Seattle rock heroes Mudhoney — the last band standing from the grunge era — celebrate their 20th anniversary this year with a new studio album, The Lucky Ones. On the phone from his new hometown of Portland, Oregon, guitarist Steve Turner gave us his take on some recent reviews: With…
There was a time when I knew what I wanted to listen to. I was poor, but I bought CDs anyway, and I had stacks of them, purchased with enthusiasm and knowledge shared among friends. A pricey endeavor, sure. But once I discovered Napster and CD-burning, finances stopped counting. I…
Sometimes, the assholes in charge of dishing out work visas make mistakes. When British rapper Riz MC (who’s Muslim and of Pakistani descent) tried coming to the United States a couple of months ago for a showcase at South by Southwest — followed by a couple of spot dates in…
Hardworking, broken-backed, sweaty-headed, scruffy-looking Kansas Citians the Architects have never tried to win over folks with much more than relentless punk-drenched rock ‘n’ roll honesty. Now, with Vice, the group amps up its sound to arena-rocking levels, throwing in plenty of gang vocals and melodic hooks to make sure it…
Way back in 1996, Robyn reached the Top 10 with “Do You Know (What It Takes).” She followed it up a year later with another big hit, “Show Me Love.” Then she disappeared. This comeback album by the thin-voiced but spunky singer, who’s now 28, was originally released three years…
All the idiosyncratic jangling, clattering carnival-esque swooning, and arch melodrama suggests Tom Waits Malkoviched into David Bowie’s body. Frontman Carey Mercer’s vocals manifest the shrill, anxious delivery of glam Bowie much like Dan Bejar, whom Frog Eyes has backed and with whom Mercer and Wolf Parade’s Spencer Krug created the…
Both acts trace their origins to early-’90s Los Angeles, but Aceyalone was the first to jump off. He helped found Freestyle Fellowship, which was just starting to get lift when member Self Jupiter was incarcerated in ’93. Aceyalone took it solo, scoring a deal from Capitol for the seminal ’95…
Deemed “the Godfather of Goth,” Peter Murphy built the paradigm for surly, baritone-voiced broodfests. When the English singer broke through the London gloom-tune scene in the late ’70s with his seminal band, Bauhaus, he already had the high-cut cheekbones and deep voice of David Bowie, along with the androgynous costumes…
Louisiana’s Soilent Green has been one of the best things about the wild world of modern extreme metal over the past decade. The band has also remained one of the genre’s better-kept secrets. While that’s partly due to its dense, nonlinear songwriting — which can take some getting used to…
Mark LaRue is a double-duty DJ. When the 32-year-old isn’t spinning rump-shaking Nickelback or Wyclef jams for the exotic dancers of Bourbon Street Circus, he’s dropping punk rock, hardcore, and ska songs on Monday nights at the Rose & Crown Pub, 628 East Adams Street, during 1… 2… 3… 4!!!…
By Benjamin Leatherman Who needs MTV when you’ve got YouTube? Personally, I’ve managed to survive without basic cable for a couple years now, mostly due to the fact that anything worth watching on MTV — or television in general — can pretty much be found on the online video site…
Valley post-hardcore/screamo band Greeley Estates is having a CD release party for their third full-length album, Go West Young Man, Let the Evil Go East (Science) on Saturday, June 7. In anticipation of the show, we recently caught up with Greeley Estates guitarist Brandon Hackeson.
By Lilia Menconi Once again, we decided to check out Tempe Marketplace to assess some club worthiness. As soon as we walked up the stairs toward Cadillac Ranch, three drunk dudes ogled and slobbered all over us — we took it as a good sign and headed in for 944…
Back when I was a young ‘un, I had the opportunity to spend an afternoon with a gentleman by the name of Ellas Otha Bates. Mr. Bates was a guitar player and singer of great repute, and when he pulled into town with his band for a gig, I decided to take a shot at interviewing him for the local weekly. I felt that I knew the guy’s groundbreaking music really well, and his history, too, so I was fairly comfortable when I called him up at his hotel room.
Local bands who’ve complained that we’re not reviewing their CDs, take this challenge. I have vowed to review every local CD addressed to me (and marked “YAFI”) in the order it’s received. I’m still getting more gripes than CDs, however, so if you’re upset, please put your music where your mouth is and send it to me. I will be honest about my impressions of your music, for better (last week’s Underwater Getdown CD) or worse (this week’s Reign of Vengeance CD).
By Benjamin Leatherman We used to have a feature in the print version of the Phoenix New Times where we pimped the top 10 best-selling CDs at various local record stores. Now the feature is back, albeit in online form. Here’s a list of what’s been selling at Circles Records…
With gas hitting $4 a gallon, I’m loathe to drive too far from my usual haunts (north Phoenix and downtown Phoenix) lately, but I did manage to hit a metaphorical bat cave and see a Catwoman this weekend, all in the ‘hood.
As much as it blows having to report to work after a weekend of fun, sometimes Mondays aren’t all that bad. Like this coming Monday (June 2, for all you calendar checkers out there) offers a couple cool-ass events to check out after you’ve clocked out for the day.
By Jonathan McNamara Type O Negative and Hatebreed joined forces to salute the gods of rock this weekend at the Marquee via the musical medium known as the Jagermeister Music Tour. Also on hand was 3 Inches of Blood just in case the headliners didn’t bring enough of the heavy…
Eartha Kitt is 81 years-old. But you’d never know it by the way she sang, joked, teased, and pranced around the stage at Phoenix Symphony Hall on Saturday Night. Perhaps best known for her role as Catwoman on the Batman TV series in the 1960s, Eartha Kitt proved herself to be a consummate performer. And she showed that she can still pull off the sex-kitten shtick with startling aplomb, repeating showing her shapely leg (the slit in her dress was longer than the Wall of China) and grinding her hips like something out of Grandmothers Gone Wild. It was hot; I won’t lie. I know that sounds weird. Eartha Kitt seduced me — she and her 76 wingmen, in the form of the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra Ensemble.
If you’ve always had a yen to be in a music video (and don’t have any plans tonight), L.A. pop songstress Lauren Briant will be holding an open casting call for her upcoming video tonight from 9 to 11 p.m. at Jackrabbit Supper Club, 4280 North Drinkwater Boulevard in Scottsdale.
Here’s a handful of shows that were just announced this week.
