Music
Takács Quartet @ Libby Gardner Hall 10.11.12
The Libby Gardner Hall was definitely a proper venue: While the Takács Quartet still had plenty of room to spare on the stage, their performance was so rich with spirit and animation that it never overwhelmed. The acoustics of the space allowed audience members sitting anywhere to be able to hear just as well as if you were seated in the front row, which doubtlessly contributed to the intimacy that comes along with a chamber music performance. … read more
Diego’s Umbrella, Vokab Company @ State Room 10.09
I was lubed up just enough for San Francisco gem Diego’s Umbrella. Bejeweled gloves ablaze under the disco ball, Vaughn Lindstrom lifted his arms toward the ceiling in a slow arc. Benjamin Leon took his place at the makeshift snare set, looking severe, and Jake Wood tromped over to the full drum-set, also intimidating. … read more
Deftones Interview
Surviving the “nu metal” press tags, a fatal car accident, which put longtime bassist Chi Cheng out of commission, and a slew of studio problems, Deftones have emerged triumphant, confident and, since the 2010 release of Diamond Eyes, wholly invigorated. SLUG chatted with Deftones Keyboardist and DJ Frank Delgado about the upcoming album, their new approach to recording and his own musical genesis. … read more
Morbid Angel, Dark Funeral, Grave @ The Complex 10.08
Some days, I really feel older than I actually am, and lately I feel it more and more. If I had seen this show in my teens or early 20s, it probably would’ve been something I’d be bat-shit crazy for. For the trio of bands, I was content nodding my head and mouthing lyrics. I managed to score a stool in the bar section of the Grand at the Complex and got to sit on my crippled ass and watch some good old death metal, with for some reason, a really bland black metal band on Monday, October 8. … read more
Rob Zombie & Marilyn Manson @ USANA 10.01
Monday night’s adventure into evil with Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson at West Valley’s USANA Amphitheater was a good way to kick off the cooling temperatures of fall and celebrate a month that is already obsessed with horror and devilry. If you judge the crowd’s fun level at the show on Monday night, it was in maximum overdrive. It was a visual spectacle, and I doubt any folks who spent hard-earned cash walked out of the show disappointed. … read more
National Music Reviews – October 2012
New and recent releases from Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Between The Buried & Me, Cat Power, Deerhoof, Dinosaur Jr., Enslaved, Lavatory, NOFX, Sea Wolf, Slug Guts and many more are reviewed. … read more
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X96 Big Ass Show @ Gallivan Center 09.29.12
One my favorite things about Shrink the Giant’s performance was how lead singer Stefania Barr’s smile got wider and wider as the crowd began to fill in. By the end of their short set, she was beaming and most of the crowd was, too. It was hard not to like them and a lot of it had to do with Barr’s demeanor. … read more
Crystal Castles: Catharsis Incarnate
Crystal Castles came out of nowhere. The music alternates between despondent and fierce, often finding a middle ground between the two. Lead singer Alice Glass growls and shrieks over Ethan Kath’s instrumentals (which are generally somewhere between 8-bit Nintendo music and a car commercial), and the result is incredible. The live show is tempestuous and infinitely stimulating—imagine Iggy Pop as the hypeman at a Justice show. They strive for abrasive and bleak, but neither is overdone. … read more
Inky Hands and Pacific Sands: Socal Zinesters and the Development...
Incubated in the Pacific Coast and awakened by California sunshine, the ’80s L.A. punk scene birthed swarms of influential and notorious bands, and inspired youngsters Dave Markey and Jordan Schwartz to document the happenings in the xeroxed annals of their acclaimed fanzine, We Got Power. Recently, a compilation of photos, essays and reprints of the zine was published as the book We Got Power: Hardcore Punk Scenes from 1980s Southern California. SLUG got in touch with Markey to chat about the heady days of ’80s punk. … read more
Mommy’s Little Monsters on Punk Rock Halloween
Three years ago, Minor Threat, Black Flag and the Misfits played in the basement of an abandoned building somewhere in Salt Lake City. Of course, it was actually Utah’s xCOMMUNICATEDx, Pass-A-Fist and Youth Descent, impersonating and playing cover sets of some of their favorite punk bands in a Salt Lake tradition: Punk Rock Halloween. “It’s the idea of dressing up and being someone else for Halloween, but, instead, bands are doing it,” says Robin Banks, the local artist and SLUG Mag contributor who helps organize the event. … read more
Localized – The Folka Dots and Triggers & Slips
For those of you who hold onto antiquated ideas regarding country music, this month’s edition of Localized will make you rethink your assumptions. Both The Folka Dots and Triggers & Slips have been around the Salt Lake scene for a couple of years now, and on Oct. 13, they’ll deliver a night of music filled with everything from country-rock to bluegrass, folk and blues. The music starts with the folk-informed doo-wop of Bullets & Belles at 9 p.m. at the Urban Lounge (21+), and just $5 gets you in. … read more
Converge: Honestly Aimed Arrows
“Every new record should be the best possible version of your band.” Jacob Bannon—artist, label owner and Converge vocalist—has taken time out of his day to talk to me about his band’s new album, All We Love We Leave Behind. “I’ve always held the idea that if you’re making art, then the next thing you do should be a new step forward for you. I want to push things further and become a more cohesive artist and more successful in some way.” … read more
