Summer Ends Music Festival: A Field Guide

While it might not necessarily feel like it right now, the summer is officially over. Yes, we’re aware that its still going to be hot for the next couple of weeks or so, but according to the calendar, the season that we all dread and ultimately must all suffer through…

Heritage Hump Day: Cousins of the Wize – “Feel Good Vibe”

Every Wednesday is Heritage Hump Day! That’s because every Wednesday from now to the end of the year or before someone really big stops us, Heritage Hump Records (a temporary subsidiary of Onus Records) and New Times will be bringing you a limited edition collector’s item of a much beloved…

Summer Ends Music Festival Helps Put Phoenix on the National Concert Map

Through the early 2000s, Phoenix wasn’t much of a music festival city. Outside of Lollapalooza’s initial stop in 1991, significant music festivals were virtually nonexistent in the Valley. Festivals weren’t the monstrous industry they are now, but as the scene began to grow and expand from a few festivals to…

Matt Hollywood Doesn’t Know Why He Was Fired From Brian Jonestown Massacre

One of the original members of the Brian Jonestown Massacre, Matt Hollywood was an influential element of the San Francisco neo-psychedelic rock band from 1990 to 1998, responsible for favorites like “Oh Lord,” “Maybe Tomorrow,” and “Got My Eye on You,” among others. Prolific, psyched-out, practically unknown — to say…

Even After a Decade Together, Cold War Kids Are Still Learning

Some things are best left to chance even after experience has long since taken hold. Take Cold War Kids’ latest single, “First,” off their recently rereleased deluxe version of last year’s record Hold My Home: Though the Los Angeles-based band has been together for over ten years now, the success…

Seven Can’t-Miss Bands at Summer Ends Music Festival

Summer Ends Music Festival round two is right around the corner, and for its second year of early fall festing Lucky Man Concerts has brought Kanye West into the mix. What is the point of some other useless turn of phrase when the just the use of his name spruces…

Kanye West vs. Dr. Dre: Battle of the Hip-Hop Ph.Ds

Kanye West is one of the most influential rappers/producers of all time, there’s no doubt about that. Where he ranks among the all time greats will always be up for discussion, but the impressive combination of his own music along with the songs and beats he’s produced for others (not…

Brandon Flowers Isn’t Happy With Commercial Radio

An hour after talking with Brandon Flowers, his publicist called me back to ask me to take out part of my interview. First, she thanked me for conducting it so early in the morning and let me know that Flowers had enjoyed speaking with me, which surprised me as he…

7 Best Concerts in Phoenix This Week

Justin Townes Earle – Monday, September 21 – Musical Instrument Museum Justin Townes Earle can tell stories. It’s what the Nashville-raised singer-songwriter has done for six years, writing albums that have placed him at the forefront of rusty, soulful Americana. His records drip with imagery — muddy rivers, ghosts, “Memphis…

10 Most Famous Live Concert Performances in History

There are concerts that you’ll never forget, and then there are concerts that the world never forgets. A single mind-blowing performance can define a band for years to come and put them in the history books for generations to see and hear. With the Summer Ends Music Festival coming up…

5 New Music Videos by Phoenix Artists

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…

Arguing About Music Is Better Than You Thought

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…

8 Best Concerts in Phoenix This Weekend

If ever there was a sign of summer’s impending conclusion, it might just be this weekend’s slate of live shows. After a long hiatus, it seems like things are picking back up again around these parts, especially when it comes to live music. The Phoenix Symphony is back in session,…

Destroyer Alternates Between Rousing and Mournful on Its Latest Album

For twenty years, Destroyer, led by Vancouver native Dan Bejar, quietly released seductive, critically acclaimed music with his band. Bejar is also known for collaborating with A.C. Newman’s Canadian indie supergroup The New Pornographers as well as other musicians. Albums like Destroyer’s Rubies have songs that are an inside joke…

Right Hear, Right Now: 5 Great New Songs From Phoenix Artists

Scattered Melodies – “Trying To Find Me” It’s been over a year in the waiting since their successful crowd sourced fundraiser fuelled Scattered Melodies with enough money to record and release their second full length album, Modern Repair. At long last the wait is over and you won’t believe the…

An Open Letter to Heavy Metal from Scottsdale

Hey heavy metal, we need to chat… As a musical entity that is no stranger to bad press and debauchery — but rocks its true colors loud and proud — I, the city of Scottsdale, would like to propose a partnership. Look, I know that the words “Scottsdale” and “heavy…

Heritage Hump Day: Fatigo – “One Block Away”

Every Wednesday is Heritage Hump Day! That’s because every Wednesday from now to the end of the year or before someone really big stops us, Heritage Hump Records (a temporary subsidiary of Onus Records) and New Times will be bringing you a limited edition collector’s item of a much beloved…