Alex-Cragun
February 20, 2013

Contributor Limelight: Alex Cragun

There’s dedication, and then there are diehards: Alex Cragun received his degree in Political Science in 2011 after writing for the Daily Utah Chronicle, which has led him to being the Vice President of the Young Democrats of Utah, a Spring Fellow for the Obama Campaign and a manager for the Seegmiller for Congress Campaign in 2012. A self-proclaimed Libertarian Socialist, Cragun helps change the system within the system, and constantly keeps himself busy. Cragun practices the type of work ethic SLUG loves, and we were quick to snatch him up in October of 2011 as a copy editor. Shortly after, Cragun began to pen his own articles in February 2012, and has exhibited his versatility by reviewing topics anywhere from Form of Rocket to Amy Goodman. He recently took on the position of a SLUG Mag intern and has fact-checked every local release that flew under the radar in 2012 in his commitment to underground and local music in our fair state. Besides running the gamut, a guy’s got to eat, and Cragun keeps his cooking game fresh with dishes like Dal Curry. If you’re lucky enough to catch him about town, buy Cragun a beer, and spark up a conversation about important issues with this thoughtful, likable chap!

Articles by contributor

The Dad Horse Experience – Eating Meatballs…

The Dad Horse Experience – Eating Meatballs…
By

Dad Horse Experience = (Will Sheff + Pete Seeger) / Thom Yorke
… read more

Reviews: Old Wounds/Trenchfoot – Self-Titled Split

Reviews: Old Wounds/Trenchfoot – Self-Titled Split
By

I love this recent resurgence of hardcore bands doing splits—I get two great bands for the price of one. … read more

Reviews: Highway Cross – Run Dry

Reviews: Highway Cross – Run Dry
By

Highway Cross sound like a grown up hardcore punk band. There are moments that have glimmers of Dag Nasty or Hüsker Dü in the eight minutes of charging guitars over semi-harsh vocals. … read more

Review: Youth Forgotten – Ghost of A Fallen Empire

Review: Youth Forgotten – Ghost of A Fallen Empire
By

 Youth Forgotten have a lot of influences: speed metal, thrash, early-’00s metalcore, gothic rock and crossover. When YF combines two genres in one song, it sounds good, but this was quite rare. … read more

Review: Various Artists – Mess With The Best… Die Like The Rest

Review: Various Artists – Mess With The Best… Die Like...
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I imagine this album would be great to riot to. Smashing windows and throwing Molotov cocktails to punk is something I want to see. … read more

Review: Title Fight – Hyperview

Review: Title Fight – Hyperview
By

Title Fight = Black Forrest Fire + Sunny Day Real Estate / Defeater  … read more

Review: Toughskins – Keep The Faith

Review: Toughskins – Keep The Faith
By

Toughskins have been around since the ’90s and they’re a great example of an old-fashioned, boots and braces, Oi! punk group. Comparing this album to their older stuff, it holds up well. If you’re looking for something to drive fast to or chug beer to, this is your album.  … read more

Review: The Runs – Pretty Girls

Review: The Runs – Pretty Girls
By

Pretty Girls needs more “Hey! Ho!”s and “Gabba gabba hey!”s. The lyrics are extruded from a Joey Ramone-‑like perspective, and the vocals of Scott Free have a similar cadence and tone to Joey.  … read more

Review: The Vibrators – Greatest Punk Hits

Review: The Vibrators – Greatest Punk Hits
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Countless punk bands have covered these songs, some of which I didn’t even know where originally Vibrator tunes. I suggest you listen to this album first, then listen to some songs by The Clash, then some songs by The Undertones, and from there, you’ll get a nice overview of what punk was like in the mid-70s.  … read more

Review: The Gaslight Anthem – Get Hurt

Review: The Gaslight Anthem – Get Hurt
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Get Hurt is The Gaslight Anthem’s awkward phase. Overproduced and lacking in any sincerity, I haven’t felt this turned off by an album since hearing Hanni El Khatib. … read more

Review: The Chewers – Dead Dads

Review: The Chewers – Dead Dads
By

The Chewers = The Fugs + The Residents + Television … read more

Review: The Front Bottoms – Back on Top

Review: The Front Bottoms – Back on Top
By

The Front Bottoms = Andrew Jackson Jihad + Violent Femmes
… read more

Review: The Appleseed Cast – Illumination Ritual

Review: The Appleseed Cast – Illumination Ritual
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I’ve never been able to classify The Appleseed Cast, but I’d say they lie in the folds of indie rock, post-hardcore, emo and shoegaze with intricate time signatures coupled with drums in the forefront. Illumination Ritual is another great album in a series of great albums. … read more

Review: Streetlight Manifesto – The Hands That Thieve

Review: Streetlight Manifesto – The Hands That Thieve
By

Their fifth album in the last ten years, The Hands That Thieve is a catchy and encouraging sign that ska has gas left in the tank. Like with all ska reviews, if you’re not a fan, just quit reading right now and kindly fuck off, we don’t care.  … read more

Review: Signals Midwest – Light on the Lake

Review: Signals Midwest – Light on the Lake
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I wouldn’t be surprised if bands like Signals Midwest, The Front Bottoms and other emo-revivalists start getting serious radio play in two years or so. Their mathy rhythms, straightforward guitar-work and harmony-laden vocals are just screaming radio potential. … read more

Review: Ratos de Porão – Século Sinistro

Review: Ratos de Porão – Século Sinistro
By

Ratos de Porão = Heresy + World Burns to Death / Appalachian Terror Unit … read more

Review: Rabbits – SOS

Review: Rabbits – SOS
By

Droney and distorted, the Portland trio RABBITS know how to hastily slap an album together. Live renditions, unreleased songs and other shit characterize the album. … read more

Review: Puscifer – Money Shot

Review: Puscifer – Money Shot
By

Puscifer = (Maynard + Boot Electric + Devo) / Calexico
… read more

Review: Paper Dragons – Die To Please

Review: Paper Dragons – Die To Please
By

Some of the more snotty sounding vocals in the modern punk scene, Paper Dragons’ Die To Please is a fast and unforgiving album. While sticking close to punk cannon, this album (originally released in 2007) kicks out some aggressive jams—you can almost hear the sweat dripping through your headphones. … read more

Review: Lightning Bolt – Fantasy Empire

Review: Lightning Bolt – Fantasy Empire
By

Lightning Bolt = (Black Pus + Death From Above 1979) / Hella … read more

Review: Home – Bound To Gravity

Review: Home – Bound To Gravity
By

I had to dig through the dusty recesses of my mental vault to describe Home. They straddle the line between sludge and post-hardcore. … read more

Review: Grabass Charlestons – Dale and the Carreeners

Review: Grabass Charlestons – Dale and the Carreeners
By

Grabass Charlestons did some growing up ladies and gents. I’m not the first person to say this and I don’t care, they should be praised for an album well done. Their earlier work is slightly juvenile in its content and simple three chord riffs. … read more

Review: Globe and Beast

Review: Globe and Beast
By

st 15 minutes of this album gives me a feeling of overwhelming chaos—like when a circle pit gets too crowded or finding a light switch in a large dark room. … read more

Local Review: Simian Greed – Self-Titled

Local Review: Simian Greed – Self-Titled
By

The album opens with the bass-heavy “Epic,” a song that took a moment to grow on me. What I initially took to be butt-rock vocals were in fact Lee Ving–styled yells and croons. “Different Circles” has the same aspects of Ving-meets-Danzig vocals. … read more

Local Review: P. K. Workman – Utah Sky

Local Review: P. K. Workman – Utah Sky
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P. K. Workman =
 Jay William Henderson + Duncan Sheik … read more

Local Review: La Verkin – Judge The Judger

Local Review: La Verkin – Judge The Judger
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La Verkin’s freshman album is something to admire. Meaty chunks of Form of Rocket, cubed and diced bits of Accidente boiled in a mild Ian MacKaye–based stock—this album is a stewy mess that gets better the following day. … read more

Local Review: Hard Men/Yaktooth – Self-Titled

Local Review: Hard Men/Yaktooth – Self-Titled
By

Hard Men/Yaktooth = Bird Eater + Fever Dreams + The Dillinger Escape Plan … read more

Local Review: Baby Girl / Gaytheist – Split EP

Local Review: Baby Girl / Gaytheist – Split EP
By

Baby Gurl/Gaytheist = Queens of the Stone Age + Fucked Up + Hot Snakes … read more

Local Review: Baby Gurl – Incompoop

Local Review: Baby Gurl – Incompoop
By

Baby Gurl = Primus + Queens of the Stone Age’s Songs for the Deaf / Yaktooth … read more

Local Review: Baby Gurl – A Name And A Blessing

Local Review: Baby Gurl – A Name And A Blessing
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Baby Gurl have captured a sound that is unlike any other band in Utah. … read more

Review: FOSSILS – The Meating

Review: FOSSILS – The Meating
By

FOSSILS = Red Fang + All Pigs Must Die + Barren Womb  … read more

Review: Epic Problem – Lines

Review: Epic Problem – Lines
By

 Hailing from Derbyshire, England, this four-piece band (who take their name from a Minor Threat song) is one of the few worth listening to in modern street punk. I knew almost immediately I was going to like this album in the first 30 seconds of the opening track, “Lines.”  … read more

Review: Electric Funeral – Total Funeral

Review: Electric Funeral – Total Funeral
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I have the perfect solution to your mediocre life—Electric Funeral. A 53-song discography for the Swedish D-beat group, this album is great for shitty days or shitty nights. … read more

Review: Cobalt Cranes – Head in the Clouds

Review: Cobalt Cranes – Head in the Clouds
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The Cobalt Cranes have got something good going on. They’re a solid lo-fi/shoegaze band and should be recognized for the amazing music they produced in their most recent album.  … read more

Review: Ceremony – The L-Shaped Man

Review: Ceremony – The L-Shaped Man
By

  Ceremony The L-Shaped Man Matador Records Street: 05.19 Ceremony = The A Frames + Mode Moderne “Aw ma gawd, Ceremony is abandoning hardcore,” said every review I found when researching this album. Fuck the haters, this album is awesome. Is it Ceremony? Not really. It’s more akin to a goth-surf song than the powerviolence

Review: Burnt Books – Self-titled

Review: Burnt Books – Self-titled
By

Burnt Books = His Hero is Gone + Fuck The Facts + Kazu Makino … read more

Review: Barren Womb/Remote – Self-Titled Split

Review: Barren Womb/Remote – Self-Titled Split
By

You can’t help but foil bands whenever you’re faced with a split. There is no better band between the two—the only victor in this split is the audience. … read more

Review: Ark Life – The Dream of You & Me

Review: Ark Life – The Dream of You & Me
By

Ark Life = Alabama Shakes + The Allman Brothers + a John Prine ballad … read more

Review: Antithought – Life’s Too Long

Review: Antithought – Life’s Too Long
By

The simplistic, three-chord fist picking reflects the content of the lyrics. Fuckin’ faster than the S Line—I timed my showers with the album and probably saved quite a bit of water. Life’s Too Long is steeped in the D.C. street punk style with hairs of late ’90s punk and I look forward to their next release. … read more

Crucialfest 6ccess

Crucialfest 6ccess
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Six years into its journey, Crucialfest has grown from a burgeoning side project into a regionally acclaimed heavy music festival and a beloved summer staple for Salt Lake musicphiles. … read more

Review: The Great Divide: The Conflict between Washington and Jefferson that Defined a Nation

Review: The Great Divide: The Conflict between Washington and Jefferson...
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Do you ever wonder how well Thomas Jefferson and George Washington got along, or how the other Founding Fathers played off each other during the early founding of the U.S.? I didn’t, and I’m an American History geek—hell I’m a political junkie too. … read more

Peaches: Close Up

Peaches: Close Up
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Leading the conversation on sexual orientation and gender expression in the music world, Peaches is again out pushing her unique brand of punk electropop. … read more

The Menzingers @ The Complex with Pianos Become the Teeth, meWithoutYou, Restorations

The Menzingers @ The Complex with Pianos Become the Teeth,...
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Closing out the show was The Menzingers, a band with a heart and something more. … read more

The Black Dahlia Murder, Iron Reagan, Harm’s Way and Maruta @ The Complex

The Black Dahlia Murder, Iron Reagan, Harm’s Way and Maruta...
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Fair reader, I was bewitched under the beautiful metal spell that The Black Dahlia Murder cast, and am now in love. … read more

Local Reviews: L’anarchiste

Local Reviews: L’anarchiste
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If all goes as planned, expect to hear a lot more from the fledgling band L’anarchiste. Eclectic, complex and a big bowl of folk for breakfast, L’anarchiste’s EP is a year’s worth of fine tuning by Robert LeCheminant, current member of Summerteeth and occasional contributor to Fox Van Cleef.  … read more

Local Reviews: Folk Hogan

Local Reviews: Folk Hogan
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It’s too easy to say Folk Hogan sound like Flogging Molly—they deserve more than that. Pub-belting tunes about whiskey, women and mythical men, Folk Hogan should be blasted at volume 11 by every cabby-hatted booze enthusiast in Utah.  … read more

Form of Rocket with Gaza @ Kilby Court 02.17

Form of Rocket with Gaza @ Kilby Court 02.17
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I’ll be honest, Form of Rocket and Gaza are in my top ten favorite local bands of all time. Their lyrical word choice, math-rock rhythm and active stage presence hooked me early on in life. I think my exposure to Gaza and Form of Rocket deeply shaped my expectations for “good music.” … read more

Henry Rollins @ The State Room 09.16

Henry Rollins @ The State Room 09.16
By

Rollins’ two-and-half-hour speech about whatever willed from his mouth—politics, reunion shows, being drug-free, iPod playlists, the smell of cow piss and more—was pretty bitchin’. With a sold-out crowd, Uncle Rollins proceeded to put the audience on his lap and tell them what the world is really like. No stone was left unturned, no ass cheek awake. For those of you who skipped this show, I shame you. … read more

Amy Goodman @ The Rose Wagner 10.29.12

Amy Goodman @ The Rose Wagner 10.29.12
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I was in a room full of  liberals. They all probably listen to RadioActive after Democracy Now!, but when was the last time they were really politically engaged? When was the last time they handed out literature or questioned their own political perspective? This was the message Amy Goodman left us with—to demand change, to make change—not to wait for it. … read more

Pinback with Judgement Day @ The Depot 01.26

Pinback with Judgement Day @ The Depot 01.26
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Doped up on DayQuil and brandishing a blue handkerchief, I braved a sea of mucus and cough fits just to see the indie-icon band, Pinback. The Depot was packed—I stood alongside inter-generational hipsters, a few of my former college professors, appreciators of minimalist rock and a small band of flannel-bros, rising to the occasion despite the onslaught of snow, long lines and $7 beer. … read more

Negative Approach @ The Shred Shed 02.16.12

Negative Approach @ The Shred Shed 02.16.12
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Alternative Utah came out in droves on Saturday to pay respect to punk legends Negative Approach. Street punks, Crust punks, SHARPs, punk-savvy hipsters, people of all ages (there was a man who clearly into his late 60s dancing at the sidelines), people from every socio-economic stripe packed the Shred Shed en masse for cynical, anti-social hardcore. I’m not sure if the show sold out, but it sure looked like it, all thanks to the promoting monsters at Pyrate Punx SLC. … read more

Alabama Shakes @ Saltair 03.08

Alabama Shakes @ Saltair 03.08
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I’ve been a fan of Alabama Shakes for shy of a year and even though I love their album, I was expecting a canned performance, appealing to a broad audience, sticking only to their album and no jam seasons. I was wrong. The Alabama Shakes have one of the tightest rhythm sections I’ve seen in quite some time—without their quick stops and interplay, the vocals of Brittany Howard would not have a platform to launch from. … read more

One Way System with Mass Terror, All Systems Fail, Desolate, Discoid A @ The Salt Haus 04.08

One Way System with Mass Terror, All Systems Fail, Desolate,...
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For most of Salt Lake City, Monday night was a cold, wet and somewhat snowy night—one last night (hopefully) for hot cocoa, sweaters and watching that Magic School Bus box set you mom got you in December. Those of us foolishly brave enough to venture out to the Salt Haus got a quite the treat. Hosted by the Pyrate Punx SLC, the bands Discoid A, Desolate, All Systems Fail, Mass Terror and One Way System played quite the show.  … read more

Black Angels with Hanni El-Khatib, Wall of Dead @ The Depot 05.11

Black Angels with Hanni El-Khatib, Wall of Dead @ The...
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I’m going to come out here at the front and say that Saturday’s show was amazing and you are less of a person for missing it. Sorry kids, but the Black Angels have yet to disappoint me, and you’re letting yourself down by missing any opportunity to see them. Now, let’s go on to why this was such a good show, starting with beginning.  … read more

Baby Gurl, Aan @ Kilby 05.13

Baby Gurl, Aan @ Kilby 05.13
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Holy shit it was hot Monday night. The fact that anyone showed up anywhere in the city is something short of a miracle. Originally, this was going to be a review of the Black Pus show scheduled for the night, but the band’s mastermind Brian Chippendale was pulled over for being too cool and as a result, couldn’t make the show. Here’s to hoping he comes back as soon as possible and that his insurance rates stay low. … read more

Interview with Casualties Bassist Rick Lopez

Interview with Casualties Bassist Rick Lopez
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The chaotic punk rock of The Casualties baptized the Salt Valley in sweat on May 25,  and SLUG Magazine got the opportunity to speak with Rick Lopez (bassist) before they walked onstage at the Salt Haus. … read more

The Casualties @ Salt Haus 05.25

The Casualties @ Salt Haus 05.25
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The Casualties walked on stage to a twangy, rockabilly song and immediately went into a jam from For the Punx. To say I was excited would be an understatement. I’ve been a fan of these gents since the age of 15 and I haven’t seen them since 2006. I was never a punk per se (it was too expensive to buy the outfit), but bands like The Casualties, Leftover Crack and The Virus got as much play in my CD player as The Smiths, Tomahawk and Descendents. … read more

An Interview with Adam Ant

An Interview with Adam Ant
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Adam Ant recently released his ninth album, Adam Ant Is The Blueblack Hussar in Marrying The Gunner’s Daughter, and is setting to start another tour of the U.S. After a 17 year hiatus from the music industry, Ant’s record is not only a new beginning as an artist, but a new approach to the business side of the music industry.  … read more

Damn These Heels! Festival Coverage 07.12-14

Damn These Heels! Festival Coverage 07.12-14
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Last weekend, the Utah Film Center hosted its 10th Annual Damn These Heels! Film Festival, a series dedicated to screening films with LGBT-centered elements. This year, the UFC screened 21 films, had a handful of panel discussions and threw a bit of a party on Friday night to kick things off the right way.  … read more

Peter Murphy, Ours @ Urban Lounge 07.17

Peter Murphy, Ours @ Urban Lounge 07.17
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Allow me to give a bit of a precursor to why I love the music of Bauhaus/Peter Murphy more than most people in their mid-20s. To begin with the most obvious point, I grew up listening to Bauhaus a lot. My mother was a participant in Utah’s then-thriving industrial/goth scene in the late ’80s, and one of the things I inherited a strong background of industrial music. Bands like Skinny Puppy, Revolting Cocks and KMFDM were part of my playtime music, so I’ve had an instinctual draw to industrial music from the beginning. Fast forward 12 years, and I’m sitting in a crowd of sweaty midlife crises as Mr. Murphy ambled onto the raised platform and, from what I could tell, looks pretty good for being in his 50s. … read more

Adam Ant @ The Complex 07.23 with Prima Donnas

Adam Ant @ The Complex 07.23 with Prima Donnas
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The man is on top of the world on his own terms and he seems happy about it. No bosses. No record labels. No shitty deals and scams. Just a man and his creative will to do something bigger. … read more

Clear @ Bar Deluxe 08.30 with Dismantled, INVDRS, Don’t Trust Anybody

Clear @ Bar Deluxe 08.30 with Dismantled, INVDRS, Don’t Trust...
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Clear reunited August 30 and 31 to celebrate fallen band mate Mick Morris, who recently died at the age of 35. Salt Lake City’s hardcore family came out en masse to show their support for this very beloved band and the late bassist. … read more

An Interview with Chris Mills, Drummer of Harm’s Way

An Interview with Chris Mills, Drummer of Harm’s Way
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Utah is in Harm’s Sept. 24. Founded in 2006, this sXe band is from Chicago, IL and has been stomping around the world for the past year. They just recently finished a tour of Europe with Australian band Twitching Tongues and are now in the initial days of a West Coast tour with the bands Dead In the Dirt and Homewrecker. SLUG got a chance to sit down with Chris Mills, the drummer for Harm’s Way and talk about the band’s recent EP, Blinded, their deal with Deathwish Records, their transition into a metal/hardcore sound over the past few years and Chris’ dream tour destination. … read more

Minus The Bear @ The Depot 09.22 with The New Trust and Tera Melos

Minus The Bear @ The Depot 09.22 with The New...
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These guys are something to experience and I’ve missed out on it for so many years. I’ve had a handful of their albums over the years and have spent hours poring over them with headphones, but nothing can prepare your senses for that overwhelming wave of sound you get from “Monkey!!! Knife!!! Fight!!!” or “Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Warehouse.” … read more

Cut To The Bone: An Interview with Patrick Santana of Bone Dance

Cut To The Bone: An Interview with Patrick Santana of...
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“I think that’s what keeps it addicting: the fact that it’s not a consistent job. You show up and you don’t know what is going to happen at a show and that what makes the good moments even better—going into a situation and you don’t know what is going to happen, but you hope for the best. I don’t think anyone in our band is fearful of getting hurt. I mean, our singer is an animal. He’ll bury himself for the band.” … read more

Preaching the Keller Gospel: An Interview with Dad Horse Ottn of The Dad Horse Experience

Preaching the Keller Gospel: An Interview with Dad Horse Ottn...
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“I had this experience when I was playing in Circleville, Ohio—I was doing the sound check and there was this lady my age sitting at the bar and she said “Hey! What are you doing?” I said ‘I’m [playing] a mixture of country, gospel and punk music,’ and she said, ‘You play gospel in the bar? My mother sang gospel in the choir and she would have never sang in a bar.’ Once again, it’s a pity because that is where the Gospel should be heard.” … read more

Red Fang, Gaytheist, Helms Alee @ Urban Lounge 10.15

Red Fang, Gaytheist, Helms Alee @ Urban Lounge 10.15
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Red Fang walked onstage, dressed in their finest tuxedo T-shirts, the occasion being the release date of their new album, Whales & Leeches. These guys look like the epitome of metal heads: Everyone has tattoos, long hair and glorious beards. … read more

Don’t Kill Mother Fucking Depeche Mode: An Interview With Sascha Konietzko

Don’t Kill Mother Fucking Depeche Mode: An Interview With Sascha...
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Sascha Konietzko is a music machine. For the last three decades, Konietzko’s band, KMFDM, has produced an album every other year, often with a tour to accompany its release. KMFDM have pushed the boundaries of industrial music, sex and politics. From the sense of nihilism brought on by the formulaic nature of modern music, to the feelings of outrage over political oppression, KMFDM have been there to address the issue. SLUG Magazine got the opportunity to talk with Sascha Konietzko about his recently released album Kunst, his wife and bandmate Lucia Cifarelli, the Syria conflict and Konietzko’s perspective on the progression of industrial music over the years. … read more

Circle Takes The Square @ Shred Shed 04.18 with Visitors, Worst Friends and Clark!

Circle Takes The Square @ Shred Shed 04.18 with Visitors,...
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Nothing is better than the month of April—the weather is warm, the patio furniture is out and the bands roll in. Friday was no exception to this situation, as Circle Takes the Square stomped into Utah that evening. … read more

Crucial Fest 2014 Day Four @ The Shred Shed

Crucial Fest 2014 Day Four @ The Shred Shed
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Crucial Fest 4: Day Four @ The Shred Shed with Heartless Breakers, Eons, Call of the Void, Abrams, Die Off, Done, Light/Black … read more

Film Review: PUMP

Film Review: PUMP
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PUMP is a serious movie with a title that makes me chortle every time I hear it. The film illustrates a narrative that all Americans have agreed upon since 2003—we’re addicted to oil. … read more

Covering the President: My Adventure at Journalism Space Camp

Covering the President: My Adventure at Journalism Space Camp
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“Call me right now. Right now. Right now,” pops up on my phone’s screen. The tone is alarmist, so I call my friend to find out what’s going on. She forwards me a White House press credential application and says that I should apply. … read more

Lightning Bolt @ Kilby Court 4.25 with Baby Gurl, Birthquake

Lightning Bolt @ Kilby Court 4.25 with Baby Gurl, Birthquake
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The sound of muffled bass echoed across 300 West as I walked closer to Kilby. The closer I was, the more decipherable the music became. By the time I was in the alley, it was clear that Baby Gurl had taken the stage earlier than expected.  … read more

Local Reviews: Summerteeth

Local Reviews: Summerteeth
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Summerteeth’s recent release is a conglomeration of swirling hooks and high-neck diddles played through synthpop keyboard. The EP has an early ’00s indie rock influence that plays out well with its lo-fi guitars, discordant vocals and simple chord progressions.  … read more

Local Reviews: Austin Joseph

Local Reviews: Austin Joseph
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Early Years, Austin Joseph’s first album, has an intriguing duality to it—whether it was a conscious effort is left to the listener to decide. To start, Mr. Joseph looks pretty clean cut: all smiles, hair gel and jeans. His musicality reflects this clean-cut image: uplifting keys and inspirational guitar. It’s clear that Joseph has extensively studied the catalogs of Pete Seeger, Gordon Lightfoot and other guitar-wielding good guys.  … read more

Local Reviews: Matthew and The Hope

Local Reviews: Matthew and The Hope
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Matthew and The Hope wasn’t my kind of jam. Matthew claims to sound like Joshua James or Ray LaMontague, but I see his vocal styles as akin to back-of-the-throat singers from neo-grunge (think Scott Stapp or Gavin Rossdale). That being said, Matthew Bashaw has solid vocal skills, but the man needs someone to back him up if he is going to pull off the alternative country sound.  … read more

All That Is Left: The Left Show Celebrates 100 Episodes

All That Is Left: The Left Show Celebrates 100 Episodes
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Somewhere in West Jordan, in an underground bunker, a man is making dick jokes. For over 100 episodes, the guys at The Left Show have been dishing up the pressing political issues of the day, all the while piling on an insurmountable amount of self-deprecating humor. … read more

Painted Temple: Tattoo Craftsmen to the World

Painted Temple: Tattoo Craftsmen to the World
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When I first walked into Painted Temple Tattoo, I got the feeling that I had walked into the wrong shop. However, underneath this art gallery/tattoo shop is a world of pure metal manufacturing: acetylene torches, surface grinders and spare parts. It’s one thing to illustrate bodies—it’s another to craft the tools yourself. Dan Walker and Oak Adams, the owners and artists at Painted Temple, have been crafting their own tattoo machines (don’t call it a gun) since 2007, and business is good. … read more

CrucialFest 5 Recap: Area 51 – Day One

CrucialFest 5 Recap: Area 51 – Day One
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It’s finally here! My musical Christmas is here (I should have a beer advent calendar) and oh boy, was it a fun first night. In a matter of six hours, I saw eleven bands. While bouncing between the booze and sans-booze rooms at Area 51 (a venue I haven’t been to since I was 17. It hasn’t changed a bit.) I had my face melted off on multiple occasions. … read more

True Horror: Thirteen Years of the Working Dog

True Horror: Thirteen Years of the Working Dog
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Working Dog is an unofficial fixture of the University of Utah’s highly ranked graduate creative writing program. Named after the phrase “working like a dog,” the premise is simple: a once-monthly evening of art, wine and students reading material from their portfolios. … read more

Pissing My Jeans on RSD

Pissing My Jeans on RSD
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More than 10 years after the band’s inception, Pissed Jeans have gone from punk stardom to Sub Pop’s best-kept secret. A combination of hardcore punk and noise rock, with a smattering of dudeist cynicism, Pissed Jeans were a total gamble—a divergence from typical Sub Pop artists of the last decade like Fleet Foxes and The Shins. … read more