Coachella 2011 Official Lineup Announced

In perfect Girl Talk fashion, the good people of Goldenvoice set up a surprise late night release of Coachella’s overwhelmingly impressive lineup.Many of Michael Lopez’s lineup predictions were spot on. The Strokes made the cut, as did Duran Duran, although on a different day than what Billboard speculated.The Black Keys…

Club Candids: Glow Friday at Vagabond Ballroom

Like the old saying goes: The more things change, the more they stay the same. Exemplifying this well-worn cliché axiom perfectly is the Vagabond Ballroom in Scottsdale. Back in Old Town’s old days, this dance shack as known as Anderson’s Fifth Estate and offered dark and heavy music notorious nights…

Man Invents Grand Piano With 102 Keys

An Australian craftsman has taken things up a notch and designed a grand piano with 102 keys, according to NPR Music.Wayne Stuart, the man behind the design, claims that the 14 additional keys will set the bar higher for pianos to come: none can go as high, and very few…

The Decemberists: The King Is Dead

​If you’re like The Decemberists lead singer Colin Meloy, then you enjoy folk-tinged albums rooted in verbosity and literary symbolism. Thank god, then, that for their sixth album, Meloy and his merry cohorts are staying true to what they do best. The King Is Dead lacks a concept — unlike…

Air Supply at Talking Stick Resort Last Weekend

Air SupplyTalking Stick ResortSunday, January 16″Are you ready to fall in love tonight?” Air Supply singer-guitarist Graham Russell asked the crowd between songs Sunday night at Talking Stick Resort. It wasn’t really a question. It was a declaration: Oh, you will fall in love tonight, bitches. Count on it. To…

Kinch at Rogue Bar Last Night

KinchSaturday, January 15, 2011Rogue Bar, ScottsdaleThe Rock ‘N’ Roll Arizona Marathon was this morning — thousands of runners, both locals and tourists, jogged 26 miles of Valley streets on a warm January day.The race wasn’t the weekend’s only impressive show of endurance along Scottsdale Road, though. Kinch’s second week of…

Joe Strummer Benefit at George & Dragon

Joe Strummer Benefit  George & Dragon Pub & Restaurant January 15th, 2011Phoenix’s punk community might not be the biggest or brightest music scene in the Valley, but, damn, it most definitely knows how to throw one hell of a wild wingding. For instance, the annual Joe Strummer Benefit that took…

The Underground’s First Birthday Party

Does it seem like a full year since The Underground opened in downtown Mesa?It’s hard to believe, right?The venue opened on February 12, 2010 but there’s apparently another show that day (not on the calender yet). Also, the venue is kind of small so they’re doing it upstairs at the…

Vayden, Warner Drive and Ronin Meyer at 910 Live Tonight

Get ready for a night of hard and heavy alternative rock music that’s definitely worth checking out.Vayden, Warner Drive, and Ronin Meyer will be performing a big all-ages rock show on the outdoor stage at 910 Live tonight. Tickets are $10.All three bands have put a more artistic spin on…

Social Distortion at Marquee Theatre Last Night

Social Distortion Marquee Theatre January 13th, 2011It’s a testament to Social Distortion’s prominent influence on younger punk rock n’ roll bands that two songs in to opening band Dead Relatives’ set, I thought they were Social Distortion.  It’s either a testament to that or how crappy a music critic I…

Meat Puppets Announce New Record, Lollipop, for April 12

Local legends The Meat Puppets will put out a new record, Lollipop, on April 12. The followup to 2009’s Sewn Together will come out on Megaforce Records. It was also recorded in Spoon’s HiFi Studios in Austin. Curt Kirwood produced the record himself — Curt lives in Austin and also…