NEW TIMES’ OVERALL TOP 25 Based on rankings of the top 25 albums of 2010 as picked by 13 New Times staffers and contributors. 1. Kanye West — My Dark Twisted Beautiful Fantasy (10 ballots) 158 points 2. Deerhunter — Halcyon Digest (6 ballots) 122 points 3. Arcade Fire —…
You know that Person of the Year thing where Time magazine profiles a person who “for better or for worse has done the most to influence the events of the year”? If I were doing something similar for the Phoenix music scene, Zack de la Rocha would get the nod…
Naming Phoenix’s best records is always a tough task. As far as year-end lists go, it’s exponentially more difficult than naming the best albums overall. Why? Well, for a national list, I have no problem just going with what I enjoy. But when it comes to the local list, I…
Every year a few ridiculous stories get squeezed in between the serious ones. In honor of the year coming to a close, it’s time to poke some fun at those who entertained us by making the stupidest headlines in music news in 2010.In no particular order, here are some real…
If you missed out on last Thursday’s action-packed memorial to the soon-to-be-shuttered Eastside Records, tonight provides one more opportunity to raise a toast in honor of the store. A half-dozen local rock and punk bands will present a final farewell to Eastside this evening at CenPho dive bar Philthy Phil’s…
Artist: Neil Young Title: Le Noise Release date: September 28 Label: Reprise Neil Young is a first-rate iconoclast and one of the few successful rock artists who has remained truly uncompromising throughout his long and storied career. Of course, uncompromising can result in inconsistency, something that has followed Young around…
This week’s issue of New Times has Best of 2010 lists from a slew of contributors to our music section as well as Nothing Not New columnist Jay Bennett and a few other staffers. We compiled 13 writers’ lists of the top 25 albums of the year into our own…
Unless you’re planning on planting yourself at home to avoid the usual drinking and driving drama, New Year’s Eve always mean parties…and plenty of ’em: parties at clubs, in the street, and even at palatial mansion or two. But a party on a pedestrian bridge somewhere in Phoenix? You gotta…
Song: The Love Me Nots, “Move In Tight”Context: The Love Me Nots are back playing shows after singer Nicole Laurenne beat a recent cancer scare. They’ll be at Yucca Tap Room on New Year’s Eve. Oh, and a familiar face — original drummer Jay Lien, who left the band in…
Artist: Girl Talk Title: All Day Release date: November 15 Label: Illegal Art Whether sample-happy mash-up act Girl Talk is “good” or “not good” and whether you “like” or “dislike” Girl Talk are completely irrelevant to any discussion regarding Girl Talk. The only things I care about when it comes…
Sir Elton John and his husband David Furnish are now proud parents of a baby boy, according to MTV News.The pair welcomed Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John into the world on Christmas Day. Man, what a name.The surrogate mother is unidentified. Regardless, the baby is “healthy and doing well,” the couple…
In lieu of this glaring lack of new music for today, I present to you one of my personal sleeper/dark horse albums of 2010, Illumination by Melbourne-based electronic outfit Miami Horror. Think Daft Punk’s Discovery or Justice’s † — Illumination is along the lines an electronic music album that has…
Song: Jon Hardy & the Public, “A Hard Year”Context: I’m sure this song rings all-too-true for a a lot of people on this, the last Monday of 2010. Jon Hardy & the Public – A Hard Year…
Yeasayer’s new album Live at Ancienne Belgique was released on Christmas, according to Pitchfork.The concert, which was recorded on October 28, 2010 in Brussels, has been released as a 13-track live album that is available for download on the band’s website.As a Christmas treat from the band, fans get to…
It sure as hell didn’t feel like Christmas to me until Thursday night. Yes, I dealt with the crowds ransacking Target for stocking-stuffers. I even heard myself spout of the obligatory comment about how a small, college-era stint in retail killed most holiday music for me. But it took the…
Holiday cover songs were popular this season, but there’s something else that has been getting just as much attention. It seems to be that the latest and greatest trend among rock bands, particularly indie bands, is forming supergroups.Ben Harper, Dhani Harrison (George Harrison’s son), and Joseph Arthur were the leaders…
Gorillas have just dropped a music video for their new song “Phoner to Arizona,” according to NME.Phoner to Arizona” is the first track on Gorillaz’ new iPad album The Fall, which they wrote while on the road during their North American fall tour this year.The Fall will be released as…
Like the small number of unfortunate souls are required to do every year, DJ Louder will be toiling away at his job on Christmas while the rest of us are engaging in mass amounts of holiday cheer. But don’t you dare pity him, as the 32-year-old will be spending the…
After six endless weeks of endless hype, treacly commercials, and non-stop carols, we’re only 48 hours or so from the arrival of Christmas morning. But you don’t have to wait until then to get your presents, as Up on the Sun is presenting y’all with 10 inexpensive activities to be…
The rumors are true: local record store Eastside Records will be closing up shop at the end of the year. Although they haven’t been hosting wild shows since the mid-90s, they’ve still got an impressive collection of rarities that rivals that of any other local record store. Moreover, their employees…
Christmas in the desert isn’t like it is in other places. There’s no snow, it doesn’t get that cold, and novelties like warm fires and cups of hot cocoa serve no practical purpose the way they do in the east. So even if we’re not huddling for warmth, one of…
It’s an ordinary afternoon at Eastside Records, which usually means the following is happening: an obscure punk song is blasting way too loudly out of the tiny shop’s decrepit stereo (in this case, Television’s 1975 single “Little Johnny Jewel”) and Michael Pawlicki is hard at work behind the glass counter…
