Folk Music

Margaret Thatcher Protest Songs Came in Every Genre (Hi, Public Enemy)

Monday's news of former English prime minister Margaret Thatcher's death elicited mixed responses. Some sites praised the Iron Lady's leadership tactics, while others celebrated her death. Pushing to get "Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead" in the Top 40 charts hours after Thatcher's death is pretty tacky ... More >>

Billy Bragg, Crescent Ballroom, 3/26/13

Billy Bragg @ Crescent Ballroom|3/26/13For his first-ever Phoenix show, Billy Bragg gave his all, of all of his sides -- the young punk firebrand, the activist, the lover, the Woody Guthrie acolyte, the folk malcontent, and the Bard of Barking hawking his new album. Though the new record, Tooth & ... More >>

The Tallest Man on Earth, Crescent Ballroom, 9/1/12

The Tallest Man on Earth @ Crescent Ballroom| 9/1/12It's not hard to find a folk singer strumming a guitar in public. Stumble into a coffee shop or look out on the street corner and you're bound to find someone doing it. Finding someone in one these spots who also happens to be a really great at it ... More >>

Frank Turner @ Marquee Theatre

The Dirt Daubers @ Rhythm Room

Sound Off: DJ Dana on Courtney Marie Andrews, Source Victoria, and Sun Ghost

Clockwise from top left: DJ Dana, Courtney Marie Andrews, Sun Ghost, Source Victoria ​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 artists. If yo ... More >>

Buck 65 @ Chasers

Tiger Army @ Marquee Theatre

Arizona Hopi Reggae Artist Casper Lomayesva Opening for Toots & The Maytals

Casper Lomayesva​Arizona Hopi reggae artist Casper Lomayesva is used to playing big gigs. In 2009, he was invited by legendary folk artist Pete Seeger to play Seeger's 90th birthday party at Madison Square Garden (alongside the likes of Dave Matthews, John Mellencamp, and Bruce Springsteen). He a ... More >>

Abri Van Straten Talks About the Function of Art, Being Married to Kristin Bauer, and His Upcoming Performance at Phoenix Comicon

Jasmin KuhnAbri Van Straten​If you've looked at the musical artists lined up to play at Phoenix Comicon next weekend, you may have noticed that one of these things is not like the others. That would be singer-songwriter Abri Van Straten, whose picturesque acoustic folk songs contrast starkly with ... More >>

11-13-2010

Everything Is a Remix Explains How Certain Dirigible-Named Bands Are Derivative

Perhaps the best known sampling of all time involved The Sugarhill Gang sampling Chic's "Good Times" for their 1979 hit "Rapper's Delight"Most, if not all, people know that Led Zeppelin is an obtusely derivative band. They took popular American blues and folk music and made it their own, without rea ... More >>

Line in the Sand: A Collection of Protest Songs From Arizona Artists Opposed To SB 1070

​Arizona musicians, it's time to stand up.As the fallout from our state's crazy new immigration law continues to spread, it's been really great to see stars like Shakira and Zach de la Rocha join in the fight. I'm sure we all appreciate their efforts immensely. But it's also important that we, as ... More >>

Martin Sexton

From Print: Blogs Teased in Our 4/29 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 was the Norah Jones show at Dodge Theatre? Why does Joni Mitchell think Bob Dylan is "fake?" What does lo ... More >>

Nick Jonas Says Bob Dylan Can't Sing

"Oh brother" is more like it for passionate Bob Dylan fans​Last Wednesday night, Nick Jonas went on Jimmy Kimmel Live to plug his brand-new album -- Nick Jonas and the Administration's Who I Am -- and shoot the shit with Kimmel. During the latter part of Jonas' segment, his recent role in the new ... More >>

A.V. Club's "Least Essential Albums of 2009" Right on the Money

Yes, that is Billy Bob Thornton's band. No, we didn't need to hear their latest album.​Sometimes an actor feels necessary to spread out their talent to other venues outside of cinema. They remember playing guitar in high school and deem themselves worthy musicians, unleashing album after album of ... More >>

Bob Dylan: Secret Wingnut? Book Says So.

​We get a lot of weird books and CDs in the mail, but the 600 page RightWing Bob: What The Liberal Media Doesn't Want You To Know about Bob Dylan is near the top of the list. The book, by Bob-obsessed blogger A.J. Weberman, makes the case.Weberman appears to be a certifiable loon: A self-proclaim ... More >>

Jack White Receives Honor, Debates Bob Dylan and Britney Spears at Surprise Lecture

Jack White received an honorary patronage from Dublin's Trinity College's University Philosophical Society Sunday night was an interesting night for Jack White. The multi-faceted musician, currently focusing his energy on his new band The Dead Weather, received and honorary patronage award from Trin ... More >>

Brewer Gives $1.7 Million in Stimulus Money to Fix Coliseum Roof so State Fair Events Can Go On

Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum​Governor Jan Brewer announced that she's releasing money from the state's Fiscal Stabilization Government Services Fund to finish repairs on the saddle-shaped roof of the Veterans Memorial Coliseum.Brewer says in a press release that she's pledged $1.7 mill ... More >>

Rasta Redmon: Hopi Reggae Artist Casper Lomayesva Brings Redemption Songs to the Desert

The Bob Dylan That Stole Christmas

Behold: the cover of Bob Dylan's new Christmas album. The times they are a-changin', indeed​Let me preface this by saying that the fact Dylan is donating all of the U.S. royalties from his upcoming album to the charity Feeding America is a very noble move, and one that deserves respect. He obvious ... More >>

The Phoenix Summer Folk Festival @ Modified Arts: That's All, Folks.

When I think of folk music, I think of older, fogey-er guys and gals who strum slowly and sing about wild horses and flowers . . . But the Phoenix Annual Summer Folk Festival at Modified Arts, presented Thursday by River Jones Music, made folk cool again.For a Thursday afternoon in June, the fest at ... More >>

O Tenor, Where Art Thou?

O Tenor, Where Art Thou?

Sunday's Worst Super Bowl Ad

Is this what you think of the American public, Pepsi? There were some truly awful ads on during yesterday's insanely competitive Super Bowl. The economy is changing, America is changing, and the past two Super Bowls have been some of the best games in Super Bowl history. I remember watching some Sup ... More >>

Willie Nelson’s Forgotten Projects

Let freedom rock: Ten musical moments that shaped who we are as a country

“Rock the Vine” at Kokopelli Winery Pays Homage to ‘70s Without the Hustle

Cat Power

Jukebox
(Matador)

Adam Panic

Wonderful
(www.adampanic.com)

From Russia With Love

Spektor can melt our pot any time

Various Local Artists

Thoughts Become Things
(www.staticmanagementonline.com)

Ty Lusk

Live at Club Red
(www.tylusk.com)

Hidden Cameras

Awoo
(Arts & Crafts)

Joanna Newsom

Ys
(Drag City/Caroline)

The Decemberists

The Crane Wife
(Capitol)

Jimmy Cliff

Reaching beyond the Jamaican borders

Paperback Writers

Latest music books struggle to demystify pop culture's greatest enigmas

Casal in the Air

Neal Casal Anytime Tomorrow (Morebarn Records)

The Coffee-House Kid

Stardom might be cool for Adam Carroll. But mainly he just wants to be your friend.

An Essence Rare

The daring, uncompromising art of singer/songwriter Lucinda Williams

Touch of Evil

History tells us that musicians who turn to the written word are just asking for trouble. Occasionally, though, something special sneaks through.

Back to Earth

Elliott Smith's 'moment' has passed; now he's just making music

Hey, Joe!

Gumbo lines up the most wanted in jazz, blues and heritage

A Brand-New Case

With the New Wave Plimsouls (and Plimsouls reunion) behind him, Peter Case is returning to his folk roots

Critical Mass

A recap of the releases that made it worthwhile to own a CD player in 1998

Judy, Judy, Judy

FLOPPY DESK

A TASTE OF STRUM AND FOLKMAKING PEACE WITH HIS PAST, DAVID WILCOX DISCOVERS A PROMISING FUTURE