MCD Records want to give you some Boats!

Win a tripple pack of vinyl, and catch the Boats! AZ tour

May Cause Dizziness Records and Sacramento punk rockers Boats! are bringing teh rock to your doorstep with an AZ tour through Scottsdale, Tucson and Flagstaff, and a chance to win a trifecta-colored vinyl collection of their 7" with fellow Southern Cal buds, The Enlows. Brag to your friends and bulk up your punk cred by a whole 3 points by entering this super radtastic contest. Now you'll have an actual reason to buy a record player! Maybe you'll even love it so much that you'll get off your ass and go see something new for a change! The possibilities are endless if you choose to accept the challenge at hand.
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Local Stuff You Should Know #10

Win FREE Vandals/VGS tickets & check out the end of 09 events

Grab your speedos and clear your calendars, because on Friday December 11th, The Vandals are bringing their annual Christmas show to the Clubhouse, and Psyko Steve is kicking AZPunk down 2 free pairs of tickets to pass on to you! Next Thursday we will be drawing two names to each win a pair of tickets to be picked up at will call the night of the show. All you gotta do is click this link and shoot us an email. Your email address will be processed through our super scientific nuclear facility, and chosen at random by our underpaid AZPunk holiday elves. If you're chosen, we'll email, you to let you know. Otherwise, buy your tickets from psykosteve.com and come deck your halls with AZPunk and Psyko Steve! Speedos optional.
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Local Stuff You Should Know #9

The OSS, Elders & The Tightholes

The word "punk" gets thrown around a lot lately, a lot of the time when it probably has no business being used. It seems like often someone will tell me about some supposedly great punk band and it turns out that they basically have the tendencies of a rock band, but just sped up. Now that's fine, but that's not what attracted me about the genre, and I really don't know when punk turned into sped up Guns N' Roses riffs without the wank. I am not an elitist of any sort, but I can offer you a replacement for the played out whiskey rock camouflaged as punk that seems to be running rampant these days. I've been playing punk for about 14 years now, so I have seen local punk take many shapes. I have seen its ups and downs, maybe perhaps, I have even reached "old guy" status. Maybe I am not far from standing in darkened corners alone at shows talking about how I once saw Dystopia in the Nile basement. Uh, excuse the digression, my point is that currently the local scene is looking pretty promising. So without further ado, I now offer you a couple of local bands that capture what I know and love about punk.
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Barred For Life @ Jugheads 11/7

Editorial team scouring North America in effort to document legacy of Black Flag, American punk rock

This Saturday, November 7th, author Stewart Ebersole and a four-person editorial team will be stopping by Jugheads in an effort to document the legacy of Black Flag via their iconography in tattoo art. The band's logo, four staggered, parallel rectangles known simply as "The Bars", is one of the most enduring and vivid symbols of youth subculture, and lends its name to the title of his forthcoming book, Barred For Life. Ebersole and his team will be taking photos for his book while you and your friends beat each other to the sounds of Black Fag, and locals The Tightholes, and JJCNV. The following is the Barred For Life press release.
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ShizzFest 2 Recap

TheShizz.org rounds out it's 2nd semi-annual local music event

On October 10, 2009 at the Trunk Space and Sweets & Beats in Phoenix, 20 bands performed on 3 stages throughout the evening in a festival of local sounds celebrating different bands in the Phoenix area at the semi-annual concert event, Shizzfest 2, presented by TheShizz.org, a local music messageboard.

So there I was waiting in the Jugheads parking lot. I had been there since 4:45 even though Tyler told me he would be there at 5. I had ants in my Dickies and basically wanted to drop off the new Cagematch shrit for Tyler and pick up flyers for the following Wednesday's Accused show we were playing. I was planning on handing them out at ShizzFest 2.
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Local Stuff You Should Know #8

Benefit show for Tumbleweed.org and the homeless youth of Phoenix

So economically, times are pretty damn tough for all of us. But our local charities and non-profits are really feeling the pinch. What's really frustrating is that this economic downturn is having the worst effect on our most vulnerable community members. The Tumbleweed Center for Youth Development, a local non-profit for homeless and at-risk youth, is on the verge of losing some really great programs. The drop-in gallery, which features the artwork of local teens, is facing closure. So is Tumbleweed's outreach program, which provides food, clothing and other personal necessities to homeless teens all over the Valley.
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Local Stuff You Should Know #7

Venue changes, radio shows & some cool videos, oh my!

With the recent demise of The Sets, and the creation of a much needed all ages venue 23 West to take its place, I think it's safe to assume that big changes are happening for local music out here. Case in point, Kimber Lanning of Stinkweeds and Modified Arts fame took some time from her incredibly busy schedule working with Local First Arizona and SilverPlatter.info, to talk about some big upcoming changes with Modified Arts.
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Because I Wasn't There

Anti-Snob.com documents Phoenix punk 1976-1980

T.S.O.L. @ Mad Gardens '83
I have been obsessed all year long. Obsessed with a history I was never a part of... and one that I am barely qualified to write. It all started after the Super Bowl party in early February. My best gal-pal Denise from The Cosmeticators invited a few of us over to her pad to watch the video she shot during The Lustkillers show at Jamie Monistat's WokStar Bar the night before. The video was part performance/part shenanigans, starring yours truly as a liquored-up volunteered fool being decorated with toilet paper by some of my friends.

After we watched the Lustkillers vid, Denise told us of a DVD that she received a few copies of from an old friend. She gave me one of the copies. It was an early 1983 show at the famous Mad Gardens in Phoenix featuring TSOL, Grant & The Geezers, and JFA. By now, I reckon more people around town have this bootleg.
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23 West: New All Ages Venue

Shows blow through here like the monsoon rain we wish we could get

Two independent companies are joining forces to open an all ages, alcohol free venue in Tempe. 23 West is set to open in late December or early January.

After months of planning and red tape 23 West was approved for its special use permit this past Tuesday. Over 25 members or the music and media communities showed up in support of the new venue and only a handful of detractors spoke against the venue. Now that the city has signed off on the venue, the remodel of the building located at 23 West Southern Ave in Tempe is scheduled to begin in the next few weeks. "I'm really excited about having an opportunity to have an all ages venue in the east valley. It really gives us a chance to bring art/music culture to the area. Especially, when there isn't anything like this currently around her," commented Rodney Hu of the Yucca Taproom.
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When In AZ Music Compilation

Local bands + local bands = BFFs

When we first started the AZPunk comps in '02, we had an idea to have local punk bands cover their favorite local punk bands. Unfortunately for AZPunk, that idea never really got off the ground (although we never say never...), so when I heard about the new When In AZ Music Compilation, which features 55 local artists paying musical homage to their fellow local artists, I was ready and willing to drop $8.66 for three-and-a-half hours of local music. The album wouldn't necessarily be classified in the "punk" genre, but it does include The Liar's Handshake, an artist who was featured on our Volume 5 Comp, as well as longtime local Indy rockers, The Necronauts covering local punk favorites, Bolt!. Way I see it, regardless of the albums lack of "punk music", organizer Nick Kizer and all the local bands involved get a big thumbs up from this AZPunker.
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Local Stuff You Should Know #6

Shows blow through here like the monsoon rain we wish we could get

Monsoon season usually sucks balls out here in the desert. We're lied to for several weeks about getting rain that either only finds its way to remote locations of the state, or doesn't even come at all, the temperature jumps 2 degrees every day, and usually the only comfort we have is knowing that we only have to suffer about 2 more months of constant daily "excessive heat warning" reminders. But don't sweat it, bitches!, the beginning of the last 2009 quarter has given us a much better kind of hotness to look forward to. September and October alone will have you braving your oven of a car, and possibly several freeway trips, to check out some of these awesome national/local combo punk shows that will be coming up like Agent Orange, The Accused, J.F.A., D.I., and a hell of a lot more. Check it out!
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Local Band Charity Softball Tournament To Benefit Toys For Tots

Mantooth Gorup is for the children!

Local band softball tournament is back for a 3rd year. Organizers are hoping to raise more toys than ever before Sunday, November 8, 2009 at Daley Park.

What would be a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon in the fall than playing softball, hanging out with the local music community and most importantly, raising donations for Toys For Tots? The Local Band Charity Softball Tournament is back after a long hideous and is ready for action. On Sunday, November 8th several softball teams consisting of local bands, promoters and fans will take the field in an effort to raise money and toys for the local Toys for Tots chapter.
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Desert Punk Slamboree @ The Sets

This Saturday, 8/22

Thanks to the non-stop hard work driven punks over at Desert Punk Promotions and AZKaos, this Saturday at the Sets is where you're going to want to be to see a collection of some of Arizona's great punk rock bands.

The Desert Punk Slamboree is a gathering of Arizona's best local talent (The Glass Heroes, Rotten Youth, My Doll, etc) the most dedicated supporters (AZ Kaos), and the most die-hard fans (you). In short, it is THE event showcasing the strength and relevance of the Arizona punk, hardcore, and rock scene. The Desert Punk Slamboree show is a celebration of what all these people have done with the scene and what they will continue to do in the future; create good music and a place and time that people will remember years from now and wish they were there to witness.
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AZKaos Zine #4 Preview

A quick peek at the latest issue

Welcome to the August edition of AZ Kaos! This month we have a few new writers and, of course, all those overly opinionated old writers that drink and bitch far too much.

The summer has been quite the busy one around here (and hot as fuck) but it's not over yet. There are still plenty of awesome bands with shows coming up and, of course, plenty to do if you just get out of the house. Now onto AZK stuff - we've been running around like mad for a while now, but are constantly amazed at how much help we've been given or offered from everyone out there! We really couldn't keep this running if not for all of you out there!
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Local Stuff You Should Know #5

No rest for the local punk-hunter.

Trying to keep up with the sheer awesomeness that splatters this state from border to border is a full time job. There is so much going on in the Arizona punk scene on a daily basis, that since we relaunched in April, there's maybe been one day that has been empty on our show calendar. And despite the daunting task of scanning the innerwebs for shows to populate the calendar with, there's a chance that something was going on that I just missed. That being said, it's hard for us to get EVERY show posted. If you know of something coming up that you don't see on the calendar, please post it! If you've got something you want to promote, let us know! We're still working on making comments possible, and tons of other stuff, but the promotional capabilities on AZPunk is alive and well! If you want to help, or if you've got shit you want to promote online (and we know you do), just shoot us an email and let's get it rollin!
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Valley of the Scum #4 Preview

A quick peek at the latest issue

I used to walk in to East Side Records every week, and anxiously ask "Do you have any local zines yet? Anything about local music?". The answer was always a disappointing "no". So T-Bird and myself said "Fuck it" and put out issue # 1 with the Love Me Nots. Since that first issue, a spark was lit. Now there's hordes of great things happening for Phoenix. More coverage, more zines, more websites, more everything! And here we are now about to put out our 4th issue for the month of July. People all over town have been asking "When is the next issue coming out? Where can I get it? Are you guys still around?". To all of those questions, here are the answers:
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The Manor: A Clubhouse for Losers

House shows still dominate the underground in AZ

Since the dawn of Man, house shows have been the lifeline of true underground punk rock music. If you've never heard of them, or if their name is certain to generate some interest, chances are the bands playing at any given local house shows are worthy of your attention. Case in point, The Manor in Tempe is the left ventricle of the Arizona punk rock house show circulatory system. The guys who run/work/live at The Manor are also members of local punk bands like Higher Love, Lower Love and Standards, who coincidentally also populate some of the shows held there.
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AZKaos Zine #3 Preview

A quick peek at the latest issue

Taking our cue and a page from the original SLASH magazine at the birth of the L.A. punk scene, AZ KAOS focuses on but not limited to Arizona bands, shows, films, photos, cd releases and music related concerns or topics. Our goal is to publish one issue a month. We are not attempting to "cover" the scene. Instead, AZ KAOS will give focus to bands and artists that we feel need attention, criticism or debate. This will not be a kiss ass "I like your band, you like mine" fanzine. Instead, like SLASH years ago, AZ KAOS will inject attitude, philosophy, criticism and belief in what we feel passionate about.
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Local Stuff You Should Know #4

Pizza, blood, tits & taking care of our own. That's how we roll in AZ.

Recently, a very good friend of the AZPunk.com family, and all-around awesome dude, Danny NSK of North Side Kings tragically lost his house and all of his possessions to an accidental house fire. Miraculously, no people or pets were harmed in the fire, but their lives were complletely devastated. But with his horrible loss, brings and opportunity for you to finally do something selfless for once in your life. If Danny ever entertained you in any sort of way, whether you've thrashed out to a live NSK show, whether you've shared a kindly laugh while he was checking your ID at the door, whether you've wasted any amount of time reading his genius horror movie buff ramblings on his site ICanSmellYourBrains.com, or whether you've simply been left speechless after watching him put Danzing in his fucking place, now is your chance to do the right thing and donate any amount you can to help him and his family get back on their feet. One dollar, five dollar, or fifty cents, it doesn't matter. Give back a little during a time when you've just realized that things really aren't as bad as you've thought they've been. Danny has ALWAYS been there for AZPunk, and we'll be damned if AZPunk isn't there for Danny. Please keep him and his family in your thoughts, they've got a rough road ahead of them.
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We Got Yer Local Punk Resources Swingin'

Local (mostly) links that will help you find what you're looking for.

Once upon a time, AZPunk.com had a vast resource page, where users could submit links to local recording studios, music stores, and other businesses or organizations that could assist a local punk in finding the right kind of info for stuff they really need to get their hands on. Well, we haven't gotten around to getting that resource section back up on the new site yes, but we still have plenty of local and national resources that could possibly help you out at one point or another. Below, you can browse through our current list of resources that we've been both gathering since the relaunch, as well as some old classics that managed to find their way over from the old site. Let it be known that this list is nowhere near complete, as we're still looking for local links to add. If you have a resource that could help out your local AZ punkers, shoot us an emailAZPunk needs your participation! and we'll add it to the list. Hope this stuff helps!
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Valley of the Scum #3 Preview

A quick peek at the latest issue

Valley of the Scum is a local zine based in East Mesa. We provide coverage of the local Rock'n'Roll music scene here. Punk, Garage, Rockabilly, Psychobilly, Rock'n'Roll, anything you want. If you're a local band, that can't get coverage from The New Times or any of the other non-existent music press ... holler at us! We don't care how cool you look, how many 'roadies' you have, or who did you hair. We want to Rock'n'Roll. Bop and shout. Plain and simple. Move us and we'll move you. In the pants. Mesa! Tempe! Phoenix! Scottsdale! Glendale! Peoria! Even Apache Junction! If you're in the local Metro-Phoenix area, hit up Valley of the Scum Zine if you want your band's album reviewed, or have some local punk rock news!
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Local Stuff You Should Know #3

Ska is still stopmin' in AZ whether you like it or not.

Many American ska bands, both past and present, have been majorly influenced by punk. In fact, the music of some of the "ska" bands that have been more widely accepted has been considerably more punk than ska (think Less Than Jake, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, etc.). Historically, Arizona has had one of the better ska scenes in the country, believe it or not. In the mid to late 90s, ska bands could be seen at venues almost every night of the week. One of the more popular weekly ska events being Moonstomp Wednesday's at Boston's in Tempe. This was the epitome of ska's thriving metro-phoenix scene in Arizona during the late 90s. While the popularity of the music has waned over the years, and the size of the local ska scene has diminished, bands continue to record and perform the music all over Arizona.
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Live From Downtown Tucson 1984

Dry Heat Radio delivers classic Arizona punk rock

Compliments Dylan from Dry Heat Radio

Sometimes, my daily mining of the innernets unearths small pieces of gold that must be shared with the rest of the world. Here's a live clip from what looks like a public access TV show called the Twit Show (why can't we have nice shit like this anymore?) filming on location from the Tucson Western International Telethon recorded in the Fall of '84. While I was busy picking my nose and finding creative new ways to destroy my Star Wars figures, downtown Tucson was bombarded with hundreds of bored and creative costumed freaks looking for a good time. The video features clips of Useless Pieces of Shit (UPS) performing live.

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Local Stuff You Should Know #2

Stop thinking the scene is dead or that "punk" is a certain type of sound

This city is huge and filled to the brim with great music and all it requires for you to find it is to have an open mind. I have been in bands and around this town since about 1997 and I will never say that those were the good ole days because right now punk music in the valley and in the world is still alive and kicking ass. Here in our city I have been so sad to see so many people that are afraid to let in a new and younger generation of "Punk". This will not sound like the music you grew up on; they will not look like the dudes in that band from you childhood, but the heart is the same. Getting stuck in a rut is something a lot of us do. We get used to one venue and one group of certain bands, and we stay in that little circle. This is not a bad thing, but can only lead you towards not being able to find what else is going on in the rest of the city when it comes to local music. If you really are a person that cares about the local punk scene and not just some one that wants to be seen at the cool hip places, then take a night to go to a show and see some music and people that you have never met or seen. We need to tie this all together. We need to not be separate anymore. We need to realize that there is a lot more going on outside of what we think is going on.
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Sidney Copeland: July 8 1972 - April 22, 2006

AZPunk remembers a fallen friend.

Special thanks to Lise Johnson for this memorable clip.

Yesterday marked the 3rd anniversary of a fallen friend to AZPunk.com. Sidney Copeland was an incomparable part of Arizona local music and the entire AZPunk family. His passion for music and generosity towards everyone he met generated an entire community of people who loved him and made the local punk rock scene what it is today. He was a father and friend to all of us. He will be missed deeply, but never forgotten.

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Local Stuff You Should Know #1

A gathering of local punk events as they happen.

Since the site's been back online for almost three weeks now, I've been spending a lot of time scouring the innerwebs for new Arizona punk stuff. Whether they're bar shows, house shows, skate jams, or underground conventions, we want to showcase the hard work behind these local happenings on AZPunk.com. What I've found is that shit is happening all over the place, and since we went offline a year ago, the local punk scene has continued to thrive and come up with new ways to have a good time. Did you know that Yuma just had a punk fest with about 10 of their local bands? No? How about that Wickenburg has one of the most kick ass skate parks in the state? Bottom line is that if you're bored in AZ, you're lazy. Besides the countless showsGot an upcoming show? Post it on our calendar! that occur on a daily basis, there is so much going on out here for a punk to experience, hear and read. Check out this brief list of things you should know about.
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AZPunk.com 2.0 User Guide Overview

Nice site guys, now how the hell do I use it?

The new AZPunk will be an ever-growing engine of sweet-ass web stuff. We built it so we can easily include new tools and gadgets as we go long. Over the next couple of months, we'll be integrating features like RSS feeds, amped-up profile pages, and unique communication tools to name just a few. We're excited about some of the new thing's we'll be including later on, but we're pretty sure you're gonna dig what we've got in store for you already. Here's a list of the features you'll run across in the new site, and a sneak peek at some of the new stuff that will be coming up in the next couple of months.

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I Can Haz AZPunk Back Now, kthx.

A brief insight into the past 365 days of AZPunk.com

Hi! So, we managed to find our way back onto the innerwebs after a year of intense geeking out over where the hell we were going to take this site. Anyone who spent more than 10 minutes on the old version knew that something desperately needed to be done about the layout, the content management, and most importantly, the basic process of getting you local punk info fast.
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