Arulpragasam, known to the world as hip-hop visionary M.I.A. Today sees the release of Arulpragasm’s third album as M.I.A., the cleverly titled ///Y/. Calling Arulpragasam controversial is akin to declaring July “pretty fucking hot” in Phoenix — once the stark, violent video for lead single “Born Free” hit the Internet in…
I remember it like it was yesterday: it was the summer of 2002 and I was in super-humid Milwaukee for Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game. We were in the parking lot of Miller Park, enjoying the pre-game festivities, eating and drinking all of the finest food the city of Milwaukee and…
Artist: The trickily named .listen.Album: A CD-R containing one song from .listen’s future album Atomic Sunrise, “Defiance,” was all that was submitted.Basics: .listen is a young man named Eric who moved from Vermont to Scottsdale and has been a MySpace member since April 5. .listen is billed simply as such: With…
There was once a time when Menomena was fresh on the Portland indie rock scene. It was 2003 and the band had just self-released their debut album I Am The Fun Blame Monster! to a rather impressive critical acclaim (P4K gave it a 8.7). In true Portland/DIY fashion, the band…
Let it be known that the latest album/clusterfuck of music from M.I.A., ///Y/ (easier known as “Maya”) leaked onto the internet Tuesday afternoon. In response to this, the spiteful M.I.A. has made the album available for a full album stream via her MySpace page. The lead single and subsequent video/ginger massacre for…
Bolstering Part II is lead single/Sirius XMU stalwart “In Ruins,” a jingly little ditty featuring irresistible vocals from Karin Tatoyin that is multifarious as it is mystifyingly catchy. Pegging down Fol Chen isn’t the easiest thing to do, but what they do is something refreshingly unique and, thus, critically acclaimed in today’s…
Not ones to outdo themselves, P4K, as the kids call it, just listed Phoenix’s own What Laura Says in their newest edition of upcoming releases for summer 2010 (be sure to click “Continue Reading” at the bottom of the post). The indie/blues/folk quintet are readying their second full-length, Bloom Cheek,…
Artist: Mill’s EndTitle: Mill’s End, the band’s self-titled, debut EP.Basics: Billed as a band that “carries on a tradition of American Alt-Country that blends modern influences with folk/Americana songwriting,” Mill’s End’s sound is “firmly rooted in a style reflective of Drive By Truckers, Whiskeytown, the Jayhawks and the Old 97’s,…
[jump] Even if a band doesn’t have a Facebook page, there will still be a page dedicated to the band for the fans.This page will use a Wikipedia entry as its backbone, so you know it’s dedicated to bringing fans all the up-to-date, important news.Actually, eh, not so much. Want…
Zack de la Rocha’s The Sound Strike has added more names to the already massive list of bands/performers boycotting Arizona over SB 1070. Those new boycotters include Maroon 5, Steve Earle, Nine Inch Nails, Gogol Bordello and Chris Rock. Ry Cooder is also a new addition to the list, and…
A funny thing happened to NYC glam-poppers Scissor Sisters on their way to recording their third album, Night Work — the band scrapped 18 month’s worth of effort in order to finalize the album. Lead singer/utterly charismatic young man Jake Shears noted that the year and half of work left…
Band: TugboatTitle: Patches of LandBasics: Tempe five-some Tugboat are quite an anomaly in today’s You Asked For It game — a rare effort from a band that, when I tell my peers about the record, I don’t have to be six beers deep, lamenting why it is I do these columns.Previous You Asked For…
How will a band whose sound came of age in the previous decade enter into this newfangled 2010? With quite an interesting bang, actually.Sacramento-based dance-punk band !!! (pronounced chik-chik-chik for those uninformed/always curious but too embarrassed to ask) reeled off three albums in the previous decade, starting with 2001’s !!!…
First let me say right up front that I don’t agree with SB 1070. I think it is veiled racism that is self-serving for those bleeding-heart, Arizona-bred conservatives out there who sit at home scheming up ways to make the state, at least by their standards, “perfect.” It is soul-crushing to know that…
The song employs a genius guest vocal from Jim James of My Morning Jacket and Monsters of Folk fame splayed over a smooth, downtempo beat that is indicative of vintage “What They Do” mid-1990s Roots. It’s the perfect song for an impressive album from the hardest-working band in show business.It…
Album: Eddie WestBasics: Phoenix country/bluegrass/folk musician Eddie West bills himself as trying to market himself to Phoenix, Tucson, Flagstaff, Denver and Fort Collins. West also recorded his eponymous album in Los Angeles, so it’s safe to say that the dude is all over the place. Eddie West, reflects a little…
The recent news that Fox’s hit high school music-drama Glee will use some of Coldplay’s music for future episodes made me honestly wonder what planet the show’s producers live on.Now, I am not just some curmudgeonly young man who has never watched the show and who hates musicals and other productions…
What the critics are saying:…
Now some of you may say, “Slow down, friend, Loggins’ music knows no generational bounds.” To that I say yes. I am a huge Loggins fan myself and I just so happen to younger than 30. His November show at the Celebrity Theatre will reflect this phenomenon — fans who…
Apparently someone forgot to tell Mesa rockers Authority Zero just what goes on at Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill. The band has a free show lined up a week from today at the restaurant, where I am sure there are going to be a lot of pissed…
Is your name Alejandro? Well, your life’s about to change thanks to Lady Gaga and her new, 8-minute plus long video for her song “Alejandro.” Always one to have fun with the medium of music video, Gaga has once again proven how important she is to popular music.Now, “Telephone” this…
What I have noticed about Before Today is that it is an absolute grower of an album — a piece of music that gets right under your skin in all the best ways after repeated listens. Ariel Pink’s genius — and yes, I mean genius — is splattered all over…
