The Posies To Announce Secret Show in Phoenix on Sunday, May 1

Although firmly entrenched in people’s minds and hearts as a power pop band, The Posies were never the rigid adherents to the “verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge” structure as that movement suggests. While always exhibiting impeccable harmonies, the band never skimped on the power part of the equation, which is why they came into…

When Did Rap Start Ruling Coachella?

In 2012, A$AP Rocky closed out Saturday night of Coachella in the Gobi tent. Considering he had only released his first mixtape, Deep Purple, the summer before, it was a plum set time for the Harlem rapper. Being a rap and Rocky lover, I was excited to see him perform…

Mighty Sphincter and the Hammersmith Hoax

When Slope Records began releasing vintage Phoenix punk records toward the end of 2015, there were a few jewels in the crown for the fledgling label. One of those jewels was a 1987 live recording by the infamous Mighty Sphincter, which was released under the title Undead at Hammersmith Odeon…

Celebrate a World of Music this Saturday on International Jazz Day

“The beautiful part about jazz is it’s like the gumbo,” says saxophonist and keyboardist Doc Jones, who’s played with the likes of Aretha Franklin and The Temptations for more than 30 years. “There’s all styles of jazz, from Boston over to smooth jazz to acid jazz, and on and on,…

Kraftwerk Will Play Phoenix Concert in Fall

Electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk are making the trip from Germany to the stateside this year, and they will be making a stop in Phoenix. Kraftwerk is scheduled to play Orpheum Theatre on September 15. The tour is part of a nine-city run in the U.S. that will feature the band’s…

The Slow Death of Coachella’s Local Vendor Economy

The sight of bacon-wrapped hot dogs sizzling atop metal trays, their fatty aroma intermingling with desert dust and the odor of dead grass, has been a familiar part of the Coachella Valley Music Festival for many years. But not this year. Where they once could be found along any entry…

The Seven Best Concerts in Phoenix This Week

Allah-Las – Monday, April 25 – Valley Bar If one had to guess the birthplace of the Allah-Las simply based on a few musical interludes, somewhere on the sunshine-y California coast makes for an easy choice. It’s accurate too, as this Los Angeles band co-mingles all the salty goodness of a…

Shit People Actually Said at Coachella Weekend Two

Every year, we travel out to the desert to capture the stories that make the Coachella experience so unique and infamous. Sometimes these tales are touching; other times, frustrating; but without a doubt, the crowd at Coachella is always hilarious.  Here are 25 of the strangest, funniest, most memorable things…

10 Music Festivals To Road Trip To From Phoenix This Summer

It’s time to wave goodbye to Coachella 2016, the default major music festival for Phoenix residents. If you missed out on the fast-selling tickets, if you want a more specialized festival experience, or if you’ve just arrived back from the Polo Club and you’re already looking for more, we’ve got…

Prince’s Most Superhuman Moments

With the sadness of Prince’s sudden death yesterday comes that sinking feeling where you realize no one’s enjoying “that indisputable moment” anymore, that point in time when everyone is in universal agreement that the biggest name in music is actually deserving of their time at the top.   Elvis and…

The Eight Best Concerts in Phoenix This Weekend

Like many of you, we’re still very much in shock over the untimely passing of Prince – and probably will be for some time. And we’re probably not the only ones who have been blasting “His Royal Badness” nonstop while dealing with the unfathomable sorrow over the silencing of one…

The 20 Best Singers of All Time

They’ve yet to invent the musical instrument that can move us more than the human voice. Great singers convey a world of emotion in a single note, turn simple melodies into symphonies, and imbue the most straightforward lyrics (think of Aretha’s “Baby, I love you”) with the depth of a…

Legendary Musician Prince Dies at Age 57 at Minnesota Home

Prince, the Minnesota recording artist whose music blended virtuoso musicality with raw sexuality, died in his home today, various news sources are reporting. He was 57.  Though Prince had performed regularly the past few years, he had reportedly canceled a few recent shows due to illness. His representatives told press…

Introducing DRAWL!, A New Times Music Video Series

There’s a reason everyone wants to be a rock star. Travel the world and play music to adoring fans throwing nothing but love (and maybe the occasional piece of underwear) at you? Yes, please. The reality for most touring musicians is far less glamorous than the fantasy, of course. Life…

New Music from KONGOS, The Maya Spectra, Sad Kid and More

Mitchell Hillman listens to more local music than just about anyone in the Valley. He presents his picks for best new music in his column, Right Hear, Right Now. The Maya Spectra – “Music Box” The Maya Spectra is in the process of relocating to Phoenix, and that’s good news…

Audacity’s Been At It Forever, But It’s Just Getting Started

Hyper Vessels, the fourth full-length by Fullterton, California, rockers Audacity, is the kind fizzy, ebullient album that can only be crafted by 20-something weirdos fueled by youthful, crazed energy. But a deeper listen reveals a melodic sensibility that — while not “refined,” per se — sounds mature and developed. The…