Year: 2013
Local Reviews: Erin Barra
An SLC-native musician we can all be proud to call one of our own, Erin Barra has it—that “je ne sais quois,” as the French say. Star-fucking-quality, just to be clear. Illusions, her sophomore release, is top-notch shit. … read more
Local Reviews: Eyes Lips Eyes
Eyes Lips Eyes album is composed of the 12 singles that Eyes Lips Eyes released each month for an entire year. … read more
Local Reviews: The Future of The Ghost
Every member of the band The Future of the Ghost has been making music and friends in Utah for many years. That’s why it is not with a blessed heart, but with a heavy one, that I have to admit that I’m personally not a fan of the band’s new sound. … read more
Local Reviews: Long Distance Operator
Long Distance Operator mine the twilight years of hard rock before it devolved into butt rock. This is a good thing for those of us who happen to like proto-butt rock, and Long Distance Operator hit their metallic stride on the excellent “Torches.” … read more
Local Reviews: Mark Dago
There is something to be said for brevity in the music world: What’s the point of an album that drags on just for the sake of stroking the band members’ egos? Dago impressively bundles everything he needs to in about 20 minutes with this sophomore project, in which he ties together electronic sounds from old school video games (“Little Mac’s Jogging Theme”, anyone?) and a unique stream of beats. … read more
Local Reviews: My Dead Ego
It is hard to get excited about reviewing something that comes with very little information about it. While promos come in a variety of formats, most of them include a teeny bit of background. So—other than a cover art print, and that this EP’s three tracks were handwritten on its CDR alongside the name Allison Martin—the only thing to do was start listening to it. And what a pleasant surprise it was—if not a slight shock—from a local CD. … read more
Local Reviews: Such Vengeance
Local metal outfit Such Vengeance has upped their game for their new release, Golden Leaves, Rotten Roots. Production value on this album is excellent, head and shoulders above their first; it really allows the listener a fair view at a talented collective. Their sound is cohesive, aggressive and tight. … read more
Local Reviews: Swedish-ish Fish
Quite simply, it’s a girl and her guitar. Never a genre to be underestimated, acoustic folk rock will always find an audience—and with minimal gear and wrangling necessary, the ability to play out and in a variety of venues or simply on the street makes it even easier to expand the fan base. … read more
Local Reviews: Uncle Scam
Uncle Scam is sex rock. This pack of talented musicians is led by the fiery Ischa. Heavy Cream leaves nothing to the imagination. The album title track is a scathing call-out to men who say whatever they have to to get what they want from the ladies. … read more
Local Reviews: Christopher Anthony Leibow
Cohesive and composed, read aloud by a deep, sensual male voice, and accompanied by simple and unobtrusive classic piano and guitar melodies, this collection of poems tells a story of the experience of relationship. Sometimes weird and super personal as poetry and art tend to be, it would nevertheless (or perhaps more so) be a fun CD to put on in the background of a party to see if anyone noticed. … read more