Pitchfork isn’t always wrong. They may be horribly opinionated with a healthy self-image (read: full of themselves), but they manage to get things right every once in a blue moon. Case in point: Lemonade. The trio from Brooklyn and San Francisco fall into the “experimental” category, sometimes an inescapable kiss…
As reported on this past Friday, Fleet Foxes have been named the musical guest for this Saturday’s episode of Saturday Night Live with host Rosario Dawson. Lorne Michaels booked the band to perform a week after sugary-sweet teen pop-star Taylor Swift graced the stage, ushering in the second time Fleet…
Brand new to the internet this week is the latest effort from DJ Minty Fresh Beats, otherwise known as 22-year old New Yorker Max Tannone. Tannone has harnessed the eternal power of Jay-Z’s The Black Album for his own evil-doing, choosing Radiohead as his partner in crime in creating this…
Before embarking on a national tour with Valley darlings Dear and The Headlights — one that ends with a swanky SxSW showcase — Phoenix’s own Miniature Tigers will hone their craft at Modified Arts. A spot at SxSW seems like the natural progression for the band, fresh off their performance…
Heading into their full-length debut with a full head of steam — thanks in part to a series of infectious singles — British four-piece Late of the Pier crashes the party, ready to unleash an unflinching electronic sound upon the masses. Most of the album consists of bizarre sounds that…
Ladies and gentleman, start your SoCal punk and rap-rock engines. Orange County punk rockers (hed) p.e. are kicking off their 2009 tour in Tempe a day after their new album, New World Orphans, hits the shelves. Now, I know what you’re thinking: “What does the ‘p.e.’ stand for?” Perhaps it’s…
Before embarking on a national tour with Valley darlings Dear and The Headlights — one that ends with a swanky SxSW showcase — Phoenix’s own Miniature Tigers will hone their craft at Modified Arts. A spot at SxSW seems like the natural progression for the band, fresh off their performance…
The Jury may still be out on whether Merriweather Post Pavilion is the best album of 2009, but the band has best album art of the year, or the past few years for that matter, locked up in some people’s eyes, including mine.As Domino Records gets ready to release the…
Ben Gibbard and Zooey Deschanel both enjoy wearing a silly hat, a basic freedom most Americans sadly don’t take advantage of.Well it finally happened. Indie rock icon and dorky eyeglasses connoisseur Ben Gibbard – better known to those few grandmothers and Buddhist monks (who actually don’t know who he is)…
With 2008 in the can, it’s time to start thinking about what 2009 will bring, musically. The upcoming year is stocked full of highly anticipated albums, not to mention some very impressive debuts. As usual, the early part of the year looks to be leading the way with a throng…
Younger generations may not know him outside his appearance in the 1994 college comedy PCU and Dr. Dre sampling his work, but 67-year-old funk pioneer George Clinton is still grinding away, touring the nation. The former staff songwriter for Motown is bringing his iconic band of psychedelic misfits, Parliament Funkadelic,…
Imagine, if you will, that this is one of those Choose Your Own Adventure books. First things first: Do you like ska? Are you not annoyed by white dudes playing reggae? Do you like neat little hats and fedoras? If you answered yes to any of these questions, keep on…
Some of the more well-received albums of 2008 have come from the rainy, bike-loving confines of the Pacific Northwest – a trusty bastion for indie rock and insanely innovative pop. When bands from the two meccas of the Pacific Northwest – Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington – emerge onto the…
It’s that time of year, the time when people trot out their list of what they see to be the top 10 albums of the year. I always enjoy this time of year, it’s a great way to catch up on any albums I may have overlooked, a good way…
How do you want to spend your New Year’s “Rockin'” Eve? At home, sitting on the couch watching Ryan Seacrest struggle to host another bloated celebration from Times Square, biding your time until the ball drops? Sure, that telecast will feature some more popular artists performing their hits, but those…
With its two final out-of-town members making the big move from Flagstaff to Phoenix, Caecelia is ready to unleash its unique brand of indie/electronic music on the Valley. The band’s keyboards, guitars, and cello are the perfect complement to its heavily electronic sound. Caecelia’s music is filled with angst-ridden lyrics,…
Live shows by touring bands are quite a rarity so close to the holidays. Musicians are people, too, and they would rather return to their hometowns to stay closer to the ones they love. No one can fault them for that. A band like Authority Zero, born out of Mesa’s…
Wading through the horde of indie pop coming out of Carefree/Cave Creek is no easy task. Well, maybe it’s a little easier than expected, thanks to goofballs Stefan Pruett and Johnny O’Keefe, better known to the world as Peachcake. The duo is about to release its first LP, What Year…
We’ve all been to that show at least once. You know, the show where the opening act far outperforms the headliner, making you wish the opener got the longer timeslot. It’s a common occurrence, and it’s hardly tragic, except for the headliner that just got its ass handed to it…
It took Daniel Smith, the man behind Danielson, a sudden realization while attending Rutgers University to help him embrace his childhood and live as a child once more. The revelation eventually led him to form Danielson, an indie rock/gospel supergroup whose stage shows feature matching outfits (nurses, gospel choirs) with…
It is difficult to maintain momentum over the course of 13 songs, yet New Zealand’s Pip Brown — better known as Ladyhawke — is blissfully ignorant of this. Right from the dual claps on the opener “Magic,” Ladyhawke grabs listeners by the hand with a purple, sequined glove of splendid…
Writing a song that paints a picture of a fire in a Taco Bell is no easy task, yet Detroit’s Electric Six laughs at such a notion. The band’s infamous 2003 single “Danger! (High Voltage)” easily sums up what kind of effect the genre-bending band is going for. Dick Valentine,…
