Asteria

To a classics scholar, Asteria is a mythical goddess who drowned herself in lieu of a non-consensual shtupping by the all-powerful Zeus. She’s a symbol of feminine power and defiance. To fans of Midwestern pop-punk, Asteria are five well-dressed 20-somethings with week-old stubble who sound a little like Hit the…

Hellogoodbye

This is typically where you’d find a diatribe against Hellogoodbye and their bland, unoriginal electro-rock sound. True, the band sounds like an unlikely (and unwanted) collaboration between Blink-182 and T-Pain. True, there are certainly bands that do the whole dance-rock thing to much greater effect (Under the Influence of Giants,…

Soulfly

Max Cavalera is the Roger Waters of heavy metal. Both men spent the early part of their careers fronting hugely influential and innovative bands (Sepultura and Pink Floyd), then left to pursue solo careers that have been inconsistent and, at times, self-indulgent. Meanwhile, their original bands have dutifully continued on,…

Daughtry

Don’t judge Chris Daughtry by the company he keeps. Touring with Nickelback, Puddle of Mudd, and Finger Eleven, the American Idol hopeful and the band he assembled could easily be lumped in with the pool of indistinguishable Clear Channel rockers. In fact, even if you judged him by his first…

Lyle Lovett

Like Baywatch, Balkan warfare and runaway Internet speculation, Lyle Lovett will always be indelibly linked to the 1990s. It was in the ’90s, after all, that the spindly country crooner won three of his four Grammy Awards, married Julia Roberts in history’s most egregious abuse of Funny-Looking-Musician Romantic Privilege, and…

Reggae Sundays

The force is quite strong with DJ Dark Vader. While he doesn’t wield a lightsaber or bomb around in a TIE Fighter (at least, not that we’re aware of), the renowned mixmaster has spent the past few months making the East Valley a little bit more irie with his weekly…

Seven Nights of DJs & Dancing

THURSDAY 13 Bobby Q’s: All-Star Thursdays (hip-hop) Club Red: The Blunt Club with Kraddy, DJ Element, Pickster One, & more (hip-hop) Copper State Tavern: Copper Club with DJ Kavi, & guests (hip-hop) Drinx: Roc Thursdays (various) Goat Head Saloon: DJ Sissko, & guests (electro house, UK garage, drum ‘n’ bass)…

Guitar Center Holding Blues Contest

Guitar Center is hosting a contest to find “the next great blues guitarist” with local tryouts across the country, including Phoenix and Tempe. The winner of the national contest gets $40,000 in cash and prizes. Local sign-ups have begun — they’re allowing a maximum of 30 contestants per store –…

Woodstock ’94 Started 15 Years Ago Today

Fifteen years ago today, Generation X arguably reached it’s zenith, as Woodstock ’94 began in Saugerties, New York.Upstate locals 3 kicked things off on a Friday that also saw Blues Traveler, Collective Soul, Ice T, Live and The Violent Femmes. Tomorrow, August 13, was when the big guns of the…

New Michael Jackson Film to Include Rehearsal Footage

A Los Angeles Superior Court judge has green lit a deal between Michael Jackson’s estate, AEG Live and Columbia Pictures for the release of rehearsal concert footage from the late singer’s comeback tour This Is It. The footage will be released as a movie, scheduled to hit theaters October 28 via…

Steven Rogers Launching New Downtown Phoenix Nightclub: Sanctum

Steven Rogers’ downtown Phoenix dance club empire is about to expand. The nightlife entrepenuer (who owns the Central Avenue strip containing the fiery DWNTWN, the gothy Palazzo, and the tony Amsterdam) is preparing open a new joint called Sanctum sometime in the late summer/early fall. The club will take over…

Club Candids: Sunday Night at Casey Moore’s

We’re on a roll with hitting bars that make us feel all warm and comfy. Last week, it was the home-like Rose & Crown, and this week, we hit another cozy house-turned-bar, Casey Moore’s in Tempe.Perhaps it’s because there’s hardly a damn thing going on in town this time of…

Top Ten Musicians Spawned From Other Musicians

Bob Dylan’s canceled show in Glendale tonight got us thinking about his son, Jakob Dylan, who is still young and fit enough to perform in just over 100 degree weather. He’s less at risk for heatstroke, sure, but, of course, the number of folks who will shell out cash to…