SLUG Contributor Limelight
May 1, 2005
Contributor Limelight: Ryan Michael Painter
Ryan Michael Painter embodies the hand that plucks the computer keys and has moved the cursor across the screen for nearly five years in the creation and constant progression of his column, Glitter Gutter Trash – one of the longest running columns inside SLUG Magazine. He’s spotted the mag with numerous cover stories a propos the gothic, Brit pop, and shoegazer, and as a fervent cinematic enthusiast is involved in both the critique and crafting of motion pictures (at various levels). Though it may be possible that the swirling gray sea of melancholy he describes as encapsulating all but the very surface of his being, the boyish excited twinkle that shoots from his eyes when discussing many of his favorite artists suggests otherwise. The secret to the paradox that is this man may lie in the hours of music he’s concieved and constructed in his own dark basement, but as nearly no one has or ever will hear it, he may simply remain a mystery to all of us. – Nate Martin
Articles by contributor
Local Review: Fearless Union – The Supreme Leader
The Supreme Leader by Fearless Union is an interesting album to listen to and a nightmare to try to describe and the band is all over the electronic map. … read more
Still, Almost With You: The Church Return to SLC in...
2017 gives us Man Woman Life Death Infinity, a gorgeous album that liberally references The Church’s past phases. … read more
Review: Wrekmeister Harmonies – The Alone Rush
Wrekmeister Harmonies = Low + Thomas Feiner + Dario Argento … read more
Review: Workhouse – The End Of The Pier
WORKHOUSE THE END OF THE PIER Devil in the Woods Workhouse creates an instrumental world of organic soundscapes with more variety and style than you’d find in a dozen releases from a less skilled band. There are bits and pieces that run the gambit of shoegazer influences including nods to My Bloody Valentine, Ride and
Review: Zirafa – Turnstyles
Zirafa Turnstyles Risk the Rook Turnstyles starts off nicely with breaking glass and electronics, somewhat reminiscent of what Depeche Mode did with “Blasphemous Rumor.” The second track, “Lost,” however, hints at something far more than interesting with its lighthearted piano giving way into distorted guitars and washed vocals. There is something slightly hip-hop by way
Review: Wumpscut – Blondi
Wumpscut Blondi Metropolis Blondi was the name of Hitler’s German Shepherd. Coincidence or not, Blondi is the name of Rudy’s latest bitch. Not even a year since Bone Peeler, this six-track single, with two original tracks, previews for the latest, Evoke. It starts with military camp sirens for “Rush,” a catchy, danceable, 4/4, monotonous,
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: 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: The Waxwings – Let’s Make Our Descent
THE WAXWINGS LET’S MAKE OUR DESCENT Rainbow Quartz Although you can hear the garage influences Detroit’s The Waxwings pull a few tricks from the glory days of the Rolling Stones by way of the Dandy Warhols rather than jumping The White Stripes bandwagon. Not that there isn’t any blues to be found, there’s more than
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 Kills – Ash & Ice
The Kills = Raveonettes – Phil Spector + The Rolling Stones
… read more
Review: The Shore – Self-Title
THE SHORE THE SHORE Maverick In a time when labels are scrambling to capitalize on the space Coldplay has left while they record their new album with UK bands like Snow Patrol and Keane it seems fitting that the most suitable replacement should be from California. Not that The Shore are going to be confused
Review: The Thrills – Let’s Bottle Bohemia
THE THRILLS LET’S BOTTLE BOHEMIA Virgin The Thrills debut So Much for the City was greeted with so many fantastic reviews, awards and a wallop of hype that you’d think they’d invented rock’n’roll. I was unimpressed. For Let’s Bottle Bohemia I wiped the slate clean, ignored the inevitable hype and the result? They’re a good
Review: The Prodogy – Always Out Numbered, Never Out Gunned
THE PRODIGY ALWAYS OUT NUMBERED, NEVER OUT GUNNED Maverick You couldn’t help but feel like this album was never going to come. A year or two’s worth of rumors, a single that subsequently led to silence, line-up changes in the supporting cast and then suddenly here it is. Always Out Numbered, Never Out Gunned is supposed
Review: The Violettes – Self-Titled
THE VIOLETTES THE VIOLETTES www.theviolettes.com From the opening rolling cascades of sound of “Blue Hearted Fool,” it is quite clear that The Violettes are a shoegaze delight with fantastic production that allows for the chaos of sound to swell without giving the songs a cheap wash of undefined sound. That is, until the groove kicks
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
Review: The Local Division – Pure Electric Light E.P.
THE LOCAL DIVISION PURE ELECTRIC LIGHT E.P. Aeronaut Records Singer Ian Christian and guitarist Mati met at a Mark Gardener (Ride) show. The only problem was that Ian lived in the UK and Mati was from Los Angeles. Regardless, they’ve released this rather interesting E.P. The first two tracks lift the early heavy strumming from
Review: The Static Age – Neon Nights Electric Lives
The Static Age Neon Nights Electric Lives Tarantulas Having toured with AFI, you might expect something with a little more of a punk rock kick from The Static Age, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that they’re actually closer to Catherine Wheel than Davey Havok & Co. Not that you can’t find the smallest
Review: The Perishers – Let There Be Morning
The Perishers Let There Be Morning Nettwerk The Perishers come sauntering in with a long list of hopefuls who would, if given the chance, knock that bloody crown off of Coldplay’s collective head. They’re stretching out for Radiohead’s The Bends but grasping something with a bit more sugar, not nearly the substance or the
Review: The Upwelling – Self-Titled
The Upwelling Self-Titled TheUpwelling The Upwelling are the first unsigned band to get Virgin Megatore’s “Virgin Recommends” sticker stuck to their CD, and while it isn’t hard to see why Virgin would endorse them with a sound that lands right between Jimmy Eat World and next week’s British soft-pop contender I don’t know that I
Review: The Great Depression – Unconscious Pilot
THE GREAT DEPRESSION UNCONSCIOUS PILOT Princess As the name of the band might suggest, The Great Depression, this lot create music with a predominantly mellow and melancholy tone. Not to say that there isn’t some lovely drum work to keep things from bottoming out and the occasional piano bit to swing away from the cascading
Review: The Black Swans – Who will Walk In The...
THE BLACK SWANS WHO WILL WALK IN THE DARKNESS WITH YOU? Delmore Recording Society Having recently listened to The Tiger Lillies masterpiece Shockheaded Peter: A Junk Opera I was primed for a slice of this overtly theatrical debut release from Jerry DeCicca and Co. What makes Shockheaded Peter brilliant is that even though it is
Review: The Hidden Cameras – Mississauga, Goddam
THE HIDDEN CAMERAS MISSISSAUGA, GODDAM Rough Trade Oh dear, The Hidden Cameras sounds like a rather twisted wreck of the flamboyant sexuality of the Scissor Sisters with the dark wit and tangled allusions to debauchery of The Beautiful South, the sing-along retro-chic of Belle and Sebastian and the awkward humanity found in all things by
Review: The Dead Science – Bird Bones in the Bughouse
The Dead Science Bird Bones in the Bughouse Absolutely Kosher The drummer plays in a jerky, attacking motion that reminds me of Tori Amos. The vocals are hushed, falsetto and reaching for a dramatic beauty that falls between the dissonance of the guitars and stand-up bass. It’s mutant jazz on downers twitching along in
Review: The Cloud Room – Self-Titled
The Cloud Room Self-Titled Gigantic Music Street: 04.19 The Cloud Room = new wave + post-punk + New York City It’s hard to get your head around this album. There is evidence that suggests that it is simply a concoction of everything popular in independent music these days. At one turn you’ve got the bouncy
Review: Terrorfakt – Cold Steel World
TERRORFAKT COLD STEEL WORLD Metropolis 4/5 If you’re not familiar with them already, then now is a good time to discover the caustic rhythms and dance-club war-zone created by Terrorfakt. With only the second release, Cold Steel World, they have raised the bar for acts to follow. Simple yet powerful rhythms compose each of the
Review: Sugur Rós – Von
SIGUR RÓS VON One Little Indian There’s this band from Iceland. No, not the Sugarcubes. The other band, Sigur Rós—perhaps you’ve heard of them? Well, this is their first album that up until this point hasn’t been officially available in America. It sounds like a nightmare, a rolling psychotic grind into the sparseness of darkness
Review: The Angels of Light – Other People
The Angels of Light Other People Young God Michael Gira (Swans) returns with an album that is familiar while remaining a departure from what you might expect: Other People. Gone are the grandiose epics and hypnotic peaks replaced by a starkness that finally allows a glimpse of the brilliance without the antics getting in the
Review: Strange Boutique – The Collection 1988-1994
STRANGE BOUTIQUE THE COLLECTION 1988-1994 Metropolis Faith and the Muse is certainly a fine band with their ethereal rock and theatricality, but I’ve always felt that Monica Richards’ best work was locked in a secret capsule called Strange Boutique. The sound isn’t all that far removed from Faith and the Muse; I always felt like
Review: Starflyer 59 – Talking Voice VS. Singing Voice
Starflyer 59 Talking Voice VS. Singing Voice Tooth & Nail I’ve listened to this album for a couple months trying to sort out how I feel about it. I’ve come up with this: Starflyer 59 make sugar-coma pop music. It’s epic in a small box theater, but not exactly made for big booming stadiums. It
Review: Singapore Sling – Life Is Killing My Rock’N’Roll
SINGAPORE SLING LIFE IS KILLING MY ROCK’N’ROLL Stinky Singapore Sling’s debut album, The Curse of Singapore Sling, was greeted by over-anxious critics who hailed this Icelandic import as the rising sun. I was numbered among those critics. This isn’t to say they weren’t worthy of a little attention. Their sonic wall of distorted haze was
Review: Silver Sunshine – Self-Titled
SILVER SUNSHINE SILVER SUNSHINE Empyrean Records Silver Sunshine are a delightful little group of San Diego musicians that are clearly in love with psychedelic pop. They’re quite talented, have some good hooks here and there and capture the sound that the Stone Roses used on their Second Coming release, but in this case, you can’t
Review: S – Puking & Crying
S PUKING & CRYING Suicide Squeeze S are the reversed reflection or negative print of Postal Service with the duo of Josh Wackerly and Jenn Ghetto steering the runaway rollercoaster of songs crafted with female vocals, guitar-driven structures and electronic touches with results that are both intimate and brooding, while only sacrificing the oversaturated pop
Review: Rachel Goswell – Waves are Universal
RACHEL GOSWELL WAVES ARE UNIVERSAL 4AD Rachel Goswell: You might not recognize the name, but I’d have a hard time believing that someone who has any interest in my column wouldn’t have heard her voice in either Slowdive or Mojave 3. Her solo debut is as stunning as Neil Halstead’s (also in both previously mentioned
Review: Rosetta Stone – Adrenaline Deluxe
Rosetta Stone Adrenaline Deluxe Cleopatra In the late 80s, goth had become a bombastic beast that for better or worse was bent on imploding. It had grown from the small seedy clubs of London into the ugly stepchild the UK press tried to edit out of the family photos. No surprise then, that by the
Review: Random Hymns EP – GSL
Random Hymns EP GSL This one might scramble your brains a bit in the traditional Gold Standard way. Punk in attitude, freeform in structure, drenched in organs thrust along by the occasional drum bit stolen from The Cure’s Pornography. Random Hymns drops you down the rabbit hole and dares you to climb out. It
Review: Primal Scream – Chaosmosis
Primal Scream = New Order + Happy Mondays + Blur
… read more
Review: PJ Harvey – The Hope Six Demolition Project
PJ Harvey = Bad Seeds + Tom Waits + Mars Williams
… read more
Review: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark – The Punishment of...
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark = Kraftwerk + Roxy Music … read more
Review: Patrick Wolf – Wind In The Wires
PATRICK WOLF WIND IN THE WIRES Tomlab One moment you’re visiting the exotic world of Marc Almond’s cabaret, the next you’re The Divine Comedy channeling Morrissey at a piano bar, then you’re somewhere else and nowhere the same. There are acoustic guitars, strings, electronic grooves, beats and a whole heap of dramatics. Most artists would
Review: Peter Murphy – Unshattered
Peter Murphy Unshattered Viastar Odd how a Peter Murphy album can be released and some six months later, they’re finally sending it out to the press. I’ve had the album for quite some time now and even though my opinion of it has improved over time, Unshattered is a little hard to swallow. Still fresh
Review: Nadine Shah – Holiday Destination
Nadine Shah = Bad Seeds – Nick Cave + The Creatures … read more
Review: Nicki Jane – Of Pigeons and Other Curiosities
NICKI JANE OF PIGEONS AND OTHER CURIOSITIES Shaman Yes, it is comforting to know that there is still enough space in the world for a little dark cabaret. On Of Pigeons and Other Curiosities, Nicki Jane swings around her guitar or piano with a bitter assurance reminiscent of Nick Cave. Through restraint, she’s more subtle
Review: NamelessNumberHeadman – Your Voice Repeating
NAMELESSNUMBERHEADMAN YOUR VOICE REPEATING The Record Machine Quite frankly this is an experiment that at any given moment threatens to go awry. A dose of the Flaming Lips’ bizarre atmospheric kookiness, occasional afternoon drinking binges with acoustic guitars and quiet pianos that from time to time explode into New Order’s rock-electronica before crashing into the
Review: Minor Victories – Self-titled
Minor Victories = Ride + My Bloody Valentine + Thomas Feiner & Anywhen’s “The Siren Songs”
… read more
Review: Midlake – Bamnan and Slivercork
MIDLAKE BAMNAN AND SLIVERCORK Bella Union Typically, Simon Raymonde (Cocteau Twins) and his lovely Bella Union record label release quality albums. Bamnan and Slivercork from Midlake is quite easily the worst lazy clone of a Flaming Lips release that you could ever imagine. It’s detached without any sense of purpose other than to remind me that
Review: Motel Creeps – Pleasantries In The Parlor EP
MOTEL CREEPS PLEASANTRIES IN THE PARLOR EP www.motelcreeps.com “Moon Boots” sways in as a Bunnymen jam with a slightly more animated Interpol flavor. I’m not blown away, but I’m pleased with the combination of warm guitars and distant vocals. The remaining tracks, “City Girl,” “Gun for Hire,” and “Ocean Storm” are solid but not nearly
Review: Mazarin – We’re Already There
Mazarin We’re Already There I & Ear Records Street: 07.26 Mazarin = James – Glastonbury + Flaming Lips – Aliens Historians have a luxury not offered to the rest of us. Rather than looking forward, they can peel back the events as they happened and find the foreshadowing with a fair amount of accuracy. Of
Review: Minmae – I’d Be Scared, Were You Still Burning
Minmae I’d Be Scared, Were You Still Burning Greyday Productions Street: 06.07 Minmae = Lou Reed – David Bowie + Swans – Brilliant lyricism It’s that deadpan vocal, not quite singing but more dramatic than simple narration, that worked for everyone from Lou Reed to Jarvis Cocker and in a regard, Joy Division. But there
Review: M83 – Dead Cities, Read Seas & Lost Ghosts
M83 DEAD CITIES, READ SEAS & LOST GHOSTS Mute There will be those who would crown this French duo as the anointed kings of highbrow hipness and perhaps, for once, the masses might not be far wrong. M83’s sound is caught directly between Sigur Ros’ stark and soaring beauty and Air’s synthesized warmth. The result
Review: Magnapop – Mouthfeel
MAGNAPOP MOUTHFEEL Daemon You might remember them, or perhaps you’ve seen their albums floating around somewhere. Magnapop were on a self-imposed hiatus. Now they’re back. Ruthie still plays noisy guitars and Linda still sings, two blokes provide the rhythm and maybe, just maybe, Mouthfeel will make you nostalgic for the early-to-mid 90s when this
Review: Manic Street Preachers – The Holy Bible 10th Anniversary...
Manic Street Preachers The Holy Bible 10th Anniversary Edition Epic Generally speaking, the body tends to wash ashore, the mystery fades and eventually everyone forgets that there was a story associated with a particular piece of art. In the case of the Manic’s The Holy Bible, the folklore of Richie Edwards and his untraceable
Review: Lapush – Someplace Closer to Here
Lapush Someplace Closer to Here FourFiveSix Street: 06.07 Lapush = Coldplay – grandstanding & misguided egotism St. Lewis’ Lapush have a sound that suggests you go back to a time when Coldplay’s ambition to be the biggest band in the world didn’t come across as blind arrogance. Taking in the landscape of popular music, the
Review: Le Concorde – EP
LE CONCORDE EP Space Kitty It is always a pleasant surprise when a CD bears a sticker telling of guest artists featured within and you ultimately realize the band sticker is underselling the talent and potential of the band. Sure, the appearance of the Psychedelic Fur’s guitarist, John Ashton, and their saxophone player, Mars Williams,
Review: Lost Sounds – Self-Titled
LOST SOUNDS LOST SOUNDS In the Red Records This album is exactly what electroclash should be defined as: edgy and recklessly punky with a dash of synthpop dropped in for good measure. Lost Sounds sounds like the new Le Tigre release after you’ve pulled out the slick production and replaced it with gargling guitars, smashing
Review: Kite Base – Latent Whispers
Kite Base = How to Destroy Angels + Peter Hook + Squarepusher … read more
Review: Jim Guthrie – Now, More Than Ever
JIM GUTHRIE NOW, MORE THAN EVER Three Gut Jim Guthrie spins out warm and wistful folk that has received so many fantastic reviews I can’t quite figure out why I’m not moved. Lyrically, it doesn’t strike me as anything close to a Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel or Joni Mitchell. Musically, it doesn’t impress me
Review: Kasabian – Self-Titled
Kasabian Self-Titled RCA Kasabian have been a guilty pleasure of mine since hearing the opening of “Club Foot.” Granted, they aren’t completely original. You can pinpoint various points in Manchester’s history of music that pop up in abundance throughout the album, fitting in somewhere post-Happy Mondays and the Charlatan’s happier days with a dash of
Review: Hope Of The States – The Lost Riots
HOPE OF THE STATES THE LOST RIOTS (Epic)AM Musically you aren’t going to find a band out there that capture the epic dimensions that The Verve were perfecting more accurately than Hope of the States. The Lost Riots is a deeply moving political record that serves as a British view of the great American implosion
Review: Impossible Recording Machine – Echo The Moon
IMPOSSIBLE RECORDING MACHINE ECHO THE MOON Positron! Impossible Recording Machine are not electroclash, Radiohead, James Bond, Coldplay or any combination of “post” + (insert whatever retro music term is popular). They do, however, share a bit in common with the aforementioned because Echo the Moon is a surprisingly nice collection of up-tempo electronic drones, candy
Review: Great Lakes Myth Society – Self-Titled
Great Lakes Myth Society Self-Titled Stop, Pop & Roll You can hear a young Paul Simon here and there in the opening of “Red Jacket Miners” before it sways into “The Salt Trucks,” but that’s no sort of indication of what is to come. When the banjo rolls in on “Across the Bridge” you
Review: Bitter, Bitter Weeks – Revenge
BITTER, BITTER WEEKS REVENGE My Pal God Philadelphia’s Brian McTear is vying for your attention and with Revenge he has earned it. These are songs that call back to the days when folk musicians were every bit as political and biting as anything punk would spit out. McTear is clearly dissatisfied with the world he
Local Review: The Rose Phantom – Soulless Experiment
The Rose Phantom = Voltaire + Alan Wilder + Prog rock … read more
Local Review: Revideolized – The Moon Driven Dark
Revideolized The Moon Driven Dark Self-Released Street: Feb. 2007 Revideolized = Recoil Hydrology + Progressive Rock Electronic music in its purest form is by nature experimental. It isn’t just about creating a great melody, it’s about manipulating sounds that by right have no place in a musical structure and turning that chaos into a memorable
Local Review: Phono – The Changeover
Phono The Changeover 10 Degree Productions Street: 2006 Phono = NIN + VNV Nation Joe Ashton terrorizes electronic music with a focus bent on rhythm. Were you to spread the parts out, name checking the various influences that are prevalent on The Changeover you’d find just about every industrial/EBM clich, minus Skinny Puppy’s vocoder. Violence,
Local Review: Cavedoll – The Harbor
Cavedoll The Harbor Psuedorecordings Street: 01.07 Cavedoll = Interpol + Stellastarr* + Franz Ferdinand + Devo Cavedoll sound like post-punk part two, not just a piece of this or that band but literally all of the bands were they smashed into three bodies and one album. While this makes for an uneven ride, it does
Review: Civic Center – The Ground Below
Civic Center = Suicide + Bauhaus B-sides and Dubs … read more
Review: Gene Loves Jezebel – Promise, Immigrant, Discover
Gene Loves Jezebel Promise, Immigrant, Discover (Reissues) Beggars Banquet Street: 06.07 Gene Loves Jezebel = Glam + Goth + Pop + Rock There will be those who suggest that the Jezebels were nothing more than a one-hit wonder, placing them among the brilliant and overlooked Psychedelic Furs, Soft Cell, etc., and in the money-making sense,
Review: Gang of Four – Happy Now
Gang of Four = Primal Scream + Filter + Bono’s falsetto … read more
Review: Fiver – Let It All Fall Down
FIVER LET IT ALL FALL DOWN Devil in the Woods Fiver encompasses dream pop that at times reminds of Postal Service because of the falsetto over-electronic elements, but more often than not, the guitars push away the comparisons. This is more akin to the shimmery pop that dominated the U.K. and American College charts in
Review: Ffa Coffi Pawb – Am Byth
Ffa Coffi Pawb Am Byth Empyrean Before Gruff Rhys was mesmerizing the world with Super Furry Animals, he and a cast of characters who would go on to play in Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci, Mogwai and Cornelius were kicking around Wales as Ffa Coffi Pawb. Am Byth is a compilation pulled from their three albums and
Review: Erasure – Nightbird
Erasure Nightbird Mute On Erasure’s last release, Other People’s Songs, Vince Clark and Andy Bell sounded tired. Their bag of tricks had been spent, reducing them to an album of poorly constructed cover songs, and even though it pushed the duo back onto the radar in America, it was quite easily their worst effort
Review: Dynasty – Black Box
Dynasty Black Box Mysterious Media I’m not really overwhelmed by the majority of electroclash; Dynasty, however, are rather enjoyable in that they take all the hand claps and mix it with a certain sleazy sound that has the same texture as a Soft Cell album. They distort things up a bit, don’t rely completely on
Review: Drop the Fear – Self-Titled
Drop the Fear Self-Titled Drop the Fear The comparisons to the Cocteau Twins are going to be rampant even though they aren’t exactly accurate. Neither the guitars nor the vocals are anywhere as layered or complex, but still there is something there that does recall the cascades and swirling tide that defined 4AD in the
Review: Devendra Banhart – Niño Rojo
DEVENDRA BANHART NIÑO ROJO Young God A companion piece to Banhart’s well received album Rejoicing in the Handsthat was released earlier this year. For the uninitiated Devandra Banhart is a fine songsmith who captures the starkness of label mate/co-producer Michael Gira’s dark folk experiments but adds a quirky twist that puts forward a recklessness and
Review: Death of Lovers – The Acrobat
Death of Lovers = Handful of Snowdrops + Ride … read more
Review: Delays – Faded Seaside Glamour
DELAYS FADED SEASIDE GLAMOUR Rough Trade Undoubtedly the Delays will draw comparisons to The Byrds, love children and braided hair adorned with flowers in the pre-Altamont 60s due to the cascading of songs like “Nearer than Heaven.” Which I suppose is fine as long as you’re not intending it as an insult. Personally, I hear
Review: Depeche Mode – Remixes 81-04
Depeche Mode Remixes 81-04 Reprise There are a thousand official and unofficial Depeche Mode remixes floating around in the stratosphere and to try and make a single disc compilation of highlights is a rather daunting task. I know because I’ve made a few of my own over the years. This official compilation of highlights isn’t
Review: Dave Gahan & Soulsavers – Angels & Ghosts
Dave Gahan & Soulsavers = Bad Seeds – Nick Cave + Spiritualized … read more
Review: David Bowie – Blackstar
Now, Blackstar is most easily read as a knowing goodbye from one of the smartest, bravest and enigmatic artists the world has ever had the benefit of knowing. … read more
Review: Cyness – Loony Planet/Industreality CD
Cyness Loony Planet/Industreality CD Sound Pollution I haven’t been into grindcore since the glory days of Napalm Death, Brutal Truth and Assuck. I guess I got sick of the constant barrage of noise in my old age and started listening to much catchier music in the way of 80s hardcore punk. Now that 80s-style
Review: Communiqué – Poison Arrows
COMMUNIQUE POISON ARROWS Lookout Had Duran Duran grown up listening to themselves and pop punk rather than the glam appeal of Bowie, T-Rex or Roxy Music and stole their image from a less fashionable Interpol over David Sylvian they would have looked and sounded like Communiqué. Well you might also have to add a bit
Review: Cold Cave – You & Me & Infinity
Cold Cave = Suicide + Diary of Dreams … read more
Review: Clinic – Winchester Cathedral
CLINIC WINCHESTER CATHEDRAL Domino The men dressed in scrubs return with more evidence of exactly why they are one of the cast of Radiohead’s favorite bands (sometimes it is hard to tell who exactly is influencing who) and how it’s just about time everyone else took notice. In many ways, Clinic are the older, more
Review: Combichrist – Everybody Hates You
Combichrist Everybody Hates You Metropolis In the last year, Combichrist has released some of the best music to cross my desk in a long time. It’s lighthearted, evil, sexy, danceable and delicious. Fifteen years ago, I felt the same way about Nitzer Ebb; it got in the veins and you were hooked. “This s*it
Review: Codeseven – Dancing Echoes/Dead Sounds
Codeseven Dancing Echoes/Dead Sounds Equal Vision Apparently Codeseven were once a screamcore band whose high watermark was a cover of “Boys of Summer.” One day they got older, heard Radiohead and traded in their metal for something more mother-friendly. They of course lost nearly the entirety of their original fanbase. I can only imagine the wonderful
Review: Charmparticles – Sit Down For Staying
CHARMPARTICLES SIT DOWN FOR STAYING Childstar Sit Down for Staying is supposed to be an updated variation on the shoegazer theme. It is full of guitars taken from Ride records, blue prints from Slowdive and given a touch of warmth that reminds me of current popsters The Stars. It does however lack the delicate balance
Review: Blow Up Hollywood – Fake
BLOW UP HOLLYWOOD FAKE www.blowuphollywood.com I never cared for the band Live. It wasn’t so much the music as the band itself. They always came off as pretentious and never achieved the sense of artistic creativity they seemed to think they had achieved. Blow Up Hollywood sound a lot like Live, only they’ve got the
Review: Black Tape For a Blue Girl – Halo Star
BLACK TAPE FOR A BLUE GIRL HALO STAR Projekt Often regarded as innovators in the ethereal/darkwave genre, Black Tape For A Blue Girl return with an album that is dominated by male vocals rather than the angelic female approach that has been found on the majority of their recent releases. It is, however, not a
Review: Billy Idol – Devil’s Playground
Billy Idol Devil’s Playground Sanctuary Having placed himself in a self-imposed exile, the majority of the last decade was decidedly Idol-less. Billy was off losing himself in cyberpunk culture (rather prophetic, considering The Matrix was far from view) and the excesses that defined him as one of the 80s most reckless superstars. Then there was
Review: Bella Morte – As The Reasons Die
BELLA MORTE AS THE REASONS DIE Metropolis If you’re intent on categorizing bands into genres, you might want to ignore Bella Morte’s existence. Caught somewhere between industrial and synthpop with a touch of something gothic, Bella Morte again prove that creativity is a whole lot more interesting than the paint-by-numbers approach by flowing seamlessly between
Review: Bella Morte – Songs For The Dead
BELLA MORTE SONGS FOR THE DEAD Metropolis I’ve never bought into the idea that Bella Morte were a traditional goth band; they always seemed a bit more based in punk rock and Songs for the Dead emphasizes that by turning down the keyboards and upping the guitars for a sound that is more representative of
Review: Augie March – Strange Bird
Augie March Strange Bird Spin Art When Elbow’s vocalist Guy Garvey sings the praises of Australia’s Augie March, you can’t help but feel like he’s being narcissistic. It isn’t that Strange Bird steals from Elbow as much as it implements the same mumbled vocals over a down-tempo atmosphere that dominates Elbow’s recordings. While many might
Review: Amateur God – Around The Corners Of Our Minds
AMATEUR GOD AROUND THE CORNERS OF OUR MINDS Black Rain Perhaps it isn’t a fair fight, but it’s on anyway. Attrition’s Martin Bowes and whatever cohorts he decides to bring along have been making dark electronic music since long before anyone thought up the phrase “dark wave.” Amateur God? Really, I haven’t a clue. They’re
Review: A Northern Chorus – Bitter Hands Resign
A Northern Chorus Bitter Hands Resign Sonic Unyon Street: 05.03 A Northern Chorus = Low + Elbow + Strings + Mogwai’s Distortion Peddle While many might find the pacing of Bitter Hands Resign cumbersome, they’d be missing the intricate details that make this melancholy release particularly unique and beautiful. It’s all caught up in the
Review: Solid State Soul – Solid State Soul
Solid State Soul = Mesh + Tin Star + Dave Gahan … read more
Tarantula Troubadour: Gene Loves Jezebel’s Jay Aston to play acoustic...
It’s refreshing to be able to see Jay Aston perform, but what caused the extended absence and what changed in more recent years? … read more
The Alarm @ The Complex 08.08 w/ Jay Aston’s Gene...
In a perfect world, both The Alarm and Jay Aston’s Gene Loves Jezebel would have been allowed to play all night. No one in the audience would have minded. … read more
The Psychedelic Furs @ The Complex 07.27 w/ James, Dear...
In a live setting, The Psychedelic Furs tend to focus on their major hits and cuts from their first five records, released between 1980 and 1987. … read more
Muse @ Vivint Smart Home Arena 02.28 W/ Walk the...
Almost nine years to the day since I last saw Muse, I found myself sitting in the Vivint Smart Home Arena on a Thursday night, filled with an unusual amount of anxious energy.
Peter Murphy featuring David J @ The Depot 01.22
The songs sounded great, and Murphy is in top shape. This wasn’t simply a night of nostalgia. It was vibrant, bold and slightly dangerous. … read more
Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin @ Metro Music Hall 11.14
For tonight’s show, Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin performs the score to Suspiria live along with the film and then finished out the set with an adrenaline infused journey through some of Simonetti’s other compositions from scores to films like Deep Red, Dawn of the Dead, Demons and Phenomena. … read more
Mike Peters and The Alarm @ The Commonwealth Room 11.02
In August of 2017, Mike Peters, guitarist and vocalist of The Alarm, exited the stage of The State Room with a promise to return. He made good on that promise on Friday, Nov. 2 as the group returned to Salt Lake City to play The Commonwealth Room. … read more
Star Chaser: The Church return to Salt Lake City to...
Having just kicked off the month-long tour with an appearance at the Taste Good Festival in Long Beach, California, Steve Kilbey, singer-songwriter and bass guitarist for The Church, took a few moments to reflect and look forward. … read more
Billy Idol @ Red Butte Garden 09.17 w/ White Reaper
On Sept. 17 the Red Butte Gardens Amphitheater closed out its summer concert series with a sold-out performance from Billy Idol. … read more
Midge Ure @ Commonwealth Room 09.05 with Paul Young
For years, I’ve wanted to see Midge Ure. His 1988 release, Answers to Nothing, had played a major role in my early forays into music. I wore out my Band Aid VHS release watching videos by Bananarama, Culture Club, The Boomtown Rats and Ultravox, Ure’s former band. … read more
Smashing Pumpkins @ Vivint Smart Home Arena 09.04 with Metric
In the early to mid-90s, Smashing Pumpkins were a bridge that connected the classic sounds of ‘80s alternative radio and the post-Nirvana breakthrough that would define what alternative radio would become. For some, Smashing Pumpkins were the strangest band they listened to. … read more
Erasure @ Kingsbury Hall 08.12 with Reed and Caroline
Erasure’s set ends with “Stop!,” a track from the Crackers International release that served as a Christmas release in 1988 and a bridge between the The Innocents and Wild! releases. Thunderous applause follows—genuine, stand-on-your-feet applause. … read more
Lost ’80s Live 2018: A Flock of Seagulls, Wang Chung,...
Maybe it’s the heat, or that we were suddenly realizing how spoiled we were by the Retro Futura Tour a few weeks before, where the use of a backing band for the first three acts allowed the artist’s sets to be longer and seamless. Tonight, any momentum built up by the end of a band’s set evaporates before the next act can tune their instruments. … read more
Retro Futura Tour 2018: ABC, Belinda Carlisle, Modern English @...
The first cassette tape that I ever bought all on my own was Belinda Carlisle’s “Heaven is a Place on Earth,” and while my taste in music has strayed considerably away from mainstream pop, Carlisle was the act I was looking forward to the most. … read more
Violent Femmes @ Red Butte Garden 06.13 with Marcia Mello
It’s hard to not feel nostalgic. In fact, it was a longing for the past that prompted me to attend the show in the first place. I saw the Violent Femmes numerous times in the ’90s. The first time, a night spent with friends at Kingsbury Hall where bassist Brian Ritchie smoked a giant cigar, is one of my fondest memories. … read more
Cold Cave @ Urban Lounge 06.04 with Black Marble, Choir Boy
With the stage stripped down to three banks of keyboards, a trilogy of guitars and the lone drum set, three black-clad performers take the stage. A fog sets in against the backdrop of “My Heart is Immortal,” the closing track on Cold Cave’s fascinating 2018 release You & Me & Infinity. … read more
Front 242 @ Metro 04.21 with Contaminated Intelligence
Front 242’s studio recordings are primal, but their live performance lifts the material to a completely different level. … read more
Book of Love @ The State Room 04.20
On the night of their SLC show, Book of Love consist of only the two Ottaviano’s (not related or married, but I do like to imagine a completely fictional narrative of the duo meeting in an elementary school lunch line and bonding over a mutual love for chocolate milk and Kraftwerk). … read more
The Fleeting Light of Dusk: An Interview with Lo Moon’s...
Lo Moon’s show at The State Room on April 12 is one of those shows that you can’t afford to miss. You might never get to see them this up close and personal ever again. … read more
Covenant @ Club X 3.30 with Rare Facture and Starbass
Over 20 years after their debut album, Dreams of a Cryotank, Covenant are still a force to behold. A vital, menacing weaver of dreams. … read more
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark @ The Complex 03.21 with...
I’m not one inclined to use hyperbole, but if you weren’t in Salt Lake City at The Complex on March 21, 2018, then you missed what will be remembered as one of the greatest Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark gigs of all time. … read more
Prodigal Son: Howard Jones Returns to Park City for Five-Night...
“It’s like you suddenly realize, ‘Oh right, there’s only one of me and no one else can do what I do. So, go and do it confidently.’ I think that’s something that comes from being around for a while because you’ve seen a lot of things come and go, but you’re still there.” -Howard Jones … read more
Local Reviews: Cavedoll
Cavedoll carelessly litter genres new wave, post punk, IDM, industrial, 70s glam, ethereal, darkwave, indie, trip-hop and avant-garde pop throughout their music without claiming allegiance to anything beyond their own musings. They’re a writer’s nightmare in their refusal to sit still long enough to be described; a detail further emphasized when the band decides to unleash its complete collection of unreleased material all at once. … read more
Gary Numan @ Metro Music Hall 12.20
It was a cold Wednesday evening, ushered in by the first heavy snow of winter, when Gary Numan took the Metro Music Hall stage for the final date of his Savage North American Tour. … read more
Sing You Strife: Morrissey @ Kingsbury Hall 11.18.17
There are many celebrities who inspire a sense of frantic devotion, but there’s something different about a Morrissey crowd. … read more
The Jesus and Mary Chain @ Complex 11.02 with Cold...
When it comes to The Jesus and Mary Chain, there are a million stories to tell. Let’s just hope that it doesn’t take another 20 years for them to return. … read more
Ride @ Metro Music Hall 09.21 with Lo Moon
We’ve gathered for what feels like a surprise party to celebrate Ride, a four-headed Lazarus of shoegaze origin that seduced crowds in the early ’90s. … read more
The Alarm @ The State Room 08.21 with New Shack
You see, if you haven’t seen The Alarm’s Mike Peters live, you’ve never really experienced his songs in the way that they were intended. … read more
Retro Futura Tour @ Red Butte 07.23 with Howard Jones,...
For this appearance, Jones had his usual array of keyboards and a backing band consisting of a keyboardist, two drummers and a guitarist. … read more
OK, So This is Pop Perfection: Poptone @ The Depot...
The night is filled with Tones on Tail tracks, five of which I’ve never had the opportunity to hear live. Maybe I’m more hungry for the songs that I haven’t seen live in 15 years, but I think a large part of what makes tonight work better than the 2002 tour show the presence of Haskins and Dompe. This is Poptone storming the stage. … read more
Damned and Loving It
Those who know their music history would tell you that, 40 years ago, The Damned were the first punk band to release a single, press an album and then break up and get back together. The rest is a little complicated. … read more
Cold Cave: Pomp and Discontent @ Urban Lounge 01.13 with...
Friday the 13th: an ominous and seemingly perfect date to watch Wesley Eisold and friends rattle the cage of discontent with a sound that takes the electro-punk aesthetic of Suicide and merges it with the songsmith of New Order—a discordant pop that references the past, but feels comfortably progressive. Everything that is old resurrected for future use. … read more
Midge Ure, the Once and Future New Romantic
My introduction to Ure was somewhat untraditional in the sense that I knew him as a solo artist before I learned of his work as a member of Visage and Ultravox. … read more
Morrissey: Rumors of My Demise Have Been Greatly Exaggerated @...
I’ve left many Morrissey concerts in something of a daze. It’s that strange sensation where you’ve been treated to something special, but had it snatched away from you before you were ready to see it go. … read more
Cyndi Lauper: Fearless, Reckless Friend @ The Depot 09.20 with Charlie...
With her multi-colored and ratted-out hair and bizarre fashion sense that bridged aspects of punk and new wave with something entirely her own, Lauper was the most outrageous person I had ever seen, and the world admired and celebrated her for her uniqueness. … read more
Garbage: Star-Crossed and Dreaming @ The Complex 09.16 with Cigarettes...
There’s always been an extra edge to Garbage live, an element of chaos that doesn’t typically come through on the records, and tonight, there’s a particularly aggressive undercurrent as Shirley Manson stalks the stage. … read more
Culture Club: It’s Love in Stereo @ Red Butte Garden...
Once upon a time, I saw Boy George at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Toward the end of the concert, a pair of his Culture Club collaborators joined George onstage. It was the first sign in years that a Culture Club reunion was not only possible, but entirely probable. … read more
Somewhere Out in the Dark: The Psychedelic Furs with The...
I love The Furs, but they hadn’t released new material since the 2004 single “Alive (For Once In My Lifetime)” and had set lists that were dominated by the same material—so, going into Saturday night’s show at The Complex, it was the opening act, The Church, that I was really looking forward to seeing. … read more
Nostalgia, It’s Not What You Think It Was: A Flashback...
For the better part of a decade, Salt Lake City was home to a thriving underground goth scene. It was goth before goth was pigeonholed into being something defined by Hot Topic or mainstream media. … read more
Paul Humphreys + Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark: The Future,...
“We were always budgeting for failure early on until we started having hit after hit after hit in Europe, and we thought, ‘Well, maybe we’re here to stay for a little bit.’ I never imagined 40 years.” … read more
Review: Haunted Histories Collection
Haunted Histories Collection History Channel Street: 09.25 This five-disc collection features the History Channel produced programs “Hauntings,” “Vampire Secrets,” “Salem Witch Trials,” “The Haunted History of Halloween” and the A&E-produced “Poltergeist.” The programs on the Salem Witch Trials and the history of Halloween are the most straightforward, presenting a fair amount of historical information regarding
What Once Was Sweet: Tearing Apart Sugarhouse
Sugarhouse has been among the most eclectic communities that Utah has to offer. Over the years skaters, soapbox philosophers, college professors, punks, metal heads, tech savvy geeks, pseudo intellectuals, artists, vagrants, goths, rude boys and girls and the occasional hip hop aficionado peaceably mingled in the vast array of locally owned and operated shops. If
The Gayest Ball of Them All!: An Interview with Erasure’s...
There have been times in their 20-something years of existence that Erasure has been known just as much for their ability to write a fantastic pop song, if not more, for the openly gay lavishness that is vocalist Andy Bell. While some have been critical of the line Andy has blurred between musician and activist,
Drawn OK: An Interview with Badly Drawn Boy
When Damon Gough and his alter ego Badly Drawn Boy rolled into Salt Lake City’s Zephyr Club in support of his debut album The Hour of the Bewilderbeast he had already taken the Mercury Music Prize (the UK’s Album of the Year) beating out Coldplay’s Parachutes and The Doves’ Lost Souls. When he left he had set up residency as one of the top ten bands I’d ever seen live. … read more
Snow Patrol: Still Chasing Stars
The Snow Patrol caravan returns to Utah on March 5th at the Salt Air Pavilion, maybe this time we can leave them more to remember than a bunch of kids moshing to their mid-tempo hit “Chocolate.” … read more
DJ Evil K: Once Upon A Midnight Dreary
We get older. The exterior shows the wear, but inside, if you’re lucky, a bit of the old magic that fueled blind, optimistic dreams of a handful of black-clad shadows remains. … read more
Review: Black Wing – …Is Doomed
…Is Doomed begins with an analog arpeggio and a tip of the hat toward the cavernous hollow and wash that is witch house, only to be kindly betrayed by wave of warm synths that rises from the depths in order to distance Black Wing from the kitsch occult leanings that suffocate less imaginative artists. … read more
And Now For Something Completely Autolux: A Highway Robbery
Some days you just shouldn’t answer the phone, particularly when it’s your editor calling. Yet like a fool I do, just in case she’s calling to sack me or to offer some multimillion-dollar book deal. [Autolux]”Have you heard of Autolux?” It seems like a simple question, but nothing is ever that simple. “We saw them
Show Review: Evening & Muse
It is a daunting task to live up to Radiohead comparisons. It’s twice as daunting when the band you are opening up for once stood in those shoes only to pound their way out of Thom York’s shadow. … read more
Bloc Party show review
Being labeled “the best” of just about anything is as much a curse as it is a blessing. So when a reckless journalist labeled Bloc Party the best new band in the UK, they might as well have thrown in a first-aid kit for all the bruising that the band had waiting for them. It’s hard to see past all the hyperbole and look for potential, even when you consider yourself a sympathetic fan. … read more
Futureheads at In the Venue
The Futureheads were something of an enigma to me. I was overly familiar with the hype that swirled around them but after two or three casual listens to their debut album, I can’t say that I was committed to my own opinion. … read more
Sugar Thrill: an Interview with Placebo’s Stefen Olsdal
Introductions are a strange thing. Sometimes they fade from consciousness the moment they happen; other times they become part of our personal folklore. In Placebo’s case, it wasn’t hearing them on the radio or rattling away in overhead at a music store; it was purely visual. Having landed in London a bit early with a
Secret Language: an Interview With Lisa Gerrard
Talking with Lisa Gerrard
Sinead O’Connor Show Review
I remember hearing Damien Dempsey’s album Seize the Day and not connecting with its dominant theme of Celtic pride but as he takes the stage, a man and an acoustic guitar standing alone against an audience anticipating Sinead O’Connor I can’t help but notice that there is something captivating about him. His introduction of each song is humorous, filled with wisdom and hope. … read more
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Show Review
While some bands are content to play the exact same set night after night, I’ve always been partial to bands that switch things around every night. So when someone in the crowd shouts out a request and BRMC guitarist/vocalist Peter Hayes responds with “We played that one last time we were here. … read more
Analogical Resurrection: An Interview with Erasure
When Erasure set out to promote 2003’s Other People’s Songs album, they hadn’t toured in four years; neither Vince Clark nor Andy Bell were sure if the fans would still be there. Perhaps they considered wearing the “irrelevant” tag the British press had so kindly tried to pin, with a nail gun, to their chest.
Calling All Bats: SLC’s Dark Arts Festival Celebrates Five Years
They say imitation is the most sincere form of flattery; either that, or someone’s trying to cash in on someone else’s success. Either way, it would seem that Salt Lake’s Dark Arts Festival has inspired a little envy in Colorado, where some scavengers have lifted the name and are throwing their own Dark Arts gala.
Books Aloud – July 2005
Reviews of Destroying Yourself is Too Accessible, Running on Emptiness: The Pathology of Civilization and the graphic novel Locas: The Maggie And Hopey Stories. … read more
Glitter Gutter Trash – July 2005
(A psychotic candyland full of glam glitz, trashy pop, new wave, post-everything, retrofuturisms and distorted beauty) Reviews of The Warlocks’s latest, Mice Parade, Vox Vermillion and more!! [The Warlocks]If you were lucky enough to arrive early and catch She Wants Revenge open up for the Bloc Party show you already know that they
Review: Oasis
Oasis Morning Glory: A Classic Album under Review Sexy Intellectual Street: 03.13 By now you know the formula: a few British journalists, a contemporary musician and maybe a friend or foe of the band offer up their opinions regarding an album, often assessing the scene that was with a great amount of hindsight. Having lived
The Miserable Success of Tragic Black
Spring is drying up as the summer heat wave approaches; must be time for another three days of striking fashions, twisted poetry and music with a tilt towards the macabre as the annual Dark Arts Festival rears its beautiful head. We turn the spotlight on one prominent local artist: Tragic Black. … read more
Dj Evil K & Blackhearts Ball: The Return of the...
I’ve known Kevin Reece (aka DJEvilK) for over half my life, and I have marveled at his stubborn dedication to a music scene which has often taken him for granted. I’ve shaken my head in disbelief, muttering “Silly Kevin,” as if I really knew better. I had forgotten how much we have in common. … read more
Alternatively Wired: A 10-Year Anniversary Celebration of Area 51
Alan Moss isn’t typical, and his club, Area 51, isn’t run-of-the-mill either. It is somewhat surprising to learn that Area 51 is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Area 51 has stuck to alternative and ’80s music and has been there to rescue goth/industrial patrons when they found themselves marooned without a venue. … read more
De/Vision: Binary Stargazers of German Synth-pop
In the history of music written by radio DJs, synthpop met its demise soon after Kurt Cobain shoved his Fender down the throats of the masses. Certainly the most popular of acts like Depeche Mode still filled their arenas as Erasure and the Pet Shop Boys packed theaters. … read more
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: Destination Desolation
Midsummer 2007, I received a phone call from Harv Hallas, tour manager for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, asking me to jump on to the last leg of the band’s monumental Baby 81 tour. It was a baptism by fire as I attempted to manage merch sales and act as ambassador to the increasing number of