Graceland

Okay, It's Time to Stop Saying Vampire Weekend Sounds Like Afropop (or Graceland)

Vampire Weekend -- the album -- sounded a lot like Graceland, inasmuch as most of us hadn't heard that bright Afropop guitar tone on any other albums in the intervening 20 years, and Ezra Koenig's lyrics were as epigrammatic as Paul Simon's, if in a different way. It wasn't just the guitar, even tho ... More >>

Is Scottsdale's John Smith the Secret Love Child of Elvis Presley?

Top Five Must-See Shows This Weekend in Phoenix

When people ask what kind of music I like, I'm tempted to say "Good music." I understand the need for musical terminology, but there's really too much good stuff to limit what you listen to. It's a lesson Zero Zero teaches well. Nicole Laurenne and Michael Johnny Walker have the garage rock thing lo ... More >>

Ladysmith Black Mambazo @ Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts

Elvis is in the Building (The MIM Building, That Is)

See also: Elvis Presley Week Kicks Off at The MIM Elvis hasn't left the building since last summer when he took up permanent residency in the renovated Artist Gallery at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix. But that doesn't mean the MIM can't shake things up a bit. To commemorate Arizona's c ... More >>

Through and Through Gospel Review, Crescent Ballroom, 7/14/12

Through and Through Gospel Review Crescent Ballroom Saturday, July 14, 2012 See also: Download: Gospel Claws' New Song, "Pale Horse Dry Cleaning" See also: Joel Marquard Fought Cancer and The Indie Community Chips in To Help Him Out Despite Joel Marquard's adamant assertion that the Americana/root ... More >>

Ladylike, Crescent Ballroom, 5/25/12 (Video)

Ladylike, Factories, Gospel Claws, Steff Koeppen and The Articles Crescent Ballroom Friday, May 25, 2012 See also: Ladylike Approaches '70s Pop With Sharp Tools In this week's music feature the men of Ladylike, the Tempe-based pop combo that packed Crescent Ballroom last night, discussed the diffe ... More >>

Flashback Friday: Factories Talk the '80s

Where we're going, we don't need roads; just a synthesizer, eyeliner, and a touch of androgyny. Welcome to Flashback Friday. In case you missed it, Google commemorated the 78th birthday of electronic music pioneer, Bob Moog, with a wicked-cool doodle earlier this week. Moog left his mark on the w ... More >>

Larkin Grimm Discusses Tony Visconti, Michael Gira, and Soul Retrieval

Larkin Grimm's infant son Otis is already more rock 'n' roll than you. From the safety of his car seat, the four-month-old interjected a couple times during my interview with Grimm. Larkin and Otis are on tour, headed in her Prius to Albuquerque, New Mexico for another gig. "I'm playing a lot of ... More >>

tUnE-yArDs' Experimental Pop Is a Strange Pill to Swallow

Paul Simon at Comerica Theatre, 10/17/11

​ Paul Simon Comerica Theatre October 18, 2011 On October 13, Paul Simon celebrated his 70th birthday. Judging by last night's performance at Comerica Theatre, the legendary singer-songwriter doesn't appear to be showing any signs letting his age slow him down; He was full of energy and put o ... More >>

Incoming: Paul Simon, Sting, Stone Foxes, Family Force 5, BLESSTHEFALL

​Paul Simon is one of those musicians who might have actually been more successful once he went solo (ditching poor, frizzy-haired Garfunkle), and props to him for that. He's a classic storyteller. And with an album as great as Graceland, his talent is simply undeniable.But that old dog has got so ... More >>

Jim Adkins, What Are You Listening To?

Jim Adkins​ Jim Adkins The singer and guitarist for Jimmy Eat World is playing Tempe Beach Park Friday, September 30 as part of Fall Frenzy. It will be the last show of the band's year-plus long tour supporting their album, Invented. When you put your key in the ignition and turn on the ... More >>

Elvis Presley Week Kicks Off at The MIM

​ Growing up, my grandma had a room in her house dedicated to Elvis Presley. We called it "the Elvis Room," and I remember not being allowed to touch anything on display, and boy, there was plenty I wasn't allowed to touch: posters, dolls, records, and commemorative plates. Coinciding with both El ... More >>

Elvis Presley's Guitar on Display at the Musical Instrument Museum

Photos by E. GrovesElvis' 1975 Martin D28 acoustic guitar. In the background are guitars from Eric Clapton (left) and Johnny Cash (right).​The Musical Instrument Museum already boasts some cool rock 'n' roll relics, including an Eric Clapton guitar and John Lennon's piano. But on Sunday, June 19, ... More >>

All Shook Up

Surfer Blood at Clubhouse Music Venue Last Night

​Surfer BloodThe Clubhouse Music VenueSeptember 27, 2010Maybe you remember 'the bear thing' or 'the wolf thing,' those peculiar eras when seemingly every hotly-tipped indie band adopted one of those ferocious animals as a component of its name? Of course you do.Probably you've noticed we're curren ... More >>

The Pope Loves Michael Jackson? The Vatican Newspaper Tries Music Criticism

You know you wanna find out what his top 10 list is like...​No. This is not the start of a really bad or tasteless joke. Recently, the Vatican's newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano came out with a list of the ten best rock/pop albums. And the results may be surprising. In no particular order they are: ... More >>

Eat like Elvis

​Today Elvis Presley would have celebrated his seventy-fifth birthday and thousands of fans will gather to spend the weekend honoring the Rock and Roll music legend at his home in Memphis.  Even if you don't consider yourself a fan, there is no denying that Elvis Presley's contribution to mus ... More >>

Thank Raffi! Zooglobble.com’s Stefan Shepherd Will Review The Wiggles

Vampire Weekend

Sting vs. Elvis Costello in a race to betray their punk roots

Ladysmith Black Mambazo celebrates Zulu tradition

Rockin’ Rides: AZ gets music theme park proposal, we get some baaad ideas

Walkin' With the King

Sound Tracks

It's got a good bite

Poppy Hybrids

Annuals´ sound stems from Brian Wilson, Brad Paisley, and "big-ass dogs"

Xavier Rudd

Food in the Belly
(Anti)

Punk Debunked

Rockabilly club

Xavier Rudd

Solace
(Foundations/Universal)

Country Punks

More than one rocker has become an Americana convert

Spurs of the Moment

Art exhibit highlights best of the West

Nothin' but a Hound Dog

The King of Rock rolls into town

Various Artists

Red Hot & Riot (MCA)

Book 'Em

Taking a look at some of the best music literature from the past few months

Nirvana: The Day By Day Eyewitness Chronicle

By Carrie Borzillo (Thunder's Mouth Press)

Well-Healed

All revved over evangelist Leroy Jenkins' pyramid schemes

A Report From the Dylan/Simon Tour

Mystery Men

Face it, you don't really know what the Everly Brothers have been doing all these years, do you, Bird Dog?

Bar None

Trashman catches the ultimate club fracas

Recordings

Long Sell the King

Recordings

EMIGRANT SONG CREATOR OF IRREPRESSIBLE "VOLARE" MEETS HIS CREATOR

HONESTY IS THE BEST ANODYNEUNCLE TUPELO KEEPS ITS MIDWESTERN ROOTS ON THE WAY TO LOW-TECH SUCCESS

THE KING AND IIF GRACELAND IS ROTTEN TO DECOR, DON'T BLAME IT ON ELVIS' FORMER DECORATOR GEORGE GOLDEN

In Their Own Write

ALL SHOOK UP?

THAT HORRIBLE ANNIVERSARY IS NEAR, BUT THANKS TO A SLEW OF NEW KEEPSAKES, ELVIS IS STILL ALIVE.

A Pixie and his Caddie

Black Francis' solo spin is a gas, gas, gas

You Ain't Nothing But A Hamburger

... Fryin' all the time. Elvis serves his public in Mesa.