Does Pennywise represent punk rock’s “second wave,” as described in the promoter’s official literature, or pop-punk’s first wave, as described by most critics? Or is it neo-gospel-rock’s fourth wave? Or who gives a shit? Whatever wave we’re talking about, all three of the band’s Jägermeister Music Tour tour-mates have surfed…
One could write a Roots-style epic about Wu-Tang Clan and its countless affiliates, familiars, confederates, and collaborators. If memory serves, didn’t Ashley Judd drop a few bars for the Wu in the early ’90s, right before Ruby in Paradise? The point is, it’s hard to keep track of them all…
Lucinda Williams can get very personal on her recordings, for better or for worse. Last year’s West was a melancholy collection about the loss of her mother. The downtrodden disc was also buzzkill if you weren’t in the mood for it. With Little Honey, Williams lightens up, dishing about her…
Star Swim and Adult Swim, two of the most popular pool parties from last summer have really amped up their game. Walk into the lobby of the Wyndham Hotel where they are both booked for the rest of the summer and prepare to be shocked as the posh interior lets…
Cardiac PartyTeen Challenge(Self-released)GRADE: A*Cardiac Party singer Ryan McDowell had it all planned out: By including a package of Skittles with the copy of his band’s new EP, Teen Challenge, he says, he was assured of getting at least one positive remark in my review. “The songs sucked, but the Skittles…
This week’s flier of the week — for Great White’s show at Club Red tommorow night — presented without comment…
It’s hard to believe, but we’ve been slogging through You Asked For It submissions for a year, as of today, May 21. My predecessor, Niki D’Andrea, started YAFI as a way of catering to local bands that bitched about her coverage and it still fills that function today though, as…
Few things symbolize summertime in the Valley better than a raucous pool party. Many a scorched Phoenician has found relief from the triple-digit temps while lounging around the ol’ swimming hole with a few friends and a case or two of brews. But your average beer-soaked backyard bash pales in…
So lovely. So talented. So appallingly young. Can there be any doubt that Taylor Swift was sent to Earth to make the planet’s collective over-20 population feel like a bunch of aging fuck-ups? Though more than a year shy of her first legal white-wine spritzer, the ethereal pop goddess has…
Are you “down with the clown?” Which is to say, are you the slightest bit interested in watching five sugar-crazed Midwesterners don face paint and rap about ax murder? If so, there’s a really strong chance that this Insane Clown Posse-fronted horrorcore supergroup is already figuring prominently in your weekend…
Back when I used to write for another Valley weekly that shall remain nameless, we used to play a game called “Nickelback Or . . . ?” The object was to determine what concerts, if any, could possibly be worse than a Nickelback show. One of the only rules of the game was…
Two things about The Thermals: The Portland, Oregon indie-punk band made its first album, 2003’s More Parts Per Million, for approximately $6 (they recorded it at home on six $1 cassettes) and it was released virtually as-is by Sub Pop; and before forming the group, Thermals principals Hutch Harris and…
Ho-hum. Another week, another militant vegan band comes to town. If you didn’t get your fill (pun intended) at last week’s Earth Crisis show, the lovable “veganarchists” in Propagandhi are stopping in Tempe this weekend to spread the gospel of iodine deficiency to the masses. For a band that professes…
J.D. Stooks says it best himself on his MySpace: “I play slow sad bastard music.”For all intents and purposes he does, though there’s an occasional buoyancy to Stooks new record, Women & Gold that’ll appeal to most fans of acoustic folk-rock, even the ones who prefer the more upbeat offering…
Well, it happened. Cheap Thrills is going weekly.Much to the rejoice of Valley scenesters, there’s now a weekly spot to head to for strong drinks, dancing, loud music and general debauchery. Black Forest Mill restaurant-turned-dance club is the prefect venue for this kind of night. They’ve got a big dance…
The Dollyrots are this week’s Flier of the Week partly because this is one of the better offerings in a weak field, and partly because their latest record, which came out in 2007, is called Because I’m Awesome, which is also the name of the best song on said album…
Like major-league closers, modern-rock musicians tend to specialize in the high hard stuff. Still, that doesn’t mean fans of the genre reject any and all softer sounds — and that’s where Kevin Devine comes in. A generation ago, Devine, who has local boys Miniature Tigers on tour with him, wouldn’t…
When two of the biggest and most influential alt-rock bands of all time tour together, it’s hard to find much to complain about. Indeed, the only negative we can come up with about Nine Inch Nails touring with a newly reunited Jane’s Addiction is the unfortunate “NIN/JA” moniker they’ve slapped…
Over the course of three albums, Kings of Leon have worn their undigested influences on their rangy, sleeveless arms. Sure, this is partly born of a supremely unambitious approach, but the result is a rare, uncomplicated rock pleasure. 2005’s Aha Shake Heartbreak has endured several years into the blog era,…
Certain bands have a vibe that makes you just know they’d be fun guys to grab a beer and a burger with. Then there’s Earth Crisis. A fun day with this Syracuse, New York-based metalcore quintet seems more likely to include pouring blood on unsuspecting fur coat wearers, strapping yourself…
What do Styx and REO Speedwagon have in common besides the obvious cheese factor, being aging rock musicians, and sharing the stage at Dodge Theatre this weekend? The ’70s and ’80s power rockers have seven tracks featured on the Rock Band Music Store catalog for the wildly popular video game…
It’s apparently been en vogue lately to jump from Stray Cat Bar & Grill in Tempe to Jugheads. The first to flee was DJ Johnny Volume, who moved his popular BANNED night to the east Phoenix punk bar in March. And now it looks as though DJ Refkekshin’s made the…
