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: The Contingency Plan – Self-titled demo (2002)
The Contingency Plan Self-titled demo (2002) The Contingency Plan = Drive-Thru Records + sincerity Oops … this is what happens when you lose a band’s press kit in your car’s trunk for two years. This four-song demo is a neat, tight conglomeration of polished emo pop-punk with sharp production (Boho Digitalia), tight performance and
Local Review: Rope or Bullets – Call It for What...
Rope or Bullets Call It for What You Want Rope or Bullets = Atom and His Package + Modern English From the band that brought you “I Love Personality,” the outright best song on the Death By Salt compilation, comes a six-song precursor to a full-length album. Rope or Bullets, though not the rockin’est
Local Review: Pagan Dead – Mors Janua Vit Æ Et...
Pagan Dead Mors Janua Vit Æ Et Vita Janua Mortis Self-released Pagan Dead = Misfits + Accused When I first received a copy of Pagan Dead’s debut album, I was a little leery, thinking, “Rockabilly? Next!” But after giving it a chance, I was instantly hooked! Relentless drumming by Jodie Hecate, demonic guitars by
Local Review: NSPS – Timeless Towns and Haunted Places
NSPS Timeless Towns and Haunted Places Nutra Stick NSPS = They Might be Giants + Barenaked Ladies NSPS might not be too bad of a band, if it weren’t for the vocals. They’re gruff, tongue-in-cheek and strained, not unlike Van Morrisson’s, but unlike Van Morrisson’s, they’re painfully out of tune, making portions of this
Local Review: Less People, More Robots – Self-Titled
Less People, More Robots Self-Titled LPMR = Fiona Apple + Weezer My friend Melinda told me that robots are one of the three things in the entire world that scare her. The other two are children and monogamy. Go figure. Though some, like Melinda, would argue against having more robots in the world, you’ll probably
Local Review: Jupassa – Attack of the Red Dinosaurs
Jupassa Attack of the Red Dinosaurs Kitefishing Family Jupassa = Edward Scissorhands + Ray Bradbury If Mogwai were approached about concocting the soundtrack for The Nightmare Before Christmas Part II: Jack Gets Funky Fresh with Kwanzaa, this is what they might come up with. Trip-hoppy electronica skips rope with quirky guitar breaks and odd
Local Review: The Furies – Sunday Satellite
The Furies Sunday Satellite Dumb Angels The Furies = (Pavement + Lou Reed) x emo The songs on Sunday Satellite are well thought-out, well produced and could serve as an accessory to a deep, deep depression. This minimalist, sad indie rock of The Furies could either woo the right concert audience into a feeling
Local Review: Gina French – Of Rapture
Gina French Of Rapture Gina French = Emmylou Harris + Robert Johnson + Dead Can Dance Gina French has more soul than Al Green french-kissing Tina Turner. She is the only folk artist I know that takes the sexiest, dirtiest parts of the blues, rock and alt-country and mixes it with Middle Eastern scale progressions.
Local Review: Dreno – Self-Titled
Dreno Self-Titled Dreno = God Forbid + Downset When Dreno’s got it, they got it. Unfortunately, they become confused every now and then and, apparently, due to a longing for originality in a saturated hardcore/metal market, stray from what they do best (ridiculously heavy riffs and guttural vocals) and incorporate things like spoken-word emo
Local Review: Discourse – Self-Titled
Discourse Self-Titled Discourse = Every Time I Die + My Morning Jacket + whatever A band named Discourse and scenes of urban pandemonium on a jacket cover generally sway me to believe that the album I’m about to hear is probably going to be punk rock of some fashion—or at least something hardcore or possibly