There is a fine distinction between trusting one’s intuition and merely surrendering to impulse. Twenty-two-year-old songwriter Michelle Blades has walked this tightrope during her time in the desert, deftly veering from improvised jazz folk to staccato post-punk to full-length impressionistic baroque-pop records, all without a single glance over her shoulder…
Alejandro Ocana — who raps and performs as 2Mex — has got more going for him than just his rapid-fire, multi-lingual flow. He’s got a fanbase so dedicated that he named his most recent record My Fanbase Will Destroy You. But rather than a violent boast, the title is more…
The saxophones and trumpets came two by two, followed by guitars, bass, and drums, with a vintage keyboard steering the ship. Waves of sound washed over the ensemble and groovalicious music played for 40 days and 40 nights. When the last cymbal crash faded away, the Funk Ark sat high…
311’s Nick Hexum is less a frontman than a cult of personality, adored by the least savory cross-section of music fans: Freon-huffing 14-year-olds who whip their dicks out in remedial algebra. For more than a generation now, Hexum has been the de facto surrogate parent to hordes of bastard children…
As one of the original nine MCs who came together like a hip-hop Avengers team, Wu-Tang Clan alumnus Ghostface Killah has reached immortal status in the rap realm. He’s been critically acclaimed as a soloist and written off as the same, but like all legends, he hasn’t died, just grown…
According to the number crunchers at Nielsen SoundScan, the sales of vinyl records slowly but steadily have increased over the past six years. That probably comes as no surprise to the cadre of wax-loving DJs behind Classic Album Thursdays, because they arguably have helped beef up those numbers by scooping…
Silver Medallion was very different four years ago. Back then duo, Oren J (Oren J. Schauble) and Carnegie (Abay Lattin) made party music about the ladies of Scottsdale. The two hip-hop heads mined electro sources like Chromeo, Spank Rock, and Santigold. Their first single, “Scottsdale,” was as cynical as it…
It’s always fun when an band records an official anthem, offering a rare peek as to how artists perceive themselves: The Clash stormed with “This Is Radio Clash,” Iron Maiden illustrated its historical themes with “Iron Maiden,” and the Ramones borrowed Motörhead’s lovable bonehead anthem “R.A.M.O.N.E.S.” It’s a stretch, but…
See also: Songwriter Michelle Blades Walks a Tightrope See also: Michelle Blades Streams Album, MarianaIn this week’s issue, we discuss Valley singer/songwriter Michelle Blades and her delicate balance between riot grrrl verve and orchestral grandeur. We ended up with more material than we could fit in print, so please enjoy…
See also: Tommy “LSDJ” Suftko on the Relevance of Industrial Music See also: ///She/// on DJing at Sadisco, Picking Out Tracks, and Nearly Getting Shot By the Cops See also: DJ Apollynon Rocks Rivethead Sounds, But He Held a Sparkly Flag Aloft During the ’96 Super Bowl Halftime ShowThe cathedral-like…
See also: Daniel Johnston Is Coming to PhoenixYou know Axe, the company that makes body spray and hair care products for arch-douchers. And if you’re reading this blog, you might even know Daniel Johnston, relatively obscure, indie cult hero, and tortured artist. Well, finally, the commercial makers at Axe realized…
See also: Captain Squeegee Teams with MCC’s Big Band Tonight See also: Sun Ghost, Captain Squeegee on Ron Paul See also: Captain Squeegee Member Says “9/11 Was an Inside Job” on Chemtrails Dubstep Song How much cash would you shell out if it meant saving the world from its impending…
See also: Digital Summer Drummer Ben Anderson Plays Contra on Drums See also: Local Hard Rock Band Digital Summer Hits the Road with Saliva Digital Summer is a popular fixture on the local rock scene, but its members have spent a great deal of the last year out of town,…
See also: Chasers Sold to New Owners and Becomes Pub Rock, A Music Venue With an In-House Radio Broadcasting Studio Jesse Malin has done it all, or most of it at least. In his barely-teens he was fronting Jersey-based hardcore ensemble Heart Attack, then spent the ’90s in glam-punk wreckers…
Somewhere north of Apache Junction, there’s a long road leading to a rock on the edge of the Salt River that Jesse Elliott still needs to see. For a songwriter who makes the most out of near-endless traveling, that rock represents just another one of those tempting little side roads…
You remember that infamous clip of Joaquin Phoenix on Letterman? The one where he announced to the world he was retiring from acting to pursue a career as a rap artist? Well, thank Baby Jesus, that turned out to be a hoax. But you know what isn’t? Snoop Lion. “I…
See also: Take Cover: Dry River Yacht Club Covers The Beatles See also: Take Cover: Field Tripp Covers Townes Van Zandt See also: Foster the People @ Comerica Theatre, 7/6/12 See also: South Mountain Witness/North Brother Island @ JobotIt’s tough to turn on the TV or radio without hearing a…
You might know Mark David Chapman as the subject of that Mindless Self-Indulgence song or as J.D. Salinger’s biggest fan. Oh, and he killed John Lennon. Yeah, about that… As Reuters reports, Chapman is up for parole again this week, marking the seventh time he’ll appear before New York state’s…
See also: Chasers Sold to New Owners and Becoming Pub Rock, A Music Venue With an In-House Radio StudioOnce a week Up on the Sun features a new comic strip from punk rocker, cartoonist, and full-time dad Brad Dwyer. See the New Times print edition to check out the strip…
“You know, I’m no different from everybody else, I start each day and end each night…” So spoke David Cassidy during a break in the Partridge Family’s second hit single “Doesn’t Somebody Want to be Wanted.” But he is different. Different from you, who’s never appeared working alongside Gary Busey…
See also: Identity Festival at Ashley Furniture HomeStore Pavilion, 8/19/12 See also: Live Nation Looks to Cash In on EDM Rage with Identity Festival See also: Paul van Dyk on Why He Dissed Madonna, His Quest for the Perfect Track, and the Growth of EDM in America See also: Luke…
See also: KUKQ Phoenix Launches Online; We Speak With Nancy Stevens, Craven Moorehead, and Jonathan LSome heavy-duty changes have been taking place behind the scenes at longtime local music venue Chasers over the past week. The dive-like Scottsdale rock bar, which has hosted big concerts and local shows for close…
