When I saw Baby Ghosts, the singer was wearing a Yoshi backpack and standing next to a three-foot tall Crayola crayon. This juvenile attitude carries into their lyrics about Stephen Hawking not being able to walk: “Maybe you should just try a little bit harder; I mean, it’s pretty easy to walk.” … read more
Local Reviews: CastleAxe
Hark! CastleAxe (formerly Speitre) hath returned with their brand of classic heavy metal, melded with bludgeoning blows of thrash. As the hilt supports the blade, so does Grög’s rhythm guitar with Hölger’s steel-soldered leads in euphonious synchrony … read more
Local Reviews: David Williams
This is the soundtrack that finally completed the film Parade, written in 2005 and shown in festivals in 2008. Writer and director Brandon Cahoon had been looking for just the right music to go with his film, and having heard David Williams’ music at Slowtrain, commissioned him to write the score. … read more
Local Reviews: Dirty Blonde
Dirty Blonde is an all-out fist fight, and someone just got cut with a bottle of Bud. I can’t hear this band without thinking of the movie Road House. This EP is a piece of straightforward, bar rock n’ roll. On track one, “See You Next Tuesday,” singer Spencer Flowers belts out the following little love note: “Cool heartbreaker, there’s a special place in hell for you!” followed by a rippin’ guitar solo. The band does a good job of keeping the energy up. … read more
Local Reviews: Erin Barra
An SLC-native musician we can all be proud to call one of our own, Erin Barra has it—that “je ne sais quois,” as the French say. Star-fucking-quality, just to be clear. Illusions, her sophomore release, is top-notch shit. … read more
Local Reviews: Eyes Lips Eyes
Eyes Lips Eyes album is composed of the 12 singles that Eyes Lips Eyes released each month for an entire year. … read more
Local Reviews: The Future of The Ghost
Every member of the band The Future of the Ghost has been making music and friends in Utah for many years. That’s why it is not with a blessed heart, but with a heavy one, that I have to admit that I’m personally not a fan of the band’s new sound. … read more
Local Reviews: Long Distance Operator
Long Distance Operator mine the twilight years of hard rock before it devolved into butt rock. This is a good thing for those of us who happen to like proto-butt rock, and Long Distance Operator hit their metallic stride on the excellent “Torches.” … read more
Local Reviews: Mark Dago
There is something to be said for brevity in the music world: What’s the point of an album that drags on just for the sake of stroking the band members’ egos? Dago impressively bundles everything he needs to in about 20 minutes with this sophomore project, in which he ties together electronic sounds from old school video games (“Little Mac’s Jogging Theme”, anyone?) and a unique stream of beats. … read more
Local Reviews: My Dead Ego
It is hard to get excited about reviewing something that comes with very little information about it. While promos come in a variety of formats, most of them include a teeny bit of background. So—other than a cover art print, and that this EP’s three tracks were handwritten on its CDR alongside the name Allison Martin—the only thing to do was start listening to it. And what a pleasant surprise it was—if not a slight shock—from a local CD. … read more
Local Reviews: Such Vengeance
Local metal outfit Such Vengeance has upped their game for their new release, Golden Leaves, Rotten Roots. Production value on this album is excellent, head and shoulders above their first; it really allows the listener a fair view at a talented collective. Their sound is cohesive, aggressive and tight. … read more
Local Reviews: Swedish-ish Fish
Quite simply, it’s a girl and her guitar. Never a genre to be underestimated, acoustic folk rock will always find an audience—and with minimal gear and wrangling necessary, the ability to play out and in a variety of venues or simply on the street makes it even easier to expand the fan base. … read more
