Tonight In Phoenix: Lost Leaf 3rd Bday Party | Brilliant Colors @ Trunk Space

A couple pretty good options tonight, you might even be able to hit up both the Brilliant Colors show at The Trunk Space at 7:30 in between the bands playing at The Lost Leaf for their 3rd birthday party (they should be potty trained by now right?). The Lost Leaf starts at 4pm and goes till 12:45, but I doubt things will run so smoothly, I am guessing it will be over at 2am. But I am a pessimist and a jerk, two great qualities every blogger strives for.

Check out the Lost Leaf band schedule AND a Brilliant Colors video after the break... don't drink and drive ya'll! Be sure stay really far away from The Marquee, don't want to accidentally hear any Angels and Airwaves by accident. I think The Lost Leaf is just far enough ;-)

Video: Slow Club "I Wanna Live In Paradise" (Live From The Trunkspace)

Hey, the Slow Club made a video at The Trunk Space when they were here on March 15th, and I think that is cool and also pretty neat! They are also giving away their 2008 EP Let's Fall Back In Love for the price of your email address, that is also cool and pretty neat. You can watch the video up there above this writing and download the EP HERE. The song in the video is NOT on the EP because it's brand new and hasn't been recorded yet.

Tonight In The Valley: Dusty Rhodes & The River Band & White Rabbits

You gotta go to this damn show! You just HAVE to, they are so damn good live it might make your kids retarded. Show is at The Trunk Space at 9:30. It's after the 3rd Friday Art Walk so it will probably be pretty busty so you might want to get there before that. Tix HERE. Wizards of Time are opening dammit!

If rabbit bands in Tempe are more your cup of tea... White Rabbits at The Clubhouse is for you. The Constellation Branch and the ALWAYS AWESOME Gospel Claws are opening. Show is at 8pm and tix are HERE

Tonight In Phoenix: The Big Pink & A Place To Bury Strangers OR Deer Tick

So last night was all about Tempe and tonight it's all about Phoenix. Tonight's show choices are not quit clear cut as yesterday's "either you had tickets to Vampire Weekend or you didn't"... choose wisely.

A Place To Bury Strangers and The Big Pink are going to blow the doors off of The Rhythm Room so be sure to bring ear plugs, you are going to need them. Tickets are $15 HERE

Deer Tick is making their return to Phoenix but in my opinion due to the closing of Modified they have been downgraded a little in venue and will be playing at The Trunk Space though their sub standard PA system that is certainly not befitting of one of my favorite bands. But whatevs I guess. I don't get to make decisions about stuff like that. But you should seriously elect me "President of Venue Picking and Schedules" Tickets to that show are $12 HERE with Andrew Jackson Jihad, Jacob Smigel, One Wolf and Matthew Reveles supporting.

Tonight In The Valley: Titus Andronicus | Cymbals Eat Guitars | Nice Nice | The Loneliest Monk

Tonight is a night of tough decisions. It’s not something we are really used to anymore since DVR’s and the internet enable us to watch whatever we want whenever we want. Especially in Phoenix we usually have a pretty clear cut idea of where and what we are going to do, but a few times a year we get a night like tonight... Way too many good shows to choose from!

I am pretty sure I am going to Cymbals Eat Guitars at The Rhythm Room but I am this close to changing my mind and going to Titus Andronicus at Chyro Arts. The Loneliest Monk at Lost Leaf or Nice Nice at The Trunk Space are also going on but not really factoring into my decision menu, not because they aren't good but I have to draw a line somewhere right? I wish I would have had the same policy at the "Wine Party" I attented on Saturday night. I probably wouldn't have these tattoos of Scooby and Scrappy Do on each of my butt cheeks... live and learn right?

Check out some live videos from each band after the break to help you with your own personal conundrum.

PHOTOS: ABE VIGODA, LOVVERS, TAPE DECK MT, WRITER @ TRUNKSPACE 3/12/2010

All Photography: Dee Wallace

Tonight In Phoenix: Abe Vigoda|Lovvers|Tape Deck Mt|Writer @ Trunk Space

Tonight is the first night of our Phoenix version of SXSW, Rampage Fest. It's gonna be at The Trunk Space. It's OUTSIDE at The Trunk Space no less so that is going to be awesome.

Abe Vigoda is the headliner and they are opening up for Vampire Weekend in a few weeks so this is your chance to see them in a parking lot all intimate like. Lovvers is one of the loudest bands I have ever heard when the played The Rhythm Room last year so you might be able to just listen from your house... but don't because that is stupid and lame. Tape Deck Mountain is getting some serious blogbuzz recently and Writer can smoke whilst water skiing.

All four of these bands (maybe) are on their way to Austin for SXSW so if you are like me and NOT going to make it to the only cool sounding thing in Texas this is the next best thing.

Show starts at 6:30 and if it doesn't then you can just drink more at the Bikini.

PHOTOS: COATS & VILLA / BOYS AND FROGS / SOFT DRINK / LAARKS : 3/02/2010

Henry J. Kaiser once said, "When your work speaks for itself, don't interrupt.” I think these photographs simply say, "the show was brilliant" and if they don't, let me tell you that the show was brilliant.

Boys and Frogs celebrated their one year anniversary.They're probably the best one year olds I know and I'm not just saying that because they provided FREE CAKE, which is debatably the BEST.THING.EVER.

What I'm really trying to say is that all of the bands did a good job and it's a shame that more people weren't there to enjoy the sounds.

Tonight in Phoenix: Laarks / Boys and Frogs / Soft Drink @ The Trunk Space

Tonight you gotta forget about Lost and go see Laarks, with two of Phoenix's best bands supporting... Boys and Frogs and Soft Drink... DUH! Say hi to Dee our newest corespondent as she watches, takes pictures and listens. She might even do all three of those things at the same time!

RAMPAGE FEST At The Trunk Space March 12,13th & 24th

Big Huge Giant Super Announcement!!!

I just got the details on a little something called Rampage Fest! What is Rampage Fest you ask? I am glad you asked because I was going to tell you anyway but this just makes it less rapey. It's a THREE day festival right in the heart of Phoenix at The Trunk Space. Think of it as our very own SXSW even, since I think most if not all of the bands will either be on their way to SXSW (Days 1 & 2) or on their way back (Day 3). Bands like Tape Deck Mountain, The Happy Hallows, No Bunny and The Coathangers just to name a few. You can buy single day tickets for $10 or get all three days at once for $24... What a bargain right?!?! Check out all the details after the break.

Tonight In Phoenix: Silian Rail w/ Whisperlights, Porches & Soft Drink

Soft Drink at the now drastically different Modified Arts on 11/13/09

Tonight if you are not doing something stupid you should get your bodies down to The Trunk Space and watch Soft Drink. You should also watch the other bands but I have only seen Soft Drink live and I don't want endorse the live performances of bands I have not seen. On the other hand there is really no reason for a band as good as Soft Drink to play with shitty bands and I HAVE heard recording of these other bands Silian Rail Whisperlights and Porches and I like the sound of them. So you know what? I am going to just go ahead and say you should go watch ALL of the bands at The Trunk Space tonight. I am pretty sure you get to see them all for ticket so you might as well right?

Tonight In Phoenix: Harlem, Chandails, The Pods @ The Trunk Space

If you enjoy good/maybe excellent bands named after places they are not from and possibly had never even been too at the time of their naming but probably HAD been since people travel all over the country and even the world too it's definitely within reason to assume that one of them had at least been to this place at least once.

If you guessed that I was talking about Harlem, that moved from Nashville TN to Tucson AZ to Austin TX then you are the big winner, of joining me (at your own expense of course) at The Trunk Space tonight to watch Harlem play songs from their catalog of songs they wrote and learned how to play as a band together. I am very much excited to see this show because I find Harlem pleasing to my ears, couple that with the fact that I have recently (last night) gotten over my mild dislike of The Trunk Space and it's a recipe for fun and excitement.

Photos: The Magic Kids, The Young Friends & Gospel Claws @ The Trunk Space

On nothing but the strength of the only two songs I could find from The Magic Kids I overcame my seething laziness and trekked on down to The Trunk Space last night. Knowing that The Young Friends and Gospel Claws were supporting didn't hurt the motivation factor either... because like to hear the music they play.

For your personal reference in case you totally ignored my post yesterday and didn't go, all three bands have their own spin on the booming genre of "post nouveau surf wave" (or whatever the shit it's called) made popular by internet famous band such as Girls, Wavves and or Surfer Blood. One thing I came to understand deep in my heart over the course of the night is this... The best and really ONLY place to listen to this "music type style" is live in a small intimate space. In a bigger venue I think it might feel forced and weird, but the Trunk Space it kinda feels like you are just hanging out watching your friends jam in a garage a block away from the beach after surfing all morning. That might (no, it definitely does) sound stupid but I don't care, that's how it made me feel and YOU can't tell ME how to feel!

Oddly enough this is my first trip back to The Trunk Space since having my ears melted at the Crystal Antlers show last year, and you know what? Throw a pair of earplugs in and things are not so bad, in fact I think I might be able to get used to it. And that is a good thing for me due to the basket load of goats worth of good bands lined up to play there over the next coming... forever I guess.

As for these pictures, the one thing The Trunk Space hasn't changed is the lighting, its fucking dark in there and that makes for some grainy/blurry ass pictures that I have attempted to save via Adobe Lightroom, so please forgive me if they burn your eyes out or something. If for some reason you want to see even MORE of them click HERE for our Flickr page.

Tonight In Phoenix: The Magic Kids, The Young Friends, Gospel Claws @ The Trunk Space

Normally I wait till later in the day to post this kind of thing but I wanted to give you all plenty of time to make plans for tonight at the Trunk Space. The Magic Kids out of Memphis are playing tonight with a couple of my favorite Phoenix bands... The Young Friends and Gospel Claws. If the promise of three great bands in an intimate setting are not enough to motivate you this Wednesday night I also heard a rumor about possible "free PBR at bikini next door" just one though and you will have to negotiate this yourselves, I am not here to be your middle man dammit! So let's recap... 3 great bands, free beer, intimate setting and free beer. What the hells else are you going to do on a Wednesday night? Tickets are only $10 and you can get them HERE

Crystal Antlers @ The Trunk Space

Despite the Trunk Spaces "not yet ready for prime time" PA system the Crystal Antlers put on a great show. They put in 110% and I won't hold the crappy sound against them but the Trunk Space seriously needs to upgrade their shit if they intend to be a viable replacement for Modified. I wasn't able to get any decent pictures since the only lights are pointed at the tiny little stage only big enough to hold the drummer so I took a bunch of grainy ass videos that very much represent the sound quality of the show, OR may even sound better strangely enough... So check them out and it will be just like you were there. Bunch more after the break.

Photos: Former Ghosts and The One AM Radio @ The Trunk Space

Last night was my first trip to The Trunk Space so going in I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. The place itself it really cool, they have a coffee bar, used records, art hanging on the wall and on overall vibe I would describe as "chilln' so hard". It was the perfect venue for Former Ghosts and The One AM Radio to play. They are both far from your run of the mill indie music.

Former Ghosts is just two guys utilizing a combination of different instruments and a Mac book to create a huge haunting sound that several people commented afterwords that they couldn't believe that only two people were creating that sound.

The One AM Radio sounds like a combination of The Postal Service, a tinge of Arcade Fire and a little Jesus & Mary Chain that come together into something very much their own creation.

Overall I really excellent show. I would recommend picking up Former Ghosts debut Fleurs album when it comes out on Oct 20th, and The One AM Radio has a couple of albums out already that you can check out HERE

I am serving up some pictures of the show after the break and maybe even a video or two (I was a little to close to the speakers with the video camera so some of the audio gets a little distorted at times). Check out the rest of the pictures on our Flickr page HERE and the rest of videos on our Youtube page HERE