Local Review: Various Artists – Sound vs. Silence Vol. 1

Local Review: Various Artists – Sound vs. Silence Vol. 1
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Various Artists Sound vs. Silence Vol. 1 S vs. S = Her Candane + Still Breaking Hearts + Goodbye Blue Monday + Joel Pack + Clarity Process + Still Life Projector + The Hifi Massacre + Danny Vesper Even if Sound vs. Silence doesn’t showcase the best bands in SLC, they have no lack of talent

Local Review: Violet Run – Trouver la Mort

Local Review: Violet Run – Trouver la Mort
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Violet Run Trouver la Mort Violet Run = The Cure + The Shroud + Love Spirals Downward   Violet Run skirts the fine line between sorrowful sincerity and fancy-pants whininess dangerously, but for the most part, are able to stick to the realm of the earnest. They’re a bit over the top, but it’s hard

Local Review: Twelve State Killing Spree – Demo

Local Review: Twelve State Killing Spree – Demo
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Twelve State Killing Spree Demo TSKS = The Damned + _ Nelson + Teen Idols   The underproduction and nasally vocals on this album make this sound like a recording my band I had in high school made—and that is not flattering. However, the early 90s (not over-) melodic tunes contrast the more-malevolent-than-your-typical-snotty/poppy-punk-band lyrics quite

Local Review: Powerhouse Rock – Self-Titled

Local Review: Powerhouse Rock – Self-Titled
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Powerhouse Rock Self-Titled Powerhouse Rock = Alice Cooper + Ted Nugent Good God. Someone in the 80s invented a time machine and sent a butt-rock group to the new millennium to see if it could still survive. Unfortunately, it landed in SLC and somehow made it into my hands. I’m guessing the entire band consists

Local Review: Nothing For Now – The Veil

Local Review: Nothing For Now – The Veil
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Nothing For Now The Veil NFN = Alkaline Trio + AFI + Dashboard Confessional   The best way to become self-assured is to get an ego first and then force yourself to live up to it, but Nothing For Now considers themselves a bit too epic. These recent SLC immigrants should heed the age-old wisdom

Local Review: Nolens Volens – Faux EP

Local Review: Nolens Volens – Faux EP
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Nolens Volens Faux EP Nolens Volens = Bjork + Rope or Bullets + The Anniversary   It is obvious that Nolens Volens has a wide range of musical tastes—it’s probably a good idea they didn’t try to mix them all together simultaneously. Instead, they line up synth-pop ranging from spastically blippy to catchy next to

Local Review: Nexis – Game Over

Local Review: Nexis – Game Over
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Nexis Game Over Nexis = Jay Z + Hieroglyphics Slick rhymes and inventive metaphors of Nexis do well to gloss over his one downfall—lack of original content. He spits the same shit that everybody else spits—typical G-rap “I’ll fuck you up while smoking blunts and get the big deal I deserve” shit. His lyrical abilities

Local Review: Nate Padley – Monster of Vision

Local Review: Nate Padley – Monster of Vision
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Nate Padley Monster of Vision Soundco Records N. Padley = Cowboy Junkies + Bob Dylan (circa Oh Mercy) + Steve Malkmus   Nate Padley hits the “life is full of pain but art makes it tolerable” nail on the head—in a solemn, sincere way. He plays an army of instruments on Monster of Vision but

Local Review: Fail to Follow – Self-Titled

Local Review: Fail to Follow – Self-Titled
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Fail to Follow Self-Titled FTF = AFI + Sick of It All (neutered)   More punk than most hardcore bands that decided they were good enough musicians to show off, Fail to Follow is not unlistenable at all—mediocre, maybe, but definitely not unlistenable. The lyrics aren’t whiny and the vocals actually sound like they have