Jimmy Fallon

The Roots, McDowell Mountain Music Festival, 3/23/13

The Roots @ McDowell Mountain Music Festival at Margret T. Hance Park|3/23/13About an hour into their dominating set, the legendary Roots crew pulled out a trick few other bands could get away with: Drummer Questlove and percussionist Frank Knuckles did a drum solo. An extended one. It's always been ... More >>

Justin Timberlake is Totally Shit at Music, But Here's Why You Should Still Like Him

Justin Timberlake's reunion with music is causing some weird flashbacks and leaving a miserable taste in my mouth. His new album is the pinnacle of mediocrity and exemplifies all that can go wrong when commercialism meets music. "Suit And Tie" makes me want to burn a stack of Esquire magazines and i ... More >>

Questlove of The Roots Is So Much Better at Instagram Than You

Of all the stupid things we do with our phones, Instagram might be the worst. Not only has the app falsely convinced us all we're professional photographers, but it's done something even worse: It's encouraged our worst vainglorious tendencies. No one is Amaro-toning his or her real life. There are ... More >>

Obsessed with "Call Me Maybe?" You're Not Alone

As much as everyone might be sick of Carly Rae Jepsen's smash hit "Call Me Maybe," none of us can get the song out of our heads, much to our chagrin. Let's admit it: We're all secretly jamming out when we're all alone in our car or bedroom. We're not proud of that, but it just keeps happening and we ... More >>

Momofuku Chef Throws Down the Fried Chicken Gauntlet To Questlove

In an ongoing Twitter exchange, celebrated Momofuku chef David Chang (whose pastry chef visited our fair city recently), has challenged Roots drummer Questlove to a fried chicken showdown on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon's. Chang has already stated his terms. If Questlove wins, Chang will both serve ... 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 >>

Pablo Francisco Talks Bourbon Street Circus, Millrats, Frank Caliendo, and Country Music

​It's kinda tough to be a stand-up comic from Arizona. No matter how successful and funny you might be, you'll always have to measure up the king of locally grown comedians, David Spade. Pablo Francisco, however, has done his best at giving the former Saturday Night Live performer a run for h ... More >>

Ewan Currie of the Sheepdogs on Rolling Stone, Their Next Album, and Crosby, Stills & Nash

Emma McIntyre​Earlier this year The Sheepdogs became the first unsigned band to land on the cover of Rolling Stone after they won the magazine's Choose the Cover contest. Although they toured extensively before they entered the contest, their world was turned somewhat upside down when they finally ... More >>

Lauryn Hill's Former Guitarist Sues Her For Unpaid Wages, Harrassment

​One might expect someone who demands they be addressed as "Ms." whatever-their-name-is might be a little narcissistic and perhaps have a bit of a superiority complex going on too. That seems to be the case with Ms. Lauryn Hill. Reports are surfacing that Jay Gore, a former guitarist for Laur ... More >>

Calexico and Mariachi Luz de Luna Rep the Southwest on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

​ Jimmy Kimmel may lag behind CoCo and Jimmy Fallon as the funniest guy in late night television, but he kicked everyone's ass with his musical guest last night. Rocking a strong Cinco de Mayo vibe, he featured Tucson-based act Calexico, joined by Mariachi Luz de Luna. Performing "Crystal Front ... More >>

One of 2010's Best Musical Moments on TV: "Whip My Hair" by Springsteen

Late night television was packed with some pretty memorable musical moments in 2010. With the craze over young Willow Smith's first single "Whip My Hair" came an unforgettable cover by Jimmy Fallon featuring Bruce Springsteen on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon back in the middle of November. Fallon pla ... More >>

10 Indie Rock Christmas Songs for Your Holiday Season

Sufjan Stevens​ The Holiday season can be a stressful time. While it's meant to be the one time in the whole year that everyone is a little bit nicer and a little bit happier, certain things can make you just the opposite. If you're anything like me, you've procrastinated all year long and now ... More >>

Top Chef All Stars Season 8, Episode 1 Recap (Season Premiere): It Shoulda Been Me!

We came so close!​Unpack those friggin' knives, yo! The so-close finalists from the past seven seasons of Top Chef ain't playin' this time around, as they compete to win the grand prize of $200,000 on Top Chef All Stars. Redemption? Saving face? Insults? How can this not be good TV? The premie ... More >>

Biz Markie Talks Yo Gabba Gabba!, Beastie Boys, and Jeff Goldblum

Biz Markie and the gang from Yo Gabba Gabba!​ Not a lot of old-school rappers would be a good fit on a children's television show, but Biz Markie is definitely the exception to that rule. The popular rapper and beatboxer is probably best know for his hit "Just a Friend" as well as the song ... More >>

The Roots and Miniature Tigers at American Junkie Last Night

Shawn AndersonBlack Thought of The Roots​ The Roots & Miniature Tigers American Junkie November 20, 2010 Okay, let's go ahead and get this out of the way first: In terms of who would win in a true, neutral-turf battle of the bands between The Roots and the Miniature Tigers, there is really l ... More >>

The Roots Drummer Questlove Talks Soundclash and the Miniature Tigers

Questlove​ In terms of pitting two bands to face off against each other in a battle of the bands it seems like a pretty uneven match up between the well established funk hip-hop group The Roots and Brooklyn's Miniature Tigers.Of course, both groups have their advantages and disadvantages. Miniat ... More >>

Five Solid Music Moments from SNL (With Video)

​From the Blues Brothers to Steve Martin playing King Tut, legendary musical moments are part of what make Saturday Night Live more than just another comedy show.SNL still holds its own sometimes but it was at its prime a few decades ago when it was lot edgier. Edginess is an, ahem, double-edged s ... More >>

Steve Martin and the Other Best and Worst Comedians Turned Musicians

Part of Your Tax Dollars are Paying For Military Marching Bands

​If there's one thing our country is good at, it's not knowing how to properly allocate our spending money. After hearing about America's big budget for military marching bands, NPR wanted to know just how much tax payers are collectively throwing down for these guys.It turns out that the Marines ... More >>

The Roots: How I Got Over

​There may not be a track released the rest of the year that has an ounce of the substance and effortless polish of "Dear God 2.0" off of How I got Over -- the long-awaited new album from The Roots.The song employs a genius guest vocal from Jim James of My Morning Jacket and Monsters of Folk fame ... More >>

Yelp Has Buckled to Pressure, But It Ain't Enough

Local Vintage

The legendary Doug Hopkins.​This opening of Long Wong's on Apache and McClintock has certainly stirred up conversation. Its authenticity in regard to the original Long Wong's is in question, and there's even debate as to whether it should be referred to as a "re-opening" or a "grand opening." No ... More >>

Christopher Cross Plays "Ride Like The Wind" on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

As per Jimmy Fallon's request, Christopher Cross played his debut 1980 single "Ride Like The Wind" with the Roots​ Last week on his show, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, host Jimmy Fallon mentioned that he came down with a sore throat over his weekend and spent most of it listening to his iPod, whic ... More >>

New Late Night TV Battles a Boon For Music Lovers

The Late Show, Tonight Show and Late Night all have impressive music acts this next weekFirst, let me just get it out there: I watch a bunch of TV. I love it, and though I know it deadens my intellectual abilities, I'm not quitting. So, take it from a junkie, late night TV -- with the recent additio ... More >>

Pancreatic Cancer Research at TGen Gets $18 Million Infusion

Image: Stand Up to Cancer Jimmy Fallon is among the celebrities supporting the anti-cancer effort. How bad is pancreatic cancer? Ninety percent of people who find out they have it die within a year. And the pancreas isn't even a brand-name digestive organ, like the kidney ... More >>

Public Enemy plays with The Roots on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

P.E. bringin' the noise circa 1988There's a bunch going on this week, and by a bunch I mean SXSW. It is hard to compete with that wonderful festival right now, so I will let our coverage -- handled dutifully by our own ambassador of the funk Martin Cizmar -- of the events take precedence over Up on ... More >>

Edie Made Easy

Queen of the Factory gets the superficial biopic treatment

For Love of the Game

The Farrelly brothers swing straight and hit the sweet spot

Lt. Nanny

Diesel fumes can't start this vehicle

Charlotte's Web

Good Charlotte makes clean punk for the kiddies -- and successfully attracts the MTV minions

Fallon Fast

Saturday Night Live's prime player is rapidly outgrowing television's small screen