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 Reviews: Genre Zero – Self-Titled
Genre Zero usher a style of power alt-rock that I wish was more common in today’s local scene. With their recently released EP, vocalist Joshua Isbell wails in a John Darnielle–esque fashion to an upbeat, percussive tempo and rolling violin textures.
Local Reviews: Eyes on Kites – La Distancia
From the onset of listening to this album, I was intrigued, and multiple listenings have only opened up more of that initial fascination. I’m partial to compositions that lack lyrics, with the notion that they can free your mind in a way that words limit you.
Local Reviews: Exer Ovu – Fell On a Faultline, Rose...
Exer Ovu is definitely not your garden-variety act. For starters, the band is a product of a single dude who double tracks his voice on top of a (at most) two-instrument arrangement—which is predominantly acoustic guitar—that’s comparable to a modest freak-folk band.
Local Reviews: Einstein In A Patent Office – Supernova Sounds
“Supernova sounds” is right! This album is a fantastic voyage through time and space, ambient but driven, with a totally modern production, but somehow still takes me back to my favorite classical songs.
Local Reviews: Daniel Day Trio – Black on Black
Black on Black is composed of the well-known Trio’s ambiance-enhancing, jazz-infused covers of a wide range of artists and genres. Recorded during a live performance on KRCL, Black on Black possesses every element that you would hope to hear from a live performance.
Local Reviews: Chivers Timbers – Freedom + Stability
Chivers Timbers’ debut release is a 10-track ode to lo-fi rock n’ roll with a little reggae infusion. The album blends together sounds that were heard more prominently in the early ‘90s—the acoustic guitar taking the lead while the electric provides harmonics in the background.
Crucialfest Picks
Now in its third year, Crucial Fest is Salt Lake City’s own annual music festival featuring punk rock, hardcore, hip-hop, heavy metal and more. For 2013, Crucial Fest is expanding yet again. Taking place from June 26 through 29, and now being sponsored by the City, Crucial Fest 2013 will feature over 60 bands playing at seven venues across four days. Local heroes, national touring bands, handpicked headliners and first-timers will all be represented at this year’s fest, and SLUG spoke with Head Festival Organizer Jarom Bischoff about some of the bands he’s most excited to see perform at this year’s installment. … read more
Local Reviews: The Velvet Knuckles
DJ Velvet and DJ Knuckles mash together a myriad of source artist samples to bring you a 23-track glimpse into what these masterminds are playing at. They take any sound from anywhere from 50 Cent, Biggy and J5 to Zepplin, CCR and Will Farrell voice clips in Old School and cram them together in any number of combinations to make fresh groove tunes, some of which appear on this record. … read more
Local Reviews: Twilight Transmissions
I had the luck of getting to finally see a Twilight Transmissions performance and it was beyond fantastic. So when I got my hands on Two Faces of Zazen I couldn’t wait to listen. The rawness, textures and rhythm-noise from the debut self-titled release is still evident, yet the project is transformed into a more experimental but tenacious work. … read more