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: Scenic Byway
Local rap band Scenic Byway have been taking Salt Lake by storm with their cool raps, sweet sounds and appealing messages. The track “Surprise Surprise” is the perfect song for anyone who has ever found themselves stressing out more than necessary. … read more
Local Reviews: Eyes Open
The EP is short but sweet, consisting of just three four-minute-plus rock-ballad style songs that flow in and out of each other easily. They are pretty, nicely executed, neatly produced, and clearly reflect the influences (such as U2 and Foo Fighters) that the band members have listed on the back of the album sleeve. … read more
Local Reviews: Pretty Worms/Plastic Furs
With “Comet Tail,” you can hear Trisha McBride’s vocals a little more clearly in the mix of bright bass and thick sonic distortion, and her ranting drone is an excellent fit for Pretty Worms. It’s a little slower and much less noisy than their other material, but as a stand-alone track, it rocks with the best of them. While the familiar, yet still unsettling vocal loops play on, the drums keep a snappy, danceable beat. … read more
Local Reviews: Desert Noises
If I had to pick one local album to share with a friend from out of state, Mountain Sea would probably be it. To me, it represents the real quality folk-inspired rock n’roll that comes from Utah. Its sound is big enough to fill wide-open spaces and its feeling is intimate enough for a good pair of headphones. … read more
Local Reviews: Pretty Worms/Blackhole
“Killers Galore” is a ride through noise punk hell on a groovy bass and a light, punchy drum rhythm. Punctuated with sound clips of sirens and yelling, part of the song’s appeal is the sublime strangeness with which they approach a very basic song. … read more
Local Reviews: Cathy Foy
“I can carry my own weight, I can carry my own sins, away,” Cathy Foy delicately sings on “I Became a Flash” from her sophomore release, Quiet as the Hour. Most of us are accustomed to seeing Foy behind a drum set playing for scene makers such as Hang Time, Future of the Ghost, Bluebird Radio, The Awful Truth, The Downers and more. On Quiet, Foy showcases a newfound confidence in songwriting and performance. … read more
Local Reviews: Pretty Worms
Side “Acid” takes punk beats and droning bass grooves and combines them with electronic noise and glitched-out mechanical melodies. Pretty Worms play a style of noise rock that is pretty unusual at first listen, but if you give it some time, the incoherent vocal loops and seemingly random atonal synthesizers might begin to make sense. … read more
Local Reviews: OK Ikumi
Local musician OK Ikumi’s new album made me escape into a world of melancholy colors and whimsical melodies. Simple but hypnotizing drum patterns, teasing synths and eerie but friendly samples gave the album a strong, reposed vibe. … read more
Local Reviews: Nonnon
Salt Lake-based producer Nonnon’s new album, El Socialismo, is a hidden gem that needs to be heard by the world of glitch. With its complicated drum patterns and intricate use of samples, the whole album is glitch holiness! … read more
Local Reviews: Nick Neihart
Local folkie Nick Neihart hits a range of acoustic touchstones, employing his falsetto artfully on “Free as a Chain,” but also sounding just at home in the rougher, rootsy “Somewhat of a Loser.” … read more