When Coloradans talk about great musical artists with local roots, they seldom mention jazz guitarist Bill Frisell. Frankly, the omission is mystifying. Frisell has been releasing albums under his own name since 1984, and there’s not a single embarrassment in his extensive catalog, despite the variety of stylistic options he’s…
While people have often picked on Lovett for his looks (they’re just jealous they didn’t have a brief marriage to Julia Roberts), you can’t really argue with Lovett’s merits as a performer — the man’s released 13 albums, won four Grammy Awards, and appeared in more than a dozen films…
If you’re planning to head to The Door in Tempe to hang out at Groove Candy this coming Hump Day, a minor course correction is in order, yo. That’s because the crackalackin’ Wednesday-night hip-hop affair has flipped the script and moved northward to Lyte Lounge, 7419 East Indian Plaza in…
By Benjamin Leatherman It always takes some dexterity to maneuver through the cramped aisles of the seemingly closet-sized East Side Records, 217 West University Drive in Tempe. But believe us, a little fancy footwork and extra is totally worth visiting the shop, since East Side’s got all the good shit,…
Arriving at Chandler Cinemas on a recent Saturday night feels like walking into a subpar episode of The Twilight Zone. The strip mall that houses the cinema (along with a Target store) is huge, but at midnight on a weekend, the entire place is gloomy and dead quiet. When I…
Let’s start off on a positive note: Fetti Profoun is an immensely talented rapper, capable of spitting 16 witty bars that could dust most competitors at MC battles. And the instrumentation and production here are stellar, from the smooth sitar sample that drives the song “Blue Skies” to the sexy…
As the Southern-rap money train runs out of steam, it’s fitting that the style is currently — and, perhaps, terminally — resting in the land of its neon-drenched, reality-detached origin: Miami. Flo Rida, proprietor of the most-hyped release of this commercial down cycle, started his career as a hypeman for…
Katy Perry’s capable of remaking herself for any promising target demographic. In her teens, she delivered achingly sincere contemporary Christian fare that didn’t turn out to be achingly sincere after all, and her One of the Boys persona — flirty, snarky tart — feels equally phony. The production, by a…
The Electric Bunnies’ music makes me feel as though I’m beating off to pornography while my wife sleeps in the same room. Good thing I ain’t married and can enjoy the Electric Bunnies in public. Wow! This four-track, vinyl-only EP is an excellent example of the Miami garage punk rock…
A crew of Digital Age composers, the Republic Tigers pass around song files like intraband demos, loading them onto ProTools rigs and sculpting massive creations from the initial song chunks. Starting with the hard elements of rock — guitar, drums, bass line, melody — the Kansas City band stacks vocal…
Who would ever have thought Stone Temple Pilots would top off 16 drug- and drama-addled years by hitting the road for a reunion tour? Then again, rehab’s expensive, and with at least three albums’ worth of solid music (out of five), the band can make a killing with 65 greatest-hits…
The Atlanta crunk duo of Kaine and D-Roc (Ying Yang Twins) may be better known for their collaborations (the singles “Get Low” and “Salt Shaker” with Lil’ Jon, Britney Spears’ In the Zone album, their Chemically Imbalanced album with Wyclef Jean as producer), but the pair’s latest album, A.T.L. Holes…
Life apparently goes on for the DJs of the recently closed nightspot Glam. Not only is Faux Show founder Jared Alan hunting for a new home for his decadent dance extravaganza, but Kevin the Makeout Bandit and the other beat-spinning boys of the former Word Up! Saturdays have debuted a…
The movie may not be highbrow, but the Rocky Horror soundtrack contains some great songs. Of course, “The Time Warp” is timeless and essential listening for anyone who wants to learn how to do the Time Warp dance in the film, but so many of the 14 tracks here could…
By Lilia Menconi The power of their attractiveness makes you want to check the slideshow. Tempe just got a lot bigger . . . if you happen to be in the bar scene, that is. Since we can remember, a night out in Tempe meant Mill Avenue or Casey Moore’s…
By Benjamin Leatherman This week’s list of the top 10 best-selling albums at local music stores comes from Kimber Lanning’s indie emporium, Stinkweeds Record Exchange, 12 West Camelback Road. Here’s what being bought at the shop: 1. The Hold Steady, Stay Positive (Vagrant) 2. Fleet Foxes, Self-titled (Sub Pop) 3…
It’s a sweaty Wednesday and I’m running some errands after work when I find myself on the west side of Phoenix. I’m on autopilot, stuck in traffic, when I spot an oasis — a lighted sign that says nothing but “Cocktails” on an old, nondescript block building. I barely avoid…
If you have wanted to check out Phoenix-based Treasure Mammal, but aren’t ready for one of his longer efforts, listening to this 7-inch is the perfect way to ease yourself into his unique (if not slightly disturbed) sonic art. “Ain’t No Shame in My Game” features a sparse techno beat…
Phoenix metal band Fracture Point sounds like a mastodon stampede, but instead of directionless destruction, this beast intelligently winds its way through a well-constructed maze of down-tuned guitars, burly bass lines, screaming solos, and tricky timing changes. In the “sounds like” category, they’re akin to bands like Lamb of God…
When the members of Three 6 Mafia won a 2006 Best Song Oscar for “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp,” from Hustle & Flow, they reacted with so much exuberance that they made Cuba Gooding Jr.’s Jerry Maguire acceptance speech seem restrained by comparison — and even though the…
While parents have predictably freaked out over the social menace imposed by the blues, jazz, secular R&B, rock ‘n’ roll, heavy metal, rap, and techno, they never seemed to bat an eyelash over Steely Dan. In fact, they seemed to dig the band more than anyone. And it’s a testament…
Cute Is What We Aim For is likely the perfect 21st-century pop band. Almost purpose-built for short-attention-span marketing campaigns, the four gents in CIWWAF focus so heavily on pop sheen, hooks, and scenester touchstones that it’s often difficult to figure out just what the sum of the parts is. Then…
