In a year in which the fringe aspects of country music are taking on more shine than ever with traditionalist acts like Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton, and Sturgill Simpson sitting firmly in the spotlight, it’s as good a critical time as ever for Joe Nichols to come in swinging. An…
Up for seeing a great concert this weekend? If so, we’ve got a few suggestions for y’all. As a matter of fact, we’ve got 10 of ‘em, and the list includes shows from a wide variety of genres and formats, from electronic dance music and hip-hop to country and pop-punk…
It’s an end of an era. Black Sabbath has played its final concert; the ride has stopped. A moment of silence for the best and most influential metal band in history. It didn’t feel like the band’s final concert last night at Ak-Chin Pavilion last night, despite the marketing video…
The image of a handful of young dudes barreling around the country in a van touring on neo-psych, garage-influenced rock music has almost become a cliché at this point. Thanks to a steady flow of Burger Records lo-fi cassettes and psych festivals across the country, the sound of this generation’s…
Another year, another Mad Decent Block Party has come and gone. We had our scribes on site to document the music, the culture, and the people. Here’s what they saw. Best: Dada Life’s Pillow Fight Halfway through our journey to Dada Land, the Swedish duo shouted the words “pillow fight,”…
Going into Saturday night’s Prophets of Rage show at Ak-Chin Pavilion, there were two questions that immediately came to mind. The most obvious was why on earth are the members of Rage Against The Machine doing a tour revisiting their past with Chuck D of Public Enemy and B-Real of Cypress Hill…
Looking for a great local concert to check out this week? Look no further. We’ve got the lowdown on biggest and best shows happening at music venues throughout the Valley over the next several nights. And all of ‘em are worthy of both your time and money. For instance, if…
Finding the balance between advances in modern technology and the excess that can come from them has always been at the center of the message that permeates the mysterious and yet mesmerizing music created by Kraftwerk, the godfathers of modern synthesizer music. Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider formed the band…
Up for seeing a great concert this weekend? If so, we’ve got a few suggestions for y’all. As a matter of fact, we’ve got nine of ‘em, which include shows from a wide variety of genres, from the gleeful pop stylings of Demi Lovato and the hip-hop of Post Malone to the emotive indie music of Cass McCombs and the down-home sounds of newgrass king Sam Bush. There are also much anticipated gigs by hometown heroes Jared & The Mill, who will have a release party for their new album at Livewire in Scottsdale on Saturday, and the long-awaited gig by the much-ballyhooed supergroup Prophets of Rage, which features three-fourths of Rage Against the Machine plus Chuck D. and B. Real.
There’s something special about the moment when a big-piece soul ensemble clicks and all the musicians start really feeling each other. That undefinable, magical groove is no doubt what enchanted Daryl Hall and John Oates in the first place and led to their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame career…
“I remember, it was early afternoon, and the car was so hot I couldn’t get in it. I couldn’t touch the steering wheel in the car. I had to start it and run the air conditioner for about 15 minutes,” says Emmett “Murph” Murphy III, Dinosaur Jr.’s original drummer. Murphy…
There was once a time when blues music was a popular force in American music. Funk music dominated the ’70s. Folk singer-songwriters once ruled Billboard charts. Now, blues rarely strays outside the confines of blues clubs, funk music is a garden from which hip-hop artists occasionally harvest to create new sounds,…
At long last, it’s finally here. That moment when the live music scene in Phoenix finally awakens from its summertime slumber and gets into gear. For proof, look no further than the fact that many of the Valley’s various arts centers are kicking off their fall performance schedules in the…
Still got some money, energy, and mojo left over from your action-packed Labor Day adventures? Feel like checking out a cool concert or dance party this weekend? If you answered “yes” to either question, we’ve got a few suggestions for you. This weekend’s slate of “can’t miss” concerts includes emo…
Anthony Raneri, lead singer and guitarist of the emo rock band Bayside, doesn’t care what other people think of him or his band. He is proud of what the group has accomplished throughout their 16 years together and the seven albums they have released. “I learned that you can’t make…
Drake is all about energy. Hell, he even has a song called “Energy.” So when Drake says that Phoenix might be one of the most energetic crowds of his career you just might have to take his word for it. It was clear that Drake was aiming to please the…
One of Phoenix’s prized musical daughters announced a solo tour today, and the first date will kick off in Phoenix. Stevie Nicks, the mystical Fleetwood Mac singer, will kick off her tour on Tuesday, October 25, at Talking Stick Resort Arena. She will be joined by the Pretenders, the Rock…
First, some good news: As of today, the summertime season is officially over with and done. Now, the bad news: that only applies to the rest of the country and unfortunately not us Arizonans. Sucks, don’t it? Like it or not, we’ve still got another couple of weeks of heat…
There are plenty of big concerts to look forward to next year. And as of last weekend, that includes the annual Pot of Gold Music Festival, the two-day outdoor concert extravaganza taking place during Saint Patrick’s Day weekend. Lucky Man Concerts announced the dates of next year’s music festival, which…
Need something to do this weekend? Hope so, since it’s Labor Day and all and you’ve got three straight days of work-free bliss at your disposal. There plenty of pool parties and club parties happening, as well as many other events connected to the Labor Day holiday. And, of course,…
The Flamin’ Groovies would prefer to take the oft-bestowed label as one of the “greatest rock ‘n’ roll bands you’ve never heard of” and kick it to the curb. And yet, 50 years since their humble San Francisco beginnings, this sincere, yet dubious distinction given to them may be be…
The summertime certainly had its fair share of great concerts, including many of the stunning, spectacular and super-sized variety. With that being said, September is going to be even better. No joke. As a matter of fact, we can assuredly state that this month will feature some of the most-anticipated…
