Local Music Singles Roundup: February 2026
Local Music Reviews
Where were you in the early 2000s? Swimming around as a little sperm with Heelys and clothes from the JC Penney’s clearance rack? Maybe you were standing outside Zumiez yearning for a slutty Hook Ups deck, you poser! Wherever you were, the best in local music was all gas, no brakes.
Acroma
“Orbitals”
Universal Records
Street: 05.06.2003
Acroma = Evanescence + Foo Fighters
“Orbitals” by Acroma is a blast from a raw, grungier era of rock ‘n’ roll. Their debut album released in 2003 is packed with poignant vocals and gritty guitar that ooze that Y2K era feeling you crave. The rock hits hard and the tunes feel like they come from a distant land. You’ll wish you were orbiting a dark moon while listening. “Orbitals” builds on that grainy 2000s feeling that Acroma nails throughout their entire album of the same name. While Acroma left its mark on local music history, their momentous rise became a memory as they disbanded abruptly in 2004. The record that once echoed throughout the valley unfortunately became the only album Acroma would ever release. Listening to Acroma in 2026 gives you a chance to relive an exciting moment in music history. You don’t need a CD player to transport yourself to a distant, bygone era of rock with “Orbitals” available on all streaming platforms. —Aaron Ashton
The Corleones
“Soundtrack To Suicide”
Sickboy Records
Street: 09.10.2001
The Corleones = The Nerve Agents + The Damned + The Hives
If you were to ask me who my favorite Salt Lake punk bands are, The Corleones are making that list every time. They’re a mix of combustible and menacing punk rock that’s so rare. Coming out of the neo-punk era of the mid ‘90s, so much of the genre had gained mainstream acceptance that this band’s stark and vicious attack was welcome and refreshing. “Soundtrack to Suicide,” the title track off their second album, is the ideal representation of this band’s M.O. Sinister and playful, it starts with the guitar, then drums and bass hit the groove and then singer Ryan Jensen’s maniacal vocals take over and hold the center of this beautiful whirling rock ‘n’ roll monster. The lyric “Kill yourselves and leave us your bones,” is so tongue-in-cheek snarky, I want to start spray painting it around town. Put this track on loud, but be warned you might break a window or punch a cop because of it. —James Orme
late night sleep t.v.
“strange holiday”
croakfrog records
Street: 06.07.2004
late night sleep t.v. = The Rapture’s Echoes demos – Luke Jenner’s guitar
Local band late night sleep t.v. is a solo synth-driven project from Paul Michael Burke that captures the lo-fi aesthetic of the era that was the bedrock of bands like The Faint. “strange holiday” features staccato synths, tin cymbals and snares, punchless beats and a warm, unintrusive bass line with sassy, theatrical vocals. It evokes a house party atmosphere that comes with attendees lurching forward and back, a slight twist of the waist, an intermittent finger point and an off-tempo bob of the head — just be careful to not spill your drink. The !!! remix would have featured an ample amount of cowbell. The structure is a bit odd in that all the verses are spent before we get to the chorus, a sing-along (if you’re already drunk) outro. I like the lyric “This is where fashion ends and your skin begins.” I’m not nearly as certain about the flash code reference. With a little polish and a bit of post-punk inspired guitar, late night sleep t.v. could have found themselves signed to DFA Records. —Ryan Michael Painter
Thunderfist
“Salt Lake City”
ECG Records
Street: 01.01.2004
Thunderfist = Motörhead + Descendents
Thunderfist is an SLC-based rock band that delivered fast, hold-nothing-back rock ‘n’ roll full of hard riffs, steady drum fills and the ever-essential don’t-give-a-fuck attitude across four records from 2001-2012. Look no further than their track “Salt Lake City” as proof of concept — the track comes off of the band’s 2005 record aptly titled, Loud, Fast Rock and Roll!, is just over two minutes long and slams listeners with high energy guitars, the aforementioned steady drumming and lead singer Jeremy Cardenas’ strong and recognizable vocals belting out the endlessly relatable words, “Living in Salt Lake City / Gotta move, gotta get outta here / Living in the Salt Lake City / Gotta move, gotta get outta there.” Thunderfists no-frills rock and roll might not be for everyone, but it absolutely made me wish for a time when I could’ve been in a beer-soaked mosh pit, hearing Cardenas and Thunderfist let loose and do what they do best. —Hans Magleby
Gaza
“Calf”
Black Market Activities
Street: 01.01.2006
Gaza = Cult Leader + Bird Eater
Although disbanded, Salt Lake City natives Gaza were pioneers of the sludge and metalcore communities, paving the way for many local bands to thrive in a similar style by creating an abrasive, angry, and chaotic sound. One of their most notable releases from 2006 was I Don’t Care Where I Go When I Die. This album was their breakthrough and continues to be listened to by many to this day. Screams and shouts of beautiful agony and the filthiest fusion of noise and distortion is one of the many ways to describe their first track of that album, “Calf.” The track tempo is calculated and paced to make you listen to all the intricate notes and the gradual intensity. Its low-tuned production is not only raw but also aggressive. Filled with many melodic choruses, sonic breakdowns, and drumming variations. “Calf” is the perfect introduction to the gritty, polished energy the rest of the album brings. —Litzi Estrada
Malevolent MC
“Harlequin”
SpyHop
Street: 06.02.2009
Malevolent MC = DJ Screw + The Postal Service
I’ve always felt that the best songs are the honest ones. As long as a song spoke from the heart, it’d speak to me. “Harlequin” wasn’t drenched in bravado — it was honest. The flow is meditative and chant-like almost as if the song is a prayer or a reminder. The song’s sound being a dreary electronic depressed-postal-service sound feels like a natural representation of the Salt Lake’s atmosphere. Utilizing the harlequin as a metaphor for the gift of sight in abstraction, the song feels like someone trying to connect. Seeing “all the colors” in every facet of a relationship, a society, every little creeping microexpression that twists your stomach. It reminds the listener that even through reflection your emotions might just be devastatingly the same. The song’s chorus leaves us with the line “I see that I am nothing without the love of my friends.” I too wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the love of my friends. Being the observant one means nothing if you don’t have anyone to share yourself with. —Gabriella R.W.
Read past editions of Local Music Singles Roundup:
Local Music Singles Roundup: January 2026
Local Music Singles Roundup: December 2025
