Music
Top 5 of 2010
To celebrate another year’s end, SLUG handpicked 13 writers to spotlight one of their favorite releases of 2010 in an extended review. Read on for Top 5 lists from SLUG’s contributors and genre-spanning reviews of artists like The Black Keys, Sleigh Bells, Acid Tiger and local artist S.L.F.M. … read more
Napalm Flesh – Re-Issue/Re-Master Chopping list
This week is all CD reviews, in particular CD re-issue and re-master reviews. Every year albums upon albums are re-issued and re-released, some are worth picking up and some aren’t. The reviews of the albums here are more themed around the quality of the re-issue than the quality of the album because if it’s getting released by another label or released again in some form the music doesn’t need to be judged, but is package does. … read more
Spoek Mathambo @ W Lounge
It took a lot to get Mr. Mathambo’s hype-heavy mash up of retro-futurist electronic music filtered through the cultural battlefield of post-apartheid Johannesburg to Salt Lake City. In fact, it took a superfecta of nightlife/fashion promoters to persuade Mathambo and Mshini Wam to make a pit-stop along I-80 to our dusty little spot on the map. … read more
Small Black at Kilby Court 11/12
As a space heater warmed up the Kilby garage, crowd-pleasing local opener The Heavens and the Earth (aka producer Matt McMurray) came onstage behind an impressive array of electronics hooked together with a grippe of colorful cables. As he started playing a whooshing synth pad, I anticipated a set of Tangerine Dream worship. Then he hit the crowd with a beat and got everyone moving. … read more
Who the FUCK is Circa Survive? A review of Dredg...
Dredg has been one of my favorite bands since a suitemate introduced me to them in college back in ’04. Their Live at the Filmore album proves they’re the kind of band that can reproduce intricate prog rock as fluently live as in the studio, which is more than can be said for the general gamut of post-TOOL prog rock groups. … read more
Napalm Flesh: A Week of Swedish Black Metal-Watain & Marduk
This week’s blog dissects and gives a rundown of last week’s goings on with the Watain tour and Marduk shows in Salt Lake City, both big shows from gigantic Swedish black metal bands. You should have been in attendance for at least one of the gigs—if not, you missed out on some evil doing black metal. Also is a rundown of this week’s shows, and another batch of blog exclusive CD reviews as well as some choice reviews from fellow SLUG writer Andrew Roy. … read more
The Hold Steady @ In the Venue
The Hold Steady had played Salt Lake City on their two previous tours, both times packing the Urban Lounge to near (or even past) capacity. So much had changed since then. Would they even try to recapture the old magic, or would this be a completely new direction for this Brooklyn-by-way-of-Minnesota group of musicians? Any lingering concerns were quickly put to rest when guitarist Tad Kubler ripped into the first song. … read more
Napalm Flesh: Prelude to the Apocalypse – Interview with Decrepit...
For this week’s blog we have an interview with California death metal crew Decrepit Birth. There’s also the usual round-up of concerts going on for the week, lots of national and local metal to be seen all around. Also, there is a slurry of blog exclusive CD reviews as well as reviews that didn’t make the print magazine for November. … read more
Meat Beat Manifesto: An Unexpected Rhythm
A lyric via MC Young Cassius on Meat Beat Manifesto’s 2008 album Autoimmune is a fitting slogan for the group’s main man Jack Dangers: “… as heavy as motherfuckin’ Buicks.” For over two decades, Dangers (née Corrigan) has pioneered, employed, expanded and mastered so many so-called electronica and sample-based styles, and “heavy” is the only way to describe him. … read more
Lyrics Born @ The State Room
Though he’s venturing even further into the realms of power funk, Lyrics Born still remains important for conscious hip hop heads (yes, we still exist). After the show I approached him, told him what a great time I had and he was very cordial back. The venue was literally shaking during the performance from excitement and the bass funk his band was pumping out. … read more
Napalm Flesh: Intentional Madness – This is Haeresiarchs of Dis
This week’s blog contains an interview with Cernunnos, the sole person behind the unique black metal entity Hæresiarchs of Dis, which released its second album on Oct. 15 via Moribund Records. You also get the rundown of metal shows for the week as well as some blog exclusive CD reviews and some reposted CD review goodies surrounding the upcoming Watain tour stop in Salt Lake City on next Thursday. … read more
National CD Reviews – November 2010
Reviews of new and recent releases from Atheist, Bad Religion, Black Mountain, Chromeo, Dag Nasty, Dimmu Borgir, Gold Panda, Junip, Kylesa, Legendary Pink Dots, Owen Pallett, Small Black, Swans, Three Mile Pilot and many more.
