Music
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Local Reviews: Dubbed/Bombs & Beating Hearts
While I still stand firmly by my assertion that most local punk rock sucks, I’d be lying if I said this release is anything but awesome. Recorded live in the Dubbed band room, this split finds two of Utah’s finest punk bands at their best, even if they are a little drunk (Dubbed) or a little rough around the edges (Bombs & Beating Hearts). … read more
Local Reviews: Dirty Loveguns
You could play this record for someone and they’d wonder what classic 80s hard rock band it is until you told them that the members of this band were probably just small kiddos in the 80s. The band isn’t out to re-invent the notion of what hard rock is, I could cite influences until the cows come home, but that doesn’t really matter. … read more
Local Review: Breaux – The Brown Bag EP
Ever wonder what Clutch would sound like if they returned to their roots, yet still retained some of their modern sound? That’s the biggest vibe I’m getting from Salt Lake City’s Breaux on The Brown Bag EP. It has almost become cliché to say, “This band defies genres,” but in all honesty I really haven’t come across a band like Breaux. … read more
Local Reviews: The Vibrant Sound
The Vibrant Sound has some seriously cool jazzy tunes. This four-piece band knows how to lay down the creamy sounds. Then, when the band comes in with their falsetto background vocals, it fits the music like they were born to bone for eternity. … read more
Local Reviews: Up.River
Apparently, Old News Records has been started in order to either release or re-release recordings, primarily from Salt Lake-based hardcore bands, that were either initially released in small quantities, or never released at all. Not a bad idea. Up.River’s self-titled album, although not necessarily my cup of tea, is certainly deserving of a listen, even if it’s nothing very original. … read more
Local Reviews: UNCLE SCAM And The Current Administration
I was once speaking to some people about local music when guitarist Raffi Shahinian politely interrupted and said he was in a band. That band happened to be Uncle Scam. Shahinian described his band as sounding somewhat like System of a Down. … read more
Local Reviews: Ravings of a Madman
Yes, it’s true I suffer from white man’s syndrome: I have absolutely no rhythm. That’s what makes critiquing any musicians’ work difficult. If I attempted an instrument I’d fail horribly. All that said, Ravings of a Madman’s self-titled album doesn’t suck or anything, but with any band there is room for improvement. For ROAM it lies mainly in the songwriting. … read more
Local Reviews: OK Ikumi
This is the second release of OK Ikumi’s mini CD series. Nano, created using a Game Boy and a program called Nanoloop, sounds amazing. Just close your eyes and hop into any Nintendo video game (preferably ones from the Classic Nintendo that you had to blow on the games and hope to magic the game started). … read more
Local Reviews: nonnon
The first reason this release was led into my hands was the fact that it is a cassette ape/ digital release, and seeing how myself keeps it old school with a tape deck in the car, it was only obvious to check it out. … read more
Local Reviews: Monarch
Salt Lake City’s Monarch have offered up a fairly somber modern post-grunge EP with five tracks running a little over a half an hour. That’s a good number of new tunes for an EP. There are moments on the EP when vocalist Aaron Pulsipher sounds like a dead ringer for the singer of Disturbed. Fortunately for him they’re just moments, and Pulsipher showcases a broader vocal range that is a great vehicle for darkened mid-tempo tracks. … read more