Music
▼ Music
Review: Midnight Oil – Essential Oils
Similar to The Essential Clash, although with better pun usage, Essential Oils’ double-disc-load takes you on a tour spanning an entire Midnight Oil lifetime—from second-wave punk through poppy new wave. … read more
Review: Sharks – Selfhood
There is a certain blissfulness that comes with simple music. UK-based Sharks’ latest release, Selfhood, is a record that reminds me of a simpler time in music. … read more
Eighties Fan: A Conversation With Camera Obscura’s Tracyanne Campbell
“I think I’m always optimistic,” says Tracyanne Campbell from her flat in Glasgow. “It might not seem like that, but I think I’m always, ultimately, trying to look on the bright side.” As the leader of the Scottish group Camera Obscura, Tracyanne Campbell needs hardly any introduction at all—she’s one of the brightest-shining indie stars of the last decade. From a diverse body of influences, ranging from classic country to melancholic British indie-pop, Campbell and her bandmates have built a stellar body of work, replete with catchy tunes and supremely bittersweet, sardonic lyrics. … read more
-crop-396x288jpg)
Written in Random: Parquet Courts
To me, “songwriting” usually evokes an image of deadbeat longhairs dinkin’ around on their instruments and crushing PBR cans one after the other, as any vestiges of the “creative process” dissipate into trite stereotypes of punk or indie musicians. Parquet Courts, however, generate images of notebooks and struggle. Guitarist and vocalist Austin Brown says, “[Andrew Savage (guitar/vocals) and I] both just write a lot … Through the practice of writing, sometimes, on those good days, I can sit down and a song will come out or a lyric will come out that I can feel inspired by later.” … read more
Full of Hell: Beautiful Mutilators
Rudiments of Mutilation, the sophomore album by Full of Hell, to be released on June 11, is not an easy listen. It begins with harsh, piercing noise, slowly followed by wails from vocalist Dylan Walker and shambling, rumbling drums. An explosion of crusty blastbeats and hardcore riffs break the tension before the band delves deep into a downtrodden doom sound, with Walker’s voice channeling chaos all the while. This is intentionally ugly music—music that is designed to make you feel the worst of humanity. “We want to make really harsh, negative music that induces pain,” Walker said in a recent phone interview with SLUG. “It’s kind of beautiful in a way.” … read more
Pink Lightning Strikes Again
I realize that Eli Morrison isn’t like most people, let alone other musicians. He’s someone who doesn’t give a fuck about trying to make music that will be a hit on the radio, or even something that all the hipsters will talk about incessantly over coffee. Morrison’s goal is to push the musical boundaries of genres like blues, punk and rock, to create a unique, brand new sound, which he dubs “avant-retro.” With his band Pink Lightning, Morrison is staying on the same path he’s always been on, where there is no defined path, or as Morrison puts it, “There’s still beach sand that has not been walked on yet.” … read more
Crucialfest Picks
Now in its third year, Crucial Fest is Salt Lake City’s own annual music festival featuring punk rock, hardcore, hip-hop, heavy metal and more. For 2013, Crucial Fest is expanding yet again. Taking place from June 26 through 29, and now being sponsored by the City, Crucial Fest 2013 will feature over 60 bands playing at seven venues across four days. Local heroes, national touring bands, handpicked headliners and first-timers will all be represented at this year’s fest, and SLUG spoke with Head Festival Organizer Jarom Bischoff about some of the bands he’s most excited to see perform at this year’s installment. … read more
Review: Merchandise – Totale Nite EP
This new EP is very much a companion piece to last year’s Children of Desire, and very much pushes Merchandise’s sonic palate further. “Anxiety’s Door” is an awesome rock n’ roll epic adventure that showcases Dave Vasalotti’s guitar skills. … read more
Up in Palms: Palms Interview with Aaron Harris
When Deftones singer Chino Moreno’s name becomes attached to your band, the level of anticipation jumps the scale from a niche genre to many worlds of music lovers. Moreno isn’t backed by just any musicians in Palms, though: Three members of the now-defunct ISIS (drummer Aaron Harris, guitarist Cliff Meyer and bassist Jeff Caxide) have the musical chops and experience to make any musical project stand out, and are far from a backdrop to let Moreno’s well-known croon or scream play the keynote. Palms’ self-titled debut album drops on June 25 via Ipecac Recordings, with tour dates in the wings. SLUG caught up on all things Palms with drummer Harris. … read more
Review: Luke Winslow-King – The Coming Tide
When it comes to contemporary roots music, the easy route is to punk things up—play it faster or with an edge—but roots music transcends time and period. Luke Winslow-King walks that fine line between slavishly authentic and radical change just for the sake of change. … read more