Crystal Bowersox called Shania Twain “glowing” tonight on American Idol, and it’s true–Twain emits an ethereal vibe whenever she’s around and seemed to work some magic on the contestants as they all took on her songs.Overall, the cast did a great job, proving they’re a solid top six who deserve…
And so it starts…Stars, a Canadian indie-pop act most famous for the song “Take Me to the Riot” has become the first of what will surely be a dozen or more indie rock acts to threaten a boycott of Arizona over the crazy new immigration bill which more-or-less requires cops…
Mexican-Americans are getting stiffed right and left here in Arizona, the so-called Meth Lab Of Democracy.The State Press, a student newspaper representing the largest university in our fair state, reports that Arizona State University is axing its mariachi band after 25 years.ASU’s current version of the program, which began during the…
Here’s a look at what’s selling this week at local record stores.MGMT’s Congratulations holds strong with spots in three of the four stores included in this week’s tally. Dr. Dog, Broken Bells, Caribou, and Devin the Dude also make several appearances.Hoodlums Music and Movies 1. fun. – Live at Fingerprints…
Blessthefall, The Maine and The Summer Set are all featured on the new Fearless Records compilation Punk Goes… Classic Rock.It’s no secret that the California label — essentially Tiger Beat magazine with A&R dudes — loves Phoenix pop-punkers like these three. The Maine was signed to the label before hopping…
Artist: Unnatural HelpersTitle: Cracked Love & Other DrugsRelease date: April 27Label: Hardly ArtLast week, I blogged about Esquire’s 50 songs every man should be listening to right now, and I put out the call for readers to submit their list of songs everyone should be listening to. After sifting through…
As first seen on Pitchfork, Cosmogramma — the new album from DJ extraordinaire Flying Lotus — is available as a full album stream at Flying Lotus’ (FlyLo for the hip kids) MySpace.The Japanese retail of the album — as well as a one-track, promo CD-R — hit the internet roughly…
So in case you haven’t gotten your fill of celebrity gossip with all the Courtney Love/Lily Allen drama, here’s a little more Love for you. Apparently Love’s former love, Smashing Pumpkins’s Billy Corgan has been slamming her 21st century style — with Tweets. TwentyFourBit put up a few gems that…
Welcome to The Grand Tour, a regular feature where PHXmusic.com takes you inside practice spaces, tour vans and seedy apartments occupied by Phoenix-area bands. This week we offer a peek into “The Iron Lady,” an alleged former brothel in CenPho where scuzzy power poppers Naive practice. If you would like…
Dave Miranda, aka Mr. Miranda, has been one of the more productive MCs in the Valley recently. The Phoenix native released The Wonderful World of Mr. Miranda in December 2008, then followed that up with another full-length, Let’s Get On With The Music, late last year. Not one to rest…
What the critics are saying: …
While the easy answer to why Messrs. J and 2 Dope recorded “Miracles” is because they are fucking geniuses, Violent J still took the time to sit down with the decidedly biased Hachet Herald to elaborate on the song and all those who find it necessary to be haters…
Our sister papers in south Florida ran a fantastic piece on brilliant-turned-bloody-nosed-cokehead producer Scott Storch last week. In case you haven’t already seen it, there’s a lot to love about this hard-hitting profile, including some real gems from Scott’s mom, who bemoans the fact that her son never took care…
M.I.A. probably didn’t plan to release her new video — which graphically shows the U.S. government violently kidnapping and assaulting redheads, then taking them out to the desert to kill them — as a commentary on Arizona’s incredibly controversial SB 1070.Then again… Hmmmm.Kinda makes ya think, huh?…
Not many acts more colorful than Baby Dee drop by Phoenix.Dee, sort of a cross between The Dresden Dolls (who she’s toured with) and Joanna Newsom (just because of the harp), is a transgendered Clevelander-turned-New-Yorker-turned-Clevelander who really has no interest in talking about her life’s story. A protege of Bonnie…
Artist: Harlan T. BoboTitle: SuckerRelease date: April 13Label: GonerHistorically speaking, what city is the undisputed heavyweight champion in American rock ‘n’ roll? Well, there are really only two legitimate contenders in this bout: Detroit and Memphis. Every other locale belongs on the undercard.I acknowledge a bias because I claim Michigan…
Spring Into Summer at the Valley Ho: White-Hot Fashion, Cool Audience This past Friday night, fashionistas (and fashionistos?) from across the Valley packed into the pool area at Scottsdale’s retro-chic Hotel Valley Ho for the 4th Annual Spring into Summer fashion show featuring Beach Bunny Swimwear and up-and-coming L.A. designer…
“This place is BIG,” said Norah Jones in a self-effacing way to the nearly packed house at Dodge Theatre. The way she delivered the statement made it sound like she wasn’t worthy of playing such a fancy concert hall. Turns out it was half-true. Wearing an electric-green dress and yellow…
In case you’ve missed all the buzz about SMoCA’s current exhibit “Rewind Remix Replay,” it’s a look at the material culture of popular music, and how it’s changed over the years.How did we get from the record player to the iPod in just over four decades? This exhibit will show you…
You know you’ve made it big when your band’s T-shirt is featured on reality television. Phoenix band Blessthefall, who is playing a couple dates in Russia in October, is certainly proud of the national exposure they’ve encountered after some threads bearing the band’s name made it onto truTV’s “World’s Dumbest…
Lilly Allen is not in an extremely public fight with Courtney Love, she still finds ways to make headlines. According to NME, both the Conservative and the Labour Party invited the outspoken British recording artist to attend their party conferences. Allen was especially surprised by the invite in light of…
The two folk artists are no strangers, having spent plenty of time on the road together, playing shows throughout the 70s as the Rolling Thunder Revue and again in 1998 when she co-headlined a tour with Van Morrison and Dylan. While it’s unclear whether Mitchell has spoken to Dylan in…
