This Saturday, Desert Noises will be giving away said debut EP for free during their show at Velour. The concert will also feature Sayde Price and Parlor Hawk (formerly Moses), and will be the first chance audiences have to hear Parlor Hawk’s upcoming album, which will be playing between sets. For Desert Noises, however, the show will be a chance to get people interested before they return to the studio to work on their next album.

“We want people to know about us, but at the same time we want them to have something while they’re waiting for the new release,” said Kyle Henderson, who plays guitar and sings in the band. “We think the old EP should be in people’s hands, instead of them having to pay for it.”

And given the clarity the EP achieves, that next album should be well worth the wait.

The EP begins with “Morning Song,” a reverb- and harmony-heavy piece that, at only 44 seconds long, feels more like a prelude than an opener. It’s pretty, and I wouldn’t have minded hearing what it could have become as a full song, but as it currently stands it also provides a sharp contrast for the more explosive second track, “Mad Moon.” That song is similarly folk-based, but feels much more expansive with its full band. I especially appreciated the xylophone in the background, and though Desert Noises isn’t the first band to write a song like this, they do it as well as anyone.

“Building Glass Walls” comes next and is probably my favorite track on the record. It combines the spacey folk-rock I had expected to hear with a surprising dance beat. It’s ethereal, but upbeat, and makes the argument that Desert Noises isn’t a band that should always be listened to sitting down.

The next two songs, “Kelton” and “Blue Skies,” continue to take the album through emotional highs and lows. The latter is a soft, almost-vintage sounding acoustic tune, while the former brings back the full band. Listening to them, I couldn’t quite pin down the band’s genre and I began to be reminded of another expressive-but-genre-less musician, Sufjan Stevens. Though comparisons between other folk-with-a-full-band groups like Fleet Foxes are easily apparent (and appropriate), it was Stevens’ softer material that I kept thinking of as I listened to the album’s middle songs and moved through its final two, a rhythmic tune called “New Man” and the more contemplative “Devil’s Own.”

If the record feels raw at times—and it certainly does—it’s probably because the band recorded it over the course of only four days. Henderson told me they “just kind of banged it out really quick. Something that I like about it is it feels like it was on the spot.”

For the most part, that works–and in some cases it’s downright surprising, given how polished the tracks can seem. At other times, however, I would have appreciated a tad more finesse. Still, many great musicians have succumbed to the temptation of over-production, and I’d hate to see Desert Noises lose any of their expansive emotionality.

If Desert Noises’ concert on Saturday is anything like their EP, attendees won’t just acquire a free CD–they’ll also have felt something more profound, which is what the band hopes for.

“I hope that people walk away with something they won’t forget,” Henderson said of the concert. “I hope it will be a memorable show and will hopefully make them want to follow what’s coming next.”

After listening to the EP, I know I’ll be following them, all the way to the desert.

Find out more about Saturday’s concert, featuring Desert Noises, Parlor Hawk, and Sayde Price here.

Jim Dalrymple is a regular correspondent for Rhombus.

People who’ve read this site somewhat regularly since its inception have probably garnered that I don’t throw my hat in the ring with the local folk-haters. By contrast, I love folk music and particularly Provo’s unique brand of indie-folk that increasingly populates our venues. I know some wish for “more rock and roll” in our little town but, to me, good music is good music — and if there’s one thing our local bands do really, really well, it’s creating great folk music. Nowhere was that better on display than at Velour on Saturday evening.

The second night of Velour’s four-year birthday bash was heavily slated with local folk heavyweights, beginning with relative newcomers The Archer’s Apple. Featuring a unique set-up that doubles down on percussion (i.e. using two drums sets on most song), frontman Seth Hanks led the band through a rousing set of folk numbers that won many a new convert amongst the folks standing near me.

The Archer’s Apple makes a type of folk that is insanely enjoyable and lyrically driven, but that employs just enough experimentation and instrumental excellence to set it apart from similarly inclined folk-pop bands. Not to mention that “Bang Bang” (which also showed up on our recent local music compilation) is one of my favorite songs I’ve heard in the last year. With the band currently in the studio working on their first album, I expect to hear a lot more from The Archer’s Apple in the near future.

Second act Desert Noises have recently taken quite a bit of time off while band member Kyle Henderson played with friend and labelmate Joshua James on his recent world tour. James returned the favor on Saturday, stepping in to play bass for the band when regular bassist Riley Johnson couldn’t make it due to some mysteriously vague “legal issues.”

It’s been interesting to watch Desert Noises grow as a band from the time they introduced themselves to Provo and the world with their EP release last year to today. While they still harbor a sound reminiscent of a Band of Horses-Fleet Foxes lovechild, their newer songs seemed to have branched out in new and interesting directions, even appropriating some 1950s pop harmonies to make for an intriguing blend.

As always, their musicianship was flawless on Saturday evening and, while vocalist Henderson’s voice may crack on occasion when he reaches for the uppermost parts of his range, the audience can feel his impassioned plea, beautifully complimented by the harmonies provided by his brother (and drummer) Trevor. No one knows where Desert Noises will eventually end up — certainly the sound is becoming more and more interesting and the requisite talent is present — but with the recent national attention the boys have been increasingly receiving, it wouldn’t surprise me if Provo is far from the band’s last stop.

Speaking of upwardly mobile Joshua James proteges, Moses once again proved themselves worth their salt on Saturday evening. Currently recording their debut, full-band album with James, Drew Capener and company turned out a great set of folk-rock tunes, lending credence to my opinion that they’re becoming one of Provo’s most consistently excellent bands. While Moses isn’t necessarily flashy by any stretch of the imagination, they certainly do bring their “A” game to every single show, marked with tight vocals and even tighter instrumentation.

That trend continued Saturday night as the band bounced effortlessly between spare acoustic ballads and the roaring, jet-propelled melodies of their up-tempo country-rockers. Capener’s voice was flawless, reaching seemingly impossible heights on the soaring chorus of set opener “Pictures.” Every time he reached even higher in his register for yet another note, I was absolutely sure he would crack or come up flat, but it never happened — and he didn’t even go into a falsetto. With their aforementioned debut album slated to drop this spring with the always excellent James behind the control panel, you can consider me first in line for what is sure to be a gorgeous piece of art.

Rhombus favorite Isaac Russell had a bit of a rough go of it on Saturday evening, battling through a cold to perform his headlining set. Luckily, even a rough set for The Artist Formerly Known As RuRu is a good one. While this was far from the young phenom’s greatest performance and it was obvious he was straining to control his usually pitch-perfect croon amidst the sickness, Russell still turned in a solid effort, heavily imbued with new songs and glimpses of what his ardent fans can expect from his forthcoming major-label debut.

His nearly six-month recording process with production wizard Dennis Herring in Oxford, Miss., has undoubtedly created a more pop-sensitive Russell — and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. More mainstream-friendly rearrangements of favorites like “Golden” and “Anniversary Song” came off smelling like a bubble gum-flavored rose, while new tracks “See You Soon” and “My Heart” redefined the term “soaring melodies.” Russell even mixed in a few digitally sampled beats (heavily indebted to his great love of rap music) that produced a different and interestingly layered sound never before heard from the teenage bedroom folkie.

If I were to predict the future career arc of Isaac Russell, Columbia Recording Artist over the next few years, I would undoubtedly say supporters can expect a lot more of what they saw on Saturday night and a lot less of the vulnerable-boy-with-his-guitar meme that originally endeared him to so many Provo music fans on his debut album. Though I’m as big a fan of his gorgeous 2008 LP Elizabeth as anyone, it’s entirely logical that Russell will (of necessity) develop a more accessible, poppier side to please his new Columbia bosses.

It’s not that Elizabeth isn’t great music in and of itself (it certainly is), but it’s also pretty damn depressing — and I don’t know too many people who are actively seeking a new favorite artist to make them feel like life is bleak and ultimately meaningless, especially these days. Though the purists (including my wife) may never feel entirely comfortable with it, this is a path young Russell must take — and one, he proved Saturday, he can do especially well. I (and many of his adoring fans, both old and new) will certainly be along for the ride.

Steve Pierce is editor and co-founder of Rhombus.

To be honest, Graywhale’s University Mall store is not the ideal venue for a live show. The acoustics aren’t the best and the sound system is middling. In short, it’s a record store, not a live venue. Almost every set I have ever seen performed at the store has been sub-par, not necessarily as a fault of the artist, but because the sonic element of the space often contributes negatively to the overall sound. That being said, the fact that Graywhale is willing to open its doors and book great artists for free is amazing and, despite the venue’s shortcomings, deserves to be supported. After all, you’re not paying for it. Graywhale is one of the few independent record stores we have around here and Utah Valley music fiends need to support them in any way we can, especially considering the state of the record industry today.

That being said, Wednesday night was not RuRu’s best set ever, mostly due to the venue. However, when you’re Isaac Russell, one of your weaker shows is still better than a lot of bands’ strongest effort. Russell completely eschewed his traditional acoustic guitar for his eight song set, instead opting for the fuller sound of a Gibson hollowbody electric. The setlist was split almost evenly between new songs and older material from his 2008 album, Elizabeth.

While old favorites like “Why” and “Excuse” will never get stale for Russell fans, the show’s most interesting moments came when the artist debuted his most recent songwriting exploits. Opening with a newly completed, untitled song, Russell provided a glimpse into the future direction of his writing. More rocking than usual, his new songs hew closer to the more rock-oriented sounds of Conor Oberst than the alt-country feel of Ryan Adams. The set’s second song, “Be Honest,” wouldn’t have felt out of place on some of Oberst’s later Bright Eyes records, featuring the singer constantly fluctuating between a whisper and a scream over a single guitar.

However, the night’s highlight came in the form of Americana-tinged rocker “The Light At The End Of The Tunnel.” With beautiful guitar work and a comparably awesome keyboard part to boot, the song embodies everything that is great about Russell’s brand of folk-rock: the simple, but infectious melodies, the tight musicianship and the penetrating insights on topics well beyond the intellectual and emotional range of most 17-year-olds. When the frontman contemplates which supernatural force controls death and comes to the conclusion that “it all depends on who you like,” it represents not only a young poet wise beyond his years, but also a stark assessment of the nature of religion in modern society. This, my friends, is what great music sounds like.

The show opened with performances by Code Hero and Desert Noises. As previously stated, almost nobody sounds great at Graywhale, so this wasn’t exactly Woodstock. However, both bands turned in solid performances — or at least as solid as the venue would permit. I look forward to seeing both bands play again outside the walls of a record store in hopes of experiencing their respective live shows at their full potential.

To hear tracks from these artists, please visit their respective MySpace pages here: RuRu, Desert Noises and Code Hero.

PHOTOS:

RuRu, the stage name of local folk wunderkind Isaac Russell, will headline the evening with a full band set that is sure to please. If you happened to catch his spare, acoustic-driven set at the Vibrant Sound’s CD Release party in June, you are in for a treat. As excellent as young Russell is all by his lonesome, RuRu is an altogether different beast when drums, pedal steel and electric guitar are fully featured. Furthermore, the artist has promised new material for tonight’s show, which should be enough to whet your appetite, considering Russell’s considerable songwriting ability. Do yourself a favor and amble over to Graywhale for a bit tonight. You won’t regret it.

The show will also feature local boys and RuRu labelmates (over at Joshua James and McKay Stevens’ Northplatte Records) Desert Noises, as well as Code Hero. Desert Noises recently released their first EP, chock-full of folk-rock songs that resemble some kind of lovechild created by Band of Horses and Fleet Foxes. I first stumbled onto Code Hero at last year’s Sego Festival during their set on the main stage and remember being significantly impressed. We’ll see if my memory serves me correctly tonight.

The show starts tonight (Wednesday) at 7:00 p.m. at Graywhale Entertainment, located next to the food court at University Mall. Admission is free, so you really have no monetary excuse for not being there. Rhombus promises an evening of great local music for the optimal (non-)price. We hope to see you there.

To hear tracks from each of tonight’s featured artists, please visit their respective MySpace pages here: RuRu, Desert Noises and Code Hero.