“Spotify? I’m not a fan,” says Maynard James Keenan from his home in Cornville, where he balances his winemaking and numerous musical projects. “I haven’t made enough from them for a cup of coffee. Rhapsody? Same sad story.” That’s the complaint circulating among musicians as industry buzz builds around the…
Imagine Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Are Made for Walkin'” as a political rallying cry instead of a sultry kiss-off, and you have an idea behind The Mynabirds’ “Generals.” The title track on the band’s second LP is a call to action so catchy in its delivery, and yet so vague…
It’s not easy being a “Christian band,” especially when you don’t fit in the easy-to-categorize box, which is the case for Relient K and mewithoutYou, playing the Marquee and Crescent Ballroom this week, respectively. From the beginning, both bands had no trouble attracting fans outside the youth group circuit, with…
If you’re looking for a hip-hop role model, Nas is a pretty good one. Detroit MC Elzhi (real name: Jason Powers) borrowed the title for his breakthrough mixtape, Elmatic, from Nas’ classic 1994 Illmatic. Elzhi knows his stuff and, borrowed title aside, is more than capable of standing on his…
See also: S.S. Coachella Cruise Lineup Announced Featuring Pulp, Girl Talk, Z-Trip, and More See also: Z-Trip Talks Growing Up in Phoenix, Johhny D., Crate-Digging, Mexican Food, Smite, and More See also: The Gathering of the Juggalos 2012 Lineup Is Pretty Good. Really! See also: FBI Report Officially Classifies Juggalos…
The Resonars, Paperhead, Breakup Society, and French Girls Yucca Tap Room Tuesday, July 24, 2012 See also: The Resonars, “Nonetheless Blue” Review The Resonars have been around the block before. Originally forming in 1991, the band has a dizzying history of a one-in, one-out membership. The only two constants in…
See also: Elvis Presley Week Kicks Off at The MIM Elvis hasn’t left the building since last summer, when he took up permanent residency in the renovated Artist Gallery at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix. But that doesn’t mean the MIM can’t shake things up a bit. To commemorate…
See also: YUS Is Giving You Something to Chill To Local one-man band/synth wizard Youceff Kabal, better known as YUS, has a strong dedication to musical aesthetic. Packed with electronic blips and bloops, the electronic sounds nonetheless teem with soul. Teaming up with director Gordon Cowie for the “Girls” music…
Southern rap is a ubiquitous force in hip-hop, a dominating sound that influences the rest of the nation. Phoenix-based rapper hails from New Orleans, where the sounds he heard profoundly influenced the sound displayed on “Go Get It,” his collaboration with revenue retrievin’ star E40 and Thaddeous Shade…
Scottsdale’s shimmering nightlife district tends to become saturated with a maelstrom of vibrant colors, flashing lights, and blaring sound after the sun goes down. Each illuminated establishment attempts to outdo the another by attracting toned-and-tanned clientele with flashy facades and the promise of exciting nighttime adventure. Well, except for Flight…
“Let’s duet!” The Valley hasn’t been short on Willie Nelson sightings this year, but The Railroad Revival Tour’s second go-round promises to deliver some signature Willie thrills with added bonuses: He’ll be joined in downtown Tempe on Thursday, October 25, by John C. Reilly (yeah, he sings too), Band of…
See also: Scientology Opens Phoenix Ideal Org; Mayor Greg Stanton Touts City’s Status as Alien-Based Religion’s “Birthplace” Scientology just has a way of making headlines, doesn’t it? The religion is a constant reference when discussing Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’ divorce, and its prompted fascinating articles like this one in…
See also: Russell Pearce Blames Victims for Dark Knight Massacre See also: Russell Pearce Apologizes, Kinda-Sorta, for Dark Knight Massacre Remarks See also: Writer’s Guild: Don’t Call Mr. Miranda, MC Pennywise, Mega Ran and RoQ’y TyRaiD a “Supergroup” The individual artists of local hip-hop co-op The Writer’s Guild are focusing…
Guitarist Jorma Kaukonen and bassist Jack Casady go back. Way back. Before the two joined San Franciscan psychedelic outfit Jefferson Airplane they played together in a group called The Triumphs. After (while Airplane morphed into the subsequently cheesier and cheesier Starship), the two formed Hot Tuna, and expanded on the…
Jonathan Sakas wants you to find your milk. No, not the kind you dunk cookies into — your mojo, your drive, the thing that motivates you. Milk is a big theme in his new video for his song, “Maniac,” and in the clip, Sakas’ character’s milk turns him into an…
The Olympics are about a lot more than gold medals, figure skaters, bong-smoking swimmers, and crushing human rights (I’m looking at you, Beijing). More than anything, it’s about ceremony. And, like a lifeless family sitcom, that means theme songs. Over the years, the Olympics have provided us with some of…
See also: Remembering Kirby Allan – The Man Behind the Mystique Arizona’s rich music history is often forgotten, but luckily local label Fervor Records is doing its part to preserve some of that legacy with their dynamic catalog of vintage recordings. Coupled with pop culture’s continued love affair with period…
Scott Weiland Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill in Mesa Sunday, July 22 “Cocaine’s a hell of a drug,” commented one of my friends watching Scott Weiland strut around on stage in his jerky, velociraptor/ballet dancer-style last night at Toby Keith’s I Love this Bar and Grill…
See also: Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson to Headline KUPD’s Desert Uprising See also: Megadeth’s Dave Ellefson: “Why I’m Trying to Become a Pastor” Last week, I found myself in an awkward conversation with douchebag with a popped collar and frosted tips. He asked me if I worshipped “the Devil,”…
Dream Big, the latest album from cocky Phoenix rapper Futuristic, hits every style one would hope to get from a hip-hop album. There’s club-ready anthems, smooth R&B ballads, and even some laid-back boom-bap, with Futuristic laughing between boisterous rhymes…
See also: The Rolling Blackouts Cover Kongos The cello is a tremendously under used instrument, but perhaps that’s a good thing. In most cases, the scarcity of the instrument makes a band’s sound that much more interesting. This is the case for Avery, whose unique sound derives from a cello,…
Every Monday morning 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. In this week’s Record Heat, Brad and Shannon take on the approaching…
