“Gems of the High Plains”: an album 15 years in the making

The contents of this album review reflect the opinion of the writer and not the Exponent as a whole. 

The best kind of music is the kind that transports you back to the childhood road trips your family had in 2009. The recently released album “Gems of the High Plains” captures that feeling perfectly.

Indie band Idaho Green started in Billings in 2008 and has been based out of New York City since 2015. The band has six members: singer and guitarist Austin Finn, drummer and singer Jordan Finn, guitarist, bassist and vocalist Peter Demalo, guitarist Ralph Studer, saxophonist Toni Batey and bassist Ruby Landen. 

The group is a self-described “spud punk” band with heavy influence by 1980s rock band The Replacements and indie rock group Guided By Voices. “We're also very much into bands on labels like Recess, Slovenly, Estrus, Dirtnap, dumb punk, stuff like that,” Finn said.

“Gems of the High Plains” was released in the summer of 2024 but has been in the making for over a decade. Idaho Green has been releasing singles and EPs since the drop of “I Don’t Like Your Facebook Page” in 2012, but “Gems of the High Plains” is their first full-length album release.

With 34 tracks and a total runtime of 77 minutes, this record is a compilation of songs recorded over the last 15 years that didn’t make the cut for the band's previous seven-inch vinyl releases. It invokes a real sense of nostalgia, while also feeling new and engaging. There is such a variety in this album that, while every song may not be for everyone, chances are one might find a moment or two that they can enjoy.

The album opens with “I Still Miss You,” an upbeat melody with lyrics that contrast the rest of the album. It is a nice soft start to the album before being woken up fully by the second track, “New Booch Boofin.” This album features fantastic instrumentals, with the words sometimes taking a backseat to the actual music. 

“Perris, Texas” is a track that stood out for its soft instrumentals and relaxing feel. It acts as a fantastic interlude between intense songs, and the transitions from it to “Chi Witch” is just jarring enough to bring the listener back to full attention. 

If you listen to it all at once, the album can feel as though it runs a little long. However, Idaho Green spaced out the tracks so that there was always something to keep the listener engaged. 

Finn explained how favorite song off the album is “Robotrippin at the Gates of Hell,” which is accompanied by a music video. It starts off very high energy with an intense beat but has a break where it calms a little before throwing the listener back into the next verse. “I am also a huge baseball fan and it's basically a song about baseball,” Finn said. “We did the video in Cooperstown NY, which is where the Baseball Hall of Fame is.”

Overall, “Gems of the High Plains” is a delightful work of art and an ideal gateway for listeners to start getting into more niche genres like garage rock and punk. Further, it gives listeners who already like this genre tons of new music to explore.

Idaho Green has organized and headlined the “Julia Louis Dreyfest” since its inception in 2013 and they will be back in Billings in August of 2025 to do it again. 

“Gems of the High Plains” album is available on all major streaming platforms. Vinyls of “Gems of the High Plains” are available at idahogreen.bandcamp.com.