Music
Andy Bell – Non-Stop review
While comparisons to his active role as one half of Erasure are inevitable (they’d have to be) Andy Bell—one of the world’s most underrated vocalists—has captured the magic on his second solo album, the sublime Non-Stop. The secret here, besides Bell’s ability to always create a hummable chorus, is his willingness to experiment with his vocals. … read more
National CD Reviews – June 2010
Reviews of new releases from Acid Tiger, Devin the Dude, Exodus, The Fall, The Gaslight Anthem, The Hold Steady, MGMT, Minus the Bear, The New Pornographers, Off With Their Heads, Sage Francis, Sharon Jones and many more are featured.
It Just So Happens I Have Many Concerns: An Interview...
Damien Jurado writes songs like Robert Altman directs films. Like Altman, Jurado’s characters are victims of circumstance, sometimes environmental, sometimes of their own accord, who are forced to face down moral questions that they are unequipped to deal with. I had the chance to talk to Damien Jurado about his craft as songwriter and his new album Saint Bartlett. … read more
Serpents of the Midnight Sun: An interview with Nightbringer’s Naas...
On Tuesday June 8th the demonic occult forces that are Green Mountain Falls, Colorado’s Nightbringer will unleash their darkened black metal distortions upon Salt Lake City. Nightbringer focuses on atmospheres as much as they do direct, fast and dirge ridden guitar passages. I got the chance to ask Nightbringer’s frontman Naas Alcament a few questions to explore the depths of their music. … read more
Localized: Fox Van Cleef, The Boomsticks and Big Trub –...
There’s no better way to celebrate SLUG’s annual beer issue than by knocking back a few at this month’s Localized. Bands from all over Utah’s musical landscape will converge at The Urban Lounge in the name of booze on June 18, as Ogden psych-rockers Fox Van Cleef, Salt Lake surfers The Boomsticks and Provo garage rock openers Big Trub take the stage. As always, five bucks gets you in, and you get what you pay for. … read more
Fear Factory @ Club Sound
Fear Factory is one of those bands I’d do anything to see live, no matter how many times I’ve seen them before. I started listening to Fear Factory as a teenager, and despite some lackluster albums, line-up changes and even a period of being officially broken up, I’ve always been a fan for reasons that I cannot fully comprehend. … read more
Volcom’s Wild In the Parks @ American Fork Skatepark 05.08.10
2010 WILD IN THE PARK STOP#1
Volcom’s 2010 North American Wild in the Parks Tour was kicked off in style at American Fork’s own Greenwood Skatepark on Saturday, May 8th. With 200 competitors shredding the park for a chance at invites to this year’s $25,000 WITP Championships in Arizona. Needless to say, it was a ruthless battle consisting of everything from a kickflip back tail shove out to tre-flip boardslides. The skill level of the skaters was off the charts and gave everyone more than enough to think about on their way home at the end of the day! Photos: Gage Thompson
Results:
14 & Under:
1st: Chandler Seipert
2nd: Christian Ridgeway
3rd: Christian Bourne
4th: Keddrick Tanner
5th: Tristan Hays
6th: Shyl Lo Sweat
7th: Noah Olson
15 & Over:
1st: Tyson Bowerbank
2nd: Daniel Roman
3rd: Derek Rivera
4th: Logan Summers
5th: Nick Meyer
6th: Jordan Brown
7th: Dylan Fisher
Pro-Am:
1st: Brodie Penrod
2nd: Matt Fisher
3rd: Oliver Buchanan
4th: Aaron Lopez
5th: Chaise Striwerda
6th: Garrison Conklin
7th: Kevin Federson
Electric’s $50 “Hype of the Day” Award: Derek Rivera! … read more
Music | Reviews Music | Skate
Mono @ The Urban Lounge
Dressed in all black with nary a discernable expression of emotion on their face, guitarists Takaakira Goto and Yoda took seats on opposite sides of the stage from each other and, without a word, began the tremolo picked upswell from 2009’s Hymn to the Immortal Wind. This reverence and austerity, punctuated with moments of pure cathartic and caustic release, would define not only the hour-and-a-half long performance, but the audience’s awed hush. … read more
Coheed & Cambria @ The Great Saltair
I watched as the techs did their instrument and sound checking and prepared the stage for the main event. And then, there it was: fog, spewing up from the stage floor. The techs scurried off the stage, the lights went black and the gigantic movie screen (set behind the stage)became illuminated. Sound began to flood my ears. The music became subtly more intense, until, at last, C&C took the stage to a frenzied crowd of devoted followers. … read more
Braid: We Want to Be On Your Comp
Last month Polyvinyl remastered and reissued the four earliest Braid albums. These early discs, and the literal sea of bands spawned in their wake, are a testament to Braid’s relentless work ethic and D.I.Y drive to simply let people hear their music. I spoke to former Braid frontman Bob Nanna about the time period that these alums were produced. … read more