Circles turning circles—the efficiency of the bicycle is unmatched. The human motor coupled with the spinning of gears equals freedom for all those who enjoy the sun on their shoulders and the wind in their faces. A love affair with the bicycle makes up a good portion of Utah’s history, and has proliferated in nearly every portion of the state. Twenty years ago, the cycling community had reached a turning point. The sport was extremely popular, and its membership needed a way to unify and deliver the latest developments in a timely manner. Enter: Cycling Utah. … read more
Up in Palms: Palms Interview with Aaron Harris
When Deftones singer Chino Moreno’s name becomes attached to your band, the level of anticipation jumps the scale from a niche genre to many worlds of music lovers. Moreno isn’t backed by just any musicians in Palms, though: Three members of the now-defunct ISIS (drummer Aaron Harris, guitarist Cliff Meyer and bassist Jeff Caxide) have the musical chops and experience to make any musical project stand out, and are far from a backdrop to let Moreno’s well-known croon or scream play the keynote. Palms’ self-titled debut album drops on June 25 via Ipecac Recordings, with tour dates in the wings. SLUG caught up on all things Palms with drummer Harris. … read more
Russian Circles: Louder Than Words
Sprawling. Swirling. Ominous. Auspicious. Any number of multisyllabic words can be used to describe the music of Russian Circles, who have been creating dynamic instrumental music since 2004. In anticipation of their performance at The Great Saltair on Feb. 15, SLUG spoke with bassist Brian Cook about the upcoming tour and what Russian Circles have in store for 2013. … read more
Rob Zombie: Zombie Complex
The conflict between the devil and all that is considered good is never-ending. Musician and filmmaker Rob Zombie has become a modern media icon by writing and performing music and films exploiting that conflict—horror is his muse. Zombie is planning a spring invasion that will feature a new studio album, a feature film and an accompanying novel. … read more
Fritz Kollman: Another Way Home
Fritz Kollman is a sensitive creature. Not the type of sensitivity that happens when you rip a Band-Aid off a wound, or the kind that happens when you can’t take a joke. What I’m talking about is the sensitivity that controls the interaction between a person and their surroundings. What sets Fritz apart is his levelheaded approach to his circumstance, which has given way to the cultivation of two passions that keep him sane: skateboarding and horticulture. … read more
SLUG Holiday Comix – February 2013
Steve Thueson takes us on a romantic journey through February’s most popular holiday in this month’s installment of SLUG Holiday Comix. … read more
Squatters: The New Version of the Old Standby
Squatters started in 1989 as a great idea imported from Europe—a brewpub—and they did it well. Bangers and mash were among the first things on the menu, and the beer was, by today’s standards, so-so, but it was better than the sad brews others were making at the time. Popular right from the start, Squatters brought a whole retinue of imitators: brewpubs with their own, great beer and versions of pub food. None have become part of the DNA of Salt Lake in the way Squatters has. The first three restaurants out of my mouth when I talk Salt Lake eating to strangers looking for a place are Red Iguana, Market Street and Squatters. … read more
Photo Feature: Chris Grenier
Chris Grenier is a talented snowboarder, and, as such, has been rewarded with lucrative endorsement deals with top-shelf brands. Of all of his beloved sponsors, I would venture to say there is none he holds more dear than his place on the Monster Energy team. Monster is stocked full of riders, but Grenier is unique because he’s the only snowboarder on this team that I know of who actually drinks their toxic product. … read more
Book Reviews
Book reviews for The Enlightened Cyclist, Next of Being, Official Truth and Slanky. … read more
Forrest Does Downtown
For this article, Forrest Huber, Jovi Bathemess, Sam Milianta, Gabe Dusserre and I met up near the library Downtown. The friendly dynamic and atmosphere that was created helped some of these tricks come to life. These photos were all shot on two Saturdays in downtown Salt Lake City. We didn’t get all the photos we wanted to––sometimes a spot gets the best of you, sometimes you get kicked out before you even get a chance to skate––but we had fun, and that is all that really matters.
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Unified Psalms: OM
In a simple sense, OM is a band that makes and plays music. A straight dissection of the band’s musical elements may mislead the interpreter. The subject matter isn’t direct and the music fits into realms from traditional rock to experimental, drone and world music. “Things in my life are incredibly inspiring. They’re a hundred times more powerful than some shitty album from some shitty band,” says Al Cisneros. … read more
5 Exciting Movie Reviews
Reviews for the films Black Rock, Dirty Wars, Last Shop Standing, Star Trek: Into Darkness and Stories We Tell. … read more
