Sweden is a peculiar country — the furniture comes disassembled and the fish taste like gummy bears — but its people have put out some good music. For a nation with a population comparable to North Carolina, Sweden has created some pretty diverse stuff, too. It’s easy to draw a…
You know that gag in This Is Spinal Tap involving the band’s ever-rotating carousel of deceased or otherwise combusted drummers? Foghat’s Roger Earl is the living antithesis of that. For 39 years, spanning no fewer than 20 lineup changes, Earl has survived as the boogie-rock foursome’s lone constant — a…
You may not call yourself a fan of country music, but if you’ve lived in Arizona for more than a couple of years, chances are you find at least some aspect of it endearing. Then again, maybe not. But for a greenhorn aspiring to develop an appreciation for this part…
A simple, straightforward, bullshit-free piece of work. That’s what Lisbon, The Walkmen’s upcoming album, sounds like. These post-punk rejectionists were formed in the muck and mayhem of the garage-rock revival, along with a slew of other “the” bands — namely that quintet who were dubbed the saviors of rock: The…
The proprietors of Palazzo, 710 North Central Avenue, are about to rid themselves of the blood-sucking, fang-wielding, pale-face creatures of the night that have infested their club for more than five years, but won’t be needing any garlic or crucifixes to do so. Notorious goth affair Tranzylvania is getting the…
THURSDAY 16 27th Avenue Bar: R&B Thursdays (old-school R&B) Afterlife: Filthy Thursdays with Silent J, Casanova, Marc Elliot, Cris Castro, & more (dubstep, electro, breakbeats, drum ‘n’ bass, underground hip-hop) Airia Nightclub: Ladies Night with DJ Circle, & D-JR (hip-hop, Top 40, remixes, house, electro) AZ88: Josh One (rare groove,…
After yanking back a 16-ounce can of sugary, guarana-infused Rockstar, whatcha gonna listen to? Sufjan Stevens? The Decemberists? Negatory, bro-ham! You’ll want exactly what this energy-drink-sponsored alt-metal tour brings to the table: blast beats, screamo vocals, and high-decibel thrash showmanship. Now in its third year, Rockstar’s answer to Ozzfest (conceived…
“We learned you can’t force a Menomena record,” says Danny Seim, drummer/etc. of the Portland indie-rock trio, explaining the distance between the release of 2007’s Friend or Foe and this year’s Mines. “When you try, it only makes things worse. One person is really excited to do something and the…
At first, Corey Busboom thought it was a prank. When the local artist and musician answered his cell last January and heard the geeky voice of Mark Mothersbaugh on the other end, he suspected telephonic trickery by his friends. Boy, was he ever wrong. It, indeed, was the lead singer…
I’m 16 years old, working at our family tool shop, and I’m listening to the acoustic guitar introduction of Weezer’s “My Name Is Jonas.” My father and I are at separate workstations, a few feet from each other. I’m in the throes of adolescence and my father has taken to…
Artist: SuperchunkTitle: Majesty ShreddingRelease date: September 14Label: MergeI can’t the say the new record by Superchunk is as great as their seminal first couple of records — released two decades ago, if you can believe it — but Majesty Shredding sure sounds good to these ears. Mostly because the North…
Song: Mavis Staples, “You Are Not Alone”Context: The new Mavis Staples record produced by Jeff Tweedy sounds pretty damn good. Mavis Staples – You Are Not Alone by smartleydunn…
Adriane GoetzLoving life at Bar Smith. Phoenicians finally have their choice of dance venues on Friday nights, but Bar Smith was among the first to do it right and its Fuse Fridays are still going strong. Check out our slideshow from last Friday, where special guest DJ Udachi lit up…
A piece from Weiland’s fashion collection.Scott Weiland, the noted drug abuser who also sings songs for Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver, will be making an appearance to promote the rough synthesis of an opioid (Morphine acetate muriate) resulting in a mixture of tightly related precursors and metabolites to that…
John Mayer is the type of guy who has better things to do than tweet, so maybe it’s no surprise that social media has gotten him into some trouble in the past.Despite his busy schedule, I’ve always imagined Mayer to be this solo artist who has all day to think…
There may not have been as many handmade signs or as much hysteria at Mesa Arts Center last night as Hanson has seen in their heyday, but the band still managed to pack more than 500 fans in for an intimate show. The guys proved their accessibility to their fans…
It’s hard to believe amid all the Fall Out Boy radio hits, award-winning Panic! at the Disco videos and female-fronted bands that came about because they were inspired by Paramore (who perform tonight at the Dodge Theatre), one of record label Fueled by Ramen’s biggest breakthrough successes came way of…
HansonSeptember 14, 2010Piper Theater at Mesa Arts CenterRight now, as I write this sentence, I’m listening to Middle of Nowhere, Hanson’s major label debut from 1997. That record of course contains “MMMBop” but it’s the first verse of “Thinking of You” that I’m spinning — it’s undeniable pop goodness.I got…
Music lovers at Zia Records Chandler demanded darkness this week.Stone Sour came out on top with their new album. Avenged Sevenfold and Disturbed’s albums were also near the top of the list, signifying that locals are getting excited about this weekend’s Rockstar Uproar Tour and Arizona Fall Frenzy Festival.1. Stone…
Song: Of Montreal, “Sex Karma”Context: False Priest drops today — time to give it a thorough listen. Of Montreal – Sex Karma by rotolo3…
Sobering news from Arizona State University’s newspaper today: ASU students are starting Glee-inspired clubs in several area schools.It’s apparently not enough to watch the awful show, or to call yourself by the insufferable sobriquet “Gleek” anymore. Now, you’ve gotta actually inflict showtunes upon the masses to prove your undying dedication…
Arizona winemaker/Tool singer Maynard James Keenan is getting his band A Perfect Circle back together.The group, which also includes Billy Howerdel of Ashes Divide, will embark on a five-city tour this fall including a three-night stop at Tempe’s Marquee Theatre…
