By day, Suzy Homewrecker is the supervisor of a local laboratory that studies pathology and immunohistochemistry. At night or on the weekends, however, the 30-year-old crimson-haired vixen becomes a tough-as-nails roller derby queen, a gothy go-go dancer, or industrial music DJ known as Defense.Mekanizm. It all depends on her particular…
Alexus Poulette Poulette plays Aldonza in the musical, Man of La Mancha, performed by the Scottsdale Musical Theater Company tonight, December 28, through Sunday, December 30. For tickets, go here. When you put your key in the ignition and turn on the radio, what station would play right now? The…
Each week in our print editions and every day on our blogs, the 13 Voice Media Group papers feature some of the best music writing in the country. That’s why we’re excited to announce the winners of our first VMG music writing awards. The honor goes to the authors of…
The local music community has lost a valued member. Matt “Fundy” Funderburk was known for his talents in a number of local bands including Lydia, Bears of Manitou, and Joey Arroyo Band, but most of all, he’s remembered as a good friend. Bears of Manitou’s Facebook page refers to him…
As 2012 draws to a close, we couldn’t be more optimistic about the state of music in the Valley of the Sun. With new bands emerging from various scenes and subgenres, it can be hard to keep up with the latest in Phoenix music. What follows are our picks for…
Are you a musician? Is your group having issues? Critic Jessica Hopper has played in and managed bands, toured internationally, booked shows, produced records, worked as a publicist, and is the author of The Girls’ Guide to Rocking, a how-to for teen ladies. She is here to help you stop…
Once a week Up on the Sun features a new comic strip from punk rocker, cartoonist, and full-time dad Brad Dwyer. See the New Times print edition to check out the strip in glorious, inky newsprint each Thursday…
Ladies and gentleman, here are our 10 picks for our favorite Phoenix albums of 2012. Enjoy! See also: -13 Phoenix Bands You Need to Hear in 2013 -Jason P. Woodbury’s 10 Best Things I Heard in 2012 -Top 10 Reissues and Compilations of 2012 -Top Five 2012 Heavy Releases In…
Is this year over yet? Well, close enough. So in honor of 2012 we’ve dug through the past 12 months of stories looking for the greatest hits. Below you’ll find the stories (minus most of the newsy stuff) that people clicked on each month. And if thousands of other people…
So long, 2012. You were a weird, uncomfortable, and scary year. You were also wonderful, at times so unbearably wonderful that I thought my brain was going to explode as I struggled to wrap my head around your pure, blindingly bright joy. You had all the things a monumental year…
The walls, floors, and fixtures of Bar Smith are definitely gonna be quaking and shaking at some point later tonight. But despite what all those apocalypse nuts might lead you to believe, its not because seismic forces are tearing up the Valley is some end of the world scenario. Nope,…
Laura S. Strickland Strickland is the Principal Flutist for the Arizona Pro Arte Ensemble and a soloist in the upcoming concert, The Winds; Woodwind Masterworks, on Friday, January 25 and Saturday, January 26. For more info, go here. When you put your key in the ignition and turn on the…
Ian WitlenYes, this happened.By Liz Tracy Most of the people we met on the S.S. Coachella had never been on a cruise before. Like us, they weren’t so sure what to pack or how to dress for three days of awkwardly saying hi to their favorite bands on a floating…
Just how many side project pairings can Sister Cities come up with? I’m not good with math, but I have a feeling they’re approaching max capacity – if not in arithmetic, then definitely with their own free time. Drummer Keith Walker has Being Cool is Lonely, his sexed-up electronic side…
The Oxford Coma doesn’t sound like any other band you’ve ever heard, and that’s the idea. With thumping, funky-to-furious bass lines mixed with propulsive drumming and searing guitar action, the band blurs the distinctions between modern rock, alt-metal, and punk. The band’s debut album, Adonis, is not something that easily…
Spirit Cave is a young band, but members Ryan Breen and Michael Bell have been playing shows together for more than a decade, each with his primary band, Back Ted N-Ted and Lymbyc Systym, respectively. It was only a matter of time before they struck out together. Given Breen’s expressive,…
Keith Jackson stops short of officially canonizing Joe Strummer — but seriously, just short of it. “I don’t know how to describe the guy’s personality,” Jackson says of the frontman of The Clash, actor, and leader of global-punk outfit The Mescaleros. “I don’t want to say he was saint-like, but…
2012 is at its end, and just like I did last year, I thought it would be good fun to try and recap the reissues and compilations I couldn’t seem to get off my phonograph this year. So here they are: The 10 reissues and compilations I dug most in…
Photo by Liz TracyIs that Jarvis Cocker? Nah … Just Gaslamp Killer.By Liz Tracy No one’s really interested in reading about the actual performances taking place on this musical ship of contradictions, the S.S. Coachella, amirite? Instead, you want a spoonful of gossipy anecdotal sugar, straight from the decks of…
Courtesy of SephoraAlexis Krauss is all about the nails, girl.By Liz Tracy Fashion and music are the funniest-looking twin sisters. They’re always together, always kinda sloppy. Sometimes they dress up like a swan or wear a big mouse head. Together, they’re always looking to make a bold statement. If you…
The late, great and totally irreverent comedian Bill Hicks once predicted the ultimate television commercial, describing it as such: “Here’s the woman’s face. Beautiful. Camera pulls back. Naked breast. Camera pulls back, she’s totally naked, legs apart, two fingers right here and it just says ‘Drink Coke.’ Now, I don’t…
With few exceptions, knowing is better than not knowing. As they say, “Knowledge is power.” If you believe this as much as I do, then you can understand why some of our historic monsters went to such great lengths to eliminate knowledge and why forward thinkers and the socially conscious…
