Valley charity Ear Candy — which gets instruments out of closets and sheds and into the hands of Arizona school kids — has teamed up with some notable names. Like the dance party residents at Sticky Fingers, for example, or local indie-poppers Bears of Manitou, and AOR kings Blue Öyster…
Old Town Scottsdale is a typical nightlife hot spot on weekends, but Dollhouse Cocktail Lounge went all out on Friday, May 18. The Let Her Eat Cake fete attracted a large crowd with a custom-made swimwear fashion show thanks to Tami Todd, who also celebrated her birthday at the event…
It looks like Christmas is coming a little early this year. Justin Bieber will be kicking off his just-announced North American headlining tour in the Valley. OMB! Biebs will be stealing the hearts of thousands of girls at Jobing.com Arena on Saturday, September 29. He’s hitting the road in support of…
The Regal Octopus Show is coming up this weekend. Between the monocle on the “fedorable” cigar-smoking mustachioed octopus that looks wise beyond his years and the design of a traditional movie poster, we can tell that the event is definitely going to be a classy one. After all, the flier claims…
The original big-screen blockbuster, Star Wars, is turning 35 big ones, and to mark the occasion, Rips Ales & Cocktails is throwing a themed party to celebrate. “We’re encouraging everybody to come over after Comicon because we actually have a ton of people from Tucson that are coming up, and…
Dead Winter Carpenters are another group of virtuoso musicians toiling in bluegrass obscurity. But it shouldn’t–and won’t always–be that way? Though it would be easy to write this band off as another Yonder Mountain String Band or Trampled by Turtles knock-off giving a punk spin to tradgrass as this Northern…
See also: Fugazi: Five “Waiting Room” Listening Essentials It’s usually a safe bet to cover an artist that influenced a band’s sound, so Darkness Dear Boy opted for some Fugazi. “I’d say we’re rock, reggae, punk, and a little honky tonk. With Fugazi, you’ve got the punk and rock,” says…
Punk and hardcore bands aren’t usually known for lineup stability, but Hermosa Beach, California, rockers Pennywise had a pretty solid run for their first 20 years of existence. Beyond the death of bassist Jason Matthew Thrisk (they dedicated “Bro Hymn” to him) Pennywise’s lineup remained solid as the band toured…
British rock band The Cult have a new album out today, Choice of Weapon. It’s good — a remarkably heavy record without a trace of “heft for the sake of heft.” The songs sound exactly like The Cult, but they aren’t tired, no doubt enhanced by the presence of Chris…
The Avengers may still be kicking plenty of ass at the box office, but don’t get it twisted — superheroes are not easy to come by. As luck would have it, though, the closest thing to a hero Phoenix has will be making an appearance at this weekend’s Comicon. He…
It’s not everyday that we get to check out a concert put on by one of the greats from our parents’ era.I’m proud to say that my dad brought me up listening to music from his early years. My first three concerts were the Beach Boys, and the radio station…
A former colleague of mine has a sandwich on his wall with a bite taken out of it. To the casual onlooker, it’s weird. For him, it’s the ultimate piece of music memorabilia. Better than an autograph, splintered guitar neck or piece of concert-worn clothing, this collectible is laced with…
“The End of the Quaver,” Robin Gibb’s Greatest Hits Robin Gibb, of legendary psychedelic popsters turned disco kings The Bee Gees, has passed away at age 62. If you first learned of Robin Gibb’s deteriorating health from Facebook, it was through links to newspaper articles and not the usual reposting…
The Dandy Warhols The Roxy Lounge Sunday, May 20, 2012 You’d be hard-pressed to find a band as crowd-pleasing as The Dandy Warhols. On Sunday night, the Portland-based quartet covered all their bases, unwinding into shoegaze drifts of fuzz that sent out waves of psychedelic charm balanced by catchy power-pop…
See also: Three Nerd Concerts to Celebrate Phoenix Comicon A lot of the time, I open Record Heat with some flimsy parallel between the world of comics and music — worlds that have been well connected forever, from Crumb’s brilliantly scuzzy album covers to Adrian Tomine’s classic Weezer poster to…
Once again I found myself writing a Metal Monday column on a plane with a glass of whiskey. I’m headed to Rock on the Range in Columbus, Ohio, to see Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson, Five Finger Death Punch, and about 30 other acts (stay tuned for that review next week)…
See also: Up on the Sun’s interview with Chick CoreaOne of America’s jazz great and Grammy Award-winner, Chick Corea, is coming to town. The jazz legend has played alongside people like Miles Davis, but his own catalog is rife with creative explorations. With a little help from Gary Burton, the…
Robin Gibb of legendary psychedelic popsters-turned-disco kings The Bee Gees, has passed away at the age of 62. If you first learned of Robin Gibb’s deteriorating health from Facebook, it was through links to newspaper articles and not the usual reposting of YouTube music videos, in part because trying to…
Spiritualized Crescent Ballroom Saturday, May 19 See also: Spiritualized’s Jason Pierce on Sweet Heart Sweet Light See also: Spiritualized’s Jason Pierce on How Amazing The Liver Is J. Spaceman didn’t say a word to the crowd. No small talk, no nervous chatter. Wearing a white tee and white jeans, with…
El Tri, Celso Piña, Inspector, La Lupita Comerica Theater Friday, May 18, 2012 In the buildup to last night’s Chido Fest featuring Celso Piña, Inspector and La Lupita, frontman Alex Lora of host band El Tri told us that the event would be a great chance to hear all sorts…
JEFF the Brotherhood, North Dakota, Wooden Indian Rhythm Room Thursday, May 17 The three bands on stage at Rhythm Room didn’t sound very much alike — and that’s a good thing. It was a treat to see three distinct bands perfectly execute their respective sounds at last night’s JEFF the…
We’re not going to come out and say that the Sound Strike — the commercial boycott of Arizona by a group of bands, musicians, and artists launched in May, 2010 — is over, but we’re not not saying that the Sound Strike is over. Chicago punk band Rise Against, one…
