Barring the long-predicted apocalypse slamming down in Phoenix and ruining all our fun, one of the indie world’s favorite bands is coming back to Phoenix and Tucson for what’s sure to be another stellar set of gigs. Stateside announced earlier today that the band will touch down at Club Congress on March 18th and at Rhythm Room on March 19th. The overwhelming amount of hype that the band has received since before they even released a record shows zero sign of showing down, so I’d recommend you get your tickets far in advance to avoid missing these shows. I’ll be celebrating my birthday at the Phoenix one, so feel free to buy me a shot of Jameson, o’ faithful readers.



MP3: Cults – Most Wanted

Yesterday brought an announcement that nearly made me spill my coffee all over my keyboard out of excitement. Two of my favorite rappers that I discovered this year are coming to Scottsdale together on what’s sure to be one of the best bills of the early months of 2012. Childish Gambino and Danny Brown released two of my favorite records of 2011, and they’ve both been on constant repeat as 2011 comes to an end. You probably know Childish as Donald Glover, an actor and comedian, and now rapper. Dude straight kills it on Community and his raps are much sharper than you’d expect from an actor stepping into the music game. As for Danny… he is one of the strangest and most talented rappers in the game, and the latest to prove that Detroit is still running things, even though the city is crumbling all around their stellar hip hop scene. Come out on April 11th and catch this show. Get blunted to these preview tracks and get your tickets early. I’ll see every one of you there.



MP3: Childish Gambino – Fire Fly
MP3: Danny Brown – Adderall Admiral



Heartbeat (No Pets Allowed Dubstep Remix) – Childish Gambino

The Minneapolis-based hip hop group Doomtree released one of the most impressive albums of the year in this humble Phoenician’s view. The group is made up of some of the hottest names in the underground scene and has a sound that is hard to be pinned down and will instantly make you recognize one of their tracks when you hear it. However, where the group really shines is in the live arena, and we’re all in for a taste of that experience come February. That’s because on February 4th Stateside and UM are teaming up to bring the collective to Chaser’s in Scottsdale. You can find all the information your little heart desires, as well as tickets, right over here. This one will sell out!



MP3: Doomtree – The Grand Experiment

If you managed to miss out on the opportunity to ingest said drugs with Neon Indian the last time they were in town, you’ll luckily get another chance to turn on, tune in, and drop out. Or, if you don’t partake in such recklessness, you can simply come and dance your ass off to some electronic-indie goodness. You’ll have to wait a few months, as they’re not coming to town until April 12th. However, the wait will be well worth it, as they’ll be doing a live set at Boomstick, the best dance night that Thursdays in Phoenix has to offer. They’re even making this a 16+ event so the kiddies can come and flood their ears with some Brooklyn-via-Austin hype. Get more details and tickets here.



MP3: Neon Indian – Sleep Paralysis

Local indie band ROAR just released a new music video that manages to be funny, heartwarming, and highly entertaining at the same time. It also does a damn good job of selling the band as a local act that you should pay attention to. “I Can’t Handle Change” is the title track for the band’s EP, that you can download right over here. After you watch this video, you should be primed and ready to come see the band open up for Andrew Jackson Jihad at Crescent Ballroom on December 17th. The killer locals lineup also features Sweetbleeders, Empire Of The Bear, and the DJ king DJentrification.

Mr. Meeble just returned home after a whirlwind 18-date tour throughout Europe. It’s really exciting to see a talented band from Phoenix make the hop across oceans and play countries like Czech Republic, Servia, Spain, and Portugal. The tour was reported as a successful endeavor and they’re now ready to finish it off with their last Phoenix show for the year. The show is a 21+ event at Crescent, which means you can expect some booming sound to go along with Meeble’s laser show. I’d recommend arriving early, as the all-locals lineup is worth skipping out on being fashionably late. Meeble even did us the favor of releasing a new song while they were on tour and you can check that out below. I hope everyone comes out for a Friday night of local music.



Star Power (steppdecke edit) by Mr. Meeble

I think it’s fair to say that the secret is out when it comes to Crescent Ballroom, the newest and greatest venue in downtown Phoenix. I’ve yet to talk to a single person that wasn’t absolutely thrilled with the spot, and I’ve got to say I share the same opinion. From the sound, to the benches in the back, to the multiple bars and fantastic food, there isn’t much I can complain about. I would like the front lounge and outdoor bar to be a little bigger, but that’s just nitpicking at this point. I think one of the best uses for the main room is hosting massive 21+ dance parties, and luckily there’s a huge one coming on Saturday, November 26th. The one and only Switch will be doing a rare solo gig while he’s currently touring the world with Major Lazer. There will be more information on openers and such soon, but for now you can grab tickets.



MP3: Switch Ft. Andrea Martin – I Still Love You

It’s been a couple of crazy busy weeks for me, and unfortunately I haven’t had much time to update this blog. Luckily I have had time to catch a couple of shows at the brand new Crescent Ballroom downtown. I’ve got to say that I’m absolutely in love with this venue, and not just because Stateside advertises on this blog. This is exactly what Phoenix has been needing. The sound is amazing, the layout and size of the venue are just right, and there are multiple bars filled with delicious drinks. Best of all, this will drastically cut down on the number of shows held at the always-awful Clubhouse. Praise jesus! If you haven’t made it down to the venue yet, tomorrow night will be a massive dance party with CSS and MEN, so you should get your asses down there and dance!

MP3: CSS – Hits Me Like A Rock (Dillon Francis Remix)
MP3: CSS – City Grrrl (MEN Meets GRRRL Remix)

I’m pretty shocked by how fast time flew by, but it appears FilmBar is already celebrating their six month anniversary on Friday, August 19th. The independent movie theater, and beer and wine lounge, has quickly become my favorite spot in Downtown Phoenix. It’s the kind of place I could spend all day at, between seeing a flick and enjoying conversation with friends in the lounge. A lot of other people have become thrilled about the vibe at this new Downtown institution, as you can tell by the crowd that lines up at the bar most nights.

Since said fans have been good to the place, the theater is giving back on this night. They’ll be giving free popcorn and drink specials to anyone that buys a ticket to a screening that night, along with having giveaways, cake, and some special guests showing up. Chi Chi’s Tacos will also be on site for those of you looking for something a little more substantial to nosh on. The party is going from 6pm until 2am, so make sure not to check your energy at the door. Have a look at these two trailers for the films that will be screening on Friday evening.