For the first time in a long time, it’s finally been a good week to be Britney Spears. Britney has teamed up with Rihanna to make a remix of Rihanna’s hit “S&M,” according to Consequence of Sound.The power-pop duo has been teasing the track on Twitter, writing both to their…
Toby KeithCountry Thunder 2011 at Canyon Moon Ranch in Florence, ArizonaSunday, April 10 If Woodstock ’94 holds the title for “Muddiest Music Festival, Like, Ever,” then Country Thunder 2011 out in Florence over the weekend has to go down as a solid runner up. Although the country fans in attendance…
Between the Buried and Me, The Parallax: Hypersleep DialoguesMetal Blade RecordsRelease Date: April 12, 2011 What is it about prog metal bands and two-part albums? Last year, the Ocean’s one-two punch of Heliocentric and Anthropocentric topped my “Best of ’10” list. Now, Raleigh, North Carolina’s Between the Buried and Me…
All of the record covers by OFF!, the hardcore supergroup fronted by Keith Morris of Circle Jerks/Black Flag, and have been designed by punk-art icon Raymond Pettibon.On cover features the phrase, “I’ve heard some wild stories about the band” scrawled in Pettibon’s signature style. The band, rounded out by members…
Janet Jackson Comerica Theatre April 8, 2011 It’s easy to forget how impressive a career Janet Jackson has had over the years. But when you come from one of America’s most dysfunctional families, it’s probably not hard to get lost in the shuffle. Especially when your siblings tend to grab…
Whether fronting The Verve or in his solo career, Richard Ashcroft is all about musical majesty. His best songs are sweeping, epic and grand, some would say “grandiose,” but he’s always aiming for a transcendence from the ordinary to the sublime. When he succeeds in the effort — and most…
It’s been nearly a year since Governor Jan Brewer signed SB 1070 into law, unleashing a shitstorm that’s still going although the law was blocked by courts and will likely never take effect in any meaningful way.While The Sound Strike, the organization promoting a boycott of Arizona led by out-of-state…
Song: Michael & Janet Jackson Vs. Gorillaz, “Stylo Scream” (Stanwik Mashup)Context: Janet Jackson comes to Comerica Theatre tonight. Her 1995 duet with Michael, “Scream,” has always been one of my favorite tracks by either Jackson sibling — very underrated. And remember that video? Super cool. Check out this mashup remix…
You’re in for a smokin’, tokin’ good time if you hang out with Mergence at the tight joint known as the Yucca Tap Room on 4/20 this year (weed pun intended).”With the new laws coming into lay, it’s Arizona’s time to catch up a bit, and we are celebrating,” said…
Standout Phoenix alt-country act Tractor Pull Divas is doing a fundraiser for Helen’s Hope Chest, a charity affiliated with the Mesa United Way. The Hope Chest provides clothing and other basic items for foster children in the Valley. Band member Ryan Brown is himself a foster parent and says he’s…
, according to Pitchfork.Fight For Your Right Revisited is the Beastie Boys’ new star-studded 22-minute short film directed by the group’s own Adam Yauch. The film features the group’s new songs “Make Some Noise” and “Too Many Rappers,” which are both tracks from the upcoming album.The trailer is hilarious and…
Payton J. CurryThe chef recently launched a pop-up concept at the Welcome Diner. When you put your key in the ignition and turn on the radio, what station would play right now? Cat Power Radio. It’s been one of those weeks for me. I don’t do radio at all. What’s…
As a crowd numbering more than 1,100 watched on, M2 had his hands full to say the least. While large digital screens flashed his logo (based off the old school Phoenix Suns logo) and a countdown clock ticked off his allotted 15 minutes, M2’s hands flew and fluttered across turntables, mixers,…
Title: 2-song self-titled EP, containing the tracks “Schadenfreude” and “Inching The Foot”Basics: Stellacutta are an young, unsigned 5-piece band from Tempe whose members all study music at Arizona State University. The band describes their current mission as wanting to get the word out about their music, but also — in…
Full disclosure: Belfast-based singer-songwriter Rachel Austin is the daughter of one of my former co-workers and she once let me and one of my buddies crash at her “flat” (this is what sophisticated European travelers call apartment homes) while visiting Northern Ireland. However, that’s not why I’m posting this charming…
Song: Aaron Lewis, “Country Boy”Context: The insufferable fakeness of this terrible song is the focal point of a piece in this week’s issue. The Tea Party bullshit and the sample of the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” at the end are only part of the reason why — picturing this…
Sarah Ventre went in search of the story of the oldest record ever made by an Arizona artist in this week’s issue. Those records were made by original cowgirl singer Billie Maxwell and her humble family band from Eastern Arizona in the 1920s.To do that, Sarah spoke to one of…
Came across the A-side of this fantastic reissue courtesy of stellar site TITTYSHAKERS (potentially NSFW depending on your job, the site features no nudity, though it’s obviously on the risque side). The site features the kind of sleazy cuts that would have been heard in the 50s and 60s, totally…
Jocks chugging beer bongs, snorting lines of cocaine, and hazing nerds on stage — welcome to the magic that is a Broloaf show. The Scottsdale punk band that has been entertaining the Valley with wild on-stage antics for the past three years and will do so again when they open…
Highly hyped New Jersey band Titus Andronicus’ tour with the Pogues infuriated Titus’ lead singer, Patrick Stickles, according to Paste.The Pogues, who the members of Titus Andronicus consider to be musical heroes, didn’t give their opening band the time of day. They never once watched Titus open up for them…
Title: Covela EPBasics: Covela basics. I kid. Covela is described as having a “driven, melodic rock sound has been paralleled to Paramore, Jimmy Eat World, Muse and The Killers.” The comparisons to Paramore make plenty sense as the band plays rock music with a female lead singer — Sarah Drinkwine. Before…
In covering Country Thunder for the better part of a decade, I’ve had some enlightening highs (seeing John Fogerty play CCR tunes from 10 feet away), some serious lows (waiting out a pissing rainstorm in the freezing cold wearing only shorts and a short-sleeved shirt, clutching a soggy reporter’s notebook,…
