​Just in case Flogging Molly's annual St. Paddy's Day stop in Tempe doesn't make it abundantly clear to you, the Phoenix metro area loves Irish stuff, and it loves its Celtic punk.

In 2009, Authority Zero frontman Jason Devore (who headlines the New Times Soundcheck festival this weekend) formed The Bollox with Keith Walker (of Irish rockers Power of Dreams and more recently, Sister Cities), Jason "Saddy" Combs, guitarist Greg McLarty, and drummer Brad Park. The band released a self-titled CD in March 2009, and a year later the group disbanded, making the the album nigh impossible to come by.

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​Before the Corporatization of Mill Avenue, the Tempe party center was more about music and less about $3 Long Islands.

But the Downtown Tempe Community is looking to bring the street back to its roots with Music on Mill, a weekly music series on Thursday nights that has been a passive Mill Avenue District mainstay since 2009. The "passive" bit is what they're trying to get rid of.

They're looking to rekindle a bit of the old '90s Refreshments and Gin Blossoms Mill Avenue magic. Rather than accepting any solo artist or small time acoustic band that comes their way, Music on Mill is looking for "higher profile" bands, both local and touring, that can draw a crowd to the entertainment center on a week night.

(We're looking at you What Laura Says, Black Carl, Dry River Yacht Club and Mergence.)

"The merchants and the DCC wanted to come together on a night that isn't a Friday or Saturday that wouldn't cost money - something cheap," says Jimmy Cerracchio, director of business development at the Downtown Tempe Community. "We figured we have a huge history of music here, so we should keep that going."

This month, Third Thursdays on Mill is taking on a "Geek's night out" theme. Guests are encouraged to dress as their favorite scientist.

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​Don Cornelius, creator and first host of Soul Train, the iconic television dance show was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound early this morning in his Encino, California home.

The short, but obviously shocked response from ?uestlove, drummer of The Roots, is a good indicator of the weight of such a tragic end. The prolific musician and producer used both his musical chops and his encyclopedic knowledge of Soul Train to create the musical score for the 2010 VH1 documentary commemorating the 40th anniversary of the show. (?uestlove shares his further thoughts, and the fact that he carries around 400+ vintage episodes of Soul Train on him at all times, at Okayplayer.)

oh my god.

-- Questo of The Roots (@questlove) February 1, 2012

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You deserve some breaks today...from M2

Nowhere, however, does it state that the turntable is okay to be used on a gigantic burger box.

It's a situation Valley turntablism king M2 will have to deal with if he wins a spot in the national finals of McDonald's Flavor Battle. The top three contestants in the DJ battle will compete in front of a crowd of thousands next month in Miami using booths resembling oversized versions of fast food chain's hamburger containers. Seriously. (Check out this post about last year's finals in NYC via our colleagues at the Village Voice.)

To get his ticket to Miami, however, M2 (a.k.a. Michael McDowell) will have to nab enough online votes in the next 24 hours to prevail in the semifinals of the Flavor Battle. That's where y'all come in.

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​Ah, Record Store Day. Not only is it a time for audiophiles around the world to celebrate the music pushed by countless independently-owned record shops around the world, but it's also a time of special vinyl and CD releases.

This year, Zia Records will be commemorating the occasion with the release of the sixth volume in their running series of You Heard Us Back When, a local music compilation.

It might seem a little premature to be talking about the April 21 event -- who are we kidding? It's never too soon to talk about RSD -- but Zia is now taking submissions from local acts for consideration on the compilation record.

The album offers a glimpse into the local music scene of the chain's three communities; Phoenix, Tucson and Las Vegas.

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​The Village Voice's 39th annual Pazz and Jop critics' poll is live.

Drawing from some 700 ballots, tUnE-yArDs' w h o k i l l topped the favorite albums list, and Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" topped the singles list.

Those looking for familiar New Times bylines in the individual ballots will notice me (with Ty Segall's Goodbye Bread topping my album list and Michael Kinwanuka's "Tell Me a Tale" winning best single), Jay Bennett (Black Lips' Arabia Mountain, no singles), Mike R. Meyer (Elder, Dead Roots Stirring/Benjy Bronk (ft. Elisa Jordna), "Online Sweetheart"), Dan Gibson (Antlers, Burst Apart/Michael Kiwanuka, "Tell Me a Tale") and Mike Escoto (Bon Iver, Bon Iver/Bon Iver "Halocene"). Though he doesn't have a ballot, NT contributor Serene Dominic does offer some pretty funny comments on the Top 10-plus.

Did I miss any other Arizona folks?

Richie Gimbel

​​The Valley's music scene is grieving the sudden and unexpected death of local DJ and promoter Richie Gimbel, who lost his life over the weekend.

According to friends, the 32-year-old (who performed as Craigslist Killa and was also known as Ressless Legz) passed away in his sleep sometime Saturday night or early Sunday morning. No cause of death has been established at this time.

He is survived by his parents, multiple relatives, and his extended family of friends across the Valley who are mourning his loss. Gimbel was a major music aficionado and a fixture in both the DJ and local rock scenes, as well as a friend and colleague to many.

As word spread about Gimbel's passing, his Facebook wall has become flooded with memories from friends, fellow DJs, and others expressing their disbelief, sorrow, and condolences.

"We had only met a few months ago and the chance to get to know each other was brief," wrote local fashion designer Tiffe Fermaint. "I'm so sorry that we didn't have a chance to work on the things we wanted to. You were always kind to me. You were loved by so many."

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​After the hubbub surrounding X1039's alternative demise and the subsequent '80s takeover of what is now dubbed MY103.9, it left one alternative rock station on the dial: KWSS 106.7 FM.

Indie and local music fanatics -- New Times included -- speculated that the departure of X103.9 could lead to big things for the low-power FM station.

There are a few problems, of course. First, the station is completely nonprofit, which means the DJs are strictly volunteer. While music enthusiasts around the Valley have been singing the station's praises (especially local music fans), KWSS has a way to go before its really on its feet, and it's mainly because the people who discovered Mumford and Sons on mainstream stations like 103.9 aren't sure where to go for the next big thing.

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​Last week, Valley alternative station X103.9 became My103.9, shifting its focus from alternative and punk to a "Gen X" format, with a playlist heavy on '80s hits and an open call for listeners to request songs.

Dave Pratt Live, the divisive morning show that launched in August of 2011 was the sole carry-over in the shift, leaving many wondering what would become of the SkaPunk Show. The long-running program was a standard on the The Edge and, later, X103.9. Popular DJ Craven Moorehead took over the program from KUKQ veteran Larry Mac (who went onto 97.9 KUPD -- read our interview with KUPD's John Holmberg) in 1997, and this week launched SkaPunk Radio Dot Com, an effort to keep the show going despite the format change.

"I got into radio because I loved sharing music and doing production work," says Moorehead. "I have never been one of those personalities that gets off on hearing my voice on the radio and talking about myself. Plus, over the years I have accumulated a ton of gear to record bands and do radio production. So the day I got canned, I just kinda looked around my studio and said, 'Eff it. I have everything I need right here!'"

The show launched at 9 p.m. Sunday, January 15, in keeping with the show's former schedule. We caught up with Moorehead to ask him about the new show and the future of alternative rock radio on the FM dial.

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​When the news broke that X103.9 would be "shifting formats from alternative rock to a "by Gen-X, for Gen-X playlist," the natural question was, "Will any of the X103.9 DJs be staying on in the transition?"

My103.9 launched today, and the site's website, My Phoenix Radio, has an answer, in the MyInfo section:

Who will we hear on the station?

For a while, outside of Dave Pratt Live in the mornings, the only voices you will hear are YOURS. My 103.9 will be sharing stories, your memories, your conections... So the true voice of My 103.9 is you.

So, Pratt, and you.

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