Authors: Ricky Vigil
Set Your Goals @ Murray Theater
Let’s get this out of the way: I fucking love Set Your Goals. They’re fusion of pop-punk and hardcore topped off with positive lyrics shouldn’t work at all, but it’s really, really good. … read more
Concert | Music | Show Reviews
Kylesa @ V2
Even though I’ve had my newfound fondness for metal for about a year, I haven’t been to any metal shows in that time. This show changed all of that. The chance to see Kylesa, one of my favorite newly-discovered metal bands, play at a venue I had never been to a crowd I had no idea how to interact with seemed like a perfectly logical step in my progression into full metal immersion. … read more
Mastodon @ Saltair
After years of derision as the preferred means of entertainment of suburban meatheads and scandinavian church burners, metal has been accepted by the masses. It’s unsurprising that one of the fall’s biggest tours is a metal-based affair, co-headlined by a fictional band with serious chops and one of the most successful metal bands in recent memory. Even though most of the audience was in attendance only for Dethklok, they were gonna get an incredible showcase of heavy music, whether they liked it or not. … read more
Strike Anywhere @ Club Sound
Bridge Nine Records has done an excellent job of expanding its roster to further reaches of hardcore over the past few years, and even though this tour didn’t necessarily feature the style of music that the label has come to be known for, it was an excellent lineup that reflects the the risks the label has been taking in challenging the traditional hardcore aesthetic. … read more
Against Me! Interview
Over the past ten years, there has been no band as divisive in the punk rock world as Against Me!. I spoke with frontman Tom Gabel a few dates into their current tour with Silversun Pickups (stopping at The Rail on July 27th) about the band’s new lineup, their new album, and their relationship with fans and the media. … read more
Against Me! @ The Rail
Ostensibly, I was at this show to review the Henry Clay People’s performance, but the poppy Californian party-rockers literally played their last notes as I entered the venue. My disappointment was short-lived, as Against Me!, one of my favorite bands of all time, was set to take the stage next. The early start time meant I’d be home by 9:00 and able to keep my strict, geriatric-lite sleep schedule and be in bed by 11:00. Score. … read more
Cobra Skulls @ Kilby Court
To put it bluntly, Cobra Skulls—their name, logo, music and everything they entail—are completely bad ass. Hints of psychobilly, reggae, country, ska and good old rock n’ roll all influence their music, but Cobra Skulls play pure punk rock that is smart enough not to take itself too seriously. … read more
Anamanaguchi @ Urban Lounge
Meet Anamanaguchi: a Brooklyn-based band who substitute amps for old-school Nintendo systems, creating a rockin’ symphony of blips and bloops that sound like what might happen if Ratatat fucked a Game Boy–but in a good way. I had seen live videos of pasty-skinned, acne-covered kids losing their shit at Anamanaguchi shows, so I was excited to see these guys play at Urban. … read more
Bitter and Then Some: Touche Amore Interview
Welcome to the first edition of Bitter and Then Some, the latest in a series of weekly metal blogs brought to you by SLUG. This week we have an interview with Touche Amore, whose second album was released on June 7th via Deathwish and who will be in town on June 13th. Also included are a rundown of this busy week full of events, blog exclusive reviews, relevant videos and links to streaming music. … read more
Bitter and Then Some: Liturgy Interview
Welcome to the second installment of Bitter and Then Some, bringing you the falsest of false metal on a non-regular basis! This week we have an extended interview with the controversial Brooklyn-based black metallers Liturgy, a very sparse rundown of metal events happening this week and a few blog exclusive reviews from SLUG’s own Dylan Chadwick. … read more