Multi-genre guitarist extraordinaire Buckethead is coming to Phoenix in August to show off his extreme shredding skills. Some of his work is quite lively while some of it is actually kind of soothing. Either way, give him six strings and a chicken bucket and he can do anything. Buckethead, The…
Like nearly everyone in Phoenix, songwriter Stephen Steinbrink (you may recognize his project named French Quarter, as well) has a love/hate relationship with the city. It’s easy to love the pockets of true community, the DIY art spaces, punk rock house shows, and the affordable, delicious Mexican food, but the…
With one of the catchiest songs of the summertime, “Anna Sun” has launched Walk the Moon to the top spot on millions of playlists. Between a series of stops at music festivals, the band currently is making its way across the country on a headlining tour. Once they conquer the United States,…
See also: Santigold Discusses Bjork, MySpace, and The Death of MCA Santigold Crescent Ballroom Monday, June 4, 2012 Better Than: Every show I’ve been to this year. Seriously. It’s hard to imagine a show living up to as much hype as Santigold’s Phoenix debut. The show sold out well in…
Some guy eats another guy’s face while sitting at a bus stop. A student killed his roommate and ate his heart and brain. A New Jerseyan stabbed himself 50 times and threw his guts at the police. If you haven’t noticed, we’re clearly living at the dawn of the zombie…
If you are excited about Destroyer coming to town — and we certainly are — you can thank the world of jazz. When songwriter/vocalist Dan Bejar, who essentially is Destroyer, set out for another round of touring behind the 18-month-old, critically adored Kaputt, he had a specific goal in mind…
Last week we announced that Justin Bieber is coming to town on September 29. Of course, he responded to our blog by beating up a paparazzo. But we’re still excited to see him at Jobing.com Arena. It seems like a big enough place to house all of the Beliebers, but…
See also: Record Heat: Comicon Blues I’m only a single listen in, but Heaven by The Walkmen is feeling like a pivotal 2012 listen. There’s plenty of musical reasons at work: the acoustic strums, the harmonies, the tempered drums. But my reason for listening so intently come more from the…
Annual Douchebag Party at Smashboxx Being called a douchebag is usually a bad thing, but patrons of Smashboxx were encouraged to sport spray tans, sunglasses, and Ed Hardy swag in honor of the 3rd Annual Douchebag Party. There was an abundance of duckface and blow outs at the packed bar…
“Somewhere Over the Rainbow” is one of those songs: no matter who you are or your circumstances, you feel something listening to it. For most, it’s the sound of childhood, a beautiful and hopeful song that conjures up images of wistfulness and memory. Plenty of musicians have offered soulful renditions…
Best of Phoenix winners, Banda La Llegadora, charge a pretty penny for their services: Something to the tune of $600 per hour the last time we checked. The whopping fee fetches you a Mexican musical menagerie that really know how to carry a puro pinche parii. Lucky for you, the…
There’s never been a huge a market for heavy metal music videos. Praise is far and few between, and they don’t garner awards like pop music videos, clips like Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance,” which won seven MTV Video Music Awards in 2010, and even grabbed a Grammy for Best Short…
Nothing says “it’s officially summertime” quite like seeing a dude nonchalantly sporting a short sun dress. Appropriately, Sundressed has got us pumped up for a great summer gig this weekend that’s part of the June F-Boms series.This Friday at 8 p.m., Sundressed will be performing one of five residency shows…
If you’ve walked by Bar Smith on a recent Wednesday evening and had your eardrums assaulted, its probably Jason Ayers’ fault. The bass-loving beat-juggler and his long-running SubConscious night have (literally) been shaking the downstairs walls at the downtown Phoenix club with a storm of subharmonics and plenty of thrum…
Where we’re going, we don’t need roads; just a synthesizer, eyeliner, and a touch of androgyny. Welcome to Flashback Friday. Seminal ’80s ska revivalists Madness are probably best remembered for their kooky house-of-mirrors-style riff-raff and carnival music flair. During MTV’s glory days, it was all about the cheery pop/rock sound…
There’s no such thing as the sophomore slump for Santi White, who has once again charmed audiences with the genre-defying Master of My Make-Believe. The album includes collaborations with members of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Switch, Diplo, and David Sitek, as well as the infectiously catchy song “Disparate Youth.” Santigold’s…
fun. Ikeda Theater at Mesa Arts Center Thursday, May 31 See also: Nate Ruess Has Some fun. At Zia Records fun. frontman Nate Ruess wears his heart on his sleeve, and that’s why it’s so easy to get into his head. His lyrics — part stream of consciousness (“My friends…
It’s not usually a happy ending for a band when only some of their members are informed that they’re breaking up. Aaron Freeman, a.k.a. Gene Ween, said earlier this week that it’s time for him to put Ween to rest. “It’s been a long time — 25 years,” Freeman said…
I can’t even start writing this blog without thinking about what an utter hypocrite I am. When I was 12, I obsessed with the Backstreet Boys. I may or may not have wished my Nick Carter poster a good night as I went to sleep. I felt like their music…
Mike James The local comedian performs Thursday, June 7, at Jaxon’s in Scottsdale. For more information, go here. When you put your key in the ignition and turn on the radio, what station would play right now? 97.3-FM — 24/7 comedy. What’s the first album you bought? Haha. I was 8…
Curious what’s going on around town this weekend? Need some suggestions as to how to rock, dance, or krump in the Valley of the Sun? Don’t fret: These are our Five Shows to See This Weekend. Friday, June 1: Frequency Fridays @ DWNTWN Fridays used to be one of the…
News reports indicate that the shooting at Seattle’s Cafe Racer Espresso on Wednesday, May 30, took the life of Joseph “Vito” Albanese, an establishing member of the Phoenix punk rock scene. Matt Driscoll of our sister paper Seattle Weekly’s Daily Weekly blog writes that 40-year-old Ian L. Stawicki was behind…
