J-Diggs is paying forward a debt laid on him by close friend Mac Dre, who was shot and killed on a Kansas City highway eight years ago. Born Jamal Diggs in North Vallejo, California, Diggs had success rapping at an early age but deferred to his Crest neighborhood buddy Mac…
The Jacksons have a reputation as the most dysfunctional family in pop, but the name of their outing, The Unity Tour, is nothing cheeky or ironic. Except for a 2001 one-off show at Madison Square Garden, “Unity” is their first since 1989. It’s been a rocky road for the brothers:…
Jason Anderson’s been quiet and he’s been loud, but you would never accuse him of not being earnest. Anderson was attending Clark College in Portland during the mid-’90s when an Elliott Smith performance inspired him to make music. He eventually started noisy, hook-laden twee-tinged rockers Wolf Colonel and released several…
Swedish EDM duo Rebecca and Fiona are excited about coming to America. Like, really excited. “It’s so fun to come to America, [where EDM] is exploding, where the big audiences are,” says Fiona Fitzpatrick. “Honestly, it’s a bit scary because it’s so out of control. We’re used to playing to…
You’d be forgiven for thinking Joel Marquard of indie rock band Gospel Claws and his solo roots/Americana project The Through and Through Gospel Review is a morose guy. After all, his biggest hit, “Summer Nights Lakeside,” contains the doomed line “If you take me down to the lake, I’ll drown…
Better live it up while you can, because there may be just less than six months left until Armageddon. At least, that’s the belief that all those wacked-out prepper and nutjobs spouting bunk about the end of the Mayan long-count calendar. It makes for riveting late-night radio fodder on Coast…
By William Michael Smith (for Houston Press/Rocks Off Houston) Living most of his adult and professional life in Tuscon, Arizona, former Sidewinders/Sand Rubies front man Rich Hopkins has recently relocated to Houston. For those who don’t remember, Hopkins and his mates in the Sidewinders hit the charts at the tail…
Crescent Ballroom knows the value of big local shows. Remember the line around the block for the Mergence, Black Carl, What Laura Says, Future Loves Past Show? How about when Ladylike nearly sold the joint out? What Laura Says has an ongoing Sunday residency, and the venue hosts nifty things…
By Chris Kornelis In the two decades since Nielsen Soundscan started to keep track of U.S. album sales in 1991, the company has seen the industry fold in half, digital sales catch up to physical, and vinyl mount a resurgence. But until last week, they’d never seen old records outsell…
Extra Life, James Fella, Death House, Barren Nieces Trunk Space Tuesday, July 10 Few bands can pull off genre-bending and blending without sounding contrived, but New York based group Extra Life does it easily with virtuosic precision and genuine finesse. In support of a new album entitled Dream Seeds, released…
See also: Que Se Vende: Impacto Musical Top Selling Albums of the Week Alfredo Ríos, also known as the Mexican corridista El Komander is leaving the AK-47 behind and is bringing his talents to the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix on Saturday, July 21…
See also: The Swamp Coolers Cover “Secret Agent Man” Local noise/rock duo A Technicolor Yawn shares a noisy aesthetic with Sonic Youth, so it was only natural for them to decide to do an all Sonic Youth set for Cover the Crescent. “When you think of the Venn diagram of…
Like any band, Lamb of God has had their ups and downs: Drugs, booze, strife, you know, rock ‘n’ roll. This year the Virginia metal titans released their seventh studio album, Resolution, to great reviews. The band announced that it was shooting a documentary as they supported the album on…
Scottsdale is a weird place during the day. Dance music blasts from the bars that are open early, and the daylight reveals salons and small shops that could easily be overlooked at night. Walking down 75th street, it almost resembles some hip borough in a beach town, with the lack…
The last weekend of September is turning into a major logjam of blockbuster concerts, to say the least. Yesterday, we dished all the details about KUPD’s two-day hard rock rager Desert Uprising, which kicks off on Friday, September 28, out at Ashley Furniture HomeStore Pavillion. Over on the opposite side…
Talib Kweli doesn’t seem to like downtime. Last year he released the celebrated Gutter Rainbows, and Idle Worship, a nu-soul collaboration with singer-songwriter Res, teamed with Yasiin Bey (his partner in Black Star) for the Colbert Report, and took to the streets for Occupy Wall Street. It’s difficult to figure…
See also: Snoop Dogg at the Arizona State Fair See also: Judas Priest at the Arizona State Fair It used to be that playing the state fair circuit meant you were a has-been, that your rock ‘n’ roll career had gone belly up (you know, like billed after the puppet…
See also: Mega Ran Drops New Project in Time for Phoenix Comicon Phoenix hip-hop collective The Writer’s Guild has grown weary of the politics and standard operating procedures employed by promoters and venues around the Valley. They’re tired of the lack of cohesion between musicians and the various acts that…
It’s hard to classify the music of Cory Branan. The Nashville-based artist clearly works on a country platform, but casts himself more in the Tom Waits mold of storytelling, using whatever musical form fits the tale. Given the varied sounds found on his latest release, Mutt, his first release in…
As you might be able to infer from the colorful vikings on the flier, Peachcake is pretty stoked for their upcoming trip to Norway.To spread the love before they get to Europe, they’ll be gigging on Wednesday, July 11, at the Monarch Theatre. Doctor Bones, Paperbird, and Wino Vino will…
Zach Booher, 22, of Tempe pop-punk band While We’re Up was killed in a car accident the morning of Sunday, July 8. The band was touring as part of the Vans Warped Tour. The accident occurred in Wisconsin, while the band was en route to Shakopee, Minnesota…
La Mala Rodriguez Crescent Ballroom Sunday, July 8, 2012 See also: Spanish Rapper La Mala Rodriguez to Bring Flamenco-Infused Hip-Hop to Crescent Spanish emcee La Mala Rodriguez lived up to her promise of an emotional and powerful showing at the Crescent Ballroom with jamming grooves, little clothing, and an unrelenting…
