We had a blast at the Crescent Moon in Kanab. Truly one of the best venues in Southern Utah.  Great stage, great sound system, and the audience was the best.   We're looking forward to going back!

We went up to Mystic Hot Springs in Monroe, Utah for a Concert. Very cool to say the least. They've got a very groovy vibe going on up there with one of the best TV studios in Utah I'd wager.  We got some great videos!  It was nice to get these done with two camera operators and Mystic Mike taking the shots from the floor in his booth.  Superb directing by Mike. Couldn't be happier! Thanks to mike and his crew!

I took this photo of Karyn up at the tubs at Mysic Hot Springs. As you can see, the rock is actually growing into the tub as the hot water from the spring is running into it. Fascinating as Mr. Spock would say.

The accomodations couldn't have been better.  We actually stayed in a blue bus called the Blue Whale. Timothy Leary would've approved. 

Flimteen or so years ago, I was offered the cool opportunity to edit this paper, and one of my first orders of business was to make the pleasant drive up to Cedar City to get the goods on the lovely and talented singer-songwriter Karyn Whittemore. Coincidentally, her lavish penthouse loft featured a marvelous view of the very neighborhood where I grew up. Karyn W. offered tasty samplings of her music - a terrific blend of pop smarts and filigreed whisps of the kind of technical skill that explain the music degree on the wall and guitar licks that give her songwriting its "off the wall" charm.

You're probably thinking, how does a classically trained violinist and pianist evolve into a "Love Creature"? Well, that's where I come in to explain.

As a fellow songwriter, I'd like to first tip my hat to Miss Whittemore for her inspiring longevity in a music scene that has all the stability and support as Lake Ponchatrain. During my tenure as editor of the Indy, I saw support come and go for short-lived scenes and audiences that rarely broke 20 heads and might best be described as inconsistent and fickle - particularly of its own local artists. Allow me to qualify that by stating that there are certainly notable exceptions to this rule - especially in Cedar City - but it is certainly a truism that those who have made serious efforts as career musicians have had to relocate. Karyn is as significant an exception as one could name.

The first five songs on Whittemore's new album "Love Creature" (and several others sprinkled in during the final 10) are most definitely a departure from what you've come to expect from a KW record. Karyn has always had fun with sensuality in her lyrics, and as you might surmise, "Love Creature" kicks up the "Pink Panties" ante. The first five tracks bristle with her Love Creature lyrics, as well as up-tempo, band oriented songs that have a certain retro feel - harkening back to the seminal bands of the new wave days (i.e., Blondie, B52s and even Nico era Velvet Underground). Then, just when you're getting used to a whole new Creature, Karyn reverts back to her classic sound, with the lovely interplay between acoustic guitar, violin and haunting vocals. The band is still playing but not so much in your face on the majority of the final 10 tracks.

Happily, these more typical songs boast what I think is far and away some of Karyn's best work as a tunesmith and lyricist. Scarce is there a track that doesn't furnish the listener with a memorable chorus hook nicely nested within the production of John Houston, who also contributes on electric guitar, accordion, madolin, and Hammond organ. The band features Tyson Cazier on lead guitar, Ryan Seargent on bass and Shawn Owens on drums - late of Passion Pit, who shine on the first handful of songs before getting lost in the mix on the remaining 10 tracks.

I suppose some critcis might point out that "Love Creature" can't decide what kind of album it wants to be, but I'm just happy to have such a wealth of great new material from one of our most reliabel local artists. Perhaps 15 tracks is a bit overkill, but being a songwriter I know that your songs are very much like children, and to suggest that one shoul be clipped is not unlike saying, "Boy, you have a charming family except for that funny-looking short one with the glasses."

I was first introduced to KW's talent with her debut EP "Unborn Sky," and a handful of years later with her masterful "Slippery Road," that nicely demonstrated her unique voice, going from her ethereal gossamer thing to a bluesy gutty grit. With her ability to craft catchy tunes while weaving gifted interplay with piano, guitar and violin, I recommend you make a point of seeing Love Creature live or see about getting your hands on one of KW's four releases.

Karyn Whittemore has been a part of the Southern Utah music scene for some time and has even played Cedar City's Groovefest twice - most recently for the 2012 Best of Groovefest show.

Her latest project, "Love Creature," finds Whittemore in band form collaborating with drummer Shawn Owens, guitarist Tyson Cazier and bassist Ryan Sargent. With John Houston producing and adding his master's touch with a variety of instruments, you know it's not your run-of-the-mill local recording.

Houston plays instruments as diverse as accordion and organ. His mandolin work is especially notable on the intese "Breathe and Burn."

The first few tracks are full of crunchy guitars and Whittemore's rock goddess wails. She has the ability to rock and does it well, but she's even stronger when she doesn't. Whittemore's true strength lies in how she beautifully delivers melodies on the softer tracks like the sublime "Sweetest Little Angel."

Whittemore's voice is the star here. She purrs on some, growls on others or simply has fun with cute tracks like "Just Friends" or "Your Right to Be Wrong." She also shows her musical abilities by playing a variety of guitars, piano, and even violin on a few tracks, joining Michael Wager's cello on the mysterious "Spirits of Earth."
Contact Brian Passey at bpassey@thespectrum.com/getlost. Follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PasseyBrian or on Twitter@BrianPassey .

Cedar City - Love Creature will debut their new sound at the CD release party, which they are combining with the Aug 2nd performance at the free Summer Concert in the Park Series in Main Street Park.

Stepping away from the traditional singer/songwriter model that Karyn Whittemore has become so well known for in the past, her new ensemble Love Creature, offers a bit of a harder edge for eager fans to sink their teeth into from the seasoned professional.

A nurse practitioner by day and a rock star by night, the music on Love Creature's self titled CD is almost as eclectic as Whittemore's range of professions. The sweet melodic tone of her sexy voice easily transforms in styles from one song to the next in a culmination of sounds that leave the listener wanting to hear them again and again.

From "Telescopic Jigger Rod" to "Razorback Wilde" to "Yesterday's Girl," each has its own unique flavor that either energizes the listener or soothes them depending on the mood they're in when they pop it in the changer.

Although the album has a variety of sounds that differ from one another (almost drastically at times) there is a natural evolution that take place between each new sound that makes the album flow. While it's unusual in today's music market to find such a flexible and versatile compilation of songs that appeal to one audience, Love Creature flawlessly leads one song into the next leaving a feeling of unity to what could have been a slightly disjointed album.

Whittemore said the name change was a natural evolution to her writing style. She said that since her sound had shifted and was being pushed in an edgier direction, she wanted to play off of that. she also said her name had marketing difficulties like spelling and the new name would make it easier for fans to find her on the internet while doing a web search.

Whittemore said she can't really explain why their was a shift in her sound. She said that the music flows from her in such an orgainc way that she becomes more of a conduit to something that is more ethereal than just her rambling thoughts. It's as if a muse suddenly inspires her, she said.

"When I start to write a song, I will first fall in love with some melody," Whittemore said. "A lot of times, I don't even know what the lyrics are at that point."

Whittemore said once she has a strong melody she waits patiently while she plays with it in her head, until one day, the lyrics and the song just reveal themselves to her.

Drummer Shawn Owens said he has been playing with Whittemore for about three years, and he has enjoyed watching her music develop into the sopisticated and sultry sound that debuts in the new Love Creature CD. He said this is an album that offers something for every listener, and he hopes to see a good turnout for the CD release party August 2nd at 7pm in the Main Street Park.

More information about the new CD and Love Creature is available at www.lovecreature.com.