It’s another sweltering Phoenix night — the millionth one of the summer. One hundred forty-seven 20-somethings are gathered in this dank, smelly warehouse, perspiring and writhing in unison to deafening rock music. One young woman in a miniskirt made entirely of paper clips thrashes wildly beside a guy in a…
Treats, the debut record by the Brooklyn boy-girl duo Sleigh Bells is one big sugar rush, a summertime explosion of electro pop that, by autumn, likely will reveal itself as just another guilty pleasure or, worse, just another indie band with more buzz than sting. The 11-song record is a…
Brian Wilson is not a great interview. Actually, the best quote I can pull from 10 painful minutes of taped conversation between me and my all-time favorite musician is this: “Print that Brian says: ‘Please, come out to my concert.'” On the surface, that’s probably the worst quote any music…
Artist: Stone Temple PilotsTitle: Stone Temple PilotsRelease date: May 25Label: AtlanticWere you clamoring for a new Stone Temple Pilots record? Was anyone? I know I wasn’t. Sure, STP, hit the road as an oldies act, play the hits at a few state fairs, and grab an easy paycheck. Who could…
After a few weeks of searching for a new home, the promoters of Adult Swim have finally found a new location to host their popular hipster pool party this weekend. And in a huge stroke of irony, it’s the Hotel San Carlos, the place where the party first launched back…
A couple weeks ago, I talked to Brian Wilson. Though he’s my all-time favorite musician, it was a ridiculously terrible interview. Like, it hurt my head to listen to it while transcribing my notes. The column I wrote advancing his show, therefore, is extremely light on quotes and long on…
Pitchfork is reporting that Rage Against The Machine singer Zack de la Rocha has secured commitments to boycott Arizona from Kanye West, Sonic Youth, Conor Oberst, Massive Attack, Rise Against, Tenacious D, Joe Satriani and others.Word comes from his new organization, The Sound Strike which as what I am sure…
Two interesting articles about the effect SB 1070 is having on Arizona music came out this week — and I’m sharing them not just because I’m quoted in them.Dan Gibson, who does some freelance work for New Times, penned a piece for Fox News which says that so far most…
Well, American Idol fans, it’s down to the wire. Crystal Bowersox and Lee DeWyze had their final competitive performances, and the most boring season of Idol ever is almost over. What wasn’t boring: Randy’s outlandish outfit. What was up with that red jacket?Anyway, DeWyze is up first with “The Boxer.”…
Like, OMG, you guys! Like, you’re probably totally excited about the Sex and The City 2 premiere tomorrow night! Like, did you even totally get your pedi/mani yet? Or buy that Dior purse just for the movie? LOLOLOL.No, really. Sex and The City is one of the most iconic brands…
Song: Miniature Tigers, “Tell It To The Volcano” (acoustic)Context: Comparing Tell It To The Volcano and the new Miniature Tigers record, Fortress. “Tell It To The Volcano” Acoustic by Miniature Tigers…
What happens when you take noted DJs Switch and Diplo and add British electronic singing sensation Elly Jackson? A free mixtape named Lazerproof, natch. Switch and Diplo, when working together, are better known as dancehall/reggaeton masterminds Major Lazer and Jackson does vocal duties for La Roux, perhaps best known for…
Artist: Karen ElsonTitle: The Ghost Who WalksRelease date: May 25Label: XL Recordings/Third ManNo one could fault you for rolling your eyes when you heard that Jack White’s wife (a fashion model by trade) was going to make a record. Obviously, the odds of her getting a record deal if she…
On paper, Brooklyn indie rockers Beach Fossils sound pretty tame and, frankly, played-out.Luckily, the band’s self-titled debut is very impressive, raising the band’s profile above the masses of like-minded lo-fi bands struggling to do their thing. With jingle-jangle guitars and surf-tinged rhythms, Beach Fossils don’t have a revolutionary sound –…
The Vig in Arcadia has been a frequent card we’ve played when we’re deciding on a place to stop for a bite to eat and a tasty cocktail. So when we heard about the opening of the Vig Uptown, we were more than willing to check it out. The restaurant…
The wording of a press release announcing the postponement of Christina Aguilera’s August 14 show at US Airways Center struck me: “Christina Aguilera’s Summer Tour Has Been Moved To 2011” As it’s told to us, “due to prior commitments that the singer had made to her film Burlesque and to…
Song: The Beach Boys, “I Get Around” (Remix)Context: Been thinking a lot about Brian Wilson since interviewing him. The Beach Boys: I Get Around (djcruMbs On The Town Remix) by ⦿djcruMbs⦿…
The kids who shop at Zia in Phoenix always manage to do a pretty good job of keeping on top of the latest hip hop and metal trends with a healthy dose of indie rock peppered in. This week is no exception. The Deftones top off their weekly charts, E-40…
Artist: Damien JuradoTitle: Saint BartlettRelease date: May 25Label: Secretly CanadianSo much of the music I’ve listened to this month has been unabashed summertime music — whether it’s Sleigh Bells, The Hold Steady, The Dead Weather, even Band of Horses’ sittin’-round-the-campfire rock — so it was unusual to hear a rather…
The Internet has blown up over the last hour with news that Slipknot bassist Paul Dedrick Gray has passed away. The 38-year-old musician, better known by his nom de rock as “#2” or “The Pig” was reportedly found dead in a Des Moines-area hotel room earlier today. Gray was one…
God forbid you offer a 40 second preview of a track off an album that has already leaked — do so and you subject yourself to the wrath of some self-righteous British dude named “WEBSHERIFF.”Such is the fate of yours truly and the newest album from Ratatat, LP4, which leaked…
Perhaps I cast unfair judgement and assume incorrectly about the readers of music blogs. I often assume that they’re smarter than a huge chunk of the average population, and also that they’re under the age of retirement. How swiftly I have been proven wrong…Okay, not necessarily. While the creators of…
