One of the grooviest things about the Valley’s EDM scene is that DJ/dance events seemingly spring up in the unlikeliest of places. An all-night rave can take place in the middle of the forested mountains up near Camp Verde, for instance. Or some local turntablism collective will put on a…
Tractor Pull DivasLove Songs for (Insert Your Name Here)(Self released)I haven’t been overly enamored of local alt-country bands since I started doing You Asked For It back in September. The New Westerns had a nice sound, but spotty vocals, and suffer from occasional self-indulgence. Instant Hobo won points for being hobo-themed, but…
You know who ends up getting a lot of Flier of the Week love? Local industrial bands. But, really, as much as I’d like to spread the attention around, I have to share fliers like this. This flier for 30 Fathom Grave’s show at The Ruby Room is pretty great…
The central appeal of the Isobel Campbell-Mark Lanegan pairing is simple. Their contrasting singing styles — hers is soft and sweet; his is gruff and gravelly — mesh with surprisingly effective results, like olive oil and vinegar or MSNBC pundits Rachel Maddow and Pat Buchanan. What Sunday at Devil Dirt…
Back in 2000, Scotland’s Travis had a hit stateside with “Why Does It Always Rain on Me?” It was a pretty, catchy song clearly influenced by The Bends-era Radiohead. Also in 2000, fellow latter-day Brit-poppers Coldplay had a big American hit, “Yellow,” a pretty, catchy song clearly . . …
When a rapper like David Banner decides to name an album The Greatest Story Ever Told, you’re not gonna split hairs with the dude — at least not to his face. Like the mortal whose fury turned him into The Hulk, this bulky Banner also uses his temper to fuel…
On Dressy Bessy’s new album Holler and Stomp, the group finally has its sound to where the band always claimed it was. While they’ve been marketing themselves since they formed almost 10 years ago as punk with an edge of adorable, or adorable with an edge of punk (depending on…
The Partridge Family notwithstanding, sometimes music is a “Family Affair” as shown by Sly & the Family Stone, the brothers Avett, Allman, and Everly, and Chapin Sisters. It hasn’t been scientifically proven that genetics can help a band’s sound (the Everlys, for example, have a fractious relationship), but, hey, it…
Motor City-born Texas maverick J.D. Souther is the sort of fabled musician and artist who rarely exists anymore. I’m a lifelong country-rock idolator, and Souther emerged from my sonic foraging early in my musical journey, soon after my beloved Gene Clark and Gram Parsons, an L.A. titan iconic for his…
The holiday season is all about getting together with your friends and family. So it’s kinda groovy that local EDM fanatics are gonna get the chance to reunite with Joe DiPadova this weekend. The 29-year-old mixmaster, who rocked the house at many a PHX nightspot for years before relocating to…
To renew your soul, check the slideshow.It’s pretty obvious that New Times was super excited about the five year anniversary of Treasure Mammal. Truly, there are no amount of blogs or Night & Day pieces that can properly explain the experience that is this one man band. So, naturally, Club…
So, a few weeks back I discussed a band called Evan Brightly that’s got a person’s name, but is actually five people. This week, meet Lisa Savidge, an act that sounds like it’s a woman, but is actually four dudes. And what else is Lisa Savidge? According to their MySpace,…
By Martin Cizmar This week we’re gonna get artsy with our Flier of the Week. Human Mirror is an electronic duo that uses a laptop, electronics, drums and more to make a sound that’s very eclectic, but has strong strands of world music and dub. They’re Phoenix based, but planning…
When it comes to goth nights here in the Valley, people seem to think that Club Palazzo’s Friday-night freak fest Tranzylvania is the only ghoulish game in town. Turns out they’re dead wrong, as popular GLBT hangout Velocity 2303, at 2303 East Indian School Road, has been putting on a…
It’s been about 12 years now since singer-guitarist Max Cavalera left Brazilian metal gods Sepultura and formed the Phoenix-based Soulfly. Some fans still haven’t gotten over it, but for the most part, his musical efforts over the past dozen years have been an ample salve for the wounded. Often at…
The Morning Of is an indie-rock sextet of fresh-faced youngsters from upstate New York who have suddenly found themselves waking up on the sunny national stage. Boasting major distribution via their label, Tragic Hero Records (which was recently absorbed by Warner Music Group), these kids are riding a wave of…
There’s something I can’t quite figure out: Why does Rihanna get to be a pop star? And I’m not necessarily asking in a way that demeans Rihanna. I just reviewed her new album, Good Girl Gone Bad, and I was surprised by how much I liked it. In the past,…
The longest-running rivalry in modern metal pits Mushroomhead against Slipknot, a conflict that continues its inexorable march toward some sort of Wrestlemania resolution. The feud started back in 1999, when Mushroomhead accused Slipknot of stealing its creepy-mask shtick, and it’s only become more heated in recent years. Mushroomhead ridiculed its…
Sub-par live shows, photos of bassist Pete Wentz’s penis, and petty Internet fights with ex-friends can’t stop the pop-punk juggernaut known as Fall Out Boy. Any criticism lobbed at the Chicago quartet is addressed head-on or is slyly incorporated into lyrics and videos, meaning that the band is practically immune…
By Lilia Menconi Definitely Shady. Click the slideshow.Sometimes a night just doesn’t go your way. On Saturday, November 22nd, we really wanted to check out Harvey Wineburger because we hear they have some old-timey bowling game that is really really fun. When you’re drunk. But, as we flew into the…
The Sweet remains Laurel & Sunset (Self-released) By Martin Cizmar If writing a handwritten note counted for as much as it should on these things – and it doesn’t – I’d have written about The Sweet Remains a month or so ago when their album Laurel & Sunset arrived in…
We’ve all been to that show at least once. You know, the show where the opening act far outperforms the headliner, making you wish the opener got the longer timeslot. It’s a common occurrence, and it’s hardly tragic, except for the headliner that just got its ass handed to it…
