http://www.thetraintracks.org/tracks?id=14 The talented vocalist, pianist, guitarist and songsmith Brian Lopez hails from the Sonoran city of Tucson, Arizona like other major musical acts Giant Sand and Calexico. Lopez is well recognized in the West along with his award-winning "desert space rock" trio, Mostly Bears. He was gracious enough to perform “Red Blooded Rose,” a song from his soon-to-come solo project, Ultra, which is sure to have you swaying to and fro like the branches of a palo verde mid-monsoon. Ultra emanates… Wed, 03 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.thetraintracks.org/tracks?id=13 The five individuals behind the moniker Black Carl - Emma Pew on vocals, John Krause on drums and rhythm guitar, Chad Leonard on rhythm guitar and rums, Matthew Noakes on lead guitar and keys, and Ian Woodward on bass - make no bones about their obvious influences: old records from Tamla Motown and Stax/Volt, artists including Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Bill Withers and The Meters, and musical stylings such as classic R&B, the blues, funk and of course, soul. The… Thu, 02 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.thetraintracks.org/tracks?id=12 The Mumlers are a group of multi-instrumentalists from San Jose, CA led by songwriter Will Sprott. Their name came from a Ouija board. They released their first record, Thickets & Stitches, in 2008 followed in 2009 by Don’t Throw Me Away. Known for their topsy-turvy live performances, the band has toured the US with the Black Heart Procession, the Morning Benders and the Submarines, headlined San Francisco’s 2010 Noisepop Festival and played the 2010 Treasure Island Festival. Thu, 31 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.thetraintracks.org/tracks?id=11 The Whisperlights formed from a loose collective of songwriters and multi-instrumentalists in Phoenix and Tempe and have since been playing throughout the valley as well as the southwestern US. The band\\\\\\\'s sound is an organic combination of full-throated vocal harmonies, ringing distorted guitars and swooning looped violin atop a skeleton of bouncing Rhodes lines and intricately shambling percussion. The band became known early on for their epic and chaotic live show, often featuring multiple instrument exchanges and hearty sing-along choruses. Thu, 24 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.thetraintracks.org/tracks?id=10 Rough-edged country singers have long been one of the Valley’s best exports. Guitarman/singer Jim Bachmann carries the torch well. His gravelly voice and parred-down country sound will strike a chord with Outlaw and old-timey country fans looking for edgy but rootsy songs about hard jobs, fast women and strong drinks. After getting chased off the first train he performed on, Bachmann and a couple bearded buddies knocked this train out with “Grave.” Check out www.jimbachmann.com for more Mon, 04 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.thetraintracks.org/tracks?id=8 For Train Tracks second touring band, we've tapped The Stone Foxes. The Foxes' brawny San Francisco psych-blues has all the ballsy riffs of the best Bay-area band of the last decade, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, with some of those scruffy 60s harmonies you'd expect from the city. The band begun by the Koehler brothers has the down-home vibe of early Kings Of Leon without all the rock star posturing, which is why we like them. They've got a retro sound,… Fri, 24 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.thetraintracks.org/tracks?id=6 Up until now The Train Tracks has had only Arizona artists. Say hello to the first touring group to participate, Charlotte's Paper Tongues. The seven-member outfit merges dance-friendly hip-hop beats with big, catchy choruses to create a sound that seems destined for arenas. We're happy to have caught them on the way up. Check out their website or facebook page for more. Mon, 02 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.thetraintracks.org/tracks?id=4 For the past year these SNAKE! SNAKE! SNAKES! have been playing at a variety of art galleries, bars, and clubs in downtown Phoenix. Their goal wasn't just to entertain the crowd but to perfect their sound. Their hard work has paid off with the fellas releasing their debut self-titled EP. The songs are epic, moving, and captivating. Swirling lush guitar sounds, dramatic string arrangements and moody vocals that draw comparisons with Arcade Fire, Joy Division and Interpol. A tour is… Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.thetraintracks.org/tracks?id=3 For most bands, playing someplace odd, like a moving train car, is a little bit of a novelty. Not Halocene. The radio-ready Phoenix pop band has a little experience playing outside the normal confines of a club, having entertained hockey fans at Glendale's Jobing.com Arena during the Coyotes short but sweet playoff run. Not many local bands could escape such a situation without having at least their pride hurt, but Halocene's brand of upbeat and undeniably catchy pop goes over… Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.thetraintracks.org/tracks?id=2 God bless Robert Pollard. Without the inspiration of the Guided By Voices frontman we wouldn't have guys like DFactor, graying professionals who like to drink and play power pop for the hell of it. If that sounds even slightly disingenuous, it's not. DFactor's bottomless appetite for all things rock and/or roll make him one of the coolest dudes in the Phoenix music scene. He blogs about Green Day, he tweets about Minus The Bear and he plays the sort of… Thu, 17 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.thetraintracks.org/tracks?id=1 Random Phoenix's lack of a breakthrough hip-hop act is a hot-button issue in our city's urban music scene. Random might be the next guy to get signed and take a shot at the big-time. He's already scored a South By Southwest showcase - something that's not easy for a rapper. Raheem Jarbo, a.k.a Random, a.k.a. Mega Ran is a middle-school English teacher by day which means he's already done more good for the community than most rappers will ever imagine… Fri, 28 May 2010 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.thetraintracks.org Once a week, we bring you raw and uncut performances from a local artists playing live on the Metro Light Rail. Our city serves as a backdrop. The bands write the soundtrack.