The Sound Strike has hit a rough patch.Yesterday, a federal appeals court again blocked SB 1070, which you can read all about on our Feathered Bastard blog, meaning the extremist Arizona immigration law will likely never take effect. That’s great news for people who support the state’s migrant community, but…
Were you at the big Soundwave Music Festival at Big Surf this weekend?If so, check out our photos here. While you’re browsing through those photos maybe play a little Where’s Waldo with the face of Up On The Sun cartoonist Robbie Pfeffer.Pfeffer hadn’t been to a rave in several years,…
Lady Gaga fell off of her piano at her Houston show on April 8 but continued to sing throughout the fall as though it didn’t even happen, according to Billboard.Gaga straddled her burning piano mid-song during the Born This Way track “You and I,” lost her balance, hit her knees…
The last time we caught up with the Meat Puppets it was mostly to talk about the ‘Arizona scene’ after a rough week at Austin’s South by Southwest music conference.Regrettably, I didn’t even mention the band’s new record Lollipop in that piece. But, yes, the Puppets put out a brand…
Leading the way, then, for today’s new releases is Nine Types of Light, the fourth album from Brooklyn indie rockers TV on the Radio. The band has been cursed with the Midas Touch since their debut album as seemingly everything they produce instantly turns to gold. 2006’s Return To Cookie…
RAC (Remix Artist Collective) are playing Bar Smith on May 6. Not familiar with RAC? Well you’re certainly familiar with the artists they’ve remixed — U2, Radiohead, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, John Lennon, The Shins, and Pink Floyd, among a ton of others.The Collective is pretty populist, tackling indie acts like…
Song: Cage The Elephant, “Aberdeen”Context: I really like this song from the new Cage The Elephant record. Looking forward to seeing the guys open for The Black Keys in Mesa this week. Aberdeen – Cage the Elephant by mssngpeces…
The Shizz has announced the lineup for this year’s Shizzfest. The two-day festival is spread over three venues and features sets by the usual suspects (Minibosses, Father’s Day, Peachcake, etc.) from the Phoenix website as well as a few touring acts, a Nintendo Tetris tournament and an art show. Full set…
AzRockabilly, a local web site that promotes Rockabilly shows and general culture will be celebrating its anniversary with a show featuring The Meteors, the British band credited with starting the psychobilly movement in the ’80s.California’s Cold Blue Rebels and Calabrese, open along with S.O.L. The show is scheduled May 6 at…
For the first time in a long time, it’s finally been a good week to be Britney Spears. Britney has teamed up with Rihanna to make a remix of Rihanna’s hit “S&M,” according to Consequence of Sound.The power-pop duo has been teasing the track on Twitter, writing both to their…
It’s been nearly a year since Governor Jan Brewer signed SB 1070 into law, unleashing a shitstorm that’s still going although the law was blocked by courts and will likely never take effect in any meaningful way.While The Sound Strike, the organization promoting a boycott of Arizona led by out-of-state…
Song: Michael & Janet Jackson Vs. Gorillaz, “Stylo Scream” (Stanwik Mashup)Context: Janet Jackson comes to Comerica Theatre tonight. Her 1995 duet with Michael, “Scream,” has always been one of my favorite tracks by either Jackson sibling — very underrated. And remember that video? Super cool. Check out this mashup remix…
Standout Phoenix alt-country act Tractor Pull Divas is doing a fundraiser for Helen’s Hope Chest, a charity affiliated with the Mesa United Way. The Hope Chest provides clothing and other basic items for foster children in the Valley. Band member Ryan Brown is himself a foster parent and says he’s…
, according to Pitchfork.Fight For Your Right Revisited is the Beastie Boys’ new star-studded 22-minute short film directed by the group’s own Adam Yauch. The film features the group’s new songs “Make Some Noise” and “Too Many Rappers,” which are both tracks from the upcoming album.The trailer is hilarious and…
Payton J. CurryThe chef recently launched a pop-up concept at the Welcome Diner. When you put your key in the ignition and turn on the radio, what station would play right now? Cat Power Radio. It’s been one of those weeks for me. I don’t do radio at all. What’s…
Song: Aaron Lewis, “Country Boy”Context: The insufferable fakeness of this terrible song is the focal point of a piece in this week’s issue. The Tea Party bullshit and the sample of the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” at the end are only part of the reason why — picturing this…
Sarah Ventre went in search of the story of the oldest record ever made by an Arizona artist in this week’s issue. Those records were made by original cowgirl singer Billie Maxwell and her humble family band from Eastern Arizona in the 1920s.To do that, Sarah spoke to one of…
Came across the A-side of this fantastic reissue courtesy of stellar site TITTYSHAKERS (potentially NSFW depending on your job, the site features no nudity, though it’s obviously on the risque side). The site features the kind of sleazy cuts that would have been heard in the 50s and 60s, totally…
Billie Maxwell’s “Cowboy’s Wife” is one of those subtly powerful songs that leave you haunted and still. Recorded in 1929, the track depicts the day-to-day toils of its protagonist, a woman living a tough life in the mountains of eastern Arizona. Maxwell sings sorrowfully about a scene in which she…
Have you seen the episode of 30 Rock where Jane Krakowski’s character, Jenna Maroney, “goes country” by wearing Daisy Dukes and a cowboy hat, recording a Western-style theme for NBC’s off-season tennis coverage? Aside from being one more joke in a long series of jabs at the network that airs…
This week’s feature is on the very first recorded music made by someone from the state of Arizona. The music of Billie Maxwell and her family comes from eastern Arizona’s White Mountains and was put on wax in the late 1920s. Maxwell wasn’t only the first Arizonan to record music, but she…
The Grammy Awards committee has decided to eliminate 31 award categories. Apparently, 109 categories was finally thought to be a little excessive, according to Prefix.Not only have the categories been narrowed down, but some of them have also been combined. It’s very likely that this will lead to artists being…
