So, songstress Fiona Apple played a set at Mesa Arts Center the other night. It was really very good, with Apple seeming quite happy in front of the crowd (bizarre rant about “small-titted girls” and her label aside). But anyway, that’s Tuesday night’s Apple news. Here’s today’s: Apple has been…
When you’re a hard touring band, it takes some adjusting to actually get off the road. Gritty Florida-based punk rockers Hot Water Music have nearly gotten the hang of this, taking a hiatus before releasing its eighth full-length record, Exister. Eight years after its last album, The New What Next,…
By Mark Keresman Jazz icon Duke Ellington had an expression for certain performers whose uniqueness and quality couldn’t be easily summarized: Beyond category. One such musician in the post-Ellington, post-punk, and post-rock continuum is guitarist Sir Richard Bishop. First in the now-legendary Sun City Girls — who emerged in the…
Take it from these non-failed musicians: Don’t put out that album. By Daniel Hopkins Ask a Failed Musician is a new column from our sister music blog at Dallas Observer, in which Daniel Hopkins helps struggling musicians make sense of their careers and offers advice. Whether or not it will…
If you jumped on the Sondre Lerche bandwagon after the 2004 release of Two Way Monologue, you no doubt dreaded the hype you thought he’d receive because of his collaboration with Regina Spektor on the Dan in Real Life soundtrack in 2007. But somehow Lerche avoided the level of obnoxious…
Sometimes, old dogs learn new tricks. Consider Tauheed Epps, the Atlanta MC who has taken two stage names — Tity Boi for a decade and 2 Chainz for a more successful three years. Epps got his start in the rap game when Ludacris, then a fellow underground Atlanta rapper and…
Ethereal and otherworldly, Lymbyc Systym has a knack for activating its purposely misspelled namesake, the little corner of your brain known for controlling emotions. Their instrumental waveforms also evoke Explosions in the Sky, Four Tet, or The Appleseed Cast, gaining them the attention of touring mates like The Album Leaf,…
That last Bon Iver record was all right, you know? I mean, it’s not going to blow the mind of anyone familiar with their mom’s record collection, as it simply recycles the best stuff from Phil Collins and Bruce Hornsby records and kind of makes it sound Radiohead-y. But there…
Over the summer, an online list of the world’s richest DJs featured the multimillion-dollar net worths of 30 superstar spinsters and demonstrated once again that EDM artists and DJs are the new rock stars. British-born house legend Paul Oakenfold was ranked second on the list, as he has an estimated…
I cannot stand the Red Hot Chili Peppers. And that’s why I love ’em. I should explain: These days, I think the band’s tepid blend of funk, punk, and alternative rock conveys none of the highlights of those forms. I think it’s pretty much bland porridge. I didn’t always think…
“I don’t know if it’s necessary, but I do know what feels right at the moment, and sometimes the song just calls for a bloodcurdling scream,” Amanda Palmer says by phone from Red Hook, New York, in reference to several sonic outbursts on her new album, Theatre Is Evil. “It…
Thursday 20 AZ/88: Black Out Thursdays with Josh 1 (soulful house, lounge) Bobby Q’s: DJ Phlava, MC Focus, DJ Dark Vader, & DJ Skoolboi (hip-hop, reggae, R&B) Cadillac Ranch: Thirsty Thursdays with DJ Chris Villa (Top 40, house) Crescent Ballroom: Discothèque Thursdays with Sean Watson, Hoodwink, & more (disco) Dollhouse:…
If it were 1987, Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson’s “Don’t You Wanna Stay” wouldn’t be a country-radio dominating hit; it would be a Bics-in-the-air hair-metal ballad, something Whitesnake or Cinderella would play near the end of the set to get all the girlies grooving. But it’s 2012, and the song,…
See also: Club Candids: Pattie’s First Avenue Lounge See also: Club Candids: Labor Day Retox at Martini RanchOtep Shamaya certainly has some powerful pipes and she ain’t afraid to use ’em. Just ask the mass of local music fans who were scorched by the 32-year-old lead screamer singer this past…
Fiona Apple and Blake Mills @ Mesa Arts Center|Tuesday, September 18Singer/songwriter Fiona Apple has a reputation. Her public struggles with fame and her label give the impression that a Fiona Apple performance could fall apart at any moment. But it never came close last night at Mesa Arts Center. Not…
Mac Demarco @ Trunk Space| Tuesday, September 18Seeing totally disparate genre blends in one night is cool, but it’s always nice to see a bill that is fully united under one auspice. I’m going to give last night’s Mac Demarco show an easy filing: The Joy of the Floor Tom…
Pretty Lights @ Comerica Theatre| Tuesday, September 18, 2012Damn, summer ended so quickly. It was gone within a blink of an eye. It was nice to be able to fit in one more Pretty Lights show. I last saw Derek Smith — the man behind the electro/soul sound of Pretty…
Phoenix rappers Mr. Miranda and Random a.k.a Mega Ran proved to be a formidable tandem when they teamed up to form the powerful hip-hop duo, Mirandom late last year. The two are currently working towards bringing new music regularly with weekly installments of Mirandom Mondays, and now fellow emcee Mighty…
Quasi-political folk band Andrew Jackson Jihad, a band that would be hard to take seriously, if not for the ballsy lyrical stylings displayed on songs like “American Tune” and “Joe Arpaio is a Punk,” is hitting The Crescent Ballroom Sunday, November 18. If you’ve never heard them (unlikely if you’re…
It’s a pretty good time to be The Gaslight Anthem. The band, which at times sounds like a nostalgic punk rock version of Bruce Springsteen, recently signed to a major label to release its forth full length album, Handwritten. After the band’s frontman, Brian Fallon dedicated some time to bluesy…
After four highly successful albums with Vanguard Records, singer-songwriter Mindy Smith took the bold and daring plunge into self-releasing her work, forming Giant Leap Records. Interestingly, Smith did not go off the handle and embrace genres unbecoming her trademark mix of folk and country, some with a rock and roll…
When most bands perform, they’ve had plenty of time to rehearse their set and get it down perfectly before getting on-stage. For the members of Judd, they won’t have any idea what lyrics or melody they’re singing until their show, and that’s how they like it…
