Features

Local indie rock band Source Victoria [http://www.myspace.com.sourcevictoria] is offering its CD, the fast escape for free download on its Web site, www.sourcevictoria.net. The album, hailed as “a beautiful narcotic” by Phoenix New Times music writer Serene Dominic in his recent feature [http://phoenixnewtimes-dev-wpvip.md-staging.com/2008-01-17/music/phoenix-band-source-victoria-s-brew-of-distress-and-pleasure-just-may-have-created-a-new-genre-xanaxcore/] on the band, was produced by Chris Testa (Jimmy Eat World, Dixie Chicks) and has garnered accolades from such local superstars as Jim Adkins from Jimmy Eat World.

Given that the Breeders release records less often than February 29 appears on your kitchen calendar (this month’s Mountain Battles makes just four albums in the past 18 years), guitarist Kelley Deal may be better known for playing colleague and caretaker to her twin sister, Pixies bassist and Breeders leader…

On a recent First Friday, I dispensed with the art early to take in some music. But instead of the folk singers, experimental rock acts, and hip-hop I usually catch on Roosevelt Row during one of these chaotic art-walk nights, I was headed to hear the Grammy Award-winning Phoenix Bach…

[A fictional transcript of the 27th debate between presidential hopefuls Senator Barack Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton.] George Stephanopoulos, moderator: Before we get to some less pressing issues, such as Iraq, gas prices, and healthcare, I’d like to ask both of you a question that’s on most Americans’ minds these…

Bay Area rapper and Quannum Projects co-founder Lyrics Born, a.k.a. Tom Shimura, has a big, engaging personality, whether on wax — as with his new disc, Everywhere at Once — or on the phone. Noting that he reads most reviews of his albums, the personable LB was eager to give…

You want real “alternative” music? How about a CD titled Stories Told: Harmonized Peyote Songs? That’s the title of the new collection of authentic Native American folk songs from Grammy award-winner Verdell Primeaux with Terry Hanks. It’s one of several releases of indigenous music, folk dance, and pow-wow songs from Canyon Records, a local label that’s the focus of this week’s Local Label Spotlight.

The local garage rock babes of Bella have decided to reunite for one show, on Thursday, May 1, at The Rogue.

There is a new museum slated to open in Phoenix in early 2010, but it’s already kicking up some controversy. The Musical Instrument Museum, under construction at Tatum and Mayo Boulevards, just purchased a collection of rare instruments from California’s Claremont University. The 1200-piece collection includes 19th-century slide trumpets, an oboe by Lehnhold, a curved English horn from the 1760s, and a treble viol by Leandri Bisiach.

Just when you thought the ’80s nostalgia kick was over, promoters announce a ton of My Decade acts that are getting back on the bus, twenty years past their primes. Such throwback outings have been successful because, these days, nostalgia equates to relevance. But ‘80s popsters aren’t the only musicians hitting the road this summer — read on for an eclectic list of just-announced shows.

When I first pulled into the parking lot of Joe’s Grotto and saw only six cars sitting there, I thought to myself, “Maybe this show will be like the Ramones’ first gig – where there were only like, five people in the audience, but it was an historic event.”

I’m here to see local rock band Downward Dog. I’d heard about the band through a friend of a friend, and since Joe’s Grotto is one of my favorite venues, I thought, “Why not?”

Phoenix post-hardcore band Greeley Estates has lost and replaced six members since forming in 2002, but that hasn’t prevented them from achieving several sonic milestones, including playing every date on the Vans Warped Tour in 2005 and 2006 (as well as every date on the 2006 Taste of Chaos tour), and co-headlining the MySpace Fall Tour 2005.

Third albums are notorious for their scope, as bands usually feel secure enough to stretch in new directions, but in Rogue Wave’s case, the band didn’t need added inspiration for its third and latest, Asleep at Heaven’s Gate. It’s an album that frontman Zach Rogue had discussed obsessively with his…

So, the other day, I was listening to Rabbit Habits, the terrific and addictive new album from Philadelphia quintet Man Man — experimental loons whose growly, vaudevillian indie-rock sounds like the best drunken-hobo campfire party you’ve ever been to. Then I began thinking about all the music that’s come outta…

On a recent evening, as the clock approached midnight, I created a makeshift altar with a photo of late Blind Melon singer Shannon Hoon, then lit a mixture of wormwood, patchouli, and Mrs. Dash, then chanted over and over, “I summon you from the other side; come to me and…

Geometry? History? Computer Science? Taking classes in those disciplines may be part of the college experience, but they’ve never been the fun part. Now, local hipsters have an educational alternative to the extracurricular activities of keg parties and co-ed car washes. Glendale Community College offers a class called MUC 110: Music Business and Marketing, and this semester’s class project is the launch of an indie record label called Versus Records.

Cat Power fans who had tickets to the canceled show at Marquee Theatre on April 17 will get a second chance to see Chan Marshall and company perform. Stateside Presents has just announced that Cat Power has rescheduled for Tuesday, October 7, at the Marquee Theatre. Tickets for the April 17 show will be honored. Additional tickets are available for $24 at the Marquee box office, and at www.statesidepresents.com.

Yesterday, news of American Idol winner Jordin Sparks’ throat injury was all over the Internet, along with speculation that the 18 year-old Phoenix resident might never sing again. Initially, media were unable to reach Sparks, her family, or her management for comment, prompting fears that the injury was serious and possibly “career-threatening.”

Many people in P-town are transplants who’ve made the trek from elsewhere to try and build a better life here in the Valley of the Sun. Some people, like John W. Edwards, bring their booming indie businesses with them. This week, we’d like to give a Local Label Spotlight shout-out to Edwards’ Renaissance Records.

One sign of summer coming to the Valley (besides the ungodly, ever-present heat, of course) is the announcement of a wide variety of concerts. This week, a slew of shows spanning several genres were announced. Whatever your musical tastes, the city’s got your ticket.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has inspired many things, but until recently, his impact on the local music scene seemed minimal. But now, at least two Valley bands are using the sheriff as a gimmick for their music — one has adopted and adapted his name, and another is using his image in violent effigy.

So Sunday is April 20, better known as “4-20,” an unofficial holiday for pot smokers everywhere. Of course Phoenix — a city in a state that sits between Mexico and California — will host its share of celebrations and shows. Even if you don’t smoke pot, there’s plenty of mellow music and groovin’ goodness to go around. Here are just a handful of the goings-on around town on April 20:

In comic books, one of the coolest things that can happen is when two great superheroes — like, say, Superman and the Flash or Spider-Man and the Incredible Hulk — join forces for a one-off adventure that, if executed properly, will be remembered by fanboys for years to come. Marvel…