Kevin Avery spent four years compiling notes, conducting interviews and organizing the biography and some choice writings of his childhood literary hero, Paul Nelson, one of folk music’s most important critics of the 20th Century. … read more
Refused are fucking dead. The self-proclaimed “socialist fag-loving pc scumbags” quietly imploded on October 27, 1998, announcing their demise on the very day their final album, The Shape of Punk to Come, was released. That was 14 years ago, and if the adult me told the younger me that we would be seeing one of the most influential unsung hardcore bands of all time live, I would have replied simply, “You demand the impossible.” … read more
There’s always something to be said of a great remix and what it can do to transform a song—from reverent ballad to tits-out club stomper—and how it can revitalize or even reinvent a release. One of my favorite albums of last year was easily Hollywood Under the Knife, released under dance diva extraordinaire Billie Ray Martin’s great Opiates moniker. I was excited by the notion of a new full-length remix album, but didn’t expect to be so blown away by it. … read more
SLUG Magazine and Whole Foods Trolley Square have teamed up to feature a local artist’s work in the café area at the Trolley Square Whole Foods every month. Our April 2012 artist is Erica Herbert.
… read more
One of the biggest secrets about the Utah music scene as a whole is the amount of music that comes out every year. You wouldn’t expect anything less from a scene with over 600 bands at any given time. Here is a complete list (or as complete a list as we could compile) of every Utah-based album that was released in 2011. … read more
“You guys are badass!” Shouted one over-excited spectator as The Cave Singers took the stage. Lead vocalist Pete Quirk was quick to respond, “We are badass! We steal, and we loiter, but we’re a good catch, nonetheless!” Guitarist Derek Fudesco and drummer Marty Lund chuckled and hooted in agreement as they took their posts—Fudesco on a ripped up barstool, and Lund behind his percussion set, which included a pair of bongos. … read more
Motorcycles. Snowboarding. Muscular women, scantily clad, glistening with sweat. Without a doubt, photographer Stan Evans has made a career of capturing the subjects of any adrenaline junky’s wet dream. His images could be featured on an inspirational poster or a Nike ad; the collection is a sleek conflation of fashion and action sport images that are dramatic, dynamic and just plain sexy. … read more
Welcome to Napalm Flesh! This week we have an interview with legendary guitarist Jeff Loomis, who we caught up when he played Salt Lake with Periphery and Protest the Hero on April 6. We talked to him about his days in Nevermore, his new solo album, and the metal scene at large. We also have our usual weekly calendar rundown as well as blog-exclusive reviews of Accept. Cathter, Pelican and the Nails/Skin Like Iron split. … read more
Bob Ross, who died back in 1995 of lymphoma, has been immortalized through his epic landscape art lessons. “We don’t make mistakes, we just have happy accidents,” he memorably said to his frustrated but determined viewers. Eleven talented Salt Lake artists embraced his legacy, purchased a slew of Bob Ross paint supplies, and assembled to watch two videos from Ross’s “Joy of Painting” series. … read more
Thursday, April 26, In The Venue hosted one of the most anticipated death metal tours to hit Salt Lake this year: the This Is Where It Ends tour. I’ve been waiting for this show for months, and some fans, for years. All Shall Perish are one of my favorite bands and this is the first time I’ve seen them in my hometown. The place was humming with excitement from the second you walked in the door. … read more
There was a big difference between Washed Out on record and Washed Out the show. If you’re the kind of person who wants a band to sound exactly like they do on the record, you probably hated this show—a lot of the songs were changed up a bit to translate into a full band as Washed Out has moved from a bedroom project to a career for Ernest Greene. The songs sounded bigger and louder and heavier than the laptop synth-pop versions. Greene was obviously into it—pounding on his keys, bobbing his head like a parrot and putting himself into every word he sang. … read more
Kory Olson is the featured artist for May 2012’s Add a Dash of Local Art exhibit. His work will be hanging at Whole Foods Trolley Square on the west wall of the café through May 31. … read more
