See also: Spiritualized’s Jason Pierce on New Record Sweet Heart Sweet Light Jason Pierce is lead singer, guitarist, songwriter, and mastermind behind the psychedelic wall of sound and texture that is Spiritualized. Pierce, who also goes by the moniker J. Spaceman, is something of a troubled soul in the classic…
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. Ever wonder what’s acceptable in a mosh pit? We discuss. How did Chilean MC Ana Tijoux…
In 2008, NBC tried to reboot the legendary ’80s program Knight Rider, casting Justin Bruening as the son of David Hasselhoff’s Michael Knight, and casting Val Kilmer as the voice of KITT, a hyper-intelligent car. Ty Patterson — the Phoenix-based MC who raps as Trap — was not onboard with…
“Legendary” might be a diluted description for a band these days, but there’s no other way to label Mexican rockers El Tri and their frontman Alex Lora. The dude is — how do we put this? — kind of a big deal. The names may not ring immediate bells, but…
Public Enemy’s Chuck D. and Flavor Flav caused jaws to drop when they made an unannounced visit in 2006 and gave an amazing performance. Afrika Bambaataa was just as impressive when he provided an “awesome” electronica and dancehall set two years ago. And rap icon Jeru the Damaga was in…
Jason Pierce doesn’t really remember where he was while piecing together his band’s newest psychedelic wonder, Sweet Heart Sweet Light. The Spiritualized leader knows the album took three years in three different cities to complete; it’s just that the medication he was ingesting for liver disease left him in an…
German metal band Rammstein is just as much about visuals as it is about punishing balls-to-the-wall metal, rhythmic tumult, and synthetic keyboards. The band’s albums are intense, but nothing comes close to their staggeringly powerful live performances, spectacles on par with a Hollywood action flick. Although Rammstein has a worldwide…
When famed post-hardcore/art-rock spazz combo At the Drive-In broke up in 2001, the lines were clearly drawn. Vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (the two with afros) took off for the cosmos with The Mars Volta, while the rhythm section of bassist Paul Hinojos, drummer Tony Hajjar, and guitarist Jim…
Suckers is one of those Brooklyn bands that claims an isolated sound yet, in reality, sounds a lot like other Brooklyn bands (e.g., MGMT, CocoRosie) that make similar claims. Says vocalist Austin Fisher: “Even if we think we’re doing a song that sounds like another song, we turn away from…
Oh, sure, there are a lot of bluesy rock duos out there. There’s everything from the well-known opposing-colored Keys and Stripes to lesser-known pioneer pairs from the past, like Flat Duo Jets, to up-and-comers like Agent Ribbons, who add ruffled Victorian drama to the simple mix. Each band essentially relies…
Thursday 17 16th Street Bar & Grill: Kickback Thursdays with DJ Cedric Ceballos (hip-hop, classics, neo-soul, reggae, R&B, Top 40, old school) Azucar Cuban Lounge: Latin Night with DJ Los & DJ Yoshi (cumbia, reggaeton, bachata, rock en Español, old school, funk) Bar Smith: Double Vision Thursday with DJ Kyko,…
Roger Waters Performs The Wall US Airways Center Tuesday, May 15 The spectacle that is Roger Waters’ The Wall tour deserves more than a cursorily run-through. The concert is as much theater and cutting-edge theatrics as it is a musical production, and each aspect deserves — requires — equal respect,…
If you’ve ever wanted to witness the diversity of the Valley’s hip-hop crowd, check out a rap gig at the Big Fish Pub on any given weekend. You’re likely to see a varied assortment of both dudes and dames checking out cyphers spitting fresh rhymes on the microphone, whether its…
Dee Snider fronted heavy metal act Twisted Sister in the ’70s and ’80s, but we’d forgive you for knowing him more for reality TV, radio, voice acting, screenwriting, and hanging out with Donald Trump. The dude likes to keep busy. Which is why it made sense to release a new…
Saturday Night Live is ending its 37th season with a bang. Last week, classic alum Will Ferrell hosted the show, reprising his parody of George W. Bush, and the 100th SNL Digital Short was aired. Things look to get even bang-ier with this Saturday’s season finale, featuring Mick Jagger taking…
Former Fleet Foxer J. Tillman turned Los Angeles mystic/comedian Father John Misty took Pitchfork to task on Monday afternoon, taking to Twitter to express his beef with the website’s review of his latest LP, Fear Fun (previous records were released under his given name). His mammoth rant against indie rock’s…
With temperatures rising well over 100 degrees on the regular, it’s easy to understand why Phoenix-based indie rock band Snake! Snake! Snakes! is longing for the relaxing vibes of some coastal region. We’re feeling the same way, but they’ve got a whole month of local gigs to play before they…
Last year’s ticket sales for Coachella were a complete clusterfuck. This year, the good people of Goldenvoice are enstating some interesting changes, both for the better and for the worse, depending on your individual situation.Plenty of ticket buyers may face new dilemmas. Some of the general changes will make it…
The Donkeys Yucca Tap Room Monday, May 14, 2012 It’s hard to tell your friends “I’m going to the Donkeys show” with a straight face. No, not some perverted freakshow in Mexico. I mean the psychedelic San Diegan blues rockers The Donkeys, who tore the Yucca Tap Room apart with…
See also: KUKQ Returns to Phoenix (Via the Internet) See also: KUKQ Phoenix Launches Online; We Speak With Nancy Stevens, Craven Moorehead, and Jonathan L KUKQ Phoenix — the Internet radio station bearing the classic call letters of a bygone Phoenix institution — launched in March, but as station director…
See also: A Hot Ghetto Mess of Hip-Hop, Art, and B-Boys – The 10-Year Journey of The Blunt Club This is proving to be a great time for the Valley’s hip-hop circuit. Mouse Powell’s music video for his Arizona anthem “Holding Home” dropped only a week ago, and already the…
Lots of stories on the radio and Internet Sunday honoring what would have been the 100th birthday of iconic jazz arranger, pianist, and bandleader Gil Evans. Evans died in 1988 at age 75 after a career that most famously included his seminal work with trumpet player Miles Davis — Sketches of Spain and Quiet…
