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…
50 Cent wasn’t in the club but the grocery store in Phoenix last night, as he partied not with Bacardi but with vodka — Effen Vodka, the brand the rapper invested in last year. The rapper, with the help of the Phoenix Suns dancers, helped sell $10,000 in vodka at…
Even if you don’t know the synth-pop stylings of MS MR, make sure to shake the hands of Lizzy Plapinger or Max Hershenow if you see them around town — it’s likely that you indirectly owe them something if you’ve turned on a pop radio station in the past three…
Mitchell Hillman listens to more local music than just about anyone in the Valley. He presents his picks for best new music in his column, Right Hear, Right Now. Sunset Voodoo -“Sweet Release” Last year I was pretty enamored with Sunset Voodoo’s sophomore EP Strange Things and it seems they…
You’ve probably read numerous articles over the years that talk about the different pre-show rituals of popular musicians. For instance, Coldplay doesn’t take the stage without having a group hug (yes, you can gag if you want to). Others, who eat before performing, have specific things they like to ingest…
Saints and The Hellions – “Goodbye My Sorrow” Saints and The Hellions just released their debut EP Brave Words and Bloody Knuckles online and in record stores over the last few weeks and it’s a solid four-song punk rock affair from beginning to end. Saints and The Hellions are a…
March always brings a packed calendar of events to the Valley of the Sun — we have Spring Training, which brings more than 100 baseball games spread across a dozen fields, lots of outdoor festivals, and the calm before the 100 degree days. The spring also prompts bands out to…
After the carnage that was January 2016 when we lost David Bowie AND Glenn Frey and two members of the Jefferson Airplane on the same day, media outlets felt it was their duty to tell us that since they ain’t making classic rock musicians anymore, we’d better get used to losing…
Love him or hate, you cannot deny the artistic impact of Kanye West. Since his debut album, The College Dropout, came out in 2004, West has managed to influence and sculpt the hip-hop world, whether is through the speed-up soul sampling of his early days to his avant-garde, auto tune-heavy sound of…
