Round and round the orange Camaro went, slowly disappearing in a cloud of acrid smoke. If that high school parking lot hadn’t been repaved the next year, the circular tire marks left by the muscle car might still shine in the greasy glory that marked the the final day of…
The Daughters of Fission are a band in search of an identity. A web search offers mostly misleading information and even features former bassists who doubled on “assorted mumblings” and “screams.” “There’s a lot of information out there that’s outdated,” says drummer and lead vocalist Jason Prichard. “We’re trying to…
See also: Grateful Dead Drummer Mickey Hart Taps the Cosmos See also: Melvin Seals at JGB Aren’t the Jerry Garcia Band — But That’s Okay See also: Dark Star Orchestra at McDowell Mountain Music Festival Switching on the Grateful Dead channel this morning on satellite radio (yes, I have it…
Petroglyphs are seriously cool art that’s stood the tests of time and weather, as Valley dwellers scratched them into area rocks more than 500 years ago. Learn more about those suns, people, and animals that highlight those drawings at one of the guided weekly Twilight Tours of the petrogylpyh trail…
Despite the famous last name — and the fact that he plays the same instrument as his father — Ravi Coltrane, son of jazz icons John (sax) and Alice (piano), doesn’t pretend to be anything more than just a saxophonist. He could claim rights of royalty or expect open doors,…
Every morning while out walking our dogs, a group of ultra-skinny guys (and sometimes gals) darts past at a brisk pace. Their speedy run seems like a walk in the park, and, as they aren’t panting helplessly, they’re probably discussing some upcoming running event. Perhaps the race in question is…
What would Jerry do? That’s a question posed by a bumper sticker, but it also adds context to this query: If a band exclusively plays the music of another person or group, whether dead or alive, shouldn’t that group then be considered a tribute band and have a name reflective…
The typical American suffers from a short attention span. The DOXITA documentary film festival caters to that malady. No film in the annual roundup is more than 22 minutes long, so about the time that interest wanes, the short wraps. And, per organizers, each movie is selected to spotlight something…
The Jacksons have a reputation as the most dysfunctional family in pop, but the name of their outing, The Unity Tour, is nothing cheeky or ironic. Except for a 2001 one-off show at Madison Square Garden, “Unity” is their first since 1989. It’s been a rocky road for the brothers:…
If Simon Joyner weren’t already living the life of a world-weary singer/songwriter, he could probably find success as a fiction writer. Armed with a dozen releases and a dedicated cult following, Joyner’s songs flow like well-developed novellas, yet each is but a few minutes long. There’s a focused clarity found…
It’s hard to classify the music of Cory Branan. The Nashville-based artist clearly works on a country platform, but casts himself more in the Tom Waits mold of storytelling, using whatever musical form fits the tale. Given the varied sounds found on his latest release, Mutt, his first release in…
There’s an old school Star Trek episode in which Captain Kirk and crew find themselves on the edge of a parallel universe. Everything happening on one side is also happening, albeit with a slight twist, in the other universe. It seems like the Phoenix Mercury and Atlanta Dream similarly operate…
Locally, The Earps are a familiar name, but the past couple years, have been something of a transition period for the “whateverbilly” band. Gigs have been somewhat sparse, and the group nearly disbanded after five committed years. “Everything we wanted to do we accomplished,” says guitarist/vocalist Kevin “Hotwheels” McGregor. “We…
Tammy Wynette and Loretta Lynn are the real-deal female country music singers; no one else comes close. But within the modern country realm, look no further than native Texan Miranda Lambert, who easily could kick Taylor Swift’s pretty pop-country ass. Just glance at the cover of Lambert’s latest album, Four…
During our college days it was more than enough to sample some hallucinatory substances and head into the nearby woods resembling a Yes album cover to do battle with Star Trek-style phaser guns that fired glow in the dark discs. Such antics pale in comparison to what you can do…
Portland’s Eidolons have just released their first full-length recording, China. The cover photo features a slightly out-of-shape guy in socks and tighty-whiteys but reveals nothing about the music inside — that the band operates with an independent frame of mind. The music is a mixture of airy, atmospheric wanderings that…
Richard Thompson Musical Instrument Museum Wednesday, June 13, 2012 There’s something about a solo Richard Thompson concert that’s both depressing and enlightening. His music allows the mind to wander from the gutter where the drunkards roll to the heavens where misguided motorcycle hoods get their last respite. It’s also a…
Juneteenth is not an actually word, but a portmanteau – the combination of two words to make a new one. June and nineteenth combine in celebration of June 19, 1865, the date Texas abolished slavery. On the heels of the official announcement in Galveston by Union General Gordon Granger two…
It’s not every father that gets to share a stage with his son on Father’s Day, but that’s exactly what will happen when Meat Puppet and former Phoenix resident Curt Kirkwood performs with son Elmo Sunday at the Musical Instrument Museum. “I thought it was a good idea,” the elder…
The early 1980s were a good time to be in a hardcore punk band. Music and reputation spread through underground circles, and if you added a little controversy — maybe some supposed gang affiliation — your band could go national quickly. This is how it worked for Venice Beach’s Suicidal…
The founders of The Latin Comedy Jam call it Loco Comedy. Considering the wide mix and backgrounds of the six comedians on the bill, said descriptor is probably apt. Presented by radio stations Power 98.3 and Latino Vibe, Michele Melean and Ernie G. top the bill. Melean has appeared on…
“Extraordinary Animals Revisited” anthropomorphizes animals and their relationship to the world through paper, paintings, photography and sculpture from Native artists. But that’s less simple than it sounds. For example, Darren Vigil Gray’s “Mystery Framework #4” features an elk-like animal in what appears to be a hunting jacket, while Rich Barstow’s…
