You’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but fuggit, man — you can go ahead and judge Fu Manchu by its album covers. It’s all there: launching dune buggies, UFOs, shredding skateboarders, babes in bikinis, hot rods, vans. It’s not rocket science; it’s simply Southern California rock…
Electrical currents and water don’t mix — just ask ’70s-era singer Claude François, sometimes lauded as the French answer to the Beatles, who died trying to fix a defective light bulb while in the bathtub. But don’t let that mishap spoil your fun this weekend if you’re planning on getting…
In February, after nearly 22 years of delays, My Bloody Valentine released a follow-up to their genre-defining 1991 LP, Loveless. In light of that, it’s tempting to declare 2013 the Year of the Shoegaze Revival. There are signs all over: Coachella’s lineup boasted fresh-faced dream-pop acts like DIIV, Wild Nothing,…
A common complaint about the Phoenix live music scene is fan apathy. A show may be sold out, but many fans will keep their arms crossed and not move around much. That was not the case at Marquee Theatre Tuesday night. The Gaslight Anthem’s fanbase showed what live music should…
Your mom wants to go see Bon Jovi in Glendale. Other people do, too — don’t get me wrong. Former hair-metal aficionados, air-guitar soloists, a surprising number of people in what appear to be Bon Jovi football jerseys. But mostly your mom. Having successfully finished raising you and come into…
You submitted nominations for awards given to the Valley’s emerging creatives and the results are in. Introducing our Big Brain 2013 Finalists. Leading up to the Big Brain Award awards announcement and celebration on April 27, Chow Bella and Jackalope Ranch will introduce the finalists. Up today: Club Fonograma Carlos…
Given the build-up over the Oscar Award-winning documentary Searching for Sugar Man — the reason Sixto Rodriguez is only now getting his due, and the reason for a surprisingly large Mesa Amphitheatre audience — it seemed only fitting that the street poet and alternative folk-icon would open the show with…
You submitted nominations for awards given to the Valley’s emerging creatives and the results are in. Introducing our Big Brain 2013 Finalists. Leading up to the Big Brain Award awards announcement and celebration on April 27, Chow Bella and Jackalope Ranch will introduce the finalists. Up today: Dust Circuit Radio…
Digital Leather, the synthpunk brainchild of Shawn Foree, has evolved quite a bit since the Arizona musician started it as a solo project. In concert, Foree shares the stage with members of The Reatards, Destruction Unit, Lenguas Largas, The Wongs, and Lost Sounds. Digital Leather recently expanded its synth section…
On Saturday, more than 3,000 people attended That Damn Show, a full day of performances by rock and punk bands like Bad Religion, Tiger Army, and The Faint at Mesa Amphitheatre. But according to several attendees, the outdoor concert — which was co-promoted by New Times and local online alt-rock…
There isn’t a Coachella this weekend, so far as I can tell — neither a real Coachella nor The Real Coachella, which honestly seemed like a better time. That leaves us, globally, with a notable shortage of people listening to music in weird outfits and from strange campsites. These five…
Back when Nate Ruess was a part of Valley band The Format, it was difficult to imagine him becoming the superstar he is today. After all, in “I’m Actual,” from Dog Problems, he sang, “Can we please take this hour and talk about me and my hatred for corporate magazines?…
I couldn’t understand a word Tinariwen were singing Monday night at Crescent Ballroom. I didn’t know a single song, and there was no set list to cheat from — and I couldn’t find anyone to ask about it. But I was completely blown away by the deep, rhythmic, heartfelt pulse…
Sometimes we look to others’ words for inspiration on how to go about our lives. It gives us guidance and hope, regardless of how fucked up, metaphorical, or philosophical those words may be. So with the semester dwindling down to its final weeks, days, and hours, why not provide Up…
Ryan Avery, wearing a safari hat, ran around with a megaphone. JRC turned on a record player and asked the crowd to arrange themselves from shortest to tallest. Then he grabbed random people, spun them around three times, put a cardboard box over their heads, and had them hit a…
LP HastingsButterfly?!The Visual Stimulations for People Who Were High Coachella’s art installations — the ones designed to impress you while you’re high, a.k.a. all of them — were particularly impressive this year. There was the Tesla coil, the crane that was formerly a flower but now a praying mantis, the…
I have always said that everyone likes new, whether it’s a new car, new clothes, a new house, or even just new shoes. Becky G from Inglewood, California, is that “new” in today’s hip-hop game. Join me this week as I take you on a ride to discover some fresh…
Lots of artists stand out for designing some kick-ass metal covers — like the recently deceased Storm Thorgerson, for example, who lent his art to everyone from Led Zeppelin to Black Sabbath over the course of 30 years. But when it comes to weaving together the heavy metal standard of…
That Damn Show | Mesa Amphitheatre | April 20, 2013 The history of That Damn Show is full of fond memories. A decade or so ago, the festival combined punk bands with alt-radio favorites for a blistering day in the sun. Saturday, it was back with a vengeance, and hopefully…
It’s hard to believe that it’s been 17 months since the release of rapper Mouse Powell’s outstanding debut, Where It’s Cloudy. The Tempe-based artist has kept busy during that time, notching several tours on his belt and becoming the house hype-man at the Valley’s renowned weekly hip-hop night, Blunt Club…
We’re fairly certain that by now you’re fully up to speed on That Damn Show’s headliner Bad Religion, as well when they’re playing, how they’ve been around longer than you think, and their best albums ever. So what about the rest of the rock, punk, and indie heavy-hitters filling out…
The Postal Service’s reunion is still fresh. The band played its first live show on April 9, the day the Give Up reissue was released in honor of The Postal Service’s 10-year anniversary. The reunion news was sudden and raised some questions. First and foremost, would the reunited Postal Service…
