Authors: Andrew Roy
CLC Band: No-Nation Orchestra
You’ve likely heard of at least one of the myriad of projects the members of the No-Nation Orchestra have been/are currently in. From Laserfang, to Thunderfist, to SLAJO, to Righteous Audio Werks, to the Night Sweats, to Mammoth and on and on—the No-Nation Orchestra have come together to create some ridiculously catchy, dancey, jammy, falsetto-ridden music that will get stuck in your head like a mnemonic device for at least three days after Craft Lake City. … read more
Local Reviews: The Furies
Glow’s opener, “Death of Man,” could be an okay rock track if properly recorded. But, you know that whisper-scream people do when quoting a scream from a song/movie? Well, the Furies recorded that for some reason. Many tracks are just noises—a door closing, a repeating guitar pattern, random drums and arbitrary, incoherent 12-inch-whisper vocals. … read more
Local Reviews: Chelsea Grin
Desolation of Eden is a glimpse into Chelsea Grin’s morbid, non-stop nightmare––a familiar, recurring nightmare that fans of chug-chug, double-kick-drum metal have been having for over 20 years now. Fortunately for Chelsea Grin, this demographic does not embrace change. … read more
Local Reviews: Game On
Listening to Game On takes me back to the days before teenage girls stole the words ‘punk rock’ to describe Yellowcard and the All-American Rejects. Playing in the Background is full of songs that, with a bit of work, could sound just like any track on a Fat Music compilation 10 years ago––specifically “Untitled 7” and “Skank If You Got ‘em.” … read more
Local Reviews: Terry Lynn Tschaekofske
Illusions makes me tense. Rather than relaxing to the sounds of a simple guitar, I find myself on edge, waiting for a theme to develop into something compelling. Each song inflicts dutiful repetition, at around 80 beats per minute, with some reverb. … read more
Local Reviews: Various Artists
Rock, pop, indie, ambient, hip hop, singer-songwriter, jazz, metal––it’s all here, and it’s all as local as the lake-effect, but way better. For 2010, The Rock Salt has given us a damn canorous cornucopia (thanks dictionary.com). … read more
Local Reviews: Anthony Phan
50% of this album is 100% awesome. Where has Phan been hiding? Seriously, Stet is bursting at the seams with covetable musicianship and originality. “Reggae Macabre” could be a chill Mr. Bungle song, where Phan and his friends (there are a lot of contributers on this album) brilliantly fuse jazz and a latin dance feel with enough quirks to keep the listener not just listening, but grinning. … read more
Local Reviews: Daniel Day Trio
Listening to Champions is almost as good as seeing DDT live, and that’s saying a lot (Dave Bowen slays on the upright bass). Drummer Day has been around for a while (Iceburn, Cosm), and local guitar guru Gentry Densley even contributes to four tracks on this album. With the exception of two original tracks, Champions is a cross section of brilliant lounge covers. … read more
Local Reviews: Mechanical Skies
Richfield’s Mechanical Skies is an unorthodox group of musicians. Guitarist and occasionally gruff vocalist Henry Reese formed a band with bassist/vocalist Jaylee Amey freakin’ Toro (pardon the language) and drummer Zefree, who are each half Reese’s age. This adds to the appeal of the simple, backyard-BBQ-type rock they produce together. … read more
Local Reviews: Charles Ellsworth
Charles Ellsworth is a storyteller. If his music doesn’t keep you listening (and it should), his vivid lyrics will stop your hand from skipping anything on this EP. Ellsworth’s vocals remind me of Matt Berninger, laced with the blues and 1960s country. … read more