Audio By Carbonatix
Editor’s Note: An abridged version of this article appears in this week’s issue, featuring 100 Songs that Defined Arizona. In celebration of Arizona’s centennial, we’ve rounded up sound clips for (almost) everything featured in our list, and will be rolling them out over the course of the week.
“Everybody knows that the world is full of stupid people, so meet me at the mission at midnight, we’ll divvy up there.” — “Banditos” by The Refreshments
The goal of finding Arizona’s 100 greatest songs was hardly easy. We asked our readers to tell us what songs have defined Arizona over the past century. As we combed through e-mail submissions, one thing became clear: Arizona’s musical heritage is as diverse, fascinating, and complicated as the people who live here.
In addition to submissions, we dove into New Times archives, consulted historians, musicians, record collectors, scoured blogs, and slipped into YouTube rabbit holes to complete this list, focusing on artists you might’ve heard any given night in a dusty nightclub or bar.
Read on for entries 51-75, marking the changing musical landscape as the sound of Mill Avenue jangle faded and young sounds of rap-rock, hip-hop, and indie rock exploded in Arizona.
1995: “The Roach Clip,” Phunk Junkeez, Injected (Interscope)
1995: “I Don’t Need You,” The Fells, single (Bag of Hammers)
1995: “Arizona Woman,” Chico Chism, Raw as Hell (Cher-Kee)
1996: “True Feelings,” Supermarket, single (Dump Koch)
1996: “Banditos,” The Refreshments, Fizzy, Fuzzy, Big & Buzzy (Mercury)
1996: “Scottsdale,” Chronic Future, Chronic Future (ULG/Tommy Boy)
1996: “Hung Over with Jenny,” The Beat Angels, Unhappy Hour (Epiphany)
1996: “Jerking It to the Trashwomen,” The Wongs, single (Rerun)
1997: “The Inner Flame,” Rainer (Read more about the music of Tucson legend Rainer.)
1997: “Just to Hold On to You,” The Pistoleros, Hang On to Nothing (Hollywood)
1997: “Down for Yours,” NB Ridaz, The First Chapter (Def Jam)
1998: “Out of Here,” Sleepwalker, Man on the Moon (Hayden’s Ferry) (Read more about “Out of Here”)
1999: “Goodbye Sky Harbor,” Jimmy Eat World, Clarity (Capitol)
2001: “Concerto for Turntable,” DJ Radar, single (self-released)
2002: “The Farm,” Rainer ((Read more about the music of Tucson legend Rainer.)
Authority Zero – One More Minute by Bigoodies
2002: “One More Minute,” Authority Zero, A Passage in Time (Lava)
2002: “The First Single,” The Format, EP (Western Tread)
2003: “Not Even Stevie Nicks,” Calexico, Feast of Wire (Quarterstick)
2003: “Dale Earnhardt’s Seatbelt,” The Bled, Pass the Flask (Fiddler)
2004: “This Town,” Reuben’s Accomplice, The Bull, the Balloon, and the Family (Western Tread)
2004: “Dance On,” Asleep in the Sea, Yeah, Okay (self-released)
2004: “¡Americano!” Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers, ¡Americano! ( Emma Java)
2005: “Knee Deep,” Job for a Cowboy (King of the Monsters)
2005: “The Drifter,” Brad B & The Insects, The Drifter (Avenue of the Arts)
2005: “Breakfast Club,” Z Trip, Z Trip (Hollywood)
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