Music
The Demonstrably Modest Isaiah Rashad
I was gushing to Isaiah Rashad about his excellent new album, Cilvia Demo. A gauche, fanboy move I admit, but I couldn’t help myself. I went on about how there’s no filler, how it’s a “fully realized artistic statement” and so on. With all of that in mind, I wondered why he decided to call it an EP? … read more
The Asylum Door Opens: Ringworm Return to SLC
I’ve been chatting with James “The Human Furnace” Bulloch for just a few minutes. We’ve touched on Cleveland, the ’90s hardcore scene and his band Ringworm’s place within it. “I really had nothing in common with my peers at the time,” says Bulloch, reflecting on the band’s genesis and the hardcore scene of the time. “I never felt like singing about ‘the scene’ or ‘my friend stabbed me in the back.’” That’s always been Ringworm’s deal, though. A little bit o’ hardcore and a whole heaping of metal, it’s a style that came from Bulloch’s upbringing as the youngest of four music-obsessed kids. … read more
Pack the Van: Utah Hits SXSW
The SXSW Music Festival in Austin, Texas is the largest of its kind in the world—and one of the best opportunities for up-and-coming bands to promote their music, expose themselves to potential labels and maybe even get a little press. Though it sounds like a good time—and it is—it takes a motivated, hardworking band to make the trip and play a week of shows against thousands of other bands. Utah has a handful of talented acts making the trek this year under the Texas sun for a piece of the action. Follow them on the web to find out where and when they’ll be rockin’ in Austin. … read more
How Did I Get Here? An Interview with ODESZA
Pull out your iPhone and tap this into your calendar: March 22 at the Urban Lounge, the sunny sounds of ODESZA are gonna straight-up warm your winter bones. Before they bundle up to visit our Wasatch mountains, SLUG spoke with Harrison Mills, AKA Catacombkid. … read more
Our Vinyl Weighs a Ton: An Interview with Stones Throw...
Last year, director Jeff Broadway released a documentary called Our Vinyl Weighs A Ton: This is Stones Throw. Having received a lot of positive feedback at festivals, the film is going on a North American tour this year, stopping at SXSW. … read more
An Open Letter of Gratitude to Jon Batiste and the...
It was Sundance 2012 in Park City, and I was running like a chicken with its head cut off trying to get A-listers and Very Important People to their parties and premieres. I was beginning to lose faith in humans as a whole, and was dangling on a fine thread of losing it when I met Jon Batiste. … read more
Enslaved: The Rites of Man
We all indulge in rituals. Some can be day to day—others might be subconscious. Regarding Norwegian metal stalwarts Enslaved’s latest album, RIITIIR, founding member, guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Ivar Bjørnson says, during an interview with SLUG, that the title is an “Enslaved-ified” derivative of the word “rite” or “ritual.” Join them in the ritual of a live concert when Enslaved play the Murray Theater on Feb. 12. … read more
I Dream of Wires: Modular Synthesis with Solvent
Modular synthesizers have played an integral role in both the popularization of electronic music and avant-garde sonic experimentation, and are now, more than ever appreciated among musicians. In the independent documentary film I Dream of Wires, Canadian-based electronic musician Solvent (Jason Amm) traces the history, demise and resurgence of this modular mindset with its peculiar subculture’s leading artists and manufacturers. … read more
Jupiter Suit: Playing for Change
Zach Marquez, 18 years old, is just the right mix of confident and cautious, ambitious and humble. He doesn’t want to be famous for the reasons you think. You see, last November, while I was watching these beautiful women from around the world compete in a fucking swimsuit competition, Marquez was thinking of any way he could possibly help the devastated people of the Philippines. Marquez is not most of America. … read more
Kid Congo Powers: The Rock n’ Roll Beat
Still an avid collector, Powers cites record collecting as essential to forming a band. He says, “I think you need some weight behind what you are doing—in a rock n’ roll band, that is.” He points out that by knowing the linage, one can see where other groups get their inspiration and how their language is created, like how The Stooges’ “Shake Appeal” is inspired by Little Richard. … read more
Taking a Break During Winter Blackout with Ryan Demars of...
I started this interview expecting responses based around catch phrases from Keanu Reeves movies and was almost upset when I found Demars to be intelligent (apparently he took the blue pill), fun, light-hearted and, well … you’ll see. Don’t miss them at Park City Live in Salt Lake, January 30. … read more
The Night Contains the Day: An Evening of Rumi’s Poetry...
For those who attended last year, don’t expect a rerun of the same pieces. According to Klerk, “They never do the same performance twice.” Barks chooses the poems spontaneously the day of, and Darling improvises in response. This reflects the essence of Rumi’s philosophy, which revels in the impulses that happen on the spur of the moment. By playing on their personal friendship, the duo makes manifest the love shared in every relationship, whether it be personal, professional, romantic, friendly or spiritual. … read more
