Before being unfairly besmirched by the cast of Jersey Shore, the beaches of New Jersey used to conjure images of boardwalks, of gray skies over choppy blue water. The kind of places Bruce Springsteen sang about with mythical urgency on his early records, a place where prom queens sport busted-up…
The last time there was a Stills-Young double-bill was in 1978, when Neil Young bailed on the tour via telegram after nine dates. Now Pegi Young, Neil’s wife at that time and for the ensuing 33 years, is opening for Stephen Stills, and she assures anyone worried that she is…
California Lite, the new album from Key Losers, starts off with a fakeout — 15 seconds of weird, rumbling noise — before segueing into “Limited Time,” a synth-washed gem that owes more than a little to the Laurel Canyon folk. The latest work from Arizona native Katy Davidson (you may…
Pete Salaz, Sean Badger, and the other proprietors of Bar Smith should make sure that all the windows at their hipster headquarters are secure, as the artists of SubConscious will cause the downstairs lounge to shake and quake with some serious bass every Wednesday. Heck, such DJs as Deepfreq, Dehga,…
Welcome to the latest installment of our weekly feature, Sound Off, in which Jason P. Woodbury is joined by a different guest each week to listen to and discuss three tracks from local Phoenix artists. If you would like your songs to be considered for future Sound Off columns, please…
It’s time for a revelation: The new Long Wong’s in Tempe will never be the same as the old Long Wong’s in Tempe. More than seven years after its untimely demise, the Mill Avenue landmark (which gave birth to some of the biggest bands in Valley history) still casts a…
I wish every local band would make fliers that let people know that their show is going to be as awesome as this one.Dfactor will be bringing you “cool rockers, glam slams, loud guitars, edgy riffs, sexy songs, and rebel calls.” Now here’s a gig that promises to pack a…
Want to know what new release discs and platters are moving across the Valley at local record stores? We’ve got you covered with another installment of What’s Selling. It’s been 13 years since neighborhood music store Hoodlums made their first sale. Last week we caught up with owner Steve Wiley…
When operating in a genre that’s decidedly retro, a little bit of self-awareness is necessary. Otherwise, you run the risk of looking like you’re living, writing songs, and performing in a hermetic time-warp bubble. Someone like the fiery Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings are a terrific band — but their…
It’s a secret go-to cliché of publicists everywhere: If a band’s biography says its music “defies categorization,” it usually can be pegged in four words or fewer. In other words, it’s code for “I’m not into this band enough to sit back and contemplate what this music really is.” PAWL…
Jeez, who do you have to screw to be nicknamed “The Devil”? I mean, Jerry Lee Lewis married his teenage cuz and got booted out of Bible school for playing a boogie-woogie version of “My God Is Real,” and the best he could come away with was “The Killer.” Jesse…
Okay, so we’re going to come clean. When we saw that Phoenix-based electro/indie/hip-hop dude YUS had a tune called “Hunger Strike” on his SoundCloud page, we thought we were in for a Temple of the Dog remix. Clearly, we’ve been spending too much time reading grunge 20th-anniversary coverage. YUS’ “Hunger…
The Diplomats were once New York’s most subversive hip-hop crew. With members including the gleefully antisocial Cam’ron, the group brandished pink fur coats and rhymed about drinking sake on Osaka Bay. Their brittle, desolate tracks were full of psychedelic pomp and gauche non sequiturs. But since hitting their commercial peak…
The mind of Bryce “Decade” Tieman would be a trippy place to visit. Based on the otherworldly electronica audioscapes he’s uploaded to SoundCloud, it’s likely that the head of the local EDM aficionado is filled with a fantastic and fanciful array of colors, lights, and sounds. You’ll probably witness a…
Welcome to the latest installment of our weekly feature, Sound Off, in which Jason P. Woodbury is joined by a different guest each week to listen to and discuss three tracks from local Phoenix artists. If you would like your songs to be considered for future Sound Off columns, please…
Halloween weekend showed no signs of slowing down at The All Hallow’s Day (Night) Costume Ball at The Crescent Ballroom. Live entertainment included a costume contest (congrats E.T.), Flamenco Por La Vida, and DJs Sean Watson, William Reed, Don Ricardo, Benni Beatnik, and many more. Most of the costumes were…
Last weekend was full of fun Halloween parties, and Bar Smith exceeded expectations with this week’s edition of Sticky Fingers. Don Bolles of The Germs headlined this hipster dance party full of movie stars, sexy costumes, and people dressed as tacos on Friday, October 28. Check out all of Melissa…
Want to know what new release discs and platters are moving across the Valley at local record stores? We’ve got you covered with another installment of What’s Selling. The best part about Halloween is dressing up. Although no one in this week’s list at Stinkweeds in Phoenix is particularly horrifying,…
Welcome to the latest installment of our weekly feature, Sound Off, where Jason P. Woodbury is joined by a different guest each week to listen to and discuss three tracks from local Phoenix artists. If you would like your songs to be considered for future Sound Off columns, please email…
Plenty of things will be going bump in the night this weekend inside the Valley’s bars and clubs, as local DJs and turntablists host hyped-up Halloween parties aplenty over the next few nights. A variety of EDM all-stars are scheduled to make appearances, and we ain’t referring to a certain…
Toubab Krewe are neo-griot-funk from Southern freak zone Asheville, North Carolina. Their name admits they’re tourists (“Toubab” = white dude) and their sound can be described as “Jampire Weekend.” Blending Mali soul and Afrobeat with bluesy desert surf-twang, Caribbean scratch, and zydeco bounce, Toubab Krewe surround it all with occasional…
Child stars get a bad rap. Sure, many become damaged, ruined by mothers like those on Toddlers and Tiaras, but Nikka Costa’s father, Don Costa, didn’t exactly thrust his daughter into the spotlight. Don, a record producer best known for his work with Frank Sinatra, knew music was in her…
