Wavves with Koala Temple

Wavves with Koala Temple
By

Wavves sound meaner live than on record, more taut, as if they’re being jerked around by strings suspended from the rafters. Audience members lap it up. There’s a vibe here. My girlfriend calls it “snotty indifference” but I’m not so sure. They’re with it—they’re bashing it out hard. It seems genuine. They’re saying to us, “You fuckheads really wanna know what happened to Milo Aukerman? He didn’t go to college! He moved to Tijuana and started huffing a bunch of copier toner!  Then he killed his girlfriend and buried her in the desert! BWAHHHH.”  … read more

Reviews: Judicator – Sleepy Plessow

Reviews: Judicator – Sleepy Plessow
By

Everything on this album seems to be just a step away from something really special. In a sense, it seems like it was only partially finished, hampered by flat production and a rote, repetitive take on typical power metal riffs. … read more

RUSH @ USANA 07.31

RUSH @ USANA 07.31
By

Nearly 20,000 faithful devotees put their lives on hold Wednesday night to gather together in a very large venue to sing praises to three men whom many hold in near diety status: the RUSH concert at USANA Amphitheater.  … read more

Gogol Bordello, VIZA @ In the Venue 08.05

Gogol Bordello, VIZA @ In the Venue 08.05
By

The lights went out and the stage was flooded with blue light. Then, I saw the silhouetted figure of Eugene Hütz, followed by the rest of Gogol Bordello, walk out on the stage and take their places. Hütz started singing into the mic and with compliance from the audience and the rest of the band, Gogol lit up the stage with “Wanderlust King.” From then on, the madness continued throughout. … read more

Soft Metals @ Kilby Court 07.31 with Beachmen, Kyle Luntz

Soft Metals @ Kilby Court 07.31 with Beachmen, Kyle Luntz
By

Portland’s electronic pop duo Soft Metals, after a recent move to L.A., have just released their second full-length album, Lenses, on Brooklyn’s Captured Tracks imprint and have embarked on a massive American tour to support it. They played a short but entrancing set last Wednesday at Kilby Court.  … read more

Spitting Iconic Fire

Spitting Iconic Fire
By

“We have so many good nights out with our friends, we write about when we have so much fun that we never want the night to end. You love your friends and you kind of just want them to feel what you feel,” Caroline Hjelt says of the inspiration behind the killer, upbeat dance tracks that the Swedish pop duo Icona Pop has been producing over the last few years.  … read more

Parlor Hawk, L’anarchiste, Young & Old @ Velour 07.26

Parlor Hawk, L’anarchiste, Young & Old @ Velour 07.26
By

I learned two valuable lessons in my adventure to Provo’s Velour on Friday night. The first, with Velour shows, the opening acts are often just as impressive as the headliner … So, be there at 8, when doors open. The second: You can’t just park wherever the fuck you want in Provo, even if it is a deserted bank well after business hours.  … read more

Review: Zorch – Zzoorrcchh

Review: Zorch – Zzoorrcchh
By

Woah. The profundity in which I used the F-word to describe this band just blew my Mormon brain. But, it works.  … read more

Review: Witherscape – The Inheritance

Review: Witherscape – The Inheritance
By

Dan Swano is back with a force. Well, back with musical creation—not producing on—his mind. … read more

Review: Willy Moon – Here’s Willy Moon

Review: Willy Moon – Here’s Willy Moon
By

Here’s Willy Moon sounds like a dark night on a hot city street. It’s hard to define because it’s bustling like a hundred cars, yet has a consistent and unique sound.   … read more