Authors: Ryan Michael Painter

Blonde Redhead + Bloc Party @ Union Event Center 06.12.25
Thursday night, Bloc Party brought their 20 Years of Bloc Party: Silent Alarm & Hits Tour to the Union Event Center, where the stage alone could have fit the band and audience from the first show two times over with room to spare. … read more

Twin Tribes @ Metro Music Hall 06.10.25
The atmosphere moves from the stage into the crowd as the audience forgets the rising heat and throws themselves into dancing and singing along. This is what it feels like to be alive. This is why I still attend concerts. … read more

Local Review: Von Masse — COIL
By avoiding traditional formulas, Von Masse occasionally created a few of their own. Still, COIL is an undeniably strong album from a band who has yet to fulfill their potential. … read more

Local Review: Fearless Union – The Supreme Leader
The Supreme Leader by Fearless Union is an interesting album to listen to and a nightmare to try to describe and the band is all over the electronic map. … read more

Still, Almost With You: The Church Return to SLC in...
2017 gives us Man Woman Life Death Infinity, a gorgeous album that liberally references The Church’s past phases. … read more

Review: Wrekmeister Harmonies – The Alone Rush
Wrekmeister Harmonies = Low + Thomas Feiner + Dario Argento … read more

Review: Workhouse – The End Of The Pier
WORKHOUSE THE END OF THE PIER Devil in the Woods Workhouse creates an instrumental world of organic soundscapes with more variety and style than you’d find in a dozen releases from a less skilled band. There are bits and pieces that run the gambit of shoegazer influences including nods to My Bloody Valentine, Ride and

Review: Zirafa – Turnstyles
Zirafa Turnstyles Risk the Rook Turnstyles starts off nicely with breaking glass and electronics, somewhat reminiscent of what Depeche Mode did with “Blasphemous Rumor.” The second track, “Lost,” however, hints at something far more than interesting with its lighthearted piano giving way into distorted guitars and washed vocals. There is something slightly hip-hop by way

Review: Wumpscut – Blondi
Wumpscut Blondi Metropolis Blondi was the name of Hitler’s German Shepherd. Coincidence or not, Blondi is the name of Rudy’s latest bitch. Not even a year since Bone Peeler, this six-track single, with two original tracks, previews for the latest, Evoke. It starts with military camp sirens for “Rush,” a catchy, danceable, 4/4, monotonous,

Review: Usurper – Cryptobeast
I would have to say that, overall, this is a pretty crushing record, but I’ve heard better from these guys. … read more

Review: Universal Hall Pass – Mercury
Universal Hall Pass Mercury Sneaky Street: 10.23.04 Universal Hall Pass = Bjork + Jem + Venus Hum + Sneaker Pimps I don’t know how this album fell through the cracks and never garnered a lovely amount of hype, seeing as how the general public loves a witty woman with a fantastic voice and a sense

Review: The Waxwings – Let’s Make Our Descent
THE WAXWINGS LET’S MAKE OUR DESCENT Rainbow Quartz Although you can hear the garage influences Detroit’s The Waxwings pull a few tricks from the glory days of the Rolling Stones by way of the Dandy Warhols rather than jumping The White Stripes bandwagon. Not that there isn’t any blues to be found, there’s more than