You’d think the good people of Scottsdale suffered enough during the reign of Dirty Scottsdale, when any drunken night in an Old Town club could lead to online humiliation, but they’ve been targeted again.No, Nik Ritchie is still basically ignoring his roots, and posting stuff about British soccer players instead…
These are tough economic times, what with a recession driven by the housing crash and skyrocketing unemployment. It’s damn near impossible in such a climate to splurge on our hobbies and passions. Who can afford New Kids on the Block tickets or iPods jam-packed with soundtrack-baiting Killers tracks when some…
A couple of years ago, The Loveblisters arguably were the hottest band in Arizona. They played out nearly every week — often several shows a week — and they still drew, which isn’t easy. Their 2005 record, Silver White Sunlight, was beloved locally and labeled “one of the finest slabs…
One Thursday last spring, Ted Myers was stuck in a cubicle, trying to figure out his future. He’d graduated from ASU with a degree in communications the year before, and got a job selling ads for a local newspaper (coincidentally, the one you’re reading), where he dressed business casual and…
Hot Chip’s “Ready For The Floor” is my favorite song of the moment, so I was interested to learn that the band’s next project, an EP with Robert Wyatt and Geese is scheduled to come out on Jan. 27. If you want it, though, you’re gonna have to go in…
Phoenix teems with guitar players, and some of them are actually pretty good. A handful of them are exceptional.
Did you miss Back Ted N-Ted’s performance at Trunk Space last night? No worries. They’re playing Trunk Space again on January 20 with Chronic Future and DJ Ben Collins. Until then, check out our Back Ted N-Ted slide show from the gig last night…
The International Pop Overthrow is coming to Phoenix.What’s that? You haven’t heard of International Pop Overthrow before this? Don’t worry, neither had I and I’m a) a music critic and b) someone with a softspot for indie pop.Still, this plucky little multi-city indie festival seems pretty cool, and will be…
Old timey rock chick Wanda Jackson has canceled her January 11 performance at the Rhythm Room due to a family emergency. The 71-year-old Oklahoma native is known as “The Queen of Rockabilly” once dated Elvis Presley… before setting down with a IBM programmer named Wendell. Refunds are available through The…
We’ve got a lot of show announcements for you this week, though by and large they’re D-listers. The major exception is The Game, who’s coming to the Celebrity on February 21. As a long time West Coast partisan, I’ve always admired the way the Compton rapper went to head to…
Judging from the traffic whilst journeying home post-party last night we can safely say that anyone and everyone was out last night ringing in the new year. In fact, we’ve got photographic proof in the form of these slide shows. Check out a few select shots from Downtown Phoenix, Scottsdale…
The desert is dancing. At least that’s the impression you’d get from this list of the 10 best records of the year, which reflects the synth-y sound of Phoenix. Lately, it seems electro-pop/rock of acts might grow to define the Valley’s music scene in the way the jangly country/pop/rock of…
Tempe’s Last Exit Bar & Grill will reunite The Black Moods on New Year’s Eve, Wednesday, for a headlining performance. The once-hot high-energy trio, who broke up (guitarist Josh Kennedy is now in Violet Wild) more than two years ago, were unlike most bands in the local music scene and brought…
It seems like just yesterday we were reminding you how bad the Eagles of Death Metal are live while praising The Hives for putting on one of the best shows of the year. Well, the band Axl Rose so memorably dubbed The Pigeons of Shit Metal are coming back in…
In just a few short days (December 27, to be exact), the Valley Metro will be running. With those electrified cables comes the chance to drink down Phoenix like never before. Yes, soon you’ll be able to get booze from Mesa to damn near Glendale without forcing a friend to…
Kinch, one of my favorite local bands (and you’ll find out just how favorite when my column on the top 10 local CDs of the year drops next week) has posted a new video chronicling the recording of their upcoming record in Austin. You can click below to see the YouTube version…
So we’ve got one huge — and many small — concert announcements for you today. First, the big news: Lil Wayne is coming to U.S. Airways Center on Janurary 28. Weezy brings T-Pain, Gym Class Heroes and Keri Hilson along with him. He might want to watch out for Sheriff…
We just got an update on Jerry Riopelle’s New Year’s Eve show that might of interest to anyone heading down to the Celebrity Theatre on the 31st for his annual concert. The local legend will be releasing a new CD on New Year’s Eve, a re-mastered version of his live…
Some music fans will argue that the art form known as the Christmas album achieved perfection with Vince Guaraldi’s score to A Charlie Brown Christmas. Others will argue for the supremacy of A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector. Either way, each year artists mine the rich cache of…
Let’s face it. Every year around this time, many of the non-Jewish among us struggle to understand (or spell) Hanukkah. Some mistakenly think it’s the “Jewish Christmas,” while others just know you’re supposed to get presents for eight days but aren’t sure why. So in order to help clarify the…
Most musicians have little more than quiet distain for video games employing a plastic guitar. Not Minibosses. Drinking Diet Mountain Dew and Dr Pepper while congregated around a puffy leather couch in the Chandler home of guitarist Ben Baraldi, they’re going ape shit over the PS3 version of Rock Band…
Kris Roe, picking at his gee-tar. We got a rather excited-sounding text message on our cell phone last night from Jeremiah Gratza (a.k.a. President Gator) of Stateside Presents informing us of a rather cool upcoming gig he just booked with Kris Roe, singer/songwriter/guitarist for pop-punk band The Ataris on Friday,…
