Local Reviews: Lalage

Local Reviews: Lalage
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Whoa. This is a whole lotta art here. Lara Candland vocalizes her poetry in various stylings over sometimes lovely, sometimes strange and bizarre background sounds, created along with Christian Asplund, her long-time partner and the other member of the duo known as Lalage.  … read more

Local Reviews: J-Real

Local Reviews: J-Real
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This is just bad marketing. So much of this album is a waste of time. Not so much the music parts, more the cee-lo instructions, like your target market doesn’t already know how to roll bones curbside. “Million Dollar Swag” is spit over the  “Nissan, Honda, Chevy” beat, and still doesn’t hold up to the other 350 artist to spit over it.  … read more

Local Reviews: Joshua Payne Orchestra

Local Reviews: Joshua Payne Orchestra
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Zoom is going to be the record you put on the top of the pile, where your friends will be sure see it. Each jammy, heavily rhythmic, hooky tune is as good as or better than the last. You’ll find yourself humming melodies from “La La La” and “SLUG” as if they were lyric-less primary songs written for Miles Davis’ grandkids. … read more

Local Reviews: Fox Van Cleef

Local Reviews: Fox Van Cleef
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Fox Van Cleef couldn’t have picked a better title for their first full-length album. The five-piece ensemble have blended elements of funk, psychedelic, rock and blues into a overwhelming concoction of music that doesn’t really match any other Utah band. … read more

Local Reviews: Blitzkrieg Witchcraft

Local Reviews: Blitzkrieg Witchcraft
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Blitzkrieg Witchcraft continues digging at that crusty scab, coaxing a virulent anarcho-sludge blend to the surface, but opting for strained atmospherics over speed. “No Faith” is a wobbly intro that’s as doomy as it is unnecessary, but “Mais” picks it up, seething like a faster, sloppier Void practice tape. … read more

Local Reviews: All Systems Fail/@patia No

Local Reviews: All Systems Fail/@patia No
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After waiting for roughly a year and a half, this split LP has finally dropped, and boy howdy, it’s a fucking doozy. Seven songs apiece from SLC’s most under-appreciated band, All Systems Fail, and Venezuelan anarchists @patia No. The ASF side showcases songs that have been live favorites for a couple of years at least, and they sound absolutely brutal on this slab.  … read more

Local Reviews: American Hitmen

Local Reviews: American Hitmen
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American Hitmen would be considered a somewhat modernized offspring of 1980s era metal/thrasher tunes. Not so much like the metal creations who have done away with melody and music altogether—the “roll” in “rock n’ roll,” if you will. This EP seems to pay homage to some of the original interpretations of the genre, aligning more with Alice Cooper and Def Leppard stylings. … read more

Local Reviews: Curseworship

Local Reviews: Curseworship
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Many bands have tried—and many bands have failed—to blend genres as seamlessly as Curseworship has been able to on this three-song release. The band is able to flow in and out of relatively harsh noise (à la Wolf Eyes), crusty metal and straight tone-worship without batting an eye.  … read more

Local Reviews: Creature Double Feature

Local Reviews: Creature Double Feature
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Davis and Mason Johnson aren’t only brothers, but also are an example of today’s precocious youth—the kind that terrifies old people. Ground Zero is an impressive digital dream-pop effort, especially considering the bandmates are just 17 and 14 years old.  … read more

Local Reviews: The Awful Truth

Local Reviews: The Awful Truth
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Whether it’s intentional or a happy accident, the release date of Birthright seems very well timed to me. By this, I mean it’s possibly one of the best fall albums I’ve heard in a while from a local artist.  … read more