It could be the dance moves, or the tight pants, or the man-of-the-people lyrics. It could be that video with Courtney Cox in it. Whatever it is, people — ordinary, otherwise law-abiding people — cannot resist rushing the stage at Bruce Springsteen concerts. It’s a phenomenon that’s led journalist and…
I was watching the 2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony the other day. I usually don’t watch a lot of made-for-TV rock and roll stuff, mainly because they try to be everything to everybody, but I couldn’t resist tuning in to watch the RRHOF rectify the biggest…
It’s only partially Matisyahu’s fault that all his interests conspired to make him the perfect poster to hang next to Bob Marley in your freshman dorm room. That is, lots of teenagers and young adults find meaning and truth in following Phish around and reconnecting with the family traditions and…
It’s been 10 years now since Jewel released 0304 and loosed the sell-out police on herself, trading in hyper-earnest folk for a dance-pop single in which she declared herself “a simple girl / in a high-tech digital world.” It was all knowing and wink-wink — at least theoretically — but…
Promises, the latest album from indie rockers The Boxer Rebellion, proves that you can give your fans what they want and still surprise them over the course of an album. How does the London-based band do it? It’s quite simple, really: It starts with the hook-filled, radio-ready synth rock single…
Didn’t think apocalyptic chic could translate into an existential-blend blink-182? Think again. The Thermals swirl your Interpol with Ted Leo before throwing in a dash of humor to balance out the depressing despair of existence in the shadow of nuclear bombs, drone strikes, and rising sea levels. But if your…
[needle exchange] Dubstep might have exceeded its expiration date, if the statements by a few prominent EDM bigwigs are to be believed. Last month, influential dubstep early-adopter Skream mentioned in a UK tabloid that the once-groundbreaking genre has become meaningless and that “the movement is over,” essentially echoing like-minded statements…
The Refreshments are back. The fizzy, fuzzy, big, and buzzy ’90s band behind the hit “Banditos” is scheduled to reunite for one show only — but not in their home state or even their home country. The good news is that the gig is only as far away as Puerto…
Fall Out Boy is to blame for a lot of what was bad about the middle of the last decade: The broad acceptance of 19-word song titles; males wearing the jeans that inspired Kanye West to rap, “They just buy tight jeans ’til they nuts hang all out, boy”; even…
Thursday 6 Afterlife: Touch Thursdays with DJ Tsunami, DJ Michael Ryan, & DJ Matt Fox (Top 40, EDM) AZ/88: Black Out Thursdays with Josh 1 (soulful house, lounge) Barney’s Boathouse: Thirsty Thursdays with DJ Pulse (Top 40, rock) Bikini Lounge: DJ Shane Kennedy (juke joint, R&B, French pop) Bobby Q’s:…
Mesa-based songwriter Jeff Gonzales knows how to write a love song. Midway through his debut solo EP, the six-song The Lights Just Went Out. . ., he drops an openhearted doozy, the lilting country shuffle “Midday Epilogue.” “Well, I gave up my family for you,” he croons, a light drawl…
By Eric Ruchensky CeremonyRhythm RoomJune 4, 2013 For indie-rock-loving dudes who required something harder-edged than the Generationals show at the Crescent on Tuesday night, Stateside brought four — two local, two touring — hardcore heavyweight bands to Phoenix’s premier juke joint, The Rhythm Room. Veteran locals Move Forward kicked off…
Hello. You are reading a music-themed weblog. Sometimes this music-themed weblog (known as “Up on the Sun”) features words that describe music events the night before. Show reviews are a kind of “cool” history, but to some people, they’re boring, pretentious outlets for the Millennial Generation’s worst epidemic: Fear of…
Within 24 hours the new Miley Cyrus single, “We Can’t Stop,” hit over two million plays, and I predict 100 million within a week. At first listen it feels like the intro for a new song by 2 Chainz, especially considering the stamp producer Mike Will Made It leaves on…
[We’re not sure a seemingly uncontroversial band has ever generated as much controversy as Mumford and Sons have in their brief stint as folky chart-toppers. To celebrate their show tonight at Desert Sky Pavilion, we looked for voices from both sides of the (surprisingly heated) Mumford & Sons debate to…
[We’re not sure a seemingly uncontroversial band has ever generated as much controversy as Mumford and Sons have in their brief stint as folky chart-toppers. To celebrate their show tonight at Desert Sky Pavilion, I asked representatives from both sides of the (surprisingly heated) Mumford & Sons debate to argue…
Hardcore/post-punk act Ceremony returns to Rhythm Room tonight, and it is not a show to miss. I saw the band perform for the first time about six months ago, opening for Titus Andronicus. The vibe of the night was a little weird — it was Election Night — but it…
A federal judge ruled last month that Sheriff Joe Arpaio was using racial profiling against Hispanics in Maricopa County. Many Phoenicians didn’t need a judge to tell them that, but now it’s at least been acknowledged by someone who has the power to demand change. On the heels of the…
When we last spoke to John O’Callaghan of The Maine, a year and a half ago, things were a little nebulous. Pioneer had just been rejected by the major label that had signed them to a seven-album contract one album ago, and it wasn’t clear what The Maine’s followup would…
The Refreshments are back. The fizzy, fuzzy, big, and buzzy ’90s band behind the hit “Banditos” is scheduled to reunite for one show only — but not in their home state or even their home country. The good news is that the gig is only as far as Puerto Peñasco,…
by Reyan Ali If you ever need a record cover to justify that cliché about a picture being worth a thousand words, Michael Kiwanuka’s Home Again does the trick. His 2012 debut full-length sports a stark closeup of its creator’s face draped in half-shadow and wearing a pensive expression. You…
We talked to John O’Callaghan of The Maine Monday afternoon about their upcoming tour, the way moving to analog recording changed their sound on Forever Halloween, and what their goals are after a brief stint with Warner Bros. But before they kick their tour off with a free performance at…
