Ed Masley

The Republic | azcentral.com

The Blunt Club celebrates its 14th anniversary at Crescent Ballroom in a month that also brings new release celebrations for Complicate/Simple, Red Tank!, Some Dark Hollow, Will Goble, American Longspurs, Genre and Spoiled. Here's those and other local highlights, including a mixtape exchange with live music from Harrison Fjord and a Myrlin Hepworth tour launch.

6/4: Blunt Club 14th Anniversary Party

It’s the 14th anniversary of the Blunt Club with DJ Pickster, DJ Melo and DJ Organic supplying the music and assorted special guests on the art front. Pickster One says, “As we come up on 14 years of Blunt Club, we are really lucky the anniversary lands on Comicon weekend this year. Art has been and will always be a very important part of Blunt Club. So we invited out some of our superstar comic-artist friends in town for Comicon to paint live at the anniversary. It's going to be one for the books, no pun intended.”

Details: 9 p.m. Saturday, June 4. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $8-$10. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.

6/4: Field Tripp fundraiser show

Dan Tripp released a string of self-recorded Field Tripp EPs in 2014, all of which I loved. But this time out, he’s stepping up his game, recording in a proper studio, producer Bob Hoag’s Flying Blanket, and hoping to track enough songs to cut a full-length. There’s already been an Indiegogo campaign to defray the costs, but they still need more scratch. So they’ve recruited FITS, the Christian Family and Snake Snake Snakes! (of which Tripp is a member in excellent standing) to join them in a show to raise more funds toward that recording. I cannot vouch for the truthiness of certain aspects of the following message I received from Mr. Tripp himself, but that certainly wouldn’t stop a political writer. “Me and Coop are fresh out of jail and we really need to start raising some serious cheddar if we're ever gonna get this God dang record out. This show is our most honest of means of doing so. Our first-ever T-shirts will be available and perhaps the best news of all, after a series of tough negotiations, the Rogue Bar staff have agreed to furnish toilet paper AND hand soap in the restrooms for this event! Now that’s what I call music.”

Details: 8 p.m. Saturday, June 4. Rogue Bar, 423 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. $7. 480-947-3580, facebook.com/theroguebar.

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6/4: Genre release show

They’re promising “a night of wonder and magic” on the patio of Bud's Glass Joint as they celebrate the cassette release of “Legendary Rock Act,” a full-length debut that finds singer Zac Markey weighing in on life and death as though they were actual matters of life and death. It’s a stunning debut, easing into the action with “Royal Plain 2,” Markey practically whispering about “discerning miracles from sins” over dialogue samples, acoustic guitar and tinkling piano lines. Then, the album explodes with the slow-burning brilliance of a second track called “Beatles Shirt,” a majestic wall of distorted guitar at the singer’s backs as he rails against the problems of an apathetic world with a blend of righteous indignation and hope. Yes, humans ruin everything. But as Markey frames it in the final verse, “I'm still convinced we could save the world / See benevolence in the angry boys and girls who won't rest until everyone has what they need / Transmute fear to love and equality from greed.” The singer says, “We wanted the record to sound like Elvis Costello's ‘This Year's Model’ or Iggy Pop ‘Lust for Life.’” And you can definitely hear them swinging for those fences, while also suggesting a more raucous Bright Eyes album on occasion. The show is free but they’ll be selling the cassette and a T-shirt designed by Hamster Labs for $15. Also: Bogan Via, Hollowpoint Vigils, Kevin Doll, live painters, comedy, tarot readings and local artists’ booths.

Details: 6 p.m. Saturday, June 4. Bud’s Glass Joint, 907 N. Fifth St., Phoenix. 602-258-1500, budsglassjoint.com.

6/4: Phoenix Afrobeat Orchestra

Among my favorite memories of this year’s Viva PHX festival was Phoenix Afrobeat Orchestra packing not only the room but the actual stage at Valley Bar. As I wrote at the time, “There’s a mesmerizing quality to their Afrobeat rhythms, and that groove is topped by some amazing players working as a team and, on occasion, stepping out into the spotlight for a solo. As for (Camille) Sledge, she’s an extremely charismatic presence with a great voice who makes an incredible ‘leader of rituals,’ as they call it on their Facebook page.” If you haven’t seen them live, you should check out the video they filmed in 360 degrees (that’s the filming technique, not the temperature) at Shady Park Tempe for “Oppression Scatter." While you’re at it, hit their Facebook page for a snippet of their very funky version of “Erotic City” from Crescent Ballroom’s recent Prince tribute.

Details: 8:30 p.m. Saturday, June 4. Valley Bar, 130 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. $5; $4 in advance. Valleybarphx.com.

6/4: Silent Film Score: ‘Snow White’ (1916) with RPM Orchestra

It’s the 100th anniversary of the silent-movie classic “Snow White,” that one that inspired Walt Disney, who saw it when he was 15, to make it the subject of his first feature-length animated film 21 years later. The 1916 version was, as Disney told an interviewer in later years, "a perfect story." Now, you may be thinking, “This does not sound like a local-music pick.” And yet it is,because the great RPM Orchestra will be there, providing the film score for the FilmBar screening of the film. As Pete Petrisko explains their approach to the process, “Film scores are tailored to fit the tone of each movie, composed over a 4- to 6-week period, providing a written musical foundation (melodies, scene transitions, foley effects, etc.) that serves as the starting point for improvisation during a performance.”

Details: 10 p.m. Saturday, June 4. FilmBar, 815 N. Second St., Phoenix. 602-595-9187, thefilmbarphx.com.

6/8, 6/22, 6/29: The ‘Pho Sho’ Fasho

The TVLife Entertainment crew will be setting up shop at Pho Cao for a three-Wednesday residency in June, with alternative hip-hop artist DaDadoh providing stand-up comedy as well as new material from a forthcoming album he promises is on the way. The June 8 lineup also features folk-punk hero Andy Warpigs, psychedelic electronica from Gimpheart, alternative hip-hop from Mr. UU and MC/DC, a folk-rap-punk hybrid that features Warpigs collaborating with Daniel Suber of Something Villainous/Naked Pizza. On June 22, it’s DaDadoh, jazz from Chris Pena and what’s sure to be a raucous set by Kid Dynamite and the Blast. The lineup on June 29 features chillwave from WOLFZiE, the acid-damaged psychedelic sounds of Blank Waves, “glo-fi synthwave” from Ichi Sound and Militia Joan Hart, a brilliantly titled collaboration between WOLFZiE and Warpigs.

Details: 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 8. 7436 E. McDowell Road, Scottsdale. 480-947-2608, phocaoaz.com.

6/10: The Love Me Nots with decker.

This is one of two great co-headlining bills in two days for the Love Me Nots, who more than lived up to their reputation as one of the Valley’s most exciting rock-and-roll attractions when I saw them deliver the goods with the reckless abandon we’ve come to expect from them last month at Pho Cao. As great as the Love Me Nots albums are – and they are great – it’s their total command of the stage that’s helped them build such a strong international following on the garage-rock scene from here to Spain and back again. As for the man whose band is in the co-headlining spot, Brandon Decker has promised to “deliver a formidable performance.” For a taste of what a formidable decker. show might sound like, he released a great live album earlier this year that did a brilliant job of capturing the essence of the decker. live experience on such obvious highlights as a tortured reading of "Bukowski" and the "Patsy" title track. Speaking of “Patsy,” he recently finished the followup, “Snake River Blues,” with producer Bob Hoag. In the unlikely event that you remain unsure that you should make it out to this performance, consider the fact that the Lonesome Wilderness will kick things off at 9 p.m. So don’t be late.

Details: 9 p.m. Friday, June 10. Yucca Tap Room, 29 W. Southern Ave., Tempe. Free. 480-967-4777, yuccatap.com.

6/10: Jon Rauhouse, Robin Vining and Friends

Rauhouse is a gifted multi-instrumentalist (pedal-steel guitar, banjo, guitar and Hawaiian guitar) who’s worked with Neko Case since 1999 and tours with other artists such as Iron & Wine with Ben Bridwell, Jakob Dylan and Billy Bob Thornton. In addition to playing on albums by Case, Thornton’s Boxmasters, Dr. Dog, K.T. Tunstall, the Old 97s and Howe Gelb, he’s done five albums of his own. Vining is the voice of Sweetbleeders, whose latest effort, “We Were Never Here,” was named to a list of best local releases of 2015 by this very publication. As I noted at the time, “Imagine XTC writing a musical. Now imagine it turning out brilliant. That’s the kind of world they’ve created here, a collection of vividly realized lyrical vignettes accompanied by music steeped in classic songcraft where show tunes and art-pop are part of the same continuum, arriving at a result that sounds like nothing so much as a Sweetbleeders album.” They’ve been playing together for more than five years but trying to schedule a show as duo has been tricky. As Rauhouse says, “Between me out with Neko and Robin playing in Jimmy Eat World, it’s been tough but we finally found some time.” They may bring Megyn Neff in to play violin on a song or two, and the set should be a mix of new material they each wrote in addition to what Rauhouse calls “old favorites” from past show. “I tend to write instrumentals and will sing a couple that I wrote,” he says. “And Robin's all have lyrics. Since we are both multi-instrumentalists, a pedal steel, piano, guitars, Hawaiian guitar, 12-string, and accordion will be involved.”

Details: 7 p.m. Friday, June 10. Changing Hands Bookstore, 300 W. Camelback Road, Phoenix. $8. 602-274-0067, changinghands.com.

6/11: Slope Records presents the Smoke Bombs & the Love Me Nots

if you cut your teeth on '80s punk, then chances are you'll love the Smoke Bombs, whose self-titled album included such obvious highlights as the Bad Religion-worthy "Messianic Age" and the wistful punk nostalgia of "In Case We Die" ("Spray-painted a baby Jesus / Stencils on my wall / As a teenage kid / Man, I thought I had it all"). Guitar-playing vocalist Chris JJ Jet and bassist Todd Joseph came to the Smoke Bombs from Asses of Evil, with lead guitarist Brandon Meunier and drummer Jason Stone rounding out the lineup. I already told you why you need to see the Love Me Nots, to which I’ll take a moment here to add that the Farfisa-banging showmanship of Nicole Laurenne, who leads the band with Michael Johnny Walker on guitar, is undeniable. But wait, there’s more. The Father Figures and White Demons are kicking things off – a great bill all around.

Details: 8 p.m. Saturday, June 11. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $10; $8 in advance. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.

6/13: The Will Goble Quartet

The local jazz bassist, who tours with the Jason Marsalis Vibes Quartet, is playing in support of “Consider the Blues,” a great second album that offsets arrangements of standards, including a wonderfully wounded rendition of “Another Man Done Gone,” with Goble originals inspired by Nepali earthquakes, racial injustice and other situations that could leave a man considering the blues. Jazz great Marcus Roberts, with whom the bassist has both studied and performed, says, “Will Goble is dedicated to the tasteful presentation of modern jazz through the implementation of strong rhythm, the blues, and a deep love and commitment to the art and its magnificent history.” A faculty member at Scottsdale Community College, Goble is also the coordinator of the College Preparatory Program at the Phoenix Conservatory of Music, where he teaches bass, jazz ensemble and music theory.

Details: 7 p.m. Monday, June 13. MIM Music Theater, Musical Instrument Museum, 4725 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix. $18.50-$25.50. 480-478-6000, mim.org.

6/17: American Longspurs EP release show

Their approach to alternative-country, as captured on their previous EP, 2014’s “Palo Alto,” takes the country side of that equation seriously, their sound steeped in tradition in ways that cut deeper than merely flavoring their sound with steel guitar and fiddle (although that’s nice, too). They name-check outlaw country legends Waylon Jennings and Johnny Paycheck alongside Drive-By Truckers on their Facebook page, but there’s a tender side to what they do that seems closer in spirit to Flying Burrito Brothers, at least on the ballads. They’re joined by Saddles, Mr. Mudd & Mr. Gold and Cisco & the Racecars.

Details: 7 p.m. Friday, June 17. Rebel Lounge, 2303 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. $10; $8 in advance. 602-296-7013, rebellounge.com.

6/18: Dave Riley / Bob Corritore Juke Joint Blues Band

Guitar-playing vocalist Riley and blues harpist Corritore have recorded three albums together. Highlights of their latest joint release, 2013's "Hush Your Fuss!," ranged from the swampy swagger of "Baby Please Come Home" to John Weston's slow-burning "Snuff Dippin' Woman," on which Riley memorably sets the tone with "I got a snuff-dippin' woman / Snuff juice runnin' all down her dress." She's all yours, Dave. No, really.

Details: 9 p.m. Saturday, June 18. Rhythm Room, 1019 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. $8. 602-265-4842, rhythmroom.com.

6/22: Red Tank! album release

These Tempe rockers effortlessly live up to the unhinged promise of last year’s “I Want You to Crowdsurf My Body at My Funeral” on "BIO/FEEDBACK," a third full-length release they plan to celebrate at Valley Bar with L.A.’s Surf Curse and local favorites Captain Samurai. The album was largely inspired by nature imagery, the anxiety of modern human existence and the philosophical contributions of Giles Deleuze and Felix Guatarri. And you can definitely feel the anxiety of modern human existence informing the musical side, too, from aptly titled opener “Convulsing Nervous System,” fueled by one of Clipper Arnold’s most unhinged performances, through highlights as intense as “Minuet of Stone,” "Sweat" and “Obelisk.” And then, they go and leave you with an unexpectedly vulnerable waltz-time ballad titled “Clean.”

Details: 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 22. Valley Bar, 130 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. $8. Valleybarphx.com.

6/24: Some Dark Hollow / Shawn Skinner and the Men of Reason double release show

Some Dark Hollow set the tone for “Destination Unknown” with a tender country ballad, “To Whom I Belong,” and immediately change things up with the rowdy bluegrass-flavored “Jump That Train,” a plea for redemption from a man who’s “been livin’ like it’s all about me / Spendin’ too much on whiskey and wine.” From there, they make their way through such obvious highlights as the banjo-driven “Health and Women” and the melancholy title track, an understated ballad. Some Dark Hollow guitarist Shawn Skinner is also releasing an album with the Men of Reason. It’s called “Letting Go and Holding On,” and if it’s anything like “Skinned Alive at the Last Exit,” which included acoustic renditions of several of the same songs, it should be a heartfelt, emotional ride. Brea Burns and the Boleros and Speak Easy also perform, with DJ Dana spinning old-school country between sets.

Details: 8 p.m. Friday, June 24. Rebel Lounge, 2303 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. $10; $8 in advance. 602-296-7013, rebellounge.com.

6/25: Complicate/Simple CD release/live music video event

Complicate/Simple play an eclectic brand of alternative-rock, incorporating elements of punk, jazz, heavy metal, funk and prog while channeling the drama of early Pearl Jam on the anthemic “R3WIND.” They’re releasing an album called “Blue,” whose highlights range from the jagged guitars of “Complicated” to the effortless pop hooks and crunchy guitar groove of “Penny,” at a show where they also intend to record and livestream a new music video for the record. They’re also giving out free t-shirts, USB lanyards with media and music on them, CDs and more. The lineup includes among the Strange, Jane N' The Jungle, Scarlet13, DWARF and Chad Wilson Bailey.

Details: 7 p.m. Saturday, June 25. Last Exit Live, 717 S. Central Ave., Phoenix. $10 (includes a copy of the EP). 602-271-7000, lastexitlive.com.

6/25: Spoiled EP release

These Phoenix punks set the tone for their nine-song EP with the tortured catharsis of “Golden Friend,” Jesse Upshaw directing his rage at a hit-and-run driver as he shouts, “I lost a friend by the side of the road just the other day / I still feel the pain and the hurt but you just drove away.” Upshaw doesn’t always do the unhinged shouting thing, but when he does – on “Bad Feelings,” for instance – the impact is electrifying. Other highlights range from the menacing post-Stooges swagger of “Talk to Myself” to the post-punk guitars on the quieter parts of “Old Hymns” and blues-punk grind of “Dirt Queen.” Their release show also features Lenguas Largars, Sleep Money, Nonpareil, Detached Objects, DJ Dyltron and DJ Nitro.

Details: 8 p.m. Saturday, June 25. Valley Bar, 130 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. Free. Valleybarphx.com.

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6/26: Mix Change: A Live Mixtape Exchange

Mixtape Mandi built this show around the concept of exchanging mixtapes while enjoying live performances by a healthy mix of local artists. Music lovers ages 16 and up are encouraged to bring a personalized mix, whether it’s filled with their favorite songs or contains a theme, to exchange with a stranger at the end of the night, with the intent of discovering new music. Admission is $3 for participants who bring a mix, $5 for those who can’t be bothered. Everyone will go home with a mix, though, even those who showed up empty-handed. As for the actual show, it’s a great lineup, headlined by Harrision Fjord, who went semi-viral last year with an excellent video filmed on the Mogollon Rim; Genre, whose “Legendary Rock Act” you should definitely pick up while you’re there if you missed their release show; Speak Easy and Kathleen Murray.

Details: 8 p.m. Sunday, June 26. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $3-$5. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.

6/26: Snake! Snake! Snakes!

“Tranquilo” is feeling more and more like one of this year’s more inspired rock releases, from a feedback-laden opener that swaggers like the Velvet Underground crossed with the Stooges, to the wistful pop charms they can’t help but undermine by abruptly switching gears into a hardcore beat on “In My Head.” The singer sneers like Iggy Pop on “War Song” and they work some Wire in on “Washed Out," while “Travelin’” is Brill Building pop with a slight hint of Elvis Costello. And they follow “Dead ‘N Dumb,” the album’s most explosive rocker, with “I Know You Best,” an understated ballad. All told, it’s the perfect blend of reverb-laden surf guitar licks, contagious pop hooks and the reckless urgency of punk. They’re joined by Ne-Hi (from Chicago) and Paper Foxes.

Details: 8 p.m. Sunday, June 26. Valley Bar, 130 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. $10. Valleybarphx.com.

6/27: Myrlin Hepworth summer tour kickoff

The nationally recognized poet turned rapper is setting off on his first-ever West Coast tour as a musician. Earlier this year, he dropped his second mixtape, "Eulogy in Blue." "The content of the project," Hepworth says, "focuses on the demise of a romantic relationship in addition to the perpetual loss of life offered by the phenomenon of American violence and injustice. It is both deeply personal and reflective and deeply political, offering itself unapologetically and self-aware that the personal is indeed political." On the first track, Hepworth sets the scene by asking the listener to "Look at the rage of the man with the gun in his hand as he stroll past your mama in the minivan" as an introduction to his treatise on the American culture of violence. He’s joined at the tour launch by Mic Maven.

Details: 8 p.m. Monday, June 27. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $10. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.

6/29: Valley Bar Jazz series

The latest installment of Valley Bar’s jazz series puts the focus on the West Coast sounds of Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon, Art Pepper and Cal Tjader, with Further West paying tribute to those icons.

Details: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 29. Valley Bar, 130 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. $5-$32. Valleybarphx.com.