Phoenix Music Blog

Claymation has always lent itself brilliantly to music videos ("Sledgehammer, "Sober," "Hellbent"), but artist Allison Schulnik has used the art-form to create an absolute masterpiece

​The fine folks over at Stereogum have brought to my attention a new video for the Grizzly Bear song "Ready, Able." The Brooklyn band -- already enjoying a fantastic 2009 on the heels of their latest LP Vecaktimest -- have done it again, this time employing artist Allison Schulnik to create a brilliant, surreal claymation piece befitting of the song. The video evokes images of a woodland Fantasia with a Halo-esque spaceship and plastic, green army-men thrown in for good measure. Don't take my word for it, please enjoy the video after the jump.

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​It's been 16 years since the Furious Styles Crew first busted onto P-Town's cultural landscape back in 1993. And in that time span, the premier b-boy/hip-hop dance collective has been popping and locking up a storm.

Their dances have become a major draw during First Fridays as well, drawing hundreds of spectators to the intersection of Fifth and Garfield streets with their acrobatic urban dance moves.

November's edition of the monthly art walk experience will also serve as the kickoff of their weekend-long anniversary celebration, as the Furious ones will be presenting an art show and star-studded DJ fest at Roosevelt Art Space (924 North First Avenue) starting at 6 p.m. The line-up of turntablism talent includes DJs Melo, M2, Pick, and Odin Rock. (Be sure to check out what else is happening on both Saturday and Sunday also).

There's also plenty other artistic activities afoot tonight as well. As Lilia Menconi mentioned earlier, Roosevelt Street will be blocked off from Central to Seventh Avenue, giving y'all plenty of incentive to put the "walk" in art walk and not attempt to drive your cars as close as possible to your favorite gallery.

There's also a ginormous pop art show, a new mural going up at the eye lounge, the quarterfinals of the Train Tracks at PAM, and plenty of other fun to be had.

Get a complete rundown of all the action after the jump.

Man-candy mixmaster Jared Alan will be holding court tonight at Sanctum.

​Officially, the re-launch for Jared Alan's notorious fauxShow Night at its new home isn't taking place until next Friday. 

By Hamner_fotos' on flickr Creative Commons.

Now this is a good sign.

​Didja hear the big, big news?!?!?

Finally, at long last, after years of fighting a sea of people on the sidewalks of Roosevelt, dodging cars while jaywalking and breathing the exhaust of the slowed vehicles, Roosevelt Street is shutting out all traffic from Central Ave to 7th Street tonight.

Yes, that's right. The street closure and vendor tables are moving from their former home on Garfield Street to Roosevelt Street.

High five to Phoenix!

​There's absolutely no doubt that Smite is a definite rarity amongst P-Town's glutted DJ/dance community. First, there's the 31-year-old's absolute passion for vinyl that's second only to other record-loving freakazoids like his cohorts Djentrification and Johnny D. Serato ain't a word that's currently in Smite's vocabulary (although he admits he might have to eventually break down and buy a laptop and a copy of said scratching software).

Then there's the fact he's something of an outsider to the usual club circuit. You won't catch him pulling any shifts in Scottsdale anytime soon, as the cat prefers spinning his platters in a more eclectic locales, like the Rose & Crown or downtown Phoenix art hangouts.

Whether you wanna call him Smite, Sir Smeezy, or by his actual Christian name (which he won't divulge outta fear of getting collared by the cops for his prior graf art exploits), there's one term you'll never use to describe him: run of the mill.

Name: Sir Smeezy

AKA: DJ Smite

Current club night(s): Every first and third Friday I DJ at Rose & Crown in downtown Phoenix. It's free and you won't get anything like it anywhere else.

Preferred genre(s): All types of heavy Latin funky shit. Afro-Colombian funk, cumbia, salsa dura, psych, funk, soul, disco, post-punk, dub, early '80s electro, boogie and slept-on rap.

Where have been your favorite places to spin at in the PHX? House parties. My favorite lounge. After-hours at Quincy's. The puppet theatre. Fate. B-boy battles back in the day.

How did you get your start as a DJ? Back in sixth grade my best friend Ron claimed it was "all bout having the sickest cassingle and custom embroidered hat collection" which he did. His first two drawers in his dresser were nothing but cassette singles and full lengths lined up immaculately. By eighth grade when there were little parties, my more low-profile Filipino homie Dennis would DJ with a gang of tapes. He rocked off of a dual cassette deck with an extra deck he'd bring along to get all the songs cued up on point in his headphones. I would lay back in the cut with him and shot call. I was into making pause tapes. By the time Juice came out I was sold.

Jonathan McNamara

Naoko Yamano of Shonen Knife

​Here at Up on the Sun, we're constantly shaking our fists in frustration watching band after band head to Tucson and pass us by. Last night, we rebelled. If Tucson's going to take our bands, we're going to take Tucson! At least that was the sentiment running through my head as I barreled down I-10 toward the Shonen Knife show at Plush.

Shonen Knife freaks will tell you that the band formed in 1981 in Osaka, Japan. They'll add that much of the band's notoriety outside of the Land of the Rising Sun is based on their ability to charm their way into the hearts of their listeners regardless of language barriers (though most of their songs are performed in English albeit with heavy Japanese accents) by singing about delicious food items, troublesome house pests, and heartfelt observations about everyday life. Of course one of those hearts so charmed by the musical talents of Shonen Knife belongs to Kurt Cobain who asked the band to tour with Nirvana across the UK and U.S.A. in 1991 and propelled the band further in the global music scene.

​
Doug Bale does some cool stuff. The singer-songwriter (here billing his title above his name) not only has a great mid-fi sound that sorta reminds me of Matthew Sweet (check out his stuff below), he's got a cool web site and some super cool art work. It all works together remarkably well, as I'm sure those stopping by his show at the Ruby Room on First Friday will see.

The M.O. for the affair is the chance to get first crack at tickets for the WWE's Wrestlemania XXVI, which is taking place at the adjacent University of Phoenix Stadium next March. 

These prized admission passes are scheduled to officially go on sale to the rest of world on Saturday and sometimes sell out within nanoseconds. Those willing to spend a few hours waiting in line at Westgate, however, will get first dibs on 1,000 pre-sale tickets without having to bodyslam any of their fellow WWE entusiasts.