New California singer-songwriter Andrew Block loves Moon Valley. The sentiment won’t be found in any of his lyrics, or even in anything he says. Rather, it’s emblazoned on the garish — and frankly silly-looking — baseball cap perched on his head. “I’m not trying to make a statement,” he jokes,…
With a mane of long hair held back by a red bandanna and a full growth of beard covering his face, Roger Clyne looks very much like a hippie. And, as he’s quick to point out, on the forthcoming Peacemakers album, he’s finally not afraid to sound like one, either…
It seems good fortune has been smiling on several members of the Valley’s indie rock class of ’94. With the much-hyped release of Jimmy Eat World’s Bleed American just a few weeks away, now comes word that longtime mates Reuben’s Accomplice are also set to drop a highly anticipated collection…
While last week’s Bash & Pop took great pains to mention the impending concert arrivals of music legends Lee Hazlewood (July 9 at the Rhythm Room) and Joe Strummer (October 18 at the Cajun House) we neglected to note perhaps the most anticipated upcoming Valley gig, that of an August…
There are ominous rumblings emerging from singer Robin Wilson’s much-maligned Gas Giants camp. The latest bit of info more or less confirms long-circulating rumors that the group has all but called it quits. According to Wilson, the band is on an “indefinite hiatus,” but it appears that may be an…
Much of the discussion surrounding the growth of DJ culture had focused on the myriad subgenres and styles that have exploded in recent years. From drum ‘n’ bass, house and jungle to techno, trance and acid jazz, it seems that each season brings with it a new prevailing trend. But…
While Valley stalwarts Les Payne Product will be saying farewell this week (see Payne-Less) with a show at Nita’s Hideaway, some familiar names will be using the concert bill — which features a handful of top local indie acts including Reuben’s Accomplice and the Slowdown, among others — to debut…
Like everyone else, we here have heard the ominous rumblings, frightening whispers, foreboding rumors and the like. But in what is surely one of the seven signs of the impending apocalypse (for the others, see the Tool review in this week’s Recordings), we have confirmed that it has finally happened:…
About an hour into the conversation, Jimmy Eat World frontman Jim Adkins finally slumps back into his seat and lets out a long, deep sigh. “You can’t take this shit seriously, man — especially if you’re in the middle of it. You can’t take any of it seriously. I mean…..
Utter the words “public access” and you’ll probably elicit little more than a comical wince from most people; the very term conjures up images of a wasteland of low- and no-budget television programming. Admittedly, the bulk of public access fare usually falls into two categories: kids-with-cameras goof fests (à la…
After an eight-year run, local pop-punks Pollen are calling it quits. The group announced its imminent demise from the stage this past weekend, confirming rumors that had been circulating for several weeks. The band — which relocated from Pittsburgh to the Valley in 1994 — has seen its star on…
It’s 10 o’clock, the television is on Channel 3 and the NewShow is on, but something is wrong, very wrong. There’s no dancing letters, no familiar theme song, and — gasp! — co-anchor Liz Habib is sitting down. Welcome to the new NewShow. KTVK-TV Channel 3’s nightly broadcast — which…
It’s a cold Thursday evening in early February, right in the heart of what’s been an unremittingly bleak — at least by Valley standards — winter season. As the bark of a dog guarding a nearby scrap yard echoes faintly in the night, I find myself sitting in a car…
Local promoter (and self-proclaimed “Independent Rock Martyr”) Rob “Fun Bobby” Birmingham has announced details for the first annual Fun Bobby Festival. The three-day event, held at Mesa’s Hollywood Alley, will showcase some top local acts as well as a bevy of rawk and punk bands on their way to the…
Even in an era marked by its frequency for highly touted busts — the Supremes reunion, Speed 2, the Steven Tyler/Justin Timberlake Super Bowl dance-off — it’s still a disappointment when a band fails to live up to its hype. Even more disheartening are those instances when a group can’t…
Gloritone drummer Scott Hessel is an avid sports fan. A regular at Phoenix Suns games and an avowed ESPN junkie, Hessel is familiar with the old notion of “taking one for the team.” And it’s fortunate, because that’s exactly what the trapsman did last Friday during an unbelievably outlandish appearance…
Sunday afternoon and the smell of pomade is heavy in the room. Such an air is to be expected when there are 40 or so rockabilly types packing a sweltering Cannery Row, whooping, hollering and generally acting about as rowdy as the bug-eyed XFL fans mugging on the TV screens…
After nearly 18 months of anticipation, setbacks and delays, Valley music aficionados and compophiles are finally hailing the release of the local music sampler Not One Light Red. The disc is a joint venture between Modified impresario Scott Tennent’s fledgling This Argonaut label and Before Braille singer Dave Jensen’s Sunset…
Of the many acts swept up in the mid-’90s’ record company signing frenzy that hit Phoenix, few stayed very long in the major-label fold. Of those, only the Phunk Junkeez, inked to Interscope in 1995, are still standing with contract intact. This week, the rap-rock pioneers return with the release…
It’s nearly midnight on New Year’s Eve, and the Arizona Roadhouse and Brewery is packed. The place is filled with revelers and roots music courtesy of the Rustic Record label and its cohorts: the Trophy Husbands, Heather Rae and the Moonshine Boys, Nitpickers, Grave Danger, Mark Insley, Chicken. As the…
The last few months of 2000 have proven fruitful for Valley music. With a series of high-profile CD releases and promising debuts from a number of new bands, the scene seems to have escaped the typical year-end doldrums. But it’s also been a bittersweet time, the winter air heavy with…
The living room of Jamal Ruhe’s downtown Tempe home is a mess. The small quarters are cluttered with amplifiers, cables and instruments of every variety and size. Amid this labyrinth, it’s nearly impossible to find a place to sit down. The only unoccupied seat, it turns out, is behind the…
