Not to get all up in your grill, William Safire-style, but there’s a real etymological crisis going with the word “keening.” It’s a noun that means “a wailing lament,” or the act of creating same, but many journalists — especially arts critics and the like — choose to brandish it…
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Phoenix surf-rock trio Thee Jaguar Sharks should change their name, like, yesterday. You can dick with the definitive article all you want — it doesn’t mitigate the fact that there are at least three other working American bands named after the…
Since Nickelback-bashing has become almost as clichéd as the band’s music, I decided to take a different approach. I registered at the band’s official message board, nickelbackforum.com, and asked some of Nickelback’s biggest fans why, exactly, they like Nickelback. Here are some of the replies: Russell, board moderator: “By incorporating…
It never hurts to have friends in high places — just ask The Thermals. The Portland, Oregon-based band got a career boost when Death Cab for Cutie lead singer Ben Gibbard got hold of their self-produced debut album, More Parts Per Million, and subsequently passed it along to Sub Pop…
Singer/songwriter John Vesely will bring more than his smoldering emo-boy looks to the Marquee Theatre this weekend. Vesely will be in Tempe with Secondhand Serenade, his acoustic pop-rock solo act, as part of his “Fast Times at Secondhand High” tour. We can’t help but wonder whether the tour’s moniker will…
When it comes to breakbeats, there’s no bigger fan of the EDM genre than DJ Louder. In fact, the 31-year-old spent most of the past decade sharing his love for pounding syncopated, polyrhythmic tracks at clubs and raves around the Valley, much as he’ll do this weekend during the Breakbeat Boutique…
Courtney Marie Andrews Painter’s Hands and a Seventh Son (River Jones Music Label) Grade: B+ Legend has it that Courtney Marie Andrews first tried her hand at songwriting when only 13 years old. Now 18, under the tutelage of River Jones and his music label Andrews has released two full-length…
Mondegreen is planning to take some time off of playing out to work on writign and recording a new record, but first they’re playing a show at what they’re calling “the only ‘cool’ bar in Scottsdale.” “No shiny shirts required!” they say.Now, we can disagree with Mondegreen on whether The…
Phoenix has been good to DJ Emile. Throughout a big chunk of the ’90s, the outspoken mixmaster amassed some hefty fame and fortune as one-third of the PHX’s notorious turntablism triumvirate, the Bombshelter DJs. Together with Z-Trip and Radar, the trio rocked many an underground party while working the wheels…
Upon hearing The Voodoo Organist for the first time, you can’t help but think, “Yup, that’s a voodoo organist, all right.” Unlike his colleagues in The Killers, Vampire Weekend, The New Pornographers, et al., lead singer and songwriter Scott Wexton is not one for ironic misnomers. Yes, Wexton’s preferred instrument…
With Ozzfest on hiatus this year as Ozzy Osbourne works on a new studio album, the summer festival circuit seemed ripe for a new entry in the heavy metal market. Unfortunately, the few festivals that have attempted to fill the void haven’t given fans much to get excited about. Last…
Writing about bands you like is easy. Writing about bands you hate is also easy and occasionally enjoyable, especially if it’s a band that everyone else seems to love. By contrast, coming up with 200 meaningful words about a band that no one cares about (including, apparently, the band itself)…
Bronx-based rapper Fat Joe is involved in a tense game of mudslinging due to his feud with the wife of deceased rapper Big Pun. The widow, Liza Rios, has alleged that Fat Joe failed to pay her family the royalties from the album released by her late husband Big Pun,…
Not too long into my first spin of Blood on the Dance Floor’s two full-length albums, Let’s Start a Riot and It’s Hard to Be a Diamond in a Rhinestone World, I have to admit I was feeling old. Because, seriously, when music frightens and confuses you, that’s probably the…
It’s sort of our job to attend any theme party in town so when we heard about the Sail Inn’s Toga Party, we figured it would be a slideshow-worthy night.And it was…if you’re into hippies and male nipples, that is (click here for the goods).The Tempe bar is tucked away…
I’m not sure we’ve honored them with a Flier of the Week nod before, but Colorstore is another one of the Phoenix bands who consistently delivers great concert posters. This week’s pick, for a show at Rhythm Room tonight, has some great typography, something too infrequently honored in this weekly…
If ever there were a theme song for Scottsdale’s current nightlife situation, it would undeniably be David Bowie’s 1971 hit “Changes.” Especially since Old Town’s scene has been in major flux this summer. Renowned establishments like Sugar Daddy’s and Mickey’s Hangover have blinked out of existence and weeklies like House 7340…
Take psychedelic rock — composed by just one person — then slap on some Swedish vocals, and you’ll end up with a recipe for what would seem like some has-been niche band from the 1970s. For multi-instrumentalist Gustav Ejstes, the creative force behind Swedish rockers Dungen, it works well. The…
In 2004, when the Pixies got back together, thereby launching the alt-rock reunion industry, Frank Black told the Boston Globe, “We’ve had this chip in our back pocket for a long time — we’re cashing it in this year.” So how much worth is left in the chip when a…
It’ll take more than a sprained knee and a “low-grade malignant tumor” to keep Depeche Mode from spreading their time-tested brand of brooding synthpop across America this summer. Consider the band’s many personal tribulations: lead singer Dave Gahan’s heroin addiction, lead songwriter Martin Gore’s seizures, and lead wallflower Andy Fletcher’s…
One thing is certain about Mesa’s only known ska-rock septet: They picked a hell of a fun name. Go on. Say “Captain Squeegee” to yourself a couple of times and try not to crack a smile. Try to deny the mental image of a wacky Halloween outfit or the latest…
When you call your band Incubus, you’re asking for all the obvious demon-rapist jokes along with references to the ridiculously cheesy B-movie horror classic. But we’re better than that here, so let’s try to focus on the music. While most of the band’s peers in the somehow still-solvent “alternative” rock…
