Here’s an all-star tribute to the jazzy queen of the American songbook, Ella Fitzgerald. Check these creds: produced by legendary A&R Recording studios founder Phil Ramone; arrangements by Billy Childs (formerly of Trumpeter Freddie Hubbard’s band) and Rob Mounsey (whose horn arrangements include Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al”);…
There are several ways to play rockabilly nowadays: the gentlemanly way (Robert Gordon, Sleepy LaBeef), the roots-conscious 1955 hepcat way (High Noon, Big Sandy & the Fly-Rite Boys), glam-revival (Stray Cats, Polecats), and the mondo-demento lunacy/ribaldry of the Cramps and Reverend Horton Heat. (Can’t forget the Blasters — in a…
We have a little piece of music history living here in Phoenix in the form of Paul Roman, vocalist and guitarist of seminal psychobilly band The Quakes. Formed in 1986 in Buffalo, New York, The Quakes were one of the first American psychobilly bands — influential enough to get constant…
The debut album of Tempe-based Awake and Alert, Devil in a Lambskin Suit (Five One, Inc.), is one of the most welcome surprises in the indie pop scene this year. The band’s sound is a mix of classically inspired rock with touches of soul and musical theater, which seems to…
Put them in suits and give them bowl haircuts, because from the sweet harmonies to the charismatic melodies, this Phoenix quartet channels the British Invasion circa 1965. In April, they released their 11-track debut, We Can Do No Wrong, which recalls the retro vibe of the Rosebuds’ debut several years…
Hats off to any musician who ventures out of his/her comfort zone and doesn’t stick (or bury) him/herself in a particular niche. But venturing isn’t without its pitfalls: Your fans might be disoriented by a new direction, while other listeners might think you a dabbler or pretender. Guitar wizard John…
Swedish imports (as if the name wasn’t a giveaway) PB&J have been making music together for eight years, but it took their third and latest release, Writer’s Block, to strike a chord in America. The album represents a change of pace for the trio, as they largely ditch the up-tempo…
Friendship has some effin’ sweet benefits when you’re pals with London West Records owner Matty Spangler. The 28-year-old DJ frequently books his turntablist buds to blast out house and trance tracks at the Ballroom (adjacent to Myst, 7340 East Shoeman Lane in Scottsdale) every Friday night at the aptly named…
First Friday is usually a big blowout for us. After stomping the streets to stare at the scene’s art, we’re ready to hit the bottle, big time. This past weekend, we not only hit the bottle — we smashed it into a million effing pieces. So when it came time…
As much as we hit up the downtown scene, it wasn’t until this past weekend that we finally got around to seeing Andrew Jackson Jihad play live (shameful, eh?) at one of our favorite venues, The Trunk Space, for their CD-release party on Friday, August 31. (Click here for more…
Some classical music sounds heavier than rock music, particularly huge orchestral and operatic arrangements like Wagner’s Die Walküre and the Symphonic Dances of Rachmaninoff. Explosive compositions like those often bring to mind images of deranged composers with tussled hair and furrowed brows, waving a baton at an army of horns…
There were a lot of great independent labels that flourished in the ’50s and early ’60s, and each owns a place in the stars — Chess, Sun, Atlantic, Motown, Stax. It was a movement, a golden age for music geared toward a new teen demographic. Maybe it’s true that Vee-Jay…
Drawing on a raw, ragged roots-punk ethos that’s served everyone from The Pogues to Against Me!, Tempe’s Liars Handshake stokes the same passionate fury. Featuring the core of the old punk outfit Bullet Train to Moscow, the band’s led by the gruff, raucous vocals of Jared Christy. The quintet offers…
Retro rip-off artist or respectful interpreter of classic styles? English vocalist and guitarist James Hunter walks a tightrope between interpreter and impersonator. Complete with brassy choruses, tailored suits, and old-school charm, Hunter’s classy brand of soul and R&B evokes Sam Cooke’s smooth croon while sidestepping the pitfalls of cheapskate cover…
John Vanderslice is a generally unnoted musical impresario whose versatility, talent, and intelligence make it seemingly impossible for him to achieve the success he truly deserves — though stranger things have happened. His impeccably crafted pop flows easily from the experimental to the baroque, from spare to plush (with more…
We found this blurb on Yahoo!, describing the Kings of Leon’s official Web site: “Rock band from Tennessee whose songs teem with primal emotions and rangy rhythms.” First off, somebody from the Kings’ camp wrote this. Second, somebody in the Kings’ camp thinks their songs teem with primal emotions and,…
For the longest time, we’ve been hoping the producers behind TV’s CSI franchise are eventually gonna create a spin-off of the long-running TV series that takes place in the Valley, where the seedier side of the PHX would get fictionally depicted in spectacular fashion (à la Las Vegas, Miami, and…
So, I’m on a mission to find a place to host an official Booze Pig happy hour near downtown, and because most of the go-to Phoenix dives are disappearing (Newman’s, Big Al’s, News Room, Chez Nous) the pickins are slim. Then, I remember this square block building on the northwest…
Lately, we’ve been tying it on all over this town, and this past weekend, we were partied out. Thank Christ the Gold Lion Boutique held a fashion event called Arte Puro hosted by local designer Leonor Aispuro that mercifully started at 7 p.m., allowing us to hang with the gorgeous…
Among the various influences cited by this Phoenix-based band on its MySpace page, the band describes its sound by telling a story of various alt-rock musicians meeting in a dive bar as they drown their sorrows to Pearl Jam. The Seattle band is indeed the most obvious of all names…
If he hadn’t choked to death in London’s Samarkand Hotel 37 years ago, how many mediocre records would Jimi Hendrix have dropped by now? Stevie, The Stones, Sir Paul . . . they’re all way past the point where any residual genius is still expected. Since The Gold Experience more…
A snotty music critic’s hypothesis: No relevant artist releases a covers album. Several supporting examples have dropped in 2007 alone, and we’ll get to those in a minute. Contrary evidence is scarce, but Exhibit A for the defense is Patti Smith’s Twelve. Smith has always had a knack for rewriting…
