There’s a new kind of rapper in town: compulsively stoned, inexhaustibly prolific, perpetually swagged-out. Rather than cloister themselves in VIP booths, they perfect their ground game in smaller clubs. They prefer the Internet to more traditional means of distribution. And unlike the Big Fucking Deals of three years ago (hi,…
I’m spending the afternoon with Joel Gion of The Brian Jonestown Massacre in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco. You couldn’t ask for it any better: It’s like interviewing the Velvet Underground at Warhol’s Factory; Dylan in a Greenwich Village coffee shop; George Clinton on the proverbial Mother Ship. I…
Michael “M2” McDowell is old school to the very core, as illustrated by his love of crate-digging for classic hip-hop vinyl and his use of the original Phoenix Suns logo in his professional insignia. He’s also got a serious penchant for the lost art of scratching, as does his pal…
When Mesa rock institution Hollywood Alley debuted in July 1988, Ross Wincek was there for the opening night. And pretty much every night that followed. For close to 25 years, the soft-spoken and curly-haired co-owner (dubbed “Ross the Boss” by many) has worked behind the scenes running the joint with…
Thursday 26 16th Street Bar & Grill: Kickback Thursdays with DJ Cedric Ceballos (hip-hop, classics, neo-soul, reggae, R&B, Top 40, old school) Afterlife: DJ Intrigue (various) Azucar Cuban Lounge: Latin Night with DJ Los & DJ Yoshi (cumbia, reggaeton, bachata, rock en Español, old school, funk) Bar Smith: Double Vision…
What does it take to become a legend? In Ralph Stanley’s case, it’s being instrumental in the development of the modern bluegrass sound. Stanley, 85, got his first banjo about 70 years ago. Attempting to learn the popular clawhammer style, he instead created his now signature “Stanley Style” instead. With…
It’s not a new idea: Sex sells. Scottsdale-based hip-hop duo J Beam and Knawledg, known by their nom de rhyme Mathmadix, get it. The album cover of their long-awaited In a Class of Our Own, depicting the pair, a young lady in a short Catholic school skirt, and one foreboding-looking ruler,…
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 is local rock luminary Jim Adkins working up with The Love Me Nots? What sounds…
There were all sorts of 4/20 shenanigans going on in Phoenix last weekend. An event didn’t necessarily need to be marijuana-themed to be fun, but no one was complaining much if it was. It was merely a coincidence that The Elevated Music Festival fell on 4/20, but that didn’t stop…
See also: Echo Cloud Brings Actual Local Rock to Mill Avenue’s School of Rock See also: Behind the Scenes of Former Friends of Young Americans’ Practice Pad A couple of weeks ago, our own Anthony Sandoval penned a music feature about Phoenix-based shoegazers Former Friends of Young Americans. In the…
Sheriff Joe Arpaio has made a living off making sensational accusations and remarks. For better or worse, he has been a media darling who’s done his best over the past 20 years to prove that there’s no such thing as bad press (not that we don’t try). On Monday, April…
They say “old punks never die,” and though the statement lacks some factual validity, it bears repeating in regard to The Glass Heroes, who celebrate 20 years of punk and roll this Saturday at the George and Dragon Pub. “We have this joke that the last punk standing wins,” laughs…
John Dahlbäck may not be a well-known name within the EDM scene in America, but the 26-year-old producer is quickly on the rise. After all, he was unknown in his homeland of Sweden once, and now he packs clubs there and in London, where he’s currently stationed. His intense house…
Providence, Rhode Island, combo Filthy Still plays a messy, busy, thoroughly enjoyable mix of punk, bluegrass, and country rock — and this busy, crazy flier courtesy of Evil Donkey reflects the manic energy the crew brings to its music. A quick look might fool you into thinking you’re in for a…
It hurt back in February, when we had to announce that The Beach Boys were visiting our lovely neighbors to the South (some weird town nobody had every heard of called Tucson. I suggested a road trip — and if you were into the idea you’re probably packing the car…
See also: Throwback Thursday: Everclear The announcement of the Summerland Tour (an a la carte delight of prominent ’90s soul-patch rock bands Everclear, Sugar Ray, Lit,The Gin Blossoms, and Marcy Playground) has me thinking hard about nostalgia. I learned of the tour’s Phoenix date, July 3 at Comerica Theatre, just…
Rebecca HaithcoatSee also: The Best of Coachella, Weekend Two: Sunday, April 22 Top Ten Awkward Coachella Dance Moves By Rebecca Haitchcoat During Coachella’s second weekend, temperatures topped 100 degrees every day. Yet somehow folks were dancing even crazy-er! Most just stripped down and let the sweat flow. Here are the…
The Beatles are a tricky band to cover, but local gypsy rockers Dry River Yacht Club were up for the task. The group learned Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band for Cover the Crescent and played the songs as close to the original versions as possible. “Every time I’ve heard…
If there will ever be another hologram worth talking about this year, it’ll be Michael Jackson on this year’s Unity Tour. The Jacksons are hitting the road for their first tour together in nearly 30 years, and even though we’re joking about a glowing vision of Michael belting out Ben,…
As the shortened NBA season comes to an end, last night’s game between the New Jersey Nets and Philadelphia 76ers signified more than just the end of a dismal season for the Nets. It also marked the team’s last home game in the Garden State. After 36 years in New…
Timothy NorrisSee also: Our complete Coachella coverage By the third day of Coachella’s second weekend — the sixth and final day of this year’s festival — folks had more or less learned to ignore the dust and the heat. Here are our intrepid writers’ favorite things about the final hours…
We’ve received word that North Phoenix music venue and restaurant The Compound Grill shut its doors for good this past weekend. A message on the establishment’s website announced its closure and states that refunds are available to anyone who purchased tickets to upcoming concerts. Owner John Largay (one of the…
