Cardiac PartyTeen Challenge(Self-released)GRADE: A*Cardiac Party singer Ryan McDowell had it all planned out: By including a package of Skittles with the copy of his band’s new EP, Teen Challenge, he says, he was assured of getting at least one positive remark in my review. “The songs sucked, but the Skittles…
Girl Power: Females Flock to Cricket Wireless Pavilion for No Doubt and Paramore Right now my ears are ringing something fierce after enduring a non-stop auditory assault of thousands of tweens and teenyboppers girls screaming in absolute elation during No Doubt and Paramore’s show at Cricket Wireless Pavilion on Saturday…
We thought enough of local Poison tribute band Unskinny Bop to give them a Best Of Phoenix award last year. John Cusack apparently thinks enough of them that they’re slated to appear in his new flick Hot Tub Time Machine, which is filming in Canada right now. The band’s drummer,…
Although they’re no longer together, one-time hot indie AZ rock band Before Braille, which has shared the stage with Jimmy Eat World, will drop one last release for the die-hard fans. The guys released Kill the Messenger, Keep the Message, today. The final Before Braille disc features 20 songs including…
NME: Scarlett Johansson, Pete Yorn album on the wayElectric Mustache: Video: Grizzly Bear Black Cab SessionSo Much Silence: Jay Bennett (1963-2009)Pitchfork: R.I.P. Jay BennettIdolator: The Jonas Brothers Are Looking Over Their Collective Shoulder…
It’s the one moment where nearly every eye in the sold-out and gooey-hot Clubhouse was turned toward the stage. No chatting, no sipping, no texting, just singing, clapping, and screaming as “fun.” the Brooklyn-based project of former Format frontman Nate Ruess, played his old band’s biggest hit, “The First Single.”…
I really should have remembered to bring my earplugs with me last night. Right now my ears are ringing something fierce after enduring a non-stop auditory assault of thousands of tweens and teenyboppers girls screaming in absolute elation during No Doubt and Paramore’s show at Cricket Wireless Pavilion on Saturday…
The undead will be rising from the grave tomorrow evening and stumbling their way towards downtown Phoenix, looking satisfy their unending hunger for brains. Or at least that’s what the DJs and party monsters of Sadisco* told us will happen during the latest edition of their monthly freak fest tomorrow…
Ever since I interviewed Darkness Dear Boy for a column I did back in March, I’ve liked those crazy kids. Heck, we called them up to do one of our very first Sun Sessions. Here they are on video again, this time for “Domino,” the single off their new album…
It always catches us off gaurd, but Arizona-based winemaker and film producer Maynard James Keenan occasionally still dabbles in his side project, making spooky prog metal with his band Tool. The band’s show at U.S. Airways is this week’s biggest show announcement, headlining a list of thin summer offerings that…
Country star Taylor Swift has to be the coolest 19-year-old who admittedly didn’t have any friends in junior high. Now, she has famous friends like Garth Brooks and Miley Cyrus define the word “fearless” — also the title of her latest album — in a pre-show video. She rocks the…
Electric Mustache: Breakfast at Sulimays 21Idolator: Fall Out Boy Bring Some Much-Needed Professionalism To “Today”NME: Nine Inch Nails fans raise thousands for heart transplantRolling Stone: “Twilight” Star Jackson Rathbone Signs On For Black Metal Flick…
Austin indie band The Wooden Birds start their tour at Modified Arts on May 27. The band — which plays a mellow, pretty brand of folk flavored by the vocals of Andrew Kenny, formerly of American Analog Set — just released their debut record, Magnolia, on Barsuk.You can check out…
Rolling Stone: Jay-Z Buys Out Def Jam Contract, “Blueprint 3″ Heads to Roc NationElectric Mustache: Photos: Miniature Tigers at The Phix 5/15/2009Rolling Stone: Allen and Lambert iTunes Hits May Be a Predictor of Future SuccessIdolator: Green Day Knows Its Enemy, And Its Name Is Wal-MartNME: Vampire Weekend to DJ ‘prom’…
In an unfortunate turn of events, New Orleans indie/soul singer Theresa Andersson has had to cancel her May tour due to a chest infection. News like this is never good, and it is especially saddening because of the nature of her infection. I just hope that she rests up and…
Coming into last night’s finale, even the most ardent Kris Allen fans would have to admit that their adorable little troubadour was a long shot for the big title (check this out if you missed the play-by-play). The media (myself included) had pretty much already declared Adam Lambert the successor…
This week’s flier of the week — for Great White’s show at Club Red tommorow night — presented without comment…
It’s hard to believe, but we’ve been slogging through You Asked For It submissions for a year, as of today, May 21. My predecessor, Niki D’Andrea, started YAFI as a way of catering to local bands that bitched about her coverage and it still fills that function today though, as…
After conducting a thorough scientific evaluation (involving an array of test tubes and beakers, a Bunsen burner, and some heavy duty tongs) of Fleetwood Mac’s 17 studio albums, I’ve concluded that the veteran Anglo-American band’s music is 8 percent classic and 92 percent booooring. You may or may not agree,…
THURSDAY 21 Bomberos: DJ Rani “g,” dk.strickler, & guests (house, global soul) Bunkhouse: DJ Doom (dance) Cherry Lounge: Scandalous Thursday with DJ Juan Rocha (house, electronica) Club Red: The Blunt Club with Nosaj Thing, Golden Tung, Pickster Uno, DJ Element, Emerg, & more (hip-hop) Coach & Willie’s: The Recession Sessions…
I’ve never understood the obsession with garage rock you’ll find in some corners of Phoenix. I like garage rock, sure, but I’m from Akron, Ohio, a Rust Belt town with strong ties to lo-fi punk and garage. Phoenix? Well, Phoenix was mostly ranchland and desert when “96 Tears” topped Billboard’s…
It’s a liberating feeling to break free from a commitment or relationship that was holding you back. From time to time in the life of an artist, a creative funk comes along with the people and surroundings he previously cherished: situations that had infused him with creativity and ingenuity turn…
