Suicide Silence is a loud, energetic, positive force to be reckoned with, which some find ironic considering the band’s moniker. But in 13 years of existence, the band has received a 2009 Golden God award for Best New Talent, has helped pioneer the deathcore genre, has produced four diverse yet…
Insane Clown Posse performed with P.O.D. at The Pressroom last night, and it was a hot, sticky mess, quite literally — the show felt like a Faygo-filled sauna. We met a variety of juggalos along the way, some looked like dead ringers for Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope, while…
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…
Skate punk is something taken seriously in the desert. We’re always looking to finish an argument about what constitutes a good slab of skate punk wax. Phoenix has a long history with both skateboarding and the music most closely associated with it. Skate punk (or skate rock, which many see…
Chaz Budnick, better known in music circles as Toro y Moi, just released the upbeat funk-rock hybrid album What For? in April, but it’s the experimental turns he takes in his self-released mixtape Samantha that is getting all the attention from listeners and critics. “The main reason I [released Samantha]…
The music and vocals of renowned R&B, soul, and jazz artists was supposed to fill the air this weekend at Rawhide in Chandler, courtesy of the annual Arizona Jazz Festival. Unfortunately, all there will be is silence as the three-day concert event was unceremoniously cancelled by its promoter. And a…
Eagles of Death Metal – Tuesday, October 20 – Crescent Ballroom Dave Grohl may seem like the clear choice as the contemporary Rock God, but Josh Homme is the poor man’s candidate. Not only does he rule with a mighty strum in Queens of the Stone Age (as well as…
There was a time when if you told your friends you were going to see a “Janet concert,” they knew without further explanation you were going to see the leader of the Rhythm Nation, or Miss Jackson if you’re nasty. As the years went by, the world seemed to forget…
Having smoothed over their explosive 2010 breakup, the duo of King Khan and BBQ locked themselves in a basement early this year and let the spirits get to work. “When we started recording again, in a way it was more fun than we’d ever had,” says Khan. “We were drinking…
Garth Brooks did my job for me Friday night when he took a moment toward the end of his set to talk to me about my concert review. Okay, I realize that sounds a little bit egotistical and far-fetched; I’ll clarify: He took a moment to address all of my…
Last month, I found myself, along with the rest of America, gripped by a strong case of papal fever. Pope Francis’ messages of love and mercy are so stunningly different than previous pontiffs that it’s difficult not to like the 78-year-old Argentinian church leader. Yet when he made his trip…
Apache Lake Music Festival is one of the best Phoenix music scene events of the entire year, and it’s coming up really soon! It’s not huge like the festivals Lucky Man production has been putting on and it doesn’t have quite production value of a Viva PHX, but Brannon Kleinlein…
Run the Jewels Marquee Theatre Thursday, October 15, 2015 If you went to last night’s Run the Jewels concert at Marquee Theatre, there’s a good chance you’re reading this while nursing a hangover and a black eye. Run the Jewels has an interesting fandom full of fans who love cats…
The Counterfeit Party – “Wanting More” Apparently, the first song The Counterfeit Party ever recorded (“The Best Party Anywhere!”) was adopted as the official song of the “Largest Music Festival in Motorcycling” at the Sturgis rally at Legendary Buffalo Chip. I can’t find anything not to love about these guys. Their approach…
There is a scene in the film Almost Famous where the lead singer of the fictional band Stillwater, played by Billy Crudup, talks about how with music you “remember the mistakes.” For those who attended the alt-J performance at Comerica Theatre, the few mistakes that were made by the Leeds…
In Simon Reynolds’ fantastic book Rip It Up and Start Again, the author asks the question, “What made me believe music could matter this much?” The answer is well worth any music fan’s time discovering, but Reynolds’ book, which is almost textbook-like in its approach to music history, explores his…
Rock opera maestro Marvin Michael Lee Aday, better suited by his stage name, Meat Loaf, finds his way to Phoenix as a headlining act for the opening weekend of the 2015 Arizona State Fair. The multi-platinum Bat Out of Hell entertainer will take the stage on Sunday, October 18 at…
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…
I’m not sure I’ve ever been to a sold-out show at Comerica Theatre — or any other name — over the years. It was clear that there had been a line around the building for a good portion of the day as abandoned blankets, beverages, and snacks lined the perimeter…
It’s hard to dance with a devil on your back, as Florence Welch exclaims in her band Florence + The Machine’s anthemic hit song “Shake It Out.” Luckily she brushed off that pesky demon long before she took the stage at Ak-Chin Pavilion on a balmy Tuesday evening. The British…
The songs on Heartless Bastards’ latest record reflect both the band’s relentless touring life and the breadth of styles the group embraces. So in a number of ways, says singer-songwriter Erika Wennerstrom, the Restless Ones title is especially fitting for this collection of 10 songs. “I know what direction I…
As the songs were coming together for their sophomore album, the members of punk quartet Timeshares felt like the band was settling into a stronger identity. Already Dead, the follow-up to 2011’s Bearable, is a record of big guitars, sing-along melodies and recalls bands like the Replacements and Lucero, punk…
