Local Reviews: The Hang Ups

Local Reviews: The Hang Ups
By

The Hung Ups are back with their sophomore full-length, and they’re as catchy as ever! DotDB is tight and the guitars cinch each song together with intricate leads such as in “Donkey Lips.”   … read more

Local Reviews: Jesus or Genome

Local Reviews: Jesus or Genome
By

Jesus or Genome is the new project from Mike Cundick, guitarist and occasional screamer of local rockers Loom. Those expecting the same sharp guitar licks and chaotic energy of Cundick’s other band are in for a surprise, as Jesus or Genome is a much more mellow affair, featuring only Cundick’s voice over an acoustic guitar.  … read more

Local Reviews: One Strike One Rise

Local Reviews: One Strike One Rise
By

Bring it Back in Me is meandering, rote dirge rock. The band, at its most successful, recalls the gothic country of Songs: Ohia. At its least successful points, the vocals sound one take away from being finished, and there’s a flute needlessly warbling all over the track.  … read more

Local Reviews: Punk Rock Joe

Local Reviews: Punk Rock Joe
By

Poetry on Acid 23 is a stream-of-consciousness collection of short ditties, expressive but simple, about everything from Wal-Mart to suicide.  … read more

 
 
Local Reviews: Rotten Musicans

Local Reviews: Rotten Musicans
By

This joint cracks me up and sets me silly in the streets with smiles and roller skates. This EPee is far from rotten, and the jams are air-tight. This is the polar opposite of the street hustler rap I’ve been tuned into, and this joint is just what the times have ordered.  … read more

Local Reviews: Swindlers

Local Reviews: Swindlers
By

The four-piece experimental rockers out of Provo are known best for their live house shows, complete with lights and fog, turning a regular venue show into an experience. Bands who can pull that off will have an audience no matter where they go, but translating that experience onto a recording rarely works. … read more

Local Reviews: Tough Tittie

Local Reviews: Tough Tittie
By

Tough Tittie are hitting us with a five-song EP plus the entire album Pink Roid Rage all on one disc. From the first track on the Stomach Transplant portion, “The Introducer,” Tough Tittie takes the goofiness of the Weirdos and reformulates it into a bar-band punk style.  … read more

Local Reviews: Twisted Axis

Local Reviews: Twisted Axis
By

If Nickelback and Black Sabbath were forced to combine forces, this is the product of that sad, sad scenario. Twisted Axis has a lot of ’70s rock influences, which is all well and good, but there is also a definite early 2000s radio “rock” music direction they tend to lean toward. The vocals are pretty weak, and there’s no real spark in the music, but I can see how people could like it.  … read more

Local Reviews: Ugly Valley Boys

Local Reviews: Ugly Valley Boys
By

Traditional, American roots and hillbilly are all adjectives that have somewhat permeated into the underbelly of “country music.” With all the negative connotations and pop music associated with the current state of country music, it pains me to call this country.  … read more

Local Reviews: Various Artists

Local Reviews: Various Artists
By

I was pleasantly surprised when I popped in Billygoat Database’s Time Capsule compilation, featuring music from VCR5, Nolens Volens and more. Not quite knowing what to expect, I was greeted with some extremely creative and varied techno jams. Each song seems to take you on a whirlwind adventure through a strange and mysterious land that is half Tron and half Lagoon.  … read more