Local spins

DazeDHittaz
‘Derelict Dayz’
Musical collaborations are all the rage these days so it comes as no surprise that they’re being done locally. A shining example is DazeDHittaz — two local rappers Dren and Hella (the DH of the group) — who mix hip-hop sass with the funk stylings of Starfisher frontman Woody Jarrett and his smooth vocals on three of five tracks. And it’s done beautifully. Songs such as the sing-along “We Know Better” and the reggae/hip-hop-infused “Saturday” are easy to bounce along with. There are other collaborations as well but none are as notable as Jarrett’s. The singer also acts as producer on the album. The DH duo prove they can hold their own without him on the in-your-face rap track “The Boom,” but if Jarrett’s Starfisher ever break up, there’s no doubt he would be at home with DazeDHittaz. A-

Next show: 9 p.m. Thursday at Myst Ballroom, 7340 E. Shoeman Lane, Scottsdale. Info: . Free.

Web site: www.southwesthiphop.com
— by Kelly Wilson, Get Out

Supathrive
‘Left of Center’
The shredding guitar chops that give way to the best ska-soaked, “pick it up, pick it up” jam since Sublime’s “40 oz. to Freedom” are a perfect introduction to Supathrive’s “Left of Center.” Everything from punk angst, to rap/metal rhyme schemes (skillfully done) to a booming reggae cover can be found on this disc. Singer/guitarist Scott Alderette’s gravelly pleading coupled with his grinding guitar drive “Anxiety,” a tune that boils and gargles like a Tool song. In “Mental Anarchy,” the track suddenly breaks from high-hat tinging to a grungy chorus (think Alice in Chains): “I can see/mental anarchy/got the best of me.” Sometimes angry, other times positive and uplifting, Supathrive deliver an incredibly diverse disc. Their only weakness is drawing a tad too much from rock stylings that have already been done. B+

Next show: CD release party, 8 p.m. Saturday at Chasers, 8005 E. Roosevelt St., Scottsdale. . $7, all ages, cover includes copy of CD.

Web site: www.supathrive.com
— by Jenna Duncan, Get Out

Tramps & Thieves
‘Mill Avenue Cowboys’
Tempe’s Tramps & Thieves are regular players at the Yucca Tap Room, a dingy little bar tucked into an ancient strip mall at Southern and Mill avenues. When these guys churn out alt-country on their new six-song EP “Mill Avenue Cowboys,” it’s not hard to guess their intended audience. Turn up the treble on “Nails” and you can picture the young urban cowboys lining the bar, bobbing heads in unison. Crooners Emmett DeGuvera and J. Scott Howard shoot for the “Tempe sound” (think Gin Blossoms and The Refreshments) on Western-soaked, mild rock ballads with catchy, walking choruses. Unfortunately, there’s nothing catchy or extraordinary about their words or voices. Often the songwriter seems torn between making a firm stand on something, or running yellow-bellied from his commitments. While the weekday dive bar crowd may dig what the disc delivers, country grit-chewers who desire the company of a steely Waylon Jennings or square-
jawed Johnny Cash won’t be calling this CD up on the jukebox. C

Next show: 9 p.m. Saturday at the Yucca Tap Room, 29 W. Southern Ave., Tempe. Info: . Free, all ages.

Web site: www.aztrampsandthieves.com
— by Jenna Duncan, Get Out