Valley music lovers, applaud yourselves. 2014 has been a great year for local jams. From album releases to venue closures, the landscape of the Phoenix music scene has never been so wild. It is because of this renaissance that, rather than picking the top 10 local bands to feature with this semester's year in review, we decided that it'd be more appropriate to highlight the top 10 most notable events which brought Phoenix closer to the nation's epicenter of tuneage.
So without further ado, let us begin our countdown:
10. Wooden Indian released its fourth album
(Photo by Noemi Gonzalez)As early August drew students back to classes, Wooden Indian decided to release its fourth album, “Moan Info,” complete with 14 tracks of pure bliss. The Phoenix-based band has been a part of the Valley music scene since 2010 and continues its genre of “old-school Walt Disney hip-hop soul pop” alive throughout this album.
If you have yet to listen to “Moan Info,” be sure to check it out. It may have come out nearly four months ago, but its tunes are perfect for the December doldrums — particularly the track “Fever Dream.”
9. Red Tank! gets a new lineup
If you have a Facebook, it’s more than likely you’ve been invited to a Red Tank! set. This year, Tank! frontman Clipper Arnold switched up the group's lineup, featuring entirely new musicians.
This cyber-punk death squad crawls all over the Tempe music scene at nights and on the weekend with relentless work ethic.
8. Rubber Brother Records hosted a killer album release show
Thin Bloods lead singer Colson Miller sings during a performance at Crescent Ballroom in downtown Phoenix on Saturday, Aug. 23. (Photo by Zane Jennings)On Aug. 23, we were lucky enough to witness an unorthodox combination of mosh pits, glitter headbands, spacesuits and cassette tapes at the Crescent Ballroom. This particular night was hosted by the well-known local music label Rubber Brother Records, and it was explosively outstanding.
The crowd was taken through a supernova of four different, yet equally impressive, genres from local bands Snake! Snake! Snakes!, Boss Frog, The Thin Bloods and, finally, Playboy Manbaby to celebrate the release of two new albums produced under the RBR label. Both The Thin Bloods and Playboy Manbaby impressed viewers as the bands’ new material sold out the venue.
This show was absolutely incredible. If you missed it, we are very sorry, but there’s still hope: Rubber Brother Records hosts several great shows year-round. Be sure to catch the next one.
7. Scene Expansion
For the past few years the local music scene has largely been dominated by a few organizations putting on shows — and it's been fantastic. With the introduction of Las Fuegas and the Normal School Review, that list of organizations has gotten a bit bigger. The best part about all of this is that the divide between downtown and Tempe bands is dwindling.
6. Luna Aura released a new EP
(Photo Courtesy of Pauletta Tohonnie)
Luna Aura certainly made some musical headway this year, as she performed at the Summer Ends, Rainbows and Global Dance music festivals. Before these three appearances, however, the artist created her debut EP, featuring tracks such as “Radio” and “Too Young to Die.”
Zoning in on a sound even more cosmic than her primary Katy Perry influence, Aura has taken hold of Phoenix with her live appearances. Her new eponymous EP explores her need to create music which brings her purpose, an inspiration she noted in an interview with The State Press earlier this year:
“I just went into the studio with my buddy Shawn and we started throwing out beats,” Aura said. “I wrote all the music on the EP. … I felt like I was stuck. I wanted to reinvent myself. Now I feel like I’m completely free to be whatever I want.”
From this development, we expect to see a great deal more of this self-proclaimed "alien" as she reaches more national popularity.
5. The Thin Bloods
Aside from playing a ton of shows, The Thin Bloods had a pretty laid-back year. That said, laid-back with The Thin Bloods is way more fun than with anyone else. After seeing them own it at Crescent Ballroom a few times, it's safe to say that the "All My Friends" alums are some of the most exciting musicians around.
If you like raw, hard-hitting, fun surf punk music, download The Thin Bloods's album "Twin Tumors Vol. 1" here.
4. Boss Frog released its first music video
On Oct. 31, the eclectic gem formally known as “Boss Frog & His Demon Concoctions” decided to bless the earth with its “Two Mouth One Mouth” music video. Prior to this release, the band had released the song along with a second new single entitled “Sabretooth Boogie,” which can be heard on the locally available Boss Frog/PRO TEENS split release.
(Photo Courtesy of Boss Frog)The music video is full of the eccentric, saxophone-laden experimentation one would hope for and expect from Boss Frog without missing the adorably synchronized dance moves of its members. With this in mind, we can only expect more great things from the band in 2015.
3. Captain Samurai
This year, a weird little indie tape went out online. From who I am pretty sure is a high school student, "Nothing Part Zero" is a lo-fi gem. With sweet guitars that get your head bobbing like its the happiest day of summer, Captain Samurai meshes old feels with new techniques in ways I haven't heard since Girls.
2. Parliament closed
Playboy Manbaby trumpet player David Cosme interacts with the crowd at Crescent Ballroom in downtown Phoenix on Saturday, Aug. 23, 2014. (Photo by Zane Jennings)Although the news of Parliament’s closure was considered a universal bummer among Tempe TUF kids, it is influential enough to list as our second most notable moment of 2014. The locally famed artistic collective, once located on University Drive and Smith Road, was home to countless local concerts. This reputation changed, however, when the music haven was ordered to close. Robbie Pfeffer, Parliament’s lease holder, publicized this announcement via Facebook on Aug. 25.
(Photo Courtesy of Ris Marek)Despite a temporary mourning for the venue, the legacy of Parliament lives on as its managers from Rubber Brother Records host shows around the Tempe-Phoenix area. Recently, the bands associated with the label have performed in the Rubber Brother Fall Fest, a three-day local music festival.
To remain in the loop of these proceeding events, add Parliament as a friend on Facebook. It’ll be happy to accept your request.
1. Numb Bats
After seeing the band open for Speedy Ortiz, I was hooked. Numb Bats harness the reverbed punk sound you can find anywhere today, but with a special tinge of darkness that elevates the music past the usual shack-party.
This year, the band released “Gentle Horror,” a spacey, paranoid surf punk album that provides for the “if Grace Slick joined Thee Oh Sees” fantasy. It’s meditative at parts, terrorizing in others, but captivating at every moment. Thank you, Numb Bats, for the best local release this 2014.
Enter the cave and listen to Numb Bats's music here.
Reach the reporters at aplante@asu.edu and zjenning@asu.edu or follow them on Twitter @aimeenplante and @humanzane
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