9.
This is one of those cases where the band’s name explicitly outlines what you’ll get when you give them a listen. It’s synth- and guitar-driven pop songs tinged with a pervasive sad sentiment. Love and heartbreak are some of the recurring themes in
8. The SunPunchers
Whether indie-Americana band the SunPunchers are taking you down a dark and twisty country road in songs like “Sodium Pentathol Blues,” or lifting the pace a bit with tracks like “Coming Through,” they’re relentlessly soulful. Their EP Honey may as well have been named after singer Betsy Ganz’s voice,
7. The Darling Sounds
Singer Grace Bolyard’s voice might be a little more temporal than the ethereal flow offered by Miki Berenyi, the singer of noted '90s indie dream-pop band Lush, and that’s okay. She maintains the dreamy sensibility of that seminal act while proving that you don’t need to be totally ghostly to be haunting. Her voice maintains a sweetness whether lulling you into a
6. Man Hands
Driving, intense, and noisy are three words that come to mind when describing Man Hands. It’s a riotous blend of garage rock and post-punk delivered with intent. Vocalist Jackie Cruz’s voice shreds right along with her forceful guitar playing. She alternates singing with the band’s other guitar player, Marc Berry. Though the two have different tones to offer, they share a volatile vocal delivery style that continuously teeters on the brink of explosion. Matt Spastic’s drumming and Colin Sick’s bass work lay the foundation of urgency that this band stands upon.
5. Nanami Ozone
Local or otherwise, Nanami Ozone dropped one of the notable releases of 2016 with their nine-song release, Desire. Their hazy and dreamy rock is tinged here and there with a bit of jangle – just enough of a splash to be completely noninvasive, and some grungy garage elements that
4. Mariachi Pasion
What was born in a music class at ASU more than a decade ago has evolved into an all-female, 15-member band, or more like a tour de force, of mariachi
3. Fairy Bones
Fairy Bones have been the recipients of much praise over the last few years. We gave them the Best Local Band crown back in 2015, and plenty of other media outlets have also penned the ways that they’ve been dazzled by the band. Led by Chelsey Louise Richard, who sings and plays the keys, it’s always solid rock with this band, whether they’re blending in facets of glam or punk, or getting a little artsy with the whole shebang. Richard’s pipes are powerful, never not oozing with strength in whichever direction she takes them. You don’t question whether she means business; you either get on board or get out of the way.
2. House of Stairs
Not every band can blend genres and maintain consistently cohesive and intriguing results. House of Stairs can, though, and does with maximum proficiency. The group, which is Holly Pyle on vocals, Shea Marshall on saxophone/bass clarinet/synth, Garrison Jones on keys, and Stephen Avalos on drums, often gets plopped in the jazz category, and while they’ve embraced jazz, there is so much more to their sound: soul, for one thing, and enough of it to keep your skin tingling, and funk, for another. And that’s not all; they get digital with it, adding looping and digital instrumentation to the mix. They conjure up the spirit of acts like Morcheeba and Portishead as much as they do classic jazz. Focus on Pyle’s drug-like, stirring voice, and it will lull you into the beyond.
1. Scorpion vs. Tarantula
You could sum up a Scorpion vs. Tarantula show like this: Band walks into a bar, band destroys bar with
Editor's note: This list originally contained 10 bands, including JJCnV. After publication, we became aware that the author of this piece, Amy Young, is in a side project, Sturdy Ladies, with JJCnV frontwoman Dana Stern. While JJCnV is a storied Phoenix band well deserving of a spot on this list, we've removed it in order to avoid an appearance of conflict of interest.