Year: 2014
Local Review: TelePathiQ – Dark Room EP
In just three songs, TelePathiQ packs enough intensity for a full-length album. Booming drums are silhouetted by classical riffs of piano and paired with female vocals. … read more
Local Review: Simian Greed – Self-Titled
The album opens with the bass-heavy “Epic,” a song that took a moment to grow on me. What I initially took to be butt-rock vocals were in fact Lee Ving–styled yells and croons. “Different Circles” has the same aspects of Ving-meets-Danzig vocals. … read more
Local Review: Silver Antlers – All a River
It is really wonderful to hear some new work from Skyler Hitchcox, the guiding light behind Silver Antlers. To the uninitiated, Silver Antlers is heavily ritualized pop music that explores the endless possibilities of dreamy, shoegazy drone that seeks to communicate with something bigger than ourselves inside ourselves. … read more
Local Review: Spörk – Spörk 2.Ö
Sometimes good things come in twos, and the second release by local self-proclaimed “stoner rock” duo Spörk—the embodiment of synthetic, petroleum-based fast-food flatware—the musical equivalent of what passes for “journalism” in frontman Bill Frost’s television-addicted, sarcasm-singed, tube-top addled mind… … read more
Local Review: Sparx – Ignition LP
Despite being personally convinced that most people try to make electronic music just to be able to say they do—if I hear “Hi, I’m a DJ” one more time I may scream—there are exceptions when someone can legitimately produce something worth listening to a few times, which is the case here. … read more
Local Review: Sights – Sonder
Sonder is a great improvement on Sights’ still pretty great debut EP, Mammoth. From a pure songwriting perspective, I think these guys are catching up with Eons (R.I.P.) in the race for who can put out the best post-hardcore music in Salt Lake. … read more
Local Review: Socialists – Self-Titled LP/Hasta La Rock EP
Now here’s a couple of good, old-fashioned leftist punk rock releases, by local band the Socialists. You might want to call this group more of a “collective.” They are true to their beliefs enough that they include “Praise Boss,” with lyrics by the Australian IWW from the early 1900s and “This Little Scab” with lyrics by the Chicago IWW and Local 329 SEIU. … read more
Local Review: Rotten Musicians – Rotten Musicians Turn Into Escaped...
Almost every short two-minute track starts with an intro about newly morphed zoo animals that vaguely reminds me of Deltron 3030, followed by simple loops, synth sounds and a super catchy hook in “MaMMals.”
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Local Review: Scalps – Serenades Of An Abomination
We’re not talking dandruff shampoo here. Scalps is assuredly a reference to those bloody spoils of war—a perfect mascot for the music this band makes. … read more
Local Review: Sam Page – The Slog in Uncertainty
Sam Page The Slog In Uncertainty Self-Released Street: 05.01 Sam Page = Pixies + Placebo + The Red Hot Chili Peppers The blind passion and talent for melody that came out of the early ’90s summarizes this album completely. The fact that it’s the brainchild of a Utahn just makes my music geek heart sing.
Local Review: Rise In Style – Self-Titled
This six-song album has notes borrowed from a variety of alternative rockers. Opener “Do Away” is a hopeful anthem that strokes the edge of Angels and Airwaves without the excessive reverb. “Revival” has a post-hardcore, At the Drive-In feel, though without as much edge. … read more
Local Review: Regurgitated – Pieces
Regurgitated is only a one-man project (though he’s assisted by session musician Adrian Gallegos), which is surprising, because with my time spent listening to Pieces, it almost sounds like I’m listening to a full band. … read more
