By Aaron Thompson For 20 years, Japan’s Melt-Banana has been one of those overseas acts that is nearly impossible to accurately label. With a scant discography, given their tenure, but an influential footprint on everything from grindcore and power violence to math rock, noise, and even space rock, Melt-Banana’s secret…
Courtesy of Columbia/SycoZayn and the crew[Editor’s Note: In his column Serrano Time, award-winning writer and goofball Shea Serrano writes about his life and times.] Song: One Direction’s “Story Of My Life” History: A long time ago, there were barbershop quartets. After that, there were the New Kids on the Block,…
Spring into action this week with sports, art, and science events in metro Phoenix. “Imaginate” @ Arizona Science Center “Dream. Create. Build.” is the theme for “Imaginate” at Arizona Science Center. The concept behind the exhibit is to help viewers unlock their minds to ponder and pose the questions that…
Easy mode is making a Boris Yeltsin joke when Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin comes to town. Hard mode is not making a Boris Yeltsin joke. Really hard mode is not making a Boris Yeltsin joke even though you think you’ve got a great one. Because it’s probably not…
By Brad Cohan “I wanted to name the album using a word that was cute and started with ‘F,'” says screeching vocalist Yako about the impetus behind fetch, the first album in six years from legendary Japanese noise-makers Melt-Banana. That happy-go-lucky vernacular is no shocker considering Yako and guitarist/partner-in-crime Agata…
Theater, festivals, and shopping round out this weekend’s must-attend events in and around Phoenix. Prodigy @ Brelby Studio Now that Brelby Theatre Company’s in its official venue, the troupe’s wasted no time scheduling not just a mainstage season but a Studio Series of new, relatively obscure plays. Through Saturday, November…
You’ve got less than a month of shopping days until you think about doing Black Friday for a minute and then just decide to go closer to Christmas instead. In the meantime, consider giving yourself the gift of any of these five must-see Phoenix shows…
Every year, we put a spotlight on Scottsdale in the form of Shine, a pocket guide to the food, drink, art, and entertainment in this little ‘burb. This time around –– looking for some comic relief –– we drop-kicked our favorite illustrator, Luster Kaboom, into the middle of the city…
Photo by Jay Maidment – © 2012 MVLFFLLC. TM &2012 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.Thor: The Dark World just doesn’t compare to the 2011 original, in spite of its few redeeming qualities. That’s the consensus among this paper’s film critics on this week’s Voice Film Club podcast, available now. Listen to…
By Tom Reardon What would the Valley do without Tyler King and Kim Larowe? For those of you who aren’t in the know, the two of them have been bringing excellent punk and metal shows to the Phoenix area since the ’90s and on Thursday, November 7, not only have…
[Editor’s Note: In his column Serrano Time, award-winning writer and goofball Shea Serrano writes about his life and times (and Katy Perry’s “Roar.”] History: Katy Perry was born in 1984, except back then people called her “Katy Hudson” because that’s her real name. In 2001, she was like, “You know…
New Times photographers were out and about over the weekend. Did we take your picture? Halloween Night 2013 on Mill Avenue Mill Avenue was pure madness as gigantic throng numbering into the tens of thousands and consisting of college kids, 20-somethings, and members of the party crowd invaded downtown Tempe…
Art, cars, and The Devil’s Carnival round out this week’s must-attend events in Phoenix. “Steampunk: The Exquisite Adventure” @ Scottsdale Civic Center Library It isn’t hard to see the beauty of the world of steampunk, where retro-dreams meet futuristic imagination. Spanning literature, fashion, film, and art, the culture has taken…
If you’re listening to Christmas music already and you don’t live or work inside a Macy’s, I believe very strongly that you’re doing something wrong. Nevertheless, it is not in the spirit of Christmas (music) for me to shun you until the day after Thanksgiving, when I literally transform into…
Some Kanye West shows have been canceled and/or postponed, and I admit that this is only news in the way “Dog Bites Man Really, Really Hard” is news. Buying a ticket to a Kanye West show is a little like preordering Chinese Democracy in 2000: You’re pretty sure you’re going…
Final Halloween costume-related update: At least one of these weekend shows will offer you a discounted ticket in exchange for coming in costume, which is a little like getting a free meal for dragging your Christmas tree somewhere in February. If you’d like to know which one, you can just…
First Friday heats up tonight with creative works going up all over the city. Here are our picks for shows not to miss this artful evening. “Robots and What Nots! A Space Boy Robot Show” @ Practical Art While the rise of the robots has yet to happen, it doesn’t…
From post-Halloween to-dos and sporting events to quirky conventions and artsy endeavors, here’s how to spend this weekend in and around Phoenix. Arizona Zombie Prom @ Fear Farm Who doesn’t remember their first prom? That magical night of dead flower corsages, zombies, and chipping in to rent a hearse with…
by Chris Parker “For a long time, you’re chasing being thought of as this terminally unique snowflake,” says Brooklyn singer/songwriter Kevin Devine. “And then you kind of realize you’re a worker among workers — and you put your boots on.” The 33-year-old musician is reflecting on the reverse metamorphosis that…
Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto in Dallas Buyers Club.On this week’s Voice Film Club podcast, our critics discuss the upcoming Dallas Buyers Club, the late Lou Reed, 1983’s Get Crazy, 1979’s The Visitor, and 2008’s In Bruges.Matthew McConaughey extends his streak of taking on challenging roles in Dallas Buyers Club…
By Jason Roche Recently a petition to have GWAR play the 2015 Super Bowl Halftime Show went live on Change.org. It’s gotten nearly 46,000 signatures, but let’s be honest: Even if it had 46 million, we doubt the NFL would let the costumed metallers perform on its biggest event of…
Any time you go out to a club in Phoenix, you’re putting your night in the DJ’s hands. Sure: You’ll pick the style of music you’d like to hear, and the venue, and the drinks. But if the DJ’s having a bad night, it’ll take an industrial-strength pair of earplugs…
