SLUG Contributor Limelight
April 28, 2009
Contributor Limelight: James Orme
This hepcat has written for SLUG for the past six years. During this time Orme has interviewd many of this heroes including: Matt Freeman of Rancid, Kim Nekroman of Nekromantix and Nick 13 of Tiger Army. In 2006 Orme surprised his sweerheart Jessa with a marriage proposal while the two were vacationing at the rockabilly festival, Viva Las Vegas. Orme currently works full-time at CostCo and part-time as a sushi chef at Oh Shushi. Swing in on a Tuesday and ask him to make you his special, the SLUG Mag roll.
Articles by contributor
Local Review: Seaslak – Oh Lord, My Retinas!
Seaslak’s Oh My Retinas shakes out to be a net positive, making this is a forest for the trees situation that still allows us to enjoy ourselves. … read more
Local Music Singles Roundup: November 2024
Here in SLC, we’ll be focused on the right thing: sick local bands making sick music. Below are six more incredible tracks to dig into. … read more
Dapper at Daybreak: Records, Auctions and Community
Sherwood has spent an inordinate amount of time and effort hunting down records—even traveling the world to buy whole collections. … read more
Please Bear With Me: Gay Tattoos By Cory Harris
How valuable is self expression if you don’t feel allowed to be true to yourself? Cory Harris, an artist at Loyalty Tattoos, has had an incredible journey. … read more
Coloring Cats & Dogs: The Tattoo Artistry of Bryan Vigil
Vigil has found a way to connect on a deep level with each piece and person he tattoos, as well as their furry friend. … read more
From 14-Piece Band to Nonprofit: Hot House West’s Collective Dream
Local 14-piece swing band Hot House West is taking the next step to become a nonprofit organization called the Swing Collective that promotes the culture of jazz and swing in Salt Lake City. … read more
Top 5 Roots Albums of 2023 for Swinging to the...
Finding new, worthwhile roots music can be tedious. But while these artists definitely have vintage characteristics, each of them is finding new, original ways to use these elements. … read more
Localized: Megan Blue & The Bonfire
Megan Blue and the Bonfire‘s eclectic sound involves blues, soul, country, rock and anything else they decide works in their mixed-genre recipe. … read more
Localized: The Howlin’ Tomcats
The Howlin’ Tomcats, made up of SLC blues veterans, invite audience members to play with them at weekly blues jams and gigs all over the valley. … read more
Local Review: Lean Canteen – It Don’t Matter
Lean Canteen does lean (pun intended) toward the country side of rockabilly, and with a steel guitar player like James Cherry, they can do real country stompers. … read more
Reviews: Turchi – Can’t Bury Your Past
The beauty of the blues is that it’s so simple and raw that it can convey anything from anybody. It’s not playing different chords—it’s that one can play the same chords that have been played forever, and still play them with one’s own pain with one’s own soul. Turchi play a gritty, textured style of the blues, which, at times, is pretty remarkable … … read more
Reviews: Swingin’ Utters
What can I say about the Swinging Utters? That they’re an amazing band that always manages to come up with ways to never sound hackneyed or worn-out. That Poorly Formed ranks amongst this fan’s favorite releases from the band’s nearly quarter-century career. … read more
Review: White Flag Down – Never Surrender
Is there a set of specifications to be considered a Clockwork punk band? Because I’d imagine that The Adicts would be an example that most bands would look to. … read more
Review: Various Artists – Punk Rock Val 14
Punk Rock Val 14 = Beer for Breakfast + Neverend … read more
Review: Various Artists – Sticks Over My Shoulder
In the late 70s, documentary maker George Mitchell traveled the back roads of Georgia searching out the remaining bluesmen who could still play … read more
Review: Various Artists – The Songs of Tony Sly: A Tribute
As mortals, it’s only natural that we contemplate our demise. How will I be remembered? How will my passing be marked? When No Use For A Name frontman Tony Sly left this plane of existence, the global punk rock community seemed to come to a screeching stop. … read more
Review: Tim Barry – Raising Hell & Living Cheap: Live...
Tim Barry = Frank Turner + Chuck Ragan + Steve Earle … read more
Review: Tim Barry – Lost & Rootless
Tim Barry = Chuck Ragan + Merle Haggard + Billy Bragg … read more
Review: Trash Monsters – There’s a Rat in the Tunnel...
Punk rock is best served when it’s not trying to be punk, but when its simply trying to be load, fast, obnoxious rock n’ roll. That’s what Trash Monsters do so well. … read more
Review: Tony Joe White – Hoodoo
This blues-like punk rock, in a way, is very simple—it’s often played with the same chord progressions, tempos and even instrumentation. So, like punk rock, it takes talent creativity and originality—all of which are not found in high amounts on Hoodoo. … read more
Review: The Real McKenzies – Rats in the Burlap
The Real McKenzies = D.O.A + AC/DC’s “It’s a Long Way to the Top” + Street Dogs … read more
Review: The Tossers
This is more traditional than many of the Celtic/punk acts out there, but that’s not to say Chicago’s Tossers ease up on the attitude. Just in time for St. Patty’s day, the Irish fury that is The Emerald City, starting with the rollicking tune “The Rover,” which exults the life of the nomad, whether drunk or sober. … read more
Review: The Supersuckers – Get the Hell
They are bluesy enough to sound authentic when they put harmonica over the romper of a song “Fuck Up” and rootsy enough where you can hear the country and rockabilly influence in even their most hard-charging guitar licks. … read more
Review: The Goddamn Gallows – The Maker
When it’s hard to describe a band’s sound, I consider that a victory from the jump, because that means they’ve achieved something rarely or never heard before. The Goddamn Gallows are creepy hillbilly punk with a touch of gypsy thrown in. … read more
Review: The Brains – Out in the Dark
The Brains = Zombie Ghost Train + Gutter Demons + Calabrese … read more
Review: The Chapin Sisters – A Date With the Everly...
What began as a labor of love for the Chapin Sisters has become a terrific installment to their catalogue, and even though the entire record is made up of Everly Brothers tunes, its almost as if the record is a collaboration of the two groups. … read more
Review: The Brains – The Monster Within
Psychobilly has an inherent problem in that the genre is a formula. Punk mixed with rockabilly decorated with horror imagery. Now by the time most bands have achieved those three elements they don’t seem to look beyond them, and that’s where the genre has become stagnant. Very few bands have been able to break the mold like The Brains. These Canadian psychos play at break neck speeds, but in some unholy way are still able to keep their songs highly melodic. … read more
Review: The Civil Wars – Self-Titled
The Civil Wars have been the breath of fresh air country music dreadfully needed … read more
Review: The Devil Makes Three – I’m a Stranger Here
Few bands can capture the imagination like Devil Makes Three. They invoke deep-woods medicine shows, jumping blues juke joints and midnight hootenannies by moonlight. … read more
Review: The Gaslight Anthem – The B-Sides
If you haven’t at least gone through Gaslight’s more polished releases, this is not for you, and is not designed to be your first Gaslight experience. They take a shot at The Rolling Stones’ “Tumbling Dice,” which is an uphill battle they manage quite well. … read more
Review: Swingin’ Utters – Fistful of Hollow
Swingin’ Utters = The Replacements + US Bombs … read more
Review: Southern Culture on the Skids – Dig This
For years, Southern Culture on the Skids have been one of those Americana bands that are such a well-built hotrod of a band that, when it comes to any of the genres that they tackle, they can naturally shift from country to surf to R&B and every bit sounds as authentic as it is original. … read more
Review: Scout Paré-Phillips – Heed the Call
Scout Paré-Phillips = Björk + Yoko Ono … read more
Review: Schooner – Neighborhood Veins
Spooky country songs bleed into ’50s rockers and soulful harmonies accent slow ballads. Like I said before, this is what indie should be: With every chance they get Schooner exercise the freedom they’ve cultivated for themselves. … read more
Review: Scott H. Biram – Nothin’ But Blood
Songs like his cover of “Backdoor Man” will put you on your ass. Biram, to me, has become the Southern roots music modern Hemingway, expressing honestly the dark parts of this life like only he can. … read more
Review: Reverend Horton Heat – Whole New Life
Reverend Horton Heat = the Cramps + Flat Duo Jets + Southern Culture On the Skids … read more
Review: Reverend Horton Heat – REV
Anyone who knows Jim Heath knows that there’s no greater friend to rock n’ roll. Reverend Horton Heat have been wowing audiences with rockabilly virtuosity that nothing else compares to. … read more
Review: Old Man Markley – Stupid Today
Old Man Markley = Old Crow Medicine Show + No Use For and Name + Devil Makes Three + Nerf Herder … read more
Review: Old Smokey – Wester Easter
Old Smokey = Wilco + Kingston Trio + Warren Zevon … read more
Review: Old Man Markley
OMM play fast-paced bluegrass that they approach like people living in the present day. I guess that makes them the new punks on the scene, but I just hear well-crafted, original music that happens to have bluegrass elements. … read more
Review: NOFX – Backstage Passport Soundtrack
NOFX = 7 Seconds + Bad Religion + The Vandals … read more
Review: Nikki Hill – Here’s Nikki Hill
Nikki and Matt Hill are proof positive that when two talented people marry and come together creatively good things are going to happen. Nikki has all the swagger of ‘50s and ‘60s R&B soul artists, and every bit of the power and punch of the male blues shouters of the same era. … read more
Review: Night Birds – Maimed For The Masses
These New Jersey punks nailed the snotty sound of early ‘80s hardcore punk. … read more
Review: Night Birds – Born To Die In Suburbia
Night Birds, however, seem like the kind of band that could turn on you at any second—a snotty, fast-paced brand of punk that, yes, is reminiscent of ’80s-era bands, but they do so much more than just ape a certain period of hardcore punk. … read more
Review: NOFX – Stoke Extinguisher
I’m not going to try and convince you to like NOFX—if you’ve been around this music at all, then you know who they are and what they do, but this EP is them doing it at their best. … read more
Review: Memphis Dawls – Rooted in the Bone
Memphis Dawls = Emmylou Harris + The Everly Brothers + The Civil Wars … read more
Review: Michael Bloomfield – From His Head to His Heart...
This three-disc set is a lot to wade through, and it is so eclectic, treading into jazz and rock regions, I can’t imagine any blues fan, guitar enthusiast or fan of the artists Bloomfield worked with not finding the trip worth it. … read more
Review: Luke Bell – Self-Titled
Luke Bell = J.P. Harris + Don Gibson + Dale Watson
… read more
Review: Luke Winslow-King – The Coming Tide
When it comes to contemporary roots music, the easy route is to punk things up—play it faster or with an edge—but roots music transcends time and period. Luke Winslow-King walks that fine line between slavishly authentic and radical change just for the sake of change. … read more
Review: Loves It – All We Are
“Western Swing Murder” is a jaunty little tune about a murder that masterfully pays homage to the genre referenced in the song’s title. “Rocket ship” is a quick rocker that showcases Walters’ Springsteen-like charisma. … read more
Review: Lydia Loveless – Somewhere Else
I first pegged Lydia Loveless as some sort of simple female equivalent to Hank 3, but as I listened further, I realized she is much more than that. … read more
Review: Lara Hope & The Ark-tones – Luck Maker
Lara Hope & the Ark-tones = Imelda May + The Reverend Horton Heat + Kim Lenz … read more
Review: Jonny Manak & the Depressives – Cold Pizza &...
Jonny Manak & the Depressives = The Cramps + The Sonics + Dead Boys … read more
Review: Kait Lawson – Until We Drown
Kait Lawson = Woody Guthrie + Nanci Griffith … read more
Review: Kim Lenz and the Jaguars – Follow Me
While maintaining all the tropes of a garden variety release, this record also is a step forward for Lenz, who gained more urgency and has become more visceral in her delivery. … read more
Review: Jonny “Two Bags” Wickersham – Salvation Town
The sideman, usually with a guitar in his hand, has finally stepped out of his role as six-string slinger for Social Distortion and put together his first solo full-length. … read more
Review: Hot Club of Cowtown – Rendezvous in Rhythm
So many jazz bands use “Hot Club” in their name, a nod to the original Quintette du Hot Club de France. In the case of Hot Club of Cowtown, I can imagine they use the “Hot Club” name because they earned it, especially on this record. … read more
Review: I Can Lick Any Son Of A Bitch In...
I.C.L.A.S.O.A.B.I.T.H, the band with the impossibly long name, have been playing their brand of country blues-rock for 12+ years now, and they’ve only tightened as a band over time. … read more
Review: Good Riddance – Peace in Our Time
Good Riddance = Lagwagon + (early) Offspring + ALL … read more
Review: Hank 3 – A Fiendish Threat
Hank 3 has always touted his love of aggressive music, such as punk and metal, and the juxtaposition of that with his family heritage and country persona have lent, in no small part, to what makes him a fascinating character. … read more
Review: Hank 3 – Brothers of the 4×4
If you’re like me and you respect everything Hank 3 does—from the grind metal to his early traditional country work, and everything in between, but you wish he’d focus on making honest-to-goodness country music, a honky-tonk-as-hell kinda record, then this is for you. … read more
Local Reviews: Matthew Quen Nanes
Right in that new folk/punk singer-songwriter niche with a country touch, Nanes can put a tune together. This three-song EP shows a lot of potential. It’s different from a lot of the material I would compare it to, which is a very good thing. … read more
Local Review: Zombie Cock – Zombies Love Punk Rock
Zombie Cock = Bad Religion + Bracket + The Generators … read more
Local Review: The Tuxedo Tramps – Self-Titled
As a longtime psychobilly fan, I wanted more stand-up bass, but even that ridiculous complaint faded away in favor of appreciation for the fact that they don’t sound like every other psychobilly band. … read more
Local Review: The Highway Thieves – Self-titled
The Highway Thieves = Justin Townes Earle + John Mellencamp + Tim Barry … read more
Local Review: Spooky Deville – Breathe Transylvania
Spooky Deville Breathe Transylvania Self-Released Street: 10.2006 Spooky Deville = Graveyard Shift + Conombre Zombi These boys play some decent psychobilly. They are pretty typical of what is going on in the genre right know, almost all psycho and no billy. They do a really good job at using lead singer Dozer’s booming voice. The
Local Review: Red Top Wolverine Show – Sloppy Jalopy
Red Top Wolverine Show Sloppy Jalopy Rev 313 Street:12.05 Red Top Wolverine Show = Rolling Stones + Dead Boys + Model T. Ford These hell stomping garage blues boys and a girl attack with their music, but they keep it bluesy enough to make it refreshing. Most “Garage Blues Bands” have more garage than blues,
Local Review: Life Has a Way – 13 Shots
There are simply not enough bands that approach punk rock the way Life Has A Way does, with humor from the gutter, intensity galore, and an overall “fuck you” attitude that most bands are either too soft or too serious to even approach. … read more
Local Review: Joshy Soul – Vintage Dreamin’
Joshy Soul = Otis Redding + Mayer Hawthorn + Andrea Day
… read more
Local Review: Hot House West – Django in Orbit
Hot House West = Pokey Lafarge + Rhythm Future Quartet + The Fat Babies … read more
Local Review: Danny Wildcard – Delusions of Pander
Danny Wildcard = Scott H. Biram + Slim Cessna’s Auto Club + Ghostwriter
… read more
Local Review: Dan Fletcher – F**k This Year
Dan Fletcher = Austin Lucas + Cory Branan + Lucero … read more
Local Review: Bullets & Belles – Be Glad
Bullets & Belles play contemporary folk-infused with some of the most resonant vocal harmonies I can recall. It’s incredible to me that this group could sing every tune of theirs a cappella and still be captivating. … read more
Local Review: Charles Ellsworth & Vincent Draper – Salt Lake...
These two like-minded folk singer/songwriters have been helping each other with music projects for a while now, so a split record seems quite in order. … read more
Local Review: Bronco – In Lights
Bronco = Gram Parsons + The Sadies + Cory Branan … read more
Local Review: Atomic 45 – Cauterized
Atomic 45 Cauterized Self-Released Street: 04.04 Atomic 45 = System of a Down + Suicidal Tendencies + Corrosion of Conformity I love a band that goes for it unapologetically in their approach, not that they should be apologizing for anything. What I’m getting from Cauterized is an element of exuberance that wasn’t as present on
Local Review: Atomic 45 – Wake Up Dead
Atomic 45 = System of a Down + Rise Against + Anthrax … read more
Local Review: The Swinging Lights – Trouble With the Truth
The Swinging Lights = Gram Parsons + Justin Townes Earl + Guided By Voices … read more
Local Review: The Makeways – Feelin’ Good
The Makeways = The Aggrolites +The Planet Smashers +Booker T. & the M.G’s + The Pietasters … read more
Review: Ancient Ethel – Ancient Ethel
Ancient Ethel = The Cramps + Dex Romweber Duo + Fat Knuckle Freddy … read more
Review: Fred McDowell/Furry Lewis – When I Lay My Burden...
Fred McDowell + Fury Lewis = Robert Johnson + Charlie Patton + Lightin’ Hopkins + Blind Willie McTell + Bukka White + Son House … read more
Review: Eli “Paperboy” Reed – My Way Home
Eli “Paperboy Reed = J.C Brooks + Otis Redding + Wilson Picket
Review: Eddie Spaghetti – The Value of Nothing
Eddie Spaghetti evidently has just too much rock n’ roll in his soul. … read more
Review: Dex Romweber – Carrboro
Dex Romweber = Nick Cave +Link Wray + Heavy Trash … read more
Review: Dex Romweber Duo – Images 13
Hillbilly garage punk madman Dex Romweber has been tearing up roots music since the mid ’80s when he was in the seminal Flat Duo Jets. Dex knows no fear when it comes to playing rock n’ roll. … read more
Review: Deke Dickerson – Echosonic Eldorado
Retro rocker Deke Dickerson tackles roots music with an authenticity and earnestness that never feels like a gimmick. Most of Deke’s records contain a fair amount of rockabilly along with western swing and any number of genres from blues to jazz, but has focused in on rockabilly on Echosonic Eldorado––that’s certainly not say that this record is boring. … read more
Review: Dave Hause – Devour
The Loved One’s current and Paint It Black’s former guitarist has also been putting out solo material since his stint performing on the PIB 2009 revival tour. It’s obvious that Hause knows how to create a large scope with his songs since each of them are emotional epics that tell Americana-type stories. … read more
Review: Darius Koski – Sisu
Darius Koski = Neil Young + Nick Cave + John Doe … read more
Review: Corespondents – Land of the Low People
Now I don’t want to come across as turning my nose up at this record, but Land of the Low People just goes too far. It seems to be experimental for experiment’s sake—make this Utah boy just don’t get it, but each of these 15 instrumentals has very little to latch on to. Jazz and country elements sound great when they’re played, but then they are bent into something unrecognizable (or, in most cases, enjoyable). The strange fact is that I can tell it took a lot of talent create this record, I just can’t imagine anybody electing to let this thing play for longer than 10 minutes or so. … read more
Review: Cory Branan – The No-Hit Wonder
Cory Branan = Justin Townes Earle + Lucero + Todd Snider … read more
Review: Connie Converse – How Sad, How Lovely
Connie Converse = Sara Carter + Harry McClintock + Susan Reed … read more
Review: Chris Wollard and the Ship Thieves – Canyons
Rollicking blues-thumping rock n’ roll bleeds out of these guys. Chris Wollard and the Ship Thieves are a full-throttle rock band with a full, rich sound that is as colorful and as it is raw. Wollard, who’s also in Hot Water Music, takes several steps closer to a more roots-influenced rock sound than he’s done in the past. His song writing, always at a high level, seems to have gone even higher, probably due to the fact that he’s the clearly at the helm of these Ship Thieves, and Canyons is very much his vision. … read more
Review: Chuck Ragan – Till Midnight
It’s amazing to me that Chuck Ragan has become as good as he is. A punk guy playing folk rock seems like it might just be interesting, in the sort-term, because of the juxtaposition of it, but here we are with a fourth full-length and he’s only gotten better.
… read more
Review: C.W. Stoneking – Gon’ Boogaloo
C.W. Stoneking = The Pinehill Haints + Screamin’ Jay Hawkins + T-Model Ford … read more
Review: Brent Amaker and the Rodeo – Year of the...
When it comes to strange and different bands, Brent Amaker and the Rodeo is at the top of my list. I feel like there’s something I just don’t get. … read more
Review: Bad Religion – Christmas Songs
Although I can’t say exactly what I was expecting from this record, I have to say, other than its oddball appeal, the jovial seasonal tunes didn’t really scratch the itch I got when I first heard about this project. … read more
The Honky Tonk Journeyman: An interview with J.P. Harris
J.P. sees himself as a tradesman and approaches his music career the same way he approached working as a carpenter. He works hard and gives his work all that he has. … read more
Reverend Horton Heat @the Depot 2.15 w/ Voodoo Glow Skulls...
Over the years I’ve realized that a band or an artist can change and grow and seeing that evolution can be amazing and astonishing. … read more
The Music of Mayhem and Murder: Pioneer Theatre Company’s Sweeney...
The perfect way to celebrate the fall season as we transition from summer’s roaring blaze to the last few dying embers of the year is seeing a morbidly, macabre musical that contains as much black humor as it does red blood. Pioneer Theatre Company has pulled out every stop for this production, that runs through Nov. 10, and it is not to missed. … read more
Larry and His Flask @ The State Room 10.14 w/...
Headlining the evening’s events, Larry and His Flask are a folk-punk explosion of melody. These five Oregon boys are an off-the-rails freight train—except while the manic energy and movement coming at you is wild and all over the place—their actual playing is studio tight. … read more
Damned, If You Do: An interview with The Damned’s Captain...
When it comes to legendary punk rock bands, there’s all the Hot Topic t-shirt names we all know. But when we’re talking about a band that was original and underived, The Damned are truly deserving of legendary status. They never sounded like anyone else. … read more
Roots Runnin’ Wild: An interview with Chuck Ragan
Chuck Ragan is one of those artists that has the ability to speak to a vast amount of different people. He’s a punk rocker with roots. He’s an outdoorsman, a poet and he’s able to tap into those things and be relevant. Though we may have awhile to wait for new music from Chuck, I know that it’ll be worth the wait. … read more
He’s got the California Blues: An Interview with Dave Alvin
Dave Alvin has always been a true original. He’s followed his passion for music, and it’s taken him through an incredible career that is to be envious of. Catch Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore onstage together at the State Room on Tuesday, Sept. 25. … read more
Crowdsurfing at Warped Tour ’18
On Saturday, June 30, the energy around the final Warped Tour was palpable. There was the usual buzz of excitement with a twinge of the bittersweet. Warped Tour was my coming of age. I moshed to my favorite bands, discovered new music and forged friendships that have lasted to this day. As a final goodbye
Junior Brown: The Torch Bearer
Junior Brown is someone who has put in over 30 years of touring and recording, keeping the fire alive for anyone who values sincerity over flash and glitz, and substance over a passing fad. … read more
Local Reviews: Salt Town Greasers
I can’t tell if these folks are trying to create an eclectic sound or if they just can’t make up their minds up on what to play. Country, punk, psycho and rockabilly all find their way into the mix, but with little thought as to how to play these genres well. … read more
Local Reviews: Die Monster Die
Die Monster Die has truly become a staple of Salt Lake’s underground scene. They play on a fairly regular basis and release a record every now and then. Their metal-laden horror punk is fun and creepy, but they’ve never really stepped above the regular horror punk sludge that inhabits the music collection of anyone who wishes there were more Misfits’ records. … read more
Punk Rock Valhalla: Rancid, Dropkick Murphys, The Selecter, Kevin Seconds...
For the encore, both Dropkick Murphys and Rancid took the stage, and what transpired was glorious: a slew of covers from the Ramones to Johnny Cash. … read more
Walking Contradiction: Justin Townes Earle
There’s an inherent conflict to Justin Townes Earle. He’s often touted as Americana or alt-country, but he’s able to incorporate blues and folk in a very sincere way, while still keeping himself as a through line in each song. … read more
Local Reviews: Opal Hill Drive
Rumor has it this record took eight years to release. What was the big hold up? I’m sorry, but at this stage in your music career, you should be pushing as hard as you can. … read more
Local Reviews: Timothy Hay
This Wreckerd is all over the place as far as genre, bouncing back and forth from blues to folk and everything in between. However, this roots cavalcade hits all the right spots to make an interesting record. With over a dozen players featured, the record becomes epic in scope. … read more
Local Reviews: Victims Willing
I couldn’t be more impressed with a band I hadn’t heard a thing about until I had the CD in my hands. This is hardcore punk rock with just as much vibrancy and attention to melody as brutality, and it has as much viscosity as anyone can handle. … read more
Local Reviews: The Fully Blown
How do I relate to you the greatness found on this record? In complicated words I could say, The Fully Blown is a heavy hard rock band with post-punk influences and lightly dusted with hardcore inflections, with touches of psychedelic guitar work. Simply put, they fucking rock. … read more
Swingin’ Utters, Version Two, Utah County Swillers @ Metro 09.13
On Sept. 13, SLC’s Metro Bar hosted three punk bands that you’ll be sad to have missed: Ogden’s own Version Two, the Utah County Swillers, and the headliner, the Swingin’ Utters. … read more
Bloodshot Bill: A One-Man Riot
“I just think of myself as the human jukebox, just a noise-making, and hopefully, you like the noise I make,” says Bloodshot Bill. Hailing from great Montreal, Bill has been raging on the rockabilly scene since ’98—and this October, Bill will light up the stage in Salt Lake City and Ogden. … read more
Luke Bell: The Country Gentleman
When it comes to country music, it’s all about the song, the story, the emotion and, for the lack of a better word, the soul. That’s the thing that can’t be faked. So, when the real thing comes along, it is like a punch to the gut. That’s how I felt when I first heard Luke Bell, who comes to play Salt Lake City at The State Room on Aug. 2. … read more
Pine Hill Haints: Spirits That Are Willing
If it’s the latest, up-to-the-minute, newfangled music you want, you better look elsewhere, because that’s not what the Pine Hill Haints do. If you want honesty and candor done creatively, that’s what the Haints deliver in droves. … read more
Scott H. Biram: Going It Alone
Scott H. Biram is simply unstoppable. If I believed in a god, I would wholeheartedly believe that he put Scott H. Biram on this earth to be the dirty-ol’ one-man band that he is and to be playing the disorderly blues and country music that he creates so well. … read more
Unknown Hinson: Fear of the Unknown
To say Unknown Hinson is quite the character would be a vast understatement—he’s set on a path to reach legendary status. … read more
Top 5 Ameripolitan Albums that Shitcan the Cowboy Hat and...
“There’s punk rock in my country, and badonkadonk in my honky tonk!” Don’t fret, fragile cowpoke. If you’re a tried and true country-fried cowpunk, it’s time to shitcan the cowboy hat for some good ’ol Ameripolitan albums. … read more
Stepping Through the Cemetery: 12 Step Rebels
12 Step Rebels Ain’t Fluffin’ Up Their Pure Psychobilly From the deserts of Albuquerque, N.M., comes the pure psychobilly sounds of the 12 Step Rebels. The 12 Step Rebels are rocking the graveyard with their songs of creatures of the night. [12 Step Rebels]The 12 Step Rebels started in 2000, released an EP on a
Nothing Wrong With Being Hexed
Hexed is strong in everything it’s trying to do. I would love to see this title run for a good, long time. … read more
Shane Kiel: A Little Further Down the Line
The journey of any musician is full of surprising twists and unexpected turns. Shane Kiel, known best in these parts as upright bass player for Mad Max and the Wild Ones, has had a fascinating expedition into life. … read more
Review: The Sacred Blacksmith Complete Series – S.A.V.E.
The Sacred Blacksmith follows the journey of Cecily, a newly dubbed knight who has set out to honor her family name. … read more
The Defenders I Guess?
The panel kicked off with lots of ironic talk about how nobody really remembers who the Defenders actually were and whether or not the characters of these Netflix series were ever in the comic book iteration of the superhero team. … read more
Dale Watson: The True Ameripolitan Man
Standing firmly on the traditionalist side, Dale Watson has been making his brand of music for over 25 years. … read more
Daredevil: The Show Without Fear
Easily the exception to the typically weak villains of the Marvel cinematic universe, D’Onofrio’s performance in Daredevil is chilling and layered. … read more
The Comics Code: How Psychiatry Almost Ruined Comics
The now-defunct comics code holds a strange and peculiar place in history. I don’t know if everyone would want to be lectured on the past of the Comic book industry, but this was great time diving into some rich comic book history. … read more
Totally Insaney: The Animaniacs Live
If you grew up in the mid-nineties like I did, you know the last great bastion of classic American cartoons is Animaniacs. … read more
Marvel: Being Inhuman
This panel discussed the inclusion of the Inhumans into the Marvel on-screen universe and the announcement of the an Inhumans movie coming in 2019. … read more
Legendary Shack Shakers: Ugly And Desperate Isn’t Easy
The man that put the “legendary” in the Legendary Shack Shakers is renowned frontman JD Wilkes, who has been able to take his strange notions of music and parlay them into a 20 year career. … read more
Review: Run Love Kill
Run Love Kill follows Rain, a gifted soldier and assassin who discovers that she may be fighting for the wrong side. It’s all a fairly familiar storyline with some very familiar tropes. … read more
Review: The Lion Of Rora
Those comic readers who are up on their 16 century European history may find a sweet spot in their heart for Lion of Rora, but outside of that, I can’t imagine the average comic book fan adding this to their pile. … read more
Local Reviews: Blue Moon Bombers
No matter how many times I’ve heard aggressive rockabilly music, whether it’s psychobilly, punkabilly, neo-rockabilly or whatever, it’s still an entertaining idea. The Bombers don’t seem afraid of going after full psycho or pulling it back to a more traditional feel. The guitar work is a heavy presence and is very well played as the drums and upright bass thump and bang out solid rhythms. … read more
Local Reviews: Hot Club of Zion
Hot Club of Zion is one of the best jazz trios around. They play a gypsy style of jazz, and even though the mention of the genre brings to mind the great Django Reinhardt, they still maintain their own identity while paying proper homage. … read more
Local Reviews: Charles Ellsworth and the Dirty Thirty
This Arizona transplant has created a record full of sorrowful tunes that seems to organically flow from within himself. Gentle in his approach, each song is as thoughtful in its songwriting as it is in its production. One that stood out for me was “These Desert Nights,” which builds a picture of the lost feeling that Ellsworth himself has surely had while spending time in his native land. … read more
Local Reviews: Bullets & Belles
I have to say that this might be the best production of anything local I’ve ever heard, which would stand to reason, since while Bullets & Belles only formed last year, the members are all veteran musicians. This three-song EP is some damn catchy jazz pop, with stunning vocals, thoughtful lyrics and brilliant songwriting. … read more
Local Review: The Hang Ups
I love everything about punk rock—the anger, the energy, all of it. I hope that three-piece bands like The Hung Ups are always around. The songs on this EP are so immediate and easy to get into. … read more
Review: DESTRUCTO MAXIMUS – ANTiSEEN
DESTRUCTO MAXIMUS ANTiSEEN Steel Cage Books Street: 01.01.03 This book drips blood; I’m not kidding. The pure destructo rock evil of ANTiSEEN inhabits it. A black leather cover and silver foil lettering is more than appropriate for a book I can’t put down, which I’m a little afraid of. Destructo Maximus is a collection of
Just Another Fan on Stage: An Interview with Matt Freeman
Matt Freeman is the best bass player out there, and he’s been proving it for years in Rancid and, before that, in Operation Ivy. When longtime Social Distortion bassist John Maher quit in order to spend more time with his family, Social D went looking for a new bass player. Mike Ness went straight to
AFI
If a band finds a certain level of success in what they’re doing does that automatically make them “sell-outs?” Case in point, AFI has recently enjoyed #1 status on the charts with their new record Decemberunderground. A lot of people have come out of the independent woodwork to slam this band with all sorts of
A Rocker Against Parkinson’s
Back in the late 70s, rockabilly was all but alive. That was until three young men, Brian Setzer, Lee Rocker and Slim Jim Phantom slapped some grease in their hair, picked up their respective instruments and formed the Stray Cats. They would go on to remind the world of the greatness that this early form
Viva Las Vegas Gets Better and Better
Every year on Easter weekend for the past 10 years, rockabillys from all over the world ascend on the city of Las Vegas to rock, bop, drink and dance away the four crazy nights of the Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekender. Here in Salt Lake, local car clubs and true rockabilly fans get geared up
Devil’s Brigade: Halfway to Hell
Matt Freeman has been the man to beat on bass for years. Since the late eighties he has put his signature driving bass lines to work in Operation Ivy, Rancid and various other bands, and has been happy to fill the role of side man. Now with over 20 years of career to look back on Freeman is looking forward by taking his side project, Devil’s Brigade, out on the road to support their self-titled debut release. … read more
Hail to the Queen of Rock n Roll: An Interview...
Wanda Jackson is a true legend. Originally a country singer, Jackson has been baring her soul through song since the mid ‘50s. Luckily, her good friend Elvis convinced her try her hand at rock n’ roll, and from that moment on, Jackson and the rest of world would never be the same.
The Dwarves: Back at It… and Still the Best
Anyone who has ever been a fan of The Dwarves knows that they are true originals. The band’s two staple members, guitarist HeWhoCannotBeNamed and lead singer Blag Dahlia, are anomalies all their own. Somehow, this highly explosive punk rock outfit has lasted for 25 years, and to mark that occasion, they have released their twelfth full-length record Born Again. I had a chat with Blag about where the band is now and what they want out of the future. … read more
A Night at a Swingin’ Utters Show
When a band like Swingin’ Utters comes to town, it’s interesting to see how it turns out for a group that has been around for 20 plus years and has played numerous shows in our fair city. The Utters have had great momentum lately, releasing two full-length records in less than three years, touring regularly and generally putting themselves back on the map after an extended period of rest. I had a chance to speak with guitarist Darius Koski briefly before the show. … read more
The Bellfuries Aren’t a Rockabilly Band
Joe Simeone started the Bellfuries in 1998 and began playing rockabilly that would widen the perception of what could be accomplished in the genre. The Bellfuries broke ground by incorporating ‘60s pop melodies with R&B rhythms and soul, all pulled together by great playing and Simeone’s rich vocal abilities. While investigating the many areas of their musical palates, the band solidified their lineup as a four-piece and is now ready to take on the world. … read more
Making History From the Shadows: Interview with Agnostic Front’s Roger...
The first time I heard anything hardcore was the first time I saw Agnostic Front live. Everything about them was so brutal. I couldn’t believe my ears—the way Vinny Stigma punished his guitar and the way Rodger Miret attacked the microphone with such magnetism; it was the most ferocious thing I’d ever seen. … read more
Review: Let The Fury Have The Hour: The Punk Rock...
LET THE FURY HAVE THE HOUR: THE PUNK ROCK POLITICS OF JOE STRUMMER ANTINIO D’ AMBROSI Nation Books Street: 10.13.04 I still remember turning on the TV after coming home from work to hear that Joe Strummer had died. I couldn’t believe that he could be gone just like that. I couldn’t sleep that night,
Review: 924 GILMAN THE STORY SO FAR… – BRIAN EDGE
924 GILMAN THE STORY SO FAR… COMPILED BY BRIAN EDGE Maximum Rock N Roll Street: 12.01.04 For me there are very few truly pure musical places in the world today. At the top of my list are Sun Studios in Memphis, CBGB’s in New York, and maybe the purest, 924 Gilman in Berkley. It was
Out of the Coffin: Kim Nekroman Resurrects the Nekromantix
… and Carries On with the Horrorpops The Nekromantix’ Kim Nekroman, with his homemade coffin bass, stayed at the forefront of the European psychobilly scene for almost 16 years, until the band’s relocation to L.A. With his wife Patricia on upright bass, he picked up the guitar and formed the Horrorpops, who tread all over
The Deal with the Devil
The key elements of rock n’ roll are danger, sex, energy and anger. If none of these are present you don’t have rock n’ roll. If all of these elements are present, you’ve got something extraordinary. … read more
This Ain’t Royal Crown Revival!
Jazz is not safe music. Sex, drugs and experimentation, that’s what jazz is all about, and few modern artists get that. … read more
Rest In Peace Lux Interior
When Lux Interior of The Cramps hit the stage, he commanded you to watch him. Sadly, it’s a spectacle the world will never have the chance to see again. Lux Interior died on Feb. 4 at the age of 62 from aortic dissection. … read more
Localized: The Radio Rhythm Makers, Kate LeDeuce and the Soul...
This month’s Localized features The Radio Rhythm Makers, Kate LeDeuce and the Soul Terminators and openers The Boomsticks. … read more
Can’t Stop This Runaway Train
This king of juke joint swing’s sole purpose has been to put out stellar record after stellar record of his own blend of honky tonk, jazz and rockabilly. He also tours his ass off and plays each show like there’s no tomorrow. … read more
Geek Show Us All
Kerry Jackson of X96’s Radio From Hell and his cohorts have gathered in his basement and constructed a podcast that not only covers news of the sci-fi world and beyond, but has been entertaining enough to garner 20,000 plus downloads per episode. I had to see for myself what these geeks had been up to, so I ventured alone into the basement of a seemingly normal home and entered the world of the geek. … read more
Swingin’ Utters: Back in the Swing of Things
Though the Swingin’ Utters haven’t released a studio album since 2003, they’ve released a live album, a b-sides/rarities compilation, and earlier this year a tribute record was released. With news that the band will be releasing a new 7” entitled Brand New Lungs on June 22, a new album coming this Fall and extensive touring in the near future, I felt the need to get an interview with Utters’ guitarist/multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Darius Koski and to get his thoughts. … read more
Derek Hunter
For over seven years, Derek Hunter has been one of the few independent comic writers in Salt Lake. His flagship title, Pirate Club, features twisted tales of youngsters roaming the streets of their small town looking for adventure. Hunter, with a dozen or so friends, also informally hosts a weekly Tuesday draw night at Nobrow Coffee. The group recently decided to parlay the fruits of draw night into an art show that’ll be held at Nobrow on August 20. The night will double as Hunter’s debut of his new autobiographic comic––Derek Hunter is A Fuck. … read more
A Craftsman at Heart
Driving around Salt Lake, it’s easy to see that we have a healthy tattoo community. A copious number of shops have infested the landscape, and it can be difficult to sort out quality from the tremendous quantity. Heart of Gold Tattoo has that quality in spades. Owner Jon McAffee, a 10-year veteran of the Salt Lake tattoo terrain, has worked in shops like Apparition Ink and Oni, and recently entered a new stage of his career last September when he opened Heart of Gold Tattoo. … read more
You, Me and The Devil: The Devil Makes Three
Drawing from folk, hot jazz, all types of acoustic music and just enough edge to put punk on the list, The Devil Makes Three is a one-of-a-kind act that has been spellbinding audiences around the country. This drummer-less three-piece conjures up thoughts of Depression-era sting and jug bands, but remains relevant to the present day. I had a chance to talk to frontman Pete Bernhard about the genesis of such a band and where The Devil Makes Three fits in this contemporary music scene. … read more
National CD Reviews – July 2011
New releases from Black Lips, Crystal Stilts, Dox, Explosions In the Sky, Friendly Fires, Iceage, Jello Biafra, Los Vigilantes, Set Your Goals, Sol Invictus, Thurston Moore. Tyler the Creator and many, many more are reviewed.
… read more
The Country Side of Life
He may not look like he belongs on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry, but after years of pioneering the psychobilly genre here in America, Tiger Army front man Nick 13 has taken some time to diverge from the world of fast-paced, hard-charging rock n’ roll to refocus his talents on country music. Elegant in its delivery and colorful in its tones, the self-titled debut sounds like it was created by a talented veteran of country music. … read more
Local Reviews: Mayson Lee and the Rock & Roll Space...
There’s ome pretty fun greasy pop punk with a little horror thrown in on the EP from Mayson Lee. At first I didn’t think much of the female fronted group—they sounded like a lot of other bands to me—but after a few listens, I was coming around and started to see that they may not be reinventing the wheel, but they do know how to get it spinning. … read more
Heat Me Up: an Interview with Reverend Horton Heat
Reverand Horton Heat are one of those bands that every music fan knows, and with the way they tour, fans have probably seen them live a few times. They’ve charged through a 28-year career, always attempting new and challenging paths. A recent choice has been to include a guest appearance by another musical figure in their set. Guests, so far, have been Lemmy of Motörhead, Deke Dickerson, and Jello Biafra, who joined them on their Salt Lake date. … read more
Quit Shaking and Get Dirty with the Dirt Daubers
“I grew up watching TV and being influenced by pop culture like everyone else, but over time, I found that to be hollow, and eventually all you do is become a commodity to be bought and sold. But there is that undercurrent of culture that lives in every one of us—it’s indigenous, and we lose more and more over time. I love feeling connected to that history.” … read more
Cash’d Out @ The State Room 02.21
Douglas Benson’s vocals are so spot-on that if you closed your eyes you could be transported to a Cash live show circa 1962. Songs like “Boy Named Sue,” “Walk the Line” and even the folk tale epic “The Ballad of John Henry” were all done with attention to detail in such a way that these guys weren’t just playing Cash songs, they were playing Cash songs the way Cash and his band played them … read more
Just Jonny: An Interview with Social Distortion’s Jonny “Two Bags”...
“So many different things about me manifest themselves on the record, whether it be through lyrics or whatever.” Jonny “Two Bags” Wickersham has put together an eclectic record that plays like a musical autobiography of a guy that has made music his entire life. … read more
Just An Oklahoma Boy: An Interview with JD McPherson
“People like Wanda Jackson, Chet Baker, Charlie Christian and even Eddie Cochran was originally an Oklahoma cat. When Eric Clapton quit Cream, his whole band was recruited out of Tulsa. So I was surrounded by music growing up, by pickers out in the sticks, and my parents were really into music as well. People ask me all the time and seem to expect me to pick [up] and move to some place like Chicago or L.A., but I’m happy to stay here in Oklahoma.” … read more
Grabbing the Kat by the Tail: Koffin Kats Interview
Anyone who’s seen the Koffin Kats live will tell you that they are fueled by sweat and blood and that they put everything they can of themselves on stage. It’s intense, it’s keyed up to 11 and they have no other setting than balls to the wall. … read more
SLUG Readers Interview Social Distortion
For over 30 years, Social Distortion has built a loyal following wherever their music has reached, Salt Lake being no exception. Mike Ness and the boys have never had any trouble selling out shows in our fair city, which is why SLUG reached out to you, our readers, via Facebook and Twitter, to submit the questions you’ve always wanted Ness to answer. Never ones to let us down, you came up with some terrific inquiries that evoked some interesting responses from Mr. Ness. … read more
Localized – Staks O’Lee, Puddle Mountain Ramblers and Ugly Valley...
Roots music has always had a strong foothold in Salt Lake. With our rural history and independent spirit, folk, bluegrass, blues and country have all found a home here. We’re lucky enough to have the rough and gruff, down and dirty Ugly Valley Boys and the cotton lickin’, finger pickin’ Puddle Mountain Ramblers on June 8 for Localized this month at Urban Lounge with opener Staks O’Lee. … read more
Local Reviews: Dirtbags Don’t Die
Dirtbags Don’t Die reminds me of those Hellcat Records compilations, Give ‘Em the Boot, which were full of all sorts of punk, hardcore, ska and a ton of other genres. Dirtbags Don’t Die can blast out top-notch punk rock, like on “Suckerpunch,” and the next thing you know, they’re seamlessly slipping into a laid-back ska tune like “I Remember.” … read more
Picking up Some Colonel Knowledge: J.D. Wilkes Plays Salt Lake...
Even though he’s spent the last 14 years as the wild and rambunctious frontman of The Legendary Shack Shakers, J.D. “The Colonel” Wilkes was unable to resist his urges to create another highly original band with his wife Jessica: The Dirt Daubers. Now touring simultaneously with both groups on the same bill, Wilkes is up to the challenge of bringing his dual musical visions to life night after night. … read more
A Custom Lifestyle
Strictly an original, the legendary Bo Huff has been customizing cars and throwing vintage car show shindigs for 16 years now. This winner of the Grand National Roadster Show, operates out of East Carbon, Utah—close to where his automotive tinkering began in the ’50s. His annual events in East Carbon, and the more sporadic shows put on in southern Calif., have always been successful and, in recent years, have grown more popular. … read more
Localized
SLUG has a lineup of gypsy swingers Hot Club of Zion, the hard bopping Ambassadors and the avant-jazz of openers Exponential Rabbit, who will make their music live and breathe right in front of you at the Urban Lounge, Saturday, May 11, for $5, 21+. Those of you who are underage, banished to the outskirts of the city or stuck at home can catch the music streaming live starting at 9:45 p.m. on GigViz.com! … read more
Mad Max & The Wild Ones: the New Normal
The standard order of things is that, when we find rock n’ roll, we use it to piss off our parents—not to start a family rockabilly band with Dad playing upright bass and Little Brother taking on lead vocals at the age of 4. But “standard” and “normal” are not words that anyone would use to describe the Maxwell family, nor Mad Max & The Wild Ones. … read more
Top 5: J.D. Wilkes and the Dirt Daubers
Earlier this year, I was stunned and saddened to hear of the breakup of Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers, the band that Col. J.D. Wilkes fronted and took from obscurity to prominence. With the exit of longtime bass player Mark Robinson, Wilkes decided to start a new chapter with his wife, Jessica Wilkes, who was already a part of J.D.’s mountain string band, The Dirt Daubers. Jessica takes on bass playing and shares lead vocal duties in the new incarnation. … read more
The Legend of Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys
After more than 25 years of playing with the Fly-Rite Boys, he’s more than earned the term legend. Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys are set to perform in Salt Lake City at The Garage on Beck on May 6.
A Sign of Hi-Style: Interview with Jimmy Sutton
When a Chicago-based musician decided to turn his attic into a recording studio, he had no way of knowing that from that studio, he’d record one of the most devastating roots rock n’ roll records ever concocted. … read more
Jeff Michael Vice – February 2, 1965 – May 27,...
On May 27, Salt Lake City lost one of its favorite sons. Jeff Vice was somebody that everyone in town knew—he couldn’t walk into any bar or coffee shop without seeing a friend or being recognized by a fan with whom he would instantly interact, as if they were already friends. He gave everyone his attention and was always ready to talk movies, music and comics expertly and passionately. … read more