VanLadyLove

It goes without saying that the music gods were extremely kind to us in 2014. Heck, we got a new album from D’Angelo from goodness sake! In addition to new offerings from pop powerhouses like Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj, and Ed Sheeran, the year saw thrilling new artists emerge onto the scene. Sam Smith, Tove Lo, Iggy Azalea and more staked their claim alongside the more seasoned chart vets, releasing albums that are destined to become (*ahem*) new classics. VH1 staffers weighed in on their choices for the best records of the year, so read on to see their picks!


There was a three-way tie for 2014 Staff Favorite, with Sam Smith’s In The Lonely Hour, Hozier‘s Hozier, and Jungle‘s Jungle all appearing on four lists. Other albums with a strong showing include:

D’Angelo, Black Messiah (3 votes)
Tove Lo, Queen Of The Clouds (3 votes)
Taylor Swift, 1989 (2 votes)
Nicki Minaj, The Pinkprint (2 votes)
J. Cole, 2014 Forest Hills Drive (2 votes)
Jhene Aiko, Souled Out (2 votes)
FKA Twigs, LP1 (2 votes)

But enough about the stats— Let’s get to the music!



VH1 STAFF PICKS FOR THE BEST ALBUM OF 2014


RAHSHEEDA ALI, Writer (@rah_li)flying_1

1. D’Angelo, Black Messiah
We’d given up on D’Angelo ever releasing another LP. Low and behold, he dropped Black Messiah at year’s end. The holiday season officially became funky as D mixed rock with soul. The album’s protest songs are also perfect for a new era of grassroots mobilization.

2. Thom Yorke, Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes
Without warning, Thom Yorke dropped a solo LP via BitTorrent in September. It didn’t get as much fanfare as say, Beyonce’s surprise album, but let’s remember that Radiohead eschewed traditional releases long before Bey. Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes is more cohesive than Yorke’s first solo effort, The Eraser. His falsetto is as haunting as ever.

3. Flying Lotus, You’re Dead
Fans weren’t expecting Flying Lotus to go instrumental, but the producer excelled when departing from his signature electronic sound. We were also caught off-guard by his collab with Kendrick Lamar, “Never Catch Me.” You’re Dead was the year’s most pleasant surprise.

4. Little Dragon, Nabuma Rubberband
Swedish electro soul band Little Dragon pushed their sound beyond categorization on Nabuma Rubberband. Yukimi Nagano’s light vocals offset minimally layered tracks, evoking optimism in a dystopian wasteland. There are hints of old school R&B, with touches that could’ve been from Janet Jackson or Prince.

5. Les Sins, Michael
Toro Y Moi, who killed it in 2013 with Anything In Return, released an album under his Les Sins moniker. His last LP threw back to synth R&B, but this year, he borrowed from the late `80s hip house movement. His production bounces between slick engineering and mixtape quality beats. Together, it’s impressive.

SANDY ALOUETE, SVP Talent & Music Programming

1. Ed Sheeran, X
2. Tove Lo, Queen Of The Clouds
3. Bleachers, Strange Desire
4. Hozier, Hozier
5. Taylor Swift, 1989

ISAAC AYERS, Music Supervisor (@isaacayers)

1. Sam Smith, In The Lonely Hour
2. Paolo Nutini, Caustic Love
3. Jessie Ware, Tough Love
4. La Roux, Trouble In Paradise
5. Tove Lo, Queen of The Clouds
6. Kelis, Food
7. Lykke Li, I Never Learn
8. JUNGLE, Jungle
9. Damien Rice, My Favorite Faded Fantasy
10. Lo-Fang, Blue Film

TOM CALDERONE, President (@tomcalderone)jungle

1. The War on Drugs, Lost in the Dream
2. Alt J, This is All Yours
3. St Vincent, St Vincent
4. Royal Blood, Royal Blood
5. The Fat White Family, Champagne Holocast
6. Ingrid Michealson, Lights Out
7. Benjamin Booker, Benjamin Booker
8. Courtney Barnett, The Double EP: A Sea Of Split Peas
9. Jungle, Jungle
10. Warpaint, Warpaint
11. Spoon, They Want My Soul
12. Swans, To Be Kind
13. The Orwells, Disgraceland
14. The Foo Fighters, Sonic Highway

DIANE CHO, Writer (@dianecho)jcole_1

1. J. Cole, 2014 Forest Hills Drive
2. Nicki Minaj, The Pinkprint
3. YG, My Krazy Life
4. Logic, Under Pressure
5. Jhene Aiko, Souled Out


WARREN COHEN, Vice President (@wjcohen)

1. Parquet Courts, Sunbathing Animal
I gorged on this angular staccaco gem so much that by summer, my Sonos just started playing it instantly when I logged in. I liked the pauses in their songs as much as the songs.

2. TV on The Radio, Seeds
America’s Radiohead’s first release after the death of their bassist maintained all of the band’s synthetic otherworldly charms.

3. The War on Drugs, Lost in The Dream
One of those records that feels found, like a relic. Contemplative in the best of ways.

4. Sharon Van Etten, Are We There
Chill and spartan with megadose of mystery.

5. Fucked Up, Glass Boys
Screamo meets power pop in a unique broad roar.


TAYLOR FERBER, Writer (@taylorferber)

In The Lonely Hour by Sam Smith

Can we talk about how Sam Smith’s album dropped in May this year, and he’s already blown up to be a global star? Six Grammy nominations, people. SIX. This album is off-the-charts amazing, every song honest and relaxing or catchy in its own way. His voice is perfection and he’s just all-around, goddamn adorable. Some may say his songs reflect his sadness and/or need to get laid, but I think they’re beautiful so step the f–k off.

CHRISTINA LEAKE, Social Media Manager (@_bobina)

1. Mø, No Mythologies To Follow
2. Cathedrals, Cathedrals EP
3. Misterwives, Reflections
4. VanLadyLove, Love Matter
5. Young Summer, Siren

GEORGETTE PIERRE, Writer (@georgettepierre)aiko

1. Nicki Minaj, The Pinkprint
Wasn’t sure what to expect with this one but the vulnerability heard on this album plus the boom bap and raw lyricism just solidifies Nicki’s position in hip hop and music. We can dead that whole pop/hip hop debate. She’s an artist evolved and this album reflects that.

2. J. Cole, 2014 Forest Hills Drive
I think this is his best album yet. He’s an artist that continues to get better with time.

3. Majid Jordan, A Place Like This EP
I anticipated their EP because I like what they did on Drake’s “Hold We’re Going Home.” This EP won me over.

4. Little Dragon, Nabuma Rubberband
This album was so addictive. It’s worth the listen from beginning to end on repeat.

5. Jhene Aiko, Souled Out
I’ve been following her since her mixtape Sailing Souls so this album was a long time coming. There’s a raw and authentic feel to her music, which makes it even better.

ALI READ, Production Assistant, Writer (@alixmarie11)

1. Walk The Moon, Talking Is Hard
This album barely made it into 2014. Walk The Moon definitely cut it close with this one. But with all the anticipation for this album, it was definitely worth it. The combination of instrumental techniques they used on this album and the catchy nature of the songs lead to a great final product. Yet, I’m still so confused by their choice for the last song on this album, “Aquaman.” It’s very ’80s, but I can’t not love it.

2. American Authors, Oh, What A Life
American Authors really surprised me. I didn’t expect to love their album as much as I do. There is just something about their pop-alt sound that leaves me wanting to hear more. Plus, “Best Day Of My Life” is a great track.

3. A Great Big World, Is Anybody Out There?
These guys are so quirky that you can’t help but love them and their music. Very upbeat and fun songs, this is an easy day listening kind of album.

4. Tove Lo, Queen Of The Clouds
Tove Lo definitely is the queen of something. This album feels very raw and honest. There are some great dance tracks, and of course her big single “Habits (Stay High).” But there is a journey that you actually take when you listen to this album.

5. Echosmith, Taking Dreams
This album feels so young, just like the band’s members. Each song is different, but they all come together cohesively to make this light and fun album. Great record to listen to in the middle of summer with the top down and your friends in the back seat.

JORDAN RUNTAGH, Editor, VH1 Music (@jordanruntagh)pompom

1. D’Angelo, Black Messiah
2. Sam Smith, In The Lonely Hour
3. Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Give The People What They Want
4. St Vincent, St Vincent
5. The Black Keys, Turn Blue
6. Lana Del Rey, Ultraviolence
7. Jungle, Jungle
8. Ariel Pink, Pom Pom
9. The War On Drugs, Lost In The Dream
10. Lady Gaga & Tony Bennett, Cheek To Cheek (don’t start with me)

The Best:
First Aid Kit, Stay Gold
Alt/Country/Folk by way of Stockholm, Sweden. (Is there anything those Scandinavians can’t do??) Sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg put out their third album this past June — a rangy, gorgeous collection of songs, rich in two-part harmonies and imbued with a longing and bittersweet heart. The most captivating musical surprise of 2014 for me.

The Rest:
D’Angelo, Black Messiah
Lana Del Rey, Ultraviolence
FKA Twigs, LP1
Band of Skulls, Himalayan
Jungle, Jungle

BEN SMITH, Senior Writer (@bensmithNYC)

Tilts, Cuatro Hombres (Robotic Empire)
Sort of like if Marty McFly travelled back to the future with a stack of Van Halen and ZZ Top tapes to teach the children of the year 2112 how to rock.

Total Control, Typical System (Iron Lung Records)
Australians boil down a host of post-punk influences, both guitar and synth based, and create something sincere and powerful.

Lecherous Gaze, Zeta Reticuli Blues (Tee Pee Records)
Existing in the stoner crossroads of fucked up hard rock (MC5, pre-asshole Nuge) and fucked up punk rock (The Germs, bands that Keith Morris sang for) with a better guitarist than most.

Earth, Primitive And Deadly (Southern Lord)
Lush, stately doom rock from dudes that know a thing or two about being heavy.

Midnight, No Mercy For Mayhem (Hell Headbangers Records)
Harkening back to a time, say October 1983, when even the most extreme heavy metals bands still knew how to rock n’ roll.

Ty Segall, Manipulator (Drag City)
Great songwriting and great influences, from Buffalo Springfield to Black Sabbath. The kids are maybe gonna be alright.

LAUREN ELIZABETH THOMPSON, Producer, VH1 News (@lizbethlauren)temples

1. Sam Smith, In The Lonely Hour
A star is born. Almost every single track on Sam’s debut album is single worthy. He somehow is able to give melancholy bombast and make a one night stand gone sour into a tear inducing sing along (Stay With Me.) There are elements of 90′s dance here too but Sam’s main jams are somewhere between soul and adult contemporary and I’ve never been more into it. Easily the most listened to album for me his year as a whole. It’s an undeniable success and a real achievement for someone still so young. Watch your back, Adele.

2. Taylor Swift, 1989
Pop’s new princess is well deserving of the title on her debut album in the full fledged pop genre. Not a banjo in sight as Taylor dishes out songs that could easily be on a Lana Del Ray album “Wildest Dreams” or Pharrell one “Shake It Off.” She makes fun of her own reputation and still yearns for love without contradicting herself. It’s by far her strongest songwriting, somehow both universe and specific. “Out Of The Woods” should open a lot of people’s eyes to just how good she can be. They won’t even realize they are belting along to a song about Harry Styles.

3. Hozier, Hozier
“Take Me To Church” is only the tip of the iceberg for this singer-songwriter. The album itself is far less dramatic in sound then the single would have you believe. “Jackie and Wilson” is far more indicative of the overall sound and also is a perfect loved up road trip anthem. It will be exciting to see what direction he’ll go from here, because he seems to be the real deal.

4. One Direction, Four
Give this album a chance, I beg of you. One Direction is making stadium, Journey style rock and chill Fleetwood Mac style ballads in equal measure and are doing a tremendous job of it. Teens and dads alike should be blasting this album. They still have plenty of punchy, peppy pop songs here but it’s clear they are genuinely trying to offer more than is assumed they can give musically. Cowriting nearly every song on the album also is a good step for them too. 1D4ever!

5. Temples, Sun Structures
This little known British psychedelic rock band banged out a heady, magical throwback style debut album that you should definitely listen to. They aren’t brining anything insanely new to the table but they are doing a solid job keeping that dreamy, drippy 60′s thing alive. And it’s works beautifully as an cohesive album.

ALEXA TIETJEN, Writer (@hernameislex)lp1

1. Hozier, Hozier
“Take Me To Church” was one of the most played songs this year, but Hozier’s album is a goldmine of hits.

2. Lake Street Dive, Bad Self Portraits,
Rachel Price is my everything. This band has been gaining momentum all year, and I’m excited to see what happens with them in 2015.

3. Beyoncé, Beyoncé (Platinum Edition)
Is anyone actually over Beyonce’s 2013 album? “7/11” is my new weekend jam.

4. FKA Twigs, LP1
FKA Twigs is one of the most curious and innovative artists who emerged this year. Her album, aptly titled, is a mirror of her creativity.

5. Jessie J, Sweet Talker
“Bang Bang” is just one reason to love this album, and I’ll give you a couple more: “Seal Me With A Kiss” feat. De La Soul and “Said Too Much.”

LAUREN WEISSLER, Photo Editor (@laurenweissler)banks

1. Hozier, Hozier
2. BANKS, Goddess
3. Phantogram, Voices - VH1

NEW YORK CITY — At this year’s New Music Seminar, Provo band VanLadyLove was named the 2014 Artist on the Verge.

The five-piece alternative rock band was chosen out of 100 up-and-coming acts as the one most likely to succeed, at the seminar in New York City.

“We were scared,” John Buckner, the band’s beat keeper said. “We played right after Kiah Victoria. She was amazing, a born star. We looked at her, heard her, and we were like, there's no way we can compete with that. It's like going onstage after Adele or Beyoncé.”

The night after the announcement, the band was still very excited about the win.

“We're giddy and giggly. Lots of giggling happening,” said bass player Steele Saldutti. “We're literally on cloud nine right now. We got text messages from our moms. It's been an emotional time. Our parents have been pretty supportive, but it's one of those things like ... get a real job.”

But a “real job” may not be necessary now that VanLadyLove has been praised by some of the top names in the music industry. The New Music Seminar, Saldutti explained, is like “an A-list music seminar, with a trade show.” It features artists, new technologies for music promotion and creation, labels and management all in one innovative place.


VanLadyLove on the red carpet.
Credit: VanLadyLove
The Artist on the Verge program, which counts Macklemore and Fitz and the Tantrums among its past participants, is designed to launch a band that is ready for a bigger audience. They scout bands that have a unique and polished sound, and that have a large reach.

VanLadyLove’s social media following and its huge EP debut that charted on iTunes were factors in them being chosen.

“They really liked how much we really owned our management, and social media and how much we engaged with our fans and how serious we took that,” Saldutti said. “They were blown away that we had weekly meetings about our social media and what we want to accomplish, how we used analysis to figure out what it is that fans like ... and they were impressed. Most bands don't even think that far.”

The band's decision to focus so much time came from a desire to “control their own destinies,” Saldutti said. He said it was important they be able to write the kind of music they wanted, without expectations.

Buckner said the most shocking thing for them was hearing from the large panel of representatives from major music labels that their music was “ready.”

“My jaw went to the floor,” Buckner said. “We worked really hard on those songs, but you wonder if they're ever good enough. Every one of them said, this band's ready. And out of the panel of nine, four of them said they would sign VanLadyLove right now. (They said) 'VanLadyLove has the songs, they're ready for a bigger stage.' For us as a band it really validated all the work.”

Frontman Travis Van Hoff said his takeaway was not just excitement and validation, but a piece of advice from the industry leaders he met.

“A lot of them were saying there's this void in the music industry of guitar-driven rock bands,” Van Hoff said. “The manager of The Neon Trees said there's a void of heavier rock instead of pop rock. So not saying we're going to be a heavy band, but more guitar-driven rock and roll is something we'll be going for. It's something that really stuck with me this past week.”

Although they were awarded the top prize that includes money, media exposure and equipment Van Hoff said the band's journey was just beginning.

“We’re definitely not ‘the best,’” Van Hoff said. “It's been a great opportunity and the momentum we have going right now is fantastic, but we still have plenty of hurdles to jump through.”

Saldutti said the band has sacrificed a lot to make music its full-time focus. He pointed out that the band members are not teens just getting started, but have put in years of work.


Credit: VanLadyLove
“I’m 25 and I’m the youngest in the band,” Saldutti said. “We won’t talk any more about that.”

But the support they have gotten from friends, family and fans has made it all worth it: “The mechanic that works on our van called us up and said congratulations,” Van Hoff said.

“Bringing this back to Utah, bringing this back to Provo ... of course we rep Provo,” Saldutti said. “We love Provo and it's so exciting to bring more publicity.”

The band will be playing a Beatles tribute in Provo June 27, as well as playing at the birthday party of a friend who has had a huge impact in the Provo music scene, and has cheered them on from the start: “Provo has a uniqueness to it that's not located anywhere else,” Buckner said.

In other music scenes, the music is secondary, Buckner said. He mentioned that playing in bars usually means people are not listening to the music, but Provo has designed unique venues that are 100 percent about the band.

“Provo has become known as a place that loves music,” Saldutti said. “They joked at the seminar that in the past, major tours would pass Utah, but they're actually finding that now Utah is a great market, even for national acts."

According to the industry experts at the New Music Seminar, VanLadyLove is ready to become your next favorite band. Check out its sound on iTunes, YouTube or Spotify. As for the band members, they are working to make good connections, hopefully get a good team behind them, and they’re revelling in their success: “And I'm going to take my chocolate milk to the after party,” Buckner said. - KSL.com

Bands don’t really have resumes — but if they did, VanLadyLove’s resume would look pretty good right now.

The local band recently won big at the New Music Seminar in New York City, beating out 100 other music acts from across the country to win the “Artist on the Verge” award. That grand prize package included $100,000 worth of various musical services, including recording equipment, consultations and recording time.

“When we first got on the Top 100 list, I was wondering how legit this whole New Music Seminar was,” said lead singer Travis Van Hoff. “But as time went on and we were able to go to these different panels, and listen in to these industry professionals, it turns out that it was very legit. It was very beneficial, I think, and we learned a lot.”

The yearly seminar attracts a wide range of people in the music industry, from aspiring musicians to A&R reps, and the band got to meet folks like guitarist Nile Rodgers and songwriter Desmond Child. It wasn’t something they sought out initially — according to band member Caleb Loveless, the industry professionals who run the seminar don’t take submissions. Rather, they select a few thousand acts from across the country and whittle that down to 100. From that list of 100, the organizers then select only three to play at a few showcases during the seminar. Those three acts are then evaluated by a panel of industry professionals, and an “Artist on the Verge” is chosen. VanLadyLove didn’t think they had much of a shot.

“Your heart’s in your stomach when you’re listening to a couple billion dollar’s worth of people talk about your band,” Loveless said. “And we were up against such good competition that we’d all but thrown in the towel. Everyone was just so unbelievably talented.”

The band plays at the Covey Center on Friday as part of the Made in Utah Music Foundation’s Beatles tribute show. Check HeraldExtra.com on Thursday for a feature on the show. - The Daily Herald

If you've never heard of indie pop/rock band VanLadyLove, it's time you got to know them.

According to the band's frontman, Travis Vanhoff, all he needs to be a successful musician is "a van, a good lady, and doing what I love." There you have it: Van? Check. Lady? Check. Love? Check!

The band hails from Provo, Utah, and was recently honored as the grand prize-winning Artist On the Verge act at the 2014 New Music Seminar in NYC.

VanLadyLove is made up of Vanhoff (lead vocals/keys), Caleb Loveless (mandolin/guitar/synth), Steele Saldutti (bass/synth), Jordan Clark (lead guitar), and John Buckner (percussion). Their EP, Love Matter, charted on iTunes in its first week, and their music has been featured on television across the country. - iHeart Radio

If you haven’t heard of the Rooftop Concert Series that's going on in Provo, then what are you doing with your life??! Watching cheese melt? It's a FREE concert series the first Friday of every month, May through October, featuring upcoming bands from Utah. This is a grand opportunity to check out the latest artists from the Utah music scene before they hit Imagine Dragons or Neon Trees status. They got their start doing shows just like this. Here are 7 local bands X96 has ears on:


1. VanLadyLove (Similar to NEEDTOBREATHE, The American Authors, and Mumford & Sons)
Strange name, we know. But these guys will be HUGE. VanLadyLove have had several TV appearances. They performed on the season finale of Sister Wives, They have been touring like crazy all through the US and they have hit spot #3 on NMS’ Top 100 Artists On the Verge. They released their new EP, “LoveMatter” back in February. Ironically, on Valentine’s Day. They will be performing at the Rooftop Concert Series June 6th with We Are The Strike & Cory Mon. They'll also perform a Beatles Tribute Show June 27th at the Covey Arts Center in Provo. Here's the new single from LoveMatter called “Neverland.”... - X96

In recent years, Utah has developed a thriving creative culture, spawning national YouTube sensations like Lindsey Sterling, Kid History, Devin Supertramp, Studio C, and Stuart Edge. Utah as a whole is home to one of the most successful groups of YouTubers (or UTubers, as they have dubbed themselves) in the world - ranked 3rd behind Hollywood and London.



Provo is a huge part of this creative wave and is thriving. The music scene has spawned critically acclaimed acts Neon Trees and Imagine Dragons. Largely unknown to the rest of the country, the music here deserves to be heard.

The Str!ke

This 9-piece band knows how to put on an incredible show. With a voice like a Michael Buble/Adam Levine hybrid, lead singer Chris Crabb's sultry tenor voice effortlessly belts catchy hooks over the top of screaming guitar solos, groovy basslines, and a legendary horn section. Their music recently received widespread attention after their song "Atom Bomb" was placed in Nordic Track's viral video, "World's Largest Treadmill Dance With Over 40 Treadmills." The video sits at an impressive 2,900,004 views as of this article's publication. If you're a fan of Bruno Mars, Kool and the Gang, or Maroon 5, you will enjoy The Str!ke.

Recommended tracks: "Atom Bomb," "Warriors," "Robbing Me Blind," "One Night of You"
The National Parks

Lead singer and songwriter Brady Parks has somehow managed to capture the beauty of the state of Utah and describe it in song without being cliche or overly sentimental. Using image-heavy lyrics, striking male/female harmonies, and brilliant string arrangements, the National Parks' unique brand of folk knows how to tug at the heart strings. The National Parks were nominated as the best band in Utah by SaltLake CityWeekly, and rightfully so.
Recommended tracks: "Ghosts," "Wind and Anchor," "As We Ran"

Mimi Knowles

A soulful R&B singer with an impressive range and charisma like no one you've ever seen, this half vocalist half rapper out of Provo, UT will be at the top of your playlist. Mimi Knowles has been in a number of successful YouTube videos with collaborators Eric Thayne and Ashley Hess. Their 19 song mashup has almost 400,000 views on YouTube. Knowles has stated once that he wants people to hear his music and find the perfect blend of John Mayer and Kanye West. In addition to being a stellar musician, Knowles also runs his own clothing line: M1M1K clothing.
Recommended tracks: "A Little Bit Of," "In the Mood"
Vanladylove

A well-received performance at Provo's Rooftop Concert series in the summer of 2014 brought these guys to my attention. Their sound evokes images of wide open spaces. The soaring vocals of lead singer Travis Van Hoff scream 80's arena rock, but their modern synth flourishes and bass heavy groove make them perfect for blasting on road trips. Vanladylove is starting to receive national attention after being placed on national television 6 times to date.
Recommended tracks: "Neverland," Alibi," "Bottle of Bad Ideas"
Foreign Figures

Foreign Figures recently took first place in the battle of the bands competition at The Wall, a venue on BYU Campus. Imagine Dragons took first place in this same competition years ago, so it's no small feat. Foreign Figures' piano laden, drum heavy tracks are OneRepublic-esque in their delivery. If you are a fan of OneRepublic's "Dreaming Out Loud" or Boyce Avenue covers, these guys are great for you. Find them on Rdio, YouTube, or iTunes, press play, and enjoy as a wall of earnest sound envelopes you.
Recommended tracks: "Ocean Tide," "Mine," "Breaking Through"


Na-G

One thing's for sure: Na-G puts on a killer show. He recently performed at Velour, downtown Provo's most popular venue, and dropped 45 minutes of clever rhymes and dope beats, provided by producer Danny Olguin. Na-G is a passionate performer, and his persona is one that evokes crowd participation. One second he's jumping around stage, the next he's crowd surfing. It's nuts. He even had a guy in a Panda suit on stage with him once. It was entertaining and crazy to say the least. Although his tracks currently borrow beats from well known artists like Schoolboy Q, his verses are all original, and man can this kid throw down.
Recommended tracks: "Jungle," "Man of the Year"
Fictionist

Fictionist is a Provo act that, for whatever reason, can never seem to catch the break they deserve. Well beloved at home, their song "Momentum" opens every countdown to kickoff show broadcast before football games on BYUtv, and local soda shops have named beverages after them. Their sound pushes modern rock boundaries, and while experimental, still feels familiar. They have toured nationally and have opened for acts like Imagine Dragons, Vampire Weekend, Neon Trees, Young the Giant, and Shiny Toy Guns. Fictionist was signed with Atlantic Records from 2011-2014.
Recommended tracks: "Free Spirit," "Momentum"
Can't Stop Won't Stop

When people hear "Provo, UT" most do not immediately think of rap music. Once you hear Can't Stop Won't Stop, that'll change. With a sound reminiscent of Vanilla Ice, Marky Mark, and M.C. Hammer, these guys know how to kick it old school. It's perfect summer music. Their collaborations with Lindsey Stirling and Fresh Big Mouf (known for his Beat Scout series on YouTube) are memorable and radio friendly. If you're looking for catchy melodies, silly lyrics, and impressive flow, Can't Stop Won't Stop is for you.
Recommended tracks: "Scrape the Sky (Feat. Fresh Big Mouf)," "Come With Us (Feat. Lindsey Stirling)"
The New Electric Sound

Out of all that can be said about The New Electric Sound, one thing is for sure: nobody quite sounds like them. Everything from their album production to their tinny, echo heavy guitars screams nostalgia. The poster-boys for the 2013 Google Fiber take over in Provo, their music reached a broader audience that helped rocket them to local stardom. It's every musician's dream to have their music on TV and playing in movie theaters, and TNES is living that dream. Their music video for "Heartbeat" follows an axe-wielding motorcycle gang in an alternate reality where that sort of thing is totally normal. You should check it out.
Recommended Tracks: "What if I Disappear," "Heartbeat"
The Brocks

The Brocks are currently the poster boys for "Mankind," a new scent from Calvin Klein. The band members are like super heroes - they're living double lives. While they appear to be normal, down to earth college students, their music just happens to be playing on commercials during Monday Night Football. How cool is that? Their recent collaboration with EDM favorite Kaskade has seen incredible success; the music video for "Summer Nights" is currently sitting at 372,000 views.
Recommended tracks: "Carousel," "Circles," "Summer Nights"
There you have it. The Top 10 Best Bands in Provo right now. It's time the world heard what was coming out of this small town and took notice. Lack of major label attention in Provo is saddening, considering the incredible atmosphere and the musical growth it fosters. No city since early 2000's Chicago has had this kind of energy and excitement surrounding its music scene. - Everybestof.com

Nine hours outside the industry hustle and bustle of Los Angeles lies an unlikely music hub: Provo, Utah. Neon Trees, Imagine Dragons, The Used and Joshua James are among the bands that have called this place home. Now a new band has emerged from the town, excited to make their mark: VanLadyLove.

The band's name comes from the three things frontman Travis Van Hoff needs as a touring musician: A van, a good lady, and doing what he loves. His bandmates—Jordan Clark, Chris White, Caleb Loveless and Steele Saldutti—agree.

The band first came together after winning a contest to open for Parachute.

Clark had just graduated from The Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences in Arizona and was working for a studio in L.A. when Loveless reached out to him about getting a band together.
Loveless had recently met Van Hoff and thought he had a great voice for a frontman. They began writing songs and putting them on YouTube as an acoustic act but decided they needed to bring on more players.

"I called Travis," Loveless recalls. "And I said, 'I think we've got something here. You better move back to Utah.'"
They brought on White and Saldutti to round out the five-piece and set out to perform for a crowd of more than 1,000 people.
From there, the band recorded its first EP, Love Matter, which was released last February. The group's sound is a blend of folk-pop and electronic music with inspiration coming from the classics such as Led Zeppelin and The Beatles as well as Radiohead, Lights, Father John Misty and Justin Timberlake.

The record explores themes such as relationships, self-understanding and making art for the sake of art.
"Whenever we write lyrics, we just aim to get out the human element and find a way to express that," Clark says. "Because everyone can relate to those experiences."

One person in particular related to its songs: the star of TLC's Sister Wives, Kody Brown. He happened to be in the crowd at one of its shows in Vegas and came up to the band after the concert to talk about an opportunity he had on his show. A few months later, the band was filming a scene for the series.

The group appeared on the season finale of Sister Wives to play their hit "Neverland" at the Brown Family's Commitment Celebration. Six of their songs are also featured on the series.

Now that they've earned enough attention to be featured as a New Music Seminar Artist on the Verge, the band has come to a crossroads as it begins its first full-length album.

"We are trying to decide whether we want to go the indie or big label direction," Loveless explains. "We've been talking to a lot of entities, and we'll talk more when we get to New York for NMS."

"But the main thing for now is to have our doors open," he continued. "We're locked and loaded with material, the equipment and ability to tour, videos, everything. We are ready to go with whatever road we chose." - Music Times

The first-ever Utah Music Awards hit Provo last Thursday, pulling in local bands and supporters decked out in classy attire.

Greg Campbell, a magician who performed at Salt Lake Comic Con this year, entertained the crowd as they filed in before the show. Once the theater was mostly full, the show began with country singer Nathan Osmond bursting onto stage singing his classic “Welcome to the Party.”

The show proved to be just that: a party with a lot of crowd participation and live performances amidst the award presentations. Although there were some audio kinks, Osmond and his co-host, Amy Whitcomb, a local singer who competed in The Voice, filled the pauses with entertaining banter.

“When you’re a performer you pick up on all performance techniques,” Whitcomb said.

The first of the awards was given to Shaun Cannon, BYU alumnus, for Best Single. Whitcomb said she remembers hearing Cannon play on the piano in the Wilkinson Center and being impressed, which is rare for her critical ear.

“I made history,” Cannon said, “I got the first UMA ever.”

Award categories extended beyond the norm to genres like Best Dance/Electronica and Best Engineer. Alex Galamb, the winner of the Best Dance/Electronica music award plans to use his success to break the stigma of rave music.

“I’m going to show the world you can love this work and not be a drug addict,” Galamb said.

VanLadyLove came out of the show with not only one but two awards, one for Best Album and one for Best Pop.

“It’s fun to be able to bring a big production to a local scale,” lead singer Travis Van Hoff said.

The Filmed in Utah Awards, another show created by Warren Workman, started out with only 30 attendees and grew to 800 in the next year.

“After the success of the Filmed in Utah Awards we found that there were several areas in Utah’s entertainment industry that would also enjoy an event that celebrates their accomplishments,” Workman said.

Local artists agree that Utah deserves recognition for its musical accomplishments.

“Utah has been put on the map,” Osmond said.

Whitcomb agreed. “The Utah Music Awards was something that needed to be established for a long time,” she said.

The night ended with just as much grandeur as it began. Limos transported attendees to the afterparty at The Madison. - The Digital Universe

Opening for a well-known band changed these performers from solo artists into a band of their own.

The formation of VanLadyLove was not planned, but after opening for Parachute, these local artists decided to combine their talents to form a new band.

According to VanLadyLove’s website, “If you ask VanLadyLove front man, Travis Van Hoff, what a touring musician needs, he’ll tell you, ‘a van, a good lady and a little love.'”

Van Hoff first picked up the guitar when he was 15-years-old and started writing music shortly after. He recorded his first album when he was 18.

“I was 16-years old when I decided that this is really what I wanted to do for the rest of my life,” Van Hoff said.

The group first started when a couple of friends got together to record and post song covers on YouTube. They focused on turning upbeat popular songs into something with more of a folk-like sound.

“Our first show was when we opened for Parachute up in Salt Lake,” Van Hoff said. “That’s kind of when we realized that this was actually going to become a band. At that moment, we decided to really start pulling things together and getting permanent members of the band so we could start playing shows and promoting VanLadyLove.”

Since that first show, VanLadyLove has opened for artists such as Dave Barnes and We Shot the Moon; they’ve also played Sundance. The band now has five permanent members.

Chris White, the band’s drummer, said there wasn’t a clear genre at the formation of the band.

“We’ve kind of evolved our sound over the last year since we became a band,” White said. “It started out doing folky covers of pop songs like Katy Perry or Maroon 5, but about mid-summer we decided to start writing our own music. That’s when we really started figuring out what our genre was.”

Sam Schultz, the owner of popular restaurant Sammy’s, described the band’s sound as pop-folk.

“They are starting to write some really unique music,” Schultz said. “People are catching on to that. It’s a style of music that you have to get used to and then you start falling in love.”

Schultz knew the members of the band as solo artists. He hosts local bands and performers at his restaurants. VanLadyLove has performed multiple times at all three Sammy’s locations.

“I think it’s a good time for them,” Schultz said. “If they can keep that folky sound with a pop twist, the future will be awesome for them.”

The band is currently recording their first full-length album that they expect to release in the spring of this year.

VanLadyLove is perfoming two shows in Park City on Friday, Jan. 25.

The band will also open for Tyrone Wells on Mar. 7 at Velour Live Music Gallery in Provo. - BYU Universe

Caleb Loveless and Travis Van Hoff of VanLadyLove had no idea what they were getting themselves into in 2012 when they submitted their music video to a contest to open for pop-rock band Parachute.

“I don’t know if we had any intention of starting a band, we just wanted to do some cover videos,” said Loveless, recalling the humble beginnings of one of Provo’s hottest bands.

“We all have our solo projects, at least Travis and I did at the time. So we thought, ’Well, this is good marketing so we can draw some exposure to our individual projects and that would be good.’”

Exposure it drew, as the two were chosen to open for the band in Salt Lake City. The duo had only three days to put together a makeshift band.

After they played the concert and got a taste for big crowds, fame and fortune, Loveless and Van Hoff decided to keep the momentum going and form a full-fledged band. The rest is history. VanLadyLove is bringing their pop-rock-folk sounds to the big stage for Historic 25th Street’s Harvest Moon Celebration.

Loveless said the band is excited to headline the street-wide event because of the people who will be there.

“We always have a good experience when we visit the Ogden/Logan area, and are excited to be a part of this festival,” he said. “I think there is a lot musical culture in the area and so it's fun to play for a crowd of people love and appreciate good music.”

Humble beginnings

Jordan Clark, a longtime friend of Loveless, had just finished his schooling in Arizona and moved to Los Angeles to pursue his dream of working as a music studio audio engineer. Clark moved back to Utah, almost hesitantly, after Loveless sent early demos of VanLadyLove.

“So I call Jordan up from L.A., I said, ‘I know you’re doing your dream but, I think we have something here,’” Loveless said, adding that he and Clark played in many different bands growing up.

“And when I heard Travis singing, I was like ‘Oh! Alright!’ Then the next time Caleb and I talked it was a different story, I was a bit more interested,” Clark said, laughing.

Next to join the ranks was bassist Steel Saldutti, who was in a hard rock band at the time VanLadyLove was forming.

“It was cool, there was some pretty good chemistry there,” said Clark of the first rehearsals with Saldutti. “We got done with that practice, we had a couple other players that ended up not sticking with us, but me and Steel, Caleb and Travis, man, the four of us had pretty good chemistry.”

Saldutti said everything fell into place after that, noting how easy it was for the members to play off each other’s ideas while writing songs.

“The first practice was so easy to jam, everything just came so easy,” Saldutti said. “We literally almost played through the songs the first time. We talked about it, then boom, we played it. I knew immediately from that first jam that I wanted to keep playing with these guys.

“It was the first project that I’ve ever been in that had a lot of vocal harmonies, a lot more complexity. It was more about simple rock and roll, and it opened my mind to a lot of different music.”

Breaking new ground

Knowing that they had stumbled upon pure musical gold, the four say they didn’t actually know what genre VanLadyLove was destined to be. As far as the band is concerned, Saldutti plays the bass and synth, Van Hoff sings, plays the guitar and keys, with Clark also on lead guitar and Loveless rounding it all off with his keyboard and the mandolin.

“Are we playing in a pop band? Is this going to be a folk band?” Clark said, laughing. “It was just so different that what any of us had done previously, and so we said, ‘Let’s just try this.’”

The band has been writing catchy melodies ever since. But Loveless said the band had a specific purpose in mind for its first release, an EP titled “Love Matters.”

“We pull a lot of interesting dynamics and sounds from a lot of different places, and you really pick up that if you’re listening to some of the B-sides, and especially our live show. It’s a lot more rock and roll than maybe the EP would make you think,” Loveless said.

Everyone in VanLadyLove brings something different to the table, and each member is the first to compliment the others.

“Travis keeps us staying on something that people want to listen to,” Loveless said, with Clark adding, “Travis can convert what we make and make it something people want to listen to.”

Clark, who writes a lot of melodies for the band, said his ideas are rough and simple at the beginning, but Van Hoff and the others bring them to life. Some of the band member’s favorite songs stemmed from spur-of-the-moment jams that evolved from simple beats into singles, like “Neverland.”

Positive attention

In June, the band was invited to New York City for the New Music Seminar as part of its Top 100 bands. Just weeks before the seminar, the band members were told they were in the top three.

VanLadyLove performed in front of a panel of judges representing the big names in labels and the music industry. The judges narrowed it down between VanLadyLove, a female singer-songwriter and another pop-punk band.

They swept the competition, and won the 2014 Artist on the Verge Award. Now back home in Provo, the excitement hasn’t ended for the band. The band members still have to use the $100,000 worth of equipment and recording freebies they won in the Big Apple.

Van Hoff and Loveless both said no one in the band anticipated or expected the success VanLadyLove saw this year. Van Hoff added if none of the members believed that the band would make it to the big time, that it probably wouldn't succeed.

“So I think all of us, to an extent, thought that this band was going to make it,” Van Hoff said.

For the members of VanLadyLove, the music scene in Provo where they all grew up fostered their love for music and community. Loveless said they “fully embrace” being a Provo band, placing them in the midst of Neon Trees, Fictionist and even The Used.

“This is where we grew up, this is the music that I fell in love with when I started playing music and really was wanting to get into bands, it was all through the Provo music scene,” Clark said.

“We try to direct back as much positive attention and support just because we know that’s what helped us and just the more we can make people aware and help bring success to Provo helps everybody,” Saldutti said.

What’s in a name for the pop-rock band like VanLadyLove? Loveless said its about humility, more than anything else.

“It’s about not forgetting and staying humble, which is something we've always wanted to work towards,” he said. “If you break it down and you have those things, then you can go and do music. That’s what it’s about.”

While back home, the band has dates booked for a local tour in Moab, St. George and Las Vegas.

“I don’t care what the situation is, I’m just going to play music to the best capacity that I can, and just enjoy it,” Saldutti said. - Standard Examiner

Indie rock four-piece VanLadyLove is coming our way for a headlining show at Fat Baby in New York City on Friday, Oct. 3. They come all the way from pop music hotspot Provo, Utah (home of Imagine Dragons and Neon Trees) to stake their claim and make a name for themselves. You can find one of their several covers on Youtube, including Maroon 5’s anti-love ballad “Payphone” and fun.’s summer anthem “We Are Young,” and with three-part vocal harmonies and a lineup of multi-instrumentalists, this show is not one to miss. - Aquarian Weekly

Where did the name come from?

Caleb: What do you need when you’re a musician? A van, a lady, and love.

What affect has TopBlip had on your band?


TopBlip Founders Justin & Sean Bingham with VanLadyLove members Travis & Caleb
Travis: If it wasn’t for TopBlip we wouldn’t have formed this band. Caleb and I uploaded a video to open for Parachute and ended up winning the contest then we realized we had to put a band together.

Caleb: We really appreciate TopBlip. We really do work our asses off and we know it’s hard work that’s going to get us there. We’ll be ready for any door that opens for us—we’re not going to be the band that isn’t ready when the time comes. This has been going on for too long, it’s who we are and it’s all I’ve ever wanted when I was a little kid when Jordan and I started a band when we were 14. You’ll never know if you’ll be the best band in the world, but you can definitely be the hardest working and most appreciative band—we want to be both of those things.

Jordan: Thanks to TopBlip we’ve had a chance to play some really cool shows– we opened for Dave Barnes AND Tyler Ward.

Steele: They believed in us and they’ve seen us grow.



Which artist outside of your genre would you most like to collaborate with?

Jordan: Wilco.

Steele: Jack White, Robert Plant or Alison Krauss.

Caleb: Damien Rice.

Travis: Mumford & Sons.



Top 3 bands who have influenced you the most?

Caleb: Maroon5, Neon Trees, and Coldplay.

Travis: Maroon5 is definitely an influence.

Jordan: Old Maroon5.



Favorite hobby besides music?

Steele: Cycling and hiking.

Travis: Elon Musk. He’s my hobby.

Ashley: A person is your hobby?!

Jordan: YES! He’s the guy who says he’s going to do something and does it every single time. Google him.


“VanLadyLove–those guys are amazing!” -Tyler Ward
Who’s your female celebrity alter ego?

Steele: I don’t know that many female celebrities to be honest. Wait, who is that redhead from Spiderman.

Ashley: Kirsten Dunst?

Steele: Yea, her.

Caleb: Lisa Hannigan.

Jordan: Honestly, the first thing that popped into my mind is Grace Potter. She’s badass. Actually, no. Cathleen Edwards all the way.

Travis: Hayley Williams. She can sing like nobody’s business.

Caleb: I think Amy Winehouse for Steele.





What was your first concert?

Travis: Yellowcard with AFI, and The Used. It was called “The Big Ass Show.”

Jordan: The Offspring.

Steele: Rush.

Caleb: Dan Fogelberg.



What’s your favorite song to perform live?

Steele: Neverland.

Caleb: Shiver

Jordan: Shiver. I have a guitar solo and get to play some cool chords.

Travis: Shiver because I think it’s a groovy song.



Who is on your concert bucket list?

Travis & Steele: COLDPLAY!

Steele: Radiohead and Led Zeppelin too. Oh, Foo Fighters at Madison Square Garden would be awesome.

Travis: Muse would be fantastic.

Jordan: Radiohead. I have to see them. I bet it’s the most amazing show.

Caleb: Sigur Rós.



Dream tour with VanLadyLove and….?

Caleb: The Killers.

Steele: Neon Trees. I have their bass cab.

Jordan: Yea, and I sold them my guitar amp to use for tour.

Travis: Coldplay. Mumford & Sons would be another good one.









What would people be surprised to know about you?

Travis: I was born with 12 toes, but I don’t have them anymore. If I could’ve talked when I was 6 months old, I would’ve told them not to cut them off, but it’s hard to say. I also speak Spanish.

(I can attest to the 12 toes. He showed me the scars on his feet—pretty gnarly stuff!)

Jordan: We tour in a Prius. I recorded a song with John C. Riley at New Monkey in Van Nuys, California. He’s exactly how he is in his movies—cool Southern guy who always had a joke.

Caleb: I can’t think of anything. Jordan, you’ve known me for a long time. You answer.

Jordan: Caleb is a great poker player– Sorry to blow your cover.

Steele: He’s a great ballroom dancer too. I used to do MMA.

Travis: We’re all pretty nerdy guys.

Caleb: Not like video game nerdy though. We’re music and computer nerdy.



You’re working on your new album. How would you describe the sound?

Jordan: What we’re trying to accomplish with the album is reinvent pop music with a folk twist. In a way, we replace guitar chords structures with mandolin parts.

Travis: It’s like Maroon5 hits Mumford & Sons.

Steele: Pop-rock with folk instruments.

Caleb: Making pop music more folking awesome since 2012. - gigg.com