Live- Muse with Silversun Pickups- 04/09 at US Airways Arena

I admit to having a habit of saying "Best show ever!" about a lot of shows, but this one tops them all. Seriously, the only thing I can compare it to is seeing Pink Floyd live in 1994. The sound was excellent for an arena show, the lights and effects were stunning without being overbearing, and the energy was palpable. Every song was perfect, the set was over two hours long, and I left the venue feeling a little giddy.

Rather than write a trite and factually inaccurate review full of grammatical errors- azcentral.com already did this- the pictures can speak for themselves. They aren't the best quality, but I think you'll get the idea.

 Silversun Pickups

From Muse

Muse- opening sequence

From Muse

More after the jump.

MUSE live at SXSW

It's no secret that MUSE is probably my favorite band ever, and finally seeing them live last December just cemented that. These guys are incredibly talented of course, but there's just nothing better than having every one of your ridiculously high expectations exceeded at a live show. I'll be seeing them again in 19 days when they roll through Phoenix, and here's a little something to keep the anticipation up.

MUSE live from SXSW, via myspace.


Muse - Live from South By Southwest 2010

MUSE | MySpace Music Videos

Skybox Live Session at Hear Ya

By J.Paul

Skybox was a show I got dragged to back in November by friends.  Had never heard of them but damn, did I walk away impressed.  They played at Schuba's and totally lit the place up.  High energy indie pop played with gusto and sung with a sweet falsetto and more mellow, folkier songs played with a lot of heart.  It seems like whatever these guys put their minds to they absolutely nail it.  Their latest record "Morning After Cuts" came out last month and can be streamed in it's entirety at their site: http://skyboxmusic.com/


Skybox - "In A Dream" - HearYa Live Session 1/16/10 from HearYa.com on Vimeo.


This video is taken from their recent live sessions with Hear Ya.  Performed live these songs have a new vibe and energy all their own, obviously, and are definitely worth the download.  As a companion piece to the record, they offer some great insight into what can be expected from their upcoming shows; though when I saw them they did sound a bit punchier and a bit dirtier.

Check that out here: http://www.hearya.com/2010/02/09/skybox-live-session-65/

Musings: The Strokes

By Cori

Paste Magazine reported today that The Strokes are back in the studio, working on a new album. Initially I was excited- how awesome was Is This It? That record hit me like a freight train and changed my ears forever. But then, it all came back to me. My late 2001 love affair with Julian Casablancas' voice, and in the spirit of full disclosure, his hair. Playing the album so many times that the CD became softly rounded on the edges and scratched to hell. Knowing every word to every song, and singing along loudly, albeit badly. I loved this band. I couldn't wait for more. I couldn't wait to see them live.

On January 28, 2002, the spell was broken at The Web Theater when The Strokes took the stage. All of the magic in Is This It began to wane about the time I realized Julian was so drunk he could barely stand, and vanished completely when he fell over backward, completing the set from a supine position in the middle of the stage. Don't get me wrong, the music was sound- in fact, it sounded so perfect that I almost wondered if they were lip-syncing. (They weren't) But I expected more. I expected the band to be as excited about the show as the audience was. In reality, it seemed like that stage was the last place they wanted to be.

When Room on Fire was released, I was still bitter. First Impressions of Earth found me slightly softened toward the band, so I gave it a shot. It wasn't Is This It, nor was it particularly noteworthy, but I couldn't hate them anymore.

Since the release of First Impressions of Earth, the band has been busy doing other things- 2 solo albums for Albert Hammond Jr., one for Julian, the Little Joy collaboration for Fabrizio Moretti- and my hope is that they've grown up a little. Maybe, just maybe, the time they've spent apart has given them just what they need to be bigger and better than ever.

Joe Pug - Hymn 101

by Cori

Joe Pug is one of the many great discoveries from last year's SXSW festival. His lyrics are wise beyond his years, and the simple guitar melodies are beautiful. He'll be performing at the Rhythm Room in Phoenix on February 8. Here's the video.