Four Things You Didn’t Know About Joe Satriani

With more than 30 years of making groundbreaking albums — including the latest, Shockwave Supernova — teaching a legion of future rock superstars (Steve Vai, Metallica’s Kurt Hammett), and supporting the upper echelon rock elite (Mick Jagger, Deep Purple), Joe Satriani should be a household name. Still, the strictly instrumental…

Peter Frampton’s First-Ever Acoustic Tour to Hit Phoenix

The Phoenix. A symbol of revival, of taking something that once was an all-powerful force and giving it new life. Phoenix, like the name of legendary guitarist/songwriter Peter Frampton’s favorite guitar (lost, reunited with Frampton 30 years later, and actually spelled “Phenix”). Also the name of one of the cities…

Born of Osiris’ Guitarist Touts the Value of Having a Record Deal

Sumerian Records, Ash Avildsen’s D.C./LA-based label, is celebrating its 10th anniversary as a home for metal and prog bands with a showcase tour featuring Born of Osiris, Veil of Maya, After the Burial, ERRA, and Bad Omens. Sure, it’s been a while since finding a record label became something a…

Kanye West Delivers a Messy Masterpiece with The Life of Pablo

Love him or hate, you cannot deny the artistic impact of Kanye West. Since his debut album, The College Dropout, came out in 2004, West has managed to influence and sculpt the hip-hop world, whether is through the speed-up soul sampling of his early days to his avant-garde, auto tune-heavy sound of…

The Seven Best Concerts in Phoenix This Week

Looking for a great show to see this week? Here are our picks for the best concerts to see this week in Metro Phoenix. For more options, visit our extensive online concert calendar. Mutemath – Tuesday, March 1 – Crescent Ballroom The emotional documentary-style short film for Mutemath’s latest single,…

Trunk Space Is Leaving Its Grand Avenue Location in May

Major changes are afoot along Grand Avenue in downtown Phoenix these. New businesses and art spaces — such as Tuft and Needle’s new showroom and galleries like Chartreuse and Unexpected Art — have been debuting along the thoroughfare the last several months, helping to bring a new life and energy…

Andrew Jackson Jihad Officially Changes Its Name to AJJ

Think the idea of a Donald Trump as president is the absolute worst? As repugnant as the billionaire blowhard and bigot might seem, however, he ain’t got nothing on the late Andrew Jackson. Our country’s seventh president was an all-around vile bastard and tyrant who gladly endorsed slavery, locked up…

The Nine Best Concerts This Weekend in Phoenix

Rick Estrin and the Nightcats – Friday, February 26 – Rhythm Room For more than 30 years, the synergy between guitarist “Little” Charlie Baty and singer/harmonica player Rick Estrin has made Little Charlie and the Nightcats one of the best (and most entertaining) jump-blues bands around. With Baty’s “soft retirement”…

Bill Frisell Turns Attention to Classic Soundtracks

Americana, blues, surf, rock, avant garde, soul-guitarist Bill Frisell has dabbled in it all in his own jazz-infused way. His latest project harkens back to the Golden Age of television and film. When You Wish Upon A Star finds Frisell reclaiming 14 classic soundtracks of his youth, from James Bond…

Five Music Podcasts You Should Listen to Right Now

In the world of Netflix and Audible, we all know what it feels like to climb out of a serious media binge — whether it be a TV series, a book, Kanye’s most recent album or, yes, a podcast ( as Serial listeners can relate.) Trying to fill that post-binge void…

Weird Al Yankovic Announces Phoenix Concert

The summertime concert lineup in the Valley just got a little weirder. That’s because legendary parody musician “Weird Al” Yankovic will be headed to Phoenix during the sweltering season for a performance at Comerica Theatre on Wednesday, August 3. Tickets for the show will be $39.50 and go on sale…

Robyn Hitchcock’s Musical Approach Has Softened With Age

Robyn Hitchcock, who will turn 63 on March 3, the day he performs in Phoenix, formed the Soft Boys in 1976 and went on to front the Egyptians in the ’80s. He has been performing a vast amount of solo material in various incarnations ever since. Whether he is fronting…

10 Best Tiny Desk Concert Contest Entries From Phoenix

The National Public Radio Tiny Desk Concert Contest is really neat because it gives musicians at every level an equal chance to catch the eye of the arbiters and find their way onto the famed web series. Bands from all over the world have submitted their own personal versions of…