Music
SLUG Magazine’s collection of reviews covering the latest and greatest of Utah-based music, covering all varieties of genre, style and type.
Local Review: Various Artists – Sounds of Sodium
I have to admit, my local punk rock experiences have been tainted. Unfortunately, my friends and I went to many bad, local pop punk shows in the ‘90s and missed out on the good stuff. Thankfully, Sounds of Sodium, a local punk/rock/hardcore compilation, made it my way. … read more
Local Review: Tiger Fang – Endangered
This album is what it sounds like to pound a 12-pack of Pabst by yourself, jump around on your bed shredding on air guitar until you get sick and puke into a pile of week-old laundry, and knock over your foot-tall bong because you were too busy headbanging to pay attention to anything but the music. … read more
Local Review: Strong Words – Come Clean
If you’ve been paying attention to rad local bands in Salt Lake, you’ve probably heard Cathy Foy shredding drums in Future of the Ghost or The Circulars. Mixed and recorded by Andrew Goldring, Come Clean is Foy’s latest project—a work of thoughtful, honest musicianship with Foy on guitar and vocals. … read more
Local Review: Mkaio – The Devil Lived EP
With production technology that is more accessible and as user-friendly as iOS7, comes an influx of artistic variety that can’t simply be described as “a subgenre of electronic music.” … read more
Local Review: Masked Epsilon – Crystal Catacombs
As someone who has maybe played two hours of video games in her entire life, I’m not exactly the person to ask for opinions on a new one. However, this well-produced album is the soundtrack to a locally made online game that’s almost as nostalgic as blowing the dust out of your old Nintendo cartridges. … read more
Local Review: Dwellers – Pagan Fruit
Producing more of their psych-tinged “gut rock,” Dwellers have doubled down on the space rock sound that they experimented with on Good Morning Harakiri. The resulting album is unbelievably laid back, sounding a lot like mid-’90s stoner rock but without the angst-driven intensity. … read more
Local Review: Christopher Alvarado – Infinita
This is a release you want to listen to when you just need a moment to relax. This ambient mood music has everything you need to calm down or practice your naked yoga. … read more
Local Review: Christopher Alvarado – Creation By Inertia
A well-crafted soundscape album, Creation by Inertia showcases a serene expedition through space and time. It’s droney, ambient and true to the experimental genre. … read more
Local Review: Bird Watcher – The Luna Sessions
In the ghetto, a “Bird Watcher” means something totally different than this sonically adventurous, emotionally distraught collection of songs from these shape-shifting Ogden musicians. I would know because Cincinnati has ghettos. … read more
Local Review: Ben Q. Best – Apricot Exorcist
Though his songs are tinged with a kind of delicate earnestness, Ben Q Best excels most in his ability to craft unique melodic passages that carry the darker themes of this album. His voice warbles and wanes through layers of shoegazey post-rock and quiet piano passages. … read more