It is the time. The classes have been settled into. The jobs have been found. The tiny bit of money is coming in. It is the time to take off the headphones and start seeing your favorite bands live (or at least update your iPod). But where to start? Phoenix's metropolitan area is ever so large and daunting. There are so many venues and so little time to spend researching who’s where and when. But the State Press has music fans covered this month from the big acts coming to town, to the album releases coming to record shops and online audio marketplaces.
Pop Fans
While the majority of mainstream pop bands showcased their songs for Tempe and Phoenix over the summer, tours for the non-radio played artists are coming through for their fall tours. Tempe-natives The Maine will be making an appearance at the Marquee Theatre later this month, and the itty-bitty Canadian singer Lights will be heading to The Underground in Mesa just a day before.
- Lights on Oct. 27 at The Underground
- The Harmony Tour: NeverShoutNever with The Maine on Oct. 28 at Marquee Theatre
If the pop performances are nothing to cheer about, maybe it’s time to get pumped for the album releases. Pop-punk boys Good Charlotte are coming back from a three-year hiatus with “Cardiology” in late October, while new-guy-in-town Bruno Mars is debuting his solo album “Doo-Wops and Hooligans” on Oct. 5.
- Bruno Mars “Doo-Wops and Hooligans” releases Oct. 5
- David Archuleta “The Other Side of Down” releases Oct. 5
- KT Tunstall “Tiger Suit” releases Oct. 5
- Shakira “Sale El Sol” releases Oct. 19
- Good Charlotte “Cardiology” releases Oct. 26
Alternative Rock
From the slight grunge to the acoustic melodies, alternative rock is proving to have quite the variety in October. The middle of the month slows to the beat of Jack Johnson and wraps up with Arizona natives, Jimmy Eat World.
- Jack Johnson on Oct. 10 at the Cricket Wireless Pavilion
- Five For Fighting on Oct. 14 at The Rhythm Room
- Nickelback with Three Days Grace and Buckcherry on Oct. 29 at the Cricket Wireless Pavilion
- Jimmy Eat World on Oct. 30 at Marquee Theatre
The most anticipated of the bunch for many “Sex on Fire” fans will be Kings of Leon’s fifth studio album “Come Around Sundown” that releases in the middle of this coming month. Canadian rockers from Finger Eleven have a new album premiering at the opening of the month.
- Finger Eleven “Life Turns Electric” releases Oct. 5
- You, Me and Everyone We Know “Some Things Don’t Wash Out” releases Oct. 12
- Trapt “No Apologies” releases Oct. 12
- Crossfade “We All Bleed” releases Oct. 12
- Kings of Leon “Come Around Sundown” Oct. 19
Indie
It seems that indie rockers attempted to beat the heat. With a packed schedule for
The Clubhouse, the folk and experimental bands found fall a reasonable season to hit the desert. Matt and Kim, known for their song “Daylight,” will be in Tempe the first week in October. MTV spotlighted Sleigh Bells, an experimental and rough-around-the-edges rock group, who will also make an appearance at The Clubhouse mid-month.
- Matt and Kim on Oct. 6 at The Clubhouse
- Matt Costa on Oct. 8 at The Clubhouse
- Caribou on Oct. 9 at The Clubhouse
- The Morning Benders on Oct.12 at The Clubhouse
- Sleigh Bells on Oct. 13 at The Clubhouse
- The National on Oct. 14 at Marquee Theatre
- Frightened Rabbit on Oct. 17 at The Clubhouse
- Ra Ra Riot on Oct. 22 at The Clubhouse
- Jonsi of Sigur Ros on Oct. 23 at Marquee Theatre
- Free Energy with Foxy Shazam on Oct. 25 at The Rhythm Room
- Portugal. The Man on Oct. 28 at The Clubhouse
- fun! on Oct. 30 at The Nile
Coming back after four years of touring and writing, Scottish Belle and Sebastian are releasing their eighth album this month. And eccentric folk-rocker Sufjan Stevens will also be showing off his new songs in his eighth album, “The Age of Adz.”
- Belle and Sebastian “Write About Love” releases Oct. 12
- Sufjan Stevens “The Age of Adz” releases Oct. 12
- Built to Spill “There Is No Enemy” releases Oct. 26
Hip Hop/Rap/Dance
Quite a party should be expected this month when it comes to big time DJ shows. Marquee Theatre gets hit with Tech N9ne on the 11th and Monster Mash 3 less than two weeks later. The cartoon-persona rappers of Gorillaz will be a short drive away at the end of the month at The Dodge Theatre.
- Tech N9ne on Oct. 11 at Marquee Theatre
- Monster Mash 3: Donald Glaude and LA Riots on Oct. 22 at Marquee Theatre
- Gorillaz on Oct. 26 at The Dodge Theatre
Grade A rap and hip-hop artists will be releasing new work this month. Expect to hear from Kid Cudi in part two of his debut album, Twista who is not done with his speedy lyrics, and Ciara, who will be opening the month with her Oct. 5th release of “Basic Instinct.”
- Ciara “Basic Instinct” releases Oct. 5
- Ne-Yo “Libra Scale” releases Oct. 5
- Faith Evans “Something About Faith” releases Oct. 5
- Far East Movement “Wired” releases Oct. 12
- Kid Cudi “Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager” releases Oct. 26
- Twista “The Perfect Storm” releases Oct. 26
Punk
The punk bands hitting up the area this month are not new to the game. Shows will be performed by 16-year-old band Saves the Day and punk favorites Four Year Strong. Halloween has also attracted name-appropriate bands such as The Bloody Beetroots and The Horrorpops.
- Street Dogs with The Devils on Oct. 7 at The Clubhouse
- Valencia on Oct. 12 at The Underground
- Saves the Day on Oct. 13 at The Nile
- Four Year Strong on Oct. 24 at The Nile
- The Bloody Beetroots on Oct. 29 at Marquee Theatre
- The Horrorpops on Oct. 29 at The Nile
A small agenda for album releases, Less Than Jake shows off what they’ve been working on in their EP release mid-October.
- Less Than Jake “TV/EP” releases Oct. 12
Hardcore
Get ready to mosh to the beat. Iwrestledabearonce shows Mesa that girls can keep up in a hardcore world on the 16th. Check out the Metal 4 Life day event at The Clubhouse on the 9th.
- Metal 4 Life (day event) on Oct. 9 at The Clubhouse
- Iwrestledabearonce on Oct. 16 at The Nile
- Suicide Silence on Oct. 3 at Marquee Theatre
- The Ghost Inside on Oct. 17 at The Underground
Bring Me the Horizon has no lack of words for their upcoming album entitled “There Is A Hell, Believe Me I’ve Seen It, There Is a Heaven, Let’s Keep It A Secret” coming out the 4th. Bordering the line between hardcore and punk, Chiodos will be throwing their new songs into the bunch a day later.
- Bring Me the Horizon “There Is A Hell, Believe Me I’ve Seen It, There Is a Heaven, Let’s Keep It A Secret” releases Oct. 4
- Chiodos “Illuminaudio” releases Oct. 5
Classic Rock
The classics will have to wait until November to come to a live audience, but that should give no reason not to check out Elton John’s collaboration with Leon Russell. If Bob Dylan has been an old favorite, catch up with his “Bootleg Series: The Witmark Demos” on Oct. 19.
- Elton John and Leon Russell “The Union” releases Oct. 19
- Bob Dylan “The Bootleg Series: The Witmark Demos 1962-1964” releases Oct. 19
Country
Pop-country artists make their way to the Dodge Theatre this month. For those who are die-hard fans, consider trading candy hunting this Halloween for Lady Antebellum.
- Kenny Rogers on Oct. 14 at the Dodge Theatre
- Lady Antebellum on Oct. 31 at the Dodge Theatre
Tween-loved, country-pop crossover Taylor Swift will be sending fans crazy with her third album after already releasing the single “Mine.” If the older generation is preferred, Darius Rucker and Toby Keith will be releasing new music that reminds fans of their old-favorites.
- Toby Keith “Bullets in the Gun” releases Oct. 5
- Darius Rucker “Charleston, SC 1966” releases Oct. 12
- The Band Perry “The Band Perry” releases Oct. 12
- Sugarland “The Incredible Machine” releases Oct. 19
- Taylor Swift “Speak Now” releases Oct. 25
