Year: 2005
Review: Various Artists – Fuck
VARIOUS ARTISTS FUCK Hive Records As a teenager, the idea of a compilation called, Fuck, the message to “fuck mediocre electronica” and the image of a female tied up in on the cover might have appealed to me, but seems like a tired idea nowadays and also deems irrelevant to the music. With that
Review: Venomous Concept – Retroactive Abortion
Venomous Concept Retroactive Abortion Venomous Concept’s album Retroactive Abortion has received mediocre to poor reviews in magazines larger than SLUG. I doubt any writers from those magazines spent their youth in rural Utah County searching for anything weird or obnoxious to counterbalance daily threats from rabid hicks. I don’t think anyone who looks for “pop
Review: Venetian Snares – Infolepsy EP
Venetian Snares Infolepsy EP Coredump Records The Salt Lake label showcases more tasty treats with Venetian Snares’ latest, Infolepsy. Many of you are going to remember the famous pinball machine song on Sesame Street about the number “12.” Well, Mr. Funk has his own version of “Twelve” that takes your innocent childhood memories into a
Review: Usurper – Cryptobeast
Usurper Cryptobeast Earache Records Usurper started out as a band called The Dead Youth, a very unpromising grindcore band. Since then, they have reformed as essentially a faster, heavier version of Celtic Frost. Usurper have endured a few lineup changes since the release of their first few records, and it seems as though they have
Review: Various Artists – Soundwave Assassins 2
Various Artists Soundwave Assassins 2 Backscatter Out Now With so many talented Salt Lake acts producing new music all over the place, it’s always welcoming to have a single disc that showcases the variety of their efforts. The second volume in the Soundwave Assassin series offers 13 compelling tracks balancing experimental, noise, harsh electronics and
Review: Various Artists – A.L.P.H.A
Various Artists A.L.P.H.A Geska Records Out Now It’s hard enough to keep up on the new music coming out, but then you pick up something like the double-disc A.L.P.H.A. compilation and suddenly there’s a plethora of new talent to discover. The Geska label provides more than a music service, but also a bank full of
Review: Universal Hall Pass – Mercury
Universal Hall Pass Mercury Sneaky Street: 10.23.04 Universal Hall Pass = Bjork + Jem + Venus Hum + Sneaker Pimps I don’t know how this album fell through the cracks and never garnered a lovely amount of hype, seeing as how the general public loves a witty woman with a fantastic voice and a sense
Review: Tresspassers William – Different Stars
TRESSPASSERS WILLIAM DIFFERENT STARS Nettwerk You could dismiss Tresspassers William as a band filling the gap until the sleeping giants Mazzy Star get off their laurels. You could. You shouldn’t. No, you can’t deny the similarities of the slight country twang in the guitar, the understated female vocals and the mournful atmosphere, but you also
Review: Thee Heavenly Music Association – Shaping the Invisible
Thee Heavenly Music Association Shaping the Invisible Rehash Records Caught somewhere between Curve and Garbage (yes I know that’s a slim alley) with an over-apparent love for My Bloody Valentine, the combination of Helen Storer and Dave Hillis produce a nice wall of distorted pop that is good enough to make up for the
Review: The Poison Arrows – EP
THE POISON ARROWS EP File 13 “Trailer Park” is a tease with its smacking around of sound and distorted blips and buried vocals. It’s a BRMC record stolen by Suicide and slaughtered in Pro Tools. Bloody hell, it’s Primal Scream reborn! Well, if they’d only kick it in and go somewhere, which they never