The Madera Strand Archive

  • The Prowling Kind was one of my favorite debuts of last year, along with the likes of Celebration Guns, Twin Ponies, Northern Hustle and of course Fairy Bones, this was one band that rocked my world in 2013–unlike the other bands listed, I unfortunately never got to write about their album at the time. I blame it on the fact that JAVA Magazine has no August issue and by the time I did get their album it was long past its release, so I’m fixing that now, because I love their debut Tennessee. It’s not like I didn’t know the...

    The Prowling Kind – Tennessee

    Posted on April 23, 2014 | No Comments
    The Prowling Kind was one of my favorite debuts of last year, along with the likes of Celebration Guns, Twin Ponies, Northern Hustle and of course Fairy Bones, this was one band that rocked my world in 2013–unlike the other bands listed, I unfortunately never got to write about their album at the time. I blame it on the fact that JAVA Magazine has no August issue and by the time I did get their album it was long past its release, so I’m fixing that now, because I love their debut Tennessee. It’s not like I didn’t know the...

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  • The first time I ever saw The Madera Strand they played and entire set of Police covers for a Cover The Crescent event, since that time I have watched them grow into their own, memorized their first EP and they have subconsciously become one of my favorite bands to catch live. I say subconsciously, because it snuck up on me and I didn’t notice it until one night I was on the fence about a show when I found out The Madera Strand was playing and that clinched it. This month they release the three song EP Dam Failure which...

    The Madera Strand-Dam Failure EP and Release Show!

    Posted on March 19, 2014 | No Comments
    The first time I ever saw The Madera Strand they played and entire set of Police covers for a Cover The Crescent event, since that time I have watched them grow into their own, memorized their first EP and they have subconsciously become one of my favorite bands to catch live. I say subconsciously, because it snuck up on me and I didn’t notice it until one night I was on the fence about a show when I found out The Madera Strand was playing and that clinched it. This month they release the three song EP Dam Failure which...

    Continue Reading...

  • In addition to the great EPs and Albums that are starting to flow through the Arizona scene, singles are starting to pop up wildly. Many of them are teasers and previews of albums and EPs soon to be released and I’ve selected four that have been released this month from bands I adore. The range from intentionally lo-fi to expertly produced and their styles are all over the place. Some of the newer singles have gone straight to video and I’ve already covered those (“Mirror, Mirror” by Banana Gun and “Melted Together” by The Prowling Kind), but I realized enough...

    Singles Going Steady

    Posted on February 11, 2014 | No Comments
    In addition to the great EPs and Albums that are starting to flow through the Arizona scene, singles are starting to pop up wildly. Many of them are teasers and previews of albums and EPs soon to be released and I’ve selected four that have been released this month from bands I adore. The range from intentionally lo-fi to expertly produced and their styles are all over the place. Some of the newer singles have gone straight to video and I’ve already covered those (“Mirror, Mirror” by Banana Gun and “Melted Together” by The Prowling Kind), but I realized enough...

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  • Well, hell it’s been a damned rocky road to get to 2014. I feel like last year I was trucking along full speed and killing it with unbreakable momentum. The fact that I haven’t posted in over a month proves that I hit a roadblock. I apologize for ducking out for an unplanned hiatus. Hey, I’m only one guy–I don’t have a staff and only occasionally do I have other contributors, mostly this is a one man show. A show I intend to get back on the road. The main problem for me began in October when there was a...

    Out with 2013, In with 2014!!!

    Posted on January 7, 2014 | No Comments
    Well, hell it’s been a damned rocky road to get to 2014. I feel like last year I was trucking along full speed and killing it with unbreakable momentum. The fact that I haven’t posted in over a month proves that I hit a roadblock. I apologize for ducking out for an unplanned hiatus. Hey, I’m only one guy–I don’t have a staff and only occasionally do I have other contributors, mostly this is a one man show. A show I intend to get back on the road. The main problem for me began in October when there was a...

    Continue Reading...

  • Last April the up and coming band All My Friends announced they were breaking up and calling it quits, this was fresh on the heels of the news that they had completed their second collection of recordings, which caused some confusion to say the least. So, with a sense of propriety and a lack of sobriety, the band held one last party to celebrate the death of All My Friends. Seemingly halfway through the set, they said goodbye and dashed off stage, only to return ten minutes later, in different outfits covered in blood. While the breakup was a ruse,...

    The Thin Bloods and “The Death Of All My Friends”

    Posted on September 29, 2013 | No Comments
    Last April the up and coming band All My Friends announced they were breaking up and calling it quits, this was fresh on the heels of the news that they had completed their second collection of recordings, which caused some confusion to say the least. So, with a sense of propriety and a lack of sobriety, the band held one last party to celebrate the death of All My Friends. Seemingly halfway through the set, they said goodbye and dashed off stage, only to return ten minutes later, in different outfits covered in blood. While the breakup was a ruse,...

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  • A Postcard From Lushfest Evening One!

    Posted on September 14, 2013 | No Comments

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  • As some of you may or may not know, I became freed of my day job on May 1st–the news of which I greeted with, at worst, ambivalence and at best a fair amount of happiness. Honestly, I’ve been missing out on a lot of killer shows during the week and the opportunity to spend a few weeks checking out what’s happening between Sunday and Friday, kind of thrilled me. This time has not gone wasted, though, I’ve not spent every night at a show–I’ve certainly tried to make the most of it. I would like to say that first...

    Shows Around Town: The First Half of May

    Posted on May 16, 2013 | 2 Comments
    As some of you may or may not know, I became freed of my day job on May 1st–the news of which I greeted with, at worst, ambivalence and at best a fair amount of happiness. Honestly, I’ve been missing out on a lot of killer shows during the week and the opportunity to spend a few weeks checking out what’s happening between Sunday and Friday, kind of thrilled me. This time has not gone wasted, though, I’ve not spent every night at a show–I’ve certainly tried to make the most of it. I would like to say that first...

    Continue Reading...

  • Throughout the summer, I found myself looking forward to Autumnal events–not for any lack of amazing events during those heated days and sweltering nights, not even in the least. No, it was because as the summer progressed, more and more events began to stack up in store for September, October, November and well into the New Year–critical, amazing, mindblowing events. Events like the Tempe Rockstar Gold Festival this past weekend at Sail Inn, the upcoming Apache Lake Music Festival or Kongos homecoming show. Another one of these events I’ve been looking forward to for months is the album release show...

    Zero Zero’s Live Debut and Album Release

    Posted on October 2, 2012 | 1 Comment
    Throughout the summer, I found myself looking forward to Autumnal events–not for any lack of amazing events during those heated days and sweltering nights, not even in the least. No, it was because as the summer progressed, more and more events began to stack up in store for September, October, November and well into the New Year–critical, amazing, mindblowing events. Events like the Tempe Rockstar Gold Festival this past weekend at Sail Inn, the upcoming Apache Lake Music Festival or Kongos homecoming show. Another one of these events I’ve been looking forward to for months is the album release show...

    Continue Reading...