Music
Local Reviews: Huldra
After an EP and a split with fellow locals Dustbloom, Huldra have finally released a proper full-length, and it’s a beast. It’s bigger. It’s louder. It’s more intense. It’s simply more of everything Huldra does well. … read more
Local Reviews: Calm Paradox
Guitar-driven writing seems to be a fairly defining characteristic of Calm Paradox’s style—the arrangements, other instruments and vocals are built around guitar riffs, for better or worse. … read more
Local Reviews: Broken Silence
“Broken Silence means a change in the way music is viewed and heard.”—Words from their Facebook page. Three emcees come together to form this hip hop group that has nearly a decade under their belts. We See Everything is pretty good for an EP. … read more
Local Reviews: Bellrave
Local dance musician Allison Martin continues her quest to become the resident queen of the disco scene. Her latest project—a collaboration with Allister Marx, under new moniker Bellrave—certainly takes her one step closer. … read more
Local Reviews: Fever Dreams
Even though they’re from St. George, I’m pretty sure that anytime Fever Dreams play a show in their hometown, we’d be able to hear ‘em all the way up in Salt Lake. This is dirty, mean, evil shit. … read more
Local Reviews: Vena Cava
Easily my favorite new local band, Vena Cava have given us a recorded taste of their jarring, experimental punk. The band has captured the ethos of their live performance—a rickety and staggering simulation of monsters that snarl against the straight-laced disposition of normal society. … read more
Local Reviews: Scenic Byway
Local rap band Scenic Byway have been taking Salt Lake by storm with their cool raps, sweet sounds and appealing messages. The track “Surprise Surprise” is the perfect song for anyone who has ever found themselves stressing out more than necessary. … read more
Local Reviews: Eyes Open
The EP is short but sweet, consisting of just three four-minute-plus rock-ballad style songs that flow in and out of each other easily. They are pretty, nicely executed, neatly produced, and clearly reflect the influences (such as U2 and Foo Fighters) that the band members have listed on the back of the album sleeve. … read more
Local Reviews: Pretty Worms/Plastic Furs
With “Comet Tail,” you can hear Trisha McBride’s vocals a little more clearly in the mix of bright bass and thick sonic distortion, and her ranting drone is an excellent fit for Pretty Worms. It’s a little slower and much less noisy than their other material, but as a stand-alone track, it rocks with the best of them. While the familiar, yet still unsettling vocal loops play on, the drums keep a snappy, danceable beat. … read more
Local Reviews: Desert Noises
If I had to pick one local album to share with a friend from out of state, Mountain Sea would probably be it. To me, it represents the real quality folk-inspired rock n’roll that comes from Utah. Its sound is big enough to fill wide-open spaces and its feeling is intimate enough for a good pair of headphones. … read more
Local Reviews: Pretty Worms/Blackhole
“Killers Galore” is a ride through noise punk hell on a groovy bass and a light, punchy drum rhythm. Punctuated with sound clips of sirens and yelling, part of the song’s appeal is the sublime strangeness with which they approach a very basic song. … read more
Local Reviews: Cathy Foy
“I can carry my own weight, I can carry my own sins, away,” Cathy Foy delicately sings on “I Became a Flash” from her sophomore release, Quiet as the Hour. Most of us are accustomed to seeing Foy behind a drum set playing for scene makers such as Hang Time, Future of the Ghost, Bluebird Radio, The Awful Truth, The Downers and more. On Quiet, Foy showcases a newfound confidence in songwriting and performance. … read more
