UTAH! DELUSIONS OF ADEQUACY (http://adequacy.net) Kalamazoo, Michigan's UTAH! is something of a contrast in what you'd expect. Mixing styles from math-rock, DC hardcore, and emo, you'd think they would come off sounding like a million other pent-up, angst-ridden, talented but unoriginal acts. Instead, they somehow manage to transcend what you would expect, adding enough of their own unique flare and talent with some downright outstanding music. This four-piece band uses cello on almost every song, which is enough to set them apart right there. But it seems like cello is becoming an oft-used rock instrument lately. They don't use it just because they have it but make these songs sound like the cello is as vital as the melodic, driving guitars, thick bass lines, and intricate, complex percussion. With one, two, or more vocals layered on top but not overwhelming the music, the band has proved that, despite this being their first full-length, they're mature enough to know just where things belong and in what proportion. They don't feel the need to assault you with guitar and vocals. They're good enough not to have to. "The Boy Who Gave Away the Bomb" starts off as one of the more mid-tempo tracks. Building on layers of bass and cello, the song uses complex, math-rock style rhythms and a unique vocal approach that I can only compare to, say, Piebald for an interesting and emphatic start. "What Good Are You…To Me?" is a bit more herky-jerky, more of an assault of driving guitars and bass over this crazy rhythm, with cello tying it all together. By contrast, "Dereck" starts soft and pretty, with cello and drums, before going into the most restrained song here. Vocals aren't used often, but the unique singing style of Eddie Pellino does make for a more intense feel when they come in. "Jogging Suit" is a nice, melodic and flowing instrumental (at least until its end, when vocals do come in as if it's just be one long lead-up), and "Babette's Areola" (what's with the weird song titles?) is a bit more of a drawn-out affair, where the cello and smooth, melodic guitar take center stage. But by the end, it builds to a crescendo of furied percussion and driving guitar, wailing away to a brilliant assault that is by far this album's best moments. The closer, "No More Selections, No More Bugs Bunny," pulls things back a bit, taking a quieter, more introspective approach. But again the song has bursts of intense, driving rock interspersed with more quiet and melodic moments, and the vocals do equally well squealing and almost shouting as being almost a whisper. It's still the music and long instrumental portions that make this song so amazing. UTAH! went all-out on their debut full-length. With Bob Weston twiddling the knobs, they've managed to create one hell of a complex, powerful, and amazingly talented album. I couldn't ask for much more. But if you do want more, there's a little movie about a sad robot on the CD that is mildly amusing. Still, this is all about the music, and these four people have amazing talent. You'll be hearing a lot about UTAH! (Jeff) US VERSUS THEM - AUSTRALIA (http://tim.usversusthem.net) Do you get excited over the words ‘angular’, ‘discordant’ and ‘oft kilter’ in record reviews? What about cellos? You dig cellos? Find yourself checking out cello websites in your spare time? Answer yes to these questions and you’re going to like UTAH! because this four piece drag out the cello on almost every one of their angular and oft kilter songs. Though not easily defined, their sound with its mix of math-rock, DC emo and weird time signatures comes across like a Cap’N Jazz, Rachel’s and Jehu three-bean salad. Conventional song structures are ignored and vocals are used sparingly, but the unique voice of Eddie Pellino is effective when it is, and the production of Bob Weston makes this one complex and powerful album. (Tim Scott) INVISIBLE YOUTH (http://www.invisibleyouth.com) Pretty music that could possibly be compared to bands such as American Football or Promise Ring in the way that it flows so smoothly and evenly. This is very easy listening and is good to just come home from work and relax before going out on the town at night. Thought provoking music that is getting harder and harder to find. Here it is boys and girls. Clever music for us to enjoy. (K) IMPACT PRESS (http://www.impactpress.com) There [are] a growing number of bands who specialize in beautifully arranged, somewhat experimental post-indie rock with plenty of guitar-string plucking and changing time structures. Such bands like The Mercury Program, Volta do Mar and Dianogah now have Utah! for company. I was not a big fan of the vocalist's sometime off-key singing, but the music more than compensates for this. BASEMENT LIFE (http://basement-life.com/) UTAH!'s commendable debut is a mix of flowing indie rock guitars, compelling cello arrangements, and shifting time signatures, and while it is certainly derisive from a number of sources, it's still well executed. The vocal similarities between singer Eddie Pellino and Sunny Day Real Estate's Jeremy Enigk are impossible to deny, but enterprising cellist Anne Polesnak also contributes vocally and allows for a change of pace throughout the six tracks. Lyrics actually tend to take a back seat on Zoo Sounds & Destructovision with the jangling math rock progressions of the lengthy songs stealing the spotlight. The cello seems to be creeping further and further into the indie rock practicum these days, and Polesnak's textural yet melodic playing on this release is a credible step in the instrument's current rock evolution. Bob Weston's production adds some nice color to the recording, and the guitars ring out in all of their treble drenched glory, intertwining for complex rhythms. The disc also features a short video for a track about a sad robot, but compared to the rest of the material, the low budget film addition is really just a nice extra. UTAH! probably won't go over that well with folks that want the emo trend to disappear, but they do have a unique take on it that is more expansive and creative than many of their peers. (Peter D'Angelo) ALL MUSIC GUIDE (http://allmusicguide.com/) Two-guitar/cello indie rock here, at some points almost bordering on emo (but not as whiny). There are plenty of emotional lulls and swells, as well as a shade of Sunny Day Real Estate's Jeremy Enigk. They have the vocal style and orchestral composition of Enigk's solo album, with complex songs that alter their rhythm and intensity as they continue. The songs have definite distinct segments, but the transitions between parts are a bit rough. Overall, this is a good EP by this band from Kalamazoo, MI. (Jeremy Salmon) SPLENDID (http://splendidezine.com) Though they hail from the Midwest (Kalamazoo, Michigan to be exact) Utah! are the living embodiment of defunct DC art-punks Smart Went Crazy. Produced by Bob Weston, Zoo Sounds and Destructovision drops this brazen quartet in the same musical territory that led SWC into total and utter obscurity. Utah!’s approach is, to say the least, an off-kilter one, as songs like "What Good are You...to Me?" and "Derek" are punctuated by random blasts of discordant guitar, yearning vocals and sweeping, neo-classical cello. The band's penchant for odd time signatures and slow-burning climaxes rears it head on the raucous "Jogging Suit", while "No More Selections, No More Bugs Bunny"'s creeping intro eventually explodes in a dizzying array of angular dynamics and Fugazi-style focused intensity. If it’s a break from the musical norm you’re after, Zoo Sounds and Destructovision could be just what the doctor ordered. With any luck, Utah!’s quest for glory will be more successful than that of their spiritual counterparts. (JJ) METRO TIMES DETROIT (http://www.metrotimes.com/) Fueled by inspiration from minimalist indie jazz-rock, post-collegiate malaise and a few cases of Hamm’s, Utah! is leaving us behind after only a few metro-area hellos. The Kalamazoo outfit is taking its highbrow, ebb-and-flow sound to North Carolina. No worries, though. With ’Zoo Sounds and Destructovision as its impressive debut and promising indie startup Arborvitae on its side, future tours and releases will surely follow soon. Anyone who’s ever lived in Kalamazoo has a million weird anecdotes of his or her love-hate relationship with this town. And in a place that’s more Chest Rockwell than Norman Rockwell, Utah! fused a cello with traditional tools to catalogue the ’Zoo’s oddities and … rock well. Utah! doesn’t work very hard to cover up its influences. It’s easy to hear Cap’n Jazz, Rachel’s, Braid, June of 44 and Jeremy Enigk on ’Zoo Sounds. “The boy who gave away the bomb,” for instance, meanders its way from droning loopism to express heartfelt angst with Eric Singer’s upper-register bass rhythms bouncing gently back and forth between Ed Pellino’s restrained guitar and Anne Polesnak’s engaging cello melodies. This kinetic sound, facilitated by the expressively buoyant drumming of Micky D’loughy, evokes the weightless emotionality of the above bands at their best. “Derek” is a sunny, nostalgic stroll that winds in and out of both sides of bittersweet remembrance for one of the best listening experiences here. Singing happens on ’Zoo Sounds, although it’s not a focal point. Lyrics are used in an elemental way to sparsely pepper tracks like “Babette’s Areola” (nice title, guys) at appropriate intervals. Complete with a really cool Quicktime video of a Trocar song that features Pellino and a makeshift robot’s existential quest for understanding, Utah! starts off on the right foot. Engineered by indie shaman Bob Weston, ’Zoo Sounds is a short-but-sweet debut. DAILY HAMPSHIRE (MASS) GAZETTE (http://www.kzooexpress.com) The band in the middle of the bill was called Utah! (although they come from Kalamazoo, Mich.). They were a quartet of cellist Anne Polesnak, guitarist/vocalist Ed Pellino, drummer Mickey D'Loughy, and bassist/guitarist Eric Singer. The foursome were like the poster children for touring bands: a group, far away from home, playing music you'll never hear on most college radio stations these days, let alone MTV, with a fervor that makes you realize they must really believe in themselves and enjoy the sound they make, and how lucky you were to wander into the venue and stick around.  Utah!'s songs were like tornadoes of sound, or maybe torrential rivers that careen over rocks and sharp bends and surprise drops. They used reckless abandon while maneuvering tricky courses. They were loud. And very good. With an original point of view, too. Mostly thanks to cellist Polesnak, who seemed like the driving force behind the band, even though she wasn't the singer. Sitting in her chair, a straw hat lowered over her eyes leaving just her mouth visible, her amplified cello locked between her legs, Polesnak swooned angularly to the music, with what I can only describe as rock-and-roll grace.  Some cello players that end up with rock bands are classically trained players who just play cello while the band rocks out. While I have no idea what her musical background is, Polesnak seemed to have way more rawk in her soul while she drew the bow with poise along the strings, her amp turned trebly and thin, the cello cutting through the noise and adding to it. She rocked. And spurred the band on.  KALAMAZOO EXPRESS (http://www.kzooexpress.com) It's been my experience the discs that have the greatest longevity in my CD changer are not usually the ones that I immediately loved on the first spin. Don't get me wrong, I truly enjoy a good pop song. But if the hooks are too blatant, I tend to grow bored with it faster. This being said, UTAH!'s first CD release for Champaign, Illinois' Arborvitae Records, 'Zoo Sounds and Destructovision,' will probably be enjoying a lengthy tenure in my player. UTAH!'s sound is not easily defined. The Kalamazoo quartet can go from explosively percussive and driving one second to winsomely pretty and delicate the next; sometimes even pulling off both simultaneously in a mesmerizing juxtaposition. And with time signature and dynamics changes that come as quickly as sucker punches, the band tightly morphs from emo to math rock to low-fi punk and beyond. Not many studio recordings suitably capture the energy of a live performance, but this album seems to do a fairly admirable job. As a result, Eddie Pellino's vocals tend to get buried in the exuberant cacophony of instruments, which lends his lyrics an elliptical quality that fittingly mirrors the group's unusual song titles. Anne Polesnak's cello is notably a key component in UTAH!'s unique sound. When she's rhythmically sawing away on her instrument on "Jogging Suit," the group momentarily bears a slight resemblance to the now-defunct Geraldine Fibbers. But that's only a fleeting comparison, because as soon as I start to pinpoint their sound, the band readjusts its trajectory to shake any monikers that might otherwise stick. As an added bonus, 'Zoo Sounds and Destructovision' comes with a video track, Robot2: Your'e strange if you know" that can be played on a computer via Quicktime. A joint effort by Pellino and fellow local band Trocar, the video stars a lonely, misplaced robot that wanders about to the strains of a Slint/Gastr Del Sol-esque soundtrack. It's an oddly appropriate finale for an album that is every bit as captivatingly beautiful as it is unconventional. (Christopher Shuler) KALAMAZOO EXPRESS (http://www.kzooexpress.com) Ciao' Utah!  Utah!, now signed to Arborvitae Records, is about to embark on their first tour since the national release of their CD 'Zoo Sounds and Destructovision. After their tour, the much admired indie band will move to North Carolina so members of the band can pursue various personal goals.  Matt Dorbin, the brains behind Blackjack Productions, Kalamazoo's leader in entertainment for music connoisseurs, comments on Utah! and their departure as does Justin Flint, local music freak. E: Tell us about Utah! Dorbin: "They're a good solid live band and they've got their promotions down definitely. They've done a lot, Eric especially, with booking bands, bringing in talent from around the nation in to town. They've been very consistent in helping out, we've done shows together. "They've done a lot to boost the national image of Kalamazoo. Bringing in national acts helps in getting the word out. Hopefully, their moving down South will do nothing but good in helping to continue spreading the word." Flint: "Utah! has been able to play with many bands of many genres because everyone loves their music and everyone loves them. If you're in a pop band, indie band, whatever, it's hard to resist them. They're insidious that way." E: How has their music affected those in town? Dorbin: "I can't speak for anyone else but at their shows, there are always people up there having fun. It's definitely a positive thing. They've definitely gotten people out (to see live music)." Flint: "They've done a lot to bring people out to shows. They've brought national attention to Kalamazoo, which is a plus for everyone especially bands like Trocar, the Breaks and Monoglot who may have a few doors open just because they're from here. It's hard getting into music and every little bit helps and if someone looks at your press kit and goes 'Hey, the Breaks are from Kalamazoo, Utah!'s home- that's a kick-ass town', then they may be more prone to listen to the CD with added interest. Maybe Kalamazoo will become like Seattle and Utah! is our Nirvana, who knows?" E: How will Utah's leaving affect the local scene? Flint: It's hard to say, really. It'll suck when they leave because they're such great people and talented musicians. Some have said that the local indie scene will implode without Utah! as its central pillar. But there are enough solid bands around to keep things moving. Plus we still have Dorbin (Blackjack Productions) who is doing an outstanding job in promoting Kalamazoo and bringing in great national acts. Maybe he'll book Utah! here after they leave." Western Michigan's Music Revue Monthly At 5:30 p.m., Utah! took the stage and began their incredible frenzy. To the untrained ear, their music might seem like a furious mess, but every note, every beat, every movement on stage is intentional. This is a truly gifted band, and by far the best local act currently in West Michigan. (Yes, I said it, come get me motherf**kers.) Utah! is by no means the college-town local band cliché. Utah! proved to be the perfect way to open the evening. (From the November 2000 review of Barking Tuna Fest) PUNK PLANET (http://www.punkplanet.com) This is [a] good solid indie rock record. BST reminds me of some of the Elephant 6 bands, real jangly and pretty. The singer's voice sounds like an instrument at first. It took me a while to figure out that he was singing. UTAH! wins this record though with a very catchy pop song that reminds me of a somewhat toned down cap n jazz, and with more in tune vocals. Wrapped up with nice cover art, I give this record a B+. (RE) Issue #35, jan/feb 2000 ETCH magazine (http://www.cbh3.com/etch/) If there were ever a couple bands from kalamazoo to go see, these are the ones. Not only is it the only place to get t[his] 7", but they also put on good shows. Utah is a superbly unique band and has a great head for music on their shoulders. Ed, their vocalist/ guitar player, is a fabulous musician and composes imaginative and spacey tunes. They're well layered with a cello and spew indie. Their co-conspirators, Beowulf Scantron Test are almost equally as notable. Sorry guys but the lack of a bass guitar bugs me. It's not that I'm so traditional that I can't break from the typical guitar/bass/drums combo; I love the bass sound and find it irritating when there's nothing to fill out the bottom. I do, however, enjoy the song. Im looking forward to new, full-length releases by both of these bands and you should too. (Denny Vendetta) SMUG magazine (www.smug.com) Speaking of mid-90's brit-influenced rock, let me introduce you to UTAH!, one half of the UTAH!/BEOWULF SCANTRON TEST split 7". Utah!'s song, "No More Selections, No More Bugs Bunny" is so good it stops you from wondering why there's an exclamation point after the band's name (though it doesn't stop you from wondering what the song's title means). "Traditional song structure" is not a phrase used to describe Utah!'s tune, but that's the reason why the song is so endearing. Bouncing between the shoe-gazers and the emo-rockers, the song even tosses in sprinklings of kitschy pop as it makes you wonder what will come up next. Two thumbs up fo this tune; I look forward to hearing more. Beowulf's "Building a faster human," on the other hand, is quite aimless and could use some of that afformentioned traditional song-structuring. (Jeff Matlow) TOWER TIMES WEEKLY February 21st edition by April Morris If you've heard of the local Kalamazoo band Utah!, but haven't HEARD them yet, let me tell you--it's about time. If you want to see a live show that rocks so hard that you feel like you've been yanked out of bed and thrown into a freezing cold shower--go see Utah! Seriously. Whether you are rocking out in the audience or just standing there transfixed in a contemplative gaze, it can not be denied that there is an incredible force behind this band that makes their live shows absolutely mesmerizing. The first time I saw Utah! was at an indie-rock show called 'Failure Fest' last July. The show was supposed to be held at a local factory called Stark Industries, but at the last minute the location of the show was changed and it ended up being held in come kid named Randall's barn in Otsego. My brother Mark's friend Dustin put the show together and he invited our band, glow-friends, to come and play at the show, but we declined since we really just wanted to go see the bands. There were so many great bands that played that night--Haymarket from Chicago, The Chargers from Ohio, and local bands from Kalamazoo like: Goldstar, Berwer, Trocar, and Monoglot, just to mention a few. I remember standing next to my brother Mark during the Utah! show and we just looked at each other, and he had this great smile on his face and I KNEW. Utah!'s live show totally blew me away...I could have stayed in the sticky, boiling heat of that barn for days--just to listen to them. What's that sound... To try to describe what kind of music Utah! play is not a simple task, which is probably quite apparent to anyone who has seen them live. The band consists of four members: singer/guitarist Ed Pellino, bassist Eric Singer, drummer Mickey D'Loughy and cellist Anne Polesnak. The band has an obvious penchant for rather obtuse time signatures and broad dynamics that readily defy conventional song structures. When I saw them for the first time, my brother and I both agreed that they reminded us in some way of a Chicago band that we both adore called Very Secretary, because of the unique instrumentation and intricate parts in their songs. Utah! is a visceral blast of ferocious cello-rock fury that pricks up the hairs on the back of your neck in a way that is at the same time terrifying as it is beautiful. The next time I saw Utah! play was at 'Summer Bash', Kalamazoo's annual end-of-summer local music festival. I loved it. This time I went absolutely out-of-my-mind crazy and danced. I completely displaced myself and it was just their music and it was so beautiful and moving that I could hardly wait to see them again. A few weeks later I heard they were playing WIDR's Barking Tuna Festival at The State Theater, along with Brokeback, Macha, Enon, The Promise Ring and indie legends Guided by Voices. My brother and I were so excited about the show, and it ended up being even more amazing than we could ever have hoped for. Utah! were tight as ever, and rocked even harder than I had expected. I was only slightly disappointed that they didn't play for a longer amount of time. Utah! Live at The Lunchbox  I decided to go with my friend Katie to see my friend Nick's band Like the Southern play at this little place (which is actually a house) in Ann Arbor called The Lunchbox. It was Like the Southern's final show and I had never seen them before, and I had also heard that Utah! were playing, so I was really looking forward to the show. When I got there, I went down in to the basement where the bands were playing, and I found myself in this tiny dark room with a low ceiling that was strung with brightly colored Christmas lights. Utah! played next and the music just swept me up, I could feel every note and I knew right when each change in the music was coming. The sound was thick, and massive on the louder, heavy parts and delicate in such a way that would send your head reeling on the softer parts. It was chillingly beautiful.