POSTED // Nov 19,2008 - nThursday 11.20nCASTOR & POLLUTION CD RELEASEnLuke Slocum fled Philadelphia in 2004 and landed in Utah with just a pile of books and guitar to his name. Our state is, well, pretty great, and he needed to save his life from “imminent destruction.” Paul Slocum and Mike Vitale followed shortly thereafter and formed Castor & Pollution—in fits and starts. One apartment evictio...

POSTED // Nov 12,2008 - nnThursday 11.13n TATE LAW BENEFITnIn early October, a serious car accident hospitalized Tate Law, a local, widely beloved musician responsible for indie projects The Lionelle and Spooky Moon. Fortunately for him, when tragedy strikes around these parts the community is swift to respond with selfless displays of emotional and financial support. Salt Lake City record label Sound vs. Silence has org...

POSTED // Nov 5,2008 - I really consider myself as more of a songwriter,” says Marnie Stern, a New York City-based guitarist whose impressive Van Halen-esque finger-tapping technique typically affords her frequent female shredder shout-outs. She’s a woman! Who plays guitar! Like, really well! nBut besides the tired emphasis on gender, perhaps too much is also made of her technically adept prowess—skill...

POSTED // Nov 5,2008 - Thursday 11.6nMOAB FOLK FESTIVALnThe forecast for Moab in southern Utah this weekend calls for clear, mostly sunny skies with temperatures in the low 60s—and crowded streets for the town’s annual folk festival. This year’s lineup should help restore your faith in the term “singer/songwriter” which, in recent years, has gotten a bad rap, thanks to one too many hacks wr...

POSTED // Oct 30,2008 - Salt Lake City Councilman Luke Garrott took office in January. At the time, he scored a seat representing District 4 based on his qualifications as a respected University of Utah political-science professor with a burning passion for soccer, preserving historic neighborhoods and planned, sustainable development. These days, however, he could easily run on the platform, “Luke Garrott—Yo...

POSTED // Oct 29,2008 - Thursday 10.30nnGIRL TALKnRep. Mike Doyle, D-Pa., recently said in a recent House Subcommittee on Telecommunications meeting, “Maybe mash-ups are transformative new art that expands the listener’s experience and doesn’t compete with what an artist has made available on iTunes or at a CD store,” arguing the case for artists like Greg Gillis, aka Girl Talk, whose unconvention...

POSTED // Oct 22,2008 - Thursday 10.23nFour Year Strong (Avalon); Labcoat (Urban Lounge); Miguel Mateos (Karamba) nFriday 10.24nBlaze Ya Dead Homie (Avalon); TaughtMe (Kilby Court); Prize Country (Burt’s Tiki Lounge); Dirty South (Hotel); Blood of Saints (Club Vegas); Ghostwriter (Bar Deluxe); The Black Angels, Furs (Urban Lounge—Read Article); North Platte Records Bash (Velour)nSaturday 10.25nVAST AIREnCanni...

POSTED // Oct 1,2008 - Silver Jews are one of the greatest bands still making records. They are an acquired taste, and founder/musician/poet David Berman has made damned well sure things stay that way. For years, the rock group operated on the policy that they would never collaborate,...

POSTED // Oct 1,2008 - Thursday 10.2 TAUGHTME CD RELEASE On his three full-length albums as TaughtMe, Blake Henderson comes across as somewhat of an imaginary friend, tempting you to skip class and embark on a great adventure. His songs sound like secrets shared under the bleachers,...

POSTED // Sep 24,2008 - Every year, Paul Jacobsen posts a glowing online tribute to Steve Earle in honor of the veteran country artist’s Jan. 17 birthday. Never mind that his closest friends already know the story—how Jacobsen’s brother Andy introduced him...