In terms of most original, wildly independent, underground hip-hop, 2013 was the year of the Zombies. That's Flatbush ZOMBIES to be precise. The Brooklyn-based trio has been ruling over the New York underground Beast Coast scene since the release of the whacked-out, hipadelic, murder-sex-and-drugs anthem D.R.U.G.S. (their first official mixtape). Though the mixtape dropped in mid-2012, the heat and hype created by the critically acclaimed tape carried the lyrical lunatics into 2013 with spotlights shining and tours kicking off.

But now it's the latter half of 2013. And it's time to get back to work.

Not a problem for the ZOMBIE crew, though. October saw the release of the new music video for "Death", a song coming from the brand new mixtape Better Off Dead. Directed and shot by Tone & Vinny Picone, the video features the ZOMBIEs up to their usual murderous antics with a rural twist— including riding tractors, and brandishing chainsaws. As per the usual, it's a banger, and perfect for the Halloween season.

Whatcha gonna do when the zombies come for you?

• C. Elliott
• Cholla High School Blues Band

The Southern Arizona Blues and Heritage Festival is sort of a Tucson Meet Yourself of the genre. The juke joints and players of the Mississipi Delta made it tangible, gave it a name, called it even when it wasn't due, as if to ward it off or as a check on high times. But the Tucson Blues Festival is built on the understanding that everyone, young and old, of every ethnicity, gets the blues. Perhaps that has been so since the beginning of time.

Howe Gelb is the latest local musician to visit the Stairwell Sessions, an Arizona Public Media segment dreamed up by engineer extraordinaire Jim Blackwood, who records his guests in the stairwell of the UA Modern Languages Building in order to capture some unique acoustics. You can hear Gelb's entire 40-minute performance and listen to his interview with Arizona Spotlight host Mark McLemore here.

DJ Hurricane will live on forever in my mind, if only for one line in the Beastie Boys' track, "Shake Your Rump":

"Hurricane, you got clout/Other DJs, he'll put your head out"

A close second in my heart, his brief, but essential appearance in the video for "Sabotage":

DJ Hurricane, who stood behind the Beastie Boys for years and has a musical career of his own right, is playing Playground tonight as part of the Flowing Wells Class of '93 reunion.

On a side note, if you're going to have a class reunion, it's probably super helpful to have Kade from HUB/Playground in your class, so you can have a badass party with a legendary (at least in my mind) DJ. My class reunion next year will probably be some crappy knock-off of a prom. Woo hoo.

The Caballeros have been nice enough, however, to invite everyone along, so you neither have to be 38 nor a graduate of that particular high school to attend. I have no idea what Hurricane will be playing, but for $5, it's totally worth finding out.

From the Willcox Range News on Bisbee residents remember Nowhere Man and Whiskey Girl:

Marianne Summerville opened St. John’s Presbyterian Church to offer people who knew the couple the opportunity to silently share their thoughts and offer their prayers to the couple who were so deeply in love with their music and each other.

“They played once a month at our services,” added Summerville. “We will miss them.”

People began filing into the Grand Saloon around 6 p.m., and it was evident from the red eyes and distraught faces that the couple had impacted many lives in their seven or so years in Bisbee.

Joseph Brand met Amy and Derrick in Tucson during a performance at Plush.

“After hearing them, I bought one of their albums and immediately became a fan,” said Brand. “When I moved here 10 years ago, I was surprised to find they had moved here, too.”

Kate Drew-Wilkinson felt that losing the couple created “a crater, like the Lavender Pit,” in Bisbee life.

“We are all thoroughly dazed at the news. They played everywhere,” added Drew-Wilkinson.

Brand noted, “No one ever had anything bad to say about them. They were good people. She had so much talent and played with wistful abandon. Things seemed to come naturally for her.”

Amber Wakeman, owner of Framed in Bisbee, was gathering photos people had of the couple to make a collage to pass on to the Ross’s family members.

“We’re trying to locate the family and let them know how much Amy and Derrick were loved,” commented Wakeman. “We feel a vacuum in our lives now.”

The punk rock scene has started to own Thursday nights since Toxic Ranch Records announced its imminent closure.

Lariats is doubled booked this Thursday, Oct. 24, on Sixth Street and Fourth Ave. They are playing an all-ages show with Logan Greene Electric at Toxic Ranch, 424 E. Sixth St. Following that they will cross the street and jam with Sleep Like Trees and Brass Tax at Plush, 340 E Sixth St. The Toxic show starts at 6 p.m. and the Plush show starts at 9 p.m. $2 admission for both shows. I have been to two in-store concerts at Toxic Ranch and more people are coming each show. You'll never know who you'll see. AZ Public Media's Luis Carrión was covering the show two weeks ago. 

Click here for more information at their RSVP Facebook page.

The other day I was at Monterey Court, the bar/restaurant/performance space/boutique conglomeration on Miracle Mile, and was reminded what a great space it is. First of all, as someone who grew up here petrified of even being in a car driving down Miracle Mile (yes, that was overly paranoid, but I was a kid), seeing that strip between Oracle and the freeway as somewhere people would actually want to go is a plus for the city. Second, it's just a nice, charming spot, not terribly far from most people in town, that seems optimized for this time of year when it's universally enjoyable to be outside.

Along those lines, the Monterey Court Jazz Fest, on Oct. 19-20 this weekend, is an excellent opportunity to experience the space's unique atmosphere, hear some music and generally have a good time. The two-day lineup is solid, with the Angel Diamond Trio, Crystal Stark, Mr. Boogie Woogie and Solvei (above). You can attend both days for $30, or go just one night for $20, but the folks at Monterey Court were kind enough to give us a pair of tickets for Saturday.

Just head to our contest page and enter. We'll draw a winner Friday at 3 p.m. and notify them via email. Your name will be on the guest list, so you don't even have to drive all the way to our Airport Heights offices.

Good luck!

Our hometown musical hero and recent Tucson Weekly cover star, Linda Ronstadt, has been nominated among other legendary musicians for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but does she have a shot? The rock critics and other music industry types who will vote for this year's inductees will select from a list of sixteen musical acts (regular folk will be able to vote online for "the people's ballot"), but it's more entertaining to think of the process as a series of showdowns, pitting one band against another in the quest for immortality.

Here are the matchups as we'd like to see them.

Nirvana VS The Replacements: It's both band's first year to eligible for the hall of fame. It's been twenty years since Nirvana's lead singer Kurt Cobain's death, and even though The Replacements are enjoying a surge of notoriety due to their recent reunion shows, I think it's a given that Nirvana will be inducted. Maybe next year Replacements.