Casting Martin Scorsese’s New Ramones Movie

By Jesse Sendejas Jr. A couple weekends ago, word got out that an upcoming Ramones biopic would be helmed by one of America’s greatest living filmmakers, Martin Scorsese. The movie would be one of several band-related projects slated for 2016, the 40th anniversary of the bruddas’ debut album, Ramones. Scorsese…

Palabra Collective Is the Best Place in Phoenix to Hear Cumbia

Earlier this year, during the First Friday art walk, you would find a couple dozen people hanging out outside Palabra – Phoenix’s up-and-coming hair and art collective. It wasn’t that the people wanted to enjoy the fresh air (not with our weather), the former space simply couldn’t fit the rising…

Bob Log III Will Write a Song About Your Favorite Butt for $200

Ever known an ass you really, really loved to an unimaginable degree — a behind that spoke to you like no other? If so, Bob Log III has a doozy of a sales pitch for you. On his website, the semi-mysterious one-man band is now selling custom-written songs about butts,…

Miny, Phoenix Metal Drummer-Turned-Rapper, Is Addicted to Music

Mindy DuPonte sees the big picture. No matter what aspect of her life is in question, she’s prepped with an answer, a plan, or an approach, whether she’s talking about songwriting, one-year plans, or mixtape rollouts. It’s likely the best way to operate at the moment, as DuPonte’s hip-hop career…

Tim Showalter of Strand of Oaks Discovered Rock, and It Healed Him

Tim Showalter made his name as Strand of Oaks over three albums of dark folk music, a mysteriously enticing mix of dreamscape sci-fi lyrics and a simmering, powerful delivery. Unsatisfied, however, because of a key missing piece, Showalter turned everything upside down for Strand of Oaks’ fourth album, HEAL. “What…

Best Metal Concerts to See in Phoenix in September

Our desert summer is finally winding down; and really, it wasn’t so bad, now was it? It’s probably in part to the awesome parade of metal shows that came through our fair state since the music industry’s touring season was in full swing. Either way, at least the September nights…

The 25 Best Club Candids Photos of August

There were a lot of things both shiny and new making a debut in local nightlife during the month of August. Spots like The King or Cowboys and Whiskey in Scottsdale opened to the clubgoing public while a few new dance nights (such as Motown on Mondays at the Crescent…

In Defense of Liking Music for No Good Reason

By Luke Winkie Why did you like Yeezus? Did you find it anarchic? Did you like how it challenged racial norms in a confrontational, blacked-out way? Did you like its minimalism? Or its maximalism? Did you find the songs to speak to a larger narrative of where Kanye West is…

Check Out One Demented House Party in Fairy Bones’ New Music Video

Fairy Bones frontwoman Chelsey Louise Richard said that every song on the band’s upcoming album, Dramabot, is going to have a video to go with it, and they are starting out with the album’s first single, “Waiting.” The video depicts what is essentially the scariest house party you’ve ever seen…

The Red-Brown Border Politics of Phoenix Hip-Hop Duo Shining Soul

In May, Phoenix-based hip-hop duo Shining Soul — Franco Habre, a.k.a. Bronze Candidate, and Alex Soto, a.k.a. Liason — made a video for their track “No Mercy,” off their album, released in September 2013. The video mostly is protest footage mixed with clips of the group performing in concert, but…