Music
SLUG Magazine’s collection of reviews covering the latest and greatest of Utah-based music, covering all varieties of genre, style and type.
Local Review: Twilight Transmissions – Shadowland
Beyond the visual aesthetics, this album fares quite well. It’s a well-textured series of electronic soundscapes and beats that would not sound out of place accompanying a modern horror film, game, or a walk through a haunted hospital.
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Local Review: Simian Greed – Self-Titled
The album opens with the bass-heavy “Epic,” a song that took a moment to grow on me. What I initially took to be butt-rock vocals were in fact Lee Ving–styled yells and croons. “Different Circles” has the same aspects of Ving-meets-Danzig vocals. … read more
Local Review: Rotten Musicians – Rotten Musicians Turn Into Escaped...
Almost every short two-minute track starts with an intro about newly morphed zoo animals that vaguely reminds me of Deltron 3030, followed by simple loops, synth sounds and a super catchy hook in “MaMMals.”
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Local Review: The Pillar – Songs From The Hollow
Packed full of moody, bluesy, folksy rock n’ roll, The Pillar’s debut album, Songs From the Hollow, has its roots firmly planted in American music tradition. … read more
Local Review: Perish Lane – Destroy The Skies
This getup is a strong example of some good alt-thrash-rock in a well-produced and beautifully packaged full length. They write some sweet guitar solos on tracks like “Awaken the Fire” and “Twenty Seven,” but the strongest song on this album, hands down, is “Farewell.” … read more
Local Review: Null – Break The Spell
This stuff was groan-inducing the first time I heard it, strolling through Zuccotti Park a few years back. (I think I have a hand signal to show how much I like it, too.) … read more
Local Review: m.duby – Tha Come UP
A self-described “musical genius and hip-hop aficionado,” m.duby has no lack of confidence as an aspiring artist in a city with a fairly small hip-hop scene—he’s even started his own label. … read more
Local Review: Joshua James – Well, Then, I’ll Go To...
I listened to this album six or seven times before I realized it—30 seconds into the second track, “Broke”—these are all Modest Mouse covers. Jesus, I am slow. But doesn’t that speak to how great Joshua James is?
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Local Review: Insufferable Noise Machine – 7OTX (Part 1 and...
This two-disc release is full of so many different styles, it falls into a category of its own. It’s a mixture of soothing, psychedelic surf guitar, sudden bursts of white noise and death metal with growling “Cookie Monster” lyrics. … read more
Local Review: The Hollering Pines – Long Nights, Short Lives...
It is characterized by upbeat and bluesy tracks like “Cadillac” and more old-country and modern folk songs like “Something on My Mind.” It may be the haunting poetic lyrics, or the cool, collective twang, but either way, these country folk are sure to keep your foot bouncing and your head swaying from start to finish.
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