Year: 2014
Local Review: Alexander Ortega – Wallwalker EP
You may have seen SLUG Magazine’s Managing Editor, Alexander Ortega, playing around town, including Friday night in-store local-band appearances at Diabolical Records and the busking area at the Craft Lake City DIY Fest. … read more
Local Review: Alumni – Decohesion
This is EP number two for these dudes of deathcore, which is always nice to see: a band with work ethic keepin’ on. They scored an impressive guest spot on “Decohesion (II)” with CJ McMahon of Thy Art Is Murder, but it’s not like their vocalists needed the help. … read more
Local Review: Q1 – The End Is To Begin
Anyone that pays homage to Eminem on his album has my respect. Q1’s debut solo album, The End is to Begin, has such a unique sound that exemplifies his passion for hip-hop. … read more
Local Review – The Wild War – Valley Rain EP
Listening to four songs is almost enough to get to know a band, though in this case, I feel like there might be something missing. “The Architecture,” is a cool, solemn and folksy number that really draws from The Devil Whale. … read more
Review: Ghetto Ghouls – Self-Titled
After surviving the brutal assault of “Peepshow,” I can see the subtle brilliance that makes Ghetto Ghouls something special. … read more
Review: Gladenfold – From Dusk To Eternity
Even though it sounds like a smooth blend of bands from Spinefarm’s early years, Gladenfold mixes just enough power metal into their synth-driven melodic death metal to breathe life into a genre I had given up on years ago. … read more
Review: Francis Harris – Minutes of Sleep
The presence of tape hiss, vocals, and organic instruments, juxtaposed with drum machine rhythms and synth chords, is very welcome. “Hems,” “Dangerdream” and the title track are my favorites, as they eschew the House rhythms found in the album’s middle and tend more toward atmosphere, which I’m in the mood for right now. … read more
Review: Flying Lotus – Ideas+drafts+loops
Ideas+drafts+loops has nods to Steven Ellison’s signature, off-beat styling, but is also full of experiments and collaborations that show how flexible Flying Lotus is as an artist. There is a lot going on with I+d+l, and with 24 tracks, it is a psychedelic delve into the mind of an electronically inspired madman … read more
Review: Gacha – When The Watchman Saw The Light
This six-part album is a compendium of percussion, gentle guitars and ethereal vocals provided by the lovely Natalie “TBA” Beridze. Gacha’s album seems, to me, like the Georgian’s take on the progression from light into darkness. … read more
Review: Gardens & Villa – Dunes
Much like their eponymous 2011 debut, the new Gardens & Villa album frequently combines lead singer and guitarist Chris Lynch’s flute playing with the synths of Adam Rasmussen that recalls the early-’80s styling of this amalgam, with mostly successful results. … read more
Review: Future Death – Special Victim
Future Death is a relatively new and explosively addictive noise/punk outfit emerging from Austin, Texas. Their new LP, Special Victims, is an assemblage of lo-fi tracks containing chaotic rock tracks thinly glossed with infrequent pop hooks—each delivering a mildly sweet flavor followed by an incredibly sour bite. … read more
Review: Frances England – Paths We Have Worn
I can see it now: Visions of mommies on Pinterest from all over the blogosphere will pin a picture of this “indie-rocker” girl with all sorts of hashtags littering the title: #cute #seriouslyadorable #indiemusic #fashion! … read more
