Arts, Entertainment, and Media

Balam Acab's Alec Koone Lives With His Mom, Quietly Reviving R&B

10 Movie Womanizers, From the Sick to the Sublime

Towards Thee Infinite Beat @ The Rogue Bar

Pusha T @ Clubhouse Music Venue

Cold Shott and the Hurricane Horns @ The Compound Grill

Holiday Gifts for Your Hip-Hop Cousin

​Alright, slacker. There's no more denying it: the holidays are here, and you need to get on that shopping list. Luckily, Up on the Sun has caught gift guide-fever, and over the course of this week we'll be offering you suggestions for the entire family. Yo yo yiggity yo, son. Christmas is u ... More >>

Top 15 Local Releases of 2011: Jason P. Woodbury

Andrew Jackson Jihad​Welcome to another installment of Up on the Sun's 2011 Review. Over the next week, we'll be counting down our favorite songs, shows, national and local releases of 2011. Enjoy! Okay. I'm done. Spent. No more lists. The reissues list was hard. The show list was hard. The ... More >>

10 Favorite Shows of 2011: Melissa Fossum

Melissa FossumM83 wasn't #1, but I like this picture a lot.​ I went to a lot of shows this year. Thanks to last.fm, I can conform that I went to at least 56 concerts, not counting the numerous times I swung by Yucca Tap Room or Crescent Ballroom just for fun. That's one show every six and a h ... More >>

Decker: Love, God, and Sex in Sedona

decker.​The music of Brandon Decker, who records as decker. has proven to be a pleasant surprise. Primarily based in Sedona, an area known more for snoozy New Age, smooth jazz, and coffeehouse folk, Decker's third record, Broken Belts, Broken Bones doesn't sound unlike something you might hear ove ... More >>

Cover the Crescent @ Crescent Ballroom

decker.​The music of Brandon Decker, who records as decker. has proven to be a pleasant surprise. Primarily based in Sedona, an area known more for snoozy New Age, smooth jazz, and coffeehouse folk, Decker's third record, Broken Belts, Broken Bones doesn't sound unlike something you might hear ove ... More >>

Art House

decker.​The music of Brandon Decker, who records as decker. has proven to be a pleasant surprise. Primarily based in Sedona, an area known more for snoozy New Age, smooth jazz, and coffeehouse folk, Decker's third record, Broken Belts, Broken Bones doesn't sound unlike something you might hear ove ... More >>

Five Major Musicians That Left Us in 2011

Gil Scott-Heron​Each year, we regretfully feel obligated to make this list. Musicians that touch our hearts and change our lives come and go. Some of these musicians had long, fruitful careers, while others seemed like they were just getting started. Gil Scott-Heron Poet-musician Gil Scott-Her ... More >>

Guns N' Roses at Comerica Theatre, 12/27/12

Maria Vassett​ Guns N' Roses Comerica Theatre Tuesday, December 27 See also: Our complete Guns N' Roses and Sebastian Bach slideshow. Our interview with Guns N' Roses bassist Tommy Stinson. The line stretched around Comerica Theatre, and snaked all the way down Adams, placing us just acr ... More >>

Claire Lawton on How the Mural Scene Boomed but Some Galleries Went Bust

Maria Vassett​ Guns N' Roses Comerica Theatre Tuesday, December 27 See also: Our complete Guns N' Roses and Sebastian Bach slideshow. Our interview with Guns N' Roses bassist Tommy Stinson. The line stretched around Comerica Theatre, and snaked all the way down Adams, placing us just acr ... More >>

Most Outrageously Offensive Outfits of 2011

​Welcome to another installment of Up on the Sun's 2011 Review. We've been counting down our favorite songs, shows, national and local releases of 2011. This installment takes a look at 2011's most outrageously offensive musical outfits. Enjoy! We're not particularly renowned for our sense of ... More >>

Top Five Late Night Music Moments of 2011

Welcome to another installment of Up on the Sun's 2011 Review. We've been counting down our favorite songs, shows, national and local releases of 2011. This installment takes a look at 2011's most memorable moments in late night television. Enjoy!​ Television occasionally has some special moments ... More >>

Opera Superstar Dmitri Hvorostovsky to Take Orpheum Stage

Welcome to another installment of Up on the Sun's 2011 Review. We've been counting down our favorite songs, shows, national and local releases of 2011. This installment takes a look at 2011's most memorable moments in late night television. Enjoy!​ Television occasionally has some special moments ... More >>

Reptillian Agenda

Welcome to another installment of Up on the Sun's 2011 Review. We've been counting down our favorite songs, shows, national and local releases of 2011. This installment takes a look at 2011's most memorable moments in late night television. Enjoy!​ Television occasionally has some special moments ... More >>

X103.9 To Become MY 103.9 Classic Rock

Kassi Jayde @ Instagram​Looks like big changes are headed to the Valley's long-running X103.9 (those of us who have been around awhile still slip up and call it "The Edge" regularly). According to Kassi Jayde, the co-host of Dave Pratt Live, which has been served as the station's morning sho ... More >>

MY 103.9 Format Details Emerge

​After tweets yesterday from Dave Pratt Live co-host Kassi Jayde indicated yesterday that KEXX-FM (103.9) would be shifting to a "classic rock" format, a Facebook post by Gadger, a X103.9 jock, who hosts (or hosted) the station's "Local Frequency" program, states that the format shift will be ... More >>

Ash Avenue Comics Staff on Galapagos, Faces, and Drainbow

Clockwise from top left: Galapagos, Drew Sully and Adrienne Osuch of Ash Ave Comics, Faces, Drainbow​Welcome to the latest installment of our weekly feature, Sound Off, in which Jason P. Woodbury is joined by a different guest each week to listen to and discuss three tracks from local Phoenix ... More >>

Cass McCombs Lets His Songs Do the Talking

Clockwise from top left: Galapagos, Drew Sully and Adrienne Osuch of Ash Ave Comics, Faces, Drainbow​Welcome to the latest installment of our weekly feature, Sound Off, in which Jason P. Woodbury is joined by a different guest each week to listen to and discuss three tracks from local Phoenix ... More >>

Rick Ross Is Rap's Opulent King

Clockwise from top left: Galapagos, Drew Sully and Adrienne Osuch of Ash Ave Comics, Faces, Drainbow​Welcome to the latest installment of our weekly feature, Sound Off, in which Jason P. Woodbury is joined by a different guest each week to listen to and discuss three tracks from local Phoenix ... More >>

Mighty Sphincter @ Rips

Clockwise from top left: Galapagos, Drew Sully and Adrienne Osuch of Ash Ave Comics, Faces, Drainbow​Welcome to the latest installment of our weekly feature, Sound Off, in which Jason P. Woodbury is joined by a different guest each week to listen to and discuss three tracks from local Phoenix ... More >>

Handsome Furs @ Crescent Ballroom

Clockwise from top left: Galapagos, Drew Sully and Adrienne Osuch of Ash Ave Comics, Faces, Drainbow​Welcome to the latest installment of our weekly feature, Sound Off, in which Jason P. Woodbury is joined by a different guest each week to listen to and discuss three tracks from local Phoenix ... More >>

My103.9 Now On the Air

​When the news broke that X103.9 would be

Mighty Sphincter On Alice Cooper, Phoenix's Punk Past, and The Future

​2012 is looking to be a comeback year for infamous Phoenix-born "deathrock" combo The Mighty Sphincter. The mythic band -- part of the same Placebo Records scene that birthed JFA, International Language, and many, many more -- has always been lead by songwriter Doug Clark, and he says that ... More >>

SkaPunk Radio: Former X103.9 Program Now Online

​Last week, Valley alternative station X103.9 became My103.9, shifting its focus from alternative and punk to a "Gen X" format, with a playlist heavy on '80s hits and an open call for listeners to request songs. Dave Pratt Live, the divisive morning show that launched in August of 2011 was t ... More >>

Jerusafunk Wants to Get You Wet This Friday at The Lost Leaf (Video)

​Did you know that you can find "sexified Jewish folk funk" right here in Arizona? It's true. And you'll be able to experience the groovy rhythms of this funky take on traditional Klezmer music when Flagstaff's Jerusafunk stop by the Lost Leaf on Friday, January 20. We caught up with clari ... More >>

Anthrax Revels in What Was a Huge Year for the Thrash Titans

​Did you know that you can find "sexified Jewish folk funk" right here in Arizona? It's true. And you'll be able to experience the groovy rhythms of this funky take on traditional Klezmer music when Flagstaff's Jerusafunk stop by the Lost Leaf on Friday, January 20. We caught up with clari ... More >>

The Adolescents and Youth Brigade Represent Punk Well Into Middle Age

​Did you know that you can find "sexified Jewish folk funk" right here in Arizona? It's true. And you'll be able to experience the groovy rhythms of this funky take on traditional Klezmer music when Flagstaff's Jerusafunk stop by the Lost Leaf on Friday, January 20. We caught up with clari ... More >>

The Toasters @ Martini Ranch

​Did you know that you can find "sexified Jewish folk funk" right here in Arizona? It's true. And you'll be able to experience the groovy rhythms of this funky take on traditional Klezmer music when Flagstaff's Jerusafunk stop by the Lost Leaf on Friday, January 20. We caught up with clari ... More >>

Youth Brigade's Shawn Stern on The Adolescents, Punk, and BYO Records

Youth Brigade​How is it that a band that hasn't released a full-length album since 1996 continues to tour? "If we didn't get new fans coming out, we'd probably would have quit awhile back because it would get really boring playing for just people our age because they're not always as fun," s ... More >>

"The Boneyard Project" Lands in Tucson's Pima Air & Space Museum

Youth Brigade​How is it that a band that hasn't released a full-length album since 1996 continues to tour? "If we didn't get new fans coming out, we'd probably would have quit awhile back because it would get really boring playing for just people our age because they're not always as fun," s ... More >>

Incoming (Again): Odd Future, Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, Brian Jonestown Massacre

Brian Jonestown Massacre ​Hey, I know we already did an Incoming Concerts post this week, but I'm getting drowned in show announcements here at UOTS HQ. So let's dive in: The rap collective Odd Future head back to Marquee Theatre on Friday, March 9. Will the crew sell the joint out again? Wi ... More >>

Aria Fifty-One

Brian Jonestown Massacre ​Hey, I know we already did an Incoming Concerts post this week, but I'm getting drowned in show announcements here at UOTS HQ. So let's dive in: The rap collective Odd Future head back to Marquee Theatre on Friday, March 9. Will the crew sell the joint out again? Wi ... More >>

Zola Jesus: "I Have This Fantasy . . . of Being a Pop Star."

​When she was young, Nika Danilova trained to sing opera but often lost her voice due to performance anxiety. When Danilova began performing as Zola Jesus in Madison, Wisconsin, her harrowing voice slowly grew confident among thickets of tape hiss and ambient synths. On her latest full-length, ... More >>

First Five Bands Announced for Punk Rock Bowling 2012

​The term "punk festival" conjures up images of bratty tweens with asymmetrical haircuts crowd surfing at Warped Tour. Remember when Warped Tour actually had punk bands and was, you know, good? It may seem like a bygone era, but the annual

No Kings Propels Doomtree to New Level

​The term "punk festival" conjures up images of bratty tweens with asymmetrical haircuts crowd surfing at Warped Tour. Remember when Warped Tour actually had punk bands and was, you know, good? It may seem like a bygone era, but the annual

Elevation Worship

​The term "punk festival" conjures up images of bratty tweens with asymmetrical haircuts crowd surfing at Warped Tour. Remember when Warped Tour actually had punk bands and was, you know, good? It may seem like a bygone era, but the annual

Weekend: Where's the Band, The Expendables, The Shop, Sluggo, and The Noodles

Chris Conley of Saves the Day​It's official, folks: Emo is cool again. Don't believe me? Listen to "Fall In," the third track on the highly buzzed about Attack On Memory from Cloud Nothings. The song is straight out of the late '90s/early 'aughts emo playbook: Strained vocals, frantic drums, a ... More >>

George Strait: The "King of Country" Takes the Stage Once Again

​"All My Ex's Live in Texas." That's true for me. What about you? The one and only "King of Country", George Strait, will be in Phoenix performing live tomorrow night, Friday, February 3. Now maybe it's just the fact that I am originally from Texas that makes me excited to him live again. ... More >>

Prediction: Will Kelly Clarkson Nail the Super Bowl XVLI National Anthem?

​So, I may not be the flag-waving American I should be, but hot damn, there's just something about hearing the national anthem that gives me chills. Most of the attention in the build up for this weekend's showdown has been placed on dueling quarterbacks Tom Brady and Eli Manning, million do ... More >>

Blog Collectives Ad Hoc, Portals Embrace Communal Fandom Over Influence

​It's obvious music blogs have a unique place in the great big music discussion. Entire careers have been bolstered by one lone blogger posting a hot new MP3 that quickly catches fire and burns up RSS feeds. However, some of the biggest taste-makers on the Internet have combined forces and the ... More >>

Color Story

​It's obvious music blogs have a unique place in the great big music discussion. Entire careers have been bolstered by one lone blogger posting a hot new MP3 that quickly catches fire and burns up RSS feeds. However, some of the biggest taste-makers on the Internet have combined forces and the ... More >>

Rapper One Be Lo Has a Way With Letters

​It's obvious music blogs have a unique place in the great big music discussion. Entire careers have been bolstered by one lone blogger posting a hot new MP3 that quickly catches fire and burns up RSS feeds. However, some of the biggest taste-makers on the Internet have combined forces and the ... More >>

Hip-Hop Hybridist Moe'Z Art Isn't Short on Ambition.

​It's obvious music blogs have a unique place in the great big music discussion. Entire careers have been bolstered by one lone blogger posting a hot new MP3 that quickly catches fire and burns up RSS feeds. However, some of the biggest taste-makers on the Internet have combined forces and the ... More >>

Children of Bodom @ Marquee Theatre

​It's obvious music blogs have a unique place in the great big music discussion. Entire careers have been bolstered by one lone blogger posting a hot new MP3 that quickly catches fire and burns up RSS feeds. However, some of the biggest taste-makers on the Internet have combined forces and the ... More >>

Metallica Curates Orion Music and More Festival: Who Picked Which Bands?

​Metal legends Metallica recently announced the two-day Orion Music and More Festival, where the band will headline each night by playing a different classic album, Ride the Lightning and The Black Album, in their entirety. There's a super-long video on the festival site featuring an interview ... More >>