SaltLakeUnderGround • Vol. 27 • Issue #327 • March 2016 • slugmag.com ABOUT THE COVER: Local graph- CONTRIBUTOR LIMELIGHT: ic artist Courtney Blair has a long Mary E. Duncan – Copy Editor history with SLUG, and we wanted her typographical prowess to adorn Mary E. Duncan has been on the SLUG Magazine copy editing team for our 27th Anniversary cover. See more than eight years—longer than two presidential terms! Every copy ed- pages 28–29 for the scoop on our iting meeting, she ensures that the magazine’s grammar is in line, that 27 Club Anniversary Party, and find punctuation goes where it needs to, and that she treats the sentences she more of Blair’s work at reads with tender, loving care. We look forward to her hardworking and courtney-blair.com. friendly personality each week, and we crack up at her lighthearted humor when she points out silly or idiosyncratic copy. Mary patiently mentors copy DISCLAIMER: SLUG Magazine does editors on the SLUG copy editing team and applies her keen eye to help the not necessarily maintain the same opinions as those found in our magazine publish the best possible content. She’s also volunteered at SLUG content. Content is property of SLUG marketing tables and has participated in many SLUG events. Mary makes Magazine—please do not use without us proud—here’s to eight more years! written permission. Publisher: Eighteen Percent Gray Design Intern: Jordan Brooks Community Development Ricky Vigil, Ryan Hall, Scott Farley, Assistant: Shannan Hansen Sean Zimmerman-Wall, Ad Designers: Brad Barker, Editor: Angela H. 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Brown: [email protected] Mariah Mann Mellus, Graphic Design Team: John Ford, Joshua Joye Chad Pinckney, Nick Ketterer, SLUG HQ: 801.487.9221 Megan Kennedy, Mike Brown, Paul Mason Mike Riedel, Nancy Perkins, Nick Kuzmack, Peter Fryer, @SLUGMag youtube.com/user/SLUGMagazine 4 SaltLakeUnderGround slugmag.com 5 olk and Americana are well-established Ameri- process provides a range of influences that you could scenes, but the categorical youth lifestyle in LOCALIZED can traditions, especially here in the Intermoun- never achieve with a single person. Utah has a big effect. “The counterculture in F tain West. June Brothers possess a singer-song- Salt Lake is so strong that it forces grouping,” By LeAundra Jeffs writer aesthetic blended with alt-country and a lot of June Brothers’ music is emotionally charged, and says Christensen. June Brothers are consider- [email protected] heart. Spencer Oberle began June as a soloist with lyrical focus is essential. “In order to know where the ing moving to another location to broaden a rotation of performing artists in a backing band. song is going, you need to have a distinct direction their horizons, but for the time being, they’ll Now, Alex Winitzky has joined on mandolin and from the lyrics,” Riding says. Their singer-songwriter be smashing down clear-cut social group Photos: Russel Daniels banjo, Julie Riding on auxiliary percussion, and perspective has given them a playful view of their barriers locally. his month’s Localized features an ar- Todd Christensen on electric and pedal steel gui- music. “We’re like a shitty version of Neil Young,” ray of reinvented classic American tar. Their combination of sweet harmonies and twangy Christensen says, joking. “If Neil Young was a 10, The ensemble has recently returned from a T music groups. Michelle Moonshine fervor will get your body a’swaying. we’re a four.” Along with lyricism, their backing instru- tour that was the culmination of many previ- kicks off the show with her imaginative and mentation tends to be emotive rather than convoluted ous small excursions. “We had been touring stirring Americana folksiness. Following are On June’s first release, Meet Your Creature, Oberle was and technical. “We spend a lot of time thinking about together for a year in mini weekend trips,” the Southern rock–infused, and swooning the sole writer and continues to write from an experi- textures and not trying to get too complicated about Riding says. “We went on our main tour in country darlings June Brothers. Rounding ential place. “Most of my songs come from personal anything,” Christensen says. This dichotomy portrays September for about three weeks.” Similar to out the show will be modernized, blues-en- experience,” he says. The added influences of three a benign sincerity often lost in other genres. many bands from Utah, their main focus was trenched, recalcitrant and untamed resident new permanent members have, however, provided a on surrounding states. “We hit Oregon, Col- favorites Crook & The Bluff. The event is on depth that wasn’t previously possible. “What we are From June Brothers’ experience, the music scene in orado, Moab and Wyoming,” Christensen March 17 at 8 p.m., with sponsors Spilt Ink, doing now is a lot more collaborative,” Oberle says. Salt Lake can be cliquey and exclusive. “I feel like [Salt says. “We focus on touring around this third Uinta Brewing Co. and KRCL 90.9 FM. “I like having them to bounce ideas off of.” Their writ- Lake] is more compartmentalized than other places,” of the country.” ing process is accommodating and cooperative. “Usu- Winitzky says. “Everyone is very devoted to their own After a recent reordering of their lineup, ally, one person has an idea for a song, and then we thing, and they don’t collaborate or communicate June’s on-the-road adventures were rooted Crook have surged the local scene with their all work on it together from there,” says Oberle. This much with each other.” This can be found in many in oddities, including a young girl going thunderous, psychedelic-blues styling. Kirk full zombie and scrambling around a venue Dath is the mainstay as vocalist, joined by backdoor blithering nonsense to them.