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Local Reviews: Joshua Payne Orchestra
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
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
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
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
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
Foxygen, Unknown Mortal Orchestra @ Urban Lounge 03.19
Foxygen delivered such high energy to the show that I would’ve felt pretty stoked seeing only them had the show taken some sad turn of events and Unknown Mortal Orchestra bailed. This was my first time seeing or even hearing Foxygen, and I am completely sold on their sound. Their performance reminded me of Spindrift, if instead of incorporating the Western themes of cowboys versus Indians, they would embrace the ’70s styles of bands like The Mama’s and the Papa’s. … read more
NOVA Chamber Series: Echoes of Utah @ Libby Gardner Hall...
Tchaikovsky is so good at this kind of thing, it might not be wrong to credit him with the invention of Stadium Rock, as the desired effect and the outcome are essentially the same. … read more
Local Reviews: Curseworship
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
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
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