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…
Phoenix native Josh Graham knows a thing or two about sights and sounds. The 42-year-old musician and visual artist brings his current band, A Storm of Light, to Yucca Tap Room on Friday, August 26. Graham and his bandmates, Domenic Sita on bass and Billy Graves on drums, are doing…
During the past seven years, decker. has been recording music quite clearly drawn from the very land of the Southwest itself, from all that is comforting, eerie, haunting, healing, harsh, and beautiful about it, as though he and his partners are able to somehow evoke the very taste of Arizona…
In an industry where top earners are praised as “electronic cash kings,” it is no surprise that the world of DJing and dance music is preponderantly patriarchal. Despite the historical context and deafening statistics of male dominance within the DJ industry, women are now more visible than ever. While the…
Courtney Marie Andrews is always in flux and she wouldn’t have it any other way. The Phoenix born-and-raised folk artist has spent the better part of her adult life in some state of movement, never lingering in one place for too long. Though Arizona will always be home – “It’s…
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. AJJ – “Junkie Church” There was a rash of concern when AJJ released the video for “Goodbye, Oh Goodbye” that…
Adele sends her love, Phoenix, but she has to cancel tonight due to illness. Refunds will be available at point of purchase. In a video posted to her Twitter account, a red-nosed and puffy-eyed Adele told fans that she’s been battling a cold for the past few days, but the…
“Come over here / let’s make some time,” pleads singer/guitar player Daniel Shircliff at the start of “Baby Wants More,” on the Christian Family’s new self-titled, seven-inch EP on Slope Records. The record contains four tracks of stripped-down, gospel- and blues-tinged garage punk perpetuated by Shircliff, who also fronts local…
Between a Clinton running for president, a new Star Wars flick, and the Guns N’ Roses “Not In This Lifetime” tour, you’d be right to wonder what decade this is. Maybe “How Many Times In This Lifetime?” would have been a more appropriate tour, though it certainly packs less of…
The Summer Slaughter Tour hits Marquee Theatre Saturday, August 13, and with it comes a death metal lineup that is, in a word, punishing. Alongside headliner Cannibal Corpse are Nile, Suffocation, After the Burial, Carnifex, and a whole slew of other absurdly heavy bands looking to plunge thunderously dark and…
Back in 2004, Andrew Jackson Jihad played local Phoenix venues for tiny audiences. But over the past 12 years, they’ve made six acclaimed studio albums, headlined international tours, and risen to the forefront of folk punk before starting fresh with a new sound. If you’re in any way involved in…
