Joy Hepp

Unless you have an abnormal need for drink coasters, the demo CD is usually the music journalist's worst nightmare. But every once in a while something uniquely interesting slips through and becomes something other than an inanimate companion to my late-night glass of Cristal. I was handed a CD by...

Printed in teeny, tiny lettering on the back of challenging Franco-Anglo ensemble Stereolab's new EP Instant O in the Universe are the words "Mary, thinking about you." Last December, Stereolab's billow-voiced vocalist and keyboardist Mary Hansen died in a bike-riding accident. Although her death was tragic, it did have some...

Billy Idol has a cult following. Ironic, eh? One quick run-through of his Web site documents a wide range of praise from his fervent fan club. Along with the photos of several female fans decked out in their "White Wedding" dresses, there are pictures of a 5-year-old girl posing with...

While Adam Green's counterpart in the très cool Moldy Peaches, Kimya Dawson, has taken a more serious route in her solo career, singing songs about anthrax and globalization, Green has retained the peachy playfulness on his second solo outing, Friends of Mine. And the "anti-folk" singer's whimsy leads to the...

The middle of a scorching summer seems like the worst possible time to open a coffee shop and art space. Especially since, restricted by anal Tempe business ordinances about announcing your "grand opening," you don't dare advertise the place until students come back to Arizona State University. But Three Roots...