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: Quetté Daddie – Reverse Psychology

Local Review: Quetté Daddie – Reverse Psychology
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Quetté Daddie Reverse Psychology JAMS Quetté Daddie = Bert McCracken’s publicity stunts + $10 DI Casio   “Before music critic [sic] bash my music in a CD review, I think they should try to understand my music and my pain,” says Quetté Daddie at the beginning of Reverse Psychology. Could he be talking about little

Local Review: Scoob Serious – Standing in the Gap

Local Review: Scoob Serious – Standing in the Gap
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Scoob Serious Standing in the Gap Visualize Scoob Serious = The Bible + Cypress Hill   Christian rap can be annoying, but Scoob Serious comes off sincere and non-self-righteous about his religious convictions, rapping directly but non-melodramatically in his knowing purr about his past life as a gangster leading a double life behind his young

Local Review: Seconds Away – Self-titled demo

Local Review: Seconds Away – Self-titled demo
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Seconds Away Self-titled demo Seconds Away = The Used + Gift Anon + Drive-Thru Records   OK, I put Gift Anon in there because of the tender vocals. They should send their CDs only to Drive-Thru Records and Jade Tree and call it good. Seconds Away are pretty good at making emo that doesn’t suck, thanks

Local Review: State & Stereo – Thinkstop

Local Review: State & Stereo – Thinkstop
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State & Stereo Thinkstop Gloworm Records State & Stereo = New York Dolls + The Strokes + The Warlocks   Bratty, cheeky lo-fi rock equal parts pop, glam garage and psychedelic wash with heartrending piano is best when dipping closer to the latter two, traveling back two decades como T. Rex than suckling from fads

Local Review: Micah Dahl Anderson – EP #1

Local Review: Micah Dahl Anderson – EP #1
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Micah Dahl Anderson EP #1 Mother Clucker Micah Dahl Anderson = Patti Smith + Death Cab for Cutie acoustic Tranquil folksy indie guitar stuff swaps off with Tourette Syndrome outbursts of frantic panic sans swearing. Nick Drake overtones swell and ripple, early Radiohead bleeds through sometimes as in “Pirates of the Universe;” if emo in

Local Review: Nolens Volens – Faux EP

Local Review: Nolens Volens – Faux EP
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Nolens Volens Faux EP Nolens Volens = Bjork + Rope or Bullets + The Anniversary   It is obvious that Nolens Volens has a wide range of musical tastes—it’s probably a good idea they didn’t try to mix them all together simultaneously. Instead, they line up synth-pop ranging from spastically blippy to catchy next to

Local Review: Ibex Throne – Self-titled

Local Review: Ibex Throne – Self-titled
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Ibex Throne Self-titled (Elegy Records) Ibex Throne = Mayhem + Blasphemy + Beherit + Dark Throne   From the cold wastes of Salt Lake City comes one of the fastest, most brutal experiences ever. While some parts are slow and somber, Ibex Throne is typically light-speed. The searing death growls and tortured screams of vocalist

Local Review: Nothing For Now – The Veil

Local Review: Nothing For Now – The Veil
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Nothing For Now The Veil NFN = Alkaline Trio + AFI + Dashboard Confessional   The best way to become self-assured is to get an ego first and then force yourself to live up to it, but Nothing For Now considers themselves a bit too epic. These recent SLC immigrants should heed the age-old wisdom

Local Review: Nate Padley – Monster of Vision

Local Review: Nate Padley – Monster of Vision
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Nate Padley Monster of Vision Soundco Records N. Padley = Cowboy Junkies + Bob Dylan (circa Oh Mercy) + Steve Malkmus   Nate Padley hits the “life is full of pain but art makes it tolerable” nail on the head—in a solemn, sincere way. He plays an army of instruments on Monster of Vision but

Local Review: Nexis – Game Over

Local Review: Nexis – Game Over
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Nexis Game Over Nexis = Jay Z + Hieroglyphics Slick rhymes and inventive metaphors of Nexis do well to gloss over his one downfall—lack of original content. He spits the same shit that everybody else spits—typical G-rap “I’ll fuck you up while smoking blunts and get the big deal I deserve” shit. His lyrical abilities