January 2020

stripes

Best New Band: Stripes

Four teens from Tucson make up the super cool band known simply as Stripes who came out swinging this year with their 9-track debut LP, 520. The album was recorded at Midtown Island Studios with Matt Rendon which only adds to the coolness factor. Forming out of the ashes of The Frecks, Stripes dropped 520 in May, but they released a brand new single (and music video) just before the end of 2019. Hopefully this means they have a lot more in the works for this year…

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best live performer 2019 700

Best Live Performer 2019: Dadadoh

Whenever DaDadoh takes the stage, he captivates audiences with style and swagger. Whether performing with Spicy Mayo or his mainstay, DaDadoh + the P.O.C., Bryan Preston (aka DaDadoh, etc.) knows how to work a room, even from above floor level, and never fails to bring the energy. DaDadoh is a boon to any band that can ensnare his skills on or offstage. In addition to his charismatic onstage presence, DaDadoh is a talented songwriter, musician, rapper, vocalist, music producer, comedian, hype man, A&R Rep for TVLiFE Entertainment, and all around nice guy…

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best band keeping it pushing

Best Band Keeping It Pushing: Meat Puppets

The Meat Puppets formed in Phoenix back in 1980 and, with the exception of two short breaks, they have been playing music together under the moniker for four decades. Despite this long trodden path, the Meat Puppets haven’t lost their ability to crank out fresh tunes for fans, both new and old, rather than relying on old standbys to keep the crowds coming…

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Best Album We Totally Ignored: ‘Twos’ by PRO TEENS

… and that sucks because it means albums like Twos by PRO TEENS might slide right past us after they’re released. We can see the inherent problems with this system because Twos is pretty fucking rad for everyone who likes their surf sludge with a little bit of pop and an extra layer of sullen. And the album came out in August. And we didn’t pick up the review because, once again, it slid right past us…

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Spirit Award 2019: Dani Cutler

Dani Cutler holds the unofficial title of “Scene Mom” within the local music scene, but we thought it was time we made it official. Then we thought, “Can we do that?” I mean, as bloggers, we kind of assign our own authority, right? But, as luck would have it, bloggers and radio show hosts have more than a few things in common and one of those things is a shameless appreciation for our own opinions. So we’d like to take a moment to acknowledge Dani Cutler and her unwavering commitment to supporting the local music scene and the artists who give us a scene to support…

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