Pinback is the introspective, gloomy brainchild of Rob Crow and Zach Smith, who have roots in a plethora of bands. Their side projects are varied (see doom metal act Goblin Cock), but Pinback, formed in 1998, is the longest-running. That’s not surprising — defined by plucking bass riffs and brooding…
Lil Wayne emerged from Rikers Island late last year. Now, owing to the terms of his probation, he must lay off drugs and liquor for three years or else return to prison. By all accounts, he’s kept kosher. For the man who once composed a love song to his purple…
There is life after American Idol — even if you finish in 12th place amid whispers that you’ve spent time bumping and grinding at a gay strip club. Or so it appears for David Hernandez, the Valley native living in Los Angeles who was a seventh-season contestant. Hernandez has returned…
Holding a DJ/dance event at a strip club can be a dicey proposition for a turntable jock. No matter how pimp your talents as a selecta are, patrons are usually in the place for one reason (and it ain’t to hear you mixing it up on the ones and twos)…
THURSDAY 14 Afterlife: Thumpin Thurzdays (various) AZ/88: Josh One (rare groove, urban funk) Bar Smith: Splash Thursday (reggae, dancehall, Top 40, house) Blue Martini: Rewind Thursday with DJ Mendez (various) Bobby Q’s: All-Star Thursdays (hip-hop, Top 40) Chilly Bombers: DJ Medik (Top 40, rock, old school) Cream Stereo Lounge: Bongo…
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 Rebecca Black fan lash out at a New Times blogger? What’s the real…
Song:Local Natives, “Shape Shifter”Context: Local Natives who are actually natives of Los Angeles, will open for Arcade Fire tonight. Here’s one of the better tracks from their Gorilla Manor record, which you can stream in its entirety here. Shape Shifter by Local Natives by infectiousmusicuk…
Music photography can often be a static thing. You’ve no doubt seen the promo shots: bands scowling, arms crossed in front of a brick wall, that one guy staring away from the camera in a real meaningful way. But occasionally something happens in the middle between the visual and the…
But Cage the Elephant isn’t content to rest on its laurels. The band released a new album in January called Thank You Happy Birthday and will be doing some extensive touring to promote it. You can catch the band opening for the Black Keys on Thursday, April 14, at Mesa…
The bars and nightclubs of Scottsdale can be quite dead on Sunday evenings, as clubgoers usually expended most of their partying energy (not to mention their cash) the night before. Not so at The Lodge, where Sundays always seem to be alive and kicking.While we saw neither hide nor hair…
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Song: Arcade Fire, “Sprawl II” (Mountains Beyond Mountains – Tommie Sunshine’s Quaalude Mix)Context: Arcade Fire. Comerica Theatre. Tomorrow. Arcade Fire – Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) [Tommie Sunshine’s Quaalude Edit] by tommiesunshine…
The Sound Strike has hit a rough patch.Yesterday, a federal appeals court again blocked SB 1070, which you can read all about on our Feathered Bastard blog, meaning the extremist Arizona immigration law will likely never take effect. That’s great news for people who support the state’s migrant community, but…
Were you at the big Soundwave Music Festival at Big Surf this weekend?If so, check out our photos here. While you’re browsing through those photos maybe play a little Where’s Waldo with the face of Up On The Sun cartoonist Robbie Pfeffer.Pfeffer hadn’t been to a rave in several years,…
Lady Gaga fell off of her piano at her Houston show on April 8 but continued to sing throughout the fall as though it didn’t even happen, according to Billboard.Gaga straddled her burning piano mid-song during the Born This Way track “You and I,” lost her balance, hit her knees…
The last time we caught up with the Meat Puppets it was mostly to talk about the ‘Arizona scene’ after a rough week at Austin’s South by Southwest music conference.Regrettably, I didn’t even mention the band’s new record Lollipop in that piece. But, yes, the Puppets put out a brand…
Brush up on Pusha T’s 20 best coke lines of all time
Leading the way, then, for today’s new releases is Nine Types of Light, the fourth album from Brooklyn indie rockers TV on the Radio. The band has been cursed with the Midas Touch since their debut album as seemingly everything they produce instantly turns to gold. 2006’s Return To Cookie…
RAC (Remix Artist Collective) are playing Bar Smith on May 6. Not familiar with RAC? Well you’re certainly familiar with the artists they’ve remixed — U2, Radiohead, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, John Lennon, The Shins, and Pink Floyd, among a ton of others.The Collective is pretty populist, tackling indie acts like…
Song: Cage The Elephant, “Aberdeen”Context: I really like this song from the new Cage The Elephant record. Looking forward to seeing the guys open for The Black Keys in Mesa this week. Aberdeen – Cage the Elephant by mssngpeces…
The Shizz has announced the lineup for this year’s Shizzfest. The two-day festival is spread over three venues and features sets by the usual suspects (Minibosses, Father’s Day, Peachcake, etc.) from the Phoenix website as well as a few touring acts, a Nintendo Tetris tournament and an art show. Full set…
AzRockabilly, a local web site that promotes Rockabilly shows and general culture will be celebrating its anniversary with a show featuring The Meteors, the British band credited with starting the psychobilly movement in the ’80s.California’s Cold Blue Rebels and Calabrese, open along with S.O.L. The show is scheduled May 6 at…
