Pool parties have become a major hallmark of the warmer months here in the Valley. So much so that it seems like every weekend during the spring and summer features a stylish poolside bacchanal of drinks, dancing, and DJs happening somewhere in either Phoenix or Scottsdale. And then there’s Wet…
When Slope Records began releasing vintage Phoenix punk records toward the end of 2015, there were a few jewels in the crown for the fledgling label. One of those jewels was a 1987 live recording by the infamous Mighty Sphincter, which was released under the title Undead at Hammersmith Odeon…
“The beautiful part about jazz is it’s like the gumbo,” says saxophonist and keyboardist Doc Jones, who’s played with the likes of Aretha Franklin and The Temptations for more than 30 years. “There’s all styles of jazz, from Boston over to smooth jazz to acid jazz, and on and on,…
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. The Maya Spectra – “Music Box” The Maya Spectra is in the process of relocating to Phoenix, and that’s good news…
The Valley’s own The Summer Set are back with a new album and a full supporting tour after last year’s reported breakup. “We’re running through old songs, learning new songs, and kind of playing the longest set we’ve ever really played,” says frontman Brian Dales. “I’m excited about everything.” The…
Music lovers in Mesa just got another reason to stay in town and off of the highway. Zia Records announced this morning the opening of an 11,000-square-foot superstore in Mesa on 1302 South Gilbert Road. It appears Record Store Day has started a day early. The store’s opening is slated…
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. The Hellflowers – “Running Through The Fog” The Hellflowers may be based in Los Angeles, but half of their lineup hails…
When a band like the Valley’s own BroLoaf tells you its new record has “pop sensibilities,” you just have to roll your eyes. Those who have witnessed the spectacle of the almost 8-year-old band’s live show understand the general need to eye-roll when the subject of the “Loaf” comes up…
Though it may seem contrary to the notion of becoming a successful band, ignoring trends may be the best way to get discovered. At least, that concept proved successful for The Darkness. Formed in 1999 by brothers Dan and Justin Hawkins, the pair set their sights on the big time…
Nonpareil is a band that want to tell it like it is. Locally grown but internationally influenced, the Phoenix-area quartet plays a noisy brand of post-punk carefully designed to enthrall and motivate the listener and will please even the most discerning devotee of the great Dischord Records label out of Washington,…
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. Snake! Snake! Snakes! – “In My Head” Depending on how long you’ve been into Snake! Snake! Snakes! you’ve been waiting…
You can never have too many urinals, right? That probably wasn’t the logic that went into some of the new renovations at Mesa music and event venue, the Nile Theater, but the addition of bathrooms, urinals, and a small room in the men’s room area has allowed the venue’s overall…
In the six years between the release of the self-titled debut of awkwardly punctuated Phoenix band Snake! Snake! Snakes! and the upcoming release of the group’s sophomore record, Tranquillo (due out April 9), the rock ’n’ roll four-piece has changed an awful lot. For starters, the group traded in ivory…
As the temperatures rise, those who travel via motorcycle begin to hit the open road. Bike festival season is on the horizon. The big four nationally recognized veteran bike events are well-known across the US: Sturgis, South Dakota; Myrtle Beach, Florida (both in their 76th year); Daytona Beach, Florida in…
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…
