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: Invisible Rays – Black Hole Dynamo

Local Review: Invisible Rays – Black Hole Dynamo
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Invisible Rays Black Hole Dynamo Shit Hot Records Invisible Rays = Melvins + War of the Worlds + Thee Soda Jerks   Invisible Rays, formed from members of Ogden nemeses The Debonairs and The Igniters, strip down to drums, keyboards and bass; nakedly harking back to a dirtier, dronier version of Girls Against Boys mixed

Local Review: Ryan Boud – Falling Stars

Local Review: Ryan Boud – Falling Stars
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Ryan Bound Falling Stars Ryan Boud = Jade Tree + acoustic guitar + Gathering Osiris   Ryan Boud probably wants to be signed, but he already sounds like he’s on a label—the packaging, production and delivery of his music is pretty much Pollyanna perfect. Bitterness against perfect-aspiring people aside, Ryan Boud’s songwriting is quite impressive

Local Review: Aaron Cole – Aorotica

Local Review: Aaron Cole – Aorotica
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Aaron Cole Aarotica Aaron Cole = The Prodigy + Clover   With Aarotica, Aaron Cole, who has been involved in local projects for over a decade, blends repetitive electronic beats with dub and drum and bass with soft alt-rock and world music, resulting in an infectious dance mix for a party of monstrous proportions, or

Local Review: The Jukejoint 45’s – Self-Titled EP

Local Review: The Jukejoint 45’s – Self-Titled EP
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The Jukejoint 45’s Self-titled EP The Jukejoint 45’s = The Cramps + Elvis + Robert Johnson   Grammar, children! If I see another Salt City CD’s or Go-Go’s emblem again, I’ll maul. Plurals don’t have apostrophes! Anyway, The Jukejoint 45’s make some really kick-ass rockabilly that’s not different from a dozen other rockabilly bands you’ve

Local Review: Midnight Rhythm Combo – Self-Titled

Local Review: Midnight Rhythm Combo – Self-Titled
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Midnight Rhythm Combo Self-Titled Midnight Rhythm Combo = Nikki Costa + 20 years of musical theory   Midnight Rhythm Combo is a disgustingly talented, tight and professional blues combo with jazz overtones and organ. Their female vocalist hovers between silk and husk. They’re a band who could play a Las Vegas casino, demand a rider

Local Review: Beyond This Flesh – Self-Titled

Local Review: Beyond This Flesh – Self-Titled
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Beyond This Flesh Self-Titled Beyond This Flesh = At The Gates + The Black Dahlia Murder + Kreator + Total Chaos   Scream as high-pitched, loud and hard as you can—really hard!—for half an hour straight. You now have a feel for the vocals of Beyond This Flesh. Imagine the intense, technical yet thrashing riffs

Local Review: Quetté Daddie – Reverse Psychology

Local Review: Quetté Daddie – Reverse Psychology
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Quetté Daddie Reverse Psychology JAMS Quetté Daddie = Bert McCracken’s publicity stunts + $10 DI Casio   “Before music critic [sic] bash my music in a CD review, I think they should try to understand my music and my pain,” says Quetté Daddie at the beginning of Reverse Psychology. Could he be talking about little

Local Review: Scoob Serious – Standing in the Gap

Local Review: Scoob Serious – Standing in the Gap
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Scoob Serious Standing in the Gap Visualize Scoob Serious = The Bible + Cypress Hill   Christian rap can be annoying, but Scoob Serious comes off sincere and non-self-righteous about his religious convictions, rapping directly but non-melodramatically in his knowing purr about his past life as a gangster leading a double life behind his young

Local Review: Seconds Away – Self-titled demo

Local Review: Seconds Away – Self-titled demo
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Seconds Away Self-titled demo Seconds Away = The Used + Gift Anon + Drive-Thru Records   OK, I put Gift Anon in there because of the tender vocals. They should send their CDs only to Drive-Thru Records and Jade Tree and call it good. Seconds Away are pretty good at making emo that doesn’t suck, thanks

Local Review: State & Stereo – Thinkstop

Local Review: State & Stereo – Thinkstop
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State & Stereo Thinkstop Gloworm Records State & Stereo = New York Dolls + The Strokes + The Warlocks   Bratty, cheeky lo-fi rock equal parts pop, glam garage and psychedelic wash with heartrending piano is best when dipping closer to the latter two, traveling back two decades como T. Rex than suckling from fads