Issues: Issue 278 - February 2012
Godina
If it’s nighttime in Salt Lake City, Justin Godina is working hard on some Technics—either DJing as he does at residencies, six nights out of the week, or in his basement fixing the broken mechanisms that make the workhorse tables of the industry tick. His instrument is the 1200s, and he’s known as the “Mad Scientist of the 1200s,” after the infamous Technics SL-1200 turntables that he both plays on as a DJ and repairs as a hobby. … read more
The Slackers: Rude and Reckless Radio Rebels
The Slackers aren’t a ska band. They aren’t a reggae band, or a punk band, or a garage rock band. According to vocalist/organist Vic Ruggiero, they’re a “Jamaican rock n’ roll” band. In listening to the band’s vast discography, you’ll find bits of The Velvet Underground crossing over with The Upsetters grooves, psychedelia mixing with dub, and Motown taking some heavy hints from Studio One. … read more
Salty Lyrics and Love Songs
The Growlers, based out of Costa Mesa, play spooky, slowed-down surf pop. It’s an unexpectedly morose sound, considering their proximity to the beach, great surfing and ample sunshine. This spring sees the band touring through Salt Lake City on March 8, playing Austin’s SXSW, the sold out, two-weekend-long Coachella, and releasing their third album, Hung at Heart. … read more
Man of Many Masks: An Interview with Julian Carr
Julian Carr is a man of many masks—pro skier, entrepreneur, college graduate, published writer and world record holder. He is also a man of dedication and commitment, traits that helped him achieve his success both as a professional skier and as owner of Discrete Headwear. Through all this, he’s still humble and unassuming, grounded in his love and passion for skiing. … read more
Photo Feature: Bode Merrill
Bode Merrill recently told me about his affection for dubstep and raves. That is the moment I knew he was into drugs. Perhaps I’m jumping to conclusions here and underestimating the amount of head trauma he’s sustained from snowboarding. I decided to do some research into this second theory and found that Bode actually has his very own blog dedicated to one of the nastiest of all snowboarding wrecks—the scorpion. … read more
Live Dew-ds: Exposing Snowbasin
From February 9-12, some of the world’s biggest names in skiing and snowboarding will be returning to Utah. Over the past years, this particular stop has proven successful—breaking attendance records daily and providing Snowbasin with a ton of exposure. In order to learn how this competition found its way to Utah, I met with the guys behind the scenes and spent a day on the hill. … read more
Skateboards: A Magnet for Crazy
If there is a crazy bum in my general area, they’ll usually head straight for me and spark up a conversation. It doesn’t matter if I have a skateboard or not—bums love to talk to me—but the attraction is especially strong with a skateboard. At first, I thought it was something about my personality. I just naturally emitted some scent or aura that drew crazy people to me. Eventually, though, I realized it’s something to do with being a skateboarder. … read more
Beautiful Godzilla: Bike Love
Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful powder blue converted fixie. One day, the bicycle’s owner got super wasted at a local bar and, too drunk to bike home, decided to hail a cab instead. Left alone, its frame hugging the cold black curve of the bike rack, the bicycle cowered under the shadow of the night sky. … read more
Gallery Stroll: Art Has a New Home
Salt Lake City has a new Arts Hub. Normally, an “Arts Hub” earns its name over months or years, but if you’re Derek Dyer, Executive Director of the Utah Arts Alliance (UAA), and your programs serve over 50,000 people throughout the year, and you just acquired a 30,000 square foot building, I think you have the right to call it an “Arts Hub.” … read more
Dear Dickheads – February 2012
Dear Dickheads,
On August 26, RadioActive aired a show asking the question “why are there not more female-fronted rock bands in Utah?” I called in and stuck my foot in my mouth, in a sense. I said that I feel it may have something to do with folks looking up to their favorite bands as idols rather than people just like themselves expressing their ideas through music. … read more