Electrical currents and water don’t mix — just ask ’70s-era singer Claude François, sometimes lauded as the French answer to the Beatles, who died trying to fix a defective light bulb while in the bathtub. But don’t let that mishap spoil your fun this weekend if you’re planning on getting…
In February, after nearly 22 years of delays, My Bloody Valentine released a follow-up to their genre-defining 1991 LP, Loveless. In light of that, it’s tempting to declare 2013 the Year of the Shoegaze Revival. There are signs all over: Coachella’s lineup boasted fresh-faced dream-pop acts like DIIV, Wild Nothing,…
Digital Leather, the synthpunk brainchild of Shawn Foree, has evolved quite a bit since the Arizona musician started it as a solo project. In concert, Foree shares the stage with members of The Reatards, Destruction Unit, Lenguas Largas, The Wongs, and Lost Sounds. Digital Leather recently expanded its synth section…
On Saturday, more than 3,000 people attended That Damn Show, a full day of performances by rock and punk bands like Bad Religion, Tiger Army, and The Faint at Mesa Amphitheatre. But according to several attendees, the outdoor concert — which was co-promoted by New Times and local online alt-rock…
There isn’t a Coachella this weekend, so far as I can tell — neither a real Coachella nor The Real Coachella, which honestly seemed like a better time. That leaves us, globally, with a notable shortage of people listening to music in weird outfits and from strange campsites. These five…
Back when Nate Ruess was a part of Valley band The Format, it was difficult to imagine him becoming the superstar he is today. After all, in “I’m Actual,” from Dog Problems, he sang, “Can we please take this hour and talk about me and my hatred for corporate magazines?…
I have always said that everyone likes new, whether it’s a new car, new clothes, a new house, or even just new shoes. Becky G from Inglewood, California, is that “new” in today’s hip-hop game. Join me this week as I take you on a ride to discover some fresh…
We’re fairly certain that by now you’re fully up to speed on That Damn Show’s headliner Bad Religion, as well when they’re playing, how they’ve been around longer than you think, and their best albums ever. So what about the rest of the rock, punk, and indie heavy-hitters filling out…
I’ve never seen Morrissey in concert, and who knows if The Smiths will ever reunite (highly unlikely), so as a longtime fan, I was excited when I heard he would be playing a show in Tempe. First, he was scheduled to perform at the Marquee Theatre on November 21; then…
When Bad Religion, AWOLNATION, and the rest of That Damn Show comes to the Mesa Amphitheatre on Saturday, there will be 14 bands crammed onto the bill, split between two stages — which is to say It’s going to be a little hectic. You can still buy tickets online; to…
If you’re going to That Damn Show–tickets here; schedule here–on Saturday and you don’t already know a lot about Bad Religion, you might be in trouble by the time they hit the Main Stage at the Mesa Amphitheatre at 9 p.m. Luckily, our print feature this week is all about…
The roster of touring acts of That Damn Show gives the festival the appearance of something that happened a decade ago. I remember being stoked to see acts like Bad Religion, Face to Face, and Fenix Tx for the first time in the early Aughts — and, in some cases,…
On Saturday That Damn Show is back for 2013 at the Mesa Amphitheatre, featuring national acts like Bad Religion and local favorites like the Veragroove. Check out the full schedule here. (Full disclosure: We’re co-promoting this show with KUKQ, because we just want you to be happy.) Bad Religion has…
This week’s New Times cover story examines the music industry’s only 21st-century success story: The incredible boom in live music in general and festivals in particular. Since you might still be in the throes of a Coachella hangover — or maybe you’re getting ready to camp out at That Damn…
“You might not think there’s any wisdom in a fucked-up punk rock song,” sings Greg Graffin in “Kyoto Now!” summarizing Bad Religion’s ethos in one fell swoop. Classic punk songs like Black Flag’s “TV Party” and The Misfits’ “Hybrid Moments” are fun and riotous but offer little substance. Bad Religion…
It’s been a long time since the music industry had musicians’ best interests in mind. And it’s not just the greed of the industry; it’s the fans, too. I’m not talking about the multimillionaires in Metallica. I’m talking about the underground punk band whose album you downloaded for free last…
In the social media era, it seems unfathomable that an artist, no matter how trivial, could completely disappear off the radar. In the 1970s, it was a different story entirely. Sixto Rodriguez was one musician who not only fell through the cracks but was thought by many to have died…
It’s as though the lamentable death of recorded music was accompanied by a kick-ass wake. Sure, label executives have had to sell their fancy homes and put their kids in public schools, but the rest of us have feasted on a musical smorgasbord. Nothing better exemplifies this than this month’s…
On Saturday That Damn Show is back for 2013 at the Mesa Amphitheatre, featuring national acts like Bad Religion and local favorites like the Veragrooves. Check out the full schedule here and read on for a preview of Canada’s own Bend Sinister. (Full disclosure: We’re co-promoting this show with KUKQ.)…
That Damn Show, the Phoenix music institution most likely to lead into an extended, vulgar Abbott and Costello routine, is less than a week away: On Saturday, Bad Religion and 11 other local and national bands will file into Mesa Amphitheatre and play music that is probably going to be…
A good 90 percent of my job as a music journalist is keeping my finger on new music, continuously discovering the vast spectrum of sound that human beings can create. Another 9 percent is attending concerts, where I destroy my liver and my hearing for shits and gigs. That final…
Faith Hill leaving Sunday Night Football is interesting mostly because it reminds us that Faith Hill was — for something like six years — employed by Sunday Night Football. “This Kiss,” and then helmet-to-helmet hits, every week. Counterprogramming, I think they call that. We’ve seen cultural institutions move in this…
