In Defense of Sublime

By Bree Davies I thought I would have to wait until the 20th anniversary of Sublime’s 1996 self-titled mainstream breakout album to write about how fundamentally misunderstood and judged Sublime is. I have so many feelings (too many probably) about a band whose legacy is beaten up almost as much…

10 Best Metal Shows in Metro Phoenix in August

August is filled to the brim with heavy metal shows around Metro Phoenix, thanks to concerts and gigs by locals and major international legends. So check out the 10 best metal and hard rock concerts happening at venues around the Valley next month…

Bare-Knuckle Boxing at the Gathering of the Juggalos

Nate “Igor” SmithNebraska, a personable and modest 22-year-old dishwasher from Lincoln, Nebraska, takes a punch.As our nation’s culture and economy continues to deteriorate, more and more people are taking an interest in watching people beat the shit out of each other. While, under normal circumstances, these events are highly promoted…

Ten Reasons Juggalos Are Better Than You

Life sucks. There is a multitude of reasons why, and no one has come to terms with this inescapable truth better than juggalos. Zen masters of nihilism and partying, they have become unquestionable experts at finding creative ways to cope with the unrelenting pain of reality…

The 20 Best-Dressed Juggalos at the Gathering

Juggalo fashion generally involves great big pants and T-shirts that were possibly purchased at truck stops. Hair is best when it is braided and aloft in the style of Coolio, and everything looks better coated in a thin layer of sticky-delicious Faygo, of course…

Prom Body Might Be Tucson’s Next Musical Export

So far, the most talked about band from Tucson this year is Prom Body. During the month before the release of its second album, Naughty by Natural, the band has gotten coverage from Spin and NPR, among others, and are poised for a breakthrough not seen since The Bled or…

Tucson’s Best Dog Award Inspires Confusion Through Songs

Tucson-based trio Best Dog Award’s greatest asset is its ability to inspire confusion. Singer/guitarist Joel Crocco, drummer Andrew Ling, and organist Nick Mazza lay out maps that may lead to nowhere and littering their music with clues that make the puzzle more difficult to solve. “We play ‘exploitation rock,'” Crocco…

The Holy Coast Wants You to Find Inner Peace

Phoenix’s the Holy Coast didn’t exactly intend for the band to have the initials THC, but the coincidence couldn’t be more fitting, says Keith Walker, the synth-drizzled trio’s maestro of beats and programming. Plus, when singer Brett Davis suggested the name after their first jam session, he slowly reached into…

10 Classic Punk Records That Actually Kind of Suck

I put on The Ramones’ classic 1977 record Rocket To Russia recently in an attempt to join all of my Facebook friends in their collective sadness at the recent death of Tommy (Erdyli) Ramone. I used to love this record, but now, even though I wanted to feel some sense…

5 Best Jurassic 5 Songs

Jurassic 5 are alternative hip-hop pioneers. Their influence can be heard in the beats and verses of mainstream rap icons like OutKast all the way to local hip-hop groups like Phoenix’s own Drunken Immortals. Though the band has never once gone platinum and have only once gone gold, their reunion…

Voodoo Glow Skulls Keep It All in the Family

They say that family is the strongest bond and, when it comes to 25-year-old ska-punk veterans Voodoo Glow Skulls, a band which contains three brothers, the proof is in the pudding. “The plus side is that family can communicate like no one else can usually; the downside is that there…

Phoenix Rock Band the Oxford Coma Punctuates Its Tour

The guys in Phoenix rock band the Oxford Coma can’t stand that image is important to making it in the music business, that you often need a certain aesthetic for a specific demographic to achieve success, and that you might have to act in a way you’re not passionate about…