Claiming blues legend Muddy Waters as a teacher is something few musicians can do with a straight face. “Steady Rollin” Bob Margolin is one such musician. Already showing promise as an upstart blues musician following a short-lived foray into the psychedelic rock world with Boston’s Freeborne (the band’s lone album…
The holidays are fast approaching, which means while you’re baking a ham, mashing potatoes, and putting those crispy onions on the green bean casserole, your mother is drunk on egg nog, and your father is going out of his way to push your buttons. My dad and I don’t generally…
A fledgling online radio station that launched in early August with a focus on local music is losing support quickly after its general manager and registrar of the station’s website, allegedly posted a racism-laced rant on Facebook in the wake of the unrest in Ferguson, Missouri. After New Times contributor…
Being the torchbearer of the modern American doom metal movement can be a tough job, especially when you list Kansas as one of your favorite bands. But it makes sense, according to Pallbearer bass player and vocalist Joseph D. Rowland, who says the band’s progressive tendencies are just as important…
An estimated crowd of more than 7,000 people came to the Global Dance Festival at Tempe Beach Park this past weekend, most of whom were dressed both warmly and colorfully for the outdoor electronic music massive — including hordes of attendees in outrageous and over-the-top costumes. Others went with skimpier…
In late October, we introduced The 10 Most Influential Punk Records of Arizona. Over the next few weeks, we will reveal how we’ve ranked each record, and we will take an in-depth look at the people and circumstance behind each album’s creation. When I was a young’un, we would often…
I have personal issues with Black Friday. I just don’t get it. Why would you leave your house after a perfectly good day of football and feasting to embark on a wild goose chase for yet another flat-screen television or deep fryer, no matter how deeply discounted they are? Rabid…
Earlier this year, New Times celebrated the cream of the crop with our 36th annual Best of Phoenix edition. Here are our top picks for places to hear music in metro Phoenix. Best Venue for Local Acts: Crescent Ballroom Local bands aspire to perform at Crescent Ballroom, and when they…
Downtown Tempe is in no danger of running low on electronic dance music or off-the-chain dance parties anytime soon, what with the clubs of Mill Avenue pumping out four-on-the-floor jams and killer drops most nights. The clamor of beats and bass coming from Tempe is going to get even louder…
By Gabriel San Roman It was no coincidence that Rage Against the Machine released The Battle of Los Angeles on what’s traditionally observed as Election Day in the United States in 1999. The 2000 election season was already in gear, with Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore setting…
“A monthly exploration into Latin Rhythms across genres” reads the subtitle of Clandestino!, a highly rumored and now-realized Latin night at Crescent Ballroom. Does Phoenix have a “Latin Alternative” audience big enough to sustain a monthly party at the most relevant music venue in town? El Nico, curator and mastermind…
Walking through the back rooms of the Tempe History Museum, it’s easy to get distracted by the various artifacts of the city’s lore. Boxes are stacked like in the last scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark; one clumsy turn could result in someone accidentally getting his face melted. Navigating…
If it seems odd that a band named Modern Baseball lives in a house named Michael Jordan, well, that’s all just part of the fun. After all, it wasn’t as though this Philadelphia pop-punk quartet devised some master plan that would make them stars. From the start, Modern Baseball just…
It’s official! Hot Buttered Rum, a five-piece bluegrass band from San Francisco (of all places!), is now more popular than the après-ski cocktail of the same name. At least, the group finally shows up above the drink in Google searches. “We’ve arrived!” guitarist Nat Keefe says with a laugh from…
Tucson’s Shooda Shook It are, well, a little weird. But the relatively new group is that kind of weird that is both an entertaining spectacle, while also laying down some solid funky dance music. Fronted by twins Kee Kopps and Dawn Copps, the group has only been playing live for…
The Valley of the Sun has a lot of musical talent that spans across all genres. However, when it comes to heavy metal, the desert spawns some killer musicians. So we decided to take a look at some of our favorite heavy metal shredders. There’s no way to really define…
I’ve never had an interest in Screeching Weasel, as I don’t listen to punk music that comes off like it was meant to be the soundtrack of a straight-to-video film about kids rollerblading in a shopping-mall parking garage. I listened to Boogadaboogadaboogada! a few times (primarily just so I could…
For thousands of years, the drum has been one of the most integral pieces of human civilization. It’s provided a steady beat for everything from war marches and healing ceremonies to weddings and initiation rituals. Beginning November 15, Phoenix’s Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) will host its “Beyond the Beat” exhibition,…
It’s clear that El-P and Killer Mike, the explosive rap duo that make up Run The Jewels, give a shit about their fans. You need look no further than how they handled the funding for Meow The Jewels, the tongue-in-cheek proposal to remix Run The Jewels 2 with nothing but…
There are three bands about to come through Phoenix that have, collectively, been writing, recording, playing and influencing heavy metal for around 100 years. One. Hundred. Years. You might think, yeah, okay; that’s impressive. What if I also said that, collectively, these bands have released more than 30 studio albums,…
Wait a second, you might say — Phoenix has a Jewish funk band? It’s true. As the name implies, Jerusafunk skillfully blends traditional klezmer with the ass-bopping sensibilities of R&B rhythms, tossing in jazzy twirls here and there. Using instruments such as bass clarinet, saxophone, and trumpet, the band attacks…
Cohesion is the name of the game for Dum Dum Girls’ Dee Dee Penny nowadays. Though you might know the band because of its highly acclaimed first album, I Will Be, the band’s sound has morphed four years later from a lo-fi, surf vibe heavy on female vocal harmonies to…
