Speed metal or thrash metal? The consensus seems to be that the terms are interchangeable and probably not even applicable in 2016, although the term “thrash” metal doesn’t elicit the groans that “speed” metal does when experts on the subject are asked. In fact, this list of the best speed/thrash…
What would it be like to move to another country and end up being called “Mr. Heavy Metal”? Marty Friedman knows. The gifted guitar player, initially known for his groundbreaking work in Cacophony, moved to Japan a decade ago after living in Phoenix from 1993 to 2003. Since his move,…
For those who want to “feel the Bern” with a veritable who’s who of local talent, Saturday, February 6, will be everything you could want and a little bit more as Sacred Reich and friends have a little fundraiser for the Presidential candidate from Vermont, Bernie Sanders, at the Rebel…
The idea of disruption is big these days. It seems everyone is trying to disrupt something: the mattress industry, healthcare, taxi services. You don’t have to look far to see advertisements talking about new, better, and different ways of looking at established products and services, especially when it comes to…
The new year means new beginnings, fresh ideas, and more chances to give birth to new projects. In such a populous area, we are privy to a tremendous amount of ambition and diversity when it comes to the local music scene. The area’s creative class constantly churns out new music…
During a conversation with singer/songwriter Mike Doughty, two things come to his delightfully twisted mind about playing music in Phoenix: “Shopping at Zia Records” and being here “when it was 125 degrees outside.” Luckily for Doughty, who is playing Crescent Ballroom in downtown Phoenix on Sunday, January 24, he can…
At first glance, it may seem trivial, but one of the things every city needs is a good record label. Sure, clean water is nice, a low crime rate is great, and affordable housing is key, but a good record label can make a city into something truly special. Just…
Looking for something to do this weekend? Look no further. Here are the best concerts happening this weekend. Check out our comprehensive concert calendar for more options. Kottonmouth Kings – Friday, December 18 – Joe’s Grotto Twenty-one years after Kottonmouth Kings’ humble beginnings in the Orange County town of Placentia, it’s…
If you frequented the Mason Jar in the mid- to late-’90s, you probably saw one of the three bands reuniting for Onus Records’ Night of a 1,000 Reunions (slight exaggeration) on Saturday, December 19. There were three things you could always count on at the Jar: The bands were always…
Dear Aunt Jean, I feel badly about not doing a better job of staying in touch this year. It’s been hectic, for sure, and I hope this letter finds you well and I do know how much you like a sip of sherry now and again, so have one for…
Cait Brennan and I met in 1983 while taking Journalism 1 at Deer Valley High School. We shared a love of both the news and sarcasm, which remains true to this day. To give you an example of her charm, she wrote in my yearbook in 1985, after our first…
Toadies are one of those bands that even if you don’t know them, you still know the music. Since the release of the group’s brilliant 1994 album, Rubberneck, Toadies have been on the rock ‘n’ roll radar of just about anyone who has listened to a radio, thanks to the…
Skate punk is something taken seriously in the desert. We’re always looking to finish an argument about what constitutes a good slab of skate punk wax. Phoenix has a long history with both skateboarding and the music most closely associated with it. Skate punk (or skate rock, which many see…
In Simon Reynolds’ fantastic book Rip It Up and Start Again, the author asks the question, “What made me believe music could matter this much?” The answer is well worth any music fan’s time discovering, but Reynolds’ book, which is almost textbook-like in its approach to music history, explores his…
Jake Smith, a.k.a The White Buffalo, enjoys a good beer. In fact, he’s pulling off a small tour nightmare/miracle to play at Pedal Haus, a new Tempe Brewery, on Saturday, October 17, when he will lay down some mighty fine “American” music, as he likes to call his brand of heavy,…
July of 1990. Mudhoney’s set had just concluded and I had to piss so bad I ran to the bathroom at the now-defunct Tucson venue Mud Bugs and took the first urinal I saw. Luckily for me, I chose the middle urinal because the next two people into the bathroom…
Since early 1978, brothers Jeff and Steven McDonald have being working on a band, music, or some form of noise making either together or apart. At first they were The Tourists, then in 1980 they became Red Cross (but some nutty non-profit organization already had dibs on that name), and…
Strange Wilds are coming through town on October 3 to support their new record, Subjective Concepts, and if their familiar, yet totally rockin’, sound is any indication, the show is going to be pretty special. We caught up with one member of the Olympia, Washington-based three-piece, lead singer and guitar…
One of the coolest shows coming through town this week (and there are plenty) is happening at the Pressroom on Friday. San Francisco’s Thee Oh Sees will make their third stop in Phoenix this year, but this time they have two really cool opening acts, Tucson’s Lenguas Largas and Desert Hot Springs,…
Summer is finally ending, and the local music scene is ready for the temperature change with some cool new music video releases. Phoenix favorites like decker., MysticBlu, Red Tank!, No Volcano, and Pro Teens are bursting into fall with new multimedia material. Each of the videos by these five different…
Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots. Remember them? Tons of fun but, let’s be honest, super-frustrating, too, as every match, at least at my house, always degenerated into one combatant holding down both buttons and forcing his robot to push out both arms and move forward until one or both little…
The Valley of the Sun didn’t always have skate parks. For many years, finding a good place to drop in and have some fun was both a challenge and a somewhat noble quest for riders of all ages. According to Rob Locker of local skateboard and record company AZPX, when…
