Out on the Mi Vida Loca Tour, Slug and Ant, otherwise known as Atmosphere, rain a mighty dose of hip-hop down at The Rialto Theater. Backed by Dem Atlas, The Lioness and DJ Keezy. Details here.

The lizard flavored roots and rhythms of BTP & Friends fill the air at Royal Sun. Details here.

“When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece.” Two husband and wife indie folk rock bands, Flagship Romance and Moody Little Sister spread love at Monterey Court. Details here.

On the strength of their seventh full-length album, Phantom Anthem, Grammy-nominated metalcorists August Runs Red bring The Dangerous Tour to The Rock. Flanked by Fit For a King and Miss May I. Details here.

For those not clued-up, Cash Lansky ​is an independent hip-hop artist out of Tucson. Lansky has been a mainstay on the scene since Simplicity, his full-length debut, dropped in 2013.

The very next year, Lansky was handpicked by living hip-hop legend Murs who released The Tonite Show—a hip-hop collection which features Marley B, DJ Fresh and Lansky—on the veteran rappers 316 label.

Lansky is back. This time with the Midas touch. The first single from his new album, “GLD.”

The 10 tracks on, Cash is King (Gldn Artist Group), Lansky’s latest, level out a few degrees to the right of the booze-addled slow grooves of Earthgang’s “Liquor Sto’” and dip to the left of the “Straight Slammin’” breakbeats of Freddie Gibbs. Lansky flows smooth like Courvoisier over rounded verses. And, just as proper, he can dig in deep spitting out chopper-style lyrical curveballs.

XOXO tracked down Lansky for a confab.

How would you classify the music on Cash is King?

Conscious, aggressive chill music. If that makes any sense. [Lansky laughs.] I’ve never been able to classify my music, to be honest.

So, what’s the backstory behind “GLD?”

I have a saying: Ugly and gifted. “GLD” is an example of that. We took some ugly places around town, that were once beautiful, and gave them some light. I try to put Tucson staples in all of my music videos.

Who produced “GLD?”

The song was produced by my homie, Roodbeats. The video was shot and directed by the talented team at SD Visions.

Cash, what is your musical background?

From a young age I was infatuated with music. I think it has to do with my mother and grandmother always playing music around the house. I tried playing the trumpet in 6th grade. I sucked at that. But, I always felt I could place words together… That made sense to me. I used to follow my cousin around to studios. That lit the match.

Do you write your own lyrics and music?

Yes. I write all of my lyrics. I’ve also recorded, probably, 98% of the music as well.

What’s on the horizon for Cash Lansky?

I plan on touring more this year and release more content—music and videos. I’d like to write a book and learn how to play the piano.

What inspires you to do what you do?

I take inspiration from any and every thing I can. I feel that creating music is truly my purpose on Earth. I couldn't give it up even if I wanted to.

Passion. Here's a taste. Check out the video to Cash Lansky’s latest joint “GLD.”

Hell Can Wait. From the streets of Compton, this rapper’s latest release Big Fish Theory incorporates experimentation and electronic elements to critical acclaim. Vince Staples creeps the Smile, Your On Camera Tour into The Rialto Theater. Buddy opens the show.

Details here.

Author of Spent Saints, Brian Jabas Smith reads from his latest book, Tucson Salvage: Tales and Recollections from La Frontera at Antigone Books. With poetry by Mari Herreras, a screening of Tucson Salvage Documentary by filmmaker Maggie Smith and music by violinist Barry Smith. Details here.

UA students, DJ Hadjibeatzz spins into the early morning light. College Party Night at 191 Toole. Details here.

Blues Hall of Famers guitarist Dave Riley and harpist Bob Corritore and Juke Joint Blues smoke at Monterey Court. Details here.

The name says it all. Tiny House of Funk get wicked in the tasting room at Sand-Reckoner. Details here.

From San Diego, DJ Ojo de Mano spins an acid techno set at Solar Culture. Details here.

From cinematic spaghetti western stylings to French avant-garde jazz, Naim Amor sets the tone at Harbottle Brewing Company. Details here.

DJ Buttafly spreads good vibes at Hotel McCoy. Details here.

Resonance features the metal infused dubstep of PhaseOne. At Gentle Ben’s. Details here.

Following in the tradition of Lee “Scratch” Perry and King Tubby, Tucson’s dub/reggae masters Dub Society skank at the Chicago Bar. Details here.

Occupying the heavy end of the shoegaze spectrum, trippy shapeshifters Grivo are at Club Congress. With local badasses, dream poppers Mute Swan and Moontraxx. Details here.

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Courtesy of The Rialto Theatre

Reverb-drenched mistresses of trauma, The Surfbroads are providing the musical background for Día De Las Luchas. Oh, yeah, and there’s a bunch of wrestlers too: Rockstar Champion EJ Sparks, Hammerstone, Lord Drako, El Dragon, The Prophet y un chingo mas. At The Rialto Theater. Details here.

Potent, like “Royal Jelly,” Miss Olivia and the Interlopers radiate their soulful, funky grooves at 191 Toole. With a debut album soon to drop, maybe they will sneak peek a track or two? With Miller’s Planet. Details here.

Revitalized after a six-year creative dormancy between albums, Reel Big Fish’s Life Sucks....Let’s Dance Tour flails into The Rock on Saturday, Feb. 2. Details here.

Luicidal features former members of Suicidal Tendencies performing songs from their early studio albums. At Spark Project Collective. Details here.

Grammy Award winning cajun superstars, Beausoleil with Michel Doucet pack the dance floor at El Casino Ballroom. Carnivaleros add more spice to the gumbo. Details here.
Celtgrass. What’s that you ask? Playing banjos, fiddles, guitars and mandolins in innovative ways, Ireland’s We Banjo 3 find the common ground between old world tradition and the mountain music of Appalachia. At Leo Rich Theater. Details here.

The Missing Parts and Aztral Folk reunite at Tap + Bottle Downtown. Details here.
The Midtown Islanders and The Rifle play the classics of the future on Groundhog Day’s night. At Che’s Lounge. Details here.

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Courtesy of Gitane Demone Quartet, The Mission Creeps, & Psygoat Facebook event page

From Christian Death, Gitane Demone Quartet rises from the shadowland to perform at Surly Wench Pub. The Mission Creeps and Psygoat round out the bill. Details here.

Piano man Paul Jenkins entertains at Hotel McCoy. Details here.

Her songs reflect the austere beauty of the desert Southwest: Leila Lopez is at Monterey Court. Followed by award-winning singer-songwriter John Coinman. Details here.

Singer-songwriter Katie Haverly & The Aviary debut the video release of “Titanic” with a special performance at Exo Roast Co. Songstress Jillian Bessett opens. Details here.
Armed with only a banjo and acoustic guitar, plus a severely morbid sense of humor, murderfolk poète maudit Amigo the Devil sings songs about serial killers and spousal abuse at Club Congress. With the good-time devilish music of Harley Poe. Details here.

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Gabriel Ayala Quintet Facebook event page

Celebrating the music of Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly, Pete Seeger and the Weavers, The Kingston Trio, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and more. Lonesome Traveler explores the roots of American folk music with special guest Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul & Mary. At The Fox Theatre. Details here.

This acclaimed Yaqui guitarist has performed for a U.S. President and the Pope. Gabriel Ayala Quintet are at Monterey Court. Details here.

World soul music and improvisational live looping is in store when Poranguí celebrate the release of their self-titled album at Solar Culture. Details here.

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Courtesy of Solar Culture

Al Foul and CW Anyon deliver a night of blues, rockabilly and country at Exo Roast Co. Details here.

Just in time for the Gem and Mineral Show, the “Gems of Rock” are coming to Tucson. The lineup includes: headliner Peter Rivera, singer and drummer of the classic psychedelic rock/soul band Rare Earth, accompanied by Mr. Skynyrd, “Arizona's Premier Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute band” and award-winning Arizona folk singer Jeordie.

Rivera has multiple gold and platinum albums under his belt, including hit songs with Rare Earth like "Get Ready." The night also features a special performance by Arizona's own children's music program, The Schoolhouse of Rock and local Tucson R&B band Soul Essential. Festivities also include a raffle and a late night open jam from 1 to 2 a.m. 

Gems of Rock supports the charities the Humane Society of Southern Arizona and Arizona's Children Association

8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 8. at El Casino Ballroom, 437 E. 26th St. General admission tickets are $45, VIP tickets, featuring a meet and greet with Peter Rivera are $75. For more information, visit keylife4ent.com/shop

Twenty-five years strong, swing revivalists Big Bad Voodoo Daddy’s latest, Louie Louie Louie, is a rousing celebration of music legends Louis Armstrong, Louis Jordan and Louis Prima. At The Fox Theatre. Details here.

Part of the Tucson Desert Song Festival, Arizona Friends of Chamber Music presents Te Amo, Argentina. World-renowned cellist Antonio Lysy won a Grammy for his album Te Amo, Argentina, an homage to the sounds of the country, from the sounds of the tango in Buenos Aires cafes to the Amerindian rhythms of the Andes Mountains. In this show, the album comes to life, featuring not only chamber works and cello solos by Lysy, but spoken word, film and tango dancing by Miriam Larici and Leonardo Barrionuevo, tango choreographers on So You Think You Can Dance and gold medalists on NBC’s Superstars of Dance. Come hear the works of Ginastera, Piazzolla, Guastavino and more. By the time you walk out, you’ll be just as in love with Argentina as Lysy is. 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 31. Leo Rich Theater, 260 S. Church Ave. $30. Details here.


And, the electronic folk pop of Sharkk Heart, the strange beauty of Loki Moon and the improvisational spirit of Holly Pyle push the envelope at Sky Bar. Details here.

On the strength of his second studio album, DiCaprio 2, East Atlanta rapper J.I.D. rolls the Catch Me If You Can Tour into 191 Toole. Flanked by Reason, Hardo and Lou The Human. Details here.

Old school country twang? Lana Rebel rouses rabble at Tap + Bottle Downtown. Details here.

Swimming In Art premieres new works by artist/musicians Ryen Eggleston and Dimitri Manos. Golden Boots will perform. At TallBoys. Details here.

Unlike most musicals, the story of Hamilton is told almost exclusively in song. So when I first heard that History Has Its Eyes On You: A Hamilton Music Revue would be doing a concert featuring the music of Hamilton "but none of the songs with plot," I wasn't too sure what to expect.

It turns out, the Stateside Presents performance didn't have any trouble celebrating the music of Hamilton without veering into the story behind the music. They focused instead on songs (from the musical, the Mixtape and the Hamildrops) that people can resonate with today; songs about love, lust, parenthood and the endless and revolutionary impact of immigrants. The show isn't a performance of the musical, but a celebration of the timeless themes and transcendental music—and performed on a stunning level, of course.

Singer Alyssa Chiarello at one point delivered a note so impressive—so high, held for so long, so beautifully—that her castmates essentially stopped the show to congratulate her on it, and to have the audience do the same.

Alex Ncube and Eddie Maldonado's love for the music they were performing was palpable in the audience. Ncube dedicated a touching rendition of "Dear Theodosia" to her daughter and demonstrated special appreciation to the lyrics about inclusivity. Meanwhile, Maldonado delivered every single one of his lines with a brash smirk one would believe of Alexander Hamilton himself.

And while Maldonado did perform many of Hamilton's lyrics, the cast didn't stick to dedicated roles. Sean Mullaney, whose high-energy performance was definitely a crowd pleaser, represented Schuyler's baby sister "Peggy" in one song, and transitioned into George Washington's commanding role in the next. Matravius Avent mastered both the calm, measured tone of Aaron Burr's opening lines and the tremendous speed of Marquis de Lafayette's rap in "Guns and Ships."

The organizers of the show said from the beginning that they wanted the show (much like the original musical itself) to be a tribute to hip hop, and that was apparent in the room before the first note was sung. The performers ditched Hamilton's typical 1800s garb for leather and mesh. They substituted Hamilton's full orchestra for DJ Kim E. Fresh and a modern band. During "Cabinet Battle," the cast transitioned their rap battle into a dance off, which segued into a kind of break dance intermission. These steps took the much-loved music and transitioned it seamlessly into a show that stands apart from the original work it honors.

The show accomplished the goal it set out with: To celebrate the music of one of the most-loved modern musicals outside of the original (high-priced) theater setting. I sincerely hope this show returns to Tucson, because it is a hell of a good time.

With flowers strewn through their hair, critically lauded Flor de Toloache took to the stage at 191 Toole, on Tuesday, Jan 22. From the outset, the audience was left to ponder… Was this sisterhood compromised of florid roses born out of love? Or the beguiling blooms of chrysanthemums wrought from heartache? It was hard to tell. Regardless, their reputation as NYC’s first and only all­-female mariachi preceded them.

Vocalist/vihuelista, Shae Fiol expands, “We are women of New York City absorbing its diversity and putting it into our sound. It’s all about the love of music.”

The fact that their 2017 album Las Caras Lindas (Chulo Records) won Best Ranchero/Mariachi Album at the 18th Latin Grammy Awards only added to their street cred.

The posies that comprised this evening’s vibrant bouquet: Founding member, vocalist/violinist Mireya Ramos, trumpeter Jackie Coleman, guitarronista Amanda Lozano and Fiol. Hailing from diverse cultural and musical backgrounds—Australia and Italy to Puerto Rico, classical and jazz to hip hop—the result of this coalescence is an edgy, fresh and iconoclastic take on traditional Mexican music which breathes new life into a too-often staid and testosterone permeated genre.

Early into their 90 minute set, promulgating a message of empowerment, Ramos said, “A grito can resemble a laugh or a cry. And, a shot or two of tequila doesn’t hurt.” Echoing mariachi icon Lolá Beltran from days of lore, reclaiming this spontaneous burst of emotion for a new generation, Flor de Toloache called out to the audience to engage in a bit of primal scream therapy, Latin style, and release “one unified grito.” “Aye yai yai yai,” resounded throughout. From that moment until the final bow—not unlike the effect of the legendary toloache flower used by Mexican curanderos as a potent love potion—this band of soul sisters mesmerized, casting a spell over the audience.

This duo’s mercurial sound is soulful electronic with aspects of house music. Lovelorn and passionate, Drama plays out on stage at Club Congress. Wide-eyed and full of wonder, indie pop singer/songwriter Claire George balances out the evening. Details here.

Get Back: A Tribute to the 50th Anniversary of The Beatles Rooftop Performance brings some of the best local musicians together—Al Perry, Amy Munoz, Luminarios, Mike Hebert, Billy Sedlmayr, Van Christian, Mark Insley and The Sidewinders—with a headlining performance from Loveland on the plaza at Hotel Congress. Donations to benefit the Casa Maria Soup Kitchen. Details here.

What began as a quick interview about Slug’s five favorite albums quickly descended into a discussion about Prince, sexuality, aging, tour life and more – standard affair for the rapper’s introspective and heady hip hop music.

Slug, the stage name of Sean Daley, is one half of the band Atmosphere, and co-founder of the legendary independent hip hop record label, Rhymesayers Entertainment.

“My five favorite albums, like of all-time?” Slug said. “I don’t even know what the fuck that means… But I’ll say this, in no particular order: Sign of the Times, by Prince. Controversy, by Prince. Purple Rain, by Prince – You see where this is going – Dirty Mind, by Prince. Around the World in a Day, by Prince.”

Part of Minneapolis’s microcosm of conscious hip hop, it’s not too surprising Slug was greatly influenced by Prince, who created the “Minnesota Sound” of music.

“When I want to just hang out and play some shit, I play Prince.” Slug said. “And I always will.”

Slug says Prince’s influence started when he was very young, and continues to this day, though other influences come from De La Soul, N.W.A., Ice Cube, and Public Enemy.

“I feel like the reason Prince became an icon for me was because of my family,” Slug said. “To be honest, I’d probably still be a Prince fan if I wasn’t from Minnesota, but I might not have modeled myself after him… Prince was a huge part of my transition from being a boy to being an older boy. I’ve always put some weird awkward sexuality in my albums, and I feel like I got that from him.”

In particular, Slug says a line about his wife from his recent album, Mi Vida Local, sounds like it could possibly be a Prince line: “I'mma need you to peel off those mommy jeans.”

“He had this line, ‘If I was your girlfriend’. He said it and made the rest of us say, ‘holy shit,’ you can say that?” Slug said.

Even as he grows older, now 46, Slug doesn’t see his love for Prince ever diminishing, saying the albums that change your life at 17 stay with you forever. Some things do change for him, though.
Slug started making music in 1989, and is now married and a father. Atmosphere’s live shows have transitioned with him.

“I believe we evolve and transition every few years,” Slug said. “We started working with a live band in ‘05, and it’s still a work in progress. I feel like we’re still not done. I’d almost suggest the live show kinda drives the music now... So many people are putting out music, it’s like why would the audience want to fuck with us?”

Slug says this new focus on live performances, as opposed to recorded music, allows for more artistic freedom, which he certainly appreciates. Before performing at the Rialto Theatre in Tucson on Feb. 5, Atmosphere has a few days of break in their tour schedule, allowing Slug to go home to Minnesota just in time for a massive cold front to bring sub-zero temperatures to much of the northern U.S. Slug actually looks forward to this, however, as his kid’s school is closed, allowing for some quality board game time.

“It’s like negative 800 degrees here. It’s so cold here it burns,” Slug said. “I love it.”

Atmosphere performs at the Rialto Theatre w/ Dem Atlas, The Lioness, DJ Keezy. 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 5. 318 E. Congress St. $25-29. All ages.