SLUG Contributor Limelight
October 2, 2024
Contributor Limelight: Joe Roberts
Whether he’s reviewing an album or conducting an interview, Joe Roberts’ passion for music is infectious and always shines in his brilliant writing. Chances are, you’ve seen him at a wide range of local shows, too! Read Joe’s interview with luthier J. Luke Heaton here.
Articles by contributor
Top Five Indie-ish Albums of 2025 for the Saddest Clown...
I promise there’s at least one indie-adjacent album on this list that can meet you where you’re at and keep you company. … read more
Local Review: P.S. Destroy This – Glitter Pussy 3,000
P.S. Destroy This’s Glitter Pussy 3,000 marries its anti-establishment messaging to bellicose guitar licks, danceable basslines and rapid-fire drumbeats. … read more
Alex Caldiero’s Final Recitation of Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl”
Alex Caldiero has performed Ginsberg’s seminal long poem, “Howl,” every five years since 1995. This 30-year tradition will unfortunately terminate on Oct. 7. … read more
Japanese Breakfast @ SLC Twilight 09.05.2025
Japanese Breakfast shouted, “Salt Lake City, let’s jump!” and every person in the audience complied. How could we not? … read more
Local Music Singles Roundup: July 2025
So why don’t you please, please, please listen to these incredible new local tracks. … read more
32 Sensational Performances at Kilby Block Party 6
Kilby Block Party was bigger and better than ever this year. Check out reviews of 32 of our favorite performances from this year’s festival! … read more
Allegra Weingarten and Etta Friedman of Momma Talk Welcome to...
I sat down for a virtual interview with Momma’s primary singers, songwriters and guitarists, Allegra Weingarten and Etta Friedman, to discuss Welcome to My Blue Sky. … read more
Local Review: PERSONA 749 — JOCK ROCK
The result is that there’s something on Jock Rock for just about everybody who loves rock and/or roll. … read more
Localized: The Lingo
The music The Lingo makes is more about the experience than any message, with songs that evoke visceral mind-trips instead of imparting coherent lyrical ideas. … read more
Localized: Sad Cowboy
Sometimes, a band is greater than the sum of its individual members, and musicians can push each other to greater creative heights through collaboration. … read more
Local Music Singles Roundup: May 2025
The through line for all six of these tracks is dissent (except for the ones that aren’t about dissent). Now, just like the past, is a great time for dissent. … read more
Local Review: Love, Audrey — Greetings from Rocket Park
Love, Audrey also incorporates a wide variety of influences, with each song seeming to take notes from a different antecedent. … read more
Local Review: Jwalking — Demo 2024
Jwalking’s debut EP is a mere three tracks long but I think it could very well prove to be the first in a long series of scrumptiously sulky albums. … read more
Local Music Singles Roundup: February 2025
But no man (they/them) is an island, and so I’ve called upon some of SLC’s oldheads who helped me find some of the freshest (25+ year-old) tracks from Utah’s golden era. … read more
Dirk Jeffrey: The Prolific Polymath Piloting Wasteland Records
Dirk Jeffrey is the founder and record producer for Wasteland Records, but he’s more than just a sound engineer and entrepreneur. … read more
Top Five Albums of 2024 for a Lost World
These five pensive, melancholy records of 2024 might be just what the doctor ordered. … read more
Local Review: Cher Khan – Cher Khan EP
Cher Khan’s five-track EP compiles all of the post-hardcore band’s 2024 singles into one brief yet raucous release. … read more
Cher Khan + Fight the Future: Private Show @ Paxton...
I for one can’t wait to hear some new Cher Khan, and I’m also eager to see where the band goes after their stunning inauguration. … read more
Local Review: Hoppy – Little While
Soothing and syrupy, Hoppy on Little While is the perfect crowd-pleaser to throw on at a party or unwind with after a long day. … read more
J. Luke Heaton: The Triumphs, Troubles and Techniques of a...
In a world of impersonal retailers, Heaton’s attention to detail and willingness to think outside the box set him apart as an inspired and passionate craftsman. … read more
Book Review: The Book of Drought
The Book of Drought, by local poet and educator Rob Carney, manages to take a clear-eyed look at the environment, instill faith in community action and a more hopeful tomorrow. … read more
Local Review: Painted Lines – Painted Lines
Painted Lines eponymous first EP serves up old-school goth atmospheres with acutely morose (if slightly sophomoric) lyricism. … read more
Local Music Singles Roundup: September 2024
Please! SLUG needs your help. We have so many good, local singles that need to be listened to. … read more
Local Music Singles Roundup: August 2024
There’s a lot to say about this Local Music Singles Roundup, but we’ve got the variety you need—and maybe something to make being a girl less confusing. … read more
Local Review: SoulFang – Passions, Potions, Wicked Lullabies
Who says that sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll can’t be as tender as a sultry caress? Not SoulFang that’s for sure. … read more
Local Music Singles Roundup: June 2024
Another month, another six phenomenal singles from Salt Lake’s best local bands, from Elowyn’s debut ballad “The Fool” to Zodiac Killer’s “Torn In Two.” … read more
Local Review: The Plastic Cherries – The Plastic Cherries On...
With their glitzy space opera of a second album, The Plastic Cherries set you spinning in Major Tom’s tin can and show you a phenomenal time while doing it. … read more
Alison Mosshart talks God Games, The Kills’ Upcoming SLC Show...
The Kills will be playing with The Paranoyds at The Union Event Center on February 9. Don’t miss your chance to come out and see them live for the first time in years. … read more
Local Music Singles Roundup: January 2024
January’s Local Music Singles Roundup is the perfect selection to hammer out those New Year’s resolutions or curl up on the couch and mourn your youth—whatever you’re in the mood for. … read more
Tyler Glenn on LOVELOUD, Neon Trees’ New Era and Becoming...
Tyler Glenn of Neon Trees has been busy. After a six-week tour Glenn will going to perform at this year’s LOVELOUD festival on November 3 at the Delta Center. … read more
Local Review: Media Queen – Horror
The lyrics on “Nightmare” sound like words from the twisted mouth of Freddy Krueger. Media Queen later channels a swarm of vampires on “Blood Moon.” … read more
Localized: Body Horror
Body Horror is blessed with a formidable combo of something important to say and the musical chops to make you sit your ass down and listen. … read more
Localized: Cassette Drift
The resemblances between Cassette Drift and bands such as Depeche Mode and New Order are obvious, but to call the band an ‘80s throwback would be reductive. … read more
Local Review: Catgrove St. – Glory to the Unborn !
Catgrove St. melds folk-punk composition with emo lyricism for a playfully miserable and cathartic record that will make you weep and bob your head in turns. … read more
