Everyone always had their own nickname for Dave Amador. At SLUG, Amador made up his own when he chose to write under the pseudonym of Peter Panhandler back in 2005. He’d handwrite a rough draft on yellow lined paper, bring it in and read it to me aloud. I always loved these readings—he’d stop and laugh at his own jokes or ask “Is it okay if I write that?” … read more
Reviews of products from 4FRNT, Aerial7, Camelbak, Dickies, Spy, Oakley, Homeschool, Saga and Soulra are featured this month. … read more
The last three years have kept the members of the Dandy Warhols busy on various projects, but the most interesting project has been frontman Courtney Taylor-Taylor’s graphic novel, One Model Nation. The book was originally released in 2009 and is now being reissued as a special hardcover edition. A companion album, One Model Nation TotalWerks Vol. 1 (1969-1977), is also being released. … read more
SLUG asked local tattoo artists Andrew King (Heart of Gold), Catfish and Eric Sager (Ironclad), Nick Phillips (Loyalty) and Dean Bodily (Lost Art) who they’re stoked for, the work they want to do, and what they anticipate for the ninth annual Salt Lake City International Tattoo Convention, happening March 9-11 at the Salt Palace. … read more
The rash of fag bashing that we experienced this fall scares the shit outta me because I walk in the same areas all the time, alone. After these incidents, there was a sort of community panic about how to be safe, stay safe and send a message. This became an outcry for vigilantism. Not pepper spray, tasers, karate or common sense—it went straight to “I’m getting a gun.” … read more
If it’s nighttime in Salt Lake City, Justin Godina is working hard on some Technics—either DJing as he does at residencies, six nights out of the week, or in his basement fixing the broken mechanisms that make the workhorse tables of the industry tick. His instrument is the 1200s, and he’s known as the “Mad Scientist of the 1200s,” after the infamous Technics SL-1200 turntables that he both plays on as a DJ and repairs as a hobby. … read more
The Slackers aren’t a ska band. They aren’t a reggae band, or a punk band, or a garage rock band. According to vocalist/organist Vic Ruggiero, they’re a “Jamaican rock n’ roll” band. In listening to the band’s vast discography, you’ll find bits of The Velvet Underground crossing over with The Upsetters grooves, psychedelia mixing with dub, and Motown taking some heavy hints from Studio One. … read more
I’ve never been a fan of singers who draw heavily upon reverb and delay, but the way Robert George uses them over his Dredg-style guitar work beckons me to give this band the benefit of the doubt. … read more
One night while I was balls deep in a sea of Jim Beam and Budweiser at one of my favorite downtown dives, the Jackalope, I was checking my twitter feed, which was flooded with #OccupyWallStreet crap. Then it struck me—I could single-handedly save basketball. #OccupyNBA was born. It was time to take action. … read more
This March, Tia Martinez and Jared Russell will celebrate five years of their label, Red Light Sound. Through trials and adversity, the couple has pressed on to showcase auditory art in limited-edition, analog pressings to generate a sense of the value of the music they help produce. Their purpose is to reclaim music as “more of an art piece in the actual product itself,” as Russell puts it. … read more
Local musician, Jazzsequence, aka Chris Reynolds, recently released a remix entitled WaspRemix. This CD is a follow up to his Spring 2011 release Wasp: music inspired by the Stieg Larrson novel The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. … read more
Ghost emerged in 2008, playing live shows clad in cloaks with their faces covered, their frontman adorned in a demonic pope outfit and skull-painted face. Speculation immediately came from fans and cynics: Are Ghost a gimmick, or something more sinister? In an interview with one of Ghost’s Nameless Ghouls, I attempted to unravel the mystery behind the band. … read more
