Eight bands take the stage, three songs to perform and only two votes to determine the winner of BYU’s Battle of the Bands. One of the bands, Our Dilemma, will take the stage tonight in the WSC Ballroom.

Our Dilemma consists of four musicians from BYU: Casey Duke, Tarun Ash, Peter Chun and Adam Wadsworth. Duke and Ash had been playing together for about 10 years when Chun joined them three years ago. Wadsworth recently joined the band as the missing piece that completed its sound.

“For lack of a better description I would say that we play alternative rock,” Chun said. “Our sound blends the cleanliness of an acoustic guitar with the grunge of an electric and a driving rhythm section while Casey’s unique vocals punch through.”

Provo and hip-hop are usually two ideas you wouldn’t want to entertain in your brain at the same time for fear of spontaneous combustion. Can’t Stop Won’t Stop may not make you burst into flames, but this two-piece group is blowing up.

The forging of this ’90s-esque hip-hop duo began back in May as the collaborative effort of Davey Hawkins and David Peterson.

“I’ve been into hip-hop ever since I was 12 years old,” Hawkins said. “Me and the kids I grew up with were into freestyle rhyming. I was always really into hip-hop culture.”

The two immediately began recording and collaborating with local talent. They even recruited members of BYU Jazz Synthesis to lay down horn tracks, giving Can’t Stop Won’t Stop the refreshingly funky sound that brands them.

Who knew that when these four middle school tikes met in Brigham City they would one day form together to create the band Atl Atl.

With Tom Brinton and Dallin Gunther on guitar and vocals, Tim Eaton on bass guitar, keyboards and back-up vocals and Taylor Spencer on drums, Atl Atl will be sure to entertain.
Brinton describes the band’s sound as a conglomeration of different styles but could be compared to The Strokes or Phantom Planet.

The band was formed in 2003, took a two-year leave when the four served missions and reformed when all were reunited at BYU.

“We love writing music. We want to change the world and third and mostly we want to meet babes,” Brinton said.

Atl Atl said that they believe that there is enough degrading music out there and it is about time for someone to bring something uplifting.
 

Travis White knocked on Scott Manning’s door and said, “Let’s try to get something started.”

Within two months Empirates had seven songs and is ready to perform. 

“We’ve all been in bands before, so this band is created off of a collaboration of ideas,” Manning said. “We all have a voice and we say what we want and think. It’s kind of like a democracy, which is really rare for a band.”

The Empirates fit into the British Post-Punk Revival genre.

“The bands that resemble us most are Franz Ferdinand, The Strokes and The Bravery,” Manning said. “It is a really different style and it is really uncommon to hear it coming out of Provo. We really enjoy playing around this area.”

Manning said the band has a light-hearted, humorous feel to its songs.

After sustaining a brain injury while a student at BYU, the primary thing that was able to help Cindy Wilmshurst get back on her feet was her service dog Keilly.

Keilly has been there for Wilmshurst every day since she got her.

“One of the ways she helps me most is that she helps me to get going for the day,” Wilmshurst said. “She helps me to stay alert when I’m out and about, and she gives me confidence to go out into the world, especially when I’m not feeling well.”

Wilmhurst said she just wants to give something back to Keilly for helping her every day.

It’s hard to imagine creating a masterpiece using a power saw. It’s even harder to image doing it blind.

That’s what blind or disabled artists have done in the “Art Beyond Bounds” exhibit now on display at the Rio Grande Depot Mezzanine Gallery, located at 300 S. Rio Grande St. in Salt Lake City.

More than 30 artists are involved in the exhibit and have worked on art using magnifying glasses, their mouths to paint and even power saws to build spectacular furniture, all while being completely blind. There are many different types of artworks on display including sculptures, crafts and drawings.

“I have never been to this exhibit before, but I just heard about it and I can’t wait to go check it out,” said Natasha Alarid, a BYU student, from Temecula, Calif. “I can’t even imagine what it would be like to have to paint or draw being blind.”