Review: Sharon Van Etten – Are We There

Review: Sharon Van Etten – Are We There
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Sharon Van Etten is on the rise. Her last album, Tramp, saw her really come into her own as a songwriter, while gaining wider recognition touring with acts like The National. … read more

Review: S.O.A. – First Demo 12/29/80

Review: S.O.A. – First Demo 12/29/80
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State of Alert (S.O.A.) is one of the unsung heroes of the Washington, D.C. hardcore scene. They were a flash in the pan, existing for less than a year before disbanding in the summer of 1981. Led by a 19-year-old Henry Rollins, they recorded eight songs.
  … read more

Review: New God – Firework

Review: New God – Firework
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New God = Elliott Smith x Birds of Tokyo + Mac DeMarco … read more

Fitz And The Tantrums: Life on the Road and the Road to Success

Fitz And The Tantrums: Life on the Road and the...
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Fitz and The Tantrums are widely known for their catchy tunes, writing chart-topping songs that stick in your head for hours. While six neo-soul indie-poppers might have your head in the clouds listening to “The Walker,” they’ve got their feet planted firmly on the ground. They welcome change and innovation, taking chances and staying humble in their successes. I had the lovely opportunity to speak with John Wicks (drummer and electronics), who shared some of his perspective about life on the road and the road to success.  … read more

2014 Utah Arts Festival: Sunday 06.29 with Zodiac Empire, Watches, Son of Ian, The Green Leefs, Harper & Midwest Kind

2014 Utah Arts Festival: Sunday 06.29 with Zodiac Empire, Watches,...
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This year’s Utah Arts Festival was rad!!! No, it really was. After skipping out on the last few years to do absolutely nothing I finally decided to check it out again when the opportunity came up for this assignment. What was really impressive was the amount of entertainment available that didn’t require me to spend a small fortune buying pretty things for my apartment. Aside from music, the 6+ stages offered everything from local comedy shows to beatboxing to children’s theatre. … read more

Local Review: Visitors – Blueshift

Local Review: Visitors – Blueshift
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Visitors Blueshift Self-Released Street: 06.20 Visitors = Deftones + Rush Rarely does an EP sound so much like a full-fledged album. Musical offerings of such satisfying integrity do not hatch, fully formed, by sheer happenstance. Blueshift combines fist-sized chunks of aboriginal talent with months of coffee-addicted, all-night hunkering sessions, to yield prog metal that feels

Local Review: VISTAAS – Sunkhronos

Local Review: VISTAAS – Sunkhronos
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VISTAAS Sunkhronos Self-Released Street: 01.14 VISTAAS = Pierre Schaeffer + Oneohtrix Point Never Sunkhronos is a sample-heavy, cut-up work. This record has the feel of a found cassette in sections—the rare type where ferric tape hiss actually adds to the musicality. I would refer to it as musique concrète more readily than, say, a beat