Various ArtistsSLC Rules
(2007, 8ctopus Records)
7.5/10
In homage to the west coast’s answer to Brian Eno’s infamous late 70's punk compilation, No New York, 8ctopus Record’s design for SLC Rules hints at revolutionary music. A compilation of the thirteen local bands on the label including Blackhole, Vile Blue Shades and Chinese Stars, SLC Rules is a gritty look into what can, in no uncertain terms, be seen as Salt Lake’s finest grouping of straight-forward rock n’ roll. The CD was obviously produced and sequenced to play as a cohesive record rather than a sampler. Labeling of the participants and their track’s title on the album is just a formality. The listing is out of order, forcing you to listen straight through rather than skipping to your band of choice. This isn’t as large of an annoyance as you might expect seeing as how well these bands fit together on a roster. Almost completely unified in recording aesthetic and sound, SLC Rules plays more like a rock concept album than a mixtape. This becomes a simultaneous strength and weakness of the album. If SLC Rules marks anything, it is that the heady lo-fi rock scene is alive and well here. Here are my favourite tracks for those who know the sequencing: 1, 8, 9, 12 and 13.
-Mr. Thistle
8ctopus Records myspace
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