Reviews of new products from Jelly Belly, 1:Face, Trail Barts, Omega-3 and Tarina Tarantino. … read more
Dig This: The Pyrate Punx
Keeping the spirit of punk alive and well, the Pyrate Punx are a force to be reckoned with. Fed up with a lack of decent, underground gigs coming through Utah, local punk rockers saw the potential to start the Salt Lake Pyrate Punx chapter. The SLC chapter formed, drawing from a wealth of experience and influences from other Pyrate Punx chapters around the globe, and has gained quite a reputation. … read more
Contributor Limelight: Cody Hudson
Cody started in the SLUG office as an intern five years ago in 2008, when he was 17, downing cans of Red Bull while he responded to prison mail and writing music reviews of indie albums during his spare time. … read more
Dark Passengers: Riding the Void with Holy Grail
Touring almost nonstop since the release of Ride the Void in January, Holy Grail are working hard to keep their name on the minds of metalheads nationwide. Even though the band is comparatively new to the national stage, they’re determined to keep people excited and to build on their success. “It’s great to see that hard work actually pays off,” says guitarist Eli Santana. … read more
Video Game Reviews
Bioshock Infinite and Injustice: Gods Among Us are reviewed this month. … read more
Bright Lights, Salty City
Some days, biking on busy streets is fucking miserable: being constantly screamed at, cursed at, called a faggot and, on some occasions, being pelted with half-eaten food. To many drivers, bike commuters are an infuriating nuisance, and are certainly not taken seriously. It is hard to have a commanding presence on the road on your 25-pound Univega when two-ton cars are flying past you, forcing you onto the shoulder. Nighttime can be even worse—establishing a presence is a pretty tough task with two puny, blinking LEDs. LED By LITE started with this conundrum in mind, their goal being to establish and emphasize a rider’s presence on the road. … read more
Smang Lake City Vol. 2: Turquoise Jeep is Riding through
“Lemme smang it, girl, smash it and bang”: If you don’t automatically know where these lyrics come from, you were either born into an anti-technology polygamist family or have parents that solely bought their kids educational toys for Christmas. Turquoise Jeep rolled through to SLC at Kilby last May, and they’re coming back Nov. 17 to Kilby AND Urban. … read more
Tycho: Visual Articulation of Musical Ideas
The ability to create something—a painting, a song, a piece of clothing, jewelry, whatever it might be—to communicate an idea because it’s the only way that you know how to get it out of your head and into the world, is powerful. The way Tycho expresses his ideas and feelings resonates deeply with a wide audience, which is telling of his intuitive talent as a musician. … read more
Outer Blues: Akron/Family Discuss Travel and Location
Sub Verses, Akron/Family’s seventh studio album, is best viewed through a wide lens. It is busy, incorporating their signature three-part harmonies, buzzing electronics and complex guitar lines. It is also really, really heavy. Sub Verses takes in travel, aging and a sense of place shot with an IMAX-level widescreen. Its reference points are the locations filmmakers use as alien planets. I had a chance to email vocalist/bassist Miles Seaton from my place in Swaziland about their latest album and how traveling and location have impacted this album. … read more
Pink Lightning Strikes Again
I realize that Eli Morrison isn’t like most people, let alone other musicians. He’s someone who doesn’t give a fuck about trying to make music that will be a hit on the radio, or even something that all the hipsters will talk about incessantly over coffee. Morrison’s goal is to push the musical boundaries of genres like blues, punk and rock, to create a unique, brand new sound, which he dubs “avant-retro.” With his band Pink Lightning, Morrison is staying on the same path he’s always been on, where there is no defined path, or as Morrison puts it, “There’s still beach sand that has not been walked on yet.” … read more
Under the Rose: Thinking About Death with SubRosa
Over the last five years, SubRosa has grown into one of Salt Lake City’s better-known metal bands, and with the release of More Constant Than The Gods on Profound Lore Sept. 17, the band has shown that their high profile is well-earned. This third full-length release shows a startling amount of growth in lyrical and musical quality from No Help For The Mighty Ones. Guitarist Rebecca Vernon calls it, “By far, the most grueling album I’ve ever put together.” … read more
Zine Reviews
Zine reviews for Paramour Magazine, Paper Instagram and Slay Team: The Poser Wars.
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