Phoenix gets new place to eat music

For the last 20 years Stinkweeds Records has been one of the Valleys greatest supporters of independent music. To say owner Kimber Lanning is one of the most important advocates of local music in Arizona would be a huge understatement. In addition to Stinkweeds she owns local art gallery and venue Modified Arts and has been a curtail player in revitalizing the downtown and the art district. Lanning also is the Director of Local First Arizona (formally AZ Chain Reaction) an organization of locally owned businesses that support locally owned businesses in Arizona.

Now Kimber and the other great people at Stinkweeds have launched SilverPlatter.info, an online blog/concert calendar. Everyone in Phoenix should go take a look. This has the potential to be a great vehicle to promote music in AZ.

If you ever get the chance to talk to Kimber I advise you to do so. She is one of the most passionate and informed advocates for art and music I have ever meet. A lot of how I think about the way the business of music should done comes from my conversations with her. Modified Arts was where I started doing shows in High School and have continued doing so ever since. And Stinkweeds has been the main shop for music.

Am Radio by The Lymbyc Systm

The Lymbyc Systym need to win a Grammy for best sound track. I just don't know what movie it would be for. Their instrumental mix of jazz, indie rock, hip hop beats, and electronic sounds create a rich and moving sound.

Recently they have been taped by Hrishikesh Hirway of The One AM Radio to not only open for him on his current US tour but also to play as his backing band. Recently I got to see two of these shows (one in LA and one that happened to fall during a short trip back to AZ). These shows are incredible. The Lybyc Systym are the perfect compliment for Hirway.

In addition to their tour The One AM Radio remixed a Lybyc Systym song Astrology Days and Lybyc Systym "rymyx"ed a One AM Radio song Mercury.

The One AM Radio - Mercury (Lybyc Systym rymyx)

Lymbyc Systym - Astrology Days (The One AM Radio remix)


Read An interview with The One AM Radio in the Arizona Republic by Justin Gage of Aquarium Drunkard.

One Reason I No Longer Live In Mesa

“Metal rock's not Mesa's role, councilman says” read the headline of an article published yesterday in the Arizona Republic.

The article is about one Mesa city councilman’s comments of The Sounds of The Underground show in Mesa coming up.

"It's not what we want our image to be," said Kyle Jones, who represents downtown on the council. "For me personally I'd just as soon we didn't have any of that kind of stuff."

This attitude is one of the reasons I no longer live in Mesa. I am a Mesa native but cannot stand that this is the way the city looks at art. Can you imagine any LA or New York councilman making this kind of statement, or even caring about any one tour?