Jordin Sparks, the Glendale teen who won American Idol only to become Phoenix’s official unofficial National Anthem singer, is “on a mission to spark some change by inspiring teens to make a difference.” That “difference?” Emptying a cow’s udders. Sparks is the latest celebrity to don a fake milk mustache…
It’s hard to believe ASU’s Gammage Auditorium has never hosted a hip-hop show — even for ASU, that’s pretty whitebread — but organizers of this weekend’s Civil Disobedience Part Wu, are claiming the concert, a charity event for the Crisis Nursery of Phoenix featuring Gza of the Wu-Tang Clan, and…
THURSDAY 1 AZ88: DJ Mark 5 (rare groove, trip-hop, house) Baja Tilly’s: Electric Thursdays with DJ Flair (Top 40, pop, hip-hop) Blue Martini: DJ Mendez (Top 40, ’80s, dance) Bobby Q’s: All-Star Thursdays (hip-hop) Bomberos: Rani G., dk.strickler, Deon Pearson, & Alkeme (house) Bunkhouse: DJ Doom (dance) Chronic Tacos: DJ…
Jen Deveroux has become the hipster queen of putting on cutie-pie parties for the big-sunglasses crowd, like this summer’s Adult Swim and Tune in Tokyo. So it’s somewhat apropos that the 30-something promoter’s latest weekly gala is called Royal Filth and will take place every Saturday at the Rose and…
Anthony Daniels does not speak Bocce. He is not fluent in over 6 million forms of communication nor is protocol his primary function. He’s just an actor known for playing one of the most recognizable robots in cinematic history: C-3PO. It turns out that the one trait he does share…
Graffiti art has muscled its way into the mainstream. If you doubt it, just take a gander at one of Jon Gosselin’s designer-douche T-shirts, or check out the packaging of virtually any energy drink on the market. That shizzle is ubiquitizzle, yo. Still, graffiti art remains controversial, probably because it…
Somewhere along the way — probably after Garth Brooks invented the “arena country” genre in the early ’90s — country music lost its sense of humor in the quest for pop crossover moolah. Sadly, the twangy novelty tune became a thing of the past. Country music used to embrace its…
There’s no denying that Ingrid Michaelson is an indie-rock success story. The singer has sold many, many copies of her 2007 album Girls and Boys. Michaelson’s “The Way I Am” was featured heavily in an Old Navy ad campaign and her track “Keep Breathing” received some buzz after being played…
Portsmouth, New Hampshire, seems an unlikely locale for a punk band to form, but such is the case for The Queers who call the “Old Man in the Mountain”-less state. Rumor has it that the old-school punk rockers, who formed in 1982, were inspired by their name as a way…
More than one music journalist has dubbed this art-rock trio a “supergroup . . . of sorts.” Basically, that’s just industry shorthand for “a side project featuring musicians from two or more obscure but critically admired bands that have never sniffed the Billboard Hot 100.” In other words, they ain’t…
Does a Starfucker by any other name sound as sweet? We’re about to find out. In a recent interview with their hometown newspaper, the Portland Mercury, the synth-pop foursome officially put the ixnay on the snarky moniker that has served them so ably and profanely since they started playing as…
In Caribbean culture, the “calypsonian” holds the responsibility of being a social commentator, a collective voice for the people. Calypsonians’ music has altered elections, sparked social revolution, and uplifted repressed minorities. The unique thing about calypso is that while the message is often related to social consciousness, the music is…
This week’s cover story, “Rasta Redmon,” explores the cultural and musical connections between the indigenous people of Arizona and Jamaican reggae artists, told through the story of Hopi reggae artist Casper Lomayesva. As a supplement to the feature, we’ve posted several of Lomayesva’s songs below, along with a link to…
Phoenix music fans had a full plate last night with Insane Clown Posse and Bon Iver in town. We know picking a show was a tough decision for a lot of people, so we reviewed both (Bon Iver here, ICP here).We’ve also been tracking twitter postings from both camps –…
BY LINDSEY HOLDER Think Bon Iver is too mellow and folksy to rock? Well, they’re not. At the Mesa Arts Center last night, they transformed their normally minimalist folk rock into a booming, volcanic eruption of a show that hypnotized the audience from the opening strum to the final trailing…
It’s that time of year! Shizzfest, our locals-only semi-annual fest, is scheduled for October 10 and is set to span three stages including The Trunk Space and neighboring candy shop slash vinyl store Sweets & Beats. The gigantor lineup boasts Andrew Jackson Jihad, Rumspringer, Snow Songs and So And So,…
Rolling Stone: Phish Tease Fans With Halloween Cover Options: Nirvana, MGMTIdolator: “Rolling Stone” Holds Senior Portrait Day For Bono And The EdgeIdolator: Amy Winehouse Backup Singer Works The “Viral” WorldNME: Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA disputes Ghostface Killah lawsuit claimsNME: Britney Spears returns with single about having a ‘threesome’? – audioPitchfork: Sunny…
Some folks may label Corey Busboom as a curious DIY-mad scientist, but at least one person doesn’t think that the man’s homemade musical instruments are too far out there. Namely, Mark Mothersbaugh of ’80s band Devo. As documented in this January 2009 story by Benjamin Leatherman, Mothersbaugh snatched up a…
Say what you want about Insane Clown Posse: Never before in the history of popular music has a band created so complete a lifestyle for its fans. The Dead, Buffet, and Slipknot don’t even come close. No, the Detroit-based rap duo’s concert at Tempe’s Marquee Theatre last night wasn’t much…
This show was supposed to be two shows. But, going up against Bon Iver in Mesa, promoters wisely combined the two very different sounds of !!! and The Cave Singers. In the end, !!! took the stage at Rhythm Room around midnight, following a long, long line of acts: Lightning…
Hey, remember Grand Avenue? You know, that crazy diagonal street where The Paper Heart and The Red Door used to be? Apparently, some First Friday-goers are so dazzled by the flashy spectacle that is Roosevelt Row that they’ve forgotten poor little Grand, which is currently seeing a Renaissance of cool shops and galleries…
NME: Danger Mouse and The Shins’ James Mercer launch new bandElectric Mustache: mp3: Rival Consoles “1985”Electric Mustache: Videos: The Horrors at The Clubhouse 9/28/09Idolator: Bruce Springsteen Is Now Born To Run Through His AlbumsPitchfork: Lil Wayne Raps on New Weezer AlbumRolling Stone: Lady Gaga Readies New Single for “SNL,” “The…
