"There is a type of music that is best listened to in a van. It has to be something as large and unwieldy as the vehicle itself, something that echoes well in a smoke-filled cabin, something that is only improved by an airbrushed depiction of the Grim Reaper wrestling a tiger on a Yin Yang in space. Death’s Procession, Saviours’ fourth full-length, is just such an album, lumbering forward with strung-out brilliance and bleary-eyed might... this record a triumph for the Oakland quartet... Saviours utilize metallic influences that predate, and will easily outlive, current biases towards tight pants, PBR, and Williamsburg. There’s no hype here - these guys rule." 4/5 - Revolver
"On their fourth LP, these Hessian metal punks slow down the pace ever so slightly and embrace the doomier side of their sound... Death’s Procession is another fine slab of metal from a perpetually underrated band." - Verbicide
"Procession is Saviours finally arriving. By combining the boldest, most impactful elements that of their earlier discography, the band has released a record that sets them apart from their peers and is moving the band into being a front-runner of modern heavy metal." - Crustcake
"Sabbath-era doominess and Maiden-esque, elegant, harmonized lead guitar lines." - The Big Takeover
"If Mastodon were on their way out, Saviours would be their heir apparent." - Zero
"Crisis In Utopia is the first full-length from Holy Grail... they mix a power metal style and a straight up heavy metal style, the album is quick, full of tight melodic riffage, and an enjoyable debut." 8/10 - Metal Storm
"Crisis In Utopia... would make Iron Maiden and Judas Priest proud." 9/10 - That Devil Music
"Holy Grail is poised to be one of the greatest of the new metal bands, and Crisis in Utopia has set them well along that path." 10/10 - Ultimate Guitar
North is a dark and aggressive act that balances the experimental flare of post-rock with heaviness and gloom of sludge. They have toured and played all over the United States multiple times with such acts as Caspian, Rosetta, This Will Destroy You, Constants, Weedeater, Braveyoung aka GIANT, Lymbyc Sysytm, 65 Days of Static, Knights of the Abyss, My America, Adai, and much much more.
"North... punishing, dynamic, and heavy as all hell." - Alternative Press
"What You Were is all onslaught, smartly detonating triumphant melodies beneath the collapse and crush." - Decibel
"North... crushing, down-tuned walls of sound, throaty vocals, slowly developing song progressions, and rewarding climaxes." - Lambgoat
"Paperplanes... twangy Bakersfield guitars, honky tonk rhythms and heartfelt lyrics of loss, escape and addiction coalesce into something undeniably authentic." - Ground Control
"Paperplanes can make Long Beach feel like Lubbock” - OC Weekly
"Paperplanes... put out one of the best country albums in the county last year.”- LA Record
"...Amor's Soundtracks, Volume II. This record is really a synthesis of everything that's been cool for the past fifty years." - Mundane Sounds
"This atmospheric collection of jazz-inflected anti-arias conjures up numerous cinematic scenarios in the listener's mind.... Released on Howe Gelb's Ow Om imprint, Soundtracks Vol. II features a wide slew of local talent. Notables include Calexico's John Convertino and Noah Thomas, whose haunting trumpet lends an overall air of mystery to the proceedings. In fact, Soundtracks Vol. II not only features some of Tucson's finest performers; it's dedicated to them." - Tucson Weekly
"if justice prevails, this won't be the last we'll be hearing from the very talented Naim Amor, because Soundtracks Vol. II is a seriously inspirational masterstroke that we'd all be fools to miss out on." - Delusions of Adequacy
"There's no daylight between Naim Amor's expression and his intention. Passionate and fluid, the French singer/guitarist/composer dominates the stage whether alone or accompanied by a top-shelf roster of respected colleagues such as Thomas Belhom and Giant Sand. Amor and his avant-garde approach to pop came to Tucson in 1997." - Tucson Underground
The Tangelos are the reincarnation of Joshua Butcher and the Melancholy. Their style has been referred as alt-country to blues-rock which features strong vocal harmonies, sweet bass lines and ambient guitar goodness.
“The Tangelos are the next big thing coming out of Tucson. Not from concentrate - all natural. Their sound will stop you in your tracks and make you realize just what good music should sound like." - Tucson Music Scene
Sinphonics is a local jazz/blues influenced, hard rock band. They released their first self titled album in 2007 and played shows throughout the Southwest. The band's sound is filled with muff inspired guitar creations, melodic screams, harmonic vocals, big walking bass riffs and hard hitting jazz percussions. They are celebrating the release of their second full-length entitled Ghost Note Anthems and will be releasing an online EP later this year.
"The Provocative Whites know how to channel their rock influences into songs that sound like fresh versions of the things we loved about '90s-era indie rock - pop choruses, guitars used for every sound imaginable, moments of limb-shaking exuberance and plenty of screaming," - Tucson Weekly
"For fans of the Pixies, Weezer, Nirvana, Led Zeppelin and domestic beer. The Provocative Whites may not be the biggest self-promoting, egotistical band in town; they just play damn good rock and roll and feature two of the best guitarists around." - Tucson Scene
Caught on Film is one of the latest acts in town. Featuring members from The Static Session, St. Roarshack and Ashengrace, Caught on Film are heavily influenced by early eighties UK post-punk. Nice!
Featuring members of The Dead Tones, The El Camino Royales play some mean garage-rockabilly.
“The El Camino Royales formed in the summer of 2008 in a land primed for the rockabilly lifestyle: Tucson, Arizona. It’s a place where you can rumble down the open desert highway past saguaro cactus, rattlesnakes and mountains.” - BeateRoute Magazine
"The El Camino Royales' Ladies and Gentlemen...showcases the trio's high-octane brand of good-time surf and rockabilly - with a bit of country and blues thrown in - and splits its time between tunes with vocals and instrumentals. It's an awful lot of fun and goes a long way toward capturing the energy the band brings to its live shows." - Tucson Weekly
The Dusty Buskers perform a mix of traditional Irish, Western and Appalachian folk. Very nice stuff!
"The Dusty Buskers... Celtic-bluegrass tunes with a punk attitude and a subversive comedic slant."– TucsonScene.com
"Sideburn-friendly, Celtic-infused Americana/bluegrass with a punk-grog buzz... A family feud with fiddles, mandolins, harmonicas, whiskey and silly hats." - Tucson Weekly
"Foot-stomping fun that sounds great." - Downtown Tucsonan
"The Dusty Buskers... fun and funky trio, full of energy and enthusiasm." - Silver City Sun-News
The Haymarket Squares are a great punkgrass band playing traditional acoustic instruments (upright bass, guitar, mandolin, banjo, accordion, harmonica) mixed with rabble-rousing, leftist lyrics with three-part harmonies. These guys have established themselves up Phoenix-way with their fun live set!
The second album by celebrated North Carolina collective Lost In The Trees will be released March 20th via Anti-Records. The extraordinary record, entitled A Church That Fits Our Needs, is a work of vaulting ambition, a cathedral built on loss and transformation.
"Lost in the Trees... has a stage presence that is absolutely mesmerizing while boasting a catalog of songs that are both heart wrenching and beautiful.” – Paste
"Lost in the Trees... rich, fully realized arrangements elevate Picker’s heartfelt songwriting to memorable heights.” – Washington Post
"Lost in the Trees' All Alone In An Empty House... “A labor of love, for sure, and we’re its beneficiaries.” – NPR
"All Alone in an Empty House is a true pop gem with a rare eye for genuine musicianship, sincere songwriting and complex, yet uncluttered arrangements. It's an album that should be in any collection." - Triangle Music
Poor Moon is Christian Wargo (Fleet Foxes, Crystal Skulls) Casey Wescott (Fleet Foxes) and brothers Ian and Peter Murray (The Christmas Cards). The band, named for frontman and primary songwriter Christian Wargo's favorite Canned Heat song, began four years ago as a long distance project with demos being created and sent back and forth while Wargo and Wescott were touring in support of the Fleet Foxes 2008 self-titled debut