In-Stores for You Today: June 2

As much as it blows having to report to work after a weekend of fun, sometimes Mondays aren’t all that bad. Like this coming Monday (June 2, for all you calendar checkers out there) offers a couple cool-ass events to check out after you’ve clocked out for the day.

Jagermeister Music Tour at Marquee Theater

By Jonathan McNamara Type O Negative and Hatebreed joined forces to salute the gods of rock this weekend at the Marquee via the musical medium known as the Jagermeister Music Tour. Also on hand was 3 Inches of Blood just in case the headliners didn’t bring enough of the heavy…

Wanna be in a music video?

If you’ve always had a yen to be in a music video (and don’t have any plans tonight), L.A. pop songstress Lauren Briant will be holding an open casting call for her upcoming video tonight from 9 to 11 p.m. at Jackrabbit Supper Club, 4280 North Drinkwater Boulevard in Scottsdale.

Flier of the Week: Labor Party

This week’s “Flier of the Week” comes from Valley punk band Labor Party, who’re having a CD release show at J-Head’s on June 7. We dig the crazy “pulp” theme going on here.

Can the perfect pop song be calculated?

A few years ago, a psychology lecturer at a British college came up with the formula for the “perfect” mood-lifting pop song. Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic posited a certain equation involving pitch, positive lyrics, and serotonin levels that, when tweaked in precise amounts, would result in a vastly improved emotional state…

Robert Smith seeks a cure for what ails him

Young bands — New York’s Rapture, most notably and successfully — cite Robert Smith’s London outfit The Cure as a holy source, a development nobody apart from the Cure’s planet of black-clad fans might have guessed. The Cure sold records, claiming and saving lives during the ’80s, when Robert Smith…

Noise Boy journeys across the desert to hear Hanne Hukkelberg

It’s 4:30 on a windy Friday afternoon, and I’ve driven nearly 400 miles across the desert to see a musician no one I know has ever heard of. Norwegian artist Hanne Hukkelberg is performing the final gig on her first-ever U.S. tour at Hollywood’s Hotel Café, and I’m doing my…

Best of the Fests: Mondo music blowouts abound this weekend

Festival spirits will be resurrected and entertainment demons will be exorcised this weekend, as three huge music festivals take place across the state. From Top 40 hip-hop to local jam bands, there’s something for everyone in the ‘Zona — especially for those willing to take a road trip.

You Asked for It: Underwater Getdown

Last week, I posted a challenge of sorts to local music artists, specifically, the disgruntled bands who complain that we don’t give press to them. I vowed to review local CDs in the order in which they were received, and to be completely honest about my impressions of the music. I’m still waiting for more Valley bands to send me their CDs for review – particularly the Video Nasties (no, not the British group of the same name, nor the band of the same name from Pennsylvania, but a Mesa band), whose “Dally Dirtnap” sent an e-mail to our editor-in-chief, Rick Barrs, complaining about our recent cover story on Digital Summer He said DS wasn’t cover material, and his band was “much better,” “without even trying.”

Niki’s Weekend Word: Mill Avenue, downtown Phoenix, Summer of Sound, and Foxboro Hot Tubs

As Music Editor at Phoenix New Times, I usually run around town every weekend, going to various events and meeting up with any number of people, sometimes falling into misadventure and often falling into disrepair. My weekend often starts on Thursday and doesn’t end until Monday morning, when I have to drag my ass back to the office and affect some image of wakefulness/awareness. I figured I might as well be as self-indulgent as music critics are now alleged to be – at least those who are still walking the plank. Might as well document these times of my life and simultaneously share my experience of the scene and happenings around P-city, before I am too old to stand in front of another amplifier and dying from some debauchery-rooted disease.

The New Times Summer of Sound punk show recap

The first New Times Summer of Sound show took place Saturday, May 24, at Exit 7 in Glendale. This was the punk show, and it lived up to its name, as locals Harlequin Babies, Asses of Evil, Dephinger, and Glass Heroes warmed up the stage for the legendary Dickies with spasms, spit, and attitude.

A special $25 ticket offer for George Michael’s concert in Phoenix

George Michael, touring behind his new double CD collection, Twenty-Five, is scheduled to perform at US Airways Center on Sunday, June 22, and Ticketmaster’s offering $25 “select seat” tickets to his concert. The offer starts at noon on Sunday, May 25, and ends at 1 p.m. on Monday, May 26. (Regular ticket prices for Michael’s show range from $46.75 to $121.25)