Phoenix Music Blog

​Phoenix garage rock outfit The Love Me Nots are planning to do a split live record with The Hounds Below, a new project by Jason Stollsteimer of The Von Bondies. The record will be produced by Jim Diamond, the Detroit garage rock godfather behind the first two White Stripes records, Electric 6 and the last two Love Me Nots records. (Read my interview with Diamond, who came to Mesa to record the LMN's new album here.)

Yes, astute readers may have noticed that this proves the old adage that the enemy of my enemy is my friend: The Love Me Nots are allied with Diamond, who famously sued Jack White, and, of course Stollsteimer famously got his ass kicked by White at the Magic Stick.

Three live shows will be recorded by Diamond, neither in Phoenix. The shows are a December 10 gig at The Beat Kitchen in Chicago, a December 11 concert at Cowboy Monkey in Champaign, Illinois and a December 12 show at The Park Bar in Detroit.

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Last week's issue of College Times features an interview with Kimber Lanning where the Modified Arts owner talks a bit about her plans for the future and a little about the controversy surrounding my "Downtown is Ovah" column (and my followups) on the subject:

College Times: Martin Cizmar from the New Times has claimed that downtown is "over," at least as far as the music scene goes. I know a lot of local music fans feel the same way. How do you feel about that?

Lanning: I think that's laughable, actually. It doesn't even warrant a response, it's so silly. If you think that downtowns are based on a music venue that holds 150 people, [that's] delusional. I mean, there's $1.2 billion being poured into downtown Phoenix in the last three years, so let's just have a little reality check. There are all kinds of new restaurants. I could go on, but it's [unnecessary] to even bother.

I'm happy to hear Lanning is so confident -- truly, that's a good sign. I can't help but remain suspicious though, something I've increasingly come to realize has a lot to do with where I'm from. Like other Arizona natives, Lanning has never not seen her city progress on every front. Actually, Arizona and Phoenix, have never done anything but grow and improve. They've moved forward constantly and consistently, especially in the last two decades. I'm from the Rust Belt, where I've seen shit fall apart. I see a lot of reasons to worry about that here.

​ As I told you last week, Arizona is (apparently) a hotbed of competitive yodeling. Now we've got some (proverbial) hardware for the trophy room: Tucson's 17-year-old entrant, Tiffany Jo Allen, bested our boy from the QC and another competitor to win the U.S. competition. Now, she'll be featured on the Yahoo! homepage (which the company is calling, perhaps not ridiculously, "world's largest stage" in the world tournament.

Read more about this yodeling thing here. Or check out Tiffany Jo doing her thang here.

​I'm not sure if Rick Alvin Schaier counts as "local" since he was based in Southern Cali, and the Phoenix-associated band he drums for, Miniature Tigers, up and moved to New York City, but just in case anyone's interested, his side project, Alvin Band, is making some noise. Spike Jonze's site, We Love You So, has loved the band's record so.

"Okay, it's never nice to start with such a direct comparison- but it's hard to ignore the fact that some of Alvin Band's songs sound a lot like Animal Collective. That's not a detriment at all. The sound is similar, but not identical, and even if it were identical- that would be rad! Two Animal Collectives are better than one, right?"

Ugh. I'm more than fine with zero Animal Collectives. If true, this would be horrible news, especially if this means Schaier is gonna start designing super douchey hoodies. Fortunately, comparing bands to Animal Collective is just something people do reflexively now, and Alvin Band is a lot less annoying than the Baltimore-based ambient indie "collective."

Download Alvin Band's single here. Also check out Arty Girl's take on Schaier's work here.

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It's been a few months since I had the onerous task of reviewing Tempe punk band VW Trainwreck's super-shitty record Dramaturgy in our You Asked For It column, only to field comments from the band suggesting:

1) I did not really listen to the record even once.
2) Record companies pay for good reviews in New Times.
3) I did not understand that their crass lyrics were ironic and/or postmodern satire.

So, yeah, these guys are clowns and, normally, I'd say they were fairly harmless clowns. Except for this flier, which genuinely kinda-sorta offends me. Yes, I know, being offensiv is totally punk rock and I should get over it. But, seriously, is this scene depicting what looks like Beavis and some of Butt-Head's friends raping, torturing, and murdering people okay? What about the guy tied to a cactus in Matthew Shepard-like fashion? I couldn't care less about the dead guy with the "Punk's Not Dead" flag sticking through his skull, who looks a little like me, or the fact that the rape victim is holding a New Times, but the fact that the gentleman in the Avail hat looks a lot like a prominent, and widely beloved, local promoter bothers me.

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Is there anything more ridiculous than finding yourself upset by a change in management on a music blog? No one seems to managed to stay employed in one place anywhere for long, so Maura Johnston's three year run at Idolator (starting with the site's founding) was bound to come to an end eventually, even though it happened quickly with a sudden goodbye post in the middle of a decade-closing series covering the worst songs of the decade. Immediately, the tributes in the comment section and on Twitter started rolling in, but the problem wasn't so much that Maura was out of a job (she's ridiculously talented and sure to be snapped up by some lucky employer quickly), but what followed the next day.

​Some sad news from Tucson: Solar Culture, the venerable gallery/venue that has a lot in common with Phoenix's soon-to-be-vastly-different Modified Arts, is on the auction block. The guy who runs it, artist Steven Eye, is apparently not the obvious winner. From Tucson Weekly.

There are dark clouds gathering over Solar Culture's building, which is set to go up for auction next week as the cash-strapped state seeks to unload surplus properties in an effort to find revenue.

The auction process was put into motion by developer Steve Fenton, who put down $9,500 for the chance to bid on Solar Culture. That's 10 percent of the appraised value of $95,000.

Unfortunately, when the Tucson City Council had to decide which warehouse spaces to transfer from the state into city hands, Solar Culture did not make the list, which did include the Steinfeld Warehouse, the Toole Shed and the warehouse that's now home to Skrappy's... But Eye has never made much money from his artistic endeavors and certainly does not have the deep pockets necessary to compete in an auction against Fenton.

So, you're probably wondering: Am I going to declare Tucson "ovah?"

I wish!

Even without Solar Culture (which, again, will be sorely missed) that dirty little city down south still has better venues than The Valley in every size and shape -- aside from our two wonderful arenas and our standard-issue giant concert pavilion.

That's the real shame here, folks. Losing Solar Culture will suck a little, but Tucson is still way, way ahead of Phoenix on this front. If Phoenix scenesters are smart they'll start taking up a collection to buy the jilted Eye an abandoned warehouse somewhere in our fair metropolis and pray he can create something half as awesome as what he did there.

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Grace Perry of local death metal act Landmine Marathon is on the cover of this month's Revolver to commemorate the mag's annual "Hottest Chicks in Metal" list -- which is sort of a Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue for the motorcycle jacket set. Perry, who shares the glossy spread with Halestorm's Lzzy Hale, has a show in two weeks in Scottsdale where you can hear the delicate coo demonstrated below. Also, it's cool to see Grace on the cover and all, but I feel like the issue pretty tame this year. Check out some old ones and try to disagree.

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Arizona music fans have certainly noticed a void in the scene of late. Tempe's bluesy pop crew Gospel Claws have gone on a hiatus that will extend through the end of 2009.

Previously, the band was anticipating the departure of drummer, Scott Hall, who felt that he did not have the time to fully commit to the volume of gigs that the quintet were playing. However, guitarist Wesley Hilsabeck said, "We've come to an agreement to only play one show a month... Maybe two, depending on the opportunity, but we're really going to try to stick to one."

That agreement won't go into effect until early next year, but in the mean time the Claws are recording a full-length with Bob Hoag at Flying Blanket. Experimenting with recording live to tape has garnered great results, successfully capturing the band's dynamic and giving songs more character, Hilsabeck said. A bit more recording in November, and the record will be set for mixing in January. "It's hard to be patient sometimes but we want to take the time to ensure that our songs come across the right way on this record." 

As for plans post-recording and post-hiatus, Hilsabeck said Gospel Claws are shooting for a performance at SXSW this year. "The timing would be perfect and a great way to get back into the groove."

Jonathan McNamara

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I've been excited about the new Against Me! record since we got to hear half of it at the band's stellar Kia-sponsored show at The Icehouse a little while back. Now, it has a name: White Crosses. Butch Vig (Nevermind, Siamese Dream, etc.) produced the record, which was finished in Los Angeles last week and is due at the beginning of 2010.

w00t!

Maybe it's just that we've run not one but two think pieces on the concept of and criteria for "supergroups" in the last month, but I became physically ill upon seeing the headline over The Arizona Republic's review of U2's show in Glendale last night.

"Supergroup U2 delivers in Glendale," it read.

Then, the story:

Irish supergroup U2 used the biggest stage in rock to try to connect with tens of thousands of fans at University of Phoenix Stadium during the band's stop in Glendale, no matter which zip code they were sitting in.

A memo to The Arizona Republic's copyeditors: The word "supergroup" has a meaning, and that meaning is not simply "a group that is super by virtue of immense talent."

"In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe 'a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups,'" says Wikipedia.

I guess you could maybe rely on the second (and stupid, not to mention heretofore totally obscure) definition at m-w.com but c'mon, guys. Geez oh Pete, we need more music writing from the Republic's much better daily counterpart in Mesa.

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Cardiac Party is breaking up. Considering the Phoenix electro-pop outfit's Teen Challenge was one of my favorite local CDs of the year, I'd say this is very unfortunate news, though if there's any silver lining it's that the band's bassist Jason Woodbury may have more time to write the excellent features and reviews he's been doing for us.

Here's a statement from the band's frontman Ryan McDowell:

Cardiac Party for both practical and personal reasons can't function as a unit any longer. Our momentum is deflated, and unfortunately it's not a project that any of its members are invested in. The summer of 2010, I will be leaving for Los Angeles. Our last show is November 3rd at Modified with Times New Viking and Axeman....

Best wishes to everyone in the band.

Victor Palagano

Matt and Kim. See more shots in our slide show.

​Third Thursday in Scottsdale proved a massive mish-mash of ages, scenes and reasons for attendance. Matt and Kim played a free gig for FM 103.9's free concert series, Sean Kingston was at Venue of Scottsdale, plus, there was that whole art walk thing.

The Brooklyn-based duo Matt and Kim took the stage at Craftsman Court around 9 p.m., and spewed rays of sunshine so genuine that it wouldn't be surprising to find them as hosts of a t.v. show aimed at kiddos. Both brought with them beaming smiles and MC moves, perfectly suited to the sugary pop and big hip-hop beats the group sample and bang out.

"Let's all take a big, collective sigh of relief 'cause the balloon boy is OK," Matt joked. He then proclaimed his love for feeling as though he'd traveled back into summertime, after being in New York, and kicked into "It's a Fact (Printed Stained)."

Fans repeatedly bashed through the metal barriers separating the stage from the crowd and literally had the stage hands pushing the gate-like units back at the mass of people. Kim shot over to the microphone to thank the muscley preservers: "You guys holding the barricade, are allowing us to have a fucking great time."

Exposing some freak punk roots, Matt and Kim then flew into the alleged fastest song they've ever written and doubled the time. The instrumental assault sounded like Minor Threat layered with the soundtrack to Mario in his Nintendo World on speed.

"I wanna see you get wild," Matt said, peppering "Silver Tiles," the first Matt and Kim song ever written, and "5K" with can-can kicks and rather impressive arabesques. Kim borrowed a few choice rock drummer moves (see: holding one stick in the air epically, crossing sticks, flexing biceps, etc.). She sang backups on "Lessons Learned," the song featured in the video for which they recently won a moon man. Matt referred to the event, the winning that is, as "Something weird that happened," adding that it was their first MTV VMA and it was awarded for the first time they were naked in Times Square.

After the crowd served up some serious "da da dada da da's" for the song, Kim, now armed with her own mic, exclaimed: "You guys are so fucking awesome." Matt remarked that although his counterpart has the body of a 15-year-old boy, she has the mouth of a 60-year-old sailor. 

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Yes, The Valley's ever-fluxing, erm "format modifying," station FM 103.9, better known as The Edge is still hosting those free Third Thursday concerts that brought acts like MGMT, The Ataris and Alien Ant Farm to the open-air mall Tempe Marketplace. Now a mainstay in Old Town Scottsdale's Craftsman Court, this month's bash presents Arizonans with headliners Matt and Kim, with support from local acts The Bollox and Telescope.

The sugary sweet, dance slop duo have had a big year: not only winning a moon man for best breakthrough video for their song "Lessons Learned," (best summarized as a drawn out stripping-in-public music video with a crazy end), their Fader debut Grand cracked the Billboard Top 200, and, possibly most importantly, their song "Daylight" was featured in this Bacardi mojito commerical.

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For Bloodshot Records' 15th anniversary, or quinceañera, if you will, they're throwing themselves a little party. So far, that party has stopped at 10 cities across these United States with plenty of BBQ, booze and tunes to satisfy the most nomadic and hungry of folk punks. At Tempe's Sail Inn on October 24, party goers will don their final hats and toot their final horns.

From the Bloodshot roster, the lineup boasts Exene Cervenka of the seminal L.A. punk outfit X, who recently let loose with her first solo record since 1991, titled Somewhere Gone. The Silos, who recently appeared at Tucson's HoCo Fest, throwback baby Justin Townes Earle, Waco Brothers, Mark Pickerel & His Praying Hands, and "break yer heartstrings singer" Rosie Flores complete the bill.

The much talked about demise of Modified Arts as an indie rock venue has another twist: South Scottsdale's The Rogue Bar is entering the fray by moving to a full-time live venue.

Sadly, as part of that, DJ William "Fucking" Reed's always wonderful Shake! dance night is going the way of the buffalo following Halloween after 4 years of Trashcan-sipping bliss.

"Phoenix music lovers will see bands hitting the stage every Saturday as of November 7. Venue-goers can expect to hear Indie, Punk, Alt-Country, and general Rock 'N Roll five nights a week. The bar will be focusing on supporting local musicians and welcoming touring national acts in efforts to nurture Phoenix's place on the national music scene. Conversations with local and national promotion companies are underway, as well as an effort to create an All-Ages area for local fans under 21. Full calendar to be announced shortly on soon-to-be-launched www.theroguebar.com."

Admission to the Halloween "Zombie Prom" is $3 with doors at 8 p.m.. A costume contest, give-aways, and drink specials are planned throughout the night.

Local boy Alice Cooper, the self-proclaimed "King of Halloween," is releasing a new single called "Keepin' Halloween Alive."

The iTunes exclusive track --which you can hear in the video above -- also comes with a "Cooperoke" vocal-free version which fans are encouraged to video themselves singing along to for a contest to be judges by the shock rocker himself. Three winners will have their videos posted on Cooper's web site and will be awarded up to $1,000 cash. All videos must be submitted no later than midnight on Halloween -- more details at here.

"At home my family all gathers around an old spooky tree decorated with skulls and bones in the living room, and we exchange gifts," says Cooper. "It's our holiday. We even all have matching black-and-orange Halloween sweaters! I wanted a theme song for people like me, and for us Halloween never ends. In the chorus I say, 'I'm keepin' Halloween alive, baby, 3-6-5'... and I mean it!"

In addition to releasing the new single, Cooper is busy hosting his "Nights with Alice Cooper" radio program on more than 100 stations worldwide, and staying on the road with his Theatre of Death world tour which goes to Slovakia, Idaho and four separate Florida cities but doesn't come through Arizona.

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Brad Perry, the former Channel 3 broadcaster has a new gig. The former Good Morning Arizona weather man, an all around good guy, who I had the unenviable task of panning after The Arizona Republic conveniently sidestepped the question of musical talent in their feature, has been hired on at Celebrity Theatre.

Don't worry, he's not fronting the house band. As of the end of September, Perry is the "official Master of Ceremonies" for the circular venue. He will host concerts, emcee charity auctions, announce Sanderson Music Series' 'front row' winners as well as upcoming events.

"Brad's wit and audience-friendly demeanor make him the ideal spokesperson for what is going to be our biggest fall season yet for music and comedy," says Celebrity's Talent Buyer Alycia Klein. "He adds a whole new dynamic to the shows and we're fortunate to have him on board."

We're very happy to hear Perry has landed on his feet and look forward to hearing him at Celebrity.

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The sour economy continues to hit concert promoters. LiveNation, which drew a lot of attention with a "No Service Fee Wednesday" promotion this summer, is now offering two tickets for the price of one to some shows this fall. Sorry, you're not gonna get U2 tickets cheap, but if you're in to Steely Dan you're in luck. Full list on the jump.

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It's that time of year! Shizzfest, our locals-only semi-annual fest, is scheduled for October 10 and is set to span three stages including The Trunk Space and neighboring candy shop slash vinyl store Sweets & Beats.

The gigantor lineup boasts Andrew Jackson Jihad, Rumspringer, Snow Songs and So And So, plus 16 more, including the recently added Peachcake.

For $10, attendees get 20 bands, plus enviable proximity to Bikini Lounge, for those of age

​Kimber Lanning, the prominent Phoenix record store owner turned community activist, has released a statement saying she plans to step away from her Roosevelt Row gallery/venue, Modified Arts. Lanning has become more and more involved in big-time community planning issues in recent years and says she plans to retain ownership of the building, but will put a husband and wife team of Kim Larkin and Adam Murray in charge of the to-be-renovated gallery.

Here's the really bad news: "[T]he big, indie rock shows you've come to know and love at Modified will have to find another home. The programming will be changing to better accommodate a gallery, so the slant will be more experimental and progressive." Modified Arts as it exists now will close the second weekend in December and re-open with a new look in late January.

Uh-oh. As the space -- just for starters -- employs the best bouncer in Phoenix and housed the best little show of the year, there's good reason to wonder just how big of a disaster this will be for the Phoenix music scene.

Read on for the full text of Lanning's statement.

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An incident where Lindsay Lohan was confronted by a man in Scottsdale has made a New York Daily News list of "celebrity Stalking Victims."

A 38-year-old alleged stalker was arrested outside a club in Scottsdale, Arizona after lunging at starlet Lindsay Lohan. The actress was leaving the nightclub... when the man, who allegedly has a history of stalking Lohan, leaped towards her and screamed, 'I love her, I love her.'

Oh, Scottsdale.

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I'd be willing to bet exorbitant sums that most of you readers weren't aware that California-based power poppers best known for the eternal torment of anyone cursed with the digits 867-530-NI-EE-I-INE, Tommy Tutone, still gig around. Don't let their web site tour section, which hasn't listed a show since late June, fool you, they totally still play out.

The gents, playing as a duo, are making a pit-stop, perhaps in search of more bathroom wall dial-ups to inspire another numerically-based hit, at Arizona's own Cave Creek Coffee Company on October 2.

This means for $20 to $22, ticket pre-show or the day of, respectively, you, one who has presumably heard this song on the radio countless times and hummed it to the chagrin of not only your co-workers, but also yourself, can bear witness to a live performance that has a damn good chance of including "867-5309/Jenny."

To be fair, and maybe even a little balanced, it should be noted that Tommy Tutone is not technically a one-hit wonder. Their second Billboard climber was "Angel Say No." Catch a video for it after the jump.

Sam Means (right) and the other half of the Format (left).

​ About a month after former Format singer Nate Ruess' new band fun. released their debut, Aim and Ignite (review here), the other half the the Phoenix indie duo is making music. Sam Means will do six songs for the soundtrack of the upcoming film The Sinking of Santa Isabel, reports Spin.

The first song, "Yeah Yeah," is below, and sounds fantastic: lo-fi folk with those gorgeous little piano parts that made Dog Problems such a treat. There are probably a few people who'll be offended by this, but, based on the mediocre Aim and Ignite and this, I'd say Means is better positioned for solo success. Lucky for us he's the half that stayed in Phoenix while his partner moved to Brooklyn.

​In case you thought October would be a snoozer pre-Halloween, PBR's got ya covered. On October 10, the booze purveyor is hosting a Tiki Throwdown in the Yucca Tap Room parking lot featuring Fishbone, backed by a local lineup including Liar's Handshake, Matthew Reveles, What Laura Says and Black Carl. DJs Johnny Volume and Dana are set to spin between sets.

And PBR is taking this whole luau theme to the extreme: expect a Hawaiian food, a full-on pig roast, outdoor games and leis, to surely be accompanied by an abundance of lei jokes. The beverage of choice will naturally be PBR, which, reportedly, "will flow like water."

It'll be an all-day affair with live music kicking off at 3 p.m. Plus the $3 suggested donation goes to benefit the Arizona Chapter of the American Cancer Society and Single Mothers With Cancer.

Chickenfoot -- the non-supergroup made up of Joe Satriani, Sammy Hagar, Chad Smith and Michael Anthony -- will record their Phoenix show at Dodge Theatre this Wednesday for use in a possible DVD. The band's first single, "Oh Yeah," is the No. 1 single on the classic rock charts (who knew there was such a thing?) and #3 on the mainstream rock charts. The show has impressed at least one critic, writing for the Star Tribune in Minnesota:

"Suddenly, it felt like 1986 all over again. Hagar, 61, was unstoppable, flexing his voice and muscles on "Turnin' Left" as Satriani, 53, showed off his flashy technique, playing more blues than he typically does with his own band."

Yucca Tap Room owner Rodney Hu.

 

The ever-churning Daytrotter is showing our Meat Puppets some love. In addition to sponsoring the Meat Puppets' current tour with Athens rockers Dead Confederate, which recently made a stop at Marquee (review here), Daytrotter is doling out a digital download of a seven-inch split (which has no actual inches, but whatever) between the two acts.

The Meats join a sweet list of Arizona bands that Daytrotter has hyped including What Laura Says, Miniature Tigers and Lymbyc Systym. Although it's not a formal sesh, the digital split includes a live recording of Meat Puppets performing "Go To Your Head" that Daytrotter captured at this year's SXSW, and Dead Confederate doing "The Rat" live for Laundromatinee.

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METRO light rail and the Phoenix Suns made a big announcement today: free rides for ticketed customers at U.S. Airways events.

They're calling it "a unique program entitled, 'Rail Ride Event'" but it's not so complicated. It is, apparently, "a first in the U.S. between an entertainment venue and public transportation entity.

Just get on the train and your ticket doubles as valid fare. The deal runs on the day of the event for four hours prior to the start through the end of the transit day. The program will begin October 1, 2009 and run through September 30, 2010.

"This program will encourage use of the system as a great way to get to and from events at US Airways Center," said Phoenix Vice Mayor Tom Simplot. "The Rail Ride Event program will encourage new riders who will soon discover how convenient, efficient and safe the system is."

Call me an insufferable skeptic, but I sort of suspect this may be a way to juice the numbers and make that billion traffic-snarling dollar contraption seem more useful...

"Oh, we estimated that 19,530 of the 20,000 fans at the Suns-Lakers game rode light rail there," says a future public information officer.

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Summer is over and gone with it are the ubiquitous hipster-friendly downtown pool parties.What to do? Local party promoter Jen Deveroux's Royal Filth seems like a pretty good option. The party kicks off  next Saturday at The Rose and Crown (a.k.a. that place you go when Pizzeria Bianco's long wait gets to you) and features local pop acts We Fear The Bees and Hooves.