It’s obvious music blogs have a unique place in the great big music discussion. Entire careers have been bolstered by one lone blogger posting a hot new MP3 that quickly catches fire and burns up RSS feeds. However, some of the biggest taste-makers on the Internet have combined forces and…
Brad Dwyer, who writes and draws our weekly comic strip, Record Heat, has had a hell of a week. Dwyer was hospitalized last week on Wednesday due to complications involving his asthma. Dwyer is doing okay — though keeping him in your thoughts or wishing him well certainly wouldn’t hurt…
Any news of an upcoming Boys and Frogs music video is good. This Peoria indie pop group has an outstanding track record of starring in beautifully produced music videos. Boys and Frogs has once again struck gold with the carnival-themed video for its latest single, “Lay Your Wet Hair Down,”…
The performance wasn’t anything special, but it certainly wasn’t bad. Madonna pleased America as best she could, and for a 53-year-old pop mama, she did very well.It wasn’t hard to spot minor slip-ups like Madonna’s stumble on the bleachers, but what about M.I.A. flashing a middle finger to the camera? Bet…
It’s safe to say that Kelly Clarkson nailed her performance of the national anthem at Super Bowl XLVI last night. Largely a low-scoring, defensive affair between the New York Giants and New England Patriots, the game’s fireworks came towards the end of regulation. Clarkson’s rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner”…
Social Distortion Marquee Theatre Friday, February 3, 2012 Phoenix loves Social Distortion, and the band loves Phoenix, including not one but two stops on their most recent tour. Last night was business as usual: The band played a packed venue to a sea of drunk burly guys and tiny girls…
Roll Acosta, Field Tripp, and The Foleys Rogue BarFriday, February 3When you first think about modern, professional Beatles cover bands, you’ll likely think of a few things. Primarily, middle-aged men will use any excuse to wear a Sgt. Pepper’s jacket. They’ll also take any opportunity to speak in a Liverpool…
George Strait US Airways Center Friday, February 3, 2012 Wow, I truly underestimated the amount of country fans in Arizona. Rising to their feet for the only and only “King of Country,” George Strait walked onto the stage and the crowd went crazy. They whistled so loud that my ears…
William “Fucking” ReedWelcome to Pop Quiz, a new recurring series where we sit down notable folks about town and force them to take a geeky pop culture test. Today we feature electronic maven William Fucking Reed. Look out First Friday — Sticky Fingers, the weekly electronic bash that goes down…
Fun. seem to be the only (sort of) Arizonans on the artist roster, but at least we’re represented. Considering the rest of the lineup, it could definitely be worth the trip, especially for those who didn’t manage to snag tickets to either weekend of Coachella. After all, some of Coachella’s…
Joleen LunzerThe stand-up comedian headlines the Tempe Improv Thursday, February 23 at 7:30 p.m. When you put your key in the ignition and turn on the radio, what station would play right now? I recently found a station that plays hip hop/R&B from the 90’s and early 2000’s, 101.1 FM…
Before the Corporatization of Mill Avenue, the Tempe party center was more about music and less about $3 Long Islands. But the Downtown Tempe Community is looking to bring the street back to its roots with Music on Mill, a weekly music series on Thursday nights that has been a…
So, I may not be the flag-waving American I should be, but hot damn, there’s just something about hearing the national anthem that gives me chills. Most of the attention in the build up for this weekend’s showdown has been placed on dueling quarterbacks Tom Brady and Eli Manning, million…
“All My Ex’s Live in Texas.” That’s true for me. What about you? The one and only “King of Country”, George Strait, will be in Phoenix performing live tomorrow night, Friday, February 3. Now maybe it’s just the fact that I am originally from Texas that makes me excited to…
It’s official, folks: Emo is cool again. Don’t believe me? Listen to “Fall In,” the third track on the highly buzzed about Attack On Memory from Cloud Nothings. The song is straight out of the late ’90s/early ‘aughts emo playbook: Strained vocals, frantic drums, and the kind of guitar tone…
The Lost Leaf in Downtown Phoenix is notoriously loud. Both on the crowd side and on the music side. Last summer, I saw Former Friends of Young Americans singer Toby Fatzinger and Marco Holt of The Tremulants perform solo sets there and they were literally drowned out by the bar-hopping…
What’s in a name? If you’re a DJ, hopefully it’s something clever, unique, or at least a nickname that sounds cool. For some DJs starting out in the business, it’s often a difficult choice to make. The handle has to be catchy, memorable, marketable, and look good on a flier…
Last year’s Super Bowl performance was absolutely awful. After listening to 10 minutes of shouting by the Black Eyed Peas, I wished I could have unseen their show (or used the time wiser, maybe to make another bowl of nachos or something).I’m not looking forward to this year’s halftime show…
Local rock band The Sunset Rider and the Skeleton Army are sparing no expense at their show at Tempe’s The Sail Inn this Friday, February 3. The band is hosting their 2nd Annual Rock n’ Roll Circus, complete with a packed line-up full of music plus sideshow performances by The…
With the passing of Soul Train’s Don Cornelius it seems only right that we should celebrate his life, with a little local funk. On Friday, February 3, Martini Ranch is a place to find some when Catfish Mustache take the stage. The East Valley band will be bringing their fusion…
Zola Jesus, Talk Normal Crescent Ballroom Wednesday, February 1, 2012 In my interview with Nika Danilova, the leader of Zola Jesus, she spoke of her reticence to embrace her childhood dream of pop stardom. While there’s little chance of her tearing up the Billboard charts, Danilova commanded the stage with…
Kanye West is currently scouting locations for a short film in the vein of “Runaway” that will be filmed somewhere in the Middle East in March. Government officials based out of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Doha are in the middle of a bidding war to get Yeezy’s contract, The New…
