Unless you’re a scratch-music aficionado, you’ve probably never heard of DJ Focus. He doesn’t battle, doesn’t rock house parties, have a weekly residency or play raves. Although he regularly releases records, his material is less an expression of personal creativity than a tool for other DJs to use and learn…
From the opening white noise and chimes of Home Is Where You Hang Yourself’s title track, you’re immersed in a world where stuffed animals sit in smoke-filled rooms, one-eyed bunnies stare into empty shot glasses, and threadbare teddy bears mumble to themselves, all of them just wishing for a hug…
When you enter the nondescript, two-story complex in the industrial hinterlands near 27th Avenue and Osborn, you’re assaulted by a fierce squall of amplified noise. It’s impossible to tell if it’s one band or 30 responsible for the offending skronk; there are close to 100 practice spaces located in this…
Never let it be said that St. Paul, Minnesota, ain’t got no soul. If there’s any doubt as to whether the R&B underground is thriving in the northern climes, the brothers Tillman have stepped up to correct your ass. Harold Martin Tillman, a.k.a. Har Mar Superstar, and older bro Sean…
Radar, one-third of the Valley’s most acclaimed turntable crew, the Bombshelter DJs (hailed by Spin magazine as the ninth best in the world), has been studying music formally since the age of 9, and he’s helping lead the charge of turntablists into the well-guarded strata of classical composers. At Scratchcon…
“This kid’s gonna be the biggest superstar DJ to ever come out of this place,” says DJ Fact, pointing to his partner, Megadef. The two turntablists are sitting at a quiet Tempe restaurant, and the younger Mega, glasses magnifying a baby face, mutters a bashful “We’ll see . . .”…
764-HERO, while still at peace in the relative obscurity of the underground, is no longer the sort of new phenomenon that can be judged one release at a time. After two full-length albums (Salt Sinks, Sugar Floats and Get Here and Stay), an EP (We’re Solids) and a brilliantly conceived…
From the opening samples of “Follow” from Masterz of Ascencion, local rap collective Ascended Masterz immediately proves that theirs is no amateur effort. Led by front man Yosidicus Gigus and with MCs Haas Nanotechnician, Smoke the Unwanted Stepchild (who is also releasing a solo disc, Leprosy), Octatongue and Many Pieces,…
It’s easy to sneer at the bulk of Canada’s cultural offerings — Bryan Adams, Paul Shaffer and Loverboy come immediately to mind — but in the mid- to late ’90’s, the maple leafers offered what seemed to be a harbinger of brighter things to come in the form of Propagandhi…
There’s a saying in Latin that goes, “Ars longa, vita brevis.” Translation: Art is long, life is short. Inside the Tonatierra Center in downtown Phoenix, that sentiment rings true for the pieces hanging on the walls, but not for the majority of the work that its creators paint. Two weeks…
It’s somewhat comforting to know that the remains of the dead can fertilize new life. It’s a concept often found outside the realm of biology and one that can be seen in the genealogy of several of today’s most dynamic indie bands. An obvious example is the Cap’n Jazz dynasty;…
For the hundreds packed into Nita’s Hideaway on June 27, three hours seemed like a glitch, as time froze and the rest of the world just disappeared. The reason for this ethereal afterglow was the “surprise” appearance of internationally renowned DJ Shadow at Z-Trip’s weekly Funky Cornbread night. Shadow’s set,…
Talk to most of the artists or enthusiasts in the burgeoning East Valley hip-hop scene and you’ll hear a recurring theme creep through their conversation — positivity, unity, sharing . . . love, kids, love. Perhaps the most vocal proponents of this utopian philosophy are the members of Morse Code,…
On a quiet spring night several weeks ago, a radical metamorphosis took place within the normally placid confines of Tempe’s Arizona Roadhouse Brewery. The usual clientele — middle-class jeans-and-tee-shirt types — was replaced by an invasion of leather-and-metal-spike-clad, greasy haired hellions and young ladies wearing more makeup than clothing. As…
Tragedy has been a constant companion of the Promise Ring through the past couple of years. In early 1998, while on tour, the band’s van flipped over on an icy road and left all its members hospitalized; guitarist Jason Gnewikow spent three weeks in a hospital room with a broken…
Lately, Modest Mouse front man Isaac Brock has been fond of telling rock critics about his run-ins with Satan — an explanation for the grim content of the trio’s latest record and major-label debut. Such fire-and-brimstone rationalizations might sound strange coming from a young man who, in the past, has…
When über-label conglomerates PolyGram and Universal Music merged just over a year ago, it shook the record industry to its very foundation, swallowing or killing long-established labels like A&M and Geffen, and leaving a trail of displaced bands in its wake.This meant disaster for literally hundreds of groups that saw…
Potential. Chances are, you’ve heard that term applied to yourself at some point. It’s an overused and double-edged word, implying lack of present-tense success and the possibility for future failure. “Potential” is a word that was used, quite accurately and frequently, to describe what the band Mineral had. The group…
The Arizona Roadhouse Brewery, situated prominently at the corner of Apache and Terrace in Tempe, is an aesthetically pleasing and fairly sophisticated brew pub — copper tanks staring conspicuously out of the glassed façade, an oak bar with brass railing, expensive cigars resting enticingly in a bar-top humidor, award-winning beer…
“Reggie and the Full Effect Promotional Copy was never intended to be released. We have only an unidentified person to thank for the recovery of the master tapes.” So reads the succinct liner notes on the reverse of Promotional Copy’s cover. Every great, posthumously bemoaned band needs a rock ‘n’…
Click Here for the Photo Gallery In June 1999 as I began my first week at New Times, my predecessor as music editor brought a large box into my office. “What’s this?” I asked. “Pictures.” “Pictures of what?” “Local music pictures. It’s an archive of our old stuff.” Nearly 25…
Christianity and rock ‘n’ roll have never been comfortable bedfellows. Though attempts to reconcile the two have been made repeatedly over the years, no act has successfully bridged the gap between Christian and secular music. There’s a long list of those that have tried, but, whether it’s Stryper or Jars…
