Huntress’ Jill Janus: I Despise The Glorification of Mediocrity in Metal

There’s a lot to love about Huntress, and it’s not just because frontwoman Jill Janus is gorgeous, bad-ass and intelligent. The band’s debut album Spell Eater, recorded and produced by Chris Rakestraw, earned stellar reviews. The musicians–Janus, guitarist Blake Meahl, bassist Ian Alden, and drummer Carl Wierzbicky–thrive on heavy riffs…

Dolly Parton: This World’s Going Crazy, but Family Still Matters

Dolly Parton is not interested in reinventing herself. At a time when a lot of her peers are at least interested in saying they’re looking to shake things up and start over, Dolly Parton–who just announced a Comerica Theatre show on January 28–was excited to tell us about all the…

Blunt Club’s Halloween – Yucca Tap Room – 10/31/2013

“Halloween is like drama club… on crack.” That was Dumper Foo, the Blunt Club’s resident live artist. Foo, a local celeb in his own right, came in sporting a Bob Ross afro, a paint pallet at the ready for his homage to the happy tree afficianado, Bob Floss. The Blunt…

Top 5 Must-See Phoenix Shows This Weekend

Final Halloween costume-related update: At least one of these weekend shows will offer you a discounted ticket in exchange for coming in costume, which is a little like getting a free meal for dragging your Christmas tree somewhere in February. If you’d like to know which one, you can just…

Treasure Mammal Celebrates a Decade of Loosening Inhibitions

“You can’t 3D-print Obamacare; it’s too beautiful.” This is one of the things you could overhear at a Treasure Mammal practice. It’s what they’re talking about at the moment, but the subject may shift to the “rap-rock vortex,” Juggalos, Bud Lite Lime, or bro culture. It’s part of the consciousness…

Kevin Devine: Kickstarter Success “Was Bonkers”

by Chris Parker “For a long time, you’re chasing being thought of as this terminally unique snowflake,” says Brooklyn singer/songwriter Kevin Devine. “And then you kind of realize you’re a worker among workers — and you put your boots on.” The 33-year-old musician is reflecting on the reverse metamorphosis that…

Switchfoot’s Jon Foreman: “God Doesn’t Need a Lawyer”

For Jon Foreman and the rest of Switchfoot, there is no point in doing things the easy way. Easy would be trying to carve out a rock ‘n’ roll career for themselves in either the mainstream or Christian scenes, rather than both. Easy would be taking their lifelong love of…

Megadeth – Arizona State Fair – 10/30/13

Megadeth – See Also: Megadeth at the Arizona State Fair (Complete Slideshow)Arizona State FairOctober 30, 2013 It was pretty easy to tell who was at the State Fair for Megadeth last night, and who was there for fried twinkies. You just had to look for the people wearing ’80s-style jean…

The Blow – The Rhythm Room – 10/30/2013

The Blow The Rhythm Room Wednesday, October 30, 2013 Khaela Maricich of the Blow came on stage howling to get the crowd’s attention, then transitioned into an acapella version of “You’re My Light” as Melissa Dyne orchestrated the lights and sound off-stage on a booth near the bar. The crowd…

Father John Misty’s Josh Tillman on Fearlessness and the Human Condition

Josh Tillman sighs into the phone, taking a breath before launching into a personal sentiment that’s a signature of his tell-all take to his music — something he’s fond of exploring rather than simply talking about his inspirations. As the man behind Father John Misty, the psych-folk act that’s followed his work with both Fleet Foxes and his previous solo project J. Tillman, he’s no stranger to plumbing the depths of philosophy to create his own narrative.

Bloodfest @ TBA

It’s safe to say you’ll never encounter anyone like James St. James. Sure, you’ve likely heard his name before, since the fabulously freaky celebutante, party guru, and TV personality has earned worldwide infamy for his over-the-top lifestyle and fashion sense. And, of course, for his history as one of the…

Seven Nights of EDM, DJs, and Dancing

Thursday 31 AZ/88: Black Out Thursdays with Josh 1 (soulful house, lounge) Barney’s Boathouse: Thirsty Thursdays with DJ Pulse (Top 40, rock) Bar Smith: Thursday Ladies Night with DJ AL3, & DJ NERD (hip-hop, Latin, EDM) Bikini Lounge: DJ Shane Kennedy (juke joint, R&B, French pop) Bobby Q’s: All Star…

Kevin Devine Finds His Own Sound, and Success Follows

“For a long time, you’re chasing being thought of as this terminally unique snowflake,” says Brooklyn singer/songwriter Kevin Devine. “And then you kind of realize you’re a worker among workers — and you put your boots on.” The 33-year-old musician is reflecting on the reverse metamorphosis that changed him from…

Father John Misty: For All Those Lamenting Their Blogs

“Esoteric” is the first word that comes to mind when describing Josh Tillman, the mystic muse behind Father John Misty. Inspiration for the band’s 2012 album, Fear Fun, struck via psychedelic lightning bolt, giving Tillman the courage to be (as clichéd as it sounds) himself. That meant embracing both the…

10 Best DJs in Metro Phoenix

Any time you go out to a club in Phoenix, you’re putting your night in the DJ’s hands. Sure: You’ll pick the style of music you’d like to hear, and the venue, and the drinks. But if the DJ’s having a bad night, it’ll take an industrial-strength pair of earplugs…

6 High School Reasons to Stop Dating a Girl

flickr.com/suzijaneNot me and not someone I dated, but it may as well have beenEditor’s note: In his column Serrano Time, award-winning writer and goofball Shea Serrano writes about his life and times. I went running the other morning. I used to run all the time. I was in shape and…

Terraplane Station Takes the Blues Around Phoenix

Terraplane Station has been around only a couple of years, but they’re already making the rounds on the Valley’s blues scene. Terraplane Station has periodic performances at the El Dorado Bar and Grill in Scottsdale, Pappy’s Sports Bar in Sunnyslope, and the American Legion Post on north Cave Creek Road,…