Welcome to our Label of the Month feature, where we’ll expound on some of our favorite music manufacturing companies, the folks that help mold the entire picture for amazing artists and shoot those ideas out into the world. This month, we’re aiming our sights on Ghostly International, the Ann Arbor,…
After signing a three- million dollar record deal with Sony Music in 2011, A$AP Rocky, the 24-year-old Harlem-based emcee had a hell of a 2012. Already considered to be on front line of the new wave of hip-hop artists, A$AP lived a life that many aspiring musicians only dream about…
January isn’t the busiest time for concerts, but it is a month full of show announcements. It seems like a big and interesting show has been announced almost every week, and we can’t complain. Crystal Castles, Billy Bragg, and Jeff Mangum are all something to look forward to. The fun…
Are you a musician? Is your group having issues? Critic Jessica Hopper has played in and managed bands, toured internationally, booked shows, produced records, worked as a publicist, and is the author of The Girls’ Guide to Rocking, a how-to for teen ladies. She is here to help you stop…
Yesterday, NME revealed the unfortunate news that the rumor that The Rolling Stoneswere headlining Coachella was just that– a rumor. “We’re not gonna do Coachella ‘cos it’s too early,” Mick Jagger told the magazine. “We’re not gonna be ready to go by April, but we’re not gonna stop.” Looks like…
By Andy Hermann As the Hollywood-based casting guru behind Jersey Shore and A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila, Doron Ofir knows how the lowbrow culture game is played. But even the man who gave the world Snooki might have been caught off-guard by the outrage over one of his…
McDowell Mountain Music Festival’s 2013 lineup, featuring The Shins, The Roots, Deer Tick, Les Claypool’s Duo de Twang, and more, has expanded to include a host of local Phoenix-based acts. The weekend festival will now Kongos, Mergence, Banana Gun, Fayuca, The Veragroove, Yellow Minute, Decker, and Jared and The Mill,…
Once a week, Up on the Sun features a new comic strip from punk rocker, cartoonist, and full-time dad Brad Dwyer. See the New Times print edition to check out the strip in glorious, inky newsprint each Thursday…
Rebellious personas are to rock ‘n’ roll what cocaine was to the eighties: in high demand, deliciously indulgent, and a way to catch a buzz that makes it okay for men to rock garishly colored neon outfits. Stage names are a huge part of those heavy metal, punk, and rock…
Yeah, yeah, yeah…we get it. Mondays suck (we’ve read Garfield). But it means the start of a new week, which means a bunch of killer shows in and around Phoenix. And here are a few of the coolest — our top five must-see shows this week…
Iamwe @ Crescent Ballroom| 1/19/13We’re going to need another venue. Iamwe is a rare exception in indie music. Last night, the local rockers packed Crescent Ballroom to release their album, Run Wild. After touring the East Coast with Anberlin, the boys returned to their hometown to play their first headlining…
Trampled by Turtles @ Marquee Theatre|1/19/13The rumors are true: There’s nothing like a Minnesotan man. Better yet, there’s nothing like a group of Minnesotan men gifted with knowledge, skill, and artistic sensitivity performing exciting and powerful music. This might sound like a cheap generalization, there’s no way to better simplify…
Dumperfoo’s 40th Birthday feat. Drunken Immortals @ Club Red | 1/18/13Once upon a time, catching a wild gig by the Drunken Immortals was an easy thang to do. A decade ago, the local hip-hop ensemble of phenomenal talent and great renown was throwing weekly joints at Tempe bars like the…
The news waits for no one — at least that’s what we read somewhere — so it’s perfectly understandable that you, the reader, might have missed out on a musical tidbit, breaking news about your favorite venue, or one of our rants. So enjoy this digest-style sampling of some of…
Orange County punk legends Social Distortion have always been generous about performing in Arizona. The band usually plays a double-header at Marquee Theatre early in the year, and once again, Social D will return to the Marquee on January 22 and 23. The Tempe dates are part of a string…
It isn’t hard to miss Alex King when he’s out and about at industrial or fetish events, probably because he rocks a foot-high multicolored Mohawk and a pair of goggles strapped to his melon. According to the 35-year-old musician and DJ, both help provide him with awesome powers when he’s…
We had to begin our first 2013 conversation with comic singer/songwriter Scott Gesser by following up on his New Year’s resolution for 2012. So did he, as he vowed from Soul Invictus’ stage in November 2011, get more pussy in the new year? “Probably about the same amount,” Gesser tells…
If you happen to attend Adam Dumper’s big 40th birthday bash tonight at Club Red in Tempe, don’t be afraid to call him Uncle Dumps. Yes, we’re well aware that the renowned Blunt Club promoter and urban art impresario usually goes by his famous nom de guerre, Dumperfoo, but referring…
Jennifer Pilates Pilates has been an advanced pilates instructor and celebrity trainer for more than 13 years. For more information, go here. What’s the first album you bought? You have stumped me. It’s a tie between Madonna and Michael Jackson. What’s the first concert you saw? Bon Jovi. I’m always…
Curious about what’s going on around town this weekend? Need some suggestions where to rock, dance, or krump in the Valley of the Sun? Don’t fret: These are our Five Shows to See This Weekend…
Oh you don’t own a TV? How brave. Seriously — people love bragging about not watching TV, but they’re missing out. Whether watching live, on Netflix, or on DVD, there’s almost nothing as fun as zoning out in front of the TV. We’re partial to music too (you might have…
In early 2012, Jackalope Ranch began inviting creative types around town to write a manifesto — a personal list of 10 hard-and-fast rules of life or pieces of advice. Each manifesto was paired with a local designer who illustrated one lesson/rule in poster form. We loved the Manifesto series so…
