Fail to Follow

There is much more to Salt Lake City punk than some silly movie set in the '80s. The real thing is very much alive and well in hard-edged experimental bands such as Form of Rocket and the decidedly more poppy but just as energetic and fiery Fail to Follow. These...

By Tom Murphy

January 29, 2009

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There is much more to Salt Lake City punk than some silly movie set in the '80s. The real thing is very much alive and well in hard-edged experimental bands such as Form of Rocket and the decidedly more poppy but just as energetic and fiery Fail to Follow. These guys make no bones about where they sit on the political spectrum, and a quick scan of the band's lyrics and song titles makes it obvious that The Man is in the crosshairs. That's been true of any real rock and roll since its inception, and what Fail to Follow lacks in subtlety, it makes up for in intelligent, socially conscious lyrics and sheer conviction. Fans of Braid and Jawbox will enjoy this SLC combo's melodic punch.

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Tom Murphy is a writer, visual artist and musician from Aurora, Colorado. He was a prolific music writer for Westword and a documenter of the Denver music scene.

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