It’s almost March in Arizona and MLB’s Cactus League (Spring Training for many) has begun its annual initiation to remind us summer is on its way. And while most might
Touring behind their fourth studio album, A Man Alive, released on March 4th of this year and produced by Merrill Garbus (aka tUnE-yArDs), Thao and the Get Down Stay Down
The historic Orpheum Theatre in downtown Phoenix, which normally hosts ballets and operas, was the venue for St. Vincent’s Phoenix appearance in support of her brilliant self-titled album released in
The venue filled up early for the sold-out Phantogram show on Wednesday night for what would be their second appearance in Phoenix, and their first at the Crescent Ballroom. The
Five seconds into “Woman of Many Colors,” the first track of Courtney Marie Andrews’ latest album, On My Page, instantly conjures a scene of the countryside from a train window.
Any fans concerned that Bankrupt! will be freakishly different than the Phoenix they've come to appreciate have nothing to worry about. Basically, Bankrupt! is a melodic and slightly gentler version of Wolfgang, and while this album could be considered experimental for them, but all of the songs are easily recognizable as a Phoenix song upon first listen. Taken in isolation, it's catchy, but maybe not with any songs capable of reaching megahit status. If they set out to make an album that's compositionally divergent from anything they've ever done before, they didn't do so well. If they set out to make an album of easy-on-the-ears pop songs with a few subtle twists, they did pretty well.
Samuel Beam, better known as Iron and Wine, has now released his fifth studio album Ghost on Ghost and first on Nonesuch Records. On top of changing labels – previous albums were released on Subpop and Warner Bros./4AD – Beam has also changed his approach to songwriting, as stated on the band's website: “Beam sought to move from what he called the 'anxious tension' of his two previous records. 'This record felt like a reward to myself after the way I went about making the last few."
It was a quiet election day eve and Other Lives made their return to the Valley of the Sun. They've come to Phoenix before as the opener for Radiohead back in March and opening for rock royalty has definitely taken their public awareness to new heights. They returned this time as the headliner at Crescent Ballroom, a much more intimate venue than the giant Jobing.com arena they played last time.
Grimes is, in some sense, a testament to the pursuit and creation of an artistic vision, no matter how outlandish it may seem, and making it fly, and the fact that she is controlling everything coming out of the PA from start to finish is also impressive. After an hour of songs, she speaks to the crowd for the first time.
It was a completely full house in the Marquee on Tuesday, September 11th, and everyone was in a celebratory mood, despite the historic date. Shortly before the 10 pm stage time, chants of “Passion Pit” began, and most of the capacity crowd joined in. The house lights flicked off, causing a roar, and purple lights from the sides of the stage glowed as frontman Michael Angelakos and the five other members that comprise Passion Pit walked out. Wearing an untucked dress shirt and tie, Angelakos screams, “Hands in the air! All the way in the back!” The vast majority of the crowd complies and the synth organ intro for “Take a Walk” starts the show.
