Happy New Year loyal punk fans. If you really tied one on and you’re nursing your hangover by chugging some Pedialyte, punk music may be the last thing you want to listen to. But 2012 was a great year for punk releases, which made this list difficult to narrow down…
Roll Acosta’s debut full-length album, This Dreamt Existence , is a delightful mix of catchy indie pop and relationship commentary. One of the stand out tracks, “The Deep” ended up becoming the band’s first music video. “[It] is really a story about my past experience with over-analyzed relationships and trying…
Friends and family of Matt “Fundy” Funderburk, bassist of Lydia, Bears of Manitou, Joey Arroyo Band, and other musical groups, are still coming to terms with his passing. The musician’s Facebook wall is still full of endearing messages. Two memorial services for Matt Funderburk have been announced: the first is…
PHX FMLY Fest @ Fifth Street|12/28/12Perhaps it was a few too many Santa Clauses wandering around, but FMLY Fest felt a lot like spending the holiday season with the extended family. The massive festival — featuring 60 bands taking dozens of stages on Fifth Street, drew all sorts of interesting…
The local music community has lost a valued member. Matt “Fundy” Funderburk was known for his talents in a number of local bands including Lydia, Bears of Manitou, and Joey Arroyo Band, but most of all, he’s remembered as a good friend. Bears of Manitou’s Facebook page refers to him…
It seems like every bar in town hosts a New Year’s Eve party. With all the options, it’s so tough to pick, and nabbing some sparklers, booze, and that non-depressing Snuggie begins to sound like the easiest way out. Tempting, yes. But there’s an easy solution. One of the valley’s…
Touring around the country for two months to set up and break down Warped Tour almost every night sounds like a nightmare, especially in a place like Phoenix where the heat isn’t doing anybody any favors. Being a part of the road crew is a tough job, yet the stars…
Touring with New Found Glory seems like a dream come true for any up and coming pop punk band…especially one that takes its name from the closing track of Sticks and Stones, like California band The Story So Far does. The group just wrapped up a tour with NFG, where…
There are only five shopping days left of Christmas…are you sick of hearing dogs “sing” “Jingle Bells” yet? At least the Sprint commercial with animals singing “Deck the Halls” is pretty cute. Fortunately, Emby Alexander breaks out of the obnoxious Christmas cover routine by putting its own spin on a…
The latest Christmas meme of “Santa saw your Facebook pictures; you’re getting clothes and a dictionary for Christmas” suggests that nowadays folks may be a little more naughty than nice. Even if you wake up on Christmas morning to find a pack of socks and a thesaurus with a bargain…
Spirit Cave is a young band, but members Ryan Breen and Michael Bell have been playing shows together for more than a decade, each with his primary band, Back Ted N-Ted and Lymbyc Systym, respectively. It was only a matter of time before they struck out together. Given Breen’s expressive,…
Finding holiday cheer can be difficult in Phoenix at times, save for a decked out saguaro cactus or two. The change in season would be a bit more noticeable if it actually snowed. We can’t complain though, wearing shorts and flip flops through most of December is nice. Coach House…
As 2012 draws to a close, we’ll be looking forward to the 2013 and spotlighting 13 Phoenix bands that will be making a mark on the Southwest throughout the new year. This entry comes from Melissa Fossum, zeroing in on the Tempe-based rock ‘n’ blues combo Sara Robinson & Midnight…
Christmas can be stressful for some–just look at all of the fights that break out on Black Friday. The holiday shouldn’t be ugly, it should be a time to celebrate with your closest friends and family. Zero Zero doesn’t have this problem, in fact, members of the electro-fuzz group look…
Alt-country rockers Limbeck may technically be a Southern California band, but the group has number of ties to Arizona. “Comin’ From Tucson” is about a long drive home after playing a show at Club Congress almost a decade ago, the band is good friends with Reubens Accomplice, who just so…
Like any country band worth its salt, Limbeck knows the value of “road songs.” The band’s sophomore record, Hi, Everything’s Great (2003), is a must-have for any cross-country road trip, its lyrics describing the nation’s cities and highways with the same vivid detail as the interesting characters the band has…
Watch any video from local pop rockers Halocene, and it’s clear that this band loves to have fun. The go completely over the top in the band’s new video for “Sometimes,” which focuses on the “What People Think I Do” meme. Even though the band has a blast trashing TVs…
When it comes to bar traditions, karaoke is on par with happy hour specials, bar nuts, and forgetting to close out your tab after a long night of partying. Whether you have the talent to audition for American Idol or The Voice, or you just think you’re the best singer…
Wearing an evening gown, top hat, or a monocle in public is tricky — unless you’re going to some sort of steampunk-themed fete or an Oscar party. Even if an event has a formal dress code, pulling off a monocle without looking like Mr. Peanut or a Bond villain is…
Johnny Depp is a talented actor, ladykiller, and all-around badass. I don’t need to state the obvious, but the guy has played Captain Jack Sparrow, Edward Scissorhands, and Raoul Duke, all characters possessing the rock star mystique. But when he’s not gracing the silver screen, the guy likes to act…
Anything with “ladies night” in the title is generally bound to be a good time. Us gals appreciate being able to get in for free (or at least for cheap), and most guys are stoked that a club is full with more ladies than usual, so it’s a win-win situation…
The news of Mark Erickson’s suicide in September hit the Phoenix music community hard. Erickson was a familiar face on stage, performing in local groups including ROAR, Gospel Claws, and Sweetbleeders. But it was Colorstore, the band he fronted for nearly a decade, that most reflects Erickson’s commanding, singular vision…
