The 9 Best Hip-Hop Projects By Phoenix Artists So Far in 2016

Phoenix hip-hop has come along way. Over the years the scene has risen from being non existent to having multiple artists operating on a national level. Internally, the talent continues to rise as the scene grows. With numerous artists trying to make their mark on Arizona hip-hop scene, we take…

New Music from PRO TEENS, Merit, Citrus Clouds, 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.  Merit – “My Favourite Chords” I wasn’t sure how soon we’d be hearing from Merit again after their magnificently ambitious three-EP…

The 10 Best Growlers in The Phoenix Heavy Metal Scene

Arizona has spawned and been home to some pretty influential acts in heavy metal, from Soulfly to Sacred Reich, Maynard James Keenan to Alice Cooper. But while the more renowned acts helped lay the groundwork for the local scene and style, every city has its key players that dominate the…

How a Jazz Group Became One of The Hardest-Working Bands in Phoenix

The day had begun dusty and dry — nothing a drink couldn’t fix — as night settled crisply over The Lost Leaf, while members of House of Stairs loaded  their gear inside. The stage was lit brothel-red and adorned with white Christmas lights, but the small, downtown bar was nearly empty…

Lil Wayne at Comerica Theatre: “F—- Birdman”

Lil Wayne did not hide his dirty laundry at Comerica Theatre this past weekend, according to a Youtube video posted by Youtube user HeavyIronRC. He dissed his former mentor and current boss Birdman, who founded Cash Money Records, the label that put out Wayne’s most significant albums, during a call-and-response portion…

The Record Room To Move From Old Town Scottsdale to North Phoenix

Hopefully, we are long past all of the silly chatter about vinyl being dead and no one caring about buying records anymore. At least around these parts, people can’t seem to get enough of the spinning platters. The massive crowds that flood local music stores on Record Store Day alone…

6 Dope New Phoenix Music Videos

It’s summer, which means a lot of bands are dropping new albums and with new albums come new music videos. Groups all over the scene are breaking out the video cameras to offer up the best multi media projects they can, and honestly a lot of them are quite good. …

Local Band Turns Downtown Phoenix Into an 8-Bit Music Video

Sometimes, it’s the simple ideas that work out the best. For their debut music video for “Speak Now,” pop punk trio Genre turned themselves into video game heroes who take on two of Arizona’s greatest villains — Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and Governor Doug Ducey. They also bring many…

Is There Really an EDM Bubble — and If So, Who’s to Blame?

The term “music industry” is an oxymoron if you understand that it’s comprised of suits unsustainably leeching off the creative people behind new sounds. Attempts to monetize self-expression eventually implode when enough money is thrown around, so the “industry” has to constantly replenish itself with what’s true, authentic and ripe…