Witch Mountain, Yucca Tap Room, 11/12/12

Witch Mountain @ Yucca Tap Room|11/12/12I’ve always felt troubled by the psychological exercise of word association, that each response would reveal some flawed abnormality about my character. If you were to say doom metal in such an exercise, my response would most likely be “relaxation” or “easy listening.” Doom, as…

What’s The Best Way to Promote My Band?

Are you a musician? Is your group having issues? Critic Jessica Hopper has played in and managed bands, toured internationally, booked shows, produced records, worked as a publicist, and is the author of The Girls’ Guide to Rocking, a how-to for teen ladies. She is here to help you stop…

The Game: Four Dead Rappers We Wish He Could Collaborate With

In hip-hop the past is a constant and idealization of one’s forefathers-or mothers-is an uncrossable tradition. The Game might be hip-hop’s most eloquent eulogizer. His 2005 hit “Dreams” spoke poignantly to that point; Game all but admitted that he’ll never mean as much to the culture as his lordliest deceased idols…

Phoenix DJ Austin Head Injured in Hate Crime Assault

Update: Phoenix Police have officially designated the attack on Austin Head an anti-gay hate crime. Read more at New Times’ news blog, Valley Fever. Local DJ, activist, and former New Times Clubs Editor Austin Head was assaulted early on Friday, November 9, while walking down Central Avenue. Two men harassed…

Grouplove: Win Tickets to the Sold-Out Show

You know, we’re not sure we can trust this Grouplove band. Just say it out loud. “Grouplove.” Sounds pretty hippie-ish, right? Might as well be named “Communelove,” or “Socialistlove,” right? Anyway, beyond that, the Los Angeles-based outfit named its debut LP Never Trust a Happy Song, and it’s got songs…

Rusko, Marquee Theatre, 11/11/12

Rusko @ Marquee Theatre| 11/11/12Last night marked the highly anticipated rescheduled date for English producer/dubstep DJ Christopher Mercer, who performs under the moniker of Rusko. Mercer was unable to perform in May due to illness, according to Steve Levine Entertainment’s Facebook event. The headlining DJ didn’t just show off his…

Morrissey Reschedules Marquee Theatre Show

I imagine there are some casual Morrissey fans out there, but most of the Moz fans I know are the diehard sort, the kind of folks who’ll stick by the singer no matter what grumpy things he says and does. So while I’m sure someone was just kinda bummed about…

The Butcher Babies, Boobs, and Blood

Here’s what I expected from The Butcher Babies on the opening night of their “Hush Little Baby” tour: Sexy, sexy bitches; electrical tape-adorned boobs; vocals ranging from erotically melodic to ear-shatteringly demonic, intermixed with headbang-worthy breakdowns. For those of you who don’t know what you’re missing out on, we’re not…

Top Five Must-See Shows This Week

Yeah, yeah, yeah…we get it. Mondays suck (we’ve read Garfield). But it means the start of a new week, which means a bunch of killer shows in and around Phoenix. And here are a few of the coolest — our top five must-see shows this week…

Jens Lekman, Crescent Ballroom, 11/9/12

Jens Lekman @ Crescent Ballroom|11/9/12Jens Lekman calls his songs “stories.” Introducing “I Know What Love Isn’t,” the title track from his 2012 LP, Lekman described driving around in a friend’s crappy old car, listening to classic rock radio, and talking about “life, love, and things that that.” He’d become interested…

Top Five Phoenix Music Stories of the Week

The news waits for no one — at least that’s what we read somewhere — so it’s perfectly understandable that you, the reader, might have missed out on a musical tidbit, breaking news about your favorite venue, or one of our rants. So enjoy this digest-style sampling of some of…

Minus the Bear, Cursive, Girl in a Coma, Marquee Theatre, 11/8/12

Minus the Bear, Cursive, and Girl In a Coma, Cursive @ Marquee Theatre|11/8/12The term “indie rock” is a convenient catchall, but last night at the Marquee Theatre, the term’s definition was stretched to the limit. Minus the Bear, Cursive, and Girl in a Coma utilize elements of a lot of…

Eddie Money Talks Take Me Home Tonight

You know who had a whole boatload of hits? Brooklyn singer/songwriter Eddie Money had a whole boatload of hits. Throughout the ’80s the cop-turned-rockstar was unstoppable: “Baby Hold On,” “Two Tickets to Paradise,” “Take Me Home Tonight,” “Shaking,” and more. He had the New Wave thing down, putting him square…

TK Newman, What Are You Listening To?

TK Newman Newman is the co-founder of upscale wedding dress reseller Hustle Your Bustle. For more info, go here. When you put your key in the ignition and turn on the radio, what station would play right now? Either 100.7 FM or 102.5 FM — I’m a country girl at…

Take Cover: Yus Covers Broadcast

Broadcast built a dedicated fanbase with its innovative mix of ’60s nostalgia and electronic beats. If you’ve never heard the band, imagine Nico singing for Stereolab. Youceff Kabal, who performs under the stage name of Yus plays piano and slows the song down a bit for his version of “Michael…