The Hold Steady: Heaven Is Whenever

Artist: The Hold SteadyTitle: Heaven Is WheneverRelease date: May 4Label: VagrantThe Hold Steady’s new record, Heaven Is Whenever, is going to be the soundtrack of more than a few lives this summer. Picture it: dudes hoisting beers and pumping their fists to the stadium-size riffs, chicks swaying to the power…

Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings: I Learned the Hard Way

Artist: Sharon Jones & the Dap-KingsTitle: I Learned the Hard WayRelease date: April 6Label: DaptoneI was shocked to see that Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings’ new record debuted at number 15 on the Billboard 200. I was shocked not because the band isn’t worthy of hitting number 15 (it is)…

Fucked Up Singer Pink Eyes Writes Arizona Op-Ed For Stereogum

If you have any doubts about just how crazy big this whole SB 1070 controversy is, consider this: Fucked Up singer Pink Eyes (a.k.a. Damon Abraham) wrote an op-ed on the subject for highly influential music blog Stereogum. You know, the Webby-winning Zeitgeist-capturing music blog all the cool kids love…

The Beatles’ Handwritten Lyrics: How Much Would You Pay for Them?

Just when you thought every piece of Beatles’ anything had been sold to the highest bidder… think again.According to Rolling Stone, auction house Sotheby’s will be putting up on the auction block none other than the John Lennon’s handwritten lyrics to The Beatles’ classic “A Day in the Life.” While…

Merle Haggard Thinks SB 1070 is a Bad Idea

Sure, Latina pop sensations, Latino comic legends, and Canadian Indie bands, are upset with Arizona’s crazy new immigration law, SB 1070. They’re the usual suspects, right? You might, however, expect the “Okie From Muskogee” to be on board.Nope. Merle Haggard, the outlaw country star who made a lot of waves…

An Owl City Song You Can Actually Get Behind

OK, OK, so the video below isn’t exactly sung by Adam Young of Owl City, but the track uses the melody from his smash “Fireflies” in a way funnier, more creative way that doesn’t express feeling used by bugs.It’s done by YouTube maven Mystery Guitar Man, who is a genius…

Hole: Nobody’s Daughter

Artist: HoleTitle: Nobody’s DaughterRelease date: April 27Label: MercuryAnybody remember the ’90s? That was the decade, as a friend once put it, that the music we once loved was dragged into the street and raped. Yeah, pretty harsh, I know — and damned simplistic in retrospect. But that was how we…

Trunk Space Turns Six In Photos

The Trunk Space anniversary show had a few things in common with other six year old’s birthday parties such as cake, costumes, and music. However, this particular celebration also included impromptu haircuts, tattoo application and lots of spandex (thanks to Treasure Mammal). Andrew Jackson Jihad, Treasure Mammal, The Coitus and…

Daughtry at Jobing.com Arena

It’s hard to believe someone like Chris Daughtry, who didn’t even win his season of American Idol, is now playing huge venues such as Jobing.com Arena with his band, Daughtry, as he did last night. The pop rockers played with Lifehouse and Cavo, and fans posted pics and thoughts about…

A Fundraiser at Applebee’s? Die Ignorant Got the Last Laugh

For bands, getting together enough cash to tour can be a huge hassle. Most local bands start planning and budgeting far in advance, playing a ton of local shows and selling anything they can. For local punk band Die Ignorant, crunch time came quickly. Just before they were supposed to…

Phoenix Chorale: Grammy Winners Turn to Facebook for Survival

It’s bumper-to-bumper gridlock in the Roosevelt Historic District as eager music fans rush to find the few remaining parking spots. Some who are fortunate to score parking aren’t so lucky when they reach the doors of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral — many people are being turned away from the sold-out performance…

Phish 3D Flick Coming to Two Valley Movie Theaters

A concert film that takes viewers inside Phish’s three-day Festival 8 will be screened at two Phoenix-area movie theaters next week.Phish 3D was shot at Festival 8 in Indio, California during Halloween weekend (I was there!) and boils the eight set super-show down into an easily digestible two hours of…