Reviews for Assimilate: A Critical History Of Industrial Music, People of the Bear Mother: Periplus of the Sea of Souls Book One and Sugar House Review #8. … read more
Book Reviews
Movie Reviews
Movie reviews for Behind The Candelabra, Don Jon, Muscle Shoals, Rockin’ Reverend, Riddick and Rush. … read more
DVD Reviews
Review for Revolution: The Complete First Season. … read more
Mike Brown’s Monthly Dirt: Jazz Nation Predictions
If you know me at all, you know it’s safe to say I’m somewhat of a narcissist and only truly care about three things in life: my cat Jet Pack, free drinks and the Utah Jazz. … read more
Beautiful Godzilla: Cycling Behind-The-Scenes with Debbie Larsen
There are a lot of over-the-top personalities in the cycling world––myself included. These people often get recognized because a) they lead a lot of group rides or have some kind of bike-related job; b) they are always out on their bike, rain or shine; c) they’re incredibly loud and obnoxious cyclists. Then there are people like my friend, Debbie Larsen. … read more
Brandon: Zee Burning Hobush
The best memory I have about Brandon Hobush was my first day on the job digging in rails for Brighton Resort’s Park Crew. He was the first person to show me how to build and ice over a snowboard lip out of nothing more than some shitty November dust and my ass. That was Brandon’s last winter working for the resort because, pretty quickly after that, he became a big-time movie star out there in the industry. … read more
Oddescee: Utah’s Fearless Freestyle Aficionado
Upon meeting Brandi Madrid, aka Oddescee, for the first time, you wouldn’t think you’re talking to Salt Lake’s one and only female battle emcee. In fact, the incredibly humble and down-to-earth mother of two is a self-proclaimed introvert and nerd—she proves it to me by proudly displaying the “NERD” tattoo on her back and telling me about her passion for books and the show Ancient Aliens. Her necklace, however, speaks of the woman that lies beneath: “Fearless,” it says. … read more
Farewell Transmission: RIP Jason Molina
It’s an all-too-familiar story: A brilliant rock musician succumbs to addiction, the urge to pick up a bottle or a needle, and not put it down. Those are some of the oft-romanticized rock creation/destruction myths. Rock music history is a stockpile, a wrecking yard littered with them. One of the latest casualties, March 16 of this year, was Jason Molina of the bands Songs: Ohia and Magnolia Electric Co, from organ failure due to alcoholism. … read more
Top 5: Cult of Luna
Ascending out of the black abyss after five years of quietly lurking in the adumbrative shadows, Cult of Luna released their album, Vertikal I, which transcended the norm and boundaries of the typical metal wavelengths. With all the cultivation and care that went into Vertikal I, however, the album did not illuminate the full spectrum of sound that the band had intended to highlight. In 2013, Vertikal I was made whole, as Cult of Luna introduced three extra songs and a remix on a separate EP: Vertikal II. … read more
Top 5: Light/Black
When talking shop over recordings, you sometimes hear of bands “catching lightning in a bottle” with their music. If that analogy rings true, Light/Black didn’t just bottle it, they christened their amps with it. Make no mistake, the way they wrote and structured this album was no accident, nor did they cater to any minor niche group who may not like a certain kind of tone. This is a fucking good, heavy rock album. … read more
Top 5: Danny Brown
Right from the first track (“Side A [Old]”), it’s obvious that this ain’t that old Danny Brown shit. He takes us there, into his old life—his mom braiding hair on the front porch (“25 Bucks”) and a crackhead burning off his lip doing stove hits (“Torture”). But this is new territory for Brown. Old strays from the minimalist and vocal-centric emphasis of XXX and the ’90s-worship of The Hybrid, and shows that Brown is as versatile and conceptual as ever. Old is more put-together, more focused around each song’s vibe or story. … read more
Top 5: my bloody valentine
Twenty years of rumors, side projects and silence after my bloody valentine’s Kevin Shields announced the band’s progress on a follow-up to their shoegaze genesis, Loveless, my bloody valentine self-released m b v along with a deep sigh of relief. Though the band is the brainchild of Irish teenagers in the ’90s, my bloody valentine’s m b v stands out as an organic output incubated into perfection and birthed at just the right moment to head our generation’s reclamation of ’90s attitude and aesthetic. … read more
