Phoenix Lights 2016 this past weekend was a colorful experience, to say the least. The two-day electronic dance music festival, which invaded Margaret T. Hance Park in downtown Phoenix, was filled with vivid and vibrant hues from start to finish. There were all the colored lights and lasers emanating from…
March came in like a lion and went out like a light for 16 notable musicians. The latest in the Reaper Ranks for the past 31 days, we have the demise a knighted record producer, a prog rock maverick and an actress turned pop star of whom we know that…
When it rains, it pours—and that’s exactly what you can expect from the metal gods this April in Phoenix! It’s springtime, guys, and we’re in that teeny tiny window of gorgeous weather before triple digits start to slap us across the face. The Valley of the Sun is packed with…
A glam indie rock band lead by a strapping young peacock — that’s lead singer Luke Skinner’s nutshell description for his up-and-coming Brit band the Struts. And now they’re bringing those vibes to the Valley. On Friday April 1, they’ll be headlining a free concert at Tempe Marketplace as a…
Mitchell Hillman listens to more local music than just about anyone in the Valley. He presents his picks for best local music in column, Right Hear, Right Now. decker. – “Cellars (W.A.S.H. Remix)” At first listen to the music of decker., it’s difficult to imagine any of their songs being…
Masta Ace has been a rapper’s rapper since he jumped into the game back in 1988, and after a 27-year career he remains one of the most respected underground MCs of all time. He is going to be coming through Phoenix for a date at downtown’s Last Exit Live on…
Like most well-known, middle-aged personalities, Punk Rock, known by friends as simply Punk, is a little coy about disclosing its true age. For the most part, though, Punk’s fans and critics tend to agree it was born in 1976, making this year its 40th birthday. We thought it would be…
It’s not that Spafford has anything against Phoenix or Arizona, it’s just that the super heavy prog-jam quintet doesn’t like being called a “local” band. And as of now, the group is starting to earn the credentials necessary to be called a national act. Not only have more of their…
Carbon-based life forms of the Valley, be warned: the phenomenon known as the Phoenix Lights will once again invade our city a few days from now, bringing with it an otherworldly aura and an array of colorful beings into our midst. But before you start stocking up on ammunition or…
Viva PHX, the music festival that turns downtown Phoenix into a mini-South By Southwest for a night, will return on Saturday, March 11, 2017. The 2016 festival brought around 70 musical acts to 17 venues across the city. If you missed it, you can catch a glimpse of the madness…
The last time The Hourglass Cats (THC) dropped an EP Jan Brewer was still governor, KONGOS wasn’t platinum yet, Black Carl was still together, and Sheriff Joe. . .was still sheriff. But that’s neither here nor there. It has been since June of 2012 since THC has release a collection…
If you are a fan of local art rockers Fairy Bones, there is no doubt that you’ve been eagerly awaiting the release of their newest video for the final track from last year’s Dramabot, “Notes From Wonderland.” It is the group’s best video since the creepy house party that was…
You want to see a magic trick? Because the Maple Ash Farmer Wilson Neighborhood is going to make their annual walking tour show disappear. That’s right, the lads and lassies over in the Casey Moore’s district of Tempe, also known as the Maple-Ash-Farmer-Wilson neighborhood or Zone 1, are throwing another “Vanishing…
The Hourglass Cats – “Rainchecks” After their singles last year were heavily indebted to garage rock influences, I was wondering if The Hourglass Cats had decided on a new direction or if they would still make songs that had that classic Cats sound. I got my answer with their newest…
Seventeen-year-old Elijah Krueger winds his hands up the bridge of his guitar, methodically hitting chord after chord. It takes concentration to even follow his movements, but he plays with a grin on his face like it’s the easiest thing in the world. It’s First Friday, and as throngs of people…
Well, this doesn’t happen too often. Phoenix band Harrison Fjord, which we named one of the 16 Phoenix Bands to Watch in 2016 earlier this year, play a set before the main event at the Bernie Sanders rally in Flagstaff yesterday. As the senator from Vermont began his speech, he…
With a demographic ranging from young trap-obsessed kids looking to turn up, to older weed-loving reggae fans, this year’s Pot of Gold Music Festival was looking to convince every market possible to attend the two-day event at Rawhide. Veteran underground hip-hop legends Atmosphere joined the likes of Slightly Stoopid and…
Formed in the good old days (see: early ’90s and 1992, specifically), Tempe, Arizona band Alison’s Halo enjoyed a healthy run as a fully functional recording and live band for the majority of the decade. Founded by married couple Adam and Catherine Cooper (guitar and vocals/guitar respectively), and Lynn Anderson (bass,…
Mitchell Hillman listens to more local music than just about anyone else in the Valley. He shares his picks for best new music in his column, Right Hear, Right Now. The Sink Or Swim – “Wasted Time” I had never heard of The Sink Or Swim until I got an…
There’s a faint buzzing in the air on the day I sit down with Nanami Ozone to hear the band’s demos from their debut album. It’s an overcast, sleepy haze — the sky is tuned to static — and drummer Mo Neuharth is fiddling with her vintage stereo. While the…
For music fans who are also inclined to delve into comics books from time to time, Coheed and Cambria are the perfect band. The name of the band itself comes from the writings of the New York-based band’s guitar playing lead singer, Claudio Sanchez, and his Evil Ink Comics series,…
Slug has something to say. In fact, Slug has a lot to say. Ask one-half of the Minnesota-based Atmosphere to expound on a question and ready yourself for an unfurling that only a rapper who’s been at this for three decades can deliver — the man indulges in words, unfolding…
