Music of Arizona
Encyclopedia
The music
of Arizona
originally was influenced by Native American music
, In the 20th century, Mexican
immigrants
. Banda
, corridos, mariachi
and conjunto
became very popular in Arizona and innovative scenes popped up in immigrant communities across the state.
Other major influences come from styles popular throughout the rest of the United States
.
has a community (non-professional) orchestra, the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra. The FSO includes both townspeople and faculty and students from Northern Arizona University. The Orpheum Theater
is the biggest performing venue in northern Arizona. The city hosts two music festival
s, the Flagstaff Folk Festival and the Flagstaff Music Festival.
is a center for musical innovation, and has been called a rock mecca by Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat World
. Jimmy Eat World, which gained fame as an emo
rock group, is one of the most popular bands to come from Phoenix in recent years. Tempe
(home of Arizona State University
) and Mesa
also coexist with Phoenix as part of the musical scene. Other Phoenix bands of notoriety include: Meat Puppets
, Gin Blossoms
, Phunk Junkeez
, Dead Hot Workshop
, Opiate for the Masses
, The Jetzons
, and Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers
.
In the 1960s, rock and R&B bands inspired by British Invasion
groups like The Beatles
appeared in Phoenix. The most famous musician to emerge from this era was Alice Cooper
, along with Bill Spooner
(most famously of The Tubes
); local stars included The Superfine Dandelion, Mike Condello, The Grapes of Wrath, Phil & the Frantics and Floyd & Jerry. The group Pages
was formed by Phoenix residents Richard Page
and Steve George
, who later formed the nucleus of the pop-rock group Mr. Mister
. Dolan Ellis
has lived in Phoenix most of his adult life. He moved to LA in the early 1960s, where he achieved national fame as an original member of the Grammy-winning folk group, The New Christy Minstrels. Dolan returned to Phoenix after a whirlwind success, while the group was still on top. In February 1966, Governor Sam Goddard appointed Dolan as Arizona's Official State Balladeer. Now Dolan has served 10 governors in that capacity, with no break in service. His work has earned him many awards, including selection as the first Arizona Culture Keeper, and having Senator John McCain
read his accomplishments into the Congressional Record. Dolan spent a few years away from Phoenix from about 1993 through 2003, to found the Arizona Folklore Preserve in Ramsey Canyon. He still commutes to the AFP, where he continues to serve as Artist-in-Residence, about twice a month.
In the early 1980s, Phoenix
saw a vibrant hardcore punk
scene. The biggest bands included The Feederz
, JFA
(also known as Jodie Foster
's Army) and Meat Puppets
, the latter of which combined country
influences and became a major influence on grunge
. The 1980s rock band Flotsam and Jetsam
were also prominent. CeCe Peniston
is among the best-known Black musical performers from this area.
During the 1990s, Chester Bennington
, current lead singer for Linkin Park
, spent several years in Phoenix as the lead singer for the post-grunge
band Grey Daze. Another prominent Phoenix musician, with whom Chester Bennington has collaborated, is DJ Z-Trip
. This time also saw the formation and rise of pop punk
/emo
band Jimmy Eat World
. Also Bob Stubbs formerly of the band Social Distortion
played drums in quite a few local bands including The Voice and Glass Heroes.
The late 1990s and early 2000s saw a strong, emerging rock scene in Phoenix and the surrounding areas. Indie rock
bands included Element 115 the band, The Stiletto Formal
, Fine China
, Peachcake
, Sugar High, The Format
. Punk influenced artists include Authority Zero
, Sweet Bleeders, Haunted Cologne
, Andrew Jackson Jihad
, and Brodie Foster Hubbard. There is also a growing post-hardcore
scene including bands like Scary Kids Scaring Kids
, Blessthefall
, Eyes Set To Kill
, The Word Alive
, The Bled
, Greeley Estates
. The middle part of the decade were marked by the transition from hardcore punk
into death metal
with bands such as The Irish Front, Knights of the Abyss
and Job for a Cowboy
. In recent years there has been a huge growth of local Arizona hardcore bands ranging from genres of hardcore punk
, post-hardcore
, metalcore
and death metal
.
There have been numerous Arizona residents that have had varying success on the American Idol
. Jordin Sparks
won the sixth season
of American Idol
. Sparks was later selected to sing the National Anthem
at Super Bowl XLII
, which happened to take place at her hometown of Glendale, Arizona
. On the seventh season
, Arizona had two contestants make it to the "Final Twelve". David Hernandez
came in twelfth place while Brooke White
made it to fifth place. The eighth season
featured a regional audition at the Jobing.com Arena in Glendale
on July 25, 2008. Several contestants made it to the "Hollywood phase" but only one made it into the final twelve; Scott MacIntyre
, who came in eighth place. Despite this, Phoenix was called one of the "year's standout cities."
Phoenix boasts a renowned orchestra, the Phoenix Symphony
.
Hispanic
/Latino
music has a large following, and numerous import stores exist throughout the city for it. There are also several Spanish-language music radio stations. The annual "Fiestas Patrias" celebration brings many Mexican
musicians to town, with groups such as Los Tigres del Norte
.
Joe Bethancourt
is another long-time resident that has achieved fame with his music.
, Nita's Hideaway, The Mason Jar
, Modified Arts
, Trunk Space
, Paper Heart Gallery
, Club Rio, and Compton Terrace. Companies have started operating, giving the Phoenix music goer many choices any given night for entertainment. These include Lucky Man Concerts, The Shizz, and Fizzle Promotions
.
Dance clubs in Phoenix, Scottsdale
, and Tempe are active, especially with students. Phoenix is still a common place for "rave
s", dance parties hosted in typically in warehouses, legal venues, or isolated desert locations.
, has an Official Troubador position, currently Ted Ramirez
. Ramirez is a singer and songwriter who uses both English
and Spanish
lyrics, as well as singing in O’odham; he is also an Arizona Culture Keeper. The city of Tucson also produced the Ronstadt family, which most famously includes Linda Ronstadt
; her brother Michael Ronstadt is a popular local musician. There are also many Ronstadt cousins who perform regularly in and around Tucson. Bobby Kimmel, who with Linda Ronstadt was one of 'The Stone Poneys', has returned to Tucson and performs frequently as part of BK Special
Tucson's music festival
s include the Norteño Music Festival & Street Fair, which celebrates the Mexican-American style of norteño
. Tucson supports an orchestra called the Tucson Symphony Orchestra
.
The first weekend in May each year, the Tucson Kitchen Musicians Association, host the Tucson Folk Festival, a huge 2-day event on four stages, with about 100 acoustic music acts. The first festival was held in 1986.
Tucson boasts some of the best musicians, including several who have achieved national fame and recognition. Lalo Guerrero
, known as the Father of Chicano Music and a recipient of the National Medal of Arts
among many other awards, was born in Tucson, where he lived until his early 20s. But his heart was always in Tucson, and he returned there as often as possible, whether he was living in San Diego, Los Angeles, or, as in the last decades of his life, Palm Springs. Lalo died on March 17, 2005, at the age of 89. After services in Palm Springs, his ashes were returned to Tucson where a beautiful memorial tribute was held. On April 17, 2005, Lalo was one of the first inductees in the Arizona Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame.
Travis Edmonson
was named Tucson's Singing Ambassador of Goodwill in 1975, a mayoral appointment that still stands today. Lalo Guerrero was an inspiration to Travis, a musician of Anglo descent who grew up in Nogales and spent a lot of time across the border absorbing the culture and developing a unique ability for singing and playing the native music of Mexico. Travis and his friend Roger Smith (who later became a famous actor (TV's Father Knows Best, Wagon Train, Sunset Strip, and Mr. Roberts) before marrying an even more famous actress, Ann-Margret) were well-known at the University of Arizona for serenading women on campus. Travis went on to fame as a member of the Gateway Singers and especially as half of the Bud & Travis folk (and Mexican music) duo that was together off an on from about 1958 to 1965, producing 10 albums. Travis was inducted as an Arizona Culture Keeper in September 2005. His citation includes these words: "Edmonson has been at the vanguard of the movement to bring Latin music north of the border."
Some other famous Tucson musicians include Bob Nolan
, Katie Lee
, and Rex Allen
. Bob Nolan, a founder of the Sons of the Pioneers and the composer of classics such as "Cool Water" and "Tumbling Tumbleweeds," is a Tucson High graduate and is said to have written "Cool Water" while still in school.
Katie Lee
moved to Tucson around the age of 1, and is an actress and folk singer. She is also an activist, and her cause is well-explained in her book, "All My Rivers Are Gone". Katie also wrote a book about cowboy music and recorded a double LP (with Travis Edmonson
) by the same name: "Ten Thousand Goddam Cattle."
Rex Allen
was the singing cowboy who replaced Roy Rogers
in the waning years of that golden era. A native of Willcox, Arizona
, he lived in Tucson in his later years. At the age of 11, John Denver
received his first guitar from his grandmother while living in Tucson.
In the 1980s and throughout the 1990s Tucson was the site of a vital underground music scene centered around Club Congress and a handful of clubs and ersatz backyard parties located in the neighborhoods proximate to the University of Arizona
. Many of these bands were of the indie rock
and punk variety. They included The River Roses, Pollo Elastico, The Phantom Limbs
(not the hardcore band), Al Perry, The Deadbolts, The Lonely Trojans, Mondo Guano, Machines of Loving Grace
, The Fells, Funkapotamus (Laurie Rox), The Knockout Pills, Chick Cashman, The Weird Lovemakers, Rainer Ptacek
, Doo Rag
, Bob Log III
, and The Sidewinders
(later the Sand Rubies).
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
of Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
originally was influenced by Native American music
Native American music
American Indian music is the music that is used, created or performed by Native North Americans, specifically traditional tribal music. In addition to the traditional music of the Native American groups, there now exist pan-tribal and inter-tribal genres as well as distinct Indian subgenres of...
, In the 20th century, Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
immigrants
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
. Banda
Banda music
Banda is a brass-based form of traditional music. Bandas play a wide variety of songs, including rancheras, corridos, cumbias, baladas, and boleros. Bandas are most widely known for their rancheras, but they also play modern Mexican pop, rock, and cumbias...
, corridos, mariachi
Mariachi
Mariachi is a genre of music that originated in the State of Jalisco, in Mexico. It is an integration of stringed instruments highly influenced by the cultural impacts of the historical development of Western Mexico. Throughout the history of mariachi, musicians have experimented with brass, wind,...
and conjunto
Conjunto
Conjunto literally translates as "group," and is regionally accepted in Texas as defining a genre of music that was born out of south Texas at the end of the 19th Century, after German settlers introduced the button accordion. The bajo sexto has come to accompany the button accordion and is...
became very popular in Arizona and innovative scenes popped up in immigrant communities across the state.
Other major influences come from styles popular throughout the rest of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Flagstaff
FlagstaffFlagstaff, Arizona
Flagstaff is a city located in northern Arizona, in the southwestern United States. In 2010, the city's population was 65,870. The population of the Metropolitan Statistical Area was at 134,421 in 2010. It is the county seat of Coconino County...
has a community (non-professional) orchestra, the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra. The FSO includes both townspeople and faculty and students from Northern Arizona University. The Orpheum Theater
Orpheum Theater (Flagstaff)
The Orpheum Theater is an old movie house in Flagstaff, Arizona, USA, originally named the Majestic Opera House. The building was constructed in 1911. It was rebuilt and expanded in 1917, and renamed the Orpheum. The theater closed in 1999. Three years later, in 2002, it reopened as a concert...
is the biggest performing venue in northern Arizona. The city hosts two music festival
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
s, the Flagstaff Folk Festival and the Flagstaff Music Festival.
Phoenix
PhoenixPhoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
is a center for musical innovation, and has been called a rock mecca by Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat World
Jimmy Eat World
Jimmy Eat World is an American alternative rock band from Mesa, Arizona, that formed in 1993. The band is composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Jim Adkins, guitarist and backing vocalist Tom Linton, bassist Rick Burch and drummer Zach Lind....
. Jimmy Eat World, which gained fame as an emo
Emo (music)
Emo is a style of rock music characterized by melodic musicianship and expressive, often confessional lyrics. It originated in the mid-1980s hardcore punk movement of Washington, D.C., where it was known as "emotional hardcore" or "emocore" and pioneered by bands such as Rites of Spring and Embrace...
rock group, is one of the most popular bands to come from Phoenix in recent years. Tempe
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale...
(home of Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
) and Mesa
Mesa, Arizona
According to the 2010 Census, the racial composition of Mesa was as follows:* White: 77.1% * Hispanic or Latino : 26.54%* Black or African American: 3.5%* Two or more races: 3.4%* Native American: 2.4%...
also coexist with Phoenix as part of the musical scene. Other Phoenix bands of notoriety include: Meat Puppets
Meat Puppets
The Meat Puppets are an American rock band formed in January 1980, in Phoenix, Arizona. The group's original lineup was Curt Kirkwood , his brother Cris Kirkwood , and Derrick Bostrom . The Kirkwood brothers met Bostrom while attending Brophy Prep High School in Phoenix...
, Gin Blossoms
Gin Blossoms
Gin Blossoms is an American pop rock band formed in 1987, in Tempe, Arizona. They took their name from a photo of W.C. Fields which bore the caption "W.C. Fields with gin blossoms", referring to what appeared to be the actor's gin-ravaged nose, but was actually a skin condition known as rosacea...
, Phunk Junkeez
Phunk Junkeez
The Phunk Junkeez are an American rap rock band from Phoenix, Arizona that formed in 1991 and have established a strong underground following. The band regularly tours the United States and Japan....
, Dead Hot Workshop
Dead Hot Workshop
Dead Hot Workshop is an American rock band based in Tempe, Arizona. They were a popular fixture of the Tempe music scene in the 1990s, when Tempe was being dubbed as "The Next Seattle" by music reps, and as a region that would produce many new, talented bands that would be ripe for national...
, Opiate for the Masses
Opiate For The Masses
Opiate for the Masses was a post-hardcore band from Arizona. They formed in Phoenix in 1999 by Ron Underwood, Elias Mallin, Dustin Lyon and Jim Kaufman. The meaning of their name comes from the Karl Marx quote that says the organized religion is nothing but an opiate for the masses. In June 2009,...
, The Jetzons
The Jetzons
The Jetzons were an American New Wave band based in Tempe, Arizona. The group later relocated to Los Angeles.The band formed in 1981 after the demise of hugely popular punk group Billy Clone & The Same. Billy Clone folded due to the heroin overdose and death of bandleader Mike Corte...
, and Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers
Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers
Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers is a rock band from Tempe, Arizona, USA. The band is typically referred to by the fans as the abbreviation "RCPM"...
.
In the 1960s, rock and R&B bands inspired by British Invasion
British Invasion
The British Invasion is a term used to describe the large number of rock and roll, beat, rock, and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States during the time period from 1964 through 1966.- Background :...
groups like The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
appeared in Phoenix. The most famous musician to emerge from this era was Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
, along with Bill Spooner
Bill Spooner
William "Sputnik" Spooner is a musician, guitarist, and songwriter, and the founder of The Tubes, a theatrical rock band. His songwriting is known for its use of humor and satire. He has released three solo albums: First Chud , Mall to Mars , and Demo-licious...
(most famously of The Tubes
The Tubes
The Tubes are a San Francisco-based rock band, whose 1975 debut album included the hit single, "White Punks on Dope". During its first fifteen years or so, the band's live performances combined quasi-pornography with wild satires of media, consumerism, and politics...
); local stars included The Superfine Dandelion, Mike Condello, The Grapes of Wrath, Phil & the Frantics and Floyd & Jerry. The group Pages
Pages (band)
Pages was an American pop rock band of the late 1970s and early 1980s. The band consisted of Richard Page and Steve George on vocals and keyboards, supported by various studio musicians, some of whom from time to time were considered part of the band proper...
was formed by Phoenix residents Richard Page
Richard Page (musician)
Richard Page , is an American musician who is the lead singer and bassist of 1980's US band Mr. Mister and is now a songwriter and solo artist.-Early life:...
and Steve George
Steve George (keyboardist)
Steve George is an American keyboard player, who is perhaps best known as the keyboardist for the 1980s band, Mr. Mister. He co-wrote many of the Mr. Mister songs, together with his childhood friend, Mr...
, who later formed the nucleus of the pop-rock group Mr. Mister
Mr. Mister
Mr. Mister is an American pop rock band most popular in the 1980s. The band's name came from an inside joke about a Weather Report album called Mr. Gone where they referred to each other as "Mister This" or "Mister That", and eventually selected "Mr. Mister." Mr. Mister may be considered as...
. Dolan Ellis
Dolan Ellis
Francis Dolan Ellis has been Arizona's Official State Balladeer since 1966, as appointed by ten consecutive governors. Governor Sam Goddard made the first appointment. Since then, official balladeers have been appointed in other states.In his role as Balladeer, Dolan has written more than 300...
has lived in Phoenix most of his adult life. He moved to LA in the early 1960s, where he achieved national fame as an original member of the Grammy-winning folk group, The New Christy Minstrels. Dolan returned to Phoenix after a whirlwind success, while the group was still on top. In February 1966, Governor Sam Goddard appointed Dolan as Arizona's Official State Balladeer. Now Dolan has served 10 governors in that capacity, with no break in service. His work has earned him many awards, including selection as the first Arizona Culture Keeper, and having Senator John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
read his accomplishments into the Congressional Record. Dolan spent a few years away from Phoenix from about 1993 through 2003, to found the Arizona Folklore Preserve in Ramsey Canyon. He still commutes to the AFP, where he continues to serve as Artist-in-Residence, about twice a month.
In the early 1980s, Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
saw a vibrant hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
scene. The biggest bands included The Feederz
The Feederz
Feederz were a punk rock band from Arizona. They were known for their song Jesus Entering from the Rear, which featured on Alternative Tentacles', their Let Them Eat Jellybeans compilation, and for their provocative album covers. Feederz had strong Situationist tendencies, verging into communism...
, JFA
JFA (band)
JFA is a hardcore punk band formed in 1981, with roots in Arizona and in Southern California skateboard culture. The original members include Brian Brannon , Don "dred" Pendleton , Michael Cornelius , and Mike "Bam-Bam" Sversvold . Alan Bishop of Sun City Girls also played bass for a while...
(also known as Jodie Foster
Jodie Foster
Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster is an American actress, film director, producer as well as a former child actress....
's Army) and Meat Puppets
Meat Puppets
The Meat Puppets are an American rock band formed in January 1980, in Phoenix, Arizona. The group's original lineup was Curt Kirkwood , his brother Cris Kirkwood , and Derrick Bostrom . The Kirkwood brothers met Bostrom while attending Brophy Prep High School in Phoenix...
, the latter of which combined country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
influences and became a major influence on grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
. The 1980s rock band Flotsam and Jetsam
Flotsam and Jetsam (band)
Flotsam and Jetsam is a thrash metal band that formed in Phoenix, Arizona in 1982.-1981-1986: The beginning:The band's original name was "Paradox" founded by Drummer Kelly David-Smith and two other guitarists, until 1982 when bassist Jason Newsted joined. Jason had come to Phoenix with his band...
were also prominent. CeCe Peniston
CeCe Peniston
CeCe Peniston is an African American recording artist and former beauty queen. At the beginning of the nineties, she was considered to be one of the most successful dance club artists in the history of the U.S...
is among the best-known Black musical performers from this area.
During the 1990s, Chester Bennington
Chester Bennington
Chester Charles Bennington is an American musician, singer-songwriter and actor. He is best known as the lead vocalist and songwriter of the rock band Linkin Park....
, current lead singer for Linkin Park
Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries...
, spent several years in Phoenix as the lead singer for the post-grunge
Post-grunge
Post-grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged in the mid-1990s as a derivative of grunge, using the sounds and aesthetic of grunge, but with a more commercially acceptable tone...
band Grey Daze. Another prominent Phoenix musician, with whom Chester Bennington has collaborated, is DJ Z-Trip
DJ Z-Trip
Zach Sciacca, better known as Z-Trip, is an American DJ and producer. He is best known as a pioneer of the mashup movement.A Phoenix, Arizona native, who now resides in Los Angeles, California, he was known early in his career for performing with the Bombshelter DJs . He became widely known when...
. This time also saw the formation and rise of pop punk
Pop punk
Pop punk is a fusion music genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music, to varying degrees. Allmusic describes the genre as a strand of alternative rock, which typically merges pop melodies with speedy punk tempos, chord changes and loud guitars...
/emo
Emo
Emo is a style of rock music and its associated subcultureEmo may also refer to:- Businesses :* Emo , an Irish oil company and filling station chain* Emo Speedway, a racetrack in Emo, Ontario...
band Jimmy Eat World
Jimmy Eat World
Jimmy Eat World is an American alternative rock band from Mesa, Arizona, that formed in 1993. The band is composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Jim Adkins, guitarist and backing vocalist Tom Linton, bassist Rick Burch and drummer Zach Lind....
. Also Bob Stubbs formerly of the band Social Distortion
Social Distortion
Social Distortion is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California. The band currently consists of Mike Ness , Jonny Wickersham , Brent Harding and David Hidalgo, Jr...
played drums in quite a few local bands including The Voice and Glass Heroes.
The late 1990s and early 2000s saw a strong, emerging rock scene in Phoenix and the surrounding areas. Indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
bands included Element 115 the band, The Stiletto Formal
The Stiletto Formal
The Stiletto Formal was a self-proclaimed "eccentric rock and roll" band from Phoenix, Arizona, and were one of the few rock bands featuring a cello and other exotic instruments and effects as an integral part of their sound. In addition, unusual time signatures, and Kyle Howard's falsetto provided...
, Fine China
Fine China (band)
Fine China was an American indie rock band from Phoenix, Arizona, comprising Rob Withem , Greg Markov , and Thom Walsh . The band was formed in 1996 as a project of acquaintances , but turned serious once the band started booking gigs...
, Peachcake
Peachcake
Peachcake is an American indie pop group from Carefree, Arizona, formed in December 2003. Peachcake are known for their high energy live shows along with their heavy interaction and crowd participation with their audiences...
, Sugar High, The Format
The Format
The Format was an American indie rock band formed by Arizona natives Nate Ruess and Sam Means. The band announced a hiatus on February 4, 2008. Their style can be considered a mixture of indie, alternative, punk and folk music, with elements of 1960s and 1970s pop music...
. Punk influenced artists include Authority Zero
Authority Zero
Authority Zero is a punk rock band from Mesa, Arizona. The band's style is rooted in reggae and skate punk, with Bad Religion, Pennywise, and Sublime cited as influences. The band also draws from Spanish/Portuguese influences.-History:...
, Sweet Bleeders, Haunted Cologne
Haunted Cologne
Haunted Cologne is a polka/punk band from Phoenix, Arizona, consisting of Andrew Jemsek, Trent Morue, James Pyper, and John Delacruz. They perform polkas, waltzes, shuffles and their own material....
, Andrew Jackson Jihad
Andrew Jackson Jihad
Andrew Jackson Jihad is an American folk punk band from Phoenix, Arizona, formed in 2004.-History:Andrew Jackson Jihad was formed after its original drummer, Justin James White, approached Sean Bonnette and Ben Gallaty, who had just left Rodan and The Sub-Standards...
, and Brodie Foster Hubbard. There is also a growing post-hardcore
Post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a genre of music that developed from hardcore punk, itself an offshoot of the broader punk rock movement. Like post-punk, post-hardcore is a term for a broad constellation of groups...
scene including bands like Scary Kids Scaring Kids
Scary Kids Scaring Kids
Scary Kids Scaring Kids was an American post-hardcore band formed in Gilbert, Arizona in 2002. The band's name comes from the Cap'n Jazz song of the same name...
, Blessthefall
Blessthefall
Blessthefall is an American metalcore band from Phoenix, Arizona, currently signed to Fearless Records. The band was founded in 2003 by guitarist Mike Frisby, drummer Matt Traynor, and bassist Jared Warth. Their debut album, His Last Walk, with original vocalist Craig Mabbitt, was released April...
, Eyes Set To Kill
Eyes Set to Kill
Eyes Set to Kill is an American metalcore band from Tempe, Arizona. Sisters Alexia and Anissa Rodriguez, along with former vocalist Lindsey Vogt started the band in 2003. Lindsey Vogt departed the band in mid-2007 due to issues with management...
, The Word Alive
The Word Alive
The Word Alive is an American metalcore band from Phoenix, Arizona, formed in 2008, the band is currently signed to Fearless Records. Their 2009 label debut, Empire reached position 15 on the Top Heatseekers, meeting a great amount of positive acclaim upon its release in 2009...
, The Bled
The Bled
The Bled is a hardcore band from Tucson, Arizona. The group formed in 2001, originally under the name "The Radiation Defiance Theory", but changed it because of its length...
, Greeley Estates
Greeley Estates
Greeley Estates is an American metalcore band from Phoenix, Arizona. Formed in 2002, the band has released five full-length studio albums and one EP...
. The middle part of the decade were marked by the transition from hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
into death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
with bands such as The Irish Front, Knights of the Abyss
Knights of the Abyss
Knights of the Abyss is an American deathcore band from Glendale, Arizona, formed in 2005.-Biography:Knights of the Abyss was formed in 2005 after drummer Andy Rysdam had left his former band Job for a Cowboy. They have recorded two full-length albums, which were released by Siege of Amida Records...
and Job for a Cowboy
Job for a Cowboy
Job for a Cowboy is a American death metal band from Glendale, Arizona. Formed in 2003, the band's debut album Genesis was released in 2007, peaking at #54 on the US Billboard 200 and selling 13,000 copies in its first week of release. The second album, 2009's Ruination, sold 10,600 copies in...
. In recent years there has been a huge growth of local Arizona hardcore bands ranging from genres of hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
, post-hardcore
Post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a genre of music that developed from hardcore punk, itself an offshoot of the broader punk rock movement. Like post-punk, post-hardcore is a term for a broad constellation of groups...
, metalcore
Metalcore
Metalcore is a subgenre of heavy metal combining various elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The name is a portmanteau of the names of the two genres. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands such as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity...
and death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
.
There have been numerous Arizona residents that have had varying success on the American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
. Jordin Sparks
Jordin Sparks
Jordin Brianna Sparks is an American pop / R&B singer-songwriter and actress. She hails from Glendale, Arizona who rose to fame as the winner of the sixth season of American Idol. Sparks won when she was 17 years old, making her the youngest winner in Idol history...
won the sixth season
American Idol (Season 6)
The sixth season of American Idol premiered on the Fox Broadcasting Company as a two-night, four-hour premiere special on January 16 and January 17, and ran until May 23, 2007. Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson returned to judge once again, and Ryan Seacrest returned as host...
of American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
. Sparks was later selected to sing the National Anthem
The Star-Spangled Banner
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort McHenry", a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet, Francis Scott Key, after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy ships...
at Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII was an American football game on February 3, 2008 that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...
, which happened to take place at her hometown of Glendale, Arizona
Glendale, Arizona
Glendale is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, located about nine miles northwest from Downtown Phoenix. According to 2010 Census Bureau, the population of the city is 226,721....
. On the seventh season
American Idol (season 7)
The seventh season of American Idol, the annual reality show and singing competition, began on January 15, 2008 and concluded on May 21, 2008. Ryan Seacrest continued to host the show with Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson returning as judges...
, Arizona had two contestants make it to the "Final Twelve". David Hernandez
David Hernandez
David Anthony Hernandez is an American singer and the twelfth place finalist of FOX's seventh season of the television series American Idol.-Biography:...
came in twelfth place while Brooke White
Brooke White
Brooke Elizabeth White is an American indie pop/folk-pop singer-songwriter and actress from Mesa, Arizona who was the fifth place finalist on the seventh season of American Idol. In 2005, White released her first studio album, called Songs from the Attic.White's first post-Idol album High Hopes &...
made it to fifth place. The eighth season
American Idol (season 8)
The eighth season of American Idol premiered on January 13, 2009, and concluded on May 20, 2009. Judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson continued to judge the show's contestants, along with Ryan Seacrest as host. The season introduced Kara DioGuardi as the fourth judge on the Idol...
featured a regional audition at the Jobing.com Arena in Glendale
Glendale, Arizona
Glendale is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, located about nine miles northwest from Downtown Phoenix. According to 2010 Census Bureau, the population of the city is 226,721....
on July 25, 2008. Several contestants made it to the "Hollywood phase" but only one made it into the final twelve; Scott MacIntyre
Scott MacIntyre
Scott Douglas MacIntyre is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist, and the eighth place finalist on the eighth season of American Idol...
, who came in eighth place. Despite this, Phoenix was called one of the "year's standout cities."
Phoenix boasts a renowned orchestra, the Phoenix Symphony
Phoenix Symphony
The Phoenix Symphony is a major United States symphony orchestra based in Phoenix, Arizona.Founded in 1947 when Phoenix had a population of less than 100,000, the orchestra began as an occasional group of musicians performing a handful of concerts each year...
.
Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
/Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
music has a large following, and numerous import stores exist throughout the city for it. There are also several Spanish-language music radio stations. The annual "Fiestas Patrias" celebration brings many Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
musicians to town, with groups such as Los Tigres del Norte
Los Tigres del Norte
Los Tigres del Norte is a norteño-band ensemble based out of San Jose, California, hailing from Rosa Morada, Sinaloa, Mexico.- History :...
.
Joe Bethancourt
Joe Bethancourt
W.J. Bethancourt III is a traditional American musician , based in Phoenix, Arizona.-Biography:Bethancourt was born in El Paso, Texas. He began learning banjo at age 9, after he heard his maternal grandfather, C. H. Burnett, playing fiddle. His first banjo was given him by his grandfather, and...
is another long-time resident that has achieved fame with his music.
Venues
Popular venues have included Comerica Theatre, Ashley Furniture HomeStore Pavilion, Marquee Theater, The Clubhouse, Nile Theater, Long Wong'sLong Wong's
Long Wong's on Mill was a club in Tempe, Arizona. Long Wong's on Mill was the epicenter of the Tempe music scene, which peaked in the early 1990s, and it was where the Tempe band the Gin Blossoms got their start. In turn, the popular band made the club famous...
, Nita's Hideaway, The Mason Jar
The Mason Jar
The Mason Jar was a notoriously famous rockers genre club located in Phoenix, Arizona. It was initially famous for being a scene for rock music, alternative rock,punk rock, hip hop, and heavy metal in the 1980s and 1990s...
, Modified Arts
Modified Arts
Modified Arts is run by husband and wife team Kim Larkin , and Adam Murray . The duo succeeded Kimber Lanning, who opened Modified Arts in 1999 and developed it into a respected gallery and prominently recognized venue for live music and performance. Kim and Adam continue to present high quality...
, Trunk Space
Trunk Space
The Trunk Space is an all-ages music venue, art gallery, and performance space in downtown Phoenix, Arizona, USA. It is located on Grand Avenue, between 19th Avenue and 15th Avenue....
, Paper Heart Gallery
Paper Heart Gallery
Paper Heart Gallery is an all-ages music venue, art gallery, and performance space in downtown Phoenix, Arizona, USA. It is located on Grand Avenue, between 7th Avenue and Polk Street....
, Club Rio, and Compton Terrace. Companies have started operating, giving the Phoenix music goer many choices any given night for entertainment. These include Lucky Man Concerts, The Shizz, and Fizzle Promotions
Fizzle Promotions
In 2006, Frances Lopez started promoting shows at the Trunk Space in Phoenix, Arizona under the name Fizzle Promotions and has hosted local music showcases and national touring acts such as Peelander-Z, the Creeping Nobodies, Kind of Like Spitting and Simone White.Fizzle Promotions is Frances...
.
Dance clubs in Phoenix, Scottsdale
Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2010 the population of the city was 217,385...
, and Tempe are active, especially with students. Phoenix is still a common place for "rave
Rave
Rave, rave dance, and rave party are parties that originated mostly from acid house parties, which featured fast-paced electronic music and light shows. At these parties people dance and socialize to dance music played by disc jockeys and occasionally live performers...
s", dance parties hosted in typically in warehouses, legal venues, or isolated desert locations.
Tucson
The city of Tucson, ArizonaTucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
, has an Official Troubador position, currently Ted Ramirez
Ted Ramirez
Ted Ramírez is Tucson's official troubadour as proclaimed by Tucson's Mayor and Council on December 17, 2001. The event was well attended and most notably by, Arizona folk music legends Travis Edmonson and Dolan Ellis...
. Ramirez is a singer and songwriter who uses both English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
lyrics, as well as singing in O’odham; he is also an Arizona Culture Keeper. The city of Tucson also produced the Ronstadt family, which most famously includes Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt is an American popular music recording artist. She has earned eleven Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award, an ALMA Award, numerous United States and internationally certified gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums, in addition to Tony Award and Golden...
; her brother Michael Ronstadt is a popular local musician. There are also many Ronstadt cousins who perform regularly in and around Tucson. Bobby Kimmel, who with Linda Ronstadt was one of 'The Stone Poneys', has returned to Tucson and performs frequently as part of BK Special
Tucson's music festival
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
s include the Norteño Music Festival & Street Fair, which celebrates the Mexican-American style of norteño
Norteño (music)
Norteño , also norteña or conjunto, is a genre of Mexican music. The accordion and the bajo sexto are norteño's most characteristic instruments. The norteño genre is popular in both Mexico and the United States, especially among the Mexican community...
. Tucson supports an orchestra called the Tucson Symphony Orchestra
Tucson Symphony Orchestra
The Tucson Symphony Orchestra, or TSO, is the primary professional orchestra of Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1928, when the season consisted of just two concerts, the TSO is the oldest continuously running performing arts organization in the Southwest...
.
The first weekend in May each year, the Tucson Kitchen Musicians Association, host the Tucson Folk Festival, a huge 2-day event on four stages, with about 100 acoustic music acts. The first festival was held in 1986.
Tucson boasts some of the best musicians, including several who have achieved national fame and recognition. Lalo Guerrero
Lalo Guerrero
Eduardo "Lalo" Guerrero , was a Mexican-American guitarist, singer and farm labor activist best known for his strong influence on today's Latin musical artists.-Life Summary:...
, known as the Father of Chicano Music and a recipient of the National Medal of Arts
National Medal of Arts
The National Medal of Arts is an award and title created by the United States Congress in 1984, for the purpose of honoring artists and patrons of the arts. It is the highest honor conferred to an individual artist on behalf of the people. Honorees are selected by the National Endowment for the...
among many other awards, was born in Tucson, where he lived until his early 20s. But his heart was always in Tucson, and he returned there as often as possible, whether he was living in San Diego, Los Angeles, or, as in the last decades of his life, Palm Springs. Lalo died on March 17, 2005, at the age of 89. After services in Palm Springs, his ashes were returned to Tucson where a beautiful memorial tribute was held. On April 17, 2005, Lalo was one of the first inductees in the Arizona Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame.
Travis Edmonson
Travis Edmonson
Travis Edmonson was an American folk singer, who performed both as a soloist and in the group Bud and Travis.-Early life:...
was named Tucson's Singing Ambassador of Goodwill in 1975, a mayoral appointment that still stands today. Lalo Guerrero was an inspiration to Travis, a musician of Anglo descent who grew up in Nogales and spent a lot of time across the border absorbing the culture and developing a unique ability for singing and playing the native music of Mexico. Travis and his friend Roger Smith (who later became a famous actor (TV's Father Knows Best, Wagon Train, Sunset Strip, and Mr. Roberts) before marrying an even more famous actress, Ann-Margret) were well-known at the University of Arizona for serenading women on campus. Travis went on to fame as a member of the Gateway Singers and especially as half of the Bud & Travis folk (and Mexican music) duo that was together off an on from about 1958 to 1965, producing 10 albums. Travis was inducted as an Arizona Culture Keeper in September 2005. His citation includes these words: "Edmonson has been at the vanguard of the movement to bring Latin music north of the border."
Some other famous Tucson musicians include Bob Nolan
Bob Nolan
Bob Nolan was a Canadian-born American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was a founding member of the Sons of the Pioneers, and composer of numerous Country music and Western music songs, including the standards "Cool Water" and "Tumbling Tumbleweeds." He is generally regarded as one of the...
, Katie Lee
Katie Lee (singer)
-Biography:Katie Lee is an Arizona folk singer, writer, actress and photographer.She graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. After that, she went on to study with two of the most successful folksingers of the 1940s, Burl Ives and Josh White...
, and Rex Allen
Rex Allen
Rex Elvie Allen was an American film actor, singer and songwriter, known as the Arizona Cowboy, particularly known as the narrator in many Disney nature and Western film productions. For contributions to the recording industry, Allen was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.-Family...
. Bob Nolan, a founder of the Sons of the Pioneers and the composer of classics such as "Cool Water" and "Tumbling Tumbleweeds," is a Tucson High graduate and is said to have written "Cool Water" while still in school.
Katie Lee
Katie Lee (singer)
-Biography:Katie Lee is an Arizona folk singer, writer, actress and photographer.She graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. After that, she went on to study with two of the most successful folksingers of the 1940s, Burl Ives and Josh White...
moved to Tucson around the age of 1, and is an actress and folk singer. She is also an activist, and her cause is well-explained in her book, "All My Rivers Are Gone". Katie also wrote a book about cowboy music and recorded a double LP (with Travis Edmonson
Travis Edmonson
Travis Edmonson was an American folk singer, who performed both as a soloist and in the group Bud and Travis.-Early life:...
) by the same name: "Ten Thousand Goddam Cattle."
Rex Allen
Rex Allen
Rex Elvie Allen was an American film actor, singer and songwriter, known as the Arizona Cowboy, particularly known as the narrator in many Disney nature and Western film productions. For contributions to the recording industry, Allen was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.-Family...
was the singing cowboy who replaced Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers, born Leonard Franklin Slye , was an American singer and cowboy actor, one of the most heavily marketed and merchandised stars of his era, as well as being the namesake of the Roy Rogers Restaurants franchised chain...
in the waning years of that golden era. A native of Willcox, Arizona
Willcox, Arizona
Willcox is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 3,769. Professional wrestler Ted Dibiase lived his formative years in Willcox, as did singer Tanya Tucker.-History:...
, he lived in Tucson in his later years. At the age of 11, John Denver
John Denver
Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr. , known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer/songwriter, activist, and humanitarian. After growing up in numerous locations with his military family, Denver began his music career in folk music groups in the late 1960s. His greatest commercial success...
received his first guitar from his grandmother while living in Tucson.
In the 1980s and throughout the 1990s Tucson was the site of a vital underground music scene centered around Club Congress and a handful of clubs and ersatz backyard parties located in the neighborhoods proximate to the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
. Many of these bands were of the indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
and punk variety. They included The River Roses, Pollo Elastico, The Phantom Limbs
The Phantom Limbs
The Phantom Limbs formed in Oakland, California in 1999. They combined no wave, horror punk, deathrock, and goth to create a unique synthpunk sound.-History:...
(not the hardcore band), Al Perry, The Deadbolts, The Lonely Trojans, Mondo Guano, Machines of Loving Grace
Machines of Loving Grace
Machines of Loving Grace was an industrial rock band from Tucson, Arizona.Named for a Richard Brautigan poem, they formed in 1989. The original lineup consisted of Scott Benzel , Stuart Kupers , and Mike Fisher , with Brad Kemp added shortly thereafter...
, The Fells, Funkapotamus (Laurie Rox), The Knockout Pills, Chick Cashman, The Weird Lovemakers, Rainer Ptacek
Rainer Ptacek
Rainer Ptacek was a Tucson, Arizona based guitarist and singer-songwriter. His guitar technique, which incorporated slide, finger-picking, tape loops and electronic manipulation, earned him admiration of some notable musicians such as Robert Plant and Billy Gibbons...
, Doo Rag
Doo rag
Doo rag may refer to:*an alternate spelling of do-rag, a simple piece of cloth tied at the back, used to cover the head*Doo Rag , a Lo-fi music punk/blues band from Tucson, Arizona, active in the mid 90s....
, Bob Log III
Bob Log III
Bob Log III is an American slide guitar one-man band. During performances, he plays old Silvertone archtop guitars, wears a full body human cannonball suit, and a pilot's helmet wired to a telephone receiver, which allows him to devote his hands and feet to guitar and drums. The spectacle has been...
, and The Sidewinders
The Sidewinders
The Sidewinders were a rock band from Tucson, Arizona, who released two major-label albums and scored two radio hits in the US before a lawsuit forced a change of name. Another album was released on a major label but by that time the band had nearly broken up...
(later the Sand Rubies).
See also
- Articles on Arizona musicians
- Articles on Arizona musical groups
- Articles on Music venues in Arizona