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Matteo: Blending Eastern and Western Styles in SLC
When a band says they play “folk” music, you probably imagine them sitting around in a circle playing banjos, acoustic guitars and violins. For local band Matteo, though, their foreign-sounding name hints that something is different about the instruments they use. Matteo blends traditional Asian instruments with more common, American folk instruments. Throw in some nice vocal harmonies, and you get Matteo’s unique sound, which is unlike anything else coming from other local bands. … read more
Big Business: Loud, Weird Rock
Formed by bassist Jared Warren and drummer Coady Willis, Big Business has been deafening fans of all things heavy with their brand of thick, freaky rock n’ roll for nearly a decade. Fresh off a tour of Europe with Unsane, now featuring three members, and armed with a brand new 7″, Big Business will be embarking on a US tour this fall. Before their stop in Salt Lake, SLUG spoke with Willis about the band’s current state of affairs. … read more
Intro: David Williams in a Dramatic Light
Salt Lake Americana songwriter David Williams will find himself in a different spotlight this month as the star of the dramatic film, Intro. The latest cinematic creation from director Brandon Cahoon will be one of the featured films heading into the 2012 Salt Lake City Film Festival. Cahoon had fallen in love with the idea of living with a musician and figuring out what makes them tick. Rather than do the traditional documentary style, he envisioned creating a dramatic film with Williams as the musical star. … read more
Localized – Cornered By Zombies, Settle Down and Gunner
September’s Localized brings to the stage two of the hardest-working heavy acts in the valley today: Cornered by Zombies, a thrash metal two-piece that is erupting onto the scene, and Settle Down, the latest hard rock collaboration of veteran musicians you may already know and love. On Sept. 14, Urban Lounge (21+) hosts these two badass bands and openers Gunner, who will tear up the stage. For a mere five bones at the door, you can’t afford to miss it. … read more
Chelsea Wolfe with Spell Talk and Light Black @ Urban...
I hear and feel dark swelling tones of bass, looped vocals and keys as they open with “Movie Screen.” Fog machine aside, their ominous stage presence creates an element of awe in the room, and the audience is eerily silent and perfectly still. I can feel the energy waiting to burst out of this band. I’m stoked, because just when I think I know where a piece is going, it does the exact opposite. I’m built up by Chelsea Wolfe’s layered vocal loops, then the ambient guitar sounds and deep bass drop me out a trap door and the music halts for a fraction of a second. They are tight and together, executing these rising and falling swells with surgical precision. … read more
Napalm Flesh: Týr Interview
Get your Viking gear ready, the horned helmet your ale tankards—well not really. Just because The Faeroe Island’s Týr sing a lot about Viking lore and history doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be taken seriously. With six full-length albums notched in their swords and no signs of slowing the momentum is only building. The band employs clean singing and big, fat helpings of majestic melodies. The point of it all, from my experience, is a journey-like experience—you listen and you go somewhere else. … read more
The Boards Reunion Show with Avon Calling and Gnawing Suspicion...
As these sages of punk rock strap on their guitars and study their set lists, the crowd of two dozen aged rockers (and a couple young punks like myself) watches anxiously, sensing the nervous energy in the bar. The guys haven’t forgotten how to kick ass, though, and they start with some of the oldies—stripped down punk rock n’ fuckin’ roll. … read more
Strung Out @ Bar Deluxe 08.17
It always seems like a bit of a publicity stunt to see a band rehash old material for a special run—It can come off as exploitative. However, I wholeheartedly embraced when Strung Out came back by with their mid-to-late-’90s albums, Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues and Twisted by Design. So did all my friends from the same era. Almost every song elicited a huge applause, and the good ol-fashioned mosh pit was full of slam dancers practicing the ancient art of controlled collisions. … read more
Iron & Wine, Kathleen Edwards @ Twilight Concert Series 08.16
Beam took the stage with his acoustic guitar and started his 20-song set. He pleased his longtime fans with a good mix of old and new, and solo and accompanied. What impressed me most was his superb vocals. Sure, they are great on CD, but Beam’s voice really thrives in a live setting, attesting to his natural talent. … read more
Napalm Flesh: As I Lay Dying Interview
It’s over a decade into their career, and As I Lay Dying is still charging the front lines of the metal scene with no sign of slowing. With this new decade in their careers on the horizon, they ready the release of new album Awakened with fresh eyes and inspiration from new sources. We were granted a surprise with drummer Jordan Mancino and bassist/vocalist Josh Gilbert during their first stint on the Rockstar Energy Mayhem Fest tour to get the details on this badass group of true believers. … read more