Stephen Steinbrink Leaves Arizona With a Pop Record About Arizona

Like nearly everyone in Phoenix, songwriter Stephen Steinbrink (you may recognize his project named French Quarter, as well) has a love/hate relationship with the city. It’s easy to love the pockets of true community, the DIY art spaces, punk rock house shows, and the affordable, delicious Mexican food, but the…

Santigold at Crescent Ballroom, 6/4/12

See also: Santigold Discusses Bjork, MySpace, and The Death of MCA Santigold Crescent Ballroom Monday, June 4, 2012 Better Than: Every show I’ve been to this year. Seriously. It’s hard to imagine a show living up to as much hype as Santigold’s Phoenix debut. The show sold out well in…

Douchebags and Lingerie Over the Weekend

Annual Douchebag Party at Smashboxx Being called a douchebag is usually a bad thing, but patrons of Smashboxx were encouraged to sport spray tans, sunglasses, and Ed Hardy swag in honor of the 3rd Annual Douchebag Party. There was an abundance of duckface and blow outs at the packed bar…

Santigold Discusses Bjork, MySpace, and The Death of MCA

There’s no such thing as the sophomore slump for Santi White, who has once again charmed audiences with the genre-defying Master of My Make-Believe. The album includes collaborations with members of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Switch, Diplo, and David Sitek, as well as the infectiously catchy song “Disparate Youth.” Santigold’s…

fun., Ikeda Theater at Mesa Arts Center, 5/31/12

fun. Ikeda Theater at Mesa Arts Center Thursday, May 31 See also: Nate Ruess Has Some fun. At Zia Records fun. frontman Nate Ruess wears his heart on his sleeve, and that’s why it’s so easy to get into his head. His lyrics — part stream of consciousness (“My friends…

Can You Explain One Direction? No, Seriously

I can’t even start writing this blog without thinking about what an utter hypocrite I am. When I was 12, I obsessed with the Backstreet Boys. I may or may not have wished my Nick Carter poster a good night as I went to sleep. I felt like their music…

Five Must-See Shows This Weekend

Curious what’s going on around town this weekend? Need some suggestions as to how to rock, dance, or krump in the Valley of the Sun? Don’t fret: These are our Five Shows to See This Weekend. Friday, June 1: Frequency Fridays @ DWNTWN Fridays used to be one of the…

Gun Outfit and Broken Water, Meat Market Garment Factory, 5/30/12

Gun Outfit and Broken Water Meat Market Garment Factory Wednesday, May 30 I will declare, without the slightest inkling of doubt or hesitance, that Olympia, Washington has the best independent music scene in the country right now. The major hipster metropoli (Brooklyn, San Francisco, Austin) all have loads of recognized…

Nadia Ali and Ladylike Over the Weekend

Ladylike at Crescent Ballroom In this week’s music feature the men of Ladylike, the Tempe-based pop combo that packed Crescent Ballroom last night, discussed the difference between a live show and a recording, noting that limiting their approach in the studio in favor of their live setting only hampers both…

Nadia Ali at Monarch Theatre, 5/26/12

Nadia Ali Monarch Theatre Saturday, May, 26 Better than: dishing out hundreds of dollars to see Katy or Britney, only to find out there’s no room to dance. Thanks to Comicon, downtown was a great place to people watch last night. I spotted a rickshaw-driving Darth Vader, girls with cat…

Ladylike, Crescent Ballroom, 5/25/12 (Video)

Ladylike, Factories, Gospel Claws, Steff Koeppen and The Articles Crescent Ballroom Friday, May 25, 2012 See also: Ladylike Approaches ’70s Pop With Sharp Tools In this week’s music feature the men of Ladylike, the Tempe-based pop combo that packed Crescent Ballroom last night, discussed the difference between a live show…

Top Five Must-See Shows This Weekend

Curious what’s going on around town this weekend? Need some suggestions as to how to rock, dance, or krump in the Valley of the Sun? Don’t fret: These are our Five Shows to See This Weekend. Friday, May 25, and Saturday, May 26: Lost Leaf Turns Five It’s been five…

Pennywise: New Album, New Singer, Same Contentious Vibe

Punk and hardcore bands aren’t usually known for lineup stability, but Hermosa Beach, California, rockers Pennywise had a pretty solid run for their first 20 years of existence. Beyond the death of bassist Jason Matthew Thrisk (they dedicated “Bro Hymn” to him) Pennywise’s lineup remained solid as the band toured…

Three Reasons to See Smokey Robinson This Weekend

It’s not everyday that we get to check out a concert put on by one of the greats from our parents’ era.I’m proud to say that my dad brought me up listening to music from his early years. My first three concerts were the Beach Boys, and the radio station…