Animal Collective

Sea Wolf: "Even Good Reviews Can Bum Me Out"

Indie rock band Sea Wolf is getting ready to wrap up a lengthy tour in support of their new release, Old World Romance. The third full-length offering from the group founded and orchestrated by California native Alex Brown Church veers a bit from their previous endeavors. The folk elements that prev ... More >>

Rodriguez Show Moves From the Orpheum Theatre to Mesa Amphitheatre

Atención, long-lost singer/songwriter types: If you're looking to make a big comeback, having a mythical backstory, two stone-cold classic LPs in the can, and a blockbuster documentary goes a long way. Such is the case with Sixto Rodriguez, whose rise from dusty-fingered crate digger obscurity to ... More >>

Top Five Must-See Shows This Week in Phoenix

For every up there's a down. It's like reading the awesome news that Elton John plays on the new Queens of the Stone Age record the same day you read Christina Applegate is leaving NBC's Up All Night.. Bummer! So here's the bad news: It's Monday, which is the worst. But some good, too: There's some ... More >>

Saint Maybe: Psychedelic Patti Smith and Bob Dylan Compatriots Hit the Highway

When writing about Things As They Are, the debut LP by Tucson psychedelic outfit Saint Maybe, for my 10 Best Things I Heard in 2012 column, I noted the album's sprawling, wide-open desert quality: "[It] sounds like the space between Phoenix and the Old Pueblo. It feels like a late night drive, the r ... More >>

Why Would Any Band Play Spokane?

Are you a musician? Is your group having issues? Critic Jessica Hopper has played in and managed bands, toured internationally, booked shows, produced records, worked as a publicist, and is the author of The Girls' Guide to Rocking, a how-to for teen ladies. She is here to help you stop doing it wro ... More >>

Height With Friends: Not Freakishly Tall, Not Quite Hip-Hop

Baltimore MC Height (known by his mother as Dan Keech) got his start rapping with Wounds and Dogg and Pony and Keech's first solo show was opening for Animal Collective in mid-2000. Eight years later, Keech started collaborating with other Maryland musicians, starting Height With Friends. As part ... More >>

Packrat, Boyfrndz, and Feuding Fathers Help Make Math Rock Look Easy

See also: Packrat Explains "Vultures of Knowledge"I'm used to hearing bands getting excited for an upcoming gig, but when a band is also excited for the other groups on their bill, it tends to be a special night of music. Local rockers Packrat have one such date coming up next week when Austin's Boy ... More >>

Yeasayer at Crescent Ballroom, 9/3/12

See also: Rise Against Ends Boycott of Arizona; Sound Strike Changes Focus See also: Five Sound Strike Bands We'd Like to See Perform in ArizonaYeasayer @ Crescent Ballroom, 9/3/12 Last night had all the ingredients for a great performance: a band fresh off the Soundstrike, a sold-out show, a cool ... More >>

Top Five Must-See Shows This Week

Yeah, yeah, yeah...we get it Mondays suck (we've read Garfield). But it means the start of a new week, which means a bunch of killer shows in and around Phoenix. And here are a few of the coolest, our top five must-see shows this week.

Beach Boys, Grand Canyon University Arena, 7/7/12

Beach Boys Grand Canyon University Arena Saturday, July 7, 2012 See also: The Beach Boys' Al Jardine On The Band's Wild and Woolly Days, 50th Anniversary and New Album See also: Beach Boys Brian Wilson and Al Jardine Reflect on 50 Years of West Coast Pop See also: Our full Beach Boys (and Fans) @ G ... More >>

10 Phoenix Bands You Need to Hear This Summer

JEFF the Brotherhood, North Dakota, and Wooden Indian at Rhythm Room, 5/17/12

JEFF the Brotherhood, North Dakota, Wooden Indian Rhythm Room Thursday, May 17 The three bands on stage at Rhythm Room didn't sound very much alike -- and that's a good thing. It was a treat to see three distinct bands perfectly execute their respective sounds at last night's JEFF the Brotherhood g ... More >>

Miniature Tigers Paint a Sensual Scene with Mia Pharaoh

Top 10 Albums of 2011: Chase Kamp

Peaking Lights​Welcome to another installment of Up on the Sun's 2011 Review. Over the next couple days we'll be counting down our favorite songs, shows, national and local releases of 2011. This entry comes from Chase Kamp, a Phoenix musician and writer. Kamp began writing for Up on the Sun w ... More >>

Reptar on Oblangle Fizz, Y'All

​Reptar makes it look easy. Y'know, the whole "band" thing. The whole build a fanbase, tour, release albums... all that. But the way that the fast-rising dance-pop band's career has evolved seems so by the book that it seems a little off. After all, didn't the digital revolution mean that ever ... More >>

Wooden Indian @ Chopper John's

Tune and and Trip Out: Prince Rama to Open for Gang Gang Dance

Kids today, y'know? Thinking that all they need to figure out transcendental psychedelia is a tube of face paint, some Jodorowsky DVDs and a handful of funky -looking mushrooms. Pshaw! They should take a cue from their peers in Prince Rama, a Brooklyn-based act specializing in profoundly psychedel ... More >>

Your Favorite New Band: Hooray For Earth

Hooray For Earth​New albums reach my desktop pretty much every day -- it's a neat little privilege of being a music writer. Some are from bands I know, some from bands I've never heard of. More so, some are bands with silly names that cry "Oh, please PLEASE don't listen to this record." New York i ... More >>

Overheard at Coachella

www.drinkingdiaries.com​Sometimes one of the best parts of a concert experience can be what you hear someone else say before, during, or after the show.Obviously there's plenty of crazy shit that goes on at Coachella, which makes for a lot of great selective listening. Some people dress up to get ... More >>

South by Southwest Was Embarrassing for Arizona -- But Who Cares?

Get Primed for Day 2 of South by Stateside

Pavle Milic, What Are You Listening To?

Pavle Milic​Pavle Milic You can find the co-owner of restaurant FnB at the Old Town Farmers' Market in Scottsdale every Saturday from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. When you put your key in the ignition and turn on the radio, what station would play right now? If my wife drove, it's highly likely that NPR will ... More >>

The Strokes, Angles: Worth the Wait

'Angles' by The Strokes. Could this be the big comeback we've all been waiting for?​After listening to the Strokes' new single, "Under Cover of Darkness" when it dropped, I didn't set my hopes very high for the rest of the album.The single, which dropped a few days ago, was just ta little better t ... More >>

Arcade Fire Wins 'Album of the Year' - But Is That A Good Thing?

Arcade Fire​ It's been less than twenty-four hours since Arcade Fire's amazingly good album The Suburbs won 'Album of the Year' at this year's Grammy Awards. Frankly, I'm still a little shocked that the Grammys got it right for once. When I first heard that the band was nominated I thought for s ... More >>

Tuesday Album Stream: Akron/Family - S/T II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT

Akron/Family - S/T II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT​It all started with the most bizarre/flat-out-awesome press release I had ever received -- and now it's a mere week until the release of S/T II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT, the fifth studio album from experimental/fo ... More >>

Duran Duran, The Strokes Tapped For Coachella; Official Lineup Coming Soon UPDATE

​Coachella's official lineup should be announced very, very soon -- lest anyone forget that this week is usually when the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival makes it big announcement.In lieu of the entire festival lineup, a few acts have already been confirmed for the festival's 2011 editi ... More >>

Pitchfork's Top 10 Albums of 2010 Explained

Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig​The wonderful people over at Pitchfork just released their 10 best albums of 2010 today. In what should have came as no surprise, Kanye West took the top spot. His latest album had been given a notorious perfect 10 a month ago and, if Rolling Stone and Spin have anyth ... More >>

Grinderman Accused of Plagiarism for 'Palaces of Montezuma'

​Nick Cave of Grinderman has been called out by a random 29-year-old shmoe who claims Cave ripped off his song to make "Palaces of Montezuma."Cave addressed the issue at a show in London on Friday, stating that someone is trying to sue him for supposedly basing the Grinderman song on his own. The ... More >>

Indie Music Fans Beg for Some Play on Phoenix NPR Station KJZZ 91.5, Get Smackdown from Music Director

KJZZThis is the woman who doesn't want you to hear Animal Collective on the radio.​There's an interesting facebook battle shaping up over the future of Phoenix's NPR affiliate, KJZZ 91.5.The instigator is a guy named Greg Ensell who likes to listen to . . . well, umm, pretty much what I listen to: ... More >>

The Whigs: In The Dark in a Roundup of Record Reviews

The Whigs -- In The Dark On their third album, In The Dark, Athens garage rock trio The Whigs have taken up a controversial influence: former tourmates Kings of Leon. While admitting Kings of Leon are an influence is a gigantic red flag to indie snobs these days, it's undeniably true about this reco ... More >>

Sex Pistols' John Lydon to Record Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon?

The former Johnny Rotten.​It seems these days lots of folks want a chance to record or perform Pink Floyd's classic Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety. The Flaming Lips have been known to take on the project on occasion. Now, John Lydon (formerly known as Johnny Rotten) is talking about an unsp ... More >>

Phoenix, France

Susan Sarandon Of Montreal Pig Spankings = Real Life

Yeah. The on-stage antics created by Of Montreal were pushed just a little bit further. Right over the edge of the cliff. They had Susan Sarandon come one stage and spank a man in a pig suit with a ruler. Even for those who aren't easily shocking, this is pretty disturbing. Warning: You may have a ... More >>

Vitamin String Quartet and Other New Releases

​There sure are a lot of greatest-hits albums out today, including ones from Backstreet Boys and Mariah Carey, but what is most exciting in this week's new releases is Vitamin String Quartet's Death Cab for Cutie tribute album, Ghost.On the record, listeners will find a selection of ... More >>

Beach House Announces Rhythm Room Show

Indie/dream pop duo Beach House will bolster an already strong April lineup at the Rhythm Room​Released in late 2009, "Norway," the latest single by Baltimore indie-pop duo Beach House landed on most everyone's radar. The song was a dreamy, perfect slice of indie rock/pop heaven, and it gave Beach ... More >>

The End of Idolator

​Is there anything more ridiculous than finding yourself upset by a change in management on a music blog? No one seems to managed to stay employed in one place anywhere for long, so Maura Johnston's three year run at Idolator (starting with the site's founding) was bound to come to an end eventual ... More >>

Concert Review: Atlas Sound and Broadcast at Rhythm Room

Shawn Anderson via Electric Mustache​It was a rollercoaster of emotions at the Rhythm Room last night for the Atlas Sound/ Broadcast show, which was fitting considering the State Fair is on its way out this weekend. While this show, priced at $15, was probably cheaper than the sketc ... More >>

Concert Review: Meat Puppets and Dead Confederate at Marquee Theatre

​At first blush, The Meat Puppets and Dead Confederate, who joined forces for a show at a half-full Marquee Theatre last night, don't seem to have much in common. Originating two decades and 2,000 miles apart the two twangy alt-rock bands acts do have some small musical similarities, but even m ... More >>

Micachu - Innovative Pop Genius, Bona Fide Album of the Year

Jewellery is, in my opnion, the best album of 2009Armed with subtle yet snarky British vocals and a staggering amount of originality, Britain's Mica Levi has assembled an album that stands as one of 2009's best so far. I know I have already deemed Reintegration Time by Edmonton's Shout Out Out Out O ... More >>

Amazon Trots out Their "100 Greatest Indie Rock Albums of All Time"

Amazon takes their shot at indie rock's 100 greatest albumsThe fine folks over at amazon.com decided that the time was ripe to assemble a list of the best indie rock albums of all time. Indie rock is a genre either really easy to define or kind of confusing to define, but that sentiment did not hol ... More >>

Shout Out Out Out Out: Dumb Name, Album of the Year

Album art compliments of the 1973 French sci-fi film Fantastic PlanetIt's just barely March and I already have a solid pick for my favorite album of the year. Animal Collective gave us Merriweather Post Pavilion and I fawned over it. It's a solid offering, scaling back the Baltimore act's weirdness ... More >>

Yeah Yeah Yeah's Create Big Buzz for New Album

Am I the only one that absolutely loves Karen O.'s new look?For an album that doesn't come out out until April 14th, the Yeah Yeah Yeah's have been creating a healthy amount of buzz for their next offering It's Blitz. Last week saw the first two tracks off the album find their way onto the internet, ... More >>

Andrew Bird, Franz Ferdinand, Bon Iver, and Courtney Marie Andrews are Just Some of What's Selling at Stinkweeds Record Exchange

The phenomenally talented Andrew Bird. It sucks pretty hard that Tucson gets all the cool shows these days. Like Andrew Bird, who's making a stop in the Old Pueblo this Saturday to gig at the Rialto, but won't make a stop in Phoenix. This truly blows, since we've been digging on the talented singe ... More >>

New Release Tuesday: The Von Bondies

My guilty pleasure of 2009 so far goes to Detroit rockers The Von Bondies Yes, it's Tuesday again, so you know what that means: more new music. This week, I have chosen to focus my energy on The Von Bondies' new album, Love, Hate And Then There's You. Now I know what you're saying: "Their las ... More >>

Feb. 3 In Blogs: Baby Man, Wine Spectator, Stapley, Animal Collective and More

We understand that in the 24-hour news cycle it can be difficult to keep up. Worry not! We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times' blogs. Today's entries: Valley Fever: Stapley Case Bombshell: Indicted Supervisor Disclosed Wolfswinkel Part ... More >>

Yes, Tribune, We're Covering American Idol

It's nice to know our coverage of American Idol is getting some attention, even if The East Valley Tribune's food and fun columnist Jess Harter thinks it's a little, uh, Tiger Beat.As Jess notes, we had four Idol posts last night. Jess writes: Yes, a portion of Tuesday's casting call show involved ... More >>

Roll Over, Paul Oakenfold, And Tell DJ Tiesto the News

Top 10 DJ Mixes of 2006

Top 10 sellers at Stinkweeds, 1250 East Apache Boulevard in Tempe

Chart-busters for the week

Top 10 selling CDs at Stinkweeds, 1250 East Apache Boulevard in Tempe

Chart-busters for the week