MUSIC PICKS: JULY 15 - 21 

• Mateo Cortez

Angie Petty Album Release at Urban Lounge
A lot of locals are having late album release shows, owing to things so quickly going back to "normal" when it comes to going out and the safety of doing just that. Such is the case for Angie Petty and her May-released album Timing, which she'll have a belated by deserved celebration for on July 21 at The Urban Lounge. The album itself is one full of ease, the R&B pop that she's practiced often over the years in her own projects, covers and collaborations all coming to a well-honed point of gleaming perfection. Petty's voice is so smooth and confident that it sounds the way that a skilled runner looks as they sail down the track—unbelievably easy and elegant. In addition to stunners like the charismatic and jazz-filled "Something Special," where Petty oozes sensuality, and the upbeat single "In The Rain," her collaboration with fellow Utah R&B star Jay Warren—"Feel It All"—is also on the album. "Feel It All" feels like the farthest-flung song from the others on the album, but that's not a bad thing; it just shows Petty's ability to slip comfortably into pop beats. The album release show will feature very fitting support from fellow local songbirds Anais Chantal and Cherry Thomas. This is one local lineup not to miss, and you can get tickets at theurbanloungeslc.com. Tickets are $10, doors are at 7 p.m. and the show is 21+.

Bountiful Davis Art Center's Musicfest and Sing-Along
Head north to Bountiful this Thursday, July 15, to catch what will be the Bountiful Davis Arts Center's inaugural season kick-off for their new Musicfest. Meant to celebrate the "poetry of the air," the BDAC's Musicfest will feature local and regional musicians performing in the realms of classical, jazz, folk and other genres from all over the world. The fest is scheduled to take place quarterly, with the next date of this year slated for October. For this first installment of the series, though, a Summer Reverie will be presented by way of "Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, OP. 60" by Frédéric Chopin, played out by the talents of Shenae Anderson on violin, Erin Svoboda-Scott on clarinet and Donna Stoering on piano. This performance starts at 7:30 p.m., and while tickets are free, only 100 tickets are available. There's also some special entertainment for seniors at the center, by way of Lew's Senior Sing-Along, which the BDAC is now hosting after years of the program existing at other venues like a local senior center and the public library in Bountiful. Every Thursday in July, seniors (55+ encouraged) are invited to come to the BDAC from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. to enjoy the music of organizer Lew Phelps's "musical friends," and to sing along to songs from their youth. Each week features a new program of music and light, fun musical instruction from Phelps. Visit bdac.org for more information and details on future events.

• Maya Buck

Sophie Blair Releases flatline
In a surprisingly introspective follow-up to her bombastic pop debut last year, Arteries, Sophie Blair seems to be imagining a self whose life blood bled out, only for her to be reborn brighter and more alive on the new, June 25-released EP flatline. The release starts off with "Graph," where narrowly plucked strings map under Blair's repeated refrain of "lines on a graph / you cut me in half" serve up Bjork-like emotiveness, her voice visibly straining against something inside her. While Arteries was a success of its own, it appears it was also only a signal to the heights of honesty and authenticity where Blair would eventually find herself. This view may be colored by her posting on social media about how the recording of Arteries was emotionally volatile for her, a struggle of anxiety and uncertainty. On "Close Quarters," lines like "I wish you'd believe you don't petrify me, but you do / it's ok" almost seem directed at herself, despite the song's immediate romantic cast. The song also is one of many clear shifts in production style. Whereas Arteries felt a little smokey-eyed at times, flatline's pacing feels more organic; on "Close Quarters," drums share dramatic center-stage with strings, pairing artfully with autotuned swooning from Blair towards the end. "AFTER THE STORM," smack dab in the middle of the five tracks, is bright and hopeful, a vibrant companion to the crazy catchy "Are You Thinking About Me??" and the album's total hit, "Unglued." Bumping with a totally infectious beat, and deliciously dubby baby-breakdowns, "Unglued" is representative of what's becoming classic Blair: all dogged devotion, all "are you missing me?" On flatline, Blair's doe-eyed romanticism feels more mature, and her fears feel like they're becoming fuel. Listen to it on Spotify, and keep up with Blair on Instagram at @sophiexblair.

• Colors Worldwide

Colors Worldwide Presents R&B Only
If you go online to find out what Colors Worldwide is, you won't find much of an explainer, and that's probably because the touring live event has its description in its title. Colors Worldwide's R&B Only is, quite simply, an R&B-only dance party, a night filled with only the rhythm and blues and all the moves attendees have to match. Founder Jabari Johnson spent the late aughts using social media to interview and make content about famous pop and rap stars like Nicki Minaj, J. Cole and Macklemore, an early interest that would set the stage for his later endeavors. Since turning his attention to filling the gap in the dance party world with a much-needed emphasis on R&B, he's created a wildly successful empire of touring party music that celebrates all R&B music, from its roots to its current iterations. It's also a glam opportunity to get your photo snapped by Colors Worldwide photographers, so take this rare opportunity to dress up in your finest garb. R&B Only stops in at The Depot Saturday, July 17, featuring music spun from the deck of DJ Tiara Monique, hosted by Apex Laurent. Presale GA tickets are $49.99, $69.99 for VIP, and day-of-show tickets are $80 for GA, $120 for VIP. This event is 21+, and more info and tickets can be found at saltlakecity.rnbonly.com.

Psych Lake City Returns to SLC
Pandemic notwithstanding, Psych Lake City seemed to go a bit underground there for a while, after some years of it being a common fixture of the Salt Lake City psych rock scene. It provided space for the city's jammiest of bands to deliver their crushing, meandering compositions at right volume. However, bands in SLC come and go, and this rebirth of an old tradition features a bunch of bands that have sprung up in more recent years, all whom have their own riff on the psychedelic. It's also an all-day party, kicking off at 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 17 behind The Urban Lounge, featuring a food truck, patio bar and free entry to the Beach Party dance night which kicks off inside the venue at 9 p.m. This Psych Lake City event features headliner Lord Vox, a trio with an ear for the mystical when it comes to their brand of big psychedelic sounds—a distinctive style that never disappoints live. They'll be joined by Idi Et Amin, who specialize in a tightly-composed synthesis of shoegaze and psych—a quick comparison being '90s era MBV tone with more melody, plus all the same crushing blows of sound. Also on the bill are The Fervors, Cool Banana, The Mellons, Musor, FutureMystic and Casio Ghost. The Beach Party after-party includes DJs Flash & Flare and German Wyoming. This show is $10 and 21+. Visit theurbanloungeslc.com for tickets.