Phoenix Music Blog

​George Strait at Phoenix's US Airways Center
For a guy who hasn't filled out a W2 in 30-plus years, George Strait sure can sing the working man's music. Opening with "Twang," the title track off his latest studio album -- his twenty-sixth, if you can believe it -- the "King of Country," set a laid-back but celebratory tone perfect for Super Bowl weekend's Friday night...full story

See: George Strait in photos.

​Electro-Self and Prototype: One Weekend, Two Raves
That's right! We got down to not one, but two raves this weekend. Electro-Self on Friday night and Prototype on Saturday evening. Check out shots from both including a performance by Hyper Crush...See Photos

​Modified Arts: "Looking Back on the Future" Great Sampling of Phoenix's Art History
Our surprisingly significant contemporary art scene is on display via artwork and advertising pieces at Modified Arts in "Modified Arts: Looking Back on the Future," curated by the gallery's new director, Kim Larkin, a non-native who parachuted into our fair burg recently to take over management of Kimber Lanning's iconic space...full story

See: "Looking Back on the Future" in photos.

64-year old Pete Townshend still rockin' the windmill.

​At this point, the words "sell out" hold little real meaning in our society. Essentially, musicians who are trying to "make it" are constantly forced to choose whether or not to let advertisers or prime-time TV use their music. Those who have already made it, even those are really admirable, do things that just make us cringe.

One of those annual cringing moments is the Super Bowl halftime show. While the very first one featured the University of Arizona and Grambling State University marching bands, now we cannot have such an event without a multi-platinum recording artist, it seems. So when people complained to me that it was blasphemous for The Who to play the halftime show, I just sort of shrugged my shoulders and laughed.

Sure, halftime has come a long way since the U of A marching band. Starting in the '70s, they brought out jazz greats Ella Fitzgerald and Mercer Ellington. The '90s brought New Kids on the Block, Michael Jackson, and Diana Ross, among others. But for me, the shocker came not when U2 played, and not even when the Rolling Stones stumbled out there. It was when Tom Petty made his way onto that stage. Petty, to me, is authentic and rebellious. For the love of everything -- you can stand him up at the gates of Hell, but he'll play the Super Bowl halftime show.

So when I sat down to see what The Who would do, I didn't exactly have expectations. And yet, they managed to not live up to them.

The West Valley Art Museum in its current state.

​Man, I am bummed.

The West Valley Art Museum's "temporary closure" has morphed into the sale of the museum's building. They will have a benefit sale this weekend.

In August 2009, the Museum shut its doors to restructure funds. The goal was to open again in the future and, at the time, they needed to raise $150,000 to survive.

Welcome to "Nothing Not New," a yearlong project in which New Times editorial operations manager Jay Bennett, a 40-year-old music fan and musician, will listen only to music released in 2010. Each Monday through Friday, he will listen to one new record (no best ofs, reissues, or concert recordings) and write about it. Why? Because in the words of his editor, Martin Cizmar, he suffers from "aesthetic atrophy," a wasting away of one's ability to embrace new and different music as one ages. Read more about this all-too-common ailment here.

Could a collaboration with Dolly bring White more Grammys?

​Since moving to Nashville, Jack White always seems to be in the middle of some new and exciting projects. A few years back he produced Loretta Lynn's Grammy-winning Van Lear Rose, and he's currently working with the queen of rockabilly Wanda Jackson on her latest endeavor. It turns out that he's approached Dolly Parton to see if she would be willing to work with him as well. Her thoughts? "I've thought about doing it with [Jack]. He seems to be a fan, but who knows? You never know what I might do." (Oh. the dance of collaborative seduction . . .)

And in case you hadn't heard, he's also putting out a series of vinyl seven-inch singles on his Third Man Records label. The singles represent live recordings of musicians he adores in his Nashville studio. They're on colored vinyl and are a pretty neat little piece to own. It's like you have a Jack White moment frozen in time and dipped in color that will give you aural bliss at the drop of a needle. Let's hope he and Dolly get it on too.

STORY: Today in Jack White News: Dolly Parton, Live Surprise & More

While you're recovering from that, here's some other Monday morning music news...

Factory Made Future: Converge is coming to Tempe!
Tiny Mix Tapes: RIP: Sir John Dankworth, British Jazz Musician
Rolling Stone: Justin Timberlake Dresses in Drag for Hasty Pudding Honor
Sound of the City: Vampire Weekend Covering Rancid's "Ruby Soho"

I just wish I had any indication as to when this photo was taken...

​Ah spring . . . the smell of fresh-cut grass, the slow thaw of winter (where applicable), and the lovely grace period before another Valley summer comes along and kicks everyone's ass. Spring also means the start of music festival season -- with SXSW kicking things off in March, followed by Coachella in April. Sometimes a band is good enough to book a gig at either festival, let alone both. Scottish indie rockers Frightened Rabbit -- in their quest to conquer North America -- have done what few bands have already done this year: they have pulled down both a spot at Coachella and a showcase at SXSW. Their success is good news for Valley fans of the band.

​Flying Blanket Recording is releasing their second compilation album, titled This is Flying Blanket Vol. 2 and they're doing it in style. For only $10 you can catch Dear and the Headlights, Kinch, Black Carl, The Love Me Nots, Gospel Claws, and Sister Cities on March 5 at Martini Ranch. The album features 20 songs, almost entirely by Arizona artists, and is engineered and produced by Bob Hoag. In many ways the record is a who's who of local bands, and most of the songs are new and yet unreleased. Gonna be one hell of a party.

While Fall Out Boy goes on hiatus (thanks, Ashlee "Yoko" Simpson), singer/guitarist Patrick Stump is still busy. Besides crafting a solo album (on which he will play all the instruments himself) the lovable lug is also still promoting his 2008 independent film, Moustachette.

Patrick Stump in 'Moustachette'

​Haven't heard of it? It didn't even come across this super-huge FOB fan's radar until recently. It stars Stump, FOB bassist Pete Wentz and Yellowcard singer/guitarist Ryan Key in what looks like a hilarious take on young life in Hollywood. The plot is a little hard to figure out from trailers and the website, but supposedly there's a female exotic dancer with a moustache involved.

​Perhaps you noticed the commercial Miller High Life ran during the Super Bowl which spotlighted Phoenix's Bizarre Guitar. The shop, in case you aren't familiar, is on 7th Avenue and is owned by Robert Tuner a "renowned expert in vintage guitars" who caters to higher-end customers.

How did the shop end up on national TV? No one seems sure. The shop says this on its site: "We don't know how we became a finalist but we're glad we're here!"

Check out more video featuring Turner and his shop here. "We're a real brick and mortar store with real human beings," Turner says in the video, where Turner is interviewed in what appears to be a Miller warehouse.

The Arizona Republic also had a funny story on the commercial here.

Luke Holwerda

George Strait: Probably the only die-hard Spurs fan that'll ever get cheered standing at center court in Phoenix.

When I get off of work on Friday after working like a dog all week, I go to meet the boys for a cold one at a little joint up the street. They got a jukebox in the corner full of old country tunes, feed it five dollars worth of quarters is the first thing I always do.

For a guy who hasn't filled out a W2 in 30-plus years, George Strait sure can sing the working man's music. Opening with "Twang," the title track off his latest studio album -- his twenty-sixth, if you can believe it -- the "King of Country," set a laid-back but celebratory tone perfect for Super Bowl weekend's Friday night.