Up on the Sun’s Halloween (Video) Mixtape

We know it’s a school/work night and all, but it’s still Halloween, which means you have a perfect excuse for shucking off the Monday blues and getting creepy. There’s plenty going on around the Valley: indie-punk supergroup Wild Flag are scheduled to rock Rhythm Room, the excellent Shannon & The…

Record Heat by Brad Dwyer

It’s happened to us all. You’re excited to catch a show, and in your over-exuberance, you wind up drinking too much and missing the whole thing. This week’s installment of Record Heat finds Brad Dwyer struggling with the same situation. We know you probably got your Halloween adventure out of…

Rockabilly Reunion: Three Days, A Whole Lot of Hair Grease

Did you know there was a Rockabilly Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee? Did you know that the Hall of Fame has officially endorsed Tempe’s Rockabilly Reunion? Well, according to the Reunion’s site, it is. This weekend sees the first annual three day chop-top fest (Wait, first annual reunion? Ah,…

RoQ’y TyRaiD Releases Occupy Single

Phoenix-based rapper RoQ’y TyRaiD is no stranger to political discussion via hip-hop. His last album, The Podium, featured songs culled from weekly appearances on the Redy Set Radio Show on 99.3 The Beat FM, where RoQ’y addressed political issues and the news of the week with a new tune. With…

Skrillex, Wild Flag, Das Racist, and More in This Week’s Issue

Former emo boy Sonny Moore is bringing dubstep to the masses as Skrillex. Benjamin Leatherman examines the roots of the bass-heavy genre and examines its rise in popularity. Meanwhile, indie rock supergroup Wild Flag brings their show to Phoenix for Halloween, and Das Racist puts the smart in smart ass.We’ve…

From Print: Blogs Teased in Our October 27 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. What’s the scoop on Up on the Sun’s new webcomic Record Heat? What songs best fit…

Wild Flag Is Indie Rock’s Female Supergroup

In 2010, former Sleater-Kinney guitarist and NPR blogger Carrie Brownstein announced she was starting a new band. A MySpace page went up. No music, only a cryptic message: “What is the sound of an avalanche taking out a dolphin? What do get when you cross a hamburger with a hot…

Wild Flag Is Indie Rock’s Female Supergroup

In 2010, former Sleater-Kinney guitarist and NPR blogger Carrie Brownstein announced she was starting a new band. A MySpace page went up. No music, only a cryptic message: “What is the sound of an avalanche taking out a dolphin? What do get when you cross a hamburger with a hot…

Nobunny @ Yucca Tap Room

Former Tucsonan Justin Champlin has roots in area bands like The Okmoniks, Sneaky Pinks, and Golden Boots, but since 2001, he’s occasionally donned a rabbit mask, stripped down to his skivvies, and blasted out barebones rock ‘n’ roll as Nobunny. The songs play like a sloppy mixtape from a boozy…

The Knux Kick Off US Tour at Scottsdale’s Rogue Bar

It’s a pretty common complaint around town that awesome acts often skip Phoenix on tour. Well, here’s a story that argues the opposite. New Orleans-based rap duo The Knux are kicking of their tour here in the Phoenix Metro, at Scottsdale’s Rogue Bar on Tuesday, November 8. The band often…

Random and Mr. Miranda Team for “Planet Silk”

I don’t want to get too hyperbolic here, but this year Jay-Z and Kanye teamed up for one of the year’s biggest albums, and I can’t help but make the comparison when I think about Phoenix emcees Mr. Miranda and Mega Ran hooking up for a combo album. Titled The…

Record Heat by Brad Dwyer

Up on the Sun is proud to present the first installment of our new weekly comic strip, Record Heat, by Brad Dwyer. We’re pretty big fans of Dwyer around here, awarding his series Epic Tales of the Mundane a Best of Phoenix award last month. We love Dwyer’s dry jokes…

15 Favorite Songs Tonight at Crescent Ballroom

Stinkweeds dude and bassist-about-town Dario Miranda already illustrated the difficulties surrounding those foolish enough to accept Stateside Presents’ invitation to DJ our 15 Favorite Songs tonight at Crescent Ballroom, so I hope you don’t mind if I skip the bitching about how hard it is it pick and simply use…

Judas Priest at Arizona State Fair, 10/21/11

Judas Priest Veterans Memorial Coliseum at the Arizona State Fair Friday, October 21, 2010 Let’s get it out of the way straight off the bat: I’ve never been big Judas Priest fan. I don’t dislike the band, mind you, but I’ve never really delved in beyond the hits. (I think…