paste_list.jpg

Just guess how many bands from Tucson are on Paste Magazine’s list of “10 Arizona Bands You Should Listen to Now.” One, Run Boy Run.

It’s not that the bands on Adam Vitcavage’s list aren’t worth listening to (I really like Roar and Gospel Claws, for example), but why would you ask a writer from Atlanta to act as an expert on a state all the way across the country? [Update: Turns out Vitcavage went to ASU and moved to Atlanta less than a year ago. Still, should have been more Tucson stuff, regardless.] Certainly, the title of the post doesn’t pretend to be exclusive, that these are the best bands in Arizona, but wouldn’t it be a better service to the reader to have someone who has seen these bands live, who can say something more intelligent about our state’s musical scene than that the “vast amount of bands coming from the state are migrating towards Phoenix and the suburban sprawl it produced in the Valley of the Sun”?

I get that this sort of thing is content filler for a music site like Paste, but come on, it would be worth the effort to try a little bit harder over there.

This article appears in Mar 8-14, 2012.

The editor of the Tucson Weekly. I have no idea how I got here.

10 replies on “To Hell With You, Paste Magazine”

  1. It’s a great list! I’m a part of the music scene he’s writing about! These are all amazing bands! Of course, it only scratches the surface of the incredible music scene we have! I have been very fortunate to photograph and be part of the music that is happening! Arizona has a lot to offer and I hope one day the rest of the country catches on to what is happening here! It is something very special!

  3. Vitcavage is from Arizona…and just moved to Atlanta less than a year ago. But, you’d know that if you actually did some research yourself.

  5. Dan,

    Sorry I wasn’t able to cover Tucson as much as I would have liked. I actually lived in Arizona for over a decade and just recently moved to Atlanta. I went to school at ASU, which is probably why I unintentionally focused so heavily on the incredibly talented bands from the Valley.

    Best,
    Adam Vitcavage

  6. Adam: Fair enough, I just think you could have picked at least one band from Tucson that’s a little more tied into our quite prominent music scene than Run Boy Run. I appreciate the Phoenix area’s music scene, but the post would have been better if you switched Run Boy Run out for Former Friends of Young Americans or someone and just titled “10 Phoenix Bands…”, right?

    To Adam’s defenders: I appreciate your zeal, but there still should have been more Tucson bands on there. The intro only discusses Phoenix, for pete’s sake. Insult away if that makes you feel better.

  7. If that’s any consolation, Dan, to countries outside of the US, “Arizona music” is probably just synonymous with “Tuscon music” (and yes, the spelling gets messed up no matter where in the world). And a curious note: the music writer of the main English-language daily in China is from Tucson. But there really is more cross-pollination now than ever between the two cities, I sense. As for the Tucson music scene lacking in national recognition, well, I suppose we should do something about it… maybe. – marianne

  8. I agree with Dan. This is an excellent list of Phoenix bands, but if the list is supposed to represent Arizona, then Tucson is grossly underrepresented. The valley bands may be talented, but Tucson’s scene is internationally known. Just check out the recently released “Tucson Songs” compilation released by German record label Le Pop Musik for a tiny sampling of what’s going on down here. Or listen to Locals Only on 91.3 KXCI Tucson, my weekly radio show dedicated to celebrating what’s new and exciting in Tucson music. I’m happy to see bands like ROAR and French Quarter get attention, but it’s hard to contest the fact that Tucson’s scene is more influential on a national and international level.

  10. This is another example of the interesting phenomenon of Phonecians who believe that “Arizona,” “Maricopa County” and “The Valley” are synonymous. Honestly, your average resident of the Valley of the Yakes is unaware of Tucson’s existence, not because we are unimportant, but because they are ignorant.

    Honestly, I have yet to hear of a good band from Phoenix lately that didn’t break up after about 10 minutes.

Comments are closed.