Ben “Macklemore” Haggerty has quickly become an unlikely and conscious voice in hip-hop. His name may seem new, but this is really Haggerty’s second wind, and he’s using his newfound platform to speak out — but also to have some fun. Speaking by phone from his native Seattle, Haggerty picks…
Is there any better way to ring in the Christmas season than a Pitbull concert? His new album, Global Warming, is hitting shelves at the end of November, just in time for the holidays, no? If you’re not sure what to ask Santa for this year, how about a few…
Since the New Times is moving this column to coincide with the print edition, I thought I’d take a moment to re-introduce myself and give you a peek into why I’ve resided in Arizona for the past 17 years. It has a little to do with the glowing gray area…
Arc In Round @ Yucca Tap Room|10/22/12 I’m a bloody sucker for shoegaze. Even if it sounds relatively crappy to a “veteran” shoegaze groups like Slowdive or My Bloody Valentine, I have trouble saying no. Luckily, getting turned on to Arc in Round turned out to be far above average…
Melvins Lite @ Crescent BallroomMelvins Lite, the latest incarnation of the 30-year-old sludge/punk/metal band The Melvins, took the stage at The Crescent Ballroom last night, chalking up stop number 48 on their record-breaking 51-day tour of the country. They’re hitting every state…and Washington D.C. See also: New Times Talks to…
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas–even though Halloween is still just around the corner. As grocery stores begin to stock their Christmas crap decorations, the last show announcements of the year trickle in. Historically, the line up for Alice Cooper’s Christmas Pudding gets announced every October, and while…
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…
By Mark Keresman Quickly: How many female jazz instrumentalists can you name? Not singers, of which there are aplenty, but ace players of instruments of the female gender? There are more prominent ones on the scene than there were, say, 30 years ago–composer/bandleaders Carla Bley and Maria Schneider, trumpeter Ingrid…
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…
Italian dance-punker Rocco Rampino, better known as Congorock, brings a different groove to the EDM genre. Rising up in the world with EDM anthems such as “Ivory” and “Babylon”, Congorock has made his own mark on the elctronic genre. See also: Russell Ramirez on the History of Swell Records, Old…
Just in time for the Halloween season, noted heavy metal icon and horror enthusiast Scott Ian of Anthrax has launched a new web series,Blood & Guts, on the Nerdist YouTube channel. Ian visits various horror-oriented special effects studios, gets a close-up look at famous movie props (think the original Alien…
The weird-bearded wait is over: the new album by Tempe based-gaze project Local Wizards has arrived in sweet digital stream and neat-looking CD digi-pak format. Performed, recorded, and released entirely by 19-year-old Kendall Humbert, The Signal is a collection of amorphous dream-pop, understated space ballads, and cathartic synth rippers. See…
Psychobilly mavens Tiger Army have managed to amass a legion of loyal followers over the course of 17 years. A massive discography on the other hand, is something the Southern California trio is yet to possess. Ever since their 1999 self-titled debut, the group has added only three more titles…
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…
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…
If you happened to be a member of the Valley’s old school DJ/rave scene back in the mid-1990s, there was one place where you almost always hit up for both your music and gear: Swell Records. Without getting too overly hyperbolic, the music and clothing emporium owned by Russel Ramirez…
A swirl of krautrock and shoegaze, Arc In Round (formerly known as Relay) draws as much influence from Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine as they do Camberwell Now and Can. The four-piece are also a primary figure in the Philadelphia music scene, thanks in large part to lead guitarist and…
Dan Deacon @ Crescent Ballroom|10/18/12Dan Deacon’s live shows are not only deafening, they’re legendary. I’ve heard of his infamous methods of crowd participation, playing on the floor, surrounded by his fans, even using coercion to get everyone to play along. Basically, he’ll unsympathetically point you out if you don’t have…
One man band basement recordings continue to grow in popularity. Due to its minimalist approach, songwriting is key. Perfume Genius, the moniker of Mike Hadreas records songs about homophobia, pedophilia, and suicide that are strangely warm and therapeutic. We caught up with Hadreas to discuss having a video pulled from…
Gabriele Bertaccini Bertaccini is the executive chef and president of Il Tocco Food and Culinary Mischief. For more information, go here. When you put your key in the ignition and turn on the radio, what station would play right now? Is it boring if i say NPR? Yes, I am…
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…
Two seems to be the perfect number when it comes to experimental rock music: Death From Above 1979, Lightning Bolt, Japandroids, and No Age manage to make a lot of noise for two-person bands, and Hella is no exception. Local metal/post hardcore duo Partners in Crime follows this tradition by…
