Insane Clown Posse is not a critically acclaimed band, to say the least. While ICP’s press is more positive than it used to be, and that was a low bar to clear to begin with, most of it has focused on Juggalos, their devoted fanbase. Why the FBI decided that…
Alex Trebek, you need to chill. On Jeopardy the other day, host Alex Trebek talked to one the contestants, Susan Cole, for one of the short get-to-know-you interludes he does between rounds. Voice dripping with cynicism, Trebek announced that Cole was into a type of music that “doesn’t sound like fun.” …
While the new generation may ask, without irony, who’s Bob Dylan? And, who cares about Willie Nelson? Many of us know it wasn’t always this way. Once, there was an era that hung on Dylan’s every move, and when the folk singer eventually retired as the protest voice of his day,…
Over the course of just 10 years and four albums, progressive rock/hardcore outfit Pierce the Veil accomplished what most bands strive for yet few achieve: the skyrocketing whirlwind of the rock star dream. But they didn’t get there by seeming “untouchable” or big-money ad spots. Pierce the Veil did the opposite,…
Mitchell Hillman listens to more local music than just about anyone in the Valley. He presents his picks for best new local music in his column, Right Hear, Right Now. No Volcano – “Blackout” No Volcano’s Who Saved The Party was in my top five of The 25 Best Albums…
The 2016 Best of Phoenix edition has hit the stands. Here, we’ll look at the very best of what Phoenix has to offer in terms of nightlife, music venues, dive bars — everything that makes a night out worth it. Best Nightclub: Cake Nightclub Gleaming with style and panache, Cake embraces…
Mitchell Hillman listens to more local music than just about anyone in the Valley. He presents his picks for best new local music in his column, Right Hear, Right Now. Fairy Bones – “Pink Plastic Cups” Before Fairy Bones went on hiatus for the summer, long before they were asked to…
Luna Aura’s career in pop music may be blossoming, with radio play, widespread licensing, and critical acclaim all in the past year, but it’s still the small moments that have the greatest impact. At McDowell Mountain Music Festival this past March, Aura met a family that traveled three-and-a-half hours from…
The 2016 Best of Phoenix issue is on stands now. That means that we’re giving you our authoritative take on what’s good in the Valley of the Sun, and here are the best radio stations to tune into when cruising the freeways of the vast city of Phoenix. Best Hip-Hop…
Now cognizant of the dwindling rock star pool that is 2016, you’ve no doubt you’ve clicked on a story like this a couple of times every day on FaceBook: “BREAKING: Rock Music Legend Found Dead — Please Pray” I only just noticed that the source of this click bait turns…
The 2016 edition of New Times’ Best of Phoenix is out now,featuring a series of “as told to” profiles that explore how our city’s proximity to Mexico makes it better. One day, I was walking down the street in Guadalajara. I was 10 years old. And this man came over…
Behold this massive list of local artists (we counted 245) that will be playing the Arizona Hip Hop Festival on November 19, which promises to be bigger than ever. On top of the flood of Arizona rappers that will be scattered throughout the theater, the festival boasts a few headliners…
That first time at Karamba, the thing I noticed was the conversations. When you go from hearing your language everywhere, all the time, to only hearing snippets sporadically, a single word can almost feel like home. It transports you. “Güey, ¿me das una chela?” a guy asked the bartender near…
To read this essay in English, click here. Aquella primera vez en Karamba, lo que noté fueron las conversaciones. Cuando pasas de escuchar tu idioma en todas partes, todo el tiempo, a solamente oír frases de manera esporádica, una sola palabra puede sentirse casi como estar en casa. Te transporta. …
Tempe-based rapper Thaahum just finished binge-watching the new Netflix original series Luke Cage, so it is understandable that his eyelids are a little droopy. Dressed in a T-shirt featuring the show’s logo, he is struggling to remain tight-lipped about plot details. The artist does manage to avoid spoilers while explaining why…
Jen Rogers was dragged “kicking and screaming” to what a concert almost a decade ago that would later lead to the dream job she didn’t know she always wanted. For a jazz and experimental Medeski Martin & Wood die-hard, and sort-of String Cheese Incident fan who worked at the Phoenix…
As far as culture goes, Phoenix has the best of everything — be that music, art, food, dance, theater, whatever. And it wouldn’t be the same without our proximity to our nation’s southern border. That’s why it’s time to honor Phoenix’s inescapable Mexican influence with this year’s Best of Phoenix…
New York hip-hop legends De La Soul (Dave, Posdnous, and Maseo) have done something a lot of couples, let alone musical groups, can manage. They’ve spent almost three decades working together, and their personal and creative bonds just keep getting stronger. No tabloid drama or separate tour buses for this…
Mitchell Hillman listens to more local music than just about anyone in the Valley. He presents his picks for best new local music in his column, Right Hear, Right Now. Sydney Sprague – “Uncomfortable” Sydney Sprague has been making magic with her music for nearly a decade in the Valley…
The music world doesn’t happen on its own. What we see on the surface is the result of passionate people behind the scenes, writing, creating, organizing, promoting, and working tirelessly to bring music to the venues, bars, and houses of Metro Phoenix. We will look at 25 here, some familiar,…
The music world doesn’t happen on its own. What we see on the surface is the result of passionate people behind the scenes, writing, creating, organizing, promoting, and working tirelessly to bring music to the venues, bars, and houses of Metro Phoenix. We will look at 25 here, some familiar,…
It’s an ordinary afternoon and Bob Corritore is doing what he does best: talking about the blues. Sitting at a desk inside his Scottsdale residence, the renowned harmonica player and blues guru flips through a file drawer filled with two-and-a-half decades of flyers and gig posters from the Rhythm Room,…
