The Vans Warped Tour Gets Older, but Its Fans Stay the Same Age

The Vans Warped Tour is 18 years old, which is just old enough for it to have second thoughts about going to the Warped Tour. That’s the trouble with long-running festivals: Either the music stays the same and the people in attendance get older, or the music changes with its…

Can’t Grow Up on Rock Alone, Kid: Nine Swingin’ Jazz Albums

I know. You like to rock. If it doesn’t kick ass, you don’t need it. Or maybe you’re listening to a different genre, like hip-hop, but it’s still the same. You like that hard-driving, in-your-face kind of stuff. That wonderful, rebellious, youthful music that makes you want to take another…

Beyonce, the Indestructible Pop Star, Is Coming to Phoenix

December is shaping up to be a pretty good month to see music’s remaining super-superstars in Phoenix — Beyonce was announced for December 7 at US Airways Center this week, joining Justin Timberlake’s VIP-friendly 20/20 Experience date (did you pick up your $1950 ticket?) on December 2. One other thing…

Ask Magic: How Can I Find the Time to Work and Make Music?

Lost in love? Stuck in a relationship quagmire Ann Landers wouldn’t understand? Trying to figure out what comes next in life? We’d like to invite you personally to bring your problems to Ask Magic, your chance to ask Arizona’s reigning slow-jam king for advice on whatever life throws at you…

John Mayer May Have Been An Asshole, But That’s Over Now

Check the hashtags on Twitter or Tumblr, folks: John Mayer is back. This might make some pop culture enthusiasts’ skin crawl, yet for those who remember the glory days of Grammy wins, number-one albums, and the brilliant resurrection of true blues with the John Mayer Trio, the guitar god has yet again arisen.

Heartbroken, Son? Now You Can Really Enjoy the Music!

When my kids were little, and I’d be playing and talking about music with them, they’d say, “Dad, what is this song about?” You can probably guess my answer. Because eight out of 10 songs (not an official stat) are about the same thing: Love. Of course, that one simple…

Baths Spurns Good and Bad Labels with Obsidian

Will Wiesenfeld, the 24-year-old lap-pop programmer and dedicated pianist who performs as Baths, has made numerous mentions of his disdain for the “glitch” tag that is sometimes glued to his palpitating, cathartic compositions. Can’t blame him: It brings to mind inscrutably syncopated drum ‘n’ bass, or the decreasingly cited anymore…

Ask MC Magic: Should I Tell My Man I Cheated on Him?

Anyone who follows Arizona’s reigning slow-jam king on Twitter or Facebook knows that he’s into keeping in touch with his fans. With that in mind — and because Ann Landers just doesn’t know you as well as he does — we’d like to invite you personally to bring your problems…

Music Parenting 101: The “Two Albums Before Bed” Rule

As far as I’m concerned, people who don’t ever listen to albums are music lightweights. By “albums”, I don’t mean actual vinyl records. I couldn’t care less which configuration or delivery method you chose. I mean a specific group of songs in a certain order. As it is, I don’t…

What Happened to these Bruce Springsteen Fans?

It could be the dance moves, or the tight pants, or the man-of-the-people lyrics. It could be that video with Courteney Cox in it. Whatever it is, people — ordinary, otherwise law-abiding people — cannot resist rushing the stage at Bruce Springsteen concerts. It’s a phenomenon that’s led journalist and…

Donavon Frankenreiter Keeps Fans Guessing

Musician and professional surfer Donavon Frankenreiter has been all over the world and seen his share of big waves. Still, he marvels at the daredevils who routinely tackle giant waves, including an estimated 100-footer recently surfed in Portugal. “It’s unbelievable what some of these guys do,” he says by phone…

Small Black Frees Itself From Its Bedroom Beginnings

“Free at Dawn,” the opening song of Small Black’s second full-length album, is the sound of a band reclaiming itself at the start of a new day. Gone is much of what characterized the band’s eponymous 2008 EP and 2010 debut album New Chain — the chill synths and preset…

iTunes Radio Is Really About Buying Music, Not Streaming It

After an unpleasantly long stretch on the rumor mill–even by Apple standards–complicated by a hard-bargaining Sony Music, iTunes Radio finally exists. For the most part, the rumor mill got it right: It’s a lot like Pandora, it has text and audio ads (which feel strange on an Apple product), and…