Month: December 2014
Top 5: Hundred Waters
Following the subtly intricate formula of their first album, Hundred Waters’ new release continues with the same airy splendor, but with more refinement. The musical foundation of this album perfectly represents 2014, a year of revitalization and self-discovery, by sounding neither senescent nor ahead of its time, but flawlessly fit into the fringes of current music. … read more
Top 5: Horseback
Jenks Miller, the father behind Horseback’s latest album, Piedmont Apocrypha, has again created a twined nest of experimental sound by combining a base of seething feedback and altering levels of oozing drone. The album as a whole lifts up the listener in a cradle to help see Miller’s vision of music as a single, fluid entity with this nongenre specific album. … read more
SLUG Reviews Television Shows from 2014
Television reviews for Behaving Badly, Cartoon Network Holiday Collection, Edge Of Tomorrow, Hercules, Impractical Jokers, Into The Storm, Jersey Boys, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Poppy Ackroyd, Reno 911! and Tammy. … read more
Top 5: Foster Body
Foster Body’s debut album, Landscapes, which was released on cassette and digitally in March, captures the Salt Lake City–based, punk combo at a brilliant moment of process—merging strong aesthetic sentiment and live performance practice into a compelling vision for contemporary noise-punk. With eight tracks lashing across the album’s 20-minute duration, Landscapes is a quick yet thrilling listen. … read more
Record-Buying Recommendations: Pull Out Your Parents’ Record Players
“They still make records?” is the question heard almost every time these analog music-storage discs come up in conversation, as if people are trapped in a locked groove. Vinyl is “back,” although it never really went away—there’s been a large resurgence in buying records from a generation who’s been raised acquiring music instantly over the Internet. … read more
Top 5: Ered Wethrin
Just like the epic themes of fantasy and esoteric mysticism that inspired Ered Wethrin’s lyrics, Tides of War takes its time unfolding a vast and enchanting audial world. From the Glen Cook–inspired “Bloody Annals and Brooding Skies” to the Steven Erikson tribute in “Requiem for the Fallen,” Sven Smith’s solo recordings recall the stoic and battle-hardened tales of lesser-known fantasy realms. … read more
Video Game Reviews
Video game reviews for Arcana Hearts III, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, The Evil Within, F1 2014, Fenix Rage, Final Fantasy Theaterhythm: Curtain Call, The Long Dark, Lords of the Black Sun, Lords of the Fallen, Magnetic By Nature, May’s Mysteries, Monkey Tales, MotoGP 14, MX vs. ATV: Supercross, NBA Live 15, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution, The Shopkeeper, Spider-Man Unlimited, Sunset Overdrive and Super Smash Bros. … read more
Book Reviews
Book reviews for Amelia Cole, Black Metal: Omnibus, Chasing the Light: The Cloud Cult Story, Courage, The Daughters Of Mars, John Marshall: The Chief Justice Who Saved the Nation, The Low Road, The March on Washington, Salsa!, Tale Of Sand, tulip and V-Wars Vol. 1. … read more
Movie Reviews
Well, 2014 has been one hell of a quick year. The fact that I’ve been seeing my breath in the air blows my mind! As a film lover and geek, it’s amazing to watch Marvel and DC/Warner Bros. duke it out with movies scheduled so far out that I’ll be 37 years old when I see Avengers: Infinity War – Part II. … read more
Top 5: Big Wild Wings
Big Wild Wings decided to buck the trends hard by combining a kickass drummer in Chris Soper with a master synth-player in Tyler Hummel, topping it off with the captivating Lyndsi Austin as their lead vocalist on bass. Within the last year, the trio have become the alt/indie band to see in SLC, capping everything off with their debut full-length album, Speaking In Cursive, which came out in November. … read more