The music scene 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,…
There are many reasons to look forward to this time of year: the weather’s nicer, the days are shorter, and both the nightlife and music scenes get way livelier. Big concerts and even bigger music festivals are headed our way, including the annual Mad Decent Block Party. One of more…
Park City, Utah, is a paradox of a place in the summertime. The green hills are quiet in the early mornings but bustling with activity in the afternoon, tourists window shopping at boutiques that specialize in overpriced work-wear and Western motifs: a $500 pair of jeans here, a $700 denim…
Phoenicians love to combine music and skateboarding. From Jody Foster’s Army (aka JFA) to AZPX Records (and Skateboards) and beyond, skaters have been making music, supporting bands they love, and shredding empty backyard swimming pools, riding ramps, and local skate parks since the late ’70s. Flash forward to 2016 and valley…
The music scene 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,…
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. Harper and The Moths – “Lose My Touch” Harper and The Moths have promised a lot of surprises for their…
Someone ripped off Future, and Drizzy isn’t happy about it. The two rappers played a concert at Talking Stick Resort Arena last night (read our review here). According to TMZ, someone sneaked onto a tour bus at an undetermined time and nabbed a suitcase containing somewhere between $2 million and…
The title of the lead single off Diners’ new album three, called “Fifteen On A Skateboard,” telegraphs what the song is about, at least on the surface. The song begins with some audio of skate wheels on pavement, and as the chorus hits, brimming with warm, hazy nostalgia, singer Tyler…
Brian Faber, the owner and vice president of Zia Records, died on Sunday, September 4. The store announced the news today in a statement on its social media channels. The cause of death, according to the statement, was a brain hemorrhage and a stroke. “Brian was full of boundless energy…
Planned Parenthood, the country’s largest provider of reproductive health services, is hosting a nationwide livestreaming concert on Saturday, September 10, to promote abortion access. “All Access” features headliner Sia, the five-time Grammy-nominated artist whose infectious “Chandelier” was likely stuck in your head for much of 2014. (She’s also playing a…
Here in Phoenix, September means “back to school” for both kiddos and collegiate-minded folks. For us metalheads, however, it means “back to shows.” And believe us, there are plenty of heavy metal and hard rock concerts happening in Metro Phoenix this month. The summer provided a long stretch of hot…
Press PhotoIt is OK to admit that you like System of a Down. Just admit it. There’s a lot of bad music out there. There are always people debating genres like contemporary country & Western and top 40 music, but at the end of the day, the most reviled and…
According to Justus Samuel, the organizer behind Respect The Underground and the AZ Hip Hop Festival, August 2016 was the most important month ever for Arizona hip-hop. It was a month of album releases by local artists, the culmination of years of hard grinding. It was a month where multiple…
Even the Grim Reaper has to hang up his scythe and take a vacation once in awhile, and nothing shows he was slumming it in August more than the emergence of that Indonesian dude Mbah Gotho, who both claims to be both the oldest man alive at 145 and the…
Jimmy Eat World- “Sure And Certain” In all honesty I was going to write about Jimmy Eat World’s new single “Get Right,” but then they released an even newer song on Tuesday and I liked that even more. One thing is for sure, whether it’s “Get Right” or “Sure And…
“When I go out, I want to hear things I’ve never heard” explains Jesse Keeler, who’s half of the electronic music duo MSTRKRFT. “I feel like dance music was all about that forever, then at least in the last while, people have been too worried about, I guess, losing a…
If you’re looking for a unifying theme for this column, here it is: It’s dedicated to exploring what one of my oldest and dearest friends calls “the uncanny valley of music.” I’ve mentioned it here before. For anyone who missed it, here’s how it works: Take a band like The…
The music scene 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,…
A heated argument at a popular Phoenix bar early this morning escalated into a shooting that injured two people. According to Phoenix Police Department officials, an after-hours dispute between two men inside of CJ Talley’s Pub became violent after they took the fight outside. A total of four people became…
The music scene 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,…
A longtime voice of and advocate for the local music scene, KWSS morning show host Brad Pfirrman, a.k.a. Beef Vegan, is leaving local airwaves. Friday morning, August 25, will be his final show. “It’s bittersweet,” Pfirrman says. “But I’m excited to start this new chapter in my life.” For almost…
Streaming music is, at best, for the most basic music consumer. At worst, it’s exploitative and shitty. All of the major streaming platforms tout the fact that they are an amazing way to discover new artists. But for more serious listeners, that claim is usually empty. I’ve never “discovered” an artist…
