Local music junkies, rejoice. This blog's for you. Before you go out, let Play's scenesters scout it out for you: Who's hot, who's coming to town, who's got a new disc.
We're on it.
This is the soundtrack of your life. Pay attention.
MARCH 5, 2007
Their musical foundation is built on booty jokes, yo mamma jabs, and microphones in toilets.
FEBRUARY 24, 2007
A rising local rapper who had already conquered the Anchorage music scene and had hoped to make it big Outside was sentenced to more than 10 years in federal prison this week for dealing cocaine.
The guns and money gangster lifestyle that Gerald Drew sang about came to an end when a dealer who worked with him sold cocaine hidden in a McDonald's Happy Meal box to a government informant, authorities say.
Drew, a 25-year-old frontman of rap group AK49rz, was busted for being a local distributor of both cocaine and crack cocaine. He was also arrested for possessing an arsenal of heavy-duty weapons in his South Anchorage home that he turned "into a drug and weapons den," federal prosecutors said in court papers. Hundreds of indie music fans turned out for the KRUA 88.
1 FM 15-year anniversary party at the UAA's Wendy Williamson auditorium last Saturday. There was free KRUA swag going around, including little rubber duckies, which fans hurled at Cursive's singer, Tim Kasher. Way to show the love Anchorage!
Oddly, throwing things at Kasher seemed almost appropriate -- he sings dark and lonely lyrics and even sported a black eye from a previous incident.
Check out the review below and let us know what you thought of the gig.
FEBRUARY 22, 2007
Aaron Gray of local rock band says his band’s final show will prove to be a miniature rockfest for just five bucks at the door.
“We have five bands opening up for us,” Gray, guitar and vocals said. “There will be mad energy, especially because this is our last show together. We'll be leaving it all on the stage.
”
The gig kicks off at 8 p.m. March 2 at (corner of Minnesota and 100th Ave.
) and will feature Baliko, Indecision, Sorrow's End, Here Among Wolves and The Lost Concept. FEBRUARY 15, 2007
College radio station will be putting on a party for indie music fans this weekend at the Wendy Williamson Auditorium at UAA.
The station is celebrating it’s 15 year anniversary by bringing Omaha, Neb.
based band and openers to Anchorage for a performance Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. for $15-$25.
Tickets are available at
FEBRUARY 8, 2007
Thrash metal, Jersey-based band will play Chilkoot Charlie’s March 29, thanks in part to the newly formed heavy metal promotions company
This year marks GF’s first headlining tour as it continues to promote its 2005 concept album about the end of the world, “IV: Constitution of Treason.” GF has played MTV2 Headbanger’s Ball and Ozzfest. When the band arrives in Anchorage, it will have just finished a run in Australia.
FEBRUARY 5, 2007
Saturday night was amazing for local music, a live event junkie couldn’t ask for more.
The party started at the Chilkoot Charlie’s Swing Bar with a CD Release of “Horizon City.” Norsworthy and the Koot’s staff converted the place into a romantic wine tasting.
Candles at each table set a mood reminiscent of the release of Jared Woods’ “Wren” at the same location in December.
It was refreshing to see this type of event at a bar typically known for booty dancing and underwear stapled to the wall. Koot’s is going to start hosting shows like this once a month.
FEBRUARY 2, 2007
Check the page of any one of MySpace friends and you will no doubt see a large poster advertising his band’s live projection show tomorrow night (Feb. 3) at the Snow Goose Theatre on Third Avenue. Well, every friend but singer/songwriter
“There is no way I am going to leave up this thing that is the size of the Internet on my page,” Norsworthy said.
This is likely because Norsworthy is hosting a CD release the same night as Braund’s concert. The release of his full-length “Horizon City” will take place at the Swing Bar at the World Famous Chilkoot Charlie’s and feature Anchorage’s and Patrick Porter of Seattle. FEBRUARY 1, 2007
Skiing, snowboarding, tubing, fireworks and music!
Grab your friends and fill your gas tank because the in Girdwood has it all and takes place this weekend.
This annual event features some of Anchorage's most popular bar bands at the On Friday night, will start things off at 9 p.m.
and will follow as part of the KWHL 106.5-FM party. Saturday at 9, MIX 103.
1-FM presents and $7 each night at the door. JANUARY 26, 2007
Up-and-comers are flying up from the O.C.
for two Anchorage gigs in late Feburary.
These five dudes left their tropical paradise home of Hawaii, hoping a Cali home base would kick start their musical careers. The MTV-ready rock band and Warped Tour vets are sonic soulmates of Taking Back Sunday and My Chemical Romance.
The Feb. 23 show at ‘Koots is 21-plus. Doors open at 9 p.
m. Tickets cost $10, or $20 VIP. JANUARY 4, 2007
After a holiday-and-flu induced hiatus, Push Play is back to ring in the musical New Year, a promising year where we’ll see new releases by Modest Mouse, Three Six Mafia and possibly, finally, “Chinese Democracy,” which Guns ‘n’ Roses has been twiddling with since before I was old enough to get the irony in the title.
For those looking for a live music fix to get them to spring, here’s some upcoming national acts to keep an eye out for: NOVEMBER 29, 2006
36 Crazyfists will return to Anchorage do some pre-fame style holiday club shows.
Anchorage promoters AK Soul have booked three club dates for the Anchorage-bred metal hounds: An all-ages gig Dec. 15 at Club Millennium, a Toys For Tots benefit Dec.
16 at Player’s House of Rock and the obligatory ‘Koots appearance on Dec. 17.
We’ll let you ticket details as soon as we get them.
In the meantime, let us know what you think of this from Pop Matters. While suffering through your post-turkey bloat, give thanks for the return of Alaskan indie pop meister .
Though Hopper left in 2004 to make the road his home, the founder of The Roman Candles still considers AK his home base.
He’s back this week for a couple of holiday shows (and to scam some cheddar off his folks to finish his upcoming album).
Catch Hopper’s dreamy sets at 8 p.m.
today at the iCafe in Wasilla ($10) or at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the UAA Student Union with Musically Excited Nerds (free, ages 16-plus).
NOVEMBER 24, 2006
On its new EP, indie rock outfit named all its songs something rock, as in “Satellite Rock,” “Revolution Rock,” and the daring “Great Rock.”
Clearly, they like the rock. Possibly, they also enjoy the roll, but there is less evidence of that.
Baliko’s self-titled disc falls somewhere in the sound triangle between Oasis, Green Day and The Shins, if those bands threw in some lyrics about loving Jesus and basking in God’s glorious light.
The Anchorage band -- made up of Kris Carmody, Max Ingalls, Joel Brisson and Rich Irwin – started out by just jamming Monday nights as artistic catharsis/worship. Eventually, they adopted the Baliko moniker (after their poet/friend Steve Baliko of Anchorage).
This is the band’s first disc. Looks like there might be a shake-up on the horizon for local radio. Clear Channel, which owns six local radio stations, announced plans today to sell 448 of its radio stations outside the top 100 markets.
Anchorage isn’t a top 100 market, so it appears our local Clear Channel stations are fair pickins.
If local Clear Channel stations do switch hands, what changes would you like to hear on the dial?
NOVEMBER 16, 2006
Concert industry magazine Pollstar reported, and Sullivan Arena management confirmed, that Little Big Town is also scheduled to make a pit stop at Fairbanks’ Carlson Center on March 14.
Tickets will likely go on sale Dec. 1 or 2, according to Joe Wooden, the Sullivan's general manager. Prices have not yet been set.
Although the fresh-faced foursome has been around for eight years, Little Big Town didn’t start clawing its way to fame until the release of 2005’s “The Road To Here” on Clint Black’s label. Album singles “Boondocks” and “Bring It On Home” are in heavy rotation on both country radio and County Music Television. NOVEMBER 15, 2006
Face it.
U2 will play Alaska when Naomi Campbell stops clubbing her employees with phones – i.e., never.
So, the only options are to go U2-less, or take our chances with U2 tribute bands. One of those – – plays ‘Koots tomorrow, if you’re feeling lucky.
Listening to samples off the tribute band’s Web site (and ignoring the terrible recording quality) the similarity is pretty eerie.
You can’t replace Bono and the boys, but these California dudes are at least a made-for-TV-movie approximation. NOVEMBER 13, 2006
Watch out for musical whiplash.
At Winter Rockfest 2 in Wasilla, more than 25 acts will rotate sets on three stages Friday night.
With 20-minute sets and 10-minute equipment switch outs, you shouldn’t have to suffer a moment of dead air.
The lineup includes metal makers Lavoy, indie rockers Baliko, rapper Young Jabez and acoustic songstress Katie Cason. Special guest is Sony/BMG recording artist , an emcee from Portland.
Last year more than 1,000 fans showed up at the inaugural Rockfest, according to Nathan Lopez, a youth pastor with the event’s sponsoring agency, Wasilla Assembly of God’s Nameless Youth Ministries. The rumor mill has cranked up thanks to a big flashing graphic on the : “Bitoz is coming back!!
! Winter ’06.”
Sakata had optimistically booked a re-opening gig on Nov.
17 featuring Oakland-based rapper and New York City alt rock/world group High Places. NOVEMBER 7, 2006
If you haven’t picked up on this yet, a good chunk of the Bitoz scene can now be found peeling the paint off the walls of a new all-ages venue in the Mat-Su Valley.
, which opened in Wasilla a couple of months ago, has already hosted Dopiate, , and many of their partners in hardcore hijinks.
To get the skinny, Push Play called up Tracy Lorentz, who manages the joint. A mother, Lorentz said when closed she thought it was important for there to be another safe place for teens to hang out. To that end, Lorentz cracks this whip: No purses, backpacks, hoodies or attitudes allowed.
NOVEMBER 6, 2006
It’s a tune knows well.
Prepping for a studio session in December, the heavy Mat Su band realized they didn’t have enough dough to record the CD. Most of the band members are living the ramen noodle life as college freshman, or working their first jobs out of high school.
So Strept hooked up with a charity Web site, www.fundable.org.
The catch? No money is collected unless the donations add up to $1,000 in a month’s time. You’ve outgrown “The Monster Mash” and you’ve overplayed “Thriller.
” Your Halloween party is looming. And you still haven’t painted the brain matter on your zombie costume yet.
The Cure, Bowie, NIN, etc.).
For your convenience, I slapped the songs together onto an iMix for you: It’s called: Push Play Halloween.
OCTOBER 25, 2006
Possibly a tad too literal for a band name.
Though they’ve been together more than two years, the Chugiak band didn’t really register on the local screamo/hardcore scene until this summer after winning a timeslot at Summer Meltdown II.
Because Faceless had been playing mostly Christian venues, the metal scenesters weren’t getting a taste.
But with a new disc coming out in early November and a round of gigs at local nightclubs, guitarist Zach Gall said Faceless is aggressively marking its territory on the local metal scene. OCTOBER 23, 2006
On the bummer front, Anchorage’s Tabitha Scott did not make it to the “Nashville Star” final audition. (See previous post below.
) Undeterred, she said she’ll continue with her plans to write and record a full-length, original CD.
“I might try auditioning again next year, but jury
is still out,” Scott told Push Play via e-mail. “As long as I am singing somewhere, I am a happy girl.
”
OCTOBER 19, 2006
Nashville, here she comes. Maybe.
Of 25,000 contestants, Anchorage singer Tabitha Scott is one of 230 still in the running for a spot on an American Idol type TV competition for country singers on the USA Network.
In a few days, Scott expects to find out if she’ll make it to Nashville in November for the final round of auditions.
Scott’s already jumped through several fiery hoops, including a 25-page written interview, videotaped interview, and auditions in Oklahoma City -- one that was a cappella. Scott said since her idols are Faith Hill and Martina McBride, she stuck with power ballads for the auditions: “Jesus Take the Wheel” and “Leave the Pieces.
” OCTOBER 18, 2006
The cloudy, chilly weather got you craving some sweaty, hot-climate grooving? Well, strap on your sandals: The Florida rave scene is coming to you.
Orlando house DJ/producer will spin a lush, soothing vibe tomorrow night in south side.
The alter ego of Michael Donaldson, Q-Burns has toured with the Chemical Brothers and recorded on the label, which is home to Fatboy Slim, Hot Chip and Beth Orton, among others. OCTOBER 17, 2006
Be the first to agree with or rip apart my Sugarland review! Read on:
It was a miracle the seams held on Jennifer Nettles’ skin-tight leggings.
The charismatic lead singer of crouched and jumped in her teal boots as if she just got out of dance lessons with Steven Tyler. All the while, her thick Georgia twang penetrated the air like a train whistle.
Unlike most country queens who practically rivet their designer heels to the stage, Nettles’ floor show takes cues from rock ‘n’ roll.
Why should a girl stand still when she can snake her arms in the air, make weird and wonderful faces, and shake what her mama gave her. OCTOBER 14, 2006
Just when you thought ska was a headstone in the pop music cemetery, some wacky kids from Fairbanks come along with a CD worthy of spastic dancing in plaid jackets.
“Raucous Muldaucous” is first disc, featuring bright, horn-filled singles such as “The Battle of Hong Kong” and "Shitskabobs.
”
Saxophonist Jack Fitch said most of their song titles came from random word sampling. For example, their song “Leisure Rules” was a slogan on a movie poster. OCTOBER 13, 2006
Hometown metal maniacs just announced the first leg of their upcoming U.
S. tour. Hate to break it to you Anchorage, but you didn’t make the cut.
These dates drop down on the East Coast and Midwest only. Better luck next leg.
The tour promotes the band’s latest disc “Rest Inside the Flames” which will be released stateside on Nov.
7.
Here are the dates, in case you’ve got some airline miles burning a hole in your pocket:
SEPTEMBER 29, 2006
can find inspiration in anything – even breath mints.
After all, a poignant moment with a tin of cinnamon-flavored Penguin Caffeinated Peppermints was all it took for the Wasilla band to come up with its trippy band name.
The classic/progressive rock group has just released its first disc, a self-titled eight-song jobby that features fun with a synthesizer. Let’s just say when guitarist Chris McGraw told me he has a thing for , it did not shock my system.
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