The Father Figures @ Crescent Ballroom|1/25/13Not that I had any doubts, but I’m starting to think that there’s really no such thing as a bad Father Figures show. This hybrid punk/post punk trio has decades of experience in various musical endeavors and it shows. The attention to detail pays off;…
Each year, like many of you, I impatiently wait for the Coachella lineup to be announced. Sometimes it’s disappointing (if Daft Punk says they’re not touring, chances are they’re not playing the festival), but there’s always going be a few redeeming artists. At best the lineup will be amazing, and…
In this week’s issue, we chat with the members of Phoenix art-punk band The Father Figures, discussing the band’s phenomenal sophomore album, All About Everything. We ended up with quite a bit of information left over from our 90-minute interview, so in this installment of Outtakes, we’ll crack open the…
San Diego’s post rock-meets-subdued pop duo Pinback has kind of been under the radar for the past five years. Rob Crow and Zach Smith took a break from recording new Pinback songs to focus on side projects and family, all while taking Pinback out for occasional tours. But the duo…
The Father Figures started with a 50th birthday party, which is either the least or most punk thing ever. Traditional agitated punk wisdom would suggest that guitarist/vocalist Michael Cornelius, bassist/vocalist Tom Reardon, and drummer Bobby Lerma lead pretty square lives: All three are married with children (Cornelius is actually a…
Yesterday afternoon, the home page of the Coachella website changed to a video called “Bloom,” which shows plants and art exhibits sprouting from the ground. Some look pretty creepy–did those worm/slug things 30 seconds into the video really just form a structure? At least the rest are fairly cute or…
January isn’t the busiest time for concerts, but it is a month full of show announcements. It seems like a big and interesting show has been announced almost every week, and we can’t complain. Crystal Castles, Billy Bragg, and Jeff Mangum are all something to look forward to. The fun…
Yesterday, NME revealed the unfortunate news that the rumor that The Rolling Stoneswere headlining Coachella was just that– a rumor. “We’re not gonna do Coachella ‘cos it’s too early,” Mick Jagger told the magazine. “We’re not gonna be ready to go by April, but we’re not gonna stop.” Looks like…
Orange County punk legends Social Distortion have always been generous about performing in Arizona. The band usually plays a double-header at Marquee Theatre early in the year, and once again, Social D will return to the Marquee on January 22 and 23. The Tempe dates are part of a string…
Drag is an exercise in excess, showcasing some of the most glamorous and the hilariously campy queens. Though considered a female impersonator, a drag queen’s point isn’t to masquerade as a woman. The goal is to exaggerate femininity with beautiful, sequined dresses and over-the-top makeup. The pageant system is a…
Aging well is remarkably difficult in the world of punk rock. Can you imagine Sid Vicious in his 50s? But Mike Ness of Social Distortion still has it going on. Ness continues to win the hearts of pompadour-sporting gals because he is a textbook example of the sensitive bad boy…
Kanye West and Kim Kardashian’s child is bound to be the most narcisstic tot to walk the face of the earth. Let’s just hope that Baby Kimye ends up innocent and adorable and doesn’t go the way of his or her sex tape-making parents. The media is already critical of…
West Phoenix gets too much flack. Really, it’s not so bad: housing is cheap, movie theaters are everywhere, and sporting events are actually well planned and executed. Case in point– think about how much easier it is to leave a Coyotes game than a Suns game. See also: Club Candids:…
For the past 14 years, Las Vegas’ Punk Rock Bowling and Music Festival has featured some of the biggest names in punk music. Previous lineups mostly comprised Warped Tour veterans that were big in the ’90s — think NOFX, Rancid, Good Riddance, etc. The festival combines that nostalgia factor with…
Those so-called “cultured” types sure love to brag about their love of poetry. We aren’t sure how they get their fix of literary arts. But we like to imagine that they sport berets, hang around coffee shop open mic nights, and theatrically mope about bad breakups when they aren’t giving…
David Bowie had one hell of a 66th birthday yesterday by releasing a new single and announcing his first new album in a decade. Poor Elvis — Ziggy Stardust had to steal all of the glory of a January 8 birthday. New single “Where Are We Now?” may be a…
We’re only a week and a half into 2013, but Dry River Yacht Club is already having a great year so far. These gypsy rockers were one of the five artists added to the River Jones Music Label on New Years Day. The big news doesn’t end there, the band…
Local record label 80/20 has been on a roll lately. The label signed Future Loves Past, PALMS, and Captain Squeegee last month, and announced the acquisition of local electro fuzz poppers Zero Zero yesterday. Zero Zero, like the other three bands, is set to release a new album this year…
Historically, the Coachella lineup has been announced in January. That means it — along with the schedules of some artists who, hopefully, will make their way to Phoenix between dates — should be announced any day now. There have been a number of fake posters circulating on the Net –…
Imagine how fun it would be to live in a Stray Cats music video. The retro pairings of pompadour-wearing guys and gals in poodle skirts innocently sharing a milkshake until they need to prove themselves in a hot-rod race sounds like a blast. Of course, real life is nothing like…
Ever wonder why straight women and gay men are natural besties? A mutually beneficial way to complain about boyfriends is a pretty big perk. Regardless of gender or sexual orientation, take two steps into any gay bar and you’re bound to meet some friendly people and make a friend (benefits…
The Trunk Space is a fun place to check out music and casually hang out. The intimate location has a welcoming vibe thanks to friendly regulars and the bands that play so close to the crowd. Winter is officially here, so the espresso bar definitely comes in handy on cold…
