OK, I’ve been really neglectful of local music of late. And I’d like to rectify that with a post here on Phoenix’s Get Down! To Brass Tacks (not to be confused with Gorilla vs. Bear-approved Tacks, the Boy Disaster).

Brass Tacks (for short) is a two-piece outfit: Aarik Miller (ex-Curse of the Carousel Pony) and Josh Gooday (ex-Machines Replacing Teens). The guys are about to head out on a little swing of the West Coast in support of a self-titled EP, kicking off with a show tonight at the Derby in Tempe.

I had heard of the band but never sat down to listen to its stuff until recently. And it’s really … compelling and agitating and busy and compelling (did I say that already?). I have a feeling Brass Tacks will fall into the you love them or hate them pitfall. The vocals are either really distracting or really endearing; I’m going for the latter. But then, I like Isaac Brock and Alec Ounsworth, and Miller follows in the same unnerving and wobbly vocal pattern.

For what it’s worth, the guys say their music sounds like “an egyptian woman trying to sing rock n’ roll.” Ha! They’re joking … right?

You can download three tracks a the group’s MySpace. Here’s one of them I especially like.

Get Down! To Brass Tacks | Lost in Syndication

Love it or hate it? Leave a comment!

Related:
Get Down! To Brass Tacks tour dates

Annie and I spent Thursday night carousing at a swank Scottsdale club – ahem, act like you’ve been here before – to celebrate the new issue of a friend’s magazine (oh, complimentary Skyy vodka drinks … you know we’re all up in that!). Then we hit our friends’ house to practice a little blackjack for our Vegas trip in August. We played spoons, too. If last night was any indication, I’m going to lose my ass on blackjack. But if they have spoons at the casino, I’m golden.

As promised, some more mp3s for the great show on Saturday night in Mesa that I, sadly, will be missing. I strongly urge anyone in the Valley to check it out: Saturday at Hollywood Alley with Sweet Bleeders, sourceVictoria, LetDownRight and Nowhere Man and a Whiskey Girl.

Sweet Bleeders | Betterplace

sourceVictoria | The End is Just the End

Related:
I sorta know someone in sourceVictoria … and totally proud of it.

Also …

The great Stateside Presents is bringing the Clientele to the Rhythm Room on Aug. 17 and Centro-Matic to Modified on Sept. 2.

Centro-Matic | Triggers and Trash Heaps

It’s been a minute since I’ve talked up the local scene here in Phoenix. There’s a great show Saturday in Mesa that, sadly, I will be unable to attend. Jobs that require working on nights and weekends are the pits.

Anyway, the lineup is as follows: Sweet Bleeders, LetDownRight, sourceVictoria and Nowhere Man and a Whiskey Girl. (I’ve been unable to find any Web presence for LetDownRight, which features former Trunk Federation front man Jim Andreas.)

I’m aiming to post some mp3s from all bands by Saturday. To start, here’s a taste of Nowhere Man and a Whiskey Girl, a duo from Bisbee, a former copper-rich mining town in the isolated southeast corner of Arizona. That could help explain Nowhere Man and a Whiskey Girl’s sparse, acoustic fare.

Check out more at 727 Records.

Nowhere Man and a Whiskey Girl | Lung Lady
Nowhere Man and a Whiskey Girl | Juneberry

My job, much as I enjoy it, requires I work at night. Which means I miss quite a few social gatherings, including many a good show. It also means I’ve seen my brother’s band, sourceVictoria, only about a paltry three times, which disappoints me greatly.

You’ve read me gushing about sV before. It has only a little to do with the fact that I admire my brother so. More than that, it’s that I believe in his band a great deal. So good for so many reasons. The music will say more than I can.

Anyway, anyone in Phoenix should go Saturday night to the Paper Heart, where sourceVictoria (MySpace, biyatches) will be playing with the Minibosses and Quarter Inch Crown. Go, because I can’t and I’ll be regretting every precious moment.

sourceVictoria | Burn the Pianos
sourceVictoria | The End is Just the End (this gets my highest seal of approval)

Great news on the local front in Arizona: Western Tread Recordings has released a split six-song EP with Reubens Accomplice (Arizona) and Dopamine (UK).

I can’t vouch for Dopamine because I haven’t listened, but I can say with confidence that Reubens is an excellent band. Check out a previous post here. According to Reubens’ Web site, the group is working feverishly on a follow-up LP to The Bull, The Balloon and The Family; it’s tentatively titled Mammal Music.

In the meantime, buy the split EP for a mere $5 at Stinkweeds. The three songs from Reubens contain two new tracks, and the third was the hidden song on The Bull, with vocals and guitars from Jimmy Eat World’s Jim Adkins. (I’d offer you that track, but I’d rather you buy the EP; I’m heading to Stinkweeds today to get it.)

Reubens Accomplice | Lost Sun
Reubens Accomplice | Tonight We Drink (feat. Howe Gelb)

Also …

Coming Feb. 23 to the Paper Heart, our iPod DJ night. Peep the logo … flyers will be distributed shortly. If you’re in Arizona, check it out. Doors open @ 7 p.m. E-mail if you wanna get up and spin your 15 minutes.

I’ve got some excellent news, especially for anyone reading this from Arizona. Our local pals, Secret Life of Painters, have invited Royce and I to debut a night that I had only just started concocting in my head last week: iSpin.

In essence, it’s an iPod DJ night. People are invited to bring their iPods (or other mp3 players) to rock a 12- or 15-minute set of songs of their choosing. (Anyone without an mp3 player is welcome to use the one I will be providing for the evening.) If you got skills, there will be a mixer to fade in and out of songs.

It’s democracy for the digital age. We’re inviting anyone to show off their musical elitism in front of all to hear. Our hope is to build this into a bi-weekly or monthly gig with prizes (iTunes or eMusic gifts perhaps?) for the best sets.

We’re scratching out a design for a logo and a Web site, where we’ll post the playlists and even make some mp3s available played from those sets. For now, here are the preliminary details:

Feb. 23, 8 pm-ish at The Paper Heart. Secret Life of Painters are headlining the night then will hand it over to the MP3Js. More to come as details flow in. So if you live in Arizona, spread the word!

Major thanks to SLP. Get a taste below:

Secret Life of Painters | Fast Black Rats
Secret Life of Painters | Magnets and Energy