and emotion, as if to excise the tangle of trouble and turmoil that he found himself facing in the past. Likewise, it's little surprise that the titles given LeBlanc's four previous albums—Paupers Field, Cast the Same Old Shadow, Cautionary Tale and Renegade—reflect those encounters as well. Fortunately, in his case, challenge turned to triumph, and not only success as a songwriter, but as a happy human being as well. Dylan LeBlanc performs an all-ages show at 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 9 at Kilby Court. General admission tickets cost $20 (plus $6.85 service fee) in advance, $22 (plus $7.95 service fee) day of show. Go to 24tix.com. (Lee Zimmerman)

• via_instagram
• Cloonee

Cloonee @ Boxpac Project 2/10
The newest venue in town, Boxpac Project, is continuing its strong start by bringing in beloved tech house artist David Bissett, aka Cloonee. His music is the type that will chill you out when you're angry or sad, because his rhythms create a vibe that will automatically make you happy. His first hit from 2015, "Separated," features R&B vocals with the captivating lyrics, "I can't believe I stayed around that damn long / If I never see you again I won't be mad at all." While these lyrics describe heartbreak, the deep house rhythms make it a somewhat positive and hopeful track. This song gained millions of views on YouTube, and he was quickly supported by legendary house DJ Chris Lake. Despite Cloonee's home being Sheffield, U.K., his music will transport you across the globe to places like the shores of Ibiza. He's equipped with all the bass-heavy summer tunes like "Tripasia" (featuring fellow producer Brisotti) and "Mi Amor" (featuring fellow producer Wade). Who doesn't like some summer tunes in January to beat the frigid Utah winter? Come huddle in the crowd and warm yourself up to the jazzy, Latin songs and sing along: "Me gusta bailar cerca de ti" or, "I like to dance close to you." Doors open at 9 p.m. for Cloonee at Boxpac Project on Saturday, Feb. 10. Tickets cost $30. For tickets go to seetickets.us (Arica Roberts)

• Ernesto Santamaría
• Haken

Haken @ The Depot 2/13
Virtuoso prog rock band Haken doesn't just produce the goods in terms of watchable musical prowess; they deliver epic songs that can hammer you into the ground or sail you away. The fact that guitarist Richard Henshall can fit so many notes in, or that Conner Green can play a bass with more skill and speed than most "good" guitarists play a guitar, or that keyboardist Peter Jones has classical concert pianist levels of skill, or that drummer Raymond Hearne plays complex polyrhythms just for fun, almost gets hidden by the brilliance of frontman Ross Jennings' song structures and lyris. They have been doing all of this since their debut LP, Aquarius, dropped back in 2010, right up to their current release, Fauna. "You're always kind of influenced by what you've done before in a way," guitarist Charlie Griffiths told MetalTalk.net "Vector and Virus were always intended as a two-act narrative kind of thing. This [Fauna] goes somewhere else, and we went just 'anything goes.' We've got a blank slate, and we can put on anything we want." Progressive metal can be characterized with long songs, progression through different ideas, melodies, themes, modes, technical skill, operatic vocals and the ilk. Haken shines with so much sheer confidence and capability, unafraid to write a 22-minute-long track if that's how long it takes to tell the story. They are titans of the genre. Catch an evening with Haken on Tuesday, Feb. 13. Doors at 6:30 p.m. Tickets for the 21+ show are $30 - $70 and can be found at livenation.com (Mark Dago)