The Walkmen

Top 20 Phoenix Concerts of 2012

2012 isn't even over yet, and we're already feeling sort of nostalgic for it. We saw a lot of great shows this year, so narrowing it down to the most mind-blowing 20 wasn't easy, but it was a lot of fun. Enjoy, our Top 20 Phoenix Concerts of 2012. See also: Top Five 2012 Heavy Releases In Pho ... More >>

Walkmen, Crescent Ballroom, 9/16/12

See also: The Walkmen Can't Be Beat on Heaven (Q&A with Hamilton Leithauser) See also: The Full Walkmen @ Crescent Ballroom SlideshowThe Walkmen @ Crescent Ballroom| Sunday, September 16, 2012The Walkmen have always sounded worn. "Sometimes I'm just happy I'm older," singer Hamilton Leithauser belte ... More >>

The Walkmen @ Crescent Ballroom

The Walkmen Can't Be Beat on Heaven

See also: The Walkmen @ Clubhouse (2010)The Walkmen didn't set out to write a "dad rock" album with their seventh album Heaven -- though that's exactly how the press received it. It doesn't help that the record's photos feature the band surrounded by their kids and spouses, or that songs like the ... More >>

Incoming: Joan Jett, Pat Benatar, The Walkmen

As usual, we're stoked for lots of upcoming concerts, but this week we're excited about a little extra hard-rockin' estrogen on the list.Nobody puts on a great performance quite like a strong female frontwoman. If you're a heartbreaker who loves rock 'n' roll, then you won't want to miss out on ... More >>

New Times Writers and Designers Up for Six National Journalism Awards

New Times has come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass -- and we're all out of bubblegum.New Times writers and designers have been nominated sixfold for this year's Association of Alternative Newsmedia's AltWeekly Awards.This comes a month after raking in 30 journalism awards, including first-place ... More >>

Record Heat: Robot Repair by Brad Dwyer

See also: Record Heat: Comicon Blues I'm only a single listen in, but Heaven by The Walkmen is feeling like a pivotal 2012 listen. There's plenty of musical reasons at work: the acoustic strums, the harmonies, the tempered drums. But my reason for listening so intently come more from the lyrics. ... More >>

Phoenix Indie-Rocker Band Knesset Is Big in Japan

Released last year, Coming of Age is an appropriate title for Knesset's first album, as the band is only now starting to step up locally. Pronounced KA-NESS-ET and named after the legislative branch of the Israeli government, these locals have played in the background of Phoenix since 2007. "[Orig ... More >>

Miniature Tigers Paint a Sensual Scene with Mia Pharaoh

Five Favorite Shows of 2011: Jason P. Woodbury

Kurt Vile at the Rhythm Room​Welcome to another installment of Up on the Sun's 2011 Review. Over the next week, editor Jason P. Woodbury and the staff will countdown their favorite songs, shows, national and local releases of 2011. A lot of people imagine this job as nothing but us writers lo ... 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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

June 21 In Blogs: John McCain, Red Hot Robot, Clarence Clemons, Cork, and Medical Marijuana

​​​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:

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 >>

Rihanna Gets Her Material Banned in 11 Countries

​Barbadian pop star Rihanna's music video for her song "S&M" has taken things too fa according to censorship guidelines and MTV News.Eleven countries, and possibly more to come, have already restricted any airplay on television. Even BBC 1 radio refuses to play Rihanna's song during most hours ... 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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

Hooves

The Decline of Western Civilization, Part IV

Matt & Kim: Sidewalks

​Artist: Matt & KimTitle: SidewalksRelease date: November 2Label: FaderI suppose I should mention up front that I didn't like Tears for Fears in 1985 and I still don't 25 years later, even in a nostalgic sense. So it stands to reason that I have little use for Matt & Kim in 2010.It's not t ... More >>

Elvis Costello: National Ransom

​Artist: Elvis Costello Title: National Ransom Release date: November 2 Label: Hear Music I really wish it weren't the case, but I'd have to file the new record by Elvis Costello under "For Completists Only" (of which I'm sure there many when it comes to Elvis Costello fans). If you heard hi ... More >>

The 88: The 88

​Artist: The 88Title: The 88 Release date: September 28 Label: Rocket ScienceWhat do you do if you're a band like The 88? You're top-flight songwriters and musicians, you get your songs placed in all kinds of big-name TV shows and high-profile TV commercials, you tour the country opening ... More >>

Warpaint: The Fool

​Artist: Warpaint Title: The Fool Release date: October 25 Label: Rough Trade The musical path taken by L.A. foursome Warpaint is well trodden -- but this kind of ultra-moody, sort of experimental, Joy Division-indebted music is usually plied by men. But Warpaint is a quartet of women, and in ... More >>

Screaming Females: Castle Talk

​Artist: Screaming Females Title: Castle Talk Release date: September 14 Label: Don Giovanni Back in the day, I'd hate to miss a good show (I'm still not happy that my parents wouldn't let me drive to Kalamazoo one Monday night to see Scratch Acid and Big Black play, ditto the time I couldn't ... More >>

What's Selling: Revolver Records

​Locals were all about supporting hometown musicians this week at Revolver Records.Phoenix experimental improv rockers Sun City Girls came out on top at with their latest release.Indie darlings Belle & Sebastian were pretty trendy too, as were New York chamber pop musicians Antony & the Jo ... More >>

Kings of Leon: Come Around Sundown

​Artist: Kings of LeonTitle: Come Around SundownRelease date: October 19Label: RCAI think it's funny that people are getting all bent out of shape over the supposed "selling out" of Kings of Leon, saying their new record sucks worse than that sucky one that sold a bajillion copies a few years ago. ... More >>

What's Selling: Stinkweeds

​Music fans at Stinkweeds went after a lot of alt-rock this week.Blonde Redhead was the CenPho store's most popular album. Ra Ra Riot's summer release The Orchard made the top 10 as well, along with The Walkmen's new album Lisbon.1. Blonde Redhead, Penny SparkleSee the entire list after the jump.. ... More >>

The Walkmen at Clubhouse Last Night

Becky Bartkowski The WalkmenSeptember 17, 2010The Clubhouse​Hamilton Leithauser smiled between songs during The Walkmen's set last night. Those smiles stood in stark contrast to his intensely focused, on-the-brink of-destruction singing and pointed lyrics.It was a businesslike show. There was min ... More >>

The Walkmen

The Walkmen @ The Clubhouse

Devo, Weezer, Menomena, and More in This Week's Issue

James SierraSynthesizing machine Corey Busboom holds a homemade musical contraption​This week's music feature is on Corey Busboom, a local who makes quirky instruments and one-of-a-kind synthesizers. He never thought he'd get a call from Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo. Mothersbaugh was enamored with Bu ... More >>

Album Stream: Chromeo, Blonde Redhead, The Walkmen, Of Montreal

​​September 14 is a black Friday of sorts for the music world. There is an embarrassment of riches, new release-wise, set for that Meg Tuesday. NPR realizes this, so they're giving you a head start by offering album streams of 14 albums to be released next Tuesday. Which just so happens to be th ... More >>

Sept. 7 In Blogs: Marcia Powell, Adult Swim, Chromeo, Thai Elephant, and the Mesa Acid Attack

​​​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:

The Walkmen Stream Live Versions of New Songs from Lisbon

​It's still over a month until The Walkmen join Japandroids at Clubhouse for what will probably be one of autumn's best club shows. Likewise, the band's new album, Lisbon, isn't due until September 14, a three days before the show in Tempe.Want a sneak peak so you know some of the new stuff you'll ... More >>

Hooves: The Decline of Western Civilization, Part IV

Cloven-Hoofed Devils

The Decline of Western Civilization, Part IV: Hooves

Top Ten Musicians Who Cannot Tour Arizona Without Proving They're "Legal," From West Coast Sound

Should Lady Gaga carry her birth certificate when she swings through town this summer?​It's a rough time to be an Arizonan. The only thing tougher is being a brown Arizonan. Our moronic, racist legislation, (our sister paper LA Weekly uses a much better, more accurate string of adjective ... More >>

The Scourge of Aesthetic Atrophy, and the Top 50 Albums of the Aughts

Other People's Blogs: Aerosmith Goes Wal-Mart, Libertines Reunite, Abba Musical

So Much Silence: The Walkmen on WOXY.com's Lounge ActRolling Stone:  Aerosmith's Joe Perry Hints At Walmart Deal For New AlbumNME: ABBA-penned musical to get English language debut in NYCNME: Libertines reunion: Carl Barat speaks about more gigsIdolator: A Quick Guide To Your "American Idol" Pr ... More >>

Other People's Blogs: New Courtney Marie Andrews, Kings of Leon in Mesa Sold Out, Wilco Record Streaming, M.I.A. Not A Terrorist

Electric Mustache: Courtney Marie Andrews Announces New AlbumSo Much Silence: Kings of Leon/The Walkmen on May 19 SOLD OUTRolling Stone: Wilco Streaming Entire New "Wilco (The Album)" On WebsiteIdolator: "Paste" Throws A Hail Mary PassPitchfork: M.I.A. Responds to Sri Lanka Terrorist Accusations Onc ... More >>

Austin City Limits Jumps on Festival Bandwagon, Announces Lineup

Austin City Limits: recycling this year's festival headliners so you don't have to The lineup for the 2009 Austin City Limits Music Festival has been announced and it is teeming with top-notch talent. The Beastie Boys, Pearl Jam and Dave Matthews Band round out the top slots of Outside Lands Lollapa ... More >>

The Best Album of 2008? Sorry 'Science,' I Go With Girl Talk

Can an album comprised solely of samples really be an artistic achievement? Honestly, I'm a little bit torn about naming Girl Talk's Feed The Animals the best album of the year. After all, it is a record made up entirely of mashups, so, strictly speaking, there's not a note of new music in this ba ... More >>

The Spinto Band

The Walkmen

You & Me
(Gigantic)

Odes for V.D.

Musicians muster up their favorite seduction songs

The Walkmen

Pussy Cats
(Record Collection)

The Arcade Fire

Stop, drop it like it's hot, and roll

Time for Torture

Walk that way

Tune In, Turn On

The Walkmen drop out of the New York rock revival