Spanky Van Dyke / mp3s
photo: Tyler Gourley

Whenever most indie music publications/zines write about a band from Utah there are usually a few phrases that are used: “known more for its religious zeal than its quality independent music,” “strait-laced attitudes,” “musical wasteland,” “the Osmonds,” etc.

Having actually lived in Utah (as opposed to learning about it from jokes about polygamists on TV), I know that Utah’s indie scene has been churning out “quality independent music” since the 80’s. The Stench, Insight, Iceburn, Bad Yodelers/Season of the Spring, Liquid Forest, the Ents, Gladbirds, Wratchet, Weakling, Stoneface, Ampersand, the Stella Brass, Lumberjack, Sope, Soylant, Vaso Red*, Maya Shore, the Player Piano, the Electoral College, and a slew of others (but there was an entire ska era that I would rather forget). There are even a number of Utah musicians who later left the “pretty, great state” and joined some pretty seminal bands later: Rival Schools, CIV, J. Majesty, Jets to Brazil, Handsome, and Cub Country.

When combing over many of those bands, there are a few key players that show up more than twice. Daniel Day: percussion for Iceburn, Gladbirds, Weakling, and Ampersand; Jason Rabb: guitar/percussion for the Ents, Gladbirds, Weakling, Ampersand, Soylant, and Bad Yodelers/Season of the Spring; Doug Wright: bass for Iceburn, Wratchet, Ampersand, and Insight; and Spanky: guitar/bass/vocals for Gladbirds, Ampersand, J. Majesty, Season of the Spring, and Weakling. Recently, all four of these musicans, with the addition of Jeff Juip from Gerald Music on keyboards, got back together to form Spanky Van Dyke.

Unlike many of the musicians’ previous bands, Spanky Van Dyke covers a much more mellow, rootsy territory. Distortion is turned down, acoustic instruments are picked up, and showy playing is set aside for quiet virtuosity. This isn’t to say that the music comes off as a sad Dave Matthews opening act. There is an earnestness to the playing and an ease with which it comes out. There are hints of Neil Young and Uncle Tupelo but you can still hear the fuzzy rock that made Gladbirds such a great bad.

Jason Rabb takes on some additional duties behind the vibes, Spanky adds some piano, you’ll still hear some of Dan’s quirky personality in the drums despite the slower tempo, Jeff adds some nice flourishes on the keyboards (although he should seriously consider the key-tar), and Doug’s signature bass lines are still distinct underneath it all.

You’ll find their entire demo album, “Sketches of Grace,” available as free mp3 downloads on their website, as well as a few additional demos on Jason Rabb’s site. I recommend “What You’re Up Against” and “Ambulette” from the Spanky van Dyke site, and “Stay with Me” from Jason’s site.

Give them a listen, and see a show if they happen to come by where you live. This is the “quality independent” stuff that is too easily glazed over by short sighted reviews of artists from Utah. There’s good stuff to be found everywhere.

* Full disclosure: I played bass in Sope, Soylant, and Vaso Red.