Authors: Kia McGinnis
SLUG Swings SXSW Day Four
As the exhaustion of walking around town, non-stop eating and non-stop shows began to hit me, I felt mighty fine about spending my time at the same establishment as the night before. … read more
SLUG Swings SXSW: Weekend
The last of my time in Austin called for a hefty dose of local love. Traveling solo is far superior to traveling in a group in many ways, but I didn’t mind coming across the company of some familiar faces to wrap up a week of talking to myself. … read more
Local Reviews: Daisy & The Moonshines
This band has three things that make them dangerously worthwhile: class, soul and groove. It would be difficult to listen to their music and not feel engaged in some way or another—whether it be to the visceral, bluesy feel (such as in the song “50’s Kill Off!”) or the genuine lyrics that thread the album together. … read more
Local Reviews: Golden Sun
This self-titled indie rock EP is fierce as fuck, paving the way for a full-fledged album in the future and establishing an above-average, awesome sound. A casual listener might not realize that these dudes are young—both in age and in their time together as a band, releasing their first album in July 2011. … read more
Local Reviews: Quiet The Titan
This is definitely a high school band, but if you take the pubescent-sounding vocals with a grain of salt, you’ve got the skeletons of a fairly impressive debut garage rock album. Using acoustic guitar intros, Weezer-ish bass progressions and youthful lyrics to their advantage, these teens manage some great jams that seem to be echoing the successful indie Provo/Velour scene. … read more
All-Ages Localized
Right here in the saltiest city, we’re swimming with young, local talent—and Spy Hop Productions has booked an all-ages Localized showcase for April, featuring three local bands comprised of talented under-agers. Indie synth-pop from Solarsuit and math rock from Anthropology will be present, as well as opening band Creature Double Feature. Swing by Kilby Court on April 26 and $5 will get you a killer glimpse at some up-and-coming bands. … read more
Urban Flea Market: Salt Lake’s Sunday Gem
If you’re guilty of spending glaze-eyed hours perusing Etsy and Pinterest, the time has come to attend the real-life, local version of online shopping—and you won’t even have to hashtag vintage. The Urban Flea Market—held one Sunday a month, May through October from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.—has everything from antique goods to bohemian clothing,
Nothing Is Too Big: An Interview With Grieves
Grieves is pale, skinny and unapologetic. He is aware that he draws comparisons to Macklemore. He pays no attention to what assumptions Pitchfork makes about the originality of his rap or how many stars they slap on his album. This could come across as cockiness, but the truth is that his rhymes are rooted in soil too deep to be bothered by shallow judgments—hip-hop is as much about letting go as it is pushing forward
Localized: Better Taste Bureau
If hip-hop in Salt Lake is something you’ve never experienced, look no further than April’s Localized, sponsored by Uinta Brewing Co., KRCL 90.9 FM and Spilt Ink SLC. This month’s lineup is solid through and through, starting with Swell Merchants and the Dine Krew, who will lay some groovy tracks down to get you hyped for Better Taste Bureau. You might just find yourself jumping up and down to their fresh flow. As always, $5 gets you in, so load up the van and get down to Urban Lounge, Saturday, April 18 at 10 p.m.
Moving on Up: an Interview with Speedy Ortiz
As their name may suggest, Speedy Ortiz are cruising right along. They’re young, screamingly talented, touring the world, playing festivals like SXSW alongside their personal heroes, recording and releasing a new album—all while maintaining an effortless aura of unpretentious coolness.