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: Settle Down/Sure Sign of the Nail
This split single is a fantastic introduction to two of Salt Lake’s finest bands, and the songs they’ve chosen have a great emotional contrast. Sure Sign of the Nail opens with “Flora and Fauna,” a slow, ambient, tranquil trip with a thick bass line, overlaid with beautiful humming guitar and deep vocals that remind me of some primitive, Gregorian chant, rattling the deep parts of your chest with its dark beauty. … read more
Local Review: Robert & The Carrolls
Can’t get enough Mumford & Sons? Want to be ahead of the curve on the next band from Provo destined to hit it big? Robert & the Carrolls are for you. … read more
Local Review: Problem Daughter
Problem Daughter has been cranking out solid punk rock tunes since 2008, and this self-titled release proves that punks can still progress. The opening trio of songs (particularly “Church Bitch”) channels the melodic style of punk rock championed by bands from the Bay Area and/or Gainseville and eaten up by frequenters of punknews.org. … read more
Local Review: Odium Totus
Odium Totus describes their music as “all about torment,” Odium Totus vacillates between dreadful moments of wretched hopelessness and pugilistic riffs that pound the listener senseless. With a sound reminiscent of Ved Buens Ende’s Written in Waters, Nullam Congue Nihil is a caustic, vicious insult aimed at every living thing on the planet. … read more
Local Review: MiNX
The chameleon-like duo of Ischa Bee and Raffi Shahinian are definitely trying to make an impression on our local music scene. With a staggering 45 free tracks available to download from their website (minxband.com), they are certainly one of the most prolific. … read more
Local Review: Linus Stubbs
Having heard more of Stubbs’ work with collaborators like The Numbs, it could be easy to typecast him as a standard hip hop producer, more concerned with fat bass and recognizable samples than expressive music. … read more
Local Review: Joshua Payne Orchestra
Joshua Payne is an unmistakable Salt Lake character who never seems to put down his guitar, gigging everywhere from Bar X to Grand America. He’s versatile, as is his sound. On his most recent album, Payne and his orchestra join pop and contemporary jazz in an unlikely space: the mainstream. … read more
Local Review: The Hang Ups
I love everything about punk rock—the anger, the energy, all of it. I hope that three-piece bands like The Hung Ups are always around. The songs on this EP are so immediate and easy to get into. … read more
Local Review: The Direction
Even though you might not think “gypsy anything” based on the equation of music I used above to describe The Direction’s sound, use your imagination when I say that they create a unique brand of gypsy-blues-rock that incorporates sounds from all of the above. … read more
Local Review: Brisk1er
Brisk1er’s second compilation album coalesces meaty funk beats with a wide variety of local rap artists. If he continues to pump out substantial mix tapes, the crossroads of the West will soon be a heavy contender in the national underground rap scene. … read more