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…
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 act…
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…
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 turns out…
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…
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,…
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 common theme…
Artist: Steve Wynn & the Miracle 3Title: Northern AggressionRelease date: November 30Label: Yep RocSorry I ever doubted you, Steve. Like a lot of folks, I sure did love the first couple of Dream Syndicate records, especially the iconic Days of Wine and Roses, a record that may have summed up…
Well, that Florida trip didn’t go so well for the Phoenix Suns, did it? Less than a week after knocking off the league’s best team, the Los Angeles Lakers, on the road, the Suns were roughed up pretty bad by the Sunshine State’s two franchises. On Wednesday, the Miami Heat…
Artist: StereolabTitle: Not MusicRelease date: November 16Label: Drag CityNo, Stereolab, the long-running and influential indie-pop band, is not necessarily “back.” (In fact, the band is still reportedly on indefinite hiatus.) The near-hour of music found on Not Music comes from the sessions that produced the 2008 record Chemical Chords. The…
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 garage rock for over a half-decade…
The Phoenix Suns put up 40 three-point attempts, and sank 22 of them, Sunday night in Los Angeles as the Suns upset the first-place Lakers 121-116. Turns out the 22 treys is one off an NBA record set by the Orlando Magic last year. No matter — beating the Lakers…
Oh, how we’ve missed podcasting to the music fans of the Valley. Well, music editor Martin Cizmar and I are back with a new one, with nine new-ish songs and lotsa banter about music, including the artistic achievements of Sufjan Stevens, a great new song by local band Gospel Claws,…
Artist: SalemTitle: King NightRelease date: October 26Label: IamsoundThere’s a little town in Michigan called Traverse City, about 2 1/2 hours due north of my hometown of Grand Rapids. Traverse City is, more or less, the northernmost town of considerable size before you get to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, as…
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…
Artist: Gospel Claws Title: C-L-A-W-S Release date: October 26 Label: Common Wall Media Gospel Claws are a local band (Tempe, I’ve been told) that is currently enjoying a little bit of national exposure, residing in a reasonably high position on some relatively obscure indie-rock-tallying chart. I’m glad somebody’s listening because…
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…
Of course, that sense of doom regarding the 2010-11 season that pervaded Suns Nation after the team’s Tuesday’s opening-night drubbing in Portland was a bit premature. On Thursday, the Phoenix Suns bounced back to beat the Utah Jazz handily, 110-94, in Salt Lake City. Sure, one sort-of upset doesn’t mean…
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 for famous bands and…
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 their…
It was the day-drinkin’-est Independents Bowl yet. By noon on Sunday, an hour before the 1 p.m. first roll, Let It Roll Bowl’s bar was already filled with hipster bowlers knocking back $2.50 PBR tallboys and ordering pitchers of Miller Lite. You had to feel a little sorry for the…
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…
