The Young at Yucca Tap Room, 1/4/12

The Young, Mangled Men, ROAR, The Plainfield Butchers Yucca Tap Room Wednesday, January 4, 2012 Bits of Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney’s interview with Rolling Stone started hitting the web yesterday, with the bespectacled musician stating: “Rock ‘n’ roll is dying because people became okay with Nickelback being the biggest…

The Maine, What Laura Says, NOFX, and More in This Week’s Issue

What happens when a promising young pop band’s album gets rejected by the major label they’ve signed a seven-album contract with? In the case of The Maine’s Pioneer, the band says “screw it,” and releases it anyway. Of course, the story is more complicated than that, which singer John O’Callaghan…

From Print: Blogs Teased in Our January 5 Issue

This week, New Times ran a list in our print publication highlighting some of the most interesting posts published at Up On The Sun over the past week. Here are links to those posts. Want to rewind? We take a look at three local cassette tape labels. What famous album…

What Laura Says Looks to Sly and The Family Stone for Inspiration

Calling “Fire Ring b/w Weekend Habit,” the forthcoming release from Tempe psychedelic soul combo What Laura Says, a “single” is a little misleading. “Neither song is slated to appear on the next album,” says bassist Mitch Freedom, laughing. Nonetheless, the band plans on releasing the tunes “in the first quarter”…

Arizona Local Fest 2012 @ The Sail Inn

Clear away the tie-dyed shirts and Widespread Panic bootlegs. Though popular Tempe spot Sail Inn is known best for twirling, weed-addled jam-banders, things are going to get very metal this week, as the Arizona Local Rock Fest sweeps in, bringing acts with names like Flying Donkey Punch, Plagued Angel, and…

Listen: What Laura Says’ New Song “Weekend Habit”

When What Laura Says released Talk last May, I tried to categorize the band as “neo-boogie rock,” stating after their excellent gig at the Icehouse: “At its core, and perhaps at its best, the band gets down like something your weird-but-cool uncle might jam in his Astro Van.” My tag…

Want to Write a Song for Bears of Manitou?

Not content to earn a few comparisons to Hall & Oates, a few listens, and a few laughs, Tempe-based folkies Bears of Manitou have wasted no time in following up their 1-866-25-BEARS hotline with another promotional stunt. That’s right, according to the band’s Fiverr page, for just $5, you can…

Bears of Manitou Launch Call-In Hotline

As a rule, I think band’s should rip off as much as they can from Hall and Oates. I’m not talking some goofy, ironic appreciation of the fashion or mustache, I’m talking musically — Hall and Oates are badass, and their string of hit singles is an enduring example of…

Wheels Within Wheels Rhythm Seminar at ASU

It would seem Jacob Adler likes “difficult” music. A member of experimental outfits Zeelab, Integers Are For Counting, and Taraf Degrief, as well as avant-garde instigator behind St. Augustine’s Otoacoustic Emissions Halloween droning church service, Adler also teaches Advanced Rhythm at ASU. This Saturday, January 7, Adler will be hosting…

Boys and Frogs Sorry For the Weight Mixtape

Peoria-based indie popsters Boys and Frogs have a flair for the dramatic: witness the bands excellent and creepy videos. But the cover for the trio’s new mixtape, Sorry For the Weight (a pun regarding the wait for the band’s follow-up to their last LP, Rain Dance Snowed In) takes the…

Record Heat by Brad Dwyer

First, a scene from NBC’s 30 Rock: Tracy Jordan: Do you mind if I google myself in your office? Liz Lemon: Sure, Tracy. Tracy: Can I use your computer? Liz: How else are you gonna do it? Today’s installment of Record Heat (Up on the Sun’s very first post of…

What Your New Year’s Eve Songs Say About You

See also: Five Songs to Ring in the New Year Ring in the New Year With These Local Shows: Meat Puppets, Gin Blossoms, Love Me Nots, Sugar Thieves, Futurekind Phoenix New Times New Year’s Eve Guide Well, it’s that time. Another year has come to a close. 2011 was weird,…

Jason P. Woodbury on How Bands Tapped Into Crowd-Funding in 2011

As we head into 2012, it’s worth stating: The Internet still hasn’t destroyed music. This year saw Napster, the vanguard of first-wave web piracy, officially meet its end and Spotify, a label-sanctioned and completely legal free site that sort of does the same thing, launch to great acclaim. MySpace continued…

Guns N’ Roses at Comerica Theatre on Twitter

Now that you’ve checked out our photos and review of last night’s Guns N’ Roses gig at Comerica Theatre, we’ve taken to the Twittersphere to find out what you guys thought of the show. Remember to follow us @phxmusicdotcom and tweet at us to discuss. @musicloverchick: Well Phoenix? Any comments…

Guns N’ Roses at Comerica Theatre, 12/27/11

Guns N’ Roses Comerica Theatre Tuesday, December 27 See also: Our complete Guns N’ Roses and Sebastian Bach slideshow. Our interview with Guns N’ Roses bassist Tommy Stinson. The line stretched around Comerica Theatre, and snaked all the way down Adams, placing us just across the street from the stucco…

Arizona Rock Bands Benefit No-Kill Animal Shelter Halo

A couple weeks ago I made a joke about Phoenix-based metal band Sorrower singing about puppies. According to comments, I wasn’t far off — band member Tim Callaway (sporting the Black Flag logo as his icon, natch) confirms that “the puppy comment was very funny considering our singer’s obssession with…

TMI’s Rock Local Awards

Every week on Wednesday morning, I call into 106.7 KWSS’ The Morning Infidelity program, and gab about local and national music with the TMI crew: Beef Vegan, Shorty, and Buddha. It’s been quite a year for the station — winning cash from their friendly competitors at X103.9, briefly going off…