Features

See also: Westley Allen of Erratic! Radio on Three Years of Punk Rock Madness on the AirOnce a week Up on the Sun features a new comic strip from punk rocker, cartoonist, and full-time dad Brad Dwyer. See the New Times print edition to check out the strip in glorious,…

See also: Local Wizards: Songwriter Makes “Based Garagebandcore;” We Interview Via TwitterThe pre-release fanfare for highly anticipated albums has gotten particularly elaborate recently. Avant-industrial legends Swans have the entirety of their latest two-hour, triple-LP epic available to stream on NPR Music, including a track that runs more than 30 minutes…

The news waits for no one — at least that’s what we read somewhere — so it’s perfectly understandable that you, the reader, might have missed out on a musical tidbit, breaking news about your favorite venue, or one of our rants. So enjoy this digest-style sampling of some of…

See also: A Hot Ghetto Mess of Hip-Hop, Art, and B-Boys: The 10-Year Journey of The Blunt Club See also: DJ M2 Talks Power 98.3, Groove Candy, Disney Cartoons, James Brown, KRS-One, and MoreYou probably haven’t seen Element at many local club gigs recently, and there’s a good reason. The…

See also: River Jones, What Are You Listening To? See also: River Jones Music Featured in NPR’s Wavelength MagazineChances are, you’ve heard the name River Jones thrown around, either surrounding the many artists his label represents (such as Courtney Marie Andrews, Sareena Dominguez or You Me and Apollo) or over…

Marnie Wong Wong is the co-owner and trainer at Boot Camp Babes, a fitness program for women. Find out more information at www.BootCampBabes.com. When you put your key in the ignition and turn on the radio, what station would play right now? I’m totally digging Spotify right now. I’m all over…

See also: Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe Set Free; Five Finger Death Punch Weighs In See also: Five Finger Death Punch’s Jason Hook on American Capitalist, Playing For the Troops, and Spending the Night in One of Saddam’s PalacesFive Finger Death Punch has been called a lot of things: overzealous,…

There is a fine distinction between trusting one’s intuition and merely surrendering to impulse. Twenty-two-year-old songwriter Michelle Blades has walked this tightrope during her time in the desert, deftly veering from improvised jazz folk to staccato post-punk to full-length impressionistic baroque-pop records, all without a single glance over her shoulder…

Silver Medallion was very different four years ago. Back then duo, Oren J (Oren J. Schauble) and Carnegie (Abay Lattin) made party music about the ladies of Scottsdale. The two hip-hop heads mined electro sources like Chromeo, Spank Rock, and Santigold. Their first single, “Scottsdale,” was as cynical as it…

It’s always fun when an band records an official anthem, offering a rare peek as to how artists perceive themselves: The Clash stormed with “This Is Radio Clash,” Iron Maiden illustrated its historical themes with “Iron Maiden,” and the Ramones borrowed Motörhead’s lovable bonehead anthem “R.A.M.O.N.E.S.” It’s a stretch, but…

See also: Digital Summer Drummer Ben Anderson Plays Contra on Drums See also: Local Hard Rock Band Digital Summer Hits the Road with Saliva Digital Summer is a popular fixture on the local rock scene, but its members have spent a great deal of the last year out of town,…

See also: Chasers Sold to New Owners and Becomes Pub Rock, A Music Venue With an In-House Radio Broadcasting Studio Jesse Malin has done it all, or most of it at least. In his barely-teens he was fronting Jersey-based hardcore ensemble Heart Attack, then spent the ’90s in glam-punk wreckers…

Somewhere north of Apache Junction, there’s a long road leading to a rock on the edge of the Salt River that Jesse Elliott still needs to see. For a songwriter who makes the most out of near-endless traveling, that rock represents just another one of those tempting little side roads…

You remember that infamous clip of Joaquin Phoenix on Letterman? The one where he announced to the world he was retiring from acting to pursue a career as a rap artist? Well, thank Baby Jesus, that turned out to be a hoax. But you know what isn’t? Snoop Lion. “I…

See also: Take Cover: Dry River Yacht Club Covers The Beatles See also: Take Cover: Field Tripp Covers Townes Van Zandt See also: Foster the People @ Comerica Theatre, 7/6/12 See also: South Mountain Witness/North Brother Island @ JobotIt’s tough to turn on the TV or radio without hearing a…

You might know Mark David Chapman as the subject of that Mindless Self-Indulgence song or as J.D. Salinger’s biggest fan. Oh, and he killed John Lennon. Yeah, about that… As Reuters reports, Chapman is up for parole again this week, marking the seventh time he’ll appear before New York state’s…

See also: Chasers Sold to New Owners and Becoming Pub Rock, A Music Venue With an In-House Radio StudioOnce a week Up on the Sun features a new comic strip from punk rocker, cartoonist, and full-time dad Brad Dwyer. See the New Times print edition to check out the strip…

See also: KUKQ Phoenix Launches Online; We Speak With Nancy Stevens, Craven Moorehead, and Jonathan LSome heavy-duty changes have been taking place behind the scenes at longtime local music venue Chasers over the past week. The dive-like Scottsdale rock bar, which has hosted big concerts and local shows for close…

See also: decker: Love, God, and Sex in SedonaCall it a rough weekend: While on tour in California, Sedona-based folk band decker.’s van flipped over on Friday night, injuring one of the band members. On the road from Santa Cruz to their Los Angeles show, a tire blew out, causing…

The news waits for no one — at least that’s what we read somewhere — so it’s perfectly understandable that you, the reader, might have missed out on a musical tidbit, breaking news about your favorite venue, or one of our rants. So enjoy this digest-style sampling of some of…

See also: Phoenix Rockers Dynamite the Liberator Talk About What’s Been Missing in the Valley Music Scene Alternative funk rockers, Dynamite the Liberator have become regulars around town. The fledgling quartet comprising singer Marcus Terrell Smith, guitarist John J. Yohimbe, bassist Rich Tokatyan, and drummer Chad Calton has made an…

Luke Romero probably has been hard to get ahold of over past few days, likely due to the fact that he’s prepping for one the biggest gigs of his embryonic DJ career this coming weekend. A little over 48 hours from now, the 23-year-old will take over the Relentless Beats…