The road to Austin’s SxSW music and arts festival is a long and arduous one. A total of 1,006 miles to be exact. (Well, according to Google Maps anyhow.) One of the many Valley acts making the trek in March include local Latin reggae rockers, Fayuca. Last week the trio…
I wasn’t being hyperbolic when I called St Ranger the most promising young band in Phoenix in my list of personal favorite records from last year. The indie pop band’s newest five-track LP, Life Coach, proves my point, brimming with harmonious group vocals, jangly guitar interplay, and chill atmospherics. The…
New Times Soundcheck 2012 Night 1 New Times Soundcheck kicked off with 14 diverse and talented bands. Regardless of personal tastes, every performer was entertaining to watch. Like most music festivals, the artists played at overlapping times and made for some difficult decisions. Fortunately, the festival is arranged so that…
Lenny Kravitz Comerica Theatre Sunday, February 12, 2012 Lenni and Lenny, together at last. Until last night, I had been waiting years to say that. The baby-making music was full-speed ahead at Lenny Kravitz’s show Sunday night. Clearly, the crowd was disgustingly excited, everyone on their feet before Kravitz even…
New Times Soundcheck Saturday, February 11, 2012 Club Red Two stages: check. Fourteen bands: check. Sound: check. The New Times Soundcheck Festival concluded last night at Club Red with 14 kickass local acts. Day two emulated Friday’s kickoff with a varied musical palate that included an injection of Valley hip-hop…
Casey Donahew Band Denim & Diamonds Friday, February 10, 2012 “Up all night sippin’ on whiskey n’ drinkin’ beer.” Well that definitively described the concert by the Casey Donahew Band last night. The energy level was so high, you almost didn’t notice that drummer TAZ was missing. He was in…
New Times Soundcheck Friday, February 10, 2012 Club Red It’s been a great week for local music fans. The much-anticipated 100 Years of Music That Defined Arizona article came out a couple days ago, and we’re halfway through a pretty big music festival. Check out the full Phoenix New Times…
This weekend is going to be busy in the Valley of the Sun. Not only is New Times invading Club Red/Red Owl for Soundcheck Festival 2012, featuring Glass Heroes, Sugar Thieves, The Love Me Nots, Father Figures, Jason Devore, Crusher Sound System, The Insects, and many many more, but there…
Unwritten Law Roxy Lounge Thursday, February 9, 2012 Unwritten Law has had an interesting career. Lineup changes are to be expected with any band that’s been around for over 20 years, but most frontmen don’t have “physical arguments” with (soon-to-be-former) bandmates. That leaves Scott Russo, the only original member of…
Arizona is pretty much as Southwest as it gets. What other state can claim Southwestern staples like the OK Corral, Grand Canyon and SB 1070. (We said claim, not be proud of.) It’s only natural that our local bands get some serious stage presence at SxSW, Austin’ yearly arts and music…
Without music education, it’s safe to say there would be no Bears of Manitou. To help foster the local talent of the future, the band is pairing with Ear Candy Charity, a local nonprofit that seeks monetary and musical instrument donations to help with Arizona’s dismal arts education funding, for…
When we last touched base with Hooves, they were splitting town, cramming into the Bikini Lounge for a goodbye celebration before heading to Washington. I noted “…we can take comfort in knowing they’ll be back to visit. It’ll be “Party Time” then, but it’s hard to imagine it all feeling…
Saturday night was a good one for emotional rock ‘n’ roll. The Jealous Sound (featuring former and current members of Knapsack, Sunday’s Best, Foo Fighters, and Sunny Day Real Estate) aired tunes from its brand new record, A Gentle Reminder, at the Rogue Bar in Scottsdale. Source Victoria, whose last…
George Strait at US Airways Center Wow, I truly underestimated the amount of country fans in Arizona. Rising to their feet for the only and only “King of Country,” George Strait walked onto the stage and the crowd went crazy. They whistled so loud that my ears continue to ring…
Social Distortion Marquee Theatre Friday, February 3, 2012 Phoenix loves Social Distortion, and the band loves Phoenix, including not one but two stops on their most recent tour. Last night was business as usual: The band played a packed venue to a sea of drunk burly guys and tiny girls…
Roll Acosta, Field Tripp, and The Foleys Rogue BarFriday, February 3When you first think about modern, professional Beatles cover bands, you’ll likely think of a few things. Primarily, middle-aged men will use any excuse to wear a Sgt. Pepper’s jacket. They’ll also take any opportunity to speak in a Liverpool…
George Strait US Airways Center Friday, February 3, 2012 Wow, I truly underestimated the amount of country fans in Arizona. Rising to their feet for the only and only “King of Country,” George Strait walked onto the stage and the crowd went crazy. They whistled so loud that my ears…
“All My Ex’s Live in Texas.” That’s true for me. What about you? The one and only “King of Country”, George Strait, will be in Phoenix performing live tomorrow night, Friday, February 3. Now maybe it’s just the fact that I am originally from Texas that makes me excited to…
It’s official, folks: Emo is cool again. Don’t believe me? Listen to “Fall In,” the third track on the highly buzzed about Attack On Memory from Cloud Nothings. The song is straight out of the late ’90s/early ‘aughts emo playbook: Strained vocals, frantic drums, and the kind of guitar tone…
The Lost Leaf in Downtown Phoenix is notoriously loud. Both on the crowd side and on the music side. Last summer, I saw Former Friends of Young Americans singer Toby Fatzinger and Marco Holt of The Tremulants perform solo sets there and they were literally drowned out by the bar-hopping…
Zola Jesus, Talk Normal Crescent Ballroom Wednesday, February 1, 2012 In my interview with Nika Danilova, the leader of Zola Jesus, she spoke of her reticence to embrace her childhood dream of pop stardom. While there’s little chance of her tearing up the Billboard charts, Danilova commanded the stage with…
Citizen Cope at Marquee Theatre I’ve been to more exciting Citizen Cope shows over the past few years, but last night’s solo acoustic gig was still a tight show for different reasons than I’m used to. Clarence Greenwood sounds fabulous when he plays with his band, but he held his…
