Artist: Tucson three-piece Roll AcostaTitle: The Dawn EPBasics: Lead by their namesake Jake (Roll), Roll Acosta pound the sensibilities with light, airy rock/pop music.Their sound takes a lot of credit from Acosta’s vocals, which are reminiscent of John Ondrasik — better known to the world as Five For Fighting. As…
Seriously, it’s a great thing Usher isn’t married any more. If he was, maybe it would be more difficult for him to sing songs about threesomes and boobies. But luckily, for listeners everywhere, we get to hear Ursh sex it up on the airwaves, and boy, is it attractive.Yeah.In his…
Remember matryoshkas? You know, the Russian dolls where every time you take them apart, there is another doll underneath, until all that’s left is a tiny little Russian doll baby inside. What was once an addicting thing play with as a kid is now the poster child (get it?) for…
There’s been a regime change at dope downtown Phoenix danceteria Bar Smith, as popular flairtender Chase Crain and a few of his fellow employees (including DJ Senbad and manager Edson Madrigal) recently purchased the bi-level beat emporium and are now running the show. But while Bar Smith’s brain trust may…
The 2010 season of American Idol was the show’s most lackluster yet. No big scandals, no flamboyantly gay contestants, no Paula Abdul train wreck. In the end, viewers were left to vote between a dirty hippie and a paint salesman with no personality. It’s a wonder American Idol Live! is…
Every schoolboy knows that singing and playing the bass is one of the most difficult multi-tasking feats in music. But what about singing and playing cello? That can’t be a walk in the harmonic park, either, what with all the vibratos and double-stops and the large bowed string instrument wedged…
KWSS 106.7 may very well be the Valley’s best-kept secret. Operating as one of the area’s only truly independent radio stations (and perhaps the only one of the FM variety), it is not afraid to play the songs that you always thought should’ve been on the radio but never quite…
Being that we’re neck-deep in the era of indie-rock reunions, I’m shocked that singer-songwriter Natalie Merchant hasn’t yet gotten back together with 10,000 Maniacs. The New York band with whom she rose to fame nearly 30 years ago before exiting in 1993 to launch a solo career has continued in…
Familiar with Ladylike? No? Well, they’re local, yes, but don’t get dismissive, Mr. Phoenix Indie Rock Snob — they’re actually kind of awesome. These guys have a quirky, fun sing-along sound, the kind of music you should drink cheap beer and dance around to, with Stephen Malkmus-y vocals and guitars…
Want undeniable proof that Millennials and their insufferable parents are ruining America?Check out two news stories that broke yesterday involving irresponsibly indulgent parents and the musician children they love.First, we have some band kids at Mesa’s Dobson High School who got suspended after being busted for drinking beer on a…
Artist: ToyboxTitle: Stay AliveBasics: High holy shit, Batman! It looks like YAFI finally got something that is neither countrified rock about make-believe bandits or pop punk from some plucky 17 year olds. What we have here is Toybox, a neat little three-piece that plays Japanese pop. The three members all…
This song is not worth writing about because it’s catchy, and it’s not necessarily sung well, either. But the story behind Mike Posner’s “Cooler Than Me” is an interesting one, and it’s become such a strong force on the Billboard Hot 100 scene, that it’s not really going anywhere any…
When running a radio station without the confines of corporate ownership and the need for mainstream FM commercial viability, the charts have the freedom to run wild. Radio Phoenix then, is always a mix of indie chic, local cool, and a hint of the unexpected. This week is no exception.The…
Sometimes going for the literal makes for one of the coolest fliers. And when that means showing off a picture of what appears to be an exploding birthday cake, the result is even cooler.So is the case with this poster for indie rockers Bomb the Music Industry and pop band…
“The largest psychobilly festival in Arizona!” crows the ad for this 14-band marathon of fetish-cinema-infused, double-bass-pounding hillbilly punk. That the Southwest Psycho-Fest is quite possibly the only psychobilly festival in Arizona is beside the point — if you want to witness the rockabilly essence of the Stray Cats gangbanged by…
A couple of signs you’ve made it big as a DJ: Not only is a major venue in town willing to supply you with serious bank to provide fresh beats, but it’s also plastered a big effin’ picture of your face on the wall. Such is the case with Sean…
With a name like Overcome, it’s gotta be one of two things: A Christian metalcore band or the latest in pharmaceutical “male enhancement.” (Rejected ad pitch: “Wanna put the zing back in your marriage? Overcome.”) Formed in the mid-’90s, the Overcome boys were the first musicians signed by Facedown Records,…
Though they’re self-described as an “indie/soul/rock” band, Brian’s Escape packs a little more heat than those blasé labels might suggest. Loud, heavy, and in yo’ face, they’re better described as power pop with a hint of screamo. Having formed as Breaking the Silence in 2005, the sextet is now releasing…
It’s been three years since the (mostly) annual Ozzfest tour descended on the Valley. That’s hard to believe, especially considering that Phoenix was the site of the first Ozzfest, way back in 1996. True, the 2008 Ozzfest was confined to a single show in Frisco, Texas, and the tour went…
So, Mark Matos is on tour somewhere in the Midwest, gets real far out on an LSD bender, decides to quit his buzz band Campo Bravo, and move away from the “tweaker dens” of Tucson, where they’ve been steadily gaining attention for years. Returning to the Bay Area where he…
No doubt about it, Amsterdam is the most poppin’ place to be downtown on a Friday night. The music is loud, the drinks are strong and crowd is wild and crazy, but also super friendly and welcoming. Check out the scene last Friday in our slideshow…
This week we decided to report on a record store in the deep south. While typically our charts go to the indie shops rooted in CenPho and Tempe, we thought it important to note that people in Chandler buy records too. This week the folks that shop at Zia Records…
