Critic's Notebook

November 2016 was a brutal month for music fans, as legends dropped at a seemingly nonstop rate.

Get your headphones ready.

Longtime Phoenix music fans will remember Barry Smith of Gentlemen AfterDark, Arizona’s new wave/post-glam legends from the early ’80s.

Mitchell Hillman listens to more local music than just about anyone in the Valley. He presents his picks for best new local music in his column, Right Hear, Right Now.

Bottles and other debris flew through the air, prompting one witness to say “It felt like those stories you hear on the news.”

The former accordion store turned 30 before disco was a thing.

Today would have been Andrew Duncan Brown’s 30th birthday. Just over three years ago, the well-respected local singer/songwriter lost his life under mysterious circumstances while vacationing and performing in France. At the time he was experiencing something of a musical renaissance of his own, having released his self-titled album on…

It’s a space designed to be intimate and focused entirely on the artist.

Beginning in the 1930s, “border blaster” radio stations began lining the southern divide of the United States. Unencumbered by American frequency restrictions, these Mexican superpower stations — dubbed “X stations” after the first letter of their corresponding call signs — pumped music via high-wattage frequencies across much of North America…

What makes an electronic music festival a memorable one? The lineup’s typically the biggest thing, as are such factors as production value, execution, the energy level of the crowd, and (of course) the quality of the actual performances. There’s also something to be said for the location itself, which can…

We sift through all the local music so you don’t have to.

Took them long enough.

Amber Giles is a big proponent of living outside your comfort zone, especially if you happen to be an artist. It’s a distressing and vexing experience, sure, but also one that could potentially expand horizons,  fuel creativity, and lead to bigger and better things. And Giles’ ever-evolving career in electronic…

Ron Campbell, now an Anthem resident, helped animated the Beatles’ animated cartoon series and parts of “Yellow Submarine.”

We’re keeping you up-to-date on what’s new in the Phoenix music scene.

In June 2014, Futuristic’s single “I Guess I’ll Smoke” cracked 1 million views on YouTube. Now he predicts he has more than 70 videos that have eclipsed that mark.

Don’t ask Leighton Antelman to explain how his dream-pop outfit, Lydia, composes songs. Like Lydia’s music, which is full of hazy edges and misty melodies, Antelman’s answer provides a vague guide to the band’s musical aspiration. “There’s a lot of different randomness. I’m not really sure,” he says inconclusively. “We…

Okilly Dokilly is set to release its first full-length record after going viral last year.

Hiding in a stranger’s bedroom at a house party on the west side of Phoenix, 14-year-old Buzzy Murder, lead guitarist in Exterminators, thought he was going to jail for sure.  “A good percentage of our gear had been stolen,” says Murder, whose real name is Doug Clark. “[Doug Goss, the…

Since Trunk Space officially closed its doors on its original Grand Avenue location this summer, there has been much anticipation in the Phoenix DIY scene to see where the new Trunk Space would be. After many successful pop-up shows around Phoenix and Tempe, the perfect spot opened up for Trunk…

Political correctness and punk rock don’t mix. Sure, there are bands that do the punk thing well and never say or do anything untoward or aiming to offend. These bands are neat, probably dress well, and are nice to their mothers, and the world is safer for it. Luckily for…