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: Mark Dago
There is something to be said for brevity in the music world: What’s the point of an album that drags on just for the sake of stroking the band members’ egos? Dago impressively bundles everything he needs to in about 20 minutes with this sophomore project, in which he ties together electronic sounds from old school video games (“Little Mac’s Jogging Theme”, anyone?) and a unique stream of beats. … read more
Local Reviews: Long Distance Operator
Long Distance Operator mine the twilight years of hard rock before it devolved into butt rock. This is a good thing for those of us who happen to like proto-butt rock, and Long Distance Operator hit their metallic stride on the excellent “Torches.” … read more
Local Reviews: The Future of The Ghost
Every member of the band The Future of the Ghost has been making music and friends in Utah for many years. That’s why it is not with a blessed heart, but with a heavy one, that I have to admit that I’m personally not a fan of the band’s new sound. … read more
Local Reviews: Eyes Lips Eyes
Eyes Lips Eyes album is composed of the 12 singles that Eyes Lips Eyes released each month for an entire year. … read more
Local Reviews: Erin Barra
An SLC-native musician we can all be proud to call one of our own, Erin Barra has it—that “je ne sais quois,” as the French say. Star-fucking-quality, just to be clear. Illusions, her sophomore release, is top-notch shit. … read more
Local Reviews: Dirty Blonde
Dirty Blonde is an all-out fist fight, and someone just got cut with a bottle of Bud. I can’t hear this band without thinking of the movie Road House. This EP is a piece of straightforward, bar rock n’ roll. On track one, “See You Next Tuesday,” singer Spencer Flowers belts out the following little love note: “Cool heartbreaker, there’s a special place in hell for you!” followed by a rippin’ guitar solo. The band does a good job of keeping the energy up. … read more
Local Reviews: David Williams
This is the soundtrack that finally completed the film Parade, written in 2005 and shown in festivals in 2008. Writer and director Brandon Cahoon had been looking for just the right music to go with his film, and having heard David Williams’ music at Slowtrain, commissioned him to write the score. … read more
Local Reviews: CastleAxe – Castlemaster
Hark! CastleAxe (formerly Speitre) hath returned with their brand of classic heavy metal, melded with bludgeoning blows of thrash. As the hilt supports the blade, so does Grög’s rhythm guitar with Hölger’s steel-soldered leads in euphonious synchrony … read more
Local Reviews: CastleAxe
Hark! CastleAxe (formerly Speitre) hath returned with their brand of classic heavy metal, melded with bludgeoning blows of thrash. As the hilt supports the blade, so does Grög’s rhythm guitar with Hölger’s steel-soldered leads in euphonious synchrony … read more
Local Reviews: Baby Ghosts
When I saw Baby Ghosts, the singer was wearing a Yoshi backpack and standing next to a three-foot tall Crayola crayon. This juvenile attitude carries into their lyrics about Stephen Hawking not being able to walk: “Maybe you should just try a little bit harder; I mean, it’s pretty easy to walk.” … read more