Indie Rock and Indie Pop

Tim Kasher

The Thermals @ The Rhythm Room

The Fresh & Onlys: Play It Strange

Fresh & Onlys, Play It Strange​Artist: The Fresh & OnlysTitle: Play It StrangeRelease date: October 12Label: In the RedAnd just like that, I find myself a little bored by the sound plied and, possibly, perfected by San Francisco's The Fresh & Onlys. It's the sound that has passed for g ... More >>

Sophomore Slump?: A Look at a Few of Indie Rock's Soon-To-Be Second-Album Flops

Fresh & Onlys, Play It Strange​Artist: The Fresh & OnlysTitle: Play It StrangeRelease date: October 12Label: In the RedAnd just like that, I find myself a little bored by the sound plied and, possibly, perfected by San Francisco's The Fresh & Onlys. It's the sound that has passed for g ... More >>

Robyn: Body Talk

​Artist: Robyn Title: Body Talk Release date: November 22 Label: Interscope The critics sure do love the Swedish dance-pop star Robyn, who's been releasing Body Talk in chunks throughout 2010 and now has finally dropped the entire album as one 15-song compendium. But there seems to be a commo ... More >>

OFF!: First Four EPs

​Artist: OFF! Title: First Four EPs Release date: November 23 Label: Vice Records In 2010, few things seem more ridiculous than a punk supergroup anchored by two guys who made their most indelible marks on American punk rock nearly 30 years ago. But, damn, OFF! pulled off an unlikely feat, ma ... More >>

Sharon Van Etten: Epic

​Artist: Sharon Van Etten Title: Epic Release date: September 21 Label: Ba Da Bing! If you're relatively unknown as a musical artist, as is Sharon Van Etten, and you name your record Epic, you'd better be damn sure your record doesn't suck. The good news for Van Etten is that her seven-song r ... More >>

B.o.B. He's the Man of the Year For Doing Awesome Covers

​It pissed me off so much when MGMT didn't play their hit song "Kids" at Coachella this year, and I'm sure plenty of other people weren't too pleased either. Right before Coachella, MGMT released their album Congratulations, which a lot of music lovers weren't particularly crazy about. Most of MGM ... More >>

Kanye West: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

​Artist: Kanye West Title: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Release date: November 22 Label: Roc-A-Fella Fitting, perhaps, that Kanye West's new record, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, is one of the final 15 or so new records that I'll be listening to before this Nothing Not New project t ... More >>

The Parting Gifts: Strychnine Dandelions

​Artist: The Parting Gifts Title: Strychnine Dandelions Release date: November 9 Label: In the Red Last week, I didn't have many good things to say about the new record from Kanye West. This morning, a white co-worker walked into my office and said, "I read what you said about Kanye West. Whe ... More >>

Daft Punk: Tron Legacy (Original Soundtrack)

​Artist: Daft Punk Title: Tron Legacy (Original Soundtrack) Release date: December 7 Label: Walt Disney Records I'm a little surprised by the buzz surrounding the release of a soundtrack to a Disney movie. I understand that the kids love the helmeted French house duo Daft Punk and that said ... More >>

10 Steps to Becoming the Next Indie Buzz Band

Arcade Fire​So, it's Saturday night and you are playing another show in front of an empty dive bar. You can't figure out why your Linkin Park tribute band hasn't become more successful. You've spent hours working on your bands MySpace page, you've worked hard to get your original stuff played o ... More >>

Sun City Girls: Funeral Mariachi

​Artist: Sun City Girls Title: Funeral Mariachi Release date: October 26 Label: Abduction Sun City Girls' last-ever record -- they've made dozens since forming in Phoenix way back in the early days of West Coast punk -- comes off as a more somber affair. And some of it is downright -- odd to ... More >>

Mini Mansions: Mini Mansions

​Artist: Mini Mansions Title: Mini Mansions Release date: November 2 Label: Ipecac One of the biggest musical curveballs of the year has to be the debut record by the Southern California trio Mini Mansions. I say it's a curveball because I wouldn't have guessed such a Beatles-esque display o ... More >>

DJ Roya Talks Obscura, Tron Legacy, Daft Punk, Temper Trap, Pussycat Dolls, and More

DJ Roya​Name: Michele Chinichian AKA: DJ Roya Current gigs: Obscura, held at Rips Bar every second Saturday of the month. Genres spun: I play a blend of indie, New Wave, and Britpop at Obscura. I also enjoy spinning '80s pop, old school, electro, and the occasional Top 40 guilty pleasure. How ... More >>

Odds 'n' Sods: Helmet, Michael Franti & Spearhead, The Charlatans, Small Black, and more

​It's amazing how much music is released in a year. I've listened to nearly 270 records in their entirety this year, yet I still have a huge stack of unlistened CDs on my desk, several unlistened digital downloads in my iTunes, and a lengthy list of high-profile stuff I never got a chance to h ... More >>

Tierra del Fuego: Queen of the Rendezvous

​Artist: Tierra del Fuego Title: Queen of the Rendezvous Release date: December 11 Label: Scapular Winging Through pure happenstance, I witnessed this local band, Tierra del Fuego, on Saturday night play as they played to a small but appreciative crowd at Trunk Space. It just happened to be t ... More >>

10 Indie Rock Christmas Songs for Your Holiday Season

Sufjan Stevens​ The Holiday season can be a stressful time. While it's meant to be the one time in the whole year that everyone is a little bit nicer and a little bit happier, certain things can make you just the opposite. If you're anything like me, you've procrastinated all year long and now ... More >>

Girl Talk: All Day

​Artist: Girl Talk Title: All Day Release date: November 15 Label: Illegal Art Whether sample-happy mash-up act Girl Talk is "good" or "not good" and whether you "like" or "dislike" Girl Talk are completely irrelevant to any discussion regarding Girl Talk. The only things I care about when it ... More >>

Neil Young: Le Noise

​Artist: Neil Young Title: Le Noise Release date: September 28 Label: Reprise Neil Young is a first-rate iconoclast and one of the few successful rock artists who has remained truly uncompromising throughout his long and storied career. Of course, uncompromising can result in inconsistency, ... More >>

Top 25 Lists of 13 New Times Contributors

​Artist: Neil Young Title: Le Noise Release date: September 28 Label: Reprise Neil Young is a first-rate iconoclast and one of the few successful rock artists who has remained truly uncompromising throughout his long and storied career. Of course, uncompromising can result in inconsistency, ... More >>

Six New Times Contributors Name Their Top 10 Records of 2010

​Artist: Neil Young Title: Le Noise Release date: September 28 Label: Reprise Neil Young is a first-rate iconoclast and one of the few successful rock artists who has remained truly uncompromising throughout his long and storied career. Of course, uncompromising can result in inconsistency, ... More >>

15 Good Songs You Might've Missed in 2010

Peter Storch​I listened to more than 3,000 songs in 2010, so I was asked to come up with a list of the best of the year. But you've probably heard "Swim" by Surfer Blood and "Boyfriend" by Best Coast and "Helicopter" by Deerhunter and "Hustle and Cuss" by the Dead Weather, so I came up with a ... More >>

Duran Duran, The Strokes Tapped For Coachella; Official Lineup Coming Soon UPDATE

​Coachella's official lineup should be announced very, very soon -- lest anyone forget that this week is usually when the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival makes it big announcement.In lieu of the entire festival lineup, a few acts have already been confirmed for the festival's 2011 editi ... More >>

Jarrod Gorbel

​Coachella's official lineup should be announced very, very soon -- lest anyone forget that this week is usually when the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival makes it big announcement.In lieu of the entire festival lineup, a few acts have already been confirmed for the festival's 2011 editi ... More >>

Arcade Fire Wins 'Album of the Year' - But Is That A Good Thing?

Arcade Fire​ It's been less than twenty-four hours since Arcade Fire's amazingly good album The Suburbs won 'Album of the Year' at this year's Grammy Awards. Frankly, I'm still a little shocked that the Grammys got it right for once. When I first heard that the band was nominated I thought for s ... More >>

Sebadoh @ Rhythm Room

Arcade Fire​ It's been less than twenty-four hours since Arcade Fire's amazingly good album The Suburbs won 'Album of the Year' at this year's Grammy Awards. Frankly, I'm still a little shocked that the Grammys got it right for once. When I first heard that the band was nominated I thought for s ... More >>

Lisa Savidge's Name Might Be the Only Thing the Band Didn't Obsess Over

Arcade Fire​ It's been less than twenty-four hours since Arcade Fire's amazingly good album The Suburbs won 'Album of the Year' at this year's Grammy Awards. Frankly, I'm still a little shocked that the Grammys got it right for once. When I first heard that the band was nominated I thought for s ... More >>

The Dodos @ The Duce

Arcade Fire​ It's been less than twenty-four hours since Arcade Fire's amazingly good album The Suburbs won 'Album of the Year' at this year's Grammy Awards. Frankly, I'm still a little shocked that the Grammys got it right for once. When I first heard that the band was nominated I thought for s ... More >>

Pavle Milic, What Are You Listening To?

Pavle Milic​Pavle Milic You can find the co-owner of restaurant FnB at the Old Town Farmers' Market in Scottsdale every Saturday from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. When you put your key in the ignition and turn on the radio, what station would play right now? If my wife drove, it's highly likely that NPR will ... More >>

Think of The Baseball Project as an Indie Rock Soundtrack to a Ken Burns Documentary

Pavle Milic​Pavle Milic You can find the co-owner of restaurant FnB at the Old Town Farmers' Market in Scottsdale every Saturday from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. When you put your key in the ignition and turn on the radio, what station would play right now? If my wife drove, it's highly likely that NPR will ... More >>

Incoming: Biffy Clyro, Crystal Stilts, Def Leppard, Journey, Old 97's, Cut Copy

Magnus BlikengCut Copy​There's plenty a fine show coming through Phoenix in the foreseeable future, so allow me to write about a show that has been announced for August 12 - Aussie synthpoppers Cut Copy. For those who may not be familiar with Cut Copy, they have released three albums so ... More >>

Arcade Fire

Magnus BlikengCut Copy​There's plenty a fine show coming through Phoenix in the foreseeable future, so allow me to write about a show that has been announced for August 12 - Aussie synthpoppers Cut Copy. For those who may not be familiar with Cut Copy, they have released three albums so ... More >>

Radar Bros.

Magnus BlikengCut Copy​There's plenty a fine show coming through Phoenix in the foreseeable future, so allow me to write about a show that has been announced for August 12 - Aussie synthpoppers Cut Copy. For those who may not be familiar with Cut Copy, they have released three albums so ... More >>

What's Selling? Top Ten Lists from Valley Record Stores

Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues ​Want to know what new release discs and platters are moving across the Valley at local record stores? We've got you covered with another installment of What's Selling. Looks like Fleet Foxes are doing pretty well this week, with their heady folk album Helples ... More >>

John Vanderslice @ The Rhythm Room

Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues ​Want to know what new release discs and platters are moving across the Valley at local record stores? We've got you covered with another installment of What's Selling. Looks like Fleet Foxes are doing pretty well this week, with their heady folk album Helples ... More >>

Bon Iver Fleet Foxes The Walkmen Comerica Theatre = Indie Rock Pants Wetting

Bon Iver​ In case you've missed practically every noteworthy blog hyping it, or didn't watch The Colbert Report last night, here's some news: Bon Iver, the band, released Bon Iver, the album, today. It's the band's second outing, and technically the first that was recorded as a band and not just ... More >>

Happy Bon Iver Day!

Bon Iver​Construction paper? Check. Squiggly scissors? Got 'em. Magazine cut-outs of kittens? Definitely. No, we're not helping our kid sister make a collage; we're making ironic D.I.Y holiday cards to celebrate Bon Iver Day. That's right, y'all, Milwaukee mayor Tom Barrett has proclaimed July ... More >>

Death Cab, Cut Copy, Empire of the Sun, DFA 1979 to Headline Treasure Island Music Festival 2011

Empire of the Sun, Death Cab For Cutie, Cut Copy, Explosions in the Sky, and Death From Above 1979 have been announced as the headliners for this year's Treasure Island Music Festival, according to One Thirty BPM.TIMF has brought a pretty solid lineup to the table for its fifth year. The bill has be ... More >>

Cold War Kids @ Marquee Theatre

Empire of the Sun, Death Cab For Cutie, Cut Copy, Explosions in the Sky, and Death From Above 1979 have been announced as the headliners for this year's Treasure Island Music Festival, according to One Thirty BPM.TIMF has brought a pretty solid lineup to the table for its fifth year. The bill has be ... More >>

Foster the People Just Wants You to Dance

Empire of the Sun, Death Cab For Cutie, Cut Copy, Explosions in the Sky, and Death From Above 1979 have been announced as the headliners for this year's Treasure Island Music Festival, according to One Thirty BPM.TIMF has brought a pretty solid lineup to the table for its fifth year. The bill has be ... More >>

Bon Iver and Fleet Foxes Bring an Indie Super-Show to Phoenix

Empire of the Sun, Death Cab For Cutie, Cut Copy, Explosions in the Sky, and Death From Above 1979 have been announced as the headliners for this year's Treasure Island Music Festival, according to One Thirty BPM.TIMF has brought a pretty solid lineup to the table for its fifth year. The bill has be ... More >>

Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes, and The Walkmen at Comerica Theatre, 9-15-11 (With Video)

Maria VassettBon Iver​Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes, and The Walkmen Comerica Theatre Thursday, September 15, 2011 It feels like I've been discussing the term "indie" with a lot of people lately. Last week's Foster the People show spurred a lot of the conversation, which basically boils down to this: ... More >>

In the Raw

Maria VassettBon Iver​Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes, and The Walkmen Comerica Theatre Thursday, September 15, 2011 It feels like I've been discussing the term "indie" with a lot of people lately. Last week's Foster the People show spurred a lot of the conversation, which basically boils down to this: ... More >>

So What Do Those 15 Favorite Songs Say About Us Anyway?

Lindsay Cates on the 1s and 2s ​Okay, so the 15 Favorite Songs thing. It happened. I freaked out a little (a lot) picking my selections, but it was a fun, in a self-aggrandizing way. I wrote yesterday that it was nearly impossible to do what the event asked: come up with 15 songs that you love a ... More >>

Blonde on Blonde

Lindsay Cates on the 1s and 2s ​Okay, so the 15 Favorite Songs thing. It happened. I freaked out a little (a lot) picking my selections, but it was a fun, in a self-aggrandizing way. I wrote yesterday that it was nearly impossible to do what the event asked: come up with 15 songs that you love a ... More >>

Top 10 Albums of 2011: Mike Escoto

Bon Iver​Welcome to another installment of Up on the Sun's 2011 Review. Over the next week, we'll be counting down our favorite songs, shows, national and local releases of 2011. This installment comes from Mike Escoto, who contributes to Up on the Sun and is one of the main perpetrators over ... More >>

10 Favorite Shows of 2011: Melissa Fossum

Melissa FossumM83 wasn't #1, but I like this picture a lot.​ I went to a lot of shows this year. Thanks to last.fm, I can conform that I went to at least 56 concerts, not counting the numerous times I swung by Yucca Tap Room or Crescent Ballroom just for fun. That's one show every six and a h ... More >>

Handsome Furs @ Crescent Ballroom

Melissa FossumM83 wasn't #1, but I like this picture a lot.​ I went to a lot of shows this year. Thanks to last.fm, I can conform that I went to at least 56 concerts, not counting the numerous times I swung by Yucca Tap Room or Crescent Ballroom just for fun. That's one show every six and a h ... More >>