The Aggrolites: White Reggae That Won’t Let You Down

Since my day at Coachella I’ve been asked by a lot of people if I discovered any cool new bands. Actually, I did: The Aggrolites. I have to admit, I was pretty skeptical about the band, who took the stage after local boys Dear and the Headlights, when I first…

Lollapalooza Announces Full 2009 Lineup

After relaying the news of expected Lollapalooza headliners, I am glad to say that the festival announced its official lineup this morning, to much aplomb. The lineup is bolstered by big-name acts Depeche Mode, Tool, the Killers, Jane’s Addition, Beastie Boys, and Kings of Leon. Lollapalooza 2009 will take place…

Club Candids: The Coach House 50th Anniversary

So if there’s a party happening on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, we’re going to hit it on the final evening. Call us crazy, but when it comes to partiers we know that the Sunday crowd is the best. If it’s 9 p.m. at a bar on a Sunday, everyone…

Former Format Frontman’s New Band, Fun, Starts Touring Tomorrow

That Format-size hole in the heart of Phoenix music fans is about to get a little healing. Fun, the new NYC-based project by The Format’s Nate Ruess, with ex-Anathallo multi-instrumentalist Andrew Dost and Steel Train’s Jack Antonoff, will embark on a 34-date tour with Manchester Orchestra tomorrow.Their first record isn’t…

X-Men Origins: Wolverine Premiere Coming to Tempe Marketplace

Phoenix fans of the claw-sprouting bundle of anger that is Wolverine can rejoice. Fox has announced that the world premiere of X-Men Origins: Wolverine will happen on Monday, April 27 at Harkins Tempe Marketplace.Yes, the world premiere of one of the biggest movies of the summer is happening in Tempe,…

Zaireeka: Listening Party at Yucca Tap Room Tonight

We’re pretty excited about The Flaming Lips at McDowell Mountain Music Festival this weekend. So excited, in fact, that we’re having a little shindig tonight to pre-game for the show. It’s our first tweetup (follow Phoenix New Times and me) but we’re also promoting it here, in case you’re not…

Little Room for Improv-ment at the Phoenix Improv Festival

It sounds like the premise of an especially horrific nightmare: You’re on stage in front of at least 100 strangers. One of them yells out the phrase “Silly String in the Desert.” And then the crowd, who all paid $15 to be entertained for the evening, expects you to use…

Franz Ferdinand (Eventually) Resurrects The Dead at Marquee

I know it’s probably unfair to compare a crowd at the Marquee to a crowd at Coachella — where the music-obsessed kids even greeted the white reggae band who came on after local boys Dear and the Headlights like The Beatles at Shea Stadium — but since Franz Ferdinand and I were both…

Stinkweeds Offers a Killer Comp of Local Music for Record Store Day

Just in case you weren’t already enticed into participating in tomorrow’s Record Store Day after reading Steve Jansen’s and Michael Lopez’s scribblings on the nationwide event (which celebrates the independent spirit of mom-and-pop music emporiums), we’ve got one more reason for you. And it’s kinda teh awesome. Kimber Lanning and…

MTV’s ‘Ikki’ Twins Host UFC Party at Sandbar Saturday

The Ikki twins, who starred in last year’s MTV reality show A Double Shot at Love, will host a UFC fight night viewing party at north Scottsdale’s Sandbar (10050 North Scottsdale Road, 480-998-8845) on Saturday, April 18. The busty blonde twins — Rikki and Vikki — who took a page…

Record Store Day: Why You Should Care

Believe it or not, record stores still function in this digital day and age. On top of that, this Saturday is Record Store Day, or “Time to Give a Shit About Record Stores.” While record stores are a debatable topic, a day that celebrates music in an orderly fashion is…

Catch Good With Grenades at Martini Ranch Tonight

Pop-rock AZ boys Good With Grenades will be playing an early show Friday at downtown Scottsdale’s Martini Ranch (7295 East Stetson Drive). The group will be playing with locals Hollywood Heartthrob, Idle Red and Lyra the Harp for this 21-and-older performance. The show starts at 8 p.m. Good With Grenades…

iTunes Update: Sales May be Down, but Revenue is up

On Monday I wrote about a report from Billboard on the initial effects of iTunes increased prices. That report showed that the increased prices hurt a song’s chart positions on iTunes top 100 singles charts compared to those songs that did not see a price increase. Well Billboard has a new…

Holy Post-Easter Miracle! Matt Giraud is Saved on ‘Idol’

As far as ‘Idol’ results shows go, last night was actually semi-exciting, no? After Matt tanked Tuesday night (and he really did tank), it was pretty obvious he was going to be in the bottom three, if not last place. The judges’ decided to take advantage of this new Wild…

Club 910 Hits Tempe in May

Here’s some news that’s certain to delight old-school Valley music fans: the location of bygone Tempe music venue Boston’s will re-open next month as a new nightspot called Club 910. And it looks like the place is gonna pick up right where its predecessor left off, promising to become a…