SLUG Mag Soundwaves

 This week's SLUG Soundwaves features local math rock band Form of Rocket. If the name rings a bell, it's because they're no newcomers to the local music scene here in Salt Lake. Since forming in 2000 and then taking a hiatus, Curtis Jensen (guitar/ vocals), Peter Makowski (guitar/vocals), Tyler Smith (drums) and Ben Dodds (bass) are back for this year's Crucialfest. Along with playing Crucialfest, they will also be rereleasing their first record, Se Puede Despedir A Todos, on vinyl, with only 250 pressed copies for purchase. With the help of Justin Reynolds who provided the album artwork and Andy Paterson who remastered the album for vinyl, Form of Rocket have been able to pull this all together in just a short amount of time. Reminiscing on their earlier shows, Makowski questions, “People were so into the music, especially at Kilby," he says. "Was it the music we were playing or was it the time period?” Having gained the attention of Salt Lake locals, Form of Rocket were playing shows to rooms packed full of people. “For all the vocals we had on that record, I would say maybe 40 percent are actual lyrics,” says Makowski. When it came time to do a lyric sheet, they had to go back and listen to the record and write down what the vocals were. Jensen and Makowski were adventurous with their lyrical content—they wanted to create a record of songs that built and released tension in an effective way. After that, Jensen had left the band to pursue other desires but came back to record vocals for Men. Jensen, who’s in town and set to get hitched, has moved around quite a bit. In 2011, he had moved back to Salt Lake after spending some time in Alaska and got everyone back together to play some shows. Having returned, Form of Rocket are ready to get back in the music game and dazzle the audience once again. Form of Rocket will play at Kilby Court on June 11 and Urban Lounge on June 17. You can also check out their responses to some fans favorite Form of Rocket memories here.  Thanks for listening to SLUG Soundwaves. This podcast was created by SLUG Magazine and produced by Angela H. Brown and Secily Saunders Associate Producers: Alexander Ortega, Joshua Joye, John Ford, Shannan Hansen, Kathy Zhou Executive Producer: Angela H. Brown Background music by Form of Rocket Soundwaves logo and art design by Nicholas Dowd Technical design by Kate Colgan Photo: Luke Isom   SLUG Magazine’s mission is to provide an honest journalistic alternative to mainstream coverage of arts, music, events and lifestyle. SLUG adds value to lifestyle through community engagement. Available in print and digitally on SLUGmag.com.

For this episode of SLUG Soundwaves we had the pleasure of chatting with local folk group, Canyons. Maybe you've seen them around town, or happened to catch their NPR Tiny Desk Concert and recognized their harmonious voices. What started as friends sharing music and having fun, formed into Canyons, a three-piece group self described as “assertive folk.” Whether Kate Anderson is off flying a lakota helicopter or Hillary McDaniel and Secily Saunders are busy directing the Rock n’ Roll Girls Camp, they always find time to play music and constantly create. Having only formed a year ago this May, they’re in awh of the generous outpour of support they’ve received from venues and fans. Last summer, Canyons released their six-song self-titled EP, recorded in their own home studio, and headed out on their first tour. Guest artists Kanyatta kennedy and Heidi Middleton have joined them on their recently released full length vinyl, Sometimes Late at Night—recorded with Utah sound guru Mike Sasich. They had their album release show last week at Ogden's Lighthouse Lounge, followed by a show in Kate's hometown, Reno. Only printing 500 copies of Sometimes Late at Night they “wanted to create a special album that wasn’t such a disposable product as music can be these days.” So far they have 30 gigs booked and will be busy playing shows all summer. As big fans of the book "The Alchemist," they have the quote “People are capable at any time in their lives of doing what they dream of,” printed on the inside of their cover for Sometimes Late at Night. With Anderson, McDaniel and Saunders being in their 30's and still having to beg their friends, from high school to this day, to come to their shows, they say this quote helps them keep their chin up.  Canyons have a few upcoming shows here in Salt Lake, including two shows next week at Utah Pride Fest and a show at the Green Pig Pub June 4—they will also be playing Earth Jam and Utah Arts Fest. For more information on Canyons and their music you can visit their website at canyonsmusic.com. Canyons: Kate Anderson (vocals, co-producer) Secily Saunders (vocals, acoustic guitar, co-producer) Hillary McDaniel (drums, percussion) Dream Makers: Ben Weiss (mandolin) Dylan Schorer (pedal steel guitar) Heidi Nedreberg (vocals) Joseph Swain (vocals) Josh Dickson (percussion) Kenyatta Kennedy (vocals, bass) Mike Sasich (baritone guitar, electric guitar, percussion, keys) Production, Recording, Mixing, Mastering: Man vs Music, Mike "Producer of the Year" Sasquatch Sasich Album Artwork: Chelsey Bloomfield / Malibu Harpy Thanks for listening to SLUG Soundwaves. • This podcast was created by SLUG Magazine and produced by Angela H. Brown and Secily Saunders • Associate Producers: Alexander Ortega, Joshua Joye, John Ford, Shannan Hansen, Kathy Zhou • Executive Producer: Angela H. Brown • Background music by Ana Hardy • Soundwaves logo and art design by Nicholas Dowd • Technical design by Kate Colgan   SLUG Magazine’s mission is to provide an honest journalistic alternative to mainstream coverage of arts, music, events and lifestyle. SLUG adds value to lifestyle through community engagement. Available in print and digitally on SLUGmag.com. 

Meet SLUG’s Digital Media Assistant, Ana Hardy. You might’ve seen her at a local show at The Borough, noticed her timeless style in our December 2015 SLUG Style feature or listened to her performing live, most recently at the SLC Pink release show, touting pastel pink hair, electric guitar in hand. Ana is a writer, poet, singer and songwriter. Mostly, she’s a romantic. Love and introspection—however radiant, however obscure, however volatile—informs her work. Her writing comprises anything from lofty, meandering prose that starts with being lonely on a Sunday night to thoughts about self-love, captured and condensed into a poem. Regarding her music, Ana cites growing up listening to her father, a fellow singer/songwriter, and his “Neil Young voice.” Master lyricists like Nick Cave, Bob Dylan and Tom Waits continue to influence Ana’s work, inspiring her to take her own writing to task, to find a way to put the indescribable into words. In her own songs, Ana combines delicate, echoing guitar picking and gentle, stirring croons to underscore her lyrics, which are just as personal and reflective as are her poems. Her recently recorded “Amnesia Love,” for example, serves as a validation of sorts, an affirmation that it’s OK to love someone, even if it’s only for an instant. For Ana, her music, writing and personal experiences all come hand in hand. In this episode of SLUG Soundwaves, Ana reflects on growing up and struggling to express what she wanted to express; on how her poetry and lyrics help her voice, and come to terms with, everything that she feels; and why she endeavors to shares her work, however personal, so that others might gain something from her writing. Find Ana’s music online at SoundCloud and her writing on WordPress. Catch her next performance on Sunday, May 22, at Kilby Court with Nick Jaina and Joey Brandin. Thanks for listening to SLUG Soundwaves. • This podcast was created by SLUG Magazine and produced by Angela H. Brown and Secily Saunders • Associate Producers: Alexander Ortega, Joshua Joye, John Ford, Shannan Hansen, Kathy Zhou • Executive Producer: Angela H. Brown • Background music by Ana Hardy • Soundwaves logo and art design by Nicholas Dowd • Technical design by Kate Colgan   SLUG Magazine’s mission is to provide an honest journalistic alternative to mainstream coverage of arts, music, events and lifestyle. SLUG adds value to lifestyle through community engagement. Available in print and digitally on SLUGmag.com.

 Drummer Lindsay Heath (DJ Dances With Wolves, Redd Tape, The Tremula, Bushman) and vocalist Scotty Ray (Bad Kids Collective, La Femme Medea) tell SLUG how they met and formed a new musical project called Elytra. Other members of the avant pop project include: Chris Murphy—synth, Klaus—cello, Janet Chotia–bass and Secily Sanders—guitar. Elyria is currently in the studio recording their debut album to be released this summer. SLUG’s excited to share the band’s material with the debut of their first single, To The Sky. See them perform it live when they open for Paul McCartney’s son, James McCartney, on Monday, May 23, 2016 at Club Metro.  Thanks for listening to SLUG Soundwaves. This podcast was created by SLUG Magazine and produced by Angela H. Brown The Associate Producers are: Alexander Ortega, Joshua Joye, John Ford, Shannan Hansen and Kathy Zhou The Executive Producer is: Angela H. Brown Background music by Elytra  Soundwaves logo and art design by Nicholas Dowd Technical Design by Kate Colgan SLUG Magazine’s mission is to provide an honest journalistic alternative to mainstream coverage of arts, music, events and lifestyle. SLUG adds value to lifestyle through community engagement. Available in print and digitally on slugmag.com.

    Dusk Raps on Facebook  Thanks for listening to SLUG Soundwaves.  SLUG Magazine’s mission is to provide an honest journalistic alternative to mainstream coverage of arts, music, events and lifestyle. SLUG adds value to lifestyle through community engagement. Available in print and digitally on slugmag.com. This podcast was created by SLUG Magazine and produced by Angela H. Brown The Associate Producers are: Alexander Ortega, Joshua Joye, John Ford, Shannan Hansen and Kathy Zhou The Executive Producer is: Angela H. Brown Beats by Dusk Raps  Soundwaves logo and art design by Nicholas Dowd Technical Design by Kate Colgan  

In this week’s episode, we chat with Brycen Deters of Golden Plates. Golden Plates is a solo project of Deters, a SLC musician. Playing off the LDS faith as tropes for the band—Deters takes on the role of "Elder Brycen" and names his albums and songs with references to the church. In 2015, he released his debut EP, Eugenics, along with a series of singles through his Soundcloud account. In April of 2016, he will release his first full-length album, The Light, coinciding with his free live show at Urban Lounge on March 31. SLUG writer Ali Shimkus sat down with Elder Brycen to talk about his music and his latest works.

In this week’s episode we chat members of Matthew and The Hope before they head to Idaho to play the Tree Fort Festival. Matthew and The Hope are an alt-country trio that currently comprises Matthew Bashaw, Mathieu Jean Robinette and Todd Belcher. The project formed in 2012 when Bashaw started performing around town as a solo-performer with occasional backing musicians and guest spots. Over the years the lineup has changed, incorporating different musicians who bring their own unique talents to enhance the sound. In 2014 the group released their debut full-length album, Burn It To The Ground, followed by a four month southwest tour. This year the band will be a part of the Tree Fort Festival in Boide, Idaho. They’ll be playing Tom Grainey’s on Friday, March 25 at 11:15 p.m. SLUG writer Lizz Corrigan sat down with Bashaw, Robinette and Belcher about their current happenings and playing Tree Fort.

In this week’s episode of Soundwaves, the official podcast of SLUG Magazine, we chat with the band Color Animal about their most recent 7" release, as well as their upcoming full-length album due out this April. Color Animal are an alternative rock band based out of Salt Lake City, who formed shortly after lead singer and guitarist Andrew Shaw’s band Calico disbanded. He joined up with drummer Tyler Ford to create some new tunes, but the band sat on the shelf for a few years until 2012 when Nick Neihart and Felecia Baca joined and released their first album, Vision Lies, in January 2013. Neihart left the band shortly after making that album, but was replaced by Seth Howe for the current lineup today. They’ve since released a few singles, and a second full-length, Bubble Gum, in July 2014. Recently the band paired with Shaw’s other project, Magic Mint, to release a self-titled 7” split, and are currently finalizing their third album, Why Don't We Have Fun?, which is due out on April 2.   In this episode, SLUG writer Kristyn Porter spoke with Shaw and Ford about all their latest endeavors, and afterward we hear the song “Heal Me,” both from their 7” release, as well as the Death By Salt V compilation.

 In this week’s episode of Soundwaves, the official podcast of SLUG Magazine, we chat with the punk band Problem Daughter about the release of their latest album, Fits of Disorganized Boredom. Problem Daughter are a Salt Lake–based punk rock band who have been together since 2009. The band comprises Regan Ashton on bass and vocals, Trey Bird on drums, and Tyler Sisson and Shane Augustus on guitar. The band released their first album, American Heronie, in 2009 along with sporadic singles and EPs, only to temporarily disband in 2010. The group reunited a year later to release more EPs, followed by their self-titled full-length album in 2012. The band spent the latter half of 2015 working in secret on their fourth full-length album, Fits of Disorganized Boredom. SLUG writer Eric Norris sat down with Bird and Ashton in the Soundwaves studio to talk about recording their latest album. Music for this episode of Soundwaves was chosen by the band and is of off their latest album, Fits of Disorganized Boredom.

On this episode of Soundwaves, the official podcast of SLUG Magazine in Salt Lake City, Utah, we interview the five-piece rock band Starmy about the release of their latest and final album, Heart Beat Breaks Glass. An acronym for Salt Lake UnderGround, SLUG is one of the oldest independent publications in the United States, covering music, arts, lifestyle and events. Starmy are a five-piece rock band based out of Salt Lake City that have been together since 2001. The group’s current lineup comprises Mike Sartain on vocals and guitar, John Lyman on bass, Sean McCarthy on the keys, Mike Sasich on guitar and Dave Payne on drums. Through many lineup changes, the band has released six full-length albums. Earning themselves praise in the local music community and even best band of the year from City Weekly in 2003. Before enterting the Man vs. Music studios last year to record a new album, the band decided that Heart Beat Breaks Glass will be their final album.SLUG writer Kristyn Porter sat down in the Soundwaves studio to chat with Sartain and Payne about putting the album together and their decision to make it their last. Music for this episode was taken from Starmy’s latest album, Heart Beat Breaks Glass, which came out January 9. The first song in the episode is called “Despite The Pixels On The Sun. The second song on the episode is called “Despite The Pixels On The Sun” from Starmy’s 2016 album, Heart Beat Breaks Glass. You can download a copy of their album for $7 at Starmy.Bandcamp.com.

In this weeks episode of Soundwaves, the official podcast of SLUG Magazine, SLUG's Digital Content Coordinator Henry Glasheen sits down to talk with local band SubRosa about what 2015 was like for them, touring, new music and the concept behind their new music. SubRosa is an experimental doom metal band from Salt Lake City. Over the years they've released four full-length albums, with the most recent two albums being featured in multiple metal magazines and websites as milestone releases and making several top album lists of their years. SubRosa has also toured the United States and Europe extensively, most recently touring with bands like Enslaved, Yob, and Ecstatic Vision among others. SubRosa currently consists of Rbecca Vernon on lead vocals and guitar, Sarah Pendleton and Kim Pack on violin, Levi Hanna on bass and Andy Patterson on drums, who also serves as the bands producer. SLUG writer and Digital Content Coordinator Henry Glasheen spoke with them, and the episode features tracks that the group picked themselves with explanations from the group as to why they chose each track. One track that was featured in this episode is from SubRosa's 2013 release More Constant Than The Gods.

In this episode of Soundwaves, the official podcast of SLUG Magazine, we’ll be interviewing the band Villain and listening to music from their debut EP. Villain is a six-piece hardcore band in Salt Lake City and is comprised of Trent Falcone on vocals, Justin Spencer, Jay Wilkinson and Matt Jones on guitars, Brad Butterfield on bass and Gavin Hoffman on drums. SLUG writer Alex Cragun sat down with Falcone, Wilkinson and Jones in our podcast studio to talk about the band and their latest release. Villain formed over the summer of 2015 and immediately jumped into the studio with SLC producer Dave Evanoff of Sound Designs to record their self-titled EP. Previously, members of Villain were involved with other local bands such as Reality and INVDRS. In this interview, we talk about how members from the groups came together to create Villain as well as the inspiration for the lyrical content of their EP. Additionally, we ask about what the creation of Villain means for the future of Reality and INVDRS and provide information on upcoming shows for the groups. Music for this episode of Soundwaves comes from Villian's self-titled, four song EP and includes tracks like "This Is A Heist." To purchase the album with original songs and album artwork, visit their Bandcamp  at VillainHardcore.Bandcamp.com.

In this episode, SLUG’s Editorial Assistant Christian Schultz chats with Malinda Fisher of Desert Rose Jewelry and drummer Jeremy Devine about Diabolical Records’ Bandemonium, a musical celebration that brings together friends and acquaintances for a fun, spontaneous night of diverse talent. On December 26, 2014, dozens of Utah musicians gathered together at Diabolical Records for the inaugural Bandemonium, an event that fea-tured one-time band line-ups randomly picked from a hat weeks prior. Over 70 local musicians signed up, forming groups that would later per-form at the event. After the bands were set, their members chose names and had a few weeks to prepare a 10–15 minute set of music to perform live for their peers. Ranging from punk to electronic to folk to garage, the musical output of the night showcased the diversity, talent and communi-ty of the music scene that has found a home at Diabolical Records over the past two years. One of the most unique facets of Bandemonium is how it offers a space for established and amateur musicians to co-mingle. As the drummer for the bands Chalk and Foster Body, Devine enjoyed putting down the sticks and picking up another instrument, while Fisher enjoyed being a part of Salt Lake’s artistic community in a new way. Diabolical Records has cooked up a variety of ways to be an inclusive space for the commu-nity that it fosters, and Bandemonium is just one of the many that the shop offers. After another successful July 4th Bandemonium that included fireworks and a barbecue, the event is set to take place again on Saturday, Dec. 26, from 6 – 9 p.m. To find out more about Bandemonium, visit Diabolical Records’ Facebook page.