It’s safe to say that they don’t make them like Leon Russell anymore. An authority no less than T-Bone Burnett said about Russell, in an April interview with The Onion A.V. Club, “I haven’t been intimidated for a really long time, but Leon was scary-good. He understood Henry Mancini, he…
Games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero appeal to that part of us that not-so-secretly wishes we hadn’t quit practicing music in fourth grade so we could be selling out arenas instead of selling out our souls to make a little more money for our boss. Of course, we know…
Flames engulfed North Phoenix rock club the Blooze Bar early this morning, leaving the interior of the renowned music venue located at 32nd Street and Cactus charred and largely destroyed. According to the Arizona Republic, the fire began within long after last call at just before 4 a.m. Obviously no…
We dig Nick Cave. A lot. We’ve documented as much previously here, here and here. With this second set of reissues of the Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds catalog — begun last year to mark the 25th anniversary of their recorded debut — we’ve now reached the halfway point…
Artist: Wolf ParadeTitle: Expo 86Release date: June 29Label: Sub PopLast night, I made an unplanned run down to the Yucca Tap Room to catch this band called Shapiro, a group of pleasant young men from the D.C. area who play piano-driven pop-rock songs that, at their best recall 1970s classic…
Song: Scissor Sisters, “Night Work”Context: Jay Bennett of Nothing Not New has called this “the best song of 2010.” 01. Night Work by gorgeouz…
I have a vague recollection of always wanting to go to Warped Tour when I was in middle school. It was just a few years after it had begun, and it was the first time in my life that punk rock could have made sense to me, as I was…
With dozens of bands on the Vans Warped Tour, which came through Phoenix to the Cricket Wireless Pavilion yesterday, you’d think more kids would be talking about just how their favorite groups did. But there was only one thing bands and fans alike couldn’t stop Tweeting about during the day-long…
The plan was to write a good old fashioned concert review of Shapiro’s show at Yucca Tap Room last night.But sometimes promoters have babies — congrats to Ami Johnson and Matthew Reveles by the way — and can’t make all the normal arrangements for a touring act coming through on…
Good: Spoon is not boycotting Arizona.Bad: They are playing Tucson. Good: The show is at Rialto Theatre, which is beautiful and full of friendly people. Bad: The show is on October 4, which is a Monday.Proceed according to the whims of your own hedonistic calculus…
It’s easy for the music scene to forget that Modified Arts is not, in fact, now a Waffle House. It is, last I heard, an art gallery, presumably filled with art. And, from time to time, with a little experimental-leaning music.Shane Kennedy’s project Towncraft certainly qualifies. It’s improvised instrumental “Americanoir”…
When it comes to music videos from Arizona-turned-NYC acts, Miniature Tigers sorta set the standard for hype with their video for the Neon Indian produced “Gold Skull.” Personally, I think Silver Medallion’s brand new and totally cracked-out (in the good way) video for “Camera” is a lot cooler.”Gold Skull” is…
Artist: Scissor SistersTitle: Night WorkRelease date: June 29Label: DowntownAt the end of the day, I’m not sure what this new Scissor Sisters record adds up to. But it almost doesn’t matter, because the opening title track is so good that it practically carries the weight of the record all by…
It’s been my experience that many times fans of a particular band tend to have a propensity to take after the band that they love. Whether it’s their general attitude, the way they dress, the way fans (particularly male fans) subconsciously copy the hairstyle of the lead singer, or even…
Song: Shapiro, “All Things Around The Sun”Context: I’ve been championing Shapiro for five years. It’ll be nice to see them play their first Arizona show, at Yucca Tap Room tonight. As always, there’s no cover at the Yucca. All Things Around the Sun by RootMusic…
“Feeling the west coast pull. One week left of tour,” Damien Jurado wearily tweeted on the 27th, and pulling into the Rhythm Room’s parking lot, I witnessed the singer/songwriter sprawled out on the hot pavement behind his van — a clear sign that the road was taking its toll.But despite…
I have to admit the announcement that Nine Inch Nails is “boycotting” Arizona kinda slid by me yesterday.After all, like most right thinking people I sorta assumed Trent Reznor was off doing the soundtrack for some children’s television program I’ve never heard of, or civilly married to Marilyn Manson in…
Zack de la Rocha’s The Sound Strike has added more names to the already massive list of bands/performers boycotting Arizona over SB 1070. Those new boycotters include Maroon 5, Steve Earle, Nine Inch Nails, Gogol Bordello and Chris Rock. Ry Cooder is also a new addition to the list, and…
If you’re heading to the Vans Warped Tour at Cricket Wireless Pavilion today and are a little overwhelmed by the array of band choices in front of you, newbies We Are the In Crowd might be worth a listen–especially if you’re a fan of female-fronted groups with catchy pop hooks…
A big thanks to Pitchfork for doing their part to make the world know not everyone in Arizona is a racist bastard.Today the Site of Record for the music-loving hipster elite mentioned our anti-SB 1070 compilation, A Line In The Sand, and linked to this excellent open letter by local…
A funny thing happened to NYC glam-poppers Scissor Sisters on their way to recording their third album, Night Work — the band scrapped 18 month’s worth of effort in order to finalize the album. Lead singer/utterly charismatic young man Jake Shears noted that the year and half of work left…
Legendary slide guitarist Ry Cooder (he’s played on records by everyone from Randy Newman to the Rolling Stones) has recorded an anti-SB 1070 song called “Quick Sand.” Cooder is one of those country(ish) guys the lefties love — not only is that track available exclusively from NPR until tomorrow, when…
