Looking on the surface is often deceiving. A simple glance at local band Element a440’s press photos might lead you to believe it’s a typical industrial/goth outfit. At first listen, you may compare the band’s sound to Marilyn Manson, ’80s punkers Big Black, or Stabbing Westward. But Element a440 doesn’t…
In this week’s issue, we profile Arizona-based rapper Murs. Some great stuff got left on the cutting-room floor, so in this installment of Outtakes, we’ll crack open the tape recorder and let a whole bunch of good material that didn’t make the print edition see the light of day. One…
Enough time has finally passed for ’90s parties to be acceptable. It couldn’t have happened a few years ago — the decade was still a little too fresh. But like a nostalgia juggernaut, you can’t stop it: ’90s fashions are making a comeback (have you stepped into a Forever 21…
As expected, this year’s Coachella sold out pretty fast. Scalpers are already selling tickets for upwards of $1,000 for a single pass–for the love of god, please email this person and offer them $200. That’s a bit of an anomaly, since most resales are going for around $500, but sometimes…
Maybe you’re a Foo Fighters fan and maybe you’re not, but it’s impossible to deny that frontman Dave Grohl knows how to milk the “famous rockstar” thing. He plays on records with his friends, teams up with his idols, and drums every now and then just to remind everyone that…
Editor’s note: Last November Daniel Johnston missed a flight and was forced to reschedule his stop at Crescent Ballroom. But time flies, and this weekend, on Sunday, February 3, he’s slated to make up his date with a special performance. We ran this piece from New Times contributor Chris Parker…
Among all the reigning veteran British rock bands, The Who is the world champ of releasing greatest hits compilations. These days you can buy the studio version of “My Generation” on 12 officially sanctioned best-of-The Who albums and live versions across 10 concert albums. Yet there are some songs even…
Are you a musician? Is your group having issues? Critic Jessica Hopper has played in and managed bands, toured internationally, booked shows, produced records, worked as a publicist, and is the author of The Girls’ Guide to Rocking, a how-to for teen ladies. She is here to help you stop…
Epileptics beware: the new Black Moth Super Rainbow video for “Hairspray Heart” warns you against seizures. But watching WWE pro wrestler Goldust (Dustin Runnels) perform as “The Pink One” in this juicy Jacuzzi jam will give you quite a few other convulsions. See also: -My Bloody Valentine Might Release Its…
There are plenty of cats around town that can make a case for being at the top of the game when it comes to repping the rap scene in Arizona. But few can contest that they work harder than 8-bit beat guru Random a.k.a Mega Ran. This month alone he’s…
By the time he gets to Phoenix, Jimmy Webb expects to be over the flu that’s been dogging him recently. The consummate songwriter of such iconic hits as “MacArthur Park,” Up, Up and Away,” “Galveston,” Wichita Lineman,” and “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” is excited to bring his…
When the lineup for Rock on the Range was announced last week, a flurry of emails between myself and three other of my fellow chick metal journalists/enthusiasts ensued regarding flights, hotels, and tickets. We had all attended the weekend festival together in 2012, and relished the thought of a heavy…
22 years after the shoegaze masterpiece Loveless was released, My Bloody Valentine main man Kevin Shields has announced that the band could finally release its third album any day now. According to the band’s Facebook page, the album was mastered on December 21, meaning the long-awaited release might actually see…
Once a week, Up on the Sun features a new comic strip from punk rocker, cartoonist, and full-time dad Brad Dwyer. See the New Times print edition to check out the strip in glorious, inky newsprint each Thursday…
DJ Paul Oakenfold holds the distinction of being one of the first electronic superstars. He’s been performing and mixing since 1980, and he’s not planning on spending his 33rd year in the business chilling out: In addition to his recent work with Madonna and Bruno Mars, he’s scheduled to perform…
Editor’s note: Every couple weeks, Alan Scherstuhl, the film editor at our sister publication The Village Voice, will be taking a hard listen to the music in which millions of Americans soak. We’re happy to share his findings. By Alan Scherstuhl Brad Paisley, Southern Comfort Zone Current Billboard Country Singles…
Yeah, yeah, yeah…we get it. Mondays suck (we’ve read Garfield). But it means the start of a new week, which means a bunch of killer shows in and around Phoenix. And here are a few of the coolest — our top five must-see shows this week. See also: -Stop Hating…
Seas Will Rise, Gay Kiss, Said Gun, Dead Canyon @ Yucca Tap Room|1/26/12Last night’s charity event at the Yucca for CASA, a crisis center focused on the prevention of sexual abuse, went surprisingly well, all things considered. Along with the originally intended charity, the Boys & Girls Club of America…
W&W @ Wild Knight|1/25/13I am not the biggest trance fanatic, but somehow, slowly but surely, its gotten its hooks in me. Applying aural dynamics, 110 to 150 beats per minute are dropped into tempo creates such a magical and melodic sound, and Dutch trance duo W&W proved its mastery of…
The Father Figures @ Crescent Ballroom|1/25/13Not that I had any doubts, but I’m starting to think that there’s really no such thing as a bad Father Figures show. This hybrid punk/post punk trio has decades of experience in various musical endeavors and it shows. The attention to detail pays off;…
Each year, like many of you, I impatiently wait for the Coachella lineup to be announced. Sometimes it’s disappointing (if Daft Punk says they’re not touring, chances are they’re not playing the festival), but there’s always going be a few redeeming artists. At best the lineup will be amazing, and…
It’s been almost a year since local rock group The Tremulants played their last show following the death of frontman Marco Holt who succumbed to non-Hodgkin lymphoma. His passing left the music community grieving and family and friends reeling. Tremulants bassist Isaac Hensleigh stepped away from music in the subsequent…
