For Floor, Florida’s coolest export since medium-pulp orange juice, the opportunity to be both influential and derivative is a badge of honor the band should wear with pride. The sludgy stoner rock trio has existed for the better part of 22 years now, even though it took years-long hiatuses and…
There are reviews you wish would just write themselves. Peek behind the curtain, if you will, and see my struggle. I really wanted to write an über-positive review of the Black Flag show at Pub Rock on Saturday, May 17. I wanted to write that the punk rock fury I…
Once upon a time, it was a motherfucker. The crowd sat in utter silence, except when prompted to clap or laugh, depending on what the magic man did. And, for all intents and purposes, he was magical. E., the man, the myth, the legend. Mark Oliver Everett (“E” to his…
If there is any such thing as garage rock royalty, Holly Golightly certainly must be a member. Lo-fi before there was such a thing, and cool from the get-go, Ms. Golightly visits Phoenix for the very first time with her backing band, The Brokeoffs (which is really just one guy,…
We should probably just go right ahead and put it out there. We like TV. We like TV a lot, perhaps a little too much at times. But lately, it is getting harder and harder to find a show we want to continue watching after one season. Some of you…
“It’s not my imagination, there’s a gun at my back.” – “Revenge” from Black Flag’s 1980 Jealous Again ep. For fans and non-fans alike, there is no arguing the legacy of Black Flag. Angry, visceral, and a revolving door of singers and rhythm sections, lead guitarist Greg Ginn and the…
Holy punk rock, Batman! So, like many of you — some who have earned it, some who have not — I am not easily impressed these days. Whether you call it “jaded” or “been there, done that,” it really doesn’t matter, as long as you call it like you see…
Valley stoner rap guru Hot Rock Supa Joint took some time out of his busy day to answer some pressing questions in honor of 4/20, which apparently is some sort of weed holiday. You really have to spend some time in HotR ock’s presence to get a true feel for…
Max Cavalera is a tough guy to pin down. Once he gets going, there really is no stopping the dreadlocked metal innovator from Brazil, no matter what the subject or the task at hand. This is both great about Cavalera and a challenge. He is driven, and his worldwide success…
PHX AM After Party feat. DEATH The Pressroom 4/5/14 The PHX AM After Party, sponsored by local board shop Cowtown Skateboards, is always an interesting happening. Over the years, the company has put together some of the more eclectic shows to hit the Valley in celebration of one of the…
If you hadn’t heard of Death before 2012, don’t feel bad. Until recently (read: within the last couple years), few rock ‘n’ roll fans were familiar with the Detroit garage rockers/proto-punks, who were, at best, a minor footnote in rock history. Then, a little documentary by filmmakers Mark Christopher Covino…
The world never cared about Death. Until now. In the early 1970s, before even the long-revered “godfathers and godmothers of punk” were trailblazing the genre, the Detroit trio was doing it first (and quite well, for that matter). But nobody outside of sibling band members David, Dannis, and Bobby Hackney,…
The world never cared about Death. Until now. In the early 1970s, before even the long-revered “godfathers and godmothers of punk” were trailblazing the genre, the Detroit trio was doing it first (and quite well, for that matter). But nobody outside of sibling band members David, Dannis, and Bobby Hackney,…
Some would say skateboarding is an art form in and of itself. The way skateboarding enthusiasts, both young and old, figure out how to roll, and sometimes float, over wood and concrete has become something that challenges both gravity and logic. Like artists who work in other media, skateboarders look…
Toadies, Supersuckers, BattleMe Crescent Ballroom 3/19/14 A seriously epic show went down Wednesday night at Crescent Ballroom, courtesy of Toadies and friends. It was the first show of the alt-rock band’s current tour, which is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its kick-ass debut album, Rubberneck, and includes two Northwest-by-way-of-the-Southwest bands,…
With age comes wisdom. Like the common sense notion that the best way to tackle an event as big and complex as tonight’s Viva PHX music festival is to have a plan, and a good one at that. And given the sheer number of bands and venues involved (more than…
When the aptly named Asses of Evil imploded in 2012, Valley punk rock fans were left eager to see what would come crawling from the wreckage. Stalwart bass thumper Todd Joseph and singer/rhythm guitar maestro Chris JJ Jet quickly formed The Smoke Bombs, enlisting lead guitarist Brandon Meunier and drummer…
Lawrence and Mark Zubia are flat-out Arizona rock ‘n’ roll royalty. Simply put, it would be difficult to find a more accomplished set of musician brothers from around these parts, save for the Meat Puppets’ Cris and Curt Kirkwood. But one could make an argument that the Zubia siblings have…
It’s 2014 and high time you got some new music into your playlist — seriously. And that’s doubly true when it comes local music, of which there’s an abundance in metro Phoenix. The Valley’s music scene is gifted with burgeoning bands and emerging artists who will be making waves and…
Choosing a music store is, for many people, akin to choosing a proctologist. You may really need what it has to offer, but you also know it is almost always going to be painful. Whether you are an aspiring newbie or a seasoned musician, the experience of visiting the retailers…
Despite the chill in the air, many of you have been champing at the bit to slip on a wifebeater, draw Xs on the back of your hands, and slam-dance to classic East Coast hardcore and old-school straight-edge thrash. When Boston’s Slapshot makes its first trip to the desert in…
Local band Dirty Hairy is a bit of an anomaly. Led by frontman H. Shelton Valentine, a raspy-voiced punk rock dervish in the body of an aspiring Buddha, the band cranks out some of the most questionable covers you could imagine, along with a smattering of punk/metal hybrid originals. And…
