So, got any big plans for the weekend? Despite the fact we’re firmly in the dog days of summer, there’s certainly plenty of things you could do, including checking out the ginormous meteor shower that’s going to fill the night sky, attending that “Four Phantoms” show, or seeing any of…
We’ve got some good news for local fans of colorful and kooky rock band The Flaming Lips: they’re heading back to Phoenix this fall for a concert. And here’s some even better news: you can see the show for free…sorta. That’s because Wayne Coyne and company will be performing at…
Back in 2004, Andrew Jackson Jihad played local Phoenix venues for tiny audiences. But over the past 12 years, they’ve made six acclaimed studio albums, headlined international tours, and risen to the forefront of folk punk before starting fresh with a new sound. If you’re in any way involved in…
Mitchell Hillman listens to more local music than just about anyone in the Valley. He presents his picks for best new local music in his column, Right Hear, Right Now. Alien Atmosphere – “Believe” I was first introduced to Alien Atmosphere earlier this summer when they opened for Jane N’…
I discovered GNR in the ’90s, when MTV was deciding what we liked. At eight years old, running around my bedroom in Superman briefs, my first exposure to a genuine rock star was Axl Rose, who seemed like a pirate hijacking my TV screen when he told me that we were…
As Chastity Belt progressed from playing college parties in Walla Walla, Washington, to major European venues in support of Death Cab for Cutie, the band remained remarkably unperturbed. The trick, if you can even call it that, says guitarist Julia Shapiro, was just being themselves and doing what they do…
Jasmyn Burke didn’t really like boy bands growing up, but if there is one track that captures the essence of her buzz-worthy Toronto-based quartet Weaves, it would be their cover of “Drag Me Down” by boy band One Direction. The song was originally intended for a session on the music…
Unlike the next Tool album, rumors of Maynard James Keenan’s authorized biography were not unfounded. It appears that the tome, penned by Sarah Jensen, will actually publish and see the light of day (unlike the new Tool album). Keenan, along with Jensen, will discuss the new book, A Perfect Union…
As Rakim once said, “It ain’t where you’re from, it’s where you’re at.” Regardless of whether or not you are a self-proclaimed hip-hop head (knows who Rakim is) or a novice (hasn’t the slightest clue) looking to explore the scene, it can easily be said that the following list of…
By now, you are aware that every music blog has already celebrated the 50th anniversary of Revolver, the Beatles’ seventh long player, the one that paved the way for Sgt. Pepper (the album that CHANGED THE WAY ALBUMS WERE EVERMORE MADE and perhaps is less fondly remembered in retrospect for…
Hey, everyone! Winter is coming! Hooray! We Phoenicians have a much different view of winter than the inhabitants of Westeros, the world of HBO’s Game of Thrones TV series. Winter is coming for those sad, feudal peons, and fans will have reason to celebrate as they bunker in until season seven…
Fresh off the release of a new music video, AJJ (formerly known as Andrew Jackson Jihad) is playing a pair of homecoming shows at Rebel Lounge next week. Tickets will set you back $20 a pair, but if you’ve already ran through your monthly folk-punk budget, never fear. New Times…
One more month, Phoenix. That’s how long it will take for the worst weather of the year to pass. Then you have eight or so sweet months of bragging to your friends about the fall-winter-spring climate. Until then, pass the time quicker by checking out these concerts. Find more options…
While there’s nothing wrong with Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone” or Christina Perri’s “Jar of Hearts,” they might be a little melodramatic. Bob Dylan set the bar awfully high for great honest breakup songs when he wrote tunes like “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right,” but we think there’ve…
Had enough of the summertime scorch? Yeah, us too. The good news is that it won’t be sticking around forever. Around two months from now, give or take a week or two, temperatures will subside and Valley residents will be able to step outside without unleashing a string of expletives…
The Vans Warped Tour is what you’d call a chaotic experience. In fact, during any of the various stops that the touring concert festival makes each summer, it’s easy to get lost in all the bedlam of the hectic cultural menagerie going on all around you and listen to a…
Looking for a great concert to check out this weekend? Look no further. We’ve got the lowdown on 10 “can’t-miss” shows that are worthy of your time and money happening over the next few nights at venues across the Valley. For even more live music options, hit up our extensively updated online concert…
One of the things that hasn’t changed in the past 30 years is how much ass Flotsam and Jetsam continues to kick. From the opening notes of “Seventh Seal” off their latest album, the self-titled Flotsam and Jetsam (AFM Records), which was released in late May, it is apparent they…
Heath Fogg should be upset that his band’s touring van has broken down on a few Fridays back en route to the Panorama NYC festival at Randall’s Island Park his band is set to headline. Dealing with NYC traffic can be more than a bit trifling for even the most…
Duran Duran was in danger of being upstaged by their opening act. Chic featuring Nile Rodgers is no ordinary warm-up band. Rodgers is behind some of the funkiest guitar riffs of all time, like the oft-sampled disco hit “Good Times,” and has worked with everyone from Lady Gaga to Keith…
Mitchell Hillman listens to more local music than just about anyone in the Valley. He presents his picks for best new local music in his column, Right Hear, Right Now. decker. – “The Holy Ghost” This past winter Brandon Decker walked up to me in a parking lot and said…
Tristan Jemsek, one of the primary representatives of Phoenix’s thriving downtown DIY music community, took off for Seattle early this year, leaving behind his bandmates. Settling in Washington, he took a break from playing music for the first time in more than a decade. “I spent the first four months…
