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Arizona's growing bass scene: How System Overload proves Arizona as a new dub and riddim powerhouse

(03/18/26 10:22pm)

There’s a certain energy to be felt during a dubstep or hard bass set that is lacking in other genres. The musical cadence is constantly shifting: Heavy drops one hour, wavy, wubby sounds the next. Some songs lock all eyes and phones to the stage, others get the crowd moving in a unison of headbanging. It’s one thing to experience that cadence for an hour or on a single stage during a multi-genre fest and another entirely when the full experience is dedicated to the intense energy. 

https://www.blazeradioonline.com/article/2026/03/arizonas-growing-bass-scene-how-system-overload-proves-arizona-as-a-new-dub-and-riddim-powerhouse

OPINION: Is “Undertone” the Scariest Movie of the Year?

(03/16/26 7:00pm)

SPOILER WARNINGOn March 9, an early screening of the horror film “Undertone” hit AMC Deer Valley. Moviegoers flooded the seats, anticipating the so-called “scariest movie of the year,” according to Cinapse.“Undertone” follows Evy (Nina Kiri), a paranormal podcast host. While caring for her bedridden mother, Evy receives a series of disturbing audio messages on her show to cover. As she digs deeper, hidden meanings and eerie sounds begin to blur the line between reality and fiction.With haunting sound designs, the film's slow-burn tension allows the audience to feel every beat that is portrayed. Focusing on the auditory aspect mostly kept the movie unique and aided in the idea that, for some viewers, this film is the scariest movie they’ve ever seen.Although it is still early in 2026, Collider referred to the film as “the scariest movie you’ll ever hear.”. Considering every horror movie ever made, all horror films claim themselves to be the ‘scariest’ compared to all of their contenders.However, this movie is different. As stated previously, this film primarily focuses on audio and whether or not the viewer is hearing correctly, making the viewers contemplate the possibility that some things aren’t meant to be heard.The immersive audio cues made me feel as if I was listening to these cryptic messages myself. There were times that it seemed to get a little too relatable.The characters in the film would look through old childhood nursery rhymes and play them in reverse to look for subliminal messaging. This felt extremely familiar to me as I related to doing that same thing when I was younger.Everyone remembers being afraid of the dark at some point in their lives, but how often does a film make you close your eyes and open your ears?Some online reviews tend to compare this film to works such as “The Blair Witch Project” and “Paranormal Activity.” Both films have their own distinct approach to the horror genre and have become well known pieces of fiction.Despite this, I’d argue that this film is most similar to one of the scariest horror movies I have ever seen — “Skinamarink.”In a similar style, “Skinamarink” takes place in a house where things start escalating terribly through a demonic entity.“Undertone” doesn’t shy away from the focus on religious symbolism. The demon that appears to be tormenting the protagonist is brought up throughout religious texts, like the Holy Bible.The use of religious imagery can deeply affect those who follow it, including me. Anything with creepy dolls, crying babies or the occasional elder relative always tend to give me the creeps.Some horror flicks tackle the subject, but fall short. Meanwhile, “Undertone” takes this topic in an interesting way that doesn’t seem blatantly obvious or bland. The film doesn’t even need to show the demon to make its presence known.I’d say this film is the scariest film I have ever heard so far in 2026. Compared to some of the latest horror flops that have been released in theaters, it’s safe to say that this film surprised me in the best ways.

https://www.blazeradioonline.com/article/2026/03/opinion-is-undertone-the-scariest-movie-of-the-year

Phoenix Councilmembers Face Accusations of Misappropriated Taxpayer Money

(03/14/26 2:26am)

Phoenix residents accused Phoenix City Councilmembers of misappropriation of funds concerning the Phoenix Parks and Preserves Initiative at a city council meeting. At the meeting, the speakers demanded more accountability and transparency from city officials about how Phoenix Parks and Preserves Initiative funds are being used. The initiative was approved by voters in 1999 and renewed in 2008 as a sales tax program that would allocate its funds to improve and expand the Phoenix park system as well as purchasing and maintaining desert and mountain preserves. The reason for the distrust of these officials was attributed to a situation in 2013 where $15 million of PPPI funds were used to pay off debt from the city’s municipal golf courses which did not fall under the requirements of how PPPI funds were meant to be used. While the City Council eventually agreed to return $7.5 million of the $15 million to the PPPI fund in 2017, concerned citizens like Jeremy Thacker believe that the PPPI fund “has turned into a slush fund.” The PPPI fund is separate from the City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation budget. Thacker said that “the operating budget of parks remains well below the growth of the cities budget, while the PPPI budget has exponentially grown,” which raises concerns that the PPPI fund is still being misused. Another reason for the public speakers’ distrust stems from the city’s apparent unwillingness to be forthcoming with PPPI financial information. While the City of Phoenix releases an independent accountant’s report of PPPI funds yearly, public speaker Jim Sierakowski requested that he and the public be given access to see the actual checking accounts in which the PPPI funds are located. Sierakowski said he “has done record requests for this for the last six years,” and “they’ve never produced any of this information.” “We want to know where the money is going at the present time,” Sierakowski said. “We don’t want it misappropriated because you guys have no clue how to really manage anything.” The Government Oversight and Accountability team obtained a legal opinion from attorney Joshua Carden on whether the actions of the City of Phoenix have complied with the legal requirements approved by voters for PPPI in 2008. Carden said that the “use of PPPI funds for golf debt retirement was unauthorized by voters,” and the “voter-mandated annual public audit was never implemented,”both of which violated legal requirements for PPPI approved by voters in 2008. When the public speakers were given a chance for final remarks at the end of the meeting, Sierakowski said “once again, I want to see the accounts, I want to see the balance sheet, I want to see it all, and if I have to go to court to get it, I will.”

https://www.blazeradioonline.com/article/2026/03/phoenix-councilmembers-face-accusations-of-misappropriated-taxpayer-money

Elyse Arons Honored with Hall of Fame Recognition

(03/13/26 6:03pm)

PHOENIX— Arizona State University inducted the co-founders of the global lifestyle brand Kate Spade into its Alumni Hall of Fame. The ceremony was not only a prestigious honor for the inductees, but also a time for remembering the legacy of Kate Spade, the founder of the brand who died in 2018. Elyce Arons, company co-founder and friend of Spade, accepted her award in the First Amendment Forum while Andy Spade, her husband and business partner, accepted the award on her behalf. Arons has used her brand and work to keep the memory of Spade alive and honor her. “You know, I hear her in my ear every single day,” Arons said. “When we’re working on different designs I look at it and I think would she like that color yellow? Would Katie like this? Would she wear this skirt? What would she pair it with? She’s always in my head.”After her passing, Arons also created the “Love Katie Collection” which was centered around sentimental pieces that were worn by Spade and important to Arons.“One of the things that I wanted to do as a tribute to her was make something special,” Arons said. “I feel like Katie’s still with me doing it because a lot of them were her vintage pieces and things we’ve collected together over the years.”The loss of Spade has continued to impact her loved ones, the fashion industry and students at Walter Cronkite. Student Mia Osmonbekov initially did not plan to attend the event but found herself drawn to it because of its bittersweet nature, even taking the opportunity to ask Arons how she managed to make space for her grief. For Arons, the answer came in her book “We Might Just Make it After All,” a story of her history and friendship with Spade she began working on five years after losing her. At first, Arons said she thought writing it would be difficult but it ended up helping her deal with her grief. “It was actually one of the best things I could have ever done, because I remembered all the good times we had and all the high points, and it helped me focus on her life and not on how she left us,” Arons said. The enjoyment of her time at the school was not without its hardships, as much of it was spent working waitress jobs to pay tuition and make ends meet. Despite the hardship, Arons now views it as the best time of her life. “There were so many struggles, but you look back and you think those were the best times of all,” Arons said.Arons and Spade have not only accomplished many things over their career, but also have been a source of pride for students.Pucci said that she was in the same sorority during her time at the school that Spade was once a part of and how important that was to her and her sorority sisters.“I remember when I was a new member, we were so overwhelmed with pride to be able to say, ‘well, we’re in the same sorority as Kate Spade,’” Pucci said.Arons credits much of her journey to her time as a journalism student at Cronkite.“Journalism is a fantastic training for life,” Arons said. “You learn how to listen; you learn how to read the room and to pivot when the story changes.”When talking about the two newest Hall of Fame Alumnae, Dean Battinto Batts said that both women have carried the spirit of the school with them long after their graduation in 1986.“No matter where their careers have taken them, they continue to embody the highest standards and values instilled right here at the Cronkite School,” Batts said.

https://www.blazeradioonline.com/article/2026/03/elyse-arons-honored-with-hall-of-fame-recognition

OPINION: “Undertone” Proves You Don’t Need Much to Deliver a Real Scare

(03/13/26 7:00am)

WARNING: This article contains spoilers and sensitive topics. Reader discretion is advised.A lot of horror films have attempted the narrative of a demon possession, but none of them have attempted it like Ian Tuason’s “Undertone.”​“Undertone” follows podcast host Evy, played by Nika Kiri, who covers scary content with her co-star Justin (whose face we never actually see). Evy moves in to care for her dying mother, but continues to host the podcast from her mother’s home. While recording an episode, Evy and Justin receive recordings of a pregnant couple's paranormal encounters, and, slowly but surely, Evy and the audience discover that the couple’s story parallels Evy’s with each tape pushing her toward madness.While some aspects of the movie were predictable, others were obscure and felt unfinished. At the beginning of the film, the cryptic email sent to the podcast hosts included the word “tenet.” The movie doesn’t tell you this, but the word tenet is defined as a principle or belief, especially one of the main principles of a religion. Religion is a major aspect of this movie, with Evy’s mother being extremely religious and religious artifacts hanging in every corner of the house. If you’re also a cinephile, you might remember Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet,” which taught us the word is also spelled the same backwards as forwards, which stirred my conspiracy theorist brain into what this could mean about the plot of “Undertone.”Since the first showing of the word “tenet,” I somewhat knew where the movie was headed. In my head, we were about to see the sound recordings from the pregnant couple line up with the film's events in descending order. Another thought I had is that we would, at some point, see time reverse, especially with the steady ticking of a clock we can hear whenever Evy has her headphones off. Towards the end of the movie, we do see the wall clock in Evy’s mother’s house stop and reverse, but I wish we had seen more explicit examples of this concept.The first mention of a demon amidst all the religious context in the movie was while Evy and Justin listened to one of the voice recordings sent in the ominous email. In the voice recording, you can hear a woman say the word “Abyzou.” In Near Eastern and European folklore, Abyzou is a female demon who causes miscarriages, infant mortality and stillbirths out of jealousy for being infertile herself. ​This concept isn’t new; movies like “The Conjuring” also feature demons, but “Undertone” uniquely relies on sound to portray possession. Creating a sonic nightmare on film requires skill. This movie didn’t need jumpscares or sudden loud noises to scare the audience; its portrayal of Evy’s descent into madness left the audience unsure of what they would hear or feel next. The quiet, hushed whispers you hear in the dark can sometimes cause a lot more fear than loud, jarring sounds. In “Undertone,” we hear sounds like someone praying in the dark, a clock ticking and water dripping, which makes us more alert and almost anticipate something more. With the mention of “The Conjuring” film above, it’s important to mention that “The Conjuring” took home a budget of $20 million; “Undertone” spent $500,000. This further shows that you don’t need much to deliver a big scare; you need to know how to utilize the tools we already have, like sound. For the ultimate experience, make sure to watch this movie in a Dolby and/or IMAX screening to fully immerse yourself in the film's atmosphere, starting Friday, March 13.

https://www.blazeradioonline.com/article/2026/03/opinion-undertone-proves-you-don-t-need-much-to-deliver-a-real-scare

Phoenix to Expand Local Grocery Store to Support The Economy

(03/12/26 6:40pm)

Phoenix is set to add space to the already existing Los Altos Ranch Market grocery store with the goal of creating more jobs and strengthening the community.The Central City Village Planning Committee voted unanimously at a meeting on Monday to approve the expansion. The proposal is part of the city’s ongoing effort to recover losses sustained during the coronavirus pandemic.“The grocery store is a tenant for the whole community as part of a way to keep grocery prices lower and provide more local businesses,” Burch and Cracchiolo Attorney Madison Leake said to committee members at Emerson Court while arguing in favor of the expansion.Several small businesses already operate in the store due to the building’s size, and the planned expansion will allow more small businesses to open and create more jobs.“So many people have been gentrified, pushed out for higher-rise development,” said Committee Member Ash Uss when explaining why she voted in favor of the expansion.Committee members were optimistic about the expansion's economic impact on the area, with the opportunity to provide more jobs for local residents motivating Committee Member Rachel Frazier-Johnson to vote yes on the expansion.“It’s about impacting our community and celebrating our culture here in Downtown Phoenix,” said Frazier-Johnson.The planned expansion of the store includes a multi-purpose banquet hall that would be used for a variety of events, which also influenced Frazier-Johnson’s vote, as she hopes the hall will lead to a greater appreciation of local art.“We live right along the border and are home to multiple Native American tribes,” Frazier-Johnson said. “Regardless of where you come from, it is important to celebrate the southwest and all it has to offer.”Uss was hopeful about the potential the hall had for bringing the residents of the area together and that the hall would bring forward a greater appreciation for the arts among the community.“So many of our village, event, music and art spaces have been displaced,” Uss said. “To not only be able to keep local businesses in their spot, but also have a place where people can gather and come together is amazing.”In addition to support from committee members, the proposal also received a letter of support from a resident in the nearby Garfield neighborhood who favored the expansion.The resident who wrote the letter was excited about the project, praising the expansion for enhancing the store and expanding opportunities for people living in the area.Leake said that the only concerns she had received from residents were fears that the grocery store would be going away.“No, everything is staying the same,” Leake said. “We’re just bringing it into conformity.”To reassure residents that the project would benefit them, Leake made an effort to attend neighborhood meetings to talk with residents and directly address their concerns.The Garfield neighborhood meeting that Leake attended resulted in a “nice, long discussion” that led one of the residents in attendance to write the project a letter of support.

https://www.blazeradioonline.com/article/2026/03/phoenix-to-expand-local-grocery-store-to-support-the-economy