The year is 1983. Punk is dead, and the undead appears to be on the minds of many post-punk ingénues and avant-garde crowds alike. Nowhere did the dark light shine more forebodingly than in Tony Scott’s campy erotic horror cult film The Hunger, which starred David Bowie and Catherine Deneuve…
Just as the phone conversation between myself and Stephen McBean, leader of the Vancouver, British Columbia band Black Mountain, is warming up, it gets cut short. The quintet’s van is being pulled over by California Highway Patrol. He calls me back 20 minutes later and assures me everything is okay…
From hazy mirages to towering surrealistic succulents to billowing heatwaves, the desert screams psychedelia—and Phoenix, The Valley of the Spun, is no exception. For as long as there have been musicians in this area, many have turned to altered states for inspiration in their music. Here’s a list of some…
The recent hiring of Joseph Specter as Arizona Opera’s new general director isn’t the first time in this last year that Phoenix and Austin have shared organizational arts leaders. Last December, the former director of the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Cory Baker, began a VP role at Austin’s…
Paper Foxes – “Indica Feels” For the first time in my recollection, three local bands have come together to put out a three-way split single in anticipation of an upcoming tour together. Paper Foxes is releasing their first song in the year since the release of their debut EP Love…
Remember that big Rihanna show that was supposed to happen back in March (but wound up getting rescheduled due to RiRi’s bout with bronchitis)? It’s finally going off this weekend. The R&B/pop star is bringing her ANTI tour to Talking Stick Resort Arena on Sunday, and according to everything we’ve…
Being a self-made independent hip-hop artist in 2016 is a daunting task. It can be especially difficult if you are a 28-year-old white Jewish rapper from suburban Pennsylvania. David Burd, aka Lil Dicky, has embraced his differences rather than erase them, and as a result has carved out his own…
Strip joints are very rock ‘n’ roll kind of places. While it seems like hip-hop is largely what blasts from the sound systems at most gentlemen’s clubs in this day and age, there’s a certain seedy, sexy, and debaucherous vibe at such spots that lends itself to the decadence of…
When you’re already a founding member of the self-anointed “Greatest Rock Band In The World” all the rest is gravy really, and a flute, because nothing says rock more than a toy recorder. In his time away from Jack Black, Kyle Gass has assembled a posse he’s dubbed The Kyle…
Pool parties have become a major hallmark of the warmer months here in the Valley. So much so that it seems like every weekend during the spring and summer features a stylish poolside bacchanal of drinks, dancing, and DJs happening somewhere in either Phoenix or Scottsdale. And then there’s Wet…
Although firmly entrenched in people’s minds and hearts as a power pop band, The Posies were never the rigid adherents to the “verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge” structure as that movement suggests. While always exhibiting impeccable harmonies, the band never skimped on the power part of the equation, which is why they came into…
For Mexican artist Carla Morrison, a decade’s worth of blood, sweat, tears (especially tears) and hard work as an independent artist brought her to Coachella, where she played an early Friday afternoon set both weekends at the Outdoor Theatre. It was a literal dream come true for the Latin Grammy…
In 2012, A$AP Rocky closed out Saturday night of Coachella in the Gobi tent. Considering he had only released his first mixtape, Deep Purple, the summer before, it was a plum set time for the Harlem rapper. Being a rap and Rocky lover, I was excited to see him perform…
Among the many artists making their Coachella debuts this year, Mavis Staples undoubtedly has the most storied résumé. As a solo artist and former member of The Staples Singers, the 76-year-old’s powerful voice has graced over five decades of soul classics, including “I’ll Take You There,” “Let’s Do It Again” and…
When Slope Records began releasing vintage Phoenix punk records toward the end of 2015, there were a few jewels in the crown for the fledgling label. One of those jewels was a 1987 live recording by the infamous Mighty Sphincter, which was released under the title Undead at Hammersmith Odeon…
“The beautiful part about jazz is it’s like the gumbo,” says saxophonist and keyboardist Doc Jones, who’s played with the likes of Aretha Franklin and The Temptations for more than 30 years. “There’s all styles of jazz, from Boston over to smooth jazz to acid jazz, and on and on,…
Of all the iconic artists to leave us so far this year, the loss of Prince was perhaps the most shocking, and certainly the more honored at this year’s second round of Coachella. For as little time as people had to process the news of his passing — Prince died the…
Electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk are making the trip from Germany to the stateside this year, and they will be making a stop in Phoenix. Kraftwerk is scheduled to play Orpheum Theatre on September 15. The tour is part of a nine-city run in the U.S. that will feature the band’s…
The sight of bacon-wrapped hot dogs sizzling atop metal trays, their fatty aroma intermingling with desert dust and the odor of dead grass, has been a familiar part of the Coachella Valley Music Festival for many years. But not this year. Where they once could be found along any entry…
Allah-Las – Monday, April 25 – Valley Bar If one had to guess the birthplace of the Allah-Las simply based on a few musical interludes, somewhere on the sunshine-y California coast makes for an easy choice. It’s accurate too, as this Los Angeles band co-mingles all the salty goodness of a…
Every year, we travel out to the desert to capture the stories that make the Coachella experience so unique and infamous. Sometimes these tales are touching; other times, frustrating; but without a doubt, the crowd at Coachella is always hilarious. Here are 25 of the strangest, funniest, most memorable things…
It’s time to wave goodbye to Coachella 2016, the default major music festival for Phoenix residents. If you missed out on the fast-selling tickets, if you want a more specialized festival experience, or if you’ve just arrived back from the Polo Club and you’re already looking for more, we’ve got…
