Arizona’s resident shock rocker, Alice Cooper, recently shared a very interesting story involving himself, Elvis Presley, Liza Minnelli, porn star Linda Lovelace, and a gun. Cooper told the U.K. paper Daily Mirror that in 1971, he went to visit Presley in his penthouse at a Las Vegas hotel, with Minelli and…
If Matt and Kim had never made it as a musical duo, they probably could’ve found success as therapists. The indie-punk band is sickeningly sweet and happy, putting just as much emphasis on their perma-smiles and interaction with fans as on the music they play. Matt and Kim dance on…
It might be easy for some people to dismiss “Weird Al” Yankovic as an ’80s relic/Dr. Demento rip-off — if it weren’t for the fact that since he started his comedic music career in 1976, he’s sold more than 12 million albums and performed more than a thousand live shows…
You know how powerful Cake is? When you Google the word “cake,” the band’s website is the first search result. That’s serious stuff, a band being able to muscle its way to the top, beating out all the love actual cake earns on the Internet. What’s even more impressive is…
The Meat Puppets are rightly considered legends by just about everyone in Arizona. The band’s records for SST are generally regarded as classics, unique keepsakes from a time when the band’s blend of psychedelic rock, dusty country, and punk rock was inspiring guys like Kurt Cobain, who famously covered a…
The rhythm grabs you by the knees, starts bending them on every second and fourth beat, and before you know it, your head’s bobbing uncontrollably to deep, downbeat surdo drums; the sharp snap of caixa snare drums; and the steady clapping of hands. This is the infectious rhythm of Brazilian…
It isn’t fair to call Mercurius FM a “retro artist,” but there is a definite “old school” tone to his work. His 2007 remix of Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing” augmented the sexy vibe of the original song with squiggly synths and brisk tempos, and established a steady stream of hype…
Alt-metal, experimental rock, nu-metal, post-grunge — whatever you call the Deftones, it won’t be right. They set the bar for intertwining different styles more than two decades before the trend blew up: the name alone derives from the hip-hop term “def,” and the popular “tones” suffix used by 1950s and…
One of the best moments on The Simpsons was in a 1993 episode in which we learned that Homer, Principal Skinner, Barney, and Apu were in a barbershop quartet called The Be Sharps. The group was so good that they won a Grammy award for best “Barbershop Quartet Album.” At…
THURSDAY 9 Afterlife: Thumpin Thurzdays (various) AZ/88: Josh One (rare groove, urban funk) Bar Smith: Splash Thursday (reggae, dancehall, Top 40, house) Blue Martini: Rewind Thursday with DJ Mendez (various) Bobby Q’s: All-Star Thursdays (hip-hop, Top 40) BS West: Intravenous Thursdays (goth, industrial, electronic, ’80s) Capitol Sports Lounge: DJ JS3…
Valley metal band Hellen has always been an anomaly. In a genre dominated by men, Hellen founders (and sisters) Mindy and Desiree DuPonte raged as gutturally and viciously as any testosterone-filled metal band. With Desiree on guitar and Mindy on drums, the pair shared vocal duties (brutal grunts and operatic…
Yesterday, in an interview with CBS News’ Shira Lazar, Fiasco labelled President Obama as “the biggest terrorist.” Now, there’s something rather unique about that statement, given Fiasco’s history of rallying against Obama.The kicker? Fiasco was a guest on the show What’s Trending, there to discuss his latest album, Lasers. Last…
Reign of Vengeance vocalist Mashall “Fucking” Beck has never shied away from controversy, but his band’s latest album, Disemboweling Swine, takes things to a whole new level. The album cover, as seen above, depicts Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio being gutted alive by rioting inmates. Lyrical topics range from killing…
According to the Urban Dictionary, “rug burn” is defined as “A rash or red mark on one’s body caused by the friction of one’s skin rubbing on a carpet or rug” and “The razor burn you get after shaving your crotch.” Scottsdale’s latest dance event is also called Rugburn. And…
S.L.F.M.’s upcoming show at the Trunk Space quickly caught my eye. There’s no bad day that a bold top hat and a variety of mustaches can’t fix.S.L.F.M. has been described as “one-woman distorted ukulele blues” from Salt Lake City, Utah.Also performing that night will be Relatives, a harmony trio from…
As far as nightlife is concerned, Mondays are among the slowest nights of the week. Sure, most clubs won’t have a line and the bartenders are a bit more attentive, but it can be a little boring to see the same small group at your neighborhood watering hole. Fortunately, this…
Front Line Assembly The Nile Theater in Mesa June 7, 2011It’s not often that an old school industrial band comes through town and plays a venue that isn’t a sports bar or some shady, swinger-filled fetish club, but Front Line Assembly did just that and rocked the house at the Nile Theater…
, according to Consequence of Sound.James Franco and Kalup Linzy have become the new musical duo that they’ve appropriately named Kalup and Franco. Their three-track EP, Turn It Up, will be released July 12. They’ve got plans to shoot music videos that will feature multiple “surprise guest cameos” for all…
Panic! at the Disco is back. Yeah, the band may be only a pair now since guitarist Ryan Ross and bassist Jon Walker left in 2009, but their new album, Vices & Virtues, is their best yet. Singer Brendon Urie and drummer Spencer Smith left behind the 70’s feel on their…
The New York Dolls’ new album, Dancing Backward in High Heels, comes out today, June 7. As one of the most influential acts in the punk and glam rock genres, the New York Dolls’ body of work mostly consists of gritty garage rock and glam punk songs — you know,…
The African djembe drum may be a familiar sight for pop music fans — it’s popped up onstage with plenty of Western artists like Paul Simon, Ben Harper, and Peter Gabriel — but intrepid percussionists will have a chance to hear the drum played by two grand masters, Mamady Keïta…
Do you fear the upcoming zombie apocalypse? Do you have a dog-eared copy of The Zombie Survival Guide stashed on your night stand next to a loaded revolver? Well, prepare for big news: The Zombies are indeed coming to town.But don’t climb into your shelter just yet; It’s the lovelorn…
