Wolf Parade: Expo 86

Artist: Wolf ParadeTitle: Expo 86Release date: June 29Label: Sub PopLast night, I made an unplanned run down to the Yucca Tap Room to catch this band called Shapiro, a group of pleasant young men from the D.C. area who play piano-driven pop-rock songs that, at their best recall 1970s classic…

Vans Warped Tour Buzz More About Phoenix Heat Than Music

With dozens of bands on the Vans Warped Tour, which came through Phoenix to the Cricket Wireless Pavilion yesterday, you’d think more kids would be talking about just how their favorite groups did. But there was only one thing bands and fans alike couldn’t stop Tweeting about during the day-long…

Spoon Coming To Rialto (Tucson) This Fall

Good: Spoon is not boycotting Arizona.Bad: They are playing Tucson. Good: The show is at Rialto Theatre, which is beautiful and full of friendly people. Bad: The show is on October 4, which is a Monday.Proceed according to the whims of your own hedonistic calculus…

Scissor Sisters: Night Work

Artist: Scissor SistersTitle: Night WorkRelease date: June 29Label: DowntownAt the end of the day, I’m not sure what this new Scissor Sisters record adds up to. But it almost doesn’t matter, because the opening title track is so good that it practically carries the weight of the record all by…

Shapiro, “All Things Around The Sun”

Song: Shapiro, “All Things Around The Sun”Context: I’ve been championing Shapiro for five years. It’ll be nice to see them play their first Arizona show, at Yucca Tap Room tonight. As always, there’s no cover at the Yucca. All Things Around the Sun by RootMusic…

Scissor Sisters: Night Work

A funny thing happened to NYC glam-poppers Scissor Sisters on their way to recording their third album, Night Work — the band scrapped 18 month’s worth of effort in order to finalize the album. Lead singer/utterly charismatic young man Jake Shears noted that the year and half of work left…

Ry Cooder’s Anti-SB 1070 Song, Courtesy of NPR

Legendary slide guitarist Ry Cooder (he’s played on records by everyone from Randy Newman to the Rolling Stones) has recorded an anti-SB 1070 song called “Quick Sand.” Cooder is one of those country(ish) guys the lefties love — not only is that track available exclusively from NPR until tomorrow, when…

Mike Posner, “Cooler Than Me”

Song: Mike Posner, “Cooler Than Me”Context: Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman says he thinks Posner will be the breakout star from this year’s installment of the annual fest. We’ll see how he does in Phoenix tomorrow. Mike Posner, “Cooler Than Me” by gardnerz…

Foals: Total Life Forever

Artist: FoalsTitle: Total Life ForeverRelease date: June 22Label: Sub PopThough I disagree with a commenter on one of my posts this week (Shawn from excellent local music blog Electric Mustache) about the merits of electro-punk Sleigh Bells, I agree with him that S.B. are a band that you either love…

Erykah Badu Makes Some Kind of Statement at Marquee Theatre

Erykah Badu may not have canceled her show last night at Marquee Theatre because of any Arizona immigration laws, but the funky soul singer still managed to make some sort of statement, by wearing a T-shirt that read, “I am an immigrant.” She’s actually from Dallas, but whatevs. The crowd…

Early Listening: !!! – Strange Weather, Isn’t It?

​How will a band whose sound came of age in the previous decade enter into this newfangled 2010? With quite an interesting bang, actually.Sacramento-based dance-punk band !!! (pronounced chik-chik-chik for those uninformed/always curious but too embarrassed to ask) reeled off three albums in the previous decade, starting with 2001’s !!!…

Why Blitzen Trapper Aren’t Boycotting Arizona

Blitzen Trapper rose to prominence in 2007 with the release of their third record, Wild Mountain Nation, and signing with Sub Pop. Since then, the band has put out a new album every year, thus constantly remaining a focus of the media’s attention. Their latest effort, Destroyer of the Void,…