Music
It Just So Happens I Have Many Concerns: An Interview...
Damien Jurado writes songs like Robert Altman directs films. Like Altman, Jurado’s characters are victims of circumstance, sometimes environmental, sometimes of their own accord, who are forced to face down moral questions that they are unequipped to deal with. I had the chance to talk to Damien Jurado about his craft as songwriter and his new album Saint Bartlett. … read more
Serpents of the Midnight Sun: An interview with Nightbringer’s Naas...
On Tuesday June 8th the demonic occult forces that are Green Mountain Falls, Colorado’s Nightbringer will unleash their darkened black metal distortions upon Salt Lake City. Nightbringer focuses on atmospheres as much as they do direct, fast and dirge ridden guitar passages. I got the chance to ask Nightbringer’s frontman Naas Alcament a few questions to explore the depths of their music. … read more
Localized: Fox Van Cleef, The Boomsticks and Big Trub –...
There’s no better way to celebrate SLUG’s annual beer issue than by knocking back a few at this month’s Localized. Bands from all over Utah’s musical landscape will converge at The Urban Lounge in the name of booze on June 18, as Ogden psych-rockers Fox Van Cleef, Salt Lake surfers The Boomsticks and Provo garage rock openers Big Trub take the stage. As always, five bucks gets you in, and you get what you pay for. … read more
Braid: We Want to Be On Your Comp
Last month Polyvinyl remastered and reissued the four earliest Braid albums. These early discs, and the literal sea of bands spawned in their wake, are a testament to Braid’s relentless work ethic and D.I.Y drive to simply let people hear their music. I spoke to former Braid frontman Bob Nanna about the time period that these alums were produced. … read more
Mike Brown Gets All Twiztid
I’ve decided that this is the last time I write about Juggalos for a while. Sorry folks, but after attending the Twiztid show, I think the clowns are finally on to me. I know it’s not the same caliber of journalism as a reporter covering the war first hand, dodging bullets while taking notes. But I once again ventured into the eye of the Juggalo hurricane with nothing but a metaphorical umbrella and matching pink galoshes. … read more
Know Thyself: Rosetta then and now
There’s an incredible sense of earnestness and excitement in the music Rosetta creates. Music listeners are drawn to their style of heavy, melodic music, which holds a dense cosmic atmosphere that is undeniably alluring. The impact they’ve had on their listeners isn’t just exclusive to metal fans however—as time progresses, their audience steadily increases. … read more
Local Natives: The Dutch Love Them and So Will You
Local Natives are the indie darlings du jour. They recently signed to Frenchkiss Records, and have been receiving incredibly favorable reviews from just about every publication that writes about music. With melodic indie-rock boasting harmonies that even Grizzly Bear would be jealous of, it’s easy to see why they have become the talk of the town. … read more
Vertical Diner: Jukebox Live
It’s Saturday night and you’re hungry. You’re in the mood to see some live music while you eat, but the only place you can think of is the bar and your hot date happens to be under 21. You drive by a steak house, sushi joint and McD’s and remember she digs being a vegetarian. She hints that the Vertical Diner is a delicious choice. It’s rated second-best vegetarian restaurant in Utah by City Weekly’s annual Best of Utah competition, and to top it off, they’ve added live music every Friday and Saturday night. That’s right, you’ve scored: burger, fries and a shake–without the meat breath when it’s makeout time. … read more
Localized: Bluebird Radio, Libbie Linton and Indian Headset – May...
May’s Localized is going down Friday the 21. Come for the urgent, electric indie rock of Bluebird Radio, and stay for the eloquent vocals and somehow heartening melancholy of singer/songwriter Libbie Linton. Indian Headset opens. Five bucks at the door. … read more
Here Comes the Night: Garage Punk and Weirdness from Behind...
About fifty or sixty rock n’ rollers, kids with sunglasses and dirty tennis shoes, are packed into a nervous coffee shop or the swarming living room of a crumbling Provo party house. They’re dancing like animals, twisting and kicking, whipped into a vicious frenzy by sloppy surf riffs, vicious primal howls and the brutish beat of floor tom and snare. Great God Almighty, it’s the heat of the beat. … read more
Negura Bunget: Out of the Light, Into the Fog
Black metal is an ever-changing sonic experience. From the extreme raw and harsh tones to beautiful atmospheres that share the raw primal and spiritual exorcisms, all of it is an exercise in emotional releases and a general expression of beliefs and ideology. “Our music is a direct reflection of our souls. We do the music we do because of who we are, but at the same time we are who we are partly because of the music we do. Negura Bunget was always a spiritual endeavor for us, our ultimate goal is to have people sharing this,” says drummer Negru. … read more
John Lydon: Anger is an Energy
After taking sixteen years off from the music world in order to write an autobiography, chase through the jungle after silverback gorillas and scuba dive with great white sharks off the coast of South Africa, John Lydon (AKA Johnny Rotten) is back. Mercifully responding to the crying and tooth-gnashing of their American fan base, PiL has decided to grace America with a month-long tour. The Holy Gods of Rock and Roll smiled on me, and I had the dream-come-true opportunity of talking to Mr. Lydon for what turned out to be some of the most nervously thrilling minutes of my existence. … read more
