Music
Up in Palms: Palms Interview with Aaron Harris
When Deftones singer Chino Moreno’s name becomes attached to your band, the level of anticipation jumps the scale from a niche genre to many worlds of music lovers. Moreno isn’t backed by just any musicians in Palms, though: Three members of the now-defunct ISIS (drummer Aaron Harris, guitarist Cliff Meyer and bassist Jeff Caxide) have the musical chops and experience to make any musical project stand out, and are far from a backdrop to let Moreno’s well-known croon or scream play the keynote. Palms’ self-titled debut album drops on June 25 via Ipecac Recordings, with tour dates in the wings. SLUG caught up on all things Palms with drummer Harris. … read more
Interview with Casualties Bassist Rick Lopez
The chaotic punk rock of The Casualties baptized the Salt Valley in sweat on May 25, and SLUG Magazine got the opportunity to speak with Rick Lopez (bassist) before they walked onstage at the Salt Haus. … read more
Diving Deep with Baths
Obsidian reveals a much more mature side of Baths that fans might not be used to. When you first turn it on, you hear the same poppy, indietronica beats, similar to Cerulean, but there is a Trent Resnor inspired darkness about it that looms heavily throughout the entire album. … read more
Anamanaguchi: A Room Full of Misfits
The Brooklyn-based instrumental band Anamanaguchi has risen to Internet fame over the past few years with their retro video game style sound, and garnered even more attention after performing the soundtrack for the Scott Pilgrim vs. the World video game. Last month, the band released their first official full-length album, Endless Fantasy, and has embarked on a tour to support the album. Before their stop in SLC at the Shred Shed on June 1, SLUG spoke with drummer Luke Silas while the band was on the road. … read more
Ever After – A Love Story – Interview with Marianas...
My daughter, Lindon, is 14 years old, and in the last few years, she’s started to become just as big of a music junkie as her dad. Lindon, whether she may want to admit it or not, is obsessed with Canadian pop-rock band Marianas Trench. And with that same skeptical or curious eye my parents had when I started listening to Metallica almost religiously, I’m curious as to why there is that hint of obsession or just over-zealous curiosity and fascination she has with the band, and in particular, it’s singer/songwriter Josh Ramsay. … read more
Outer Blues: Akron/Family Discuss Travel and Location
Sub Verses, Akron/Family’s seventh studio album, is best viewed through a wide lens. It is busy, incorporating their signature three-part harmonies, buzzing electronics and complex guitar lines. It is also really, really heavy. Sub Verses takes in travel, aging and a sense of place shot with an IMAX-level widescreen. Its reference points are the locations filmmakers use as alien planets. I had a chance to email vocalist/bassist Miles Seaton from my place in Swaziland about their latest album and how traveling and location have impacted this album. … read more
OMD @ The Depot 04.10 with Diamond Rings
After seeing Diamond Rings, aka John O’Regan play an acoustic set at SXSW, I anticipated a good show with all the bells and whistles at The Depot on April 10, where he was opening for Orchestral Manoeveures In The Dark (OMD). … read more
This Momentary Bliss – Soilwork Interview
Snap back to the late ’90s, and Soilwork was bursting on the scene as a band part of the second wave of Swedish melodic death metal. While their debut full-length, Steelbath Suicide, felt more like a thrash record than melodic death metal, Soilwork took everyone’s breathe away with Chainheart Machine with its technical prowess and its new take on what melodic death metal could be. Before their SLC show on April 11, I had the opportunity to talk to the band’s singer, Bjorn “Speed” Strid, about things current, past and the in-between. … read more
Going Ape Shit: Bonobo Takes Charge of 2013
With such an impressive repertoire under his belt, it isn’t surprising that the release of Bonobo’s most recent album, The North Borders, has already become a success. SLUG spoke with Bonobo about his new album, tour and recent projects. … read more
Kvelertak: Meir Og Meir
After missing their scheduled set earlier that night on Converge’s headlining tour due to van problems, Kvelertak rolled into SLCto play a last-minute show on 10/22/12 and delivered their potent mix of black metal, punk, hardcore and classic rock n’ roll to a rapturous crowd. Kvelertak riled up the crowd so much at midnight on a Monday that multiple fights broke out, but, as vocalist Erlend Hjelvik potently put it when the band stopped in the middle of a song to calm the audience down, “We are here to party, not to fight!” … read more
Insight: Still Standing Strong
Along with singer Mark Olsen and bassist Doug Wright—who live in California and New York, respectively, and were not present for the interview—guitarists Jeremy Chatelain and James Holder and drummer Chad “Chubba” Smith make up Salt Lake’s first straight edge band, Insight. They were only together for a brief period, from 1988 to 1990, but were instrumental in shaping the hardcore scene in Salt Lake City. They’re reuniting for two shows this month—the band’s first reunion in nearly 25 years. … read more
Rob Zombie: Zombie Complex
The conflict between the devil and all that is considered good is never-ending. Musician and filmmaker Rob Zombie has become a modern media icon by writing and performing music and films exploiting that conflict—horror is his muse. Zombie is planning a spring invasion that will feature a new studio album, a feature film and an accompanying novel. … read more
