Strung Out Clubhouse Music Venue Saturday, January 28, 2012 Strung Out plays in Vegas tonight, but that didn’t stop the band from having a good time in Phoenix last night. Frontman Jason Cruz showed off Chris Aiken’s brand new Fender signature bass and the band took shots to celebrate as…
Citizen CopeMarquee Theatre Friday, January 27, 2012 I’ve been to more exciting Citizen Cope shows over the past few years, but last night’s solo acoustic gig was still a tight show for different reasons than I’m used to. Clarence Greenwood sounds fabulous when he plays with his band, but he…
Sundown Showdown IV (Night Two): TOAD, Sleep Money, Destruction Unit, Radio Moscow, Graveyard Yucca Tap Room Friday, January 27 See the full Sundown Showdown slideshow here. Let’s contrast, for a minute: During opening band TOAD’s (it’s an acronym: Take Over and Destroy) second song, “Midnight Hunger,” a few straggling Yucca…
Welcome to the latest installment of our weekly feature, Sound Off, in which Jason P. Woodbury is joined by a different guest each week to listen to and discuss three tracks from local Phoenix artists. If you would like your songs to be considered for future Sound Off columns, please…
Okay folks, start ‘yer engines: It’s looking to be a pretty good weekend for music in the Valley of the Sun. You’ve got a lot of choices to make. Do you want to take in the hippie-dippy good vibes of Citizen Cope? The anything goes, doom metal-to-psych punk Sundown Showdown…
Strange Young Things Don’t miss out on one of Strange Young Things’ biggest shows of the year. It’s Glodie’s birthday bash! Rook, Flamingo and AT7 will all be spreading the birthday love as well. “We’re currently recording an album that we’ll be releasing in early/mid summer, with the hope of also…
Dengue Fever Crescent Ballroom Thursday, January 26 The setting was the Crescent Ballroom in Phoenix, but given the atmosphere and exotic sounds emanating from the stage, it may as well have been Cambodia circa mid-1970s. Eyes closed, it hardly mattered, Dengue Fever was in its element, and that element joined…
Ludachrist UK Thursday at School of Rock Thursday, January 26 The scene: Two dudes in plaid vests, decorative cross necklaces dangling from their necks. The song: “Jump,” by Kriss Kross, colliding with “Ass” by Big Sean, then samples of Nicki Minaj fading into AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck.” Boom. Their name recalls Dirty…
By now Fingergate has the web blowing up with commentary abound about the gull and audacity of Governor Jan Brewer for sticking her finger in the face of President Barack Obama. As James King brought up yesterday, we can’t help but wonder if Jan’s actions were those of an impassioned…
Lisa KasanickyKasanicky is the founder of Arizona Spa Girls and author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Girlfriend Getaways. When you put your key in the ignition and turn on the radio, what station would play right now? Uh, sadly, NPR but I’ll switch it to 103.9 FM if the topic…
Say what you will about our sustainability, the heat, or our wretched politicos, but Phoenix is a haven for nerds. We have The Minibosses, who play heavy covers from video games like Super Mario Bros. and Double Dragon; and Mega Ran, who raps over Final Fantasy and Mega Man soundtracks…
Like him or hate him — and God knows our commenters are divided — but you can’t deny President Obama’s ability to speak. His 2012 Campaign Kickoff State of the Union address on Tuesday night was yet another example of the man’s public command, but to be honest, we couldn’t…
O.A.R. Marquee Theatre Wednesday, January 25 2012 O.A.R. kicked off their most recent tour with Tempe — and the buzzing crowd and multiple encores indicated that they picked a good place to start. As soon as the stage lit up, so did some trees — if you know what I…
Glendale metal band Cold Blooded Theory was fresh off of a show at the Nile Theater Saturday night when they announced that they would be joining Devil Driver and fellow Arizonans Job for a Cowboy at the second annual Metal Alliance Tour. This year’s lineup includes The Faceless, Dying Fetus,…
Hey, I know we already did an Incoming Concerts post this week, but I’m getting drowned in show announcements here at UOTS HQ. So let’s dive in: The rap collective Odd Future head back to Marquee Theatre on Friday, March 9. Will the crew sell the joint out again? Will…
In this week’s issue, we take a look at the rise of Phoenix rapper Mouse Powell. He’s new on the scene, only releasing his debut full-length Where It’s Cloudy late last November, but he’s quickly made a mark on the scene. This weekend he brings his laidback, jazzy sound to…
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 happens when a good show is ruined by asshole audiences? Who is playing New Times’…
Before digital music players were ubiquitous pieces of art capable of housing thousands of songs, pictures, and videos, they were bulky, expensive, and limited pieces of plastic. Then 2001 happened. That year, Apple introduced the first iPod and the digital jukebox iTunes, and everything changed. Since then, MP3 players have…
What with airfare prices the way they are, and wages for musicians the way they are, it’s not often folks in bands get to hop on planes, for work or otherwise. International touring’s always a high point of being in a band, but it’s also something that seems inaccessible. Despite…
Dismiss them as twee or cute if you want, but nearly 30 years into their career, the duo of John Fansburg and John Linnell — better known as They Might Be Giants — can’t be accused of being lazy. The pair have never stopped challenging themselves, trying to top oddball…
Let’s face it: Female artists are a distinct minority in the male-dominated electronic dance music biz. It’s even rarer to find female DJ duos, much less a talented twosome like South American siren Monica Farr and Minnesota beat mistress Lucy Luxe. The Twin City team, which performs as Dirty Talk,…
With song titles such as “Kodiak,” “Hunter,” “Wolves,” and “Between the Glacier and the Sea,” Turbid North’s connection to Alaska remains strong, even if the band currently resides in Texas. The “mountain metal” band started in North Pole, Alaska (yes, a Christmas theme is prominent), and quickly rose to the…
