In a culture so besieged by the conflict between art and commerce, it’s perhaps natural that the use of pop idioms is disparaged by the critical elite, anxious to protect their canon from dilution. Charlie Hunter has dodged such dismissive darts aimed at his eclectic jazz treatments, which have spanned…
When Stevie Nicks returned to her Phoenix home at the tail end of 1994, just a year after quitting what was once the biggest band in rock ‘n’ roll, she figured that her career was all but over. There was lots of wreckage in her wake. Earlier that same year,…
Thickest cranium in rock? Probably Martin Atkins, former drummer for Public Image Ltd., now de facto head of the industrial-rock conglomerate Pigface. Who else would devote insane amounts of time, money and energy to industrial music — a subgenre that had its day bathing in the money hydrant during the…
“Success is a wonderful thing but it is very, very tiring.” That was yawnin’ Sir George Martin, recalling how battle-fatigued The Beatles were at the end of 1964. Sure, the Liverpudlians hinted at needing a rest months earlier — you’ll recall the “I’ve been working like a dog/I should be…
About halfway into their set at a packed America West Arena on Saturday, November 24, self-proclaimed rock deities Tenacious D launched into a song purporting to tell their story.The ballad, appropriately titled “The History of Tenacious D,” attempts to build an awe-inspiring myth around the musical union of two pudgy…
In 1969, Mick Jagger called Jann Wenner, editor-in-chief of Rolling Stone magazine, with a business proposition: Jagger would put up the money for a British version of the magazine, if Wenner would oversee its operations. Wenner took him up on the offer, but after a few months, it proved to…
Dude, did you know “god” spelled backward is “dog”? Yeah. Well, DMX might actually subscribe to this kind of bong-load theology, because his canine-laden references to himself have made a serious transition throughout his career. The exultant woof-woofs on “Where My Dogs At?” have evolved to the point where, on…
Sarah Dougher has all the credentials to be a feminist icon. An openly lesbian singer-songwriter on the North Carolina-based label Mr. Lady, she’s also a committed social activist, a college professor, and a member of the bands Cadallaca (with Sleater-Kinney’s Corin Tucker) and the Crabs. Little wonder, then, that gay.com…
Early last year, the Washington state band Modest Mouse took an extended trip to Chicago and made a record with Brian Deck, a central figure in the sprawling Windy City musical family that historically centers on the defunct avant-blues group Red Red Meat. When they headed back to Washington (or…
By definition, a Richmond Slut would be a resident of a San Francisco neighborhood who compromises principles for personal gain. In context of the indie rock ‘n’ roll scene, the name suggests the unblushing ability to laud oneself. Yet, at no time would you catch a member of the Richmond…
You’re in the check-out line at the supermarket. There are two TV Guides with Michael Jackson on the cover; which Michael do you buy? The nappy-haired 13-year-old from Gary, Indiana, who launched his solo career 30 years ago with “Got to Be There” or the 43-year-old from Neverland Valley who…
In the old days, people actually danced to live music. Now, with the exception of gentlemen’s establishments and awkward “Look! I have not lost it! I am down with the kids!” parental displays at wedding receptions, rock elicits next to zero dancing. Perhaps this is due to the inception of…
Atlas likes to talk about his relentless work ethic.The 22-year-old local rapper works every day as a middle-school teacher’s assistant, then works afternoons and nights for the Glendale Parks and Recreation Department, racing home to spend whatever quality time he can squeeze in with his 4-month-old son. On weekends, the…
If a rule book existed for aspiring rock critics, one of the tenets would be: “Must relentlessly slam Paul McCartney’s post-Beatles career, lest you risk embarrassing unhipness.” In some ways, the intensity of McCartney’s approximately 30 years of critical disfavor is hard to fathom. Because he was a peer of…
A dozen listens in, and the only criticism that can be leveled at I Might Be Wrong, Radiohead’s first live outing, is that it’s too short — eight songs in 40 minutes, barely enough time to get a swerve on. It’s disappointing only because Radiohead’s long been the best live…
A name like Thad Cockrell does not suggest, oh, a starchy New York City financier, a burly Texas oilfield roustabout or even a fey San Fran choreographer. Well, he could be a dusty chap or cowpoke from down around Yuma way, but that’s not the point. No, when Ma and…
Rivers Cuomo took a chance a few years ago, and from the sound of it, he’llnever take another one, at least not any time soon.On 1996’s Pinkerton, he collected every one of his confused emotions and awkward missteps for public display, tying them to songs that abandoned Ric Ocasek’s studied…
On his recently released debut solo album, former Squeeze front man Glenn Tilbrook sings, “The Monkees weren’t a real band, but I still love them.”It’s a sentiment that probably speaks for millions of music fans, who long ago fell for the prime-time primates, and refuse to let issues like authenticity…
Early last month, a host of show-biz notables gathered at Radio City Music Hall for a TV tribute to John Lennon. Besides proving that Kevin Spacey can carry a tune (his faithful “Mind Games” was spirited, if a bit jarring), the show was a reminder that the work of a…
It’s been a long day at the office, academy, or widget factory, and you’re off to catch some live music. A perfectly respectable local band opens — college guys with cultivated scruff and fabulous vintage-shop couture. They’re followed by a Luvox diva singing about herself in front of video projections…
There is a song on Preston School of Industry’s new full-length, All This Sounds Gas, that harks back to Scott Kannberg’s stint as guitarist for one of the greatest indie rock bands of all time.Actually, there’s more than one tune on the record that brings to mind Kannberg’s role in…
Pokafase can’t decide what to call his latest song.The local rapper, known until a few months ago by local clubgoers as Cappuccino, MC in the two-man group Know Qwestion, is sitting in the north central Phoenix garage studio of his producer and chief collaborator, Fade. He’s listening to Fade’s vintage…
