In some ways, Arizona’s first “official unofficial” showcase at South by Southwest last week wasn’t a big deal. Other cities, states, and countries have been showing off at the massive music festival in Austin, Texas, for years. Hell, Canada’s barbecue was so hopping I couldn’t get in even though I…
On a small corner stage at Chopper John’s, Marco Polo’s getting ready to perform with his Mexican psychobilly trio, Curse of the Pink Hearse. Most of the patrons at this biker bar on east Indian School Road in Phoenix are white, blue collar 30-somethings kicking off a late-winter weekend with…
Festival season is officially upon us — with Country Thunder and Tempe Music Festival next weekend, and McDowell Mountain Music Fest later in April — and we’ve got one more to add to your calender. Clean Slate Celebration in Glendale April 11 is a benefit for Murray Grey Foundation, which…
Those wily whippersnappers over at Pitchfork have dubbed yet another indie buzz band with their “artist to watch” label. This time around it is Staten Island rockers Cymbals Eat Guitars, masters of the ancient, time-honored tradition known as the art of “using a sentence as our band name.” All sarcasm…
A lot of big indie shows — but not big, big shows — in last week’s concert announcements. Lucero, Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears are coming to Rythm Room in May, as are Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s. St. Vincent plays Modified on Sunday, May 31, which…
If you are like most people reading about SxSW on every blog out there, it can be a bit overwhelming. But that is nothing compared to how overwhelming it can be to actually be at a festival where 300 bands are playing at every minute (how many stages does Coachella…
Local fans of The Killers have been waiting patiently for the band’s upcoming gig at Dodge Theatre next month. It’s been almost two years since The Killers last performed in the Valley, and local fans of the blockbuster post-punk band have been waiting oh-so patiently for their chance to see…
We’ve got some very sad news for you this Monday: The Loveblisters are very likely breaking up. No announcement on their MySpace, but we got an e-mail from their former manager, Jack Maverik, saying their upcoming show at Last Exit will be their, umm, last exit, and confirmed the news…
Right now I’m writing up a column on last week’s I Heart AZ party, a SxSW showcase our blog contributor Steve Chilton threw last week in Austin, which was definitely the highlight of my week at the festival. Radio works faster than us print folks though, so I figured I’d…
Whether you’re trying to put back together the memories you made after being hit by the speeding truck that was this weekend’s SxSW music festival or you’re a local who couldn’t make the trip, we’ve got all the slide shows and articles to catch up on what you missed. This…
Attention, all Phoenicians unable to attend SxSW this year: Don’t worry. Sure, it’s not as good as standing inches away from your favorite band in a trendy Austin club, but we’ve got the coverage to keep you satisfied. Scenes from South by Southwest We’ve got some images from around town…
Attention, all Phoenicians unable to attend SxSW this year: Don’t worry. Sure, it’s not as good as standing inches away from your favorite band in a trendy Austin club, but we’ve got the coverage to keep you satisfied. Village Voice Media SXSW Party: Meese, Bear Hands, Crystal Antlers, Gomez and…
There’s been a non-stop chorus of girlish screams of joy coming from across the Valley since this morning, and we’ve finally deduced they cause behind all the shreiking: The Jonas Brothers are coming in concert this summer. The trio of Disney-programmed animatronic pop robots Disney-backed pop stars will visit Jobing.com…
Tempe’s Last Exit Bar & Grill has two big shows on its calendar for April. Valley pop-rock favorites Violet Wild, who haven’t played for months, will take the stage on Saturday, April 4 while New Times quirky faves The Loveblisters and Let Go are set to perform on Saturday, April…
Attention, all Phoenicians unable to attend SxSW this year: Don’t worry. Sure, it’s not as good as standing inches away from your favorite band in a trendy Austin club, but we’ve got the coverage to keep you satisfied. South By Southwest, Day Two In Photos The action continues in Austin,…
MxPx lead singer Mike Herrera will bring his side project Tumbledown to Tempe’s Yucca Tap Room for a free show Monday, March 23. But don’t expect to hear the sugary pop-punk sweetness that MxPx is known for because Tumbledown is the night to MxPx’s day. The band has a rockabilly/country…
Attention, all Phoenicians unable to attend SxSW this year: Don’t worry. Sure, it’s not as good as standing inches away from your favorite band in a trendy Austin club, but we’ve got the coverage to keep you satisfied. Twitter Music Editor Martin Cizmar has been uploading twit pics of Phoenix…
There’s a bunch going on this week, and by a bunch I mean SXSW. It is hard to compete with that wonderful festival right now, so I will let our coverage — handled dutifully by our own ambassador of the funk Martin Cizmar — of the events take precedence over…
It’s a stark contrast in weather while talking to Steve McGraw, guitarist for Gilbert indie-rock act Lydia. From New York City, where McGraw is enjoying the tail end of a lovely little storm that dumped snow all across the Northeast, he gets to hear all about another mild, sunny March…
Co-founded by Phoenix musicians Pandy Raye and Rhonda Hitchcock, the inaugural Chicks with Picks Music Fest — featuring Sedona-bred popster Michelle Branch, singer-songwriter (and Waylon Jennings’ widow) Jessi Colter, country newcomer Sarah Buxton, and 70 other female performers — will take place Saturday, March 21, at Tempe Beach Park. We…
Not so long ago, Mill Avenue was the center of the universe for local bands trying to break into the music industry. Almost every band signed out of the Tempe scene in the ’90s made it via the conventional route, cutting their teeth in the nightclubs along the strip, winning…
The Valley saw green on March 17, 2009 as everyone and their blarney stones came out in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. PHX folks were Dublin their fun all night at bars and clubs across the Valley with green outfits, goofy-ass hats, and plenty of Guinness. We checked out the…
