Toadies are one of those bands that even if you don’t know them, you still know the music. Since the release of the group’s brilliant 1994 album, Rubberneck, Toadies have been on the rock ‘n’ roll radar of just about anyone who has listened to a radio, thanks to the…
I never shopped at Tower Records, the global retail chain whose story is told in actor Colin Hanks’ new documentary, All Things Must Pass. My neighborhood record shop, a half-block from my childhood home, was a locally owned chain store called Hollywood Records. My late-’70s musical tastes were shaped by…
As long as there has been music, there have been dance crazes. There are those stemmed in 60’s R&B like “The Locomotion” that were brilliant and duds like the “Hokey Pokey” and the “Macarena.” You can almost hear Holly Golightly cringe at the mention of the latter two dances. “Those…
The first ever Mesa Music Festival could be called an interesting mess, at best. I must admit, I didn’t have high hopes for the festival. Early on, many folks in the music community were upset that it seemed like a pay-to-play event, since it required a $30 application fee and the…
Comerica Theatre’s loading dock is a mildly steep, ceiling-less tunnel underground. While it could feel oppressively narrow, it floods cheerily with sunlight during the day. Even with the light, it’s at best a garage at the bottom of a concrete hill. This space is usually occupied by roadies unpacking a…
Here are our picks for best concerts in Phoenix this week. For more options, check out our comprehensive concert calendar. Collective Soul – Monday, November 16 – Marquee Theatre Ed Roland’s dedication to music has been the sole driving force behind Collective Soul’s continued relevance in the music industry. Formed…
Beck, Animal Collective, and more will play the 2016 McDowell Mountain Music Festival, organizers announced this weekend. The festival, scheduled to take play in Phoenix March 11-13, 2016, will bring musicians representing many genres. Last year’s festival featured Widespread Panic, Thievery Corporation, Passion Pit, Portugal. The Man, and more. Here’s…
For those who get a kick out of obscure or interesting minutia of the music they love, Matt Pinfield’s “Rock Stories” — a series of animated stories Pinfield tells about the rock stars he’s hung out with or interviewed — are hillbilly heroin. Each story, featuring musicians such as Matt…
This weekend is certainly a good one to be outdoors. Not only will there be plenty of sunshine and pleasant temperatures around the Valley to encourage folks to leave their respective domiciles for some fresh air, but also a number of local festivals happening this weekend. And many of these…
Tool posted a cryptic Facebook post last night, and all signs seem to point to a new Tool tour coming in January 2016. The announcement comes just weeks after Tool played its only tour date in 2015 at the Monster Mash festival on Halloween at Tempe Beach Park. The concert…
Whether you’re a Belieber or a Behater, there’s nothing you can do. Justin Bieber in coming to Phoenix. Bieber — who two years ago pissed into a mop bucket outside a New York City club and then acted like he did the restaurant a favor — will play a concert…
The Arizona Hip-Hop Festival really did absolutely everything right in regards to growing the second annual gathering of mostly Copper State-based rhymers. This year’s promotion seems more streamlined than last year’s including a sleek round of individual fliers for each act; the lineup was even bigger; and oh, it partnered…
Taylor Upsahl has been surrounded by music since she was in the womb. The 16-year-old Phoenix singer-songwriter grew up with bands, as her father, Mike Upsahl, has played in Valley groups since the ’90s. There was always a rotating cast of professional musicians going in and out of the family’s…
Tobie Milford – “Fear of Music” For many years I have considered Tobie Milford to be one of the most talented musicians in Phoenix. This is not only when he has played with Whisperlights and There Is Danger, but especially when he pursues his solo work. It’s been five years…
There were times when Sara Taylor felt like crying. The lead singer of the Canadian dark wave band The Birthday Massacre was overwhelmed by the level of intimacy she experienced with the donors to the band’s crowdfunding of its 2014 album, Superstition. Through Skype, Taylor (who is known as Chibi)…
“Hello you fucked up Phoenix maniacs that we’ve come to know and love! How are you?” bellowed Exodus vocalist Steve “Zetro” Souza, surveying the crowd clustered in front of the stage. He shaded his eyes from the harsh green lighting and squinted. I followed his gaze to the back of…
For days now, Captain Squeegee has been promising concrete evidence of extraterrestrial life. Here it is, a direct communication from inter-planetary beings, in the form of a music video. It turns out it may be Captain Squeegee who are indeed the aliens. You might be thinking, “Another new video from…
Every Wednesday is Heritage Hump Day! That’s because every Wednesday from now to the end of the year or before someone really big stops us, Heritage Hump Records (a temporary subsidiary of Onus Records) and New Times will be bringing you a limited edition collector’s item of a much beloved…
In the past year and a half, Phoenix rapper Bag of Tricks Cat has gone on national and international tours opening for nerdcore heavyweight Mega Ran, with whom he dropped a split EP. He also recruited Bazaar of platinum-selling hip-hop group D12 to appear on his track “Never Sober.” A…
“Did you park on the street?” Destruction Unit guitarist Jes “J.S.” Aurelius has a frantic look as he makes his way through the small clusters of punks gathered at Apartment 512 Gallery. High walls block the venue from Van Buren Street, keeping in most of the throbbing sounds emanating from…
Even after all rock singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge has accomplished as a legendary rock singer-songwriter, there are still music critics who claim her trademark raspy vocals can go from passionate to histrionic when she really gets going. Truth is when you have that much passion and belief in who you are,…
I’ll never for the life of me understand how Blink-182 are considered a guilty pleasure band while people who are supposedly grownups listen to Green Day. Every time I see a picture of Green Day I’m so embarrassed for them. They look like the kind of teenagers I’m glad get…
