Features

Artist: Ariel Pink’s Haunted GraffitiTitle: Before TodayRelease date: June 8Label: 4ADWith an audacious mouthful of a name like Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, how could this band’s debut record be anything but entertaining and occasionally thrilling yet also showy, confounding, and just plain weird?Apparently, Ariel Pink is a cult favorite who’s…

This week, New Times ran a box 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. Why should Arizonans boycott the band Stars? What’s up with whipped cream wrestling at Cream Stereo…

If there are two people in the entertainment world who know how to get folks talking, it’s Jack White and Conan O’Brien. Both are kings of the lost art of the whisper campaign, getting word of mouth buzzing both in real life and virtually whenever they make even the slightest…

Rihanna’s July 22 stop at Phoenix’s Cricket Wireless Pavilion has been moved to Tucson, reports media down south.Before you get your panties in a bunch about SB 1070 boycotts remember that Tucson is actually still part of Arizona (it’s convenient to forget sometimes, I know) and that the venue she’s…

Maybe I’m biased since Up On The Sun is helping book The Train Tracks this year, but I think the first video from season two, of local rapper Random, who was selected to showcase at SxSW in March, is the best episode ever.Love that freestyle flow and love the backing…

Song: Band of Horses, “Compliments”Context: Nearly a month after Band Of Horses was last Today’s Soundtrack Infinite Arms is still getting some spins in my car. What a great record. Compliments by bandofhorses…

“What the fuck is chillwave?????” Bethany Cosentino of Best Coast tweeted back in April, when MTVU blogger Lindsay Hood described her band as “chillwave,” after dismissing genres like “lo-fi,” “glo-fi” and “Gorillavsbearcore” in her blurb advancing the video for the band’s single “When I’m With You.”  To be fair to…

Insane Clown Posse’s Tuesday show at Marquee Theatre was axed at the last minute, leaving many sad-faced kids in clown makeup wandering the streets of Tempe.Why? The Detroit rap duo reportedly pulled the plug because they didn’t have any Faygo to spray on the loyal Juggalos in the crowd.A statement…

Artist: Against Me!Title: White CrossesRelease date: June 8Label: SireAs a longtime fan of punk music (I made the leap from Styx and ELO to Buzzcocks, The Dictators, and The Sex Pistols in 1982, when I was 13), I’m usually curious about what punk bands the kids are being force-fed by…

Is your name Alejandro? Well, your life’s about to change thanks to Lady Gaga and her new, 8-minute plus long video for her song “Alejandro.” Always one to have fun with the medium of music video, Gaga has once again proven how important she is to popular music.Now, “Telephone” this…

What I have noticed about Before Today is that it is an absolute grower of an album — a piece of music that gets right under your skin in all the best ways after repeated listens. Ariel Pink’s genius — and yes, I mean genius — is splattered all over…

Now that pop rock artist Never Shout Never (Christofer Drew) has been steadily picking up steam, with headlining tours and massive MTV promotion, Drew’s got his own record label, called Loveway Records, an imprint of Warner Bros. Records. One artist (besides Drew) who’s on the label is Drew’s pal Carter…

Song: Insane Clown Posse, “Hokus Pokus”Context: Ladies and gentlemen, the circus is in town. ICP(Insane Clown Posse) – Hocus Pocus by skitzylette666…

50 Cent looked pretty healthy last night at The Invasion Tour at Celebrity Theatre, where he performed alongside G-Unit member Tony Yayo. Even though he lost more than 50 pounds for an upcoming film role as a cancer patient in Things Fall Apart, Fiddy managed to bulk up a little…

Artist: Blitzen TrapperTitle: Destroyer of the VoidRelease date: June 8Label: Sub PopDon’t be surprised if Blitzen Trapper starts another Grateful Dead revival. We’re probably overdue for another one, anyway. It’s not that BT is a proper jam band, but they have that same dry, folky country rock that the Dead…

Tony Bennett’s signature tune may be “I left my heart in San Francisco,” but the legendary singer is a true New Yorker — born and raised in Astoria, Queens.But the Big Apple, Bennett announced at his concert last night, has got nothing on Phoenix.Surprisingly, Bennett wasn’t talking about the sunshine…

It seems the fight over who actually owns music is never-ending. This time, the fight isn’t about burning CDs, online torrents, or album leaks. It’s about re-selling physical copies of a record that you bought and paid for. Who knew that this was a problem?Well, the folks at Universal Music Group…

Song: Jimmy Eat World, “Sweetness (Double ‘n’ mix)”Context: There’s never a bad time to listen to the Best Local Band in Phoenix (according to The Arizona Republic). Jimmy eat world – Sweetness (Double ‘n’ mix) by new now…

Artist: The MelvinsTitle: The Bride Screamed MurderRelease date: June 1Label: IpecacTo me, The Melvins have always been one of those bands that more people say they like than actually listen to. Could be wrong, but that’s my perception. I certainly respect their longevity (they’ve been around damn near 30 years),…

Name: Kristian Herrera AKA: Kris the Fist Genres spun: Hip-hop, dancehall, and dubstep. Current club nights: I was a regular at the Hidden House for the last two years, but for the last few months I’ve been at Hanny’s on Fridays and Saturdays for the first couple hours they’re open…

The fine people at San Francisco non-profit Noisebridge — described as “an infrastructure provider for technical-creative projects, collaboratively run by its members” — are dedicating their Saturday evening to tackle some of the more stymying concepts described in the greatest song ever recorded, Insane Clown Posse’s “Miracles.” Their science fair…