Tokyo rock quintet Dir en grey have been through a number of musical incarnations over their decade-long history, but none of them resemble the kind of Japanese music that typically catches on in the States: the power J-pop of Puffy AmiYumi, the doom-rock of Boris, or the experimental noise-rock of…
THURSDAY 27 Bikini Lounge: DJ HFE (rockabilly, surf, jazz, classic country, indie, obscuro) Blooze Bar: DJ El Dedo (rockabilly) Bunkhouse: DJ Doom (dance) Cherry Lounge: DJ M2 (hip-hop, Top 40) Club Red: The Blunt Club’s Bluntsgiving with Tricky T, Pickster Uno, DJ Element, Emerg McVay, & guests (hip-hop) Crabby Don’s:…
When it comes to goth nights here in the Valley, people seem to think that Club Palazzo’s Friday-night freak fest Tranzylvania is the only ghoulish game in town. Turns out they’re dead wrong, as popular GLBT hangout Velocity 2303, at 2303 East Indian School Road, has been putting on a…
It’s been about 12 years now since singer-guitarist Max Cavalera left Brazilian metal gods Sepultura and formed the Phoenix-based Soulfly. Some fans still haven’t gotten over it, but for the most part, his musical efforts over the past dozen years have been an ample salve for the wounded. Often at…
The Morning Of is an indie-rock sextet of fresh-faced youngsters from upstate New York who have suddenly found themselves waking up on the sunny national stage. Boasting major distribution via their label, Tragic Hero Records (which was recently absorbed by Warner Music Group), these kids are riding a wave of…
There’s something I can’t quite figure out: Why does Rihanna get to be a pop star? And I’m not necessarily asking in a way that demeans Rihanna. I just reviewed her new album, Good Girl Gone Bad, and I was surprised by how much I liked it. In the past,…
The longest-running rivalry in modern metal pits Mushroomhead against Slipknot, a conflict that continues its inexorable march toward some sort of Wrestlemania resolution. The feud started back in 1999, when Mushroomhead accused Slipknot of stealing its creepy-mask shtick, and it’s only become more heated in recent years. Mushroomhead ridiculed its…
Sub-par live shows, photos of bassist Pete Wentz’s penis, and petty Internet fights with ex-friends can’t stop the pop-punk juggernaut known as Fall Out Boy. Any criticism lobbed at the Chicago quartet is addressed head-on or is slyly incorporated into lyrics and videos, meaning that the band is practically immune…
By Jonathan McNamara Headed out to Coldplay tonight? Before you drive out to Jobing.com arena, arm yourself with some Coldplay criticism courtesy of our sister paper OC Weekly. OC Weekly Music Editor Albert Ching says:”What might surprise the Coldplay haters is that, in concert, the band actually kind of rocks. Hits…
Okay, we admit we’re being a tad goofy and over-dramatic with the headline for this post, but it’s nowhere near as goofy as the video we captured in the heart of Tempe near ASU yesterday afternoon. It’s definately a “WTF!?!” kind of deal: Check it out (with an explanation after…
By Lilia Menconi Definitely Shady. Click the slideshow.Sometimes a night just doesn’t go your way. On Saturday, November 22nd, we really wanted to check out Harvey Wineburger because we hear they have some old-timey bowling game that is really really fun. When you’re drunk. But, as we flew into the…
Suicidal Tendencies, Yeasayer, Deerhunter, Dash Berlin, Mushroomhead, Times New Viking, Thanksgiving
By Martin Cizmar Maybe it’s the holiday spirit, but I’ve had a lot of people pitching charity concerts to me in the last couple weeks. “Do you like beer? Do you like charity? Do you like bikes?” my friend Candace asked, not intentionally sounding like an Amway rep. Anyway, there’s…
The Sweet remains Laurel & Sunset (Self-released) By Martin Cizmar If writing a handwritten note counted for as much as it should on these things – and it doesn’t – I’d have written about The Sweet Remains a month or so ago when their album Laurel & Sunset arrived in…
By Martin Cizmar st1:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } It was a bold move, putting Dry River Yacht Club on right before Black Carl. Here you have two of the biggest female voices in the Valley’s indie rock scene — Emma Pew of BC and DRYC’s Garnet — back to back. But, hey, when you’re talking…
By Martin Cizmar Local photographer and musician Elliot Lincis is doing what he can for the people of Darfur, the region of Sudan that’s been the scene of bloody conflict since 2003. He’s recorded a song called “Never Again,” an old school “We Are The World” style anthem that features…
Sometimes, we do things we don’t want to do because the people we love want to do them. Such was the case with me attending the Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert last night at Jobing.com Arena in Glendale. I hadn’t planned to attend the show, but I couldn’t refuse in the face of my girlfriend’s unbridled enthusiasm.
See more shots from Illumination 2.0 in our slideshow.By PJ Standlee Ryan Jeffs, aka “Inertia”, of Phoenix, deftly mixes trans-beats as the crowd starts to move slowly to a lucid tempo. The sound is repetitive and catchy but not annoying. The music starts to take on a life of its…
By Martin Cizmar I very well may be the last man in American to hear Chinese Democracy. Almost certainly, I was the last music critic, and among last Guns n’ Roses fans. Honestly, though, as bad as I wanted to hear it, I couldn’t bring myself to log on to…
By Martin Cizmar So there’s a little big of a letdown this week after last week’s bonanza of concert announcements, but still a few good shows coming up. At the top of the list is a huge party coming to Marquee: Parliament Funkadelic with George Clinton on Jan. 7. Sadly,…
Thought Crime’s Michael 23 under wraps. By Benjamin Leatherman Über-eccentric local artist Michael 23 and the Thought Crime collective have created some pretty whacked out spectacles over the past decade or so. There’s the 20-foot inflatable “UFO” he and other artists constructed out of trash bags on the ASU campus…
By Martin Cizmar I sure would hate to be a bartender at the Chandler TGI Friday’s tonight: The Backstreet Boys show at Dodge Theatre this evening has been canceled – CANCELED – at the last minute. Due to illness. “The Backstreet Boys and Live Nation sincerely apologize for any inconvenience…
