Tempe’s Ryan Mendez on the Ups and Downs of Yellowcard

For those who came of age after Y2K, the heady days of heart-on-sleeve pop-punk, as defined by bands like Fall Out Boy, Cartel, and Panic! at the Disco, brought radio-ready acts that were as relatable and open-hearted as they were kitschy. Few records encapsulated this timeframe with the honesty of…

Skate Rockers The Shrine Wait for No One

Josh Landau can’t stop moving — mostly because he doesn’t allow himself to. For starters, he’s the vocalist for Venice Beach-based The Shrine. Then there’s Eliminator, the skateboarding and clothing company he manages with bandmates Court Murphy and Jeff Murray. Finally, his band’s about to embark on a series of…

Whisperfest Takes Shape Just Outside Prescott

Located just an hour and a half north of the Valley and home to more retirees than the average small town, Prescott is better known as a premier Christmas getaway than as an arts community. But it’s a town with strong local values and arms open to touring acts and…

Tempe Folk Rockers Avery Push Quiet as the New Loud

There’s nothing stately about Mariah DeRaet. She’s an unassuming character offstage, a 25-year-old barista with a warm demeanor that could belong to any college-aged girl next door. Yet when she straps on a parlor-sized Martin acoustic as the vocalist of Tempe’s Avery, she and her band (drummer Eric Estrada, guitarist…

Justin Townes Earle Is a Songwriter, First and Foremost

Justin Townes Earle can tell stories. It’s what the Nashville-raised singer-songwriter has done for six years, writing albums that have placed him at the forefront of rusty, soulful Americana. His records drip with imagery — muddy rivers, ghosts, “Memphis in the Rain” — and he speaks just as vividly as…

The Many Faces of Ben Gibbard

We get it, Ben. We know that you’re an artist whose hands have helped shaped the foundation of indie pop over the past fifteen years. We know you married and divorced the harbinger of quirky alt-girl songstresses. We know that you front one of the biggest bands to ever grace…

Rapper Macklemore Reps Marriage Equality

Ben “Macklemore” Haggerty has quickly become an unlikely and conscious voice in hip-hop. His name may seem new, but this is really Haggerty’s second wind, and he’s using his newfound platform to speak out — but also to have some fun. Speaking by phone from his native Seattle, Haggerty picks…