The results are in, and there are a few quirky choices among the bunch — maybe even a snub or two. But regardless of who made the cut, you can be damn sure that much speculation and dissection will ensue. So we’re referring to the Oscar nominations, right? Nah. Actually,…
Society is obsessed with culture clash. Stories of different countries making love and starting wars, cuisine fusions and foreign customs — people eat it up, day after day. But what else society is craving nowadays? A rowdy new democracy. And the music industry wants the same. Enter The Aristocrats, three…
The key to any band’s longevity is the ability to maintain a core sound while changing to lure new generations of fans. The Rolling Stones are the quintessential example, having survived 50 years on gritty rock ‘n’ roll licks that receive fresh infusions of timely sound forms (from country to…
For those who came of age after Y2K, the heady days of heart-on-sleeve pop-punk, as defined by bands like Fall Out Boy, Cartel, and Panic! at the Disco, brought radio-ready acts that were as relatable and open-hearted as they were kitschy. Few records encapsulated this timeframe with the honesty of…
Within instrumental music circles, the majority of the talented musicians run alone — releasing solo albums, working as sidemen, dipping deep into numerous projects. And on occasion, a handful of those virtuoso artists come together to create more than just a collaborative album, and it gets a little rowdy in…
I’m sure you’re burnt out on reading best of 2013 lists by now, but taking an extra two weeks to wrap up the best shows of the year list was productive. For one, it’s tough to compare a small, intimate show like Jimmy Eat World’s mini-Arizona tour against massive productions…
“I think there’s a big misconception of EyeHateGod,” says guitarist Jimmy Bower. “People see the name, think, maybe these guys are Satanists, maybe they’re just stupid.” I first heard EyeHateGod back in 1992 when In the Name of Suffering came out. Admittedly, I was as enthused by their name as…
Nirvana means absolutely nothing to me. I’m sorry to have to be so blunt, but that’s the only way to put it. As much as I enjoy the songs, and as much as I can intellectually recognize the influence he had on the next decade of popular music, Kurt Cobain…
After five years of fun, memorable shows, The Whisperlights are calling it quits. Like most people in long-distance relationships, the band members tried to make it work by getting together once a year or so and rekindling the magic, but they had the added problem of trying to get eight…
If you have a lot of music critic buddies, you’ve probably noticed that they’re just now getting back to their usual neurotic selves. That’s because they’re finally done with year-end lists. Going from genre to genre can be especially difficult — how does an up-and-coming pop punk band that wrote…
William Michael Smith (left, photo by Chris Knight) and David ThorpeThe 11 alternative weeklies of Voice Media Group are responsible for a tremendous amount of music writing: This year, we produced thousands of pages of printed stories and tens of thousands of blog posts. We’re proud to present the very…
Wally Boudway of Wooden Indian isn’t sure about the word psychedelic. “I don’t like it when people call our music psychedelic because I don’t like the idea of making music to do drugs to. It’s the opposite of what I’m trying to do. I like to make music that gives…
Musical hot spots seem to circulate around the country. Detroit and Memphis were leading soul centers of the ’60s and ’70s, while Haight-Ashbury dominated the psychedelic movement. In New York City, Greenwich Village’s jazz and boho-folk gave way to the Lower East Side’s early glam, punk, and New Wave scenes…
When some bands have a big show coming up they throw up a couple of posters, set up some well-timed posts on Facebook, cross their fingers, and hope for the best. When indie-progressive-disco six-piece Future Loves Past has a big show coming up they get weird. With their final show…
Deep inside Spotify headquarters, at this very moment, some poor marketing team is tasked with the idea of making Spotify gift accounts sound like a good idea for a Christmas present. I know this because I am too cheap to pay to make the Spotify ads go away. So far…
Look, I should probably start with myself. The only Christmas music I listen to every year comes on Bing Crosby’s White Christmas, featuring the Andrews Sisters and Carol Richards. From that an FBI profiler would be able to judge that I’m a white male, late 20s/early 30s, with a large…
Just a couple of days removed from Scottsdale’s first True Music Festival, Phoenix’s McDowell Mountain Music Festival has announced the lineup for its latest go-around. Headliners include Gramatik, Slightly Stoopid, and–on Sunday–Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite and Dwight Yoakam. The festivities will begin March 28 at Hance Park downtown. (The…
Dogbreth plays fun pop-punk music–or desert power-punk, some may say; that is, unless you ask Tristan Jemsek, or Erin Caldwell, who consider Dogbreth to be power-kindness, or sentimental power-pop. Jemsek says he never intended for Dogbreth to be a pop-punk band, not back when it was just a solo project,…
From Movimiento Alterado’s “Sanguinarios del M1″BuKnas de Culiacán singer doing what he does best–vamping!By Gustavo Arellano America’s liberal class and MSMers are abuzz right now over Narco Cultura, a documentary about Mexico’s horrific drug war and the musical movement that has risen around it. These libs (and more than a…
Johnny Richter, formerly of the Kottonmouth Kings, doesn’t slow down for anyone. He also doesn’t take shit from anyone. After unexpectedly leaving KMK in mid-October, Richter hit the ground running with a rejuvenated solo career and a new EP, FreeKING Out, set for release December 17. The short and sweet…
It’s been a long time coming. Music lovers across Phoenix have awaited an event that will truly encompass the diverse variety of today’s most popular artists. On December 14, Salt River Fields will host the inaugural True Music Festival, marketed with the tagline “One day will change everything,” as another…
It’s probably a good idea to avoid people who quote Doors lyrics in everyday conversation — unless, of course, it’s John Densmore, timekeeper for the legendary group. He earned that right, having to live with those words and Jim Morrison’s predilection for acting them out onstage and in real life…
