Hood Internet @ Bar Smith| 10/5/12Generally speaking, the later someone stays out, the more fun they have soaking up the local nightlife. This isn’t always the case, though — if you stay out all night and pass out on a stranger’s floor, you probably aren’t having the best of times…
If you’re a diehard fan of video games and you’ve never listened to The Minibosses, you should be ashamed of yourself. The local band by way of Massachusetts performs rock versions of classic Nintendo video game soundtracks. The Minibosses are scheduled to perform their 250th show at Yucca Tap Room…
So, last night’s debate was weird and surprisingly civil. Republican candidate Mitt Romney was crowned the unofficial “winner” by even the “left wing media,” in spite of constantly cutting Jim Lehrer off and threatening to destroy Big Bird’s livelihood (there’s already a Fired Big Bird Twitter account). My recent vegetarian…
Local punk vets The Father Figures have been pretty busy lately. The band is headed to the studio next week to record a full length album that will tentatively be released in mid-November. The trio has a couple of big shows to look forward to, sharing the stage with PiL…
TV shows like LA Ink and Ink Master are a testament to America’s love of tattoos. Perhaps it’s mostly an adoration of tattoo gun-wielding babes like Kat Von D and Tatu Bab. Regardless of motivation, people love to watch customers squirm as sensitive rib tattoos takes shape. Finding great work…
It’s been a strange week for “gross” pop star news. Let’s start with the good one: Phoenix made it into the national spotlight when Justin Bieber vomited on stage and laughed it off with an Anchorman quote. And while the Biebs may have partied a little too hard with milk,…
October is a fun month to start planning Halloween costumes and sip on pumpkin spice lattes or pumpkin flavored beers. The month of the gourd serves another purpose- vegetarianism. Today happens to be World Vegetarian Day, which kicks off Vegetarian Awareness Month, so stock up on some hummus. If you’re…
Peachcake, the colorful local dance band knows how to put on an entertaining live show with plenty of funky outfits and confetti to go around. The band recently performed at a Norwegian music festival for the second time and has somewhat of a cult following abroad. Check out the enthusiasm…
Rise Against, The Gaslight Anthem, and Hot Water Music @ Mesa Amphitheatre, 9/28/12Punk fans really couldn’t have asked for a better line up last night. As Tim McIlrath stated in our interview, it was a dream team of sorts, with punk vets Hot Water Music kicking things off, The Gaslight…
There are plenty of ways to show someone that you think they’re sexy. Some methods are subtler than others, but Rod Stewart wants ladies to be direct and just reach out and touch him. Tempe rockers Rough Tough Dynamite take a culinary approach with their synthed out surf cover of…
The story behind No Doubt’s sixth album, Push and Shove is oddly familiar. The band put out a record a few years ago, toured, and then fell off the radar for a bit. It took No Doubt seven years to follow up Tragic Kingdom with Return of Saturn. The album…
Yeah, it’s sort of cooling off out there. But we’re still sporting shorts and flip-flops. And that means the main tell-tale sign of fall is the return of the pumpkin spice latte. Jack-o-lantern supplies are sprouting up, too, almost as quickly as temporary Halloween shops. That measn the time’s right…
The Sound Strike, the boycott of Arizona by popular musicians opposed to Arizona’s controversial anti-immigration law SB 1070, has been a divisive topic among Arizona music fans. While its intended effects, which include raising awareness of the law and targeting a national spotlight on the topic, are clear, many music…
What’s one to do on a Sunday night in downtown Phoenix? Going to bed early and vegging out seems like an appealing option, but by staying in, you’d miss all the fun Retro Hi-Fi at Sidebar has to offer. Check out the fashionable folks we spotted at Retro Hi-Fi at…
It’s been three years since Rise Against last performed in Arizona thanks to the band’s participation in The Sound Strike. The terms of the boycott have changed, so Rise Against is making its triumphant return to the valley. The line-up couldn’t get much better, as Rise Against is paired with…
H2O, Youth of Today, and Run With The Hunted Within These Walls @ Nile Theater| 9/21/12Last night marked the second year of local hardcore festival, Within These Walls. Last year was a success, with a full day of music on both stages. Most Precious Blood and H2O were the headliners,…
I have a theory: The first album you listen to by one of your favorite musicians ends up being one of your favorite releases by said band, regardless of how it was received by critics or fans. Of course, this isn’t always the case, but who hasn’t ever had to…
When you’re a hard touring band, it takes some adjusting to actually get off the road. Gritty Florida-based punk rockers Hot Water Music have nearly gotten the hang of this, taking a hiatus before releasing its eighth full-length record, Exister. Eight years after its last album, The New What Next,…
Typically Sunday school students are impeccably dressed goody-two-shoes types who love sucking up to their teachers. At Bliss/reBAR’s version of Sunday School, it will be tough to top the teacher’s digs, as drag queen Barbra Seville will bartend and lead rounds of trivia and pop quiz sessions. Sucking up will…
It’s a pretty good time to be The Gaslight Anthem. The band, which at times sounds like a nostalgic punk rock version of Bruce Springsteen, recently signed to a major label to release its forth full length album, Handwritten. After the band’s frontman, Brian Fallon dedicated some time to bluesy…
See also: Take Cover: Fate of the Galaxies Cover The Cure Robert Smith is a weird dude– his disheveled hair and smeared red lipstick make his appearance as recognizable as his vocal style. It was only natural for Tom Laman, vocalist of The Captives to include some theatrics in his…
Holidays and celebrations vary greatly from culture to culture. For exampel, you might be surprised that America’s favorite south-of-the-border holiday, Cinco de Mayo, is not when Mexico celebrates its independence. The nation gained independence from Spain 41 years prior to the Battle of Puebla (which is what ol’ Cinco is…
