Nowhere Man And A Whiskey Girl The Crescent Ballroom November 16, 2011 Being a critic is a funny thing. Namely in that, you have to be critical. But there’s a fine line between, “looking to find fault or to judge with severity,” and “skillful judgment.” With enough practice, I hope…
Want to know what new release discs and platters are moving across the Valley at local record stores? We’ve got you covered with another installment of What’s Selling. Renowned for moving narcocorridos as quick as rounds through an AK-47, Las Korajudas Discoteca isn’t that much different from other Latin music…
Everlast is like Kid Rock for the indie set, a onetime rapper who’s embraced roots music and proved to be an evocative performer. His gruff baritone has been his calling card going back to his days in House of Pain, during which his admonition to “Jump Around” spoke to a…
Mark Sultan is an accomplished, unique songwriter, so it may seem wrong to reduce him to the more outrageous aspects of his persona. Unfortunately, we can’t help it. The man (who travels under such aliases as Von Needles and Blortz) wears both a turban and dashiki onstage; he has gone…
When did you first think Sting was a pompous twit? The love-me-I’m-tortured artistry of “King of Pain?” The way he sang “the bitter sting of tears” with a straight face on “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” The way he withheld new songs for a 1986 Police reunion, resulting only in…
Let’s face it. “Jamming” is little more than musician code for one great big circle jerk. Each player is just waiting for his solo, and that’s cool, because being at the center of the circle so totally rocks. But when a jam session turns into a “jam band,” it’s a…
Robert “Fun Bobby” Birmingham was a fixture behind the bar at Hollywood Alley for over a decade — a talkative, friendly dude with a serious musical yen for the bonkers rock music of Japanese rockers Melt Banana. He’s been booking the band for over 16 years — at places like…
Few things that were fresh and fly in 1993 are still cool these days, save for Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and the Phoenix’s Furious Styles Crew. The local b-boy collective has stuck around for almost two decades now and isn’t slowing down. You can catch the FSC busting out with…
Road-worn, exhausted, wiped out. There’s no way of getting around it: Devin Fleenor, frontman of Phoenix-bred glitch-rock band Mr. Meeble, looks like shit. To be fair, there shouldn’t be anything glamorous about someone who, less than 48 hours ago, hopped off a plane from Europe, where his band has been…
First: A Scene from a Movie Setting: a bowling alley. WALTER SOBCHAK, a volatile Vietnam vet finally reaches his breaking point. (Well, one of many, many breaking points.) He pulls a gun on a competitor who’s quibbling over sporting minutiae. Technically, Walter’s correct in his claims, but he’s overreacted. Later,…
Off all the fabled “new Dylans” of the early ’70s, none has been as transparent, prolific, and open as Loudon Wainwright III. 40 Odd Years, a box set released this year and produced by Knocked Up and Funny People auteur Judd Apatow, covers 1969 through 2010, from Wainwright’s first songs,…
Thursday 17 Afterlife: Thumpin’ Thursdays (various) Bar Smith: DJ Idenaty, DJ EC Rock, & DJ Oh-Jezus (various) Capitol Sports Lounge: DJ Danny Peru (old school, Latin, Top 40) Crave: Champagne Room with DJ Sixfour (Top 40, rock, electro) Cream Stereo Lounge: Blush Thursdays (various) Crescent Ballroom: Boomstick! with Depressed Buttons,…
If it all pans out the way Tourbait hopes, the traditional concert with a standardized, band-written set list could be a thing of the past. The new website basically works as a mediator between the band and fans. Say a mid-sized band like Dawes is coming to town and you…
This flier struck me as a mix between the album covers of Yellow Submarine by the Beatles and Kona Town by Pepper. If that doesn’t stand out, then nothing does. Sigma’s flier makes me excited to get down and rock out. It will certainly be a special evening since it’s…
Touring Europe sounds like a blast right? Well, sure, but it’s a lot of work. Phoenix-based glitch rockers Mr. Meeble did it, booking the entire tour without the help of a tour manager or press people. In this week’s issue, Nicole Smith brings us the tale straight from the mouth…
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 does alt-comedian Tim Heidecker have to say about his Herman Cain-inspired album? Who’s sporting our…
We reported back in August that downtown wax-shack Revolver Records would be launching a vinyl imprint, Ammit Records, with a single from Eddy Detroit, set for release in October.Well, it’s…um…November? Holy crap. Where has the time gone? And more importantly, where the hell is that Eddy single? Delays are pretty…
“I don’t want to be hip. I don’t want to be cool. I think that shit [trends] is not hip or cool, so I don’t want to be that,” Mark Sultan, also known as BBQ, says over the phone from Austin. We’re discussing his new set of albums, Whatever I…
inger/actor Rick Springfield is on the road once again, which can only mean one thing: it’s time to get nostalgic. Watch your favorite episodes of General Hospital and break out your hottest ’80s gear.I walked past one of his outdoor shows in Florida about two weeks ago and I have to say,…
Barney’s Boathouse’s move from University Drive to Old Town Scottsdale was wise. The bar is no longer walking distance from ASU, but it now attracts a chill Scottsdale clientele. Plus, the bar upgraded its small Tempe location to a massive three-story party. We checked out Barney’s new location on Friday,…
Local electro pop band Peachcake may be just one of the most social media savvy bands in the Phoenix area. The group crafted a cool Facebook “Like” drive, where you can enter to win a customized iPod simply for “Liking” their Facebook page. Existing fans of the page can enter,…
In college, everything is better if it’s free. And no matter how many times Mastercard convinces you that the slice of pizza and Frisbee offered at their just-off-campus booth are free, they’re not. …
