It’s not difficult to hear why Pet Sounds, celebrating its 50th anniversary this summer, is considered to be one of the greatest albums in music history. It was a game changer upon its release in 1966, a marked departure point for The Beach Boys and a defining pinnacle of Brian…
Suffering from a little cabin fever after spending all of your free time indoors lately? Can’t say we blame you, considering the average temperature outdoors is around 108 degrees these days. It might do you a bit of good to get out of the house, however, and we’ve got several…
We’d understand completely if you’re planning to lay low this weekend. And we’re sure you’d have plenty of justifiable reasons to so. It’s the dog days of summer, for instance, or you could still be recovering from the Fourth of July weekend. And the latest season of Orange is the…
It’s 2016 and Vancouver’s White Lung have no qualms about it. Although steeped in punk’s history and aesthetic, they prefer to innovate rather than look to the past. While their most obvious influences stem from ’80s hardcore and feminist didactics expressed in ’90s Riot Grrrl fashion, their newest album, Paradise,…
Evan Stephens Hall already has an idea of what heaven looks like — creatively speaking, of course. The frontman of New Jersey indie rock band Pinegrove, Hall seems like the kind of musician who just has to get it out via whatever medium he has at hand. Luckily for him,…
You know that licking toads to get stoned isn’t exactly an urban legend, right? If you piss off Bufo alvarius, it will secrete 5-MeO-DMT and bufotenin, two highly potent psychedelics chemically similar to DMT. The Colorado River toad is actually native to the Sonoran Desert, but there’s another legendary psychedelic…
Happy Fourth of July everyone. If you’ve still got some mojo and, more importantly, money leftover from spending the three-day weekend partying and playing hooky from work, there are several notable shows happening this week. The list includes gigs by pop princess Selena Gomez, indie singers like Mitski and Japanese…
We’re about to hit what’s known as the dog days of summer, a period of the summertime that’s particularly loathsome due to the fact its muggy as hell outside and no sign of relief on the horizon (save for the occasional monsoon storm). Thankfully, we’re also about to roll into…
Ted Nugent. Ted “Fucking” Nugent. He calls himself this frequently. During a 45-minute phone conversation, he must’ve said “Ted fucking Nugent” at least a dozen times. The man is mesmerizing and drunk on confidence, even if he never takes a drink. There really is no one else quite like him,…
XIXA came to exist almost by accident. The Tucson sextet – formerly known as Chicha Dust – formed and began playing the Peruvian style of psychedelic cumbia as a way to get more gigs without overbooking the solo projects of its two co-founders, Brian Lopez and Gabriel Sullivan. With almost…
Punk rock is many things. It’s fun, it’s furious, it’s chock-full of rebellion, and for some, it’s a labor of love. With any luck, it’s all four of those things. Enter Brendan Kelly, singer/guitar player of the Falcon. Kelly’s a busy man. The Chicago-area native is married, a dad to…
There’s an urgency to New Madrid. It’s evident by the opening thrust of “Not In Me,” the lead track on the Athens, Georgia, band’s latest effort, magnetkingmagnetqueen. Sporting rapid, airy vocal overlays pushed by a frenetic drumbeat and prog-ish guitar licks, the song makes it clear New Madrid is not…
If you want the best rock ‘n’ roll concert in Arizona this summer, you’ll have to travel south. Rock legends Kiss kick off their ‘Freedom To Rock” tour at AVA Amphitheater in Tucson on the same day we celebrate America’s independence. Nothing says Fourth of July like a Kiss, right?…
Comerica Theatre was almost full on Sunday, June 25, when Kenny Rogers said farewell to his Phoenix fans. The almost two-hour performance/retrospective was highly entertaining and, at times, bittersweet, as the 77-year-old singer sang a great many of the hits from his near-60-year career. For those who came to hear…
Looking for a memorable concert to check out this week? You’ve got plenty of options, including the following “can’t miss” selections that comprise our weekly list of the best concerts happening over the next several nights. And its certainly an eclectic list, to say the least, as it features costumed…
Fishbone played 22 songs last night at the Rebel Lounge over what seemed like half a day. The 37-year-old Los Angeles-based group played one of the more perplexing sets I’ve ever seen them play. It was good, even really good at times, but maybe it’s me or maybe it’s them,…
Here are our concert picks for the weekend. If you’d like dozens of more options, check out our comprehensive concert calendar at www.phxconcerts.com. George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic – Friday, June 24 – Marquee Theatre There are those who believe there’s nothing left to say about funkmaster-general George Clinton and…
“I know it’s late. I know you’re weary. I know your plans don’t include a shirtless Kenny Rogers on your sun porch. But there he is; the screen door was unlocked, and he was thirsty. Water would have been fine, but all he found was Chivas. So he’s drinking that…
Brad Shultz of Cage The Elephant doesn’t have the Southern accent you would expect from someone native to Kentucky. He’s eager for the tour to reach Louisville, which is two hours north of Bowling Green, Kentucky, where Shultz grew up. His feelings toward his hometown seem to have mellowed in…
Seldom does a band come around that exemplifies the true essence of lamentation like Pennsylvania’s dreary pop-rock quartet Nothing. Beyond sheer talent and vision, Nothing has overcome a truly jagged past, the sort that many melodramatic try-hards posture toward but could never live up to. Born from the unmistakably grim…
If you can manage to make it outdoors without catching heat stroke, there are plenty of live music options this week. Here are our weekly concert picks; if you’d like more options, check out our comprehensive concert calendar at www.phxconcerts.com. Lonesome Wilderness – Monday, June 20 – Valley Bar Lonesome…
As you’ve probably heard a million times by now, it’s going to be phenomenally hot this weekend. Phenomenally. Hot. So much so that it’s probably best to do the vampire thing and stay inside while avoiding sunlight at all costs. After dark, however, it will be a bit more tolerable…
