Lymbyc Systym, Yucca Tap Room, 9/21/12

Lymbyc Systym @ Yucca Tap Room | Friday, September 21, 2012Jared and Michael Bell, who make up the entirety of post-rockers and former locals Lymbyc Systym, may be brothers but they seem like polar opposites. Mike is definitely the more extroverted one and it shows through his dynamic drumming display…

Merle Haggard, Wild Horse Pass Casino, 9/21/12 (VIDEO)

Merle Haggard @ Wild Horse Pass Casino | Friday, September 21, 2012 We pity the grim reaper on the day he comes to collect the soul of Merle Haggard, because the iconic country musician won’t be going anywhere without putting up a major fight. Without a speck of hyperbole, Haggard…

Suicidal Tendencies, Marquee Theatre, 9/21/12

Suicidal Tendencies @ Marquee Theatre| Friday, September 21As I moved through the crowd tonight during Suicidal Tendencies’ make-up date at Marquee Theatre, I stopped to lean against a rail. An older woman in front of me was texting on her phone. As my eyes wandered to the bright glow of…

Within These Walls at Nile Theater, 9/21/12

H2O, Youth of Today, and Run With The Hunted Within These Walls @ Nile Theater| 9/21/12Last night marked the second year of local hardcore festival, Within These Walls. Last year was a success, with a full day of music on both stages. Most Precious Blood and H2O were the headliners,…

Fiona Apple and Blake Mills, Mesa Arts Center, 9/18/12

Fiona Apple and Blake Mills @ Mesa Arts Center|Tuesday, September 18Singer/songwriter Fiona Apple has a reputation. Her public struggles with fame and her label give the impression that a Fiona Apple performance could fall apart at any moment. But it never came close last night at Mesa Arts Center. Not…

Mac Demarco, Trunk Space, 9/18/12

Mac Demarco @ Trunk Space| Tuesday, September 18Seeing totally disparate genre blends in one night is cool, but it’s always nice to see a bill that is fully united under one auspice. I’m going to give last night’s Mac Demarco show an easy filing: The Joy of the Floor Tom…

Pretty Lights, Comerica Theater, 9/18/12

Pretty Lights @ Comerica Theatre| Tuesday, September 18, 2012Damn, summer ended so quickly. It was gone within a blink of an eye. It was nice to be able to fit in one more Pretty Lights show. I last saw Derek Smith — the man behind the electro/soul sound of Pretty…

The Gaslight Anthem’s Benny Horowitz on Handwritten and SB 1070

It’s a pretty good time to be The Gaslight Anthem. The band, which at times sounds like a nostalgic punk rock version of Bruce Springsteen, recently signed to a major label to release its forth full length album, Handwritten. After the band’s frontman, Brian Fallon dedicated some time to bluesy…

Judd Makes Its Songs Up on the Spot

When most bands perform, they’ve had plenty of time to rehearse their set and get it down perfectly before getting on-stage. For the members of Judd, they won’t have any idea what lyrics or melody they’re singing until their show, and that’s how they like it…

Walkmen, Crescent Ballroom, 9/16/12

See also: The Walkmen Can’t Be Beat on Heaven (Q&A with Hamilton Leithauser) See also: The Full Walkmen @ Crescent Ballroom SlideshowThe Walkmen @ Crescent Ballroom| Sunday, September 16, 2012The Walkmen have always sounded worn. “Sometimes I’m just happy I’m older,” singer Hamilton Leithauser belted on “We’ve Been Had,” from…

Arturo Sandoval, Musical Instrument Museum, 9/14/12

Arturo Sandoval @ Musical Instrument Museum| 9/14/12It took all of eight minutes for jazz trumpeter Arturo Sandoval to lead his band into a driving Latin jazz tempo, one that would remain for most of the evening. Following slow warm-up featuring Sandoval and his keyboardist gently feeling out their instruments, Sandoval,…

Top Five Must-See Shows This Week

Yeah, yeah, yeah…we get it Mondays suck (we’ve read Garfield). But it means the start of a new week, which means a bunch of killer shows in and around Phoenix. And here are a few of the coolest, our top five must-see shows this week…

Los Amigos Invisibles, Crescent Ballroom, 9/13/12

See also: Los Amigos Invisibles Tried to Make a Pop RecordLos Amigos Invisibles and B-Side Players @ Crescent Ballroom | Thursday, September 13, 2012 The bleachers that cradle Crescent’s backwall were uncharacteristically vacant last night when Venezuela’s feisty funk fellas, Los Amigos Invisibles, breezed through town. I was one of…

Swans and Xiu Xiu, Crescent Ballroom, 9/13/12

See also: Xiu Xiu’s Jamie Stewart: “Gnarly and Deep” See also: Swans’ Michael Gira Returns With The SeerSwans and Xiu Xiu @ Crescent Ballroom| Wednesday, September 12, 2012It was a night worth gutting one’s helpless past. Guys with goatees in the front row were pounding their fists on the stage;…

Passion Pit at Marquee Theatre, 9/11/12

See also: Passion Pit: The Electropop Band is Doing Just Fine These Days Passion Pit @ Marquee Theatre| 9/11/12Massachusetts electropoppers Passion Pit haven’t performed in the Valley in almost three years. The band’s second full-length album, Gossamer, was released a couple of months ago, and fans responded quite well to…