Year: 2004
Local Review: Scoob Serious – Standing in the Gap
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: Powerhouse Rock – Self-Titled
Powerhouse Rock Self-Titled Powerhouse Rock = Alice Cooper + Ted Nugent Good God. Someone in the 80s invented a time machine and sent a butt-rock group to the new millennium to see if it could still survive. Unfortunately, it landed in SLC and somehow made it into my hands. I’m guessing the entire band consists
Local Review: Purr Bats – Soft Fluff EP
Purr Bats Soft Fluff EP State of Deseret Purr Bats = Virgin Prunes + Rope or Bullets + candy necklaces Purr Bats, a jeweled rainbow Phoenix risen out of the bleak, life-affirming wasteland that was Utah County band Puri-do, are a fleck of unadulterated talent in a grey fog of bombastic music caricatures. They
Local Review: Quant – Crossies Count
Quant Crossies Count Quant = (Modest Mouse + Jane’s Addiction)valium Quant set out to make the most subtly-smart album ever and almost succeeded—or maybe I’m just not smart (patient) enough. The songs are all well and good with intricate instrumentation and thoughtful lyrics but they just go on and on and on—listening to this
Local Review: Quetté Daddie – Reverse Psychology
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: November Tide – Jargon Sunset
November Tide Jargon Sunset Nova One Productions November Tide = Ron L. Hubbard + Roses & Exile It’s amazing the variety of projects Chris Alvarado takes on, from the black industrial of 23 Extacy to Twilight Transmissions to Roses & Exile to now, the delicate, mellow tracings of November Tide. Lying underneath the multiple layers
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: 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: Pelpp and A. Vanvranken – Pedal
Pelpp and A. Vanvranken Pedal Pelpp and A. Vanvranken = Worm is Green + Bjork’s Vespertine – vocals Electro-ambiance flutters in the deepening twilight; machines have warmth too. Like the sophisticated, emotional electronic renderings of Iceland’s Worm is Green, Pelpp and A. Vanvranken is minimal but powerful—knows when adding just one more note would
Local Review: Nothing For Now – The Veil
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: Nolens Volens – Faux EP
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: Nexis – Game Over
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
