In covering Country Thunder for the better part of a decade, I’ve had some enlightening highs (seeing John Fogerty play CCR tunes from 10 feet away), some serious lows (waiting out a pissing rainstorm in the freezing cold wearing only shorts and a short-sleeved shirt, clutching a soggy reporter’s notebook,…
The last artist to win both the Grammy Award for Album of the Year and the Canadian Juno Award for Album of the Year was Alanis Morissette, who won the twin North American honors for 1995’s Jagged Little Pill. This puts Montreal band Arcade Fire and their record The Suburbs…
It’s hard to know whether Talib Kweli is giving up on the music industry because he’s aware of the minimal value of label promotion for artists outside the top sales tier or because the breakup was mutual. Though Kweli arrived big — releasing an absolutely classic album as Black Star…
The nip-slip. There you go — that’s the reference you were expecting when you saw Janet Jackson’s name. Yes, it was one of the more iconic media moments in recent history, giving conservatives in America a rallying point for their crusade against the decay of our society. For Janet Jackson,…
Yellowcard had their first taste of mainstream success with “Ocean Avenue,” the upbeat title track from their fourth album. That track was a hit in 2003, back when The O.C. was must-see TV and teenagers were obsessed with all things related to Southern California, which seems like a long time…
Garrett Dutton and his band, G. Love & Special Sauce, don’t create ordinary blues pop. G. Love offers variety on both his solo albums and those he made with Special Sauce. With a style that ranges from smooth rhymes over a funky guitar on some songs to laid-back, slow, and…
Though it’s been almost a decade since Zach Sciacca put the Valley in his rearview mirror, the artist known as Z-Trip (pictured) still casts a huge shadow over the local scene. There seem to be few DJs in town who aren’t connected to the turntable titan. We’ve lost count of…
The electro-house sensation known as Wolfgang Gartner stopped by The Marquee Theatre last Saturday for a non-stop party that lasted nearly two hours. Ladies in neon bikinis and fishnets were among the dancing masses. Check out this week’s Club Candids for a glimpse of the mischief…
When I was growing up, my parents always told me that it’s impossible to please everybody. Boy, were they right. Unfortunately it’s impossible to please all of our readers, which means we occasionally receive some emails or comments that are really out there. I knew what I was getting into…
Tomboy doesn’t drop until a week from tomorrow, but NPR has given the album its Exclusive First Listen treatment…
The Sound Struck strikes again. The group is leading a boycott of Arizona and features a handful of passionate musicians along with a bunch of people who have nothing to do with music whatsoever but wish to voice their opposition to a crazy immigration law that was blocked by a federal judge before it…
The Empire Polo Club in Indio, California has booked a third event to go down on their grounds between Coachella and the Stagecoach country festival this April.Metal fans are rejoicing over The Big 4, a one-day concert featuring some of metal’s most prominent acts: Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax.In an…
Though Murs got his start in L.A. in the early ’90s, his message has always been anti-gangster, thumbing his nose at the violent outlook of gansta rap over beats that are just as infectious. His delivery is strong, clear, and honest, whether he’s making social commentary about race and violence,…
Brendan James seems like an awfully pleasant guy with a nice voice, but how did the super-softest of soft rock become acceptable to listen to without scorn from friends and family? Reviews of Brendan James make comparisons to David Gray and Elton John. I don’t think critics are connecting James…
San Francisco’s Joe Louis Walker is a bluesman’s bluesman, appreciated more for his talent and dexterity than his star appeal. Walker’s most recent studio release was 2009’s Between a Rock and the Blues, and the title’s an on-the-nose clue-in to what’s in store. Blues aplenty, but with a rockin’ emphasis…
Trendy dance music genres tend to come and go (anyone remember B’More?), but electro-house seems to have stood the test of time, particularly in the clubs and danceterias of the Valley. One of the latest burgeoning talents helping keep the genre alive is Wolfgang Gartner. The Grammy-nominated DJ/producer’s funky and…
Over the years, metal has spawned such subgenres as grindcore, metalcore, doom metal, black metal, and thrash metal, but it doesn’t get much heavier and darker than death metal. Hailing from sunny Southern California, Carnifex plays the type of aggressive and visceral death metal that has been redefining the genre…
The Kills are kicking off April in fine form, releasing their fourth album Blood Pressures next Tuesday. For those who simply cannot wait another week for some more unbridled, grimy garage rock from Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince, the band is offering a stream of Blood Pressures via their official…
Title: I Imagine So…Basics: What say you to a YAFI first — at least for my tenure? That’s right, I’m talking about some smooth, uncensored jazz. No more pop punk or countrified rock. Just the sweet, dulcet tones of Warren L. Jones III and his supporting cast. Jones has a long, impressive history…
If there’s one thing that Scottsdale excels at, it’s excess. To wit: Even though Old Town’s nightlife district already is populated by plenty of Mexican-inspired drinkeries (Dos Gringos, Loco Patron, Salty Senorita, et al.), why not add one more to the mix? Enter El Jefe, the tony taco and tequila…
Singer-songwriter Torquil Campbell trades in opposites. With Canadian indie pop group Stars, he’s often at his most grandiloquent, as befits the band’s often sweeping, grandiose sound. With Memphis — a Canadian indie pop duo with longtime friend Chris Dumont — Campbell is subtle, as befits the combo’s more intimate jazz-tinged…
Title: WednesdayBasics: Billed as “funk-based blues and straight-ahead rock n’ roll,” Third and Maryland (TAM) play more blues than rock on their first full-length. The majority of the album is stripped-down, mellow rock with a few upbeat tracks bookending everything. This all leads to an unfortunately disjointed effort that feels…
