Can’t say enough how humbled I am, that my friend Meredith put together her college documentary project on Every Show Joe. That’s a first documentary I know to focus on anything about me. It features members of Playboy Manbaby, The Venomous Pinks, Reason Unknown, Bear Ghost, and, heck, even Chris Murray. Hopefully you check it out!
Read MoreNot everything I go to sits in the punk rock and ska genres. Through my first years with a driver’s license, I listened to our local Edge 106.3, and later 103.9, station playing alternative rock. In part that was because the Ska Punk Show was only on Sundays. This has continued with the local airwaves from KWSS and Alt AZ. With that said, one of my favorite alternative and local bands, Celebration Guns, has a brand new album. For the occasion they put together the awesome line up of Captain…
Read MoreYou never know how long an endeavor is going to last. If it is something you are passionate about, you hope the rest of your life. It is why you celebrate each moment as the things that matter to you hit significant benchmarks. For 80/20 Records’ founder, Michael Zimmerlich, this year marks ten years of just that. It is ten years of him helping musicians get their music out there. I met him through one of my favorite locals that his label plays host to, Captain Squeegee. Then I kept…
Read MoreThe night before Warped Tour you might think I was preparing my body for one hundred and fifteen degrees. Instead, I was finding some killer music to watch. For this night it was two local bands I love, and a band that is a joint combination of two musical acts I’ve not seen before. Up first were the guys that open anything with a bang, Bear Ghost. I always describe them as if they were the Aquabats, but more rock and no super suits. If Bear Ghost wanted to add…
Read MoreI will admit at the top that my experience and knowledge of hip hop isn’t that strong. This includes dating back to early nineties hip hop, where the extent is a little of Wu-Tang and having listened to a bunch of Beastie Boys. It was more that I couldn’t relate to it. Enter the Nerdcore genre, where these were lyrics and topics that bring out things I’m familiar with. For an example of how engrained into some of the nerdcore topics I am, my left arm includes two video game…
Read MoreLocally you tend to see some band mixing on the stages when they share shows. However, it usually is to tracks those bands already perform. What if you took twenty five members of twenty five local bands, put them into a lottery to make five bands, and had them write and perform three songs plus a cover? You get what Steve, of Psyko Steve Presents, has put together in its fourth year, the Phoenix Rock Lottery. This awesome blend of local talent, music, and genre comes together for a fun…
Read MorePeople like lists I hear, so I’m putting together two. The first of which is to spotlight some of my favorite music released in the past year in Phoenix that I managed to catch. I struggled to keep it a best of ten, so I made it fifteen. I’m sure it may come to a shock for some it isn’t a punk band atop it, but my favorite genre does sit within in a couple spots. Be sure to check out all these artists and catch them at a show…
Read MoreNew Year’s Eve isn’t the only night that brings out a bunch of great music. The Eve of New Year’s Eve brings out just as much fun. I went over to Yucca for the awesome dudes in Dent and Twin Ponies releasing their new split. They know how to book a show, because Bear Ghost and Sonoran Chorus brought the energy too. Sonoran Chorus right off the bat hits you with this punk energy and alternative indie sound blend. This is the perfect show opener if you’re looking to make…
Read MoreCaptain Squeegee is about fourteen years old, but that didn’t stop them from celebrating their tenth Anniversary tonight. How the math works out is that it has been about ten years since they stopped using the Soap Suds moniker on their name. The last release with that name on it was “Behind the Metal and Metric Pace” that came out ten years ago. It makes for a good reason to throw a full of energy show with a trip down memory lane for Captain Squeegee. The show opened with a…
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