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: Bat Manors – Literally Weird

Local Review: Bat Manors – Literally Weird
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Bat Manors are the latest in the growing tradition of indie whisper-core bands from Provo with punny names who manage to transcend their silly titles with some really great songs. … read more

August 2014 Local Music Reviews

August 2014 Local Music Reviews

Local reviews for Bat Manors, Ben Q. Best, Bird Watcher, Christopher Alvarado, Dwellers, Masked Epsilon, Mkaio, DJ Sparx, Strong Words, Tiger Fang and more. … read more

Local Review: Visitors – Blueshift

Local Review: Visitors – Blueshift
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Visitors Blueshift Self-Released Street: 06.20 Visitors = Deftones + Rush Rarely does an EP sound so much like a full-fledged album. Musical offerings of such satisfying integrity do not hatch, fully formed, by sheer happenstance. Blueshift combines fist-sized chunks of aboriginal talent with months of coffee-addicted, all-night hunkering sessions, to yield prog metal that feels

Local Review: VISTAAS – Sunkhronos

Local Review: VISTAAS – Sunkhronos
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VISTAAS Sunkhronos Self-Released Street: 01.14 VISTAAS = Pierre Schaeffer + Oneohtrix Point Never Sunkhronos is a sample-heavy, cut-up work. This record has the feel of a found cassette in sections—the rare type where ferric tape hiss actually adds to the musicality. I would refer to it as musique concrète more readily than, say, a beat

Local Review: Sam Page – The Slog in Uncertainty

Local Review: Sam Page – The Slog in Uncertainty
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Sam Page The Slog In Uncertainty Self-Released Street: 05.01 Sam Page = Pixies + Placebo + The Red Hot Chili Peppers The blind passion and talent for melody that came out of the early ’90s summarizes this album completely. The fact that it’s the brainchild of a Utahn just makes my music geek heart sing.

Local Review: Oxcross – Tree and Stone

Local Review: Oxcross – Tree and Stone
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Oxcross Tree and Stone Self-released Street: 04.15 Oxcross = USX + Clutch + Karma To Burn Heavy and extremely loud rockers Oxcross bring forth the riffs. Those riffs flow like the springs and streams of the Wasatch Front, starting as trickles and turning into massive rivers. There’s a familiarity in the styles Oxcross throw down,

Local Review: OK Ikumi – Outside

Local Review: OK Ikumi – Outside
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OK Ikumi Outside Hel Audio Street: 04.30 OK Ikumi = Corduroi + Ethernet Once again, Karl Jørgensen has won over my heart with the ambient sounds of his latest synthesized magnum opus. This time, Outside translated into a more themed, cohesive work than its predecessor 10/13. The collection of sounds weaves an intricate tapestry of

Local Review: Lindsay Heath – Holy Medicine

Local Review: Lindsay Heath – Holy Medicine
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Lindsay Heath Holy Medicine Self-Released Street: 08.02 Lindsay Heath = PJ Harvey + Fiona Apple With a lead-in as powerful as “Holy Medicine,” fit with deep cellos, quivering violins and soulful serenades, Lindsay Heath summons spirits with a particularly chilling and intimate sound. Holy Medicine is not for the meek. With longer songs, the depth

Local Review: Honey Pine – Self-Titled

Local Review: Honey Pine – Self-Titled
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Honey Pine Self-Titled Self-Released Street: 04.05 Honey Pine = Deer Tick + Grateful Dead Honey Pine is an alternative rock band from our backyard. The Honey Pine guys didn’t name the band after a tree, but rather the verb—to pine—which makes sense. These rockers are after something, and you can hear it when they play.

Local Review: Henry Wade – Meet Your Creature

Local Review: Henry Wade – Meet Your Creature
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Henry Wade Meet Your Creature Self-Released Street: 04.22 Henry Wade = Joshua James + The Avett Brothers If there’s a simple formula for making Western-folk music, I’d say it includes an ingredient list of steel guitars, banjos, harmonizing female vocals, brass instrument, along with references to trains, the night sky and Jesus. Henry Wade pretty