Holiday Season

Why I Wish I Hadn't Streamed Daft Punk's Random Access Memories

I told myself that it wouldn't matter much, when Tuesday rolled around and I could finally purchase Daft Punk's Random Access Memories from the record store, that I'd already been streaming the album for a week on iTunes. I think I was wrong.

Joe Arpaio Orders a Christmas Tree for Tent City; "Holiday" Music Will Play 12 Hours a Day

Question: What is the only place on earth that has provided an Elvis impersonator, ice cream and cake, women throwing panties, coloring contests, a large Christmas tree, and an old man who likes to dress men in pink underwear?Answer: The jails of self-proclaimed tough-guy Sheriff Joe Arpaio. In fact ... More >>

Kristin Grady Gilger's Red Jell-O Christmas

Ah, the holidays. Christmas is all about love, sharing, sweetness and light -- and keeping the antacids handy. In keeping with the spirit of the season, Chow Bella presents "Eating Christmas," in which some of our favorite writers nosh on the real lessons we learn this time of year. Today, it wouldn ... More >>

Clay Aiken on Christmas, American Idol, and Donald Trump

At one point during our early morning interview, singer and performer Clay Aiken yawned. It was a deep, expressive yawn. He did not ask to be excused, but he didn't need to: Aiken is among the most affable, pleasant, and charming interviews I've ever enjoyed. Plus, the guy has every reason to be w ... More >>

Zero Zero Wishes You A Merry Christmas

Christmas can be stressful for some--just look at all of the fights that break out on Black Friday. The holiday shouldn't be ugly, it should be a time to celebrate with your closest friends and family. Zero Zero doesn't have this problem, in fact, members of the electro-fuzz group look forward to t ... More >>

Stray Cat Theatre's Wolves Blows the House Down

Ask a Mexican's Annual Christmas Guide

Robrt Pela's Dreaming of a Moist Christmas

Ah, the holidays. Christmas is all about love, sharing, sweetness and light -- and keeping the antacids handy. In keeping with the spirit of the season, Chow Bella presents "Eating Christmas," in which some of our favorite writers nosh on the real lessons we learn this time of year. Today, Robrt Pel ... More >>

Five Things to Eat and Drink this Weekend

Looking for something to put in your mouth this weekend? We've got you covered. Check out what's on our plate. See Also: The Handlebar and Grill: Happy Hour Report Card Latke Lowdown: Guest Critic Eric Schaefer Pits Abe's Against Goldman's Crafeteria The weekend is always cause for celebration, a ... More >>

Chow Bella's Gift Guide for the Wine Lover

What? Not done with your holiday shopping? Yeah, neither are we. But we've been making lists -- and checking them twice -- and we've got some suggestions for the nice people on your list. Today, Chow Bella's Gift Guide for the wine lover. See also: - Chow Bella's Gift Guide for the Beer Lover - Cho ... More >>

T. Cook's Chef Todd Sicolo Wants to Cook Christmas Eve Dinner at Your House This Year (You Just Have to Tell Him What You Want)

T. Cook's chef Todd Sicolo (formerly of the Arizona Biltmore Resort) wants to come to your house and cook a Christmas Eve dinner for you and five of your friends -- and he might even help do the dishes. See also: Chef Todd Sicolo Leaves Arizona Biltmore for Royal Palms That's right. A pro chef ma ... More >>

Latke Lowdown: Guest Critic Eric Schaefer Pits Abe's Against Goldman's

Editor's Note: In this special edition of "Battle of the Dishes," we asked our favorite mensch, Eric Schaefer, to do some latke research for us. Latkes are the culinary poster child for Chanukah, the Jewish festival of lights that is of relatively minor religious significance but gives us Jewish k ... More >>

DMX Singing "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" Sounds Exactly Like You Imagine It Would (C'mon!)

"I know the lyrics," DMX states, with steely clarity. Then he proves it. The song in question? Johnny Marks' 1949 Christmas classic "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." Made popular by Gene Autry, Bing Crosby, and The California Raisins, DMX recently freestyled the song for New York hip-hop station 10 ... More >>

Five Things to Eat and Drink This Weekend

Looking for something to put in your mouth this weekend? We've got you covered. Check out what's on our plate. See also: - Hana Japanese Eatery Makes Travel Leisure's Best Sushi Restaurants in U.S. - Five Things to Eat and Drink Before the End of the World Christkindlmarkt: A Celebration of Germ ... More >>

Snow Tunes

New Times' Summer Guide 2012

Don't Call It a Comeback

Burned Cross Found on Gilbert Man's Lawn; African-American Victim Threatened in Note

Image: drdawgsblawg.blogspot.comHas the KKK moved into Gilbert? A 43-year-old African-American resident reported finding a charred wooden cross on his front lawn on Christmas Eve.​ An African-American man in Gilbert found on Saturday morning that someone had given him the Christmas Eve gift of ... More >>

Saguaro Hotel's Cookie Party and Santa Hat Brownies in Today's Eater's Digest

daisyt13.wordpress.com​ Hungry for your early morning serving of food news, with no preservatives or additives? Cookie Party! If you like cookies then you are definitely going to want to be at the brand new-ish Saguaro Hotel tomorrow night. The Scottsdale hotel will be throwing their first ev ... More >>

Amy M.'s Snickerdoodles and Spritz Cookies

Our latest Chow Bella showdown: a traditional holiday cookie exchange. From now through Christmas, we present Chow Bella's 12 Days of Christmas Cookies. Today we bring you two recipes: Amy Morris' Snickerdoodles and Spritz cookies. Snickerdoodles! Fun to say, and delicious. These are my husband's fa ... More >>

Bright Now

Nicole's Mini Pans

Our latest Chow Bella showdown: a traditional holiday cookie exchange. From now through Christmas, we present Chow Bella's 12 Days of Christmas Cookies. Today: Nicole Smith's Mini Pans. Tedd Roundy Nicole's serving 'em up.​Some people say, "I'm turning into my mother" like it's a bad thin ... More >>

Krampus Rocks: Six Metal Songs for Christmas

You know, this Krampus guy doesn't seem so bad...NOT.​In America, the naughty list folks have it pretty easy. Our parents warned us about coal in our stockings (though recent memes suggest something even worse), but our Christmas threats were mostly harmless, and never, regardless of awful behavio ... More >>

Lauren's Cream Cheese Filled Snickerdoodles

Tedd Roundy ​For the past two years, my friend and I have made cookies for that long list of friends and acquaintances that don't quite make the gift list, but could never just be left out in the cold. On college student budgets, giving treats is a great way to spread holiday cheer without h ... More >>

Kim Porter's Ham Taco Christmas

Claire Lawton​Christmas comes a little early to Chow Bella this year -- in the form of some darn good holiday storytelling. We had so much fun with our Misfit Thanksgiving last month we decided to do it again for Christmas and Hanukkah, and we're glad we did. Today, local playwright, actor ... More >>

Christmas Songs That Don't Suck: Part II

​So the season hops along, and what's happening in the Valley? Snow in Scottsdale? Madness indeed. Perhaps it's an overload of crappy Christmas tunes driving the folks at Weather Control crazy. Let's fix that with some quality tunes, shall we?Last week Up On the Sun brought you Part I of our weekl ... More >>

Blind Boys of Alabama Founding Member Jimmy Carter: "We're Testing the Water, and I Hope We Don't Drown."

Blind Boys of Alabama​Ladies and gentlemen, The Blind Boys of Alabama have gone country. Well, kind of. The long running gospel group, which formed at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind way back in 1939, released Take the High Road in April of this year. Featuring Hank Williams Jr., Willi ... More >>

Five Songs To Christmas Light Your House To

By this time you should be out of your turkey coma, foraging through your garage for that shabby box labeled: Christmas Lights. All that talk about department stores jumping the gun after Halloween is behind us, because it's time to show your Christmas cheer and light the night skies with those fam ... More >>

Deck the Shmaltz

Russell Pearce's Fall Argues Arizona Compact's Time Is Now

Anno Domini, Edwin LongThe Flight into Egypt: Christ as Illegal Immigrant Former state Senate President Russell Pearce is history. Tomorrow, Jerry Lewis, his victorious challenger in the Legislative District 18 recall race is scheduled to be sworn in as LD 18's new state Senator.Today, Citizens for ... More >>

John Prine and Loudon Wainwright III at The Orpheum Theatre, 11/19/11

​ John Prine and Loudon Wainwright III Orpheum Theatre Saturday, November 19, 2011 Early yesterday afternoon, I found myself at Tempe Marketplace, wandering the parking lot dazed. Christmas music wafted through the air. With nearly a week left before Thanksgiving. Look, I get it, but I'm a tra ... More >>

Brewed For Battle: Winter Warmers

Jonathan McNamaraAnderson Valley Winter Solstice (left) Anchor Brewing's Special Ale (center), and Ska Euphoria Ale.​At what point does one elevate from merely drinking beer to being a full-on beer snob? Answer: when you feel compelled to tell other people what to drink. And the inevitable res ... More >>

Heard is the Word

Merry Christmas: Alleged Perv Cites "Head Injury" as Reason for Molesting Girlfriend's 9-Year-Old Daughter -- Next to a Christmas Tree

MCSOSanta came early -- Luis Ortiz admitted to molesting his girlfriend's 9-year-old daughter next to a Christmas tree a few weeks before Christmas.​An alleged Phoenix pervert is behind bars on suspicion of spreading some unwanted Christmas (ahem) cheer -- cops say he molested his girlfriend's 9-y ... More >>

No-Burn Days Go Unenforced in Maricopa County for Christmas; Zero Warnings and Citations Issued

  Image: Wikimedia Commons​Nobody can label the folks over at Maricopa County's Air Quality Department a bunch of Scrooges. After a warning last week that no-burn days on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day would be enforced, exactly zero warnings and citations were issued, a c ... More >>

What Are You Doing Here?

Christmas means spending time with your family, not wasting moments surfing the Internet. Good lord! Don't you know that's what work is for? Still, we're not the types to send you away empty-handed. Consider the above video our gift to you for showing up when we took the day off. Merry Christma ... More >>

DJ Louder Talks Christmas, Deadmau5, IDM, Pancho Villa, Raves, Liquid Stranger, and More

DJ Louder​Like the small number of unfortunate souls are required to do every year, DJ Louder will be toiling away at his job on Christmas while the rest of us are engaging in mass amounts of holiday cheer. But don't you dare pity him, as the 32-year-old will be spending the most wonderful time ... More >>

Expiration Date

Dec. 21 In Blogs: CityScape, Paramore, Silvana Salcido Esparza, and Christopher Smith

​​​In the 24-hour news cycle, it can be difficult to keep up. We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times' blogs. Today's entries:

Cookies & Cream @ Hotel San Carlos

For Local Dance Troupes, It All Starts With the Holiday Season

Back in Black

Go local for holiday shopping

Back in Black

Go local for holiday shopping

Snow Cool

Bomb Tracks

Holiday music that rules

Holiday Jam

Finally. Christmas music that won’t make us cringe.

Very Bad Santa

Naughty Space 55 boys and girls mutilate the Christmas spirit

Homes for the Holidays

Neighborhood throws open its historic doors

Silent Night?

Not in IMAX 3D

Joyeux Noel (Merry Christmas)