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 Reviews: I Hate Girls with Bruises
The Salt Lake City noise scene is blowing up and it is no small part to the concerted and concentrated efforts of one Aaron Zillionaire. On this release, Zillionaire and collaborator Tia Martinez, haven’t gone the usual route of penetrating noise and obtuse shocking visuals that subordinate the sound, but have taken this one track opus and made it sound as if you were in an industrial warehouse full of machines moving blending and echoing in harmonious unison. … read more
Local Reviews: Gudgeguh
Like its labelmate, Night Terror, Gudgeguh rocks in at just under 12 minutes. Unlike Night Terror, its a sad disappointment that it ends so soon and abruptly. What is immensely interesting about this nugget of noise are the anomalies that catch the ear. … read more
Local Reviews: Gene Swift Band
When I first plugged this disk into my deck just outside of SLUG HQ I was really stoked. “Way Back Home,” the opening track, was crying out for me to roll down the window and jam down 300 West with a grin on my face and an arm out the window. … read more
Local Reviews: Drop Dead Julio
Drop Dead Julio’s premier album feels strangely familiar: the band knows the audience they’re playing to, adding enough of their own personality to stand out from the crowd, enough for you to take notice. … read more
Local Reviews: Dreadnought
Nothing Sacred features seven blazing tracks of dark-textured alternative heavy rock. The opening track, “Walk Away”, is harsh sounding tight rock. Vocalist Dave Olsen sounds like an early version of Maynard James Keenan. … read more
Local Reviews: Dead Yeti
Out of the four Red Light Sound releases that have recently come out, this is the best. Harsh and perverse from the very moment you step into it, it’s like fucking an exquisite corpse. … read more
Local Reviews: The VCR Quintet
The freshest and most exciting stuff to come out of Salt Lake is the local noise scene. 2006 saw the amazing album by The Tenets of Balthazar’s Castle (a top five of Andrew Glassett) and 2007 is set with a new release by The VCR Quintet. … read more
Local Reviews: Various Artists
Giving SLUG’s Death By Salt recordings a run for the money as “Best Local Compilation”, Slowtrain presents a well produced record of previously unreleased tunes by some of Utah’s favorite alt-country or acoustic soloists. … read more
Local Reviews: The Upstarts
Finally, a band that proves that Utah ska doesn’t need to be the realm of high school band nerds with a Reel Big Fish fetish! The Upstarts deliver some seriously awesome ska, chock full of soul and a whole heap of energy. … read more
Local Reviews: Spitsofrantic
Perhaps because my expectations were so low, this album was sort of enjoyable. Spitzo has a solid, balanced, if simple flow. His doubles are well timed-he knows his verses. The record’s frenetic trip-hop-acid-gangsta production fits surprisingly well with it’s dystopian theme. … read more