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Rappers bragging on themselves is about as unusual as a hot day in the Valley, but Atllas is ready to back up the claim of his album title. The key is musical inventiveness, and this CD is full of it. Instruments not usually associated with hip-hop take center stage here such as a violin playing the hook on “You Must Crawl.” The best track, “Hood Famous,” features a fully orchestrated classical music fanfare while Atllas raps cleverly about the value of local notoriety. Other tracks are more generic (and profane) lyrically, but the underlying music is unfailingly fresh — from ballads to funky uptempo numbers. Should he fulfill the promise shown on this disc, Atllas can look forward to expanding his kingdom well beyond the borders of this state. A- Next show: 9 p.m. Oct. 26 at Club Level, 411 S. Mill Ave., Tempe, . $5-$10. Web site: www.atllas.com — by Thomas Bond, Get Out Made up of longtime local veterans of bands such as the Stumbles and Gloritone, Big Moxie are a remarkably tight quartet. Musically, the band walks a tightrope between power pop and alternative rock as chunky guitar riffs color every song. Singer Matt Moffatt has a strong voice, but he occasionally gives vent to the overly macho singing that marred or marked (depending on your viewpoint) ’90s grunge groups and sounds dated here. When he reins himself in on the second half of the disc, the songs lose nothing in power and gain an unexpected gracefulness. Annoying lead track “Waste of Time” is just that, but the rest of “Bacteria” will grow on you. B Next show: 9 p.m. Oct. 31 at Barwinkles, 5930 W. Greenway Road, Glendale, . Free. Web site: www.bigmoxie.com — by Thomas Bond, Get Out Tempe rock quintet Euriska has quite a reach — they reference “Beowulf” in this EP's title track! — but it ultimately exceeds their grasp. The five songs here are well-executed, but the musicians’ abilities on their instruments can't mask the fact that their songwriting skills are underdeveloped. The disc's 20 minutes pass without a sniff of a hook or melody line that sticks in your head, even after repeated listens. Meanwhile, though singer Mark Truman has a pleasantly ragged voice, the lyrics are so esoteric they cross the line from “Hmmm, this is interesting” to “Who cares?” This band has potential to build on, but there's still a lot of work to do. C Next show: CD release party 9 p.m. Friday at Alice Cooper'stown, 101 E. Jackson St., Phoenix, . Free. Web site: www.euriska.net — by Thomas Bond, Get Out Jammin’ beats, catchy vocals and nice guitar breaks make up the pop-punk of Hall 13. Bassist and frontman Jorge Hernandez sings rather than screams, and his vocals are simple but not too simple for them to become boring. The band has plenty of energy in its music, and the five songs that make up this CD sound great whether you're relaxing or getting ready to go out. Hall 13 uses different tempos and makes interesting use of melodies, but their songs still recall those of other more well-known pop-punk acts. Overall, the disc is pleasant if not groundbreaking. B Next show: 6 p.m. Oct. 25 at Zia Records, 105 W. University Drive, Tempe, . Web site: www.hall13.com — by Tamisha Johnson, for Get Out Blending the bleeding-heart vocal style of emo with the concise song lengths and guitar hooks of pop punk is a winning formula for Point Proven, and it's one they've been working at for a while. “Before the Capture” is leaps and bounds better than their previous release, “Dess Presents,” because the band now understands what it didn't before: Less is more. Where their earlier songs used to wander aimlessly, they now get straight to the point (read: chorus) and focus on melody more than changes in dynamics. “So Long,” “Say I Swear” and “10 Stories” are all top-notch tunes, and the other four songs, including an unlisted acoustic ballad, are not far behind. A- Next show: CD release party 9 p.m. Friday at the Bash on Ash, 230 W. Fifth St., Tempe, . $8. Web site: www.pointproven.com — by Thomas Bond, Get Out Subtitled “A Collection of Arizona Singer Songwriters,” this CD brings together the cream of the crop from not just the Valley, but all over the state: Hans Olson, Joe Myers, Walt Richardson, Ralo, Norm Pratt, Rich Hopkins, John Ziegler and Tony Bruno of Major Lingo and others. Befitting the singer/songwriter genre, most of the performances are acoustic and the whole CD hangs together well with an inviting, intimate feel. Standout cuts include Myer's mournful “River to River,” Olson's jaunty “Dancing Shoes” and Hopkins’ touching “Have a Heart.” The first release on new Scottsdale- based independent label Perfect Circle Records (run by Pratt and pal Mark Naylor), it's a terrific sampler of some very talented and oft-overlooked Grand Canyon State artists. A Web site: www.perfectcirclerecords.com — by Thomas Bond, Get Out
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