Devendra Banhart

Should You Buy FYF Fest Tickets This Year?

My Bloody Valentine is headlining, of course you should buy FYF Fest tickets; this is a no brainer. Okay, the decision isn't necessarily that simple. Backing up: FYF Fest is a two-day festival that takes place in downtown Los Angeles, featuring a variety of indie, electronic, punk, and comedy acts. ... More >>

Du Hot Club de Bizarre - Crescent Ballroom - 5/8/2013

Du Hot Club de BizarreCrescent BallroomMay 8, 2013 Turquoise Jeep looks and sounds like a novelty act at first, but that doesn't quite explain their appeal. What they're really doing with their bizarre slow jams and paeans to stretchy pants and choreographed dance moves is hitting the basic tropes ... More >>

Du Hot Club de Bizarre Brings Sci-Fi, Stretchy Pants, and More to Crescent Ballroom

Crescent Ballroom wasted no time becoming a downtown Phoenix staple putting on shows almost every day of the year, and serving delicious food and drinks in the lounge. The venue expanded its horizons last year with Los Dias de la Crescent, where local bands performed both inside and outside for two ... More >>

Swans' Michael Gira Returns With The Seer

See also: Swans Reboot Sinister Grandeur with The SeerSwans frontman Michael Gira is an underappreciated impresario. He led one of the most pioneering acts of the early '80s until their initial dissolution in 1997. Their early grim, repetitive throb had the same menacing quality as the factory in Da ... More >>

Swans Reboot Sinister Grandeur

Light in the Attic Records and Rhino Handmade Team Up

Even with rumors rumbling that the Big Four (soon to be three?) will cease producing CDs at the end of 2012, Seattle-based label Light in the Attic has teamed with Rhino Handmade to help distribute ultra-deluxe compact discs. Turns out, certain people (collectors) still want some physical, musical p ... More >>

Ten Musicians To Help Inspire You This Octobeard

October is a great time of year for a few different reasons. You've got the Arizona State Fair, Oktoberfest, the weather starts to get nice outside, and most importantly, it's now Octobeard. For those not familiar with Octobeard it's defined by urbandictionary.com as: A celebration of facial hair ... More >>

The Tremulants Crank Up the "Volume Rock"

Grading The Strokes Side-Projects: Which Bandmate Did the Best During Their Long Hiatus?

The Strokes​ It's been five years since The Strokes released their last album, First Impressions Of Earth. For a while it looked as if we may not be getting another record. Reports of tensions and creative differences within the group led many to believe that First Impressions might be the band ... More >>

Lollapalooza Chile Announces Solid Lineup

​The lineup for the first annual Lollapalooza in Chile has been announced, according to Consequence of Sound.The Killers, Jane's Addiction, and Kanye West are among some of the top names on the artist roster. Other big names include The Flaming Lips, Ben Harper, The National, Cold War Kids, Devand ... More >>

10 Steps to Becoming the Next Indie Buzz Band

Arcade Fire​So, it's Saturday night and you are playing another show in front of an empty dive bar. You can't figure out why your Linkin Park tribute band hasn't become more successful. You've spent hours working on your bands MySpace page, you've worked hard to get your original stuff played o ... More >>

Swans: My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky

Fourteen years can seem like a long time.Believe it or not, it's been that long since New York avant garde/no wave pioneers Swans released their last studio album, Soundtracks for the Blind. The band called it quits roughly a year later in 1997 with figurehead Michael Gira letting his countless othe ... More >>

Top 10 Celebrity Cameos in Indie Rock Videos

These days, the lines between indie and mainstream music are difficult to pinpoint. With indie artists featured prominently in mainstream media (I'm looking at you, Twilight soundtrack), it's hard to see what makes indie music, well, indie. When you add celebrities to the mix, it becomes even more d ... More >>

10 Musicians in Guyliner to Love--or Mock

In honor of impending arrivals in the Valley by Adam Lambert and Green Day, here is a list of 10 modern-day musicians who don't think it's girlie to rock a little black eye pencil. Emo girls, eat your hearts out. And the rest of you, feel free to point and laugh.His expression is energetic, but he l ... More >>

Could Adam Ant Be Collaborating with a Gallagher Brother?

Adam Ant.​According to NME, Adam Ant has publicly stated that he's made his first album in 15 years, and that you'll be able to hear an ex-Oasis member on it.If you're anything like me, and you were totally and completely devastated when you found out that Noel Gallagher had finally had it up to h ... More >>

From Print: Blogs Teased in Our 4/1 Issue

​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. How did freak-folker Devendra Banhart break his leg before a sold-out show at The Clubhouse? Did Wrestlemania do ... More >>

Devendra Banhart Breaks Leg Skateboarding Before Tempe Show, Cancels Tour

"I love skateboarding...what can I say?"​The anticipation for freak-folker Devendra Banhart's show at The Clubhouse was palpable Saturday night -- and it all came to a crashing stop thanks to Banhart's affinity for skateboarding. The rocker "broke some bone" in his leg whilst tearing it up on ... More >>

Iggy and The Stooges Shake Up the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

Billie Joe Armstrong savors the moment with Iggy Pop.​Rolling Stone gives everyone the highlights of last night's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. You know -- just in case you lost your ticket to the Waldorf and/or cannot afford top-tier cable channels.While each year is unique, peop ... More >>

Incoming: Devendra Banhart, High on Fire, Past Lives

Devendra Banhart leads a big day of announcements for Phoenix shows​There have been big days for live music in Phoenix, and then there have been BIG days for live music in Phoenix. Today has been absolutely bonkers for Valley music fans as a plethora of artists have all announced upcoming shows fo ... More >>

Goodbye, Modified Arts: Phoenix Scenesters Share Their Memories of the Downtown Music Venue

Final Folk Festival at Modified

​Sunday afternoon, Modified filled to capacity for River Jones Music Label's Final Folk Fest. Seventeen bands and solo artists played to eager audiences, mainly sitting pretzel-legged on the rickety floorboards, hot beverage in hand, while wintery winds sauntered through the old house. This ain't ... 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 >>

Southbyscurvy: The Best of SxSW

New National Anthems, By George! (Wherein we ruminate on the ridiculousness of Janet Reno rockin’ our worlds)

Drastic Elastic

Devendra Banhart's latest bends and stretches, but doesn't break his spell

John Vanderslice, and The Bowerbirds

Tasty bites

Xiu Xiu

Painfully alone for a reason, maybe

Bunny Rabbit

Ooooo, dark, sweaty electro-crunk -- our favorite!

Various Artists

Vogue Presents Karl Lagerfeld: My Favorite Songs
(Defend Music)

Cibelle

The Shine of Dried Electric Leaves
(Six Degrees)

Giant Drag, and Devendra Banhart

Meow

Fever Pitch

Changes of venue

Various Artists

I Am the Resurrection: A Tribute to John Fahey
(Vanguard)

Akron/Family

Epic freakiness

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

Chart-busters for the week

O.C. Can You Say

When indie goes prime-time, what's left?

CocoRosie

Noah's Ark
(Touch and Go)

Americana Pie

Grab a slice of 2004's best roots music while it's still hot.

Devendra Banhart

Indie folkster performs at Modified Arts

Nightlife

There's a hoot for every night owl at Valley clubs this summer

What's Selling

Devendra Banhart

Oh Me Oh My . . . The Way the Day Goes By the Sun Is Setting Dogs Are Dreaming Lovesongs of the Christmas Spirit (Young God)