Seven Nights of DJs and Dancing

THURSDAY 2 27th Avenue Bar: DJ Manage, & DJ Android (Top 40, dance) Afterlife: Thumpin Thurzdays (various) AZ/88: Josh One (rare groove, urban funk) Bar Smith: Splash Thursday (reggae, dancehall, Top 40, house) Bikini Lounge: DJ Shane Kennedy (jazz, blues, country, R&B, rarities, vintage) Blue Martini: Rewind Thursday with DJ…

What Laura Says – “Girl Not Gonna Leave”

The first song on the EP, “Girl Not Gonna Leave,” is quite possibly the best song — it’s also a song that the band has been working on and playing at their live shows for quite some time. Singer/guitarist James Mulhern recently took some time to share some tidbits on…

PBS Website Hacked, Fake Tupac Story Posted

, according to Yahoo News.The hacker group, which calls itself Lulzsec and the Lulz Boat, posted a fake story on the PBS NewsHous page of the company’s website saying that everyone’s main man of the ’90s, Tupac, is alive and well in New Zealand. They wrote and posted the article…

Pontiak Makes an Album About Driving from Phoenix to Texas

What does a drive from Phoenix to the Big Bend area of Texas sound like? Well, according to psych-rock band Pontiak (who are from some place called Holtzclaw, Virginia), a road trip through the landscapes of the southwest sound like a stripped-down, four-part country-blues jam. Pontiak’s upcoming EP, Comecrudos (scheduled…

Club Candids: Memorial Day Mayhem at Pussycat Lounge

When the dreaded hour of 2 a.m. approaches at most Scottsdale joints, clubgoers start sucking down the last few gulps of their drinks and start shuffling towards the door. At Pussycat Lounge, however, that’s when the action really seems to get going. Maybe it’s because there’s only a few scant…

Tucson Doom Surf Band The Mission Creeps Play Phoenix this Month

Here in the land of lizards and dust devils, you’d be hard-pressed to find many local bands willing to play outside in the cold. Tucson goth-surf-punk group The Mission Creeps are an exception — they played a New Year’s Eve party outdoors in Bisbee, where bassist Frankie Stein says they…

Michael Jackson: A Video Tribute

This month marks the two-year anniversary of Michael Jackson’s death. Though the King of Pop passed away June 25, 2009 at the age of 50, he left behind an incomparable body of work, one that stands among the greatest contributions to entertainment of the past century. It’s okay if you’re…

10 Summer Songs

Pull up a lawn chair, grab a fruity frozen drink, and add these 10 songs to your summertime playlist. Don’t forget the sunscreen; you’re in for lots of long, lazy days in the sun…

Givers: In Light

In anticipation of their debut album, In Light, being released next Tuesday, NPR Music has deemed Givers worthy of their Exclusive First Listen label, offering up a full album stream of their much-anticipated debut. Oh, did I mention Givers are playing Phoenix this Saturday?…

My Morning Jacket: Circuital

Bolstered by lead single “Hangin’ On To Black Metal,” Circuital finds Jim James and company yet again refining their Americana rock roots. The titular track “Circuital” is a delightful give and take between an all-out rock offering and its meandering, folk-twinged prelude. “The Day Is Coming” harkens back to MMJ’s…

Coachella’s Big Announcement: Two Weekends For 2012

When the people behind the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival — Paul Tollett and Goldenvoice — announced they had a big announcement set for 10 a.m. today, my curiosity was piqued. I have been attending the festival for six years now, and no two years were under as much scrutiny in…

Flier of the Week: Mother Mother

Mother Mother will be sharing the stage at the Rogue Bar with the lovely local talents Super Stereo, Prague, and Sun Ghost.Here’s the full scoop: doors open for the 21-and-up gig at 8 p.m. on Friday, June 10. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door.Until the show begins,…

Underground Cities on Songwriting, River Jones, and First Friday

Instrumental music is usually associated with background music. It’s what you listen to when you need help relaxing, studying, working, meditating, or what have you. Chandler’s Underground Cities break away from this stereotype by playing loud, energetic shows. No vocals are necessary; intricate melodies are all they need to grab…

Amy Winehouse Hits the Bottle Right Before Rehab

, according to the Fab Life.Winehouse is still up to her old tricks. After her father confronted her about drinking too much, she agreed to check herself back into rehab Wednesday night to get clean before her upcoming European tour, which starts in June. She plans to be out of…

Flogging Molly’s The Speed of Darkness Comes Out Today

Irish-American Celtic punk band Flogging Molly release their fifth full-length studio album, The Speed of Darkness, today. Like Flogging Molly’s previous records, the new one’s full of furious fiddles laid over backdrops of supercharged punk guitar riffs and fast-paced beats. Unlike the band’s previous albums, all the songs on Speed…

Randy Newman at The Arizona Biltmore

Randy NewmanThe Arizona BiltmoreSunday, May 29Randy Newman doesn’t need to tour. Grab a singer/songwriter record from the early ’70s, why don’t you. Look on the back, where the songwriting credits are. Chances are you see Newman’s name next to at least one of the songs. Maybe you saw Toy Story,…

Danzig at Marquee Theatre

REVIEW BY DANIEL RAVEN Danzig Marquee Theatre in Tempe Saturday, May 28, 2011For a guy with a reputation for taking himself too seriously, Glenn Danzig seemed unusually genuine and appreciative of his fans last night, as his band killed it at the Marquee Theatre.With no hint of the unholier-than-thou attitude he’s been rumored…

Twilight Singers at The Clubhouse Music Venue

Twilight Singers Clubhouse Music VenueSaturday, May 28Earlier this year, Sub Pop released Dynamite Steps, the latest album from Greg Dulli and The Twilight Singers. The record is typically Dulli: dark, funky, and with soul inflections wedged between big rock guitars, electronic ambiance, and thumping rhythms. The record is tied only…

Mega Ran and Minibosses at Phoenix Comicon

Mega Ran, and Minibosses Hyatt Regency Ballroom at Phoenix Comicon Saturday, May 28If you’ve ever wanted to run into somebody famous while they’re wearing their pajamas, the lobby of the downtown Hyatt during Phoenix Comicon is apparently the place to do it. Friday, in-between music sets by local bands Halocene, Dead Man’s…

Hooves at The Bikini Lounge

HoovesBikini Lounge Friday, May 27 For all the focus on the band’s antics on stage and off, it’s easy to miss how understated Hooves can be. The band announced recently that they are packing up and moving to Bellingham, Washington, and while plenty of bands would take the opportunity to…