The Baptist Generals are coming, but we’re not talking Ulysses S. Grant or Robert E. Lee. Rather, July marks the return of a psychedelic folk band from Denton, Texas, last heard from circa 2003. Back then they were touring behind their debut release, No Silver/No Gold, a crash-bang-boom rush of…
Spend some time with the guys in Slightly Stoopid, and you’re bound to walk away with a fascination for the band’s business model and a new cologne — of the skunk variety. For almost 15 years, the members of Slightly Stoopid have made music together, and somehow they’ve perfected one…
Lost in love? Your relationship too weird for Ann Landers to understand? Trying to discover what comes next in your life or your music? Bring your problems to Ask Magic, your chance to ask Arizona’s reigning slow-jam king for advice on whatever life throws at you. (Click here to ask…
Baseball and music have a storied history together, from the ballpark organs and “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” sing-alongs of yesteryear to today’s increasing reliance on various components of the Cha Cha Slide. Not all music is for the fans, though: The Arizona Diamondbacks’ walk-up music is for and…
This is not man-bites-dog news, but it may still be exciting news: Pearl Jam is touring the United States this fall, and Phoenix is on its list of 24 North American dates. Our chance to see the last flannel-wearers standing comes on November 19, at Jobing.com Arena in Glendale. It…
Luckily, I started when they were just pups. Because I discovered something on our recent vacation: The large window of musical influence that I’ve exerted over my kids all these years has shrunk down to almost nothing. We take a driving vacation every other year, and in past years, I’ve…
One of the best things about life is spontaneity. Adventures and experiences, big or small, that happen on a whim can make life pretty fucking fun. Especially because, for most of us, the rest of that time is bogged down by realities like jobs, school, and bills; when we can…
Officers from the Scottsdale Police Department have arrested a suspect involved in the brutal stabbing that occurred at nightclub and music venue Martini Ranch late last month. Simon West, a 29-year-old resident of Gilbert, was taken into custody by Scottsdale cops on Monday afternoon, exactly a week after a patron…
Being a rock fan in the early ’70s meant never knowing a year when rock wasn’t moving forward — when newer and bolder innovations weren’t always just around the corner. Yes took the burgeoning progressive rock movement further — and with a longer running time — than anyone else had…
Currents, the latest from indie darlings Eisley, is the sound of a band that’s free at last. At least, that’s the subtext — not just a sense of freedom from Warner Bros., after a brief major-label stint, but also the freedom of having gotten 2011’s bitter, angst-ridden The Valley out…
The annual heavy metal throwdown known as the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival is making its way through Phoenix this week, and things are about to get heated. This year’s lineup is one of the festival’s best, with heavyweights Rob Zombie, Five Finger Death Punch, Machine Head, and Mastodon. But…
Lost in love? Stuck in a relationship quagmire Ann Landers wouldn’t understand? Trying to figure out what comes next in life and music? We’d like to invite you personally to bring your problems to Ask Magic, your chance to ask Arizona’s reigning slow-jam king for advice on whatever life throws…
“Weird Al” Yankovic has been releasing parody videos since people have been releasing actual videos. He’s made fun of decade-defining artists for four decades running. Through all that — while one-hit wonders fall out of view and genres and styles are declared officially over — he’s remained a timeless figure…
The nightlife-loving cats at Scottsdale’s Axis-Radius are planning one helluva party this weekend that likely will go down as one of the most memorable in the club’s 16-year history. Sadly, that’s because the iconic and influential establishment is about to become history. If you haven’t heard the news, the double-sided…
Anyone who’s been waiting for the other shoe to drop in Scottsdale’s nightlife scene following the violence at Martini Ranch this past weekend, take note: It’s in the process of going down. Scottsdale Mayor Jim Lane released a statement earlier this week indicating that he and other city officials will…
The She*Riffs are singing in unison: “In the name of the law, you’re going down / ‘Cause we’re the new sheriffs in town.” It’s May 18, at Lawn Gnome Bookstore. The four women dance to the music, instruments in hand, as the wooden stage they stand on starts shaking. Each…
It’s been said that in order to truly sing the blues, it’s necessary to have experienced a lifetime of blues material — a broken heart, tragedy, hopelessness. So when you hear about an incredible blues musician, what usually comes to mind is an image of elderly Junior Kimbrough or Etta…
The Vans Warped Tour is 18 years old, which is just old enough for it to have second thoughts about going to the Warped Tour. That’s the trouble with long-running festivals: Either the music stays the same and the people in attendance get older, or the music changes with its…
I know. You like to rock. If it doesn’t kick ass, you don’t need it. Or maybe you’re listening to a different genre, like hip-hop, but it’s still the same. You like that hard-driving, in-your-face kind of stuff. That wonderful, rebellious, youthful music that makes you want to take another…
December is shaping up to be a pretty good month to see music’s remaining super-superstars in Phoenix — Beyonce was announced for December 7 at US Airways Center this week, joining Justin Timberlake’s VIP-friendly 20/20 Experience date (did you pick up your $1950 ticket?) on December 2. One other thing…
Lost in love? Stuck in a relationship quagmire Ann Landers wouldn’t understand? Trying to figure out what comes next in life? We’d like to invite you personally to bring your problems to Ask Magic, your chance to ask Arizona’s reigning slow-jam king for advice on whatever life throws at you…
Check the hashtags on Twitter or Tumblr, folks: John Mayer is back. This might make some pop culture enthusiasts’ skin crawl, yet for those who remember the glory days of Grammy wins, number-one albums, and the brilliant resurrection of true blues with the John Mayer Trio, the guitar god has yet again arisen.
