This time of year is normally characterized by holiday cheer and good tidings but there’s one more thing December brings; finals. While sharpened number two pencils scratch feverishly on Scantron’s across the Valley, the students of Music Maker Workshops will be taking a different kind of exam this weekend. On…
Have you lost your soul? Is your step missing its rhythm? Could your swagger use an injection of funk? Phoenix natives Cold Shott and The Hurricane Horns are more than happy to help put a little rhythm and blues in your life. The band doesn’t have to sweat its authenticity…
It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that “charity to help at-risk Valley youth” swing. Arizona’s premier Lindy Hoppers, The Savoy Hop Cats, are hosting their second annual holiday event at the Hotel San Carlos on Monday, December 19. The Moonlight and Mistletoe Holiday Gala will benefit the…
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. Here’s some suggestions for the…
Want to know what new release discs and platters are moving across the Valley at local record stores? We’ve got you covered with another installment of What’s Selling. If top selling lists and viral videos are any indicators of trend setting, don’t be surprised if there’s an outbreak of hip…
Puscifer Ikeda Theater at Mesa Arts Center Friday, December 9, 2011 For more photos, click here. “I’ve read through that handbook for the recently deceased. It says: ‘Live people ignore the strange and unusual. I, myself, am strange and unusual.” -Lydia Deetz So, Maynard James Keenan has a flair for…
Phoenix-based Fervor Records is already home to local “futurepop” group Super Stereo and NYC’s Tarik NuClothes, as well as the owners of a massive vintage music record catalog that provides music for some of today’s best television shows. Earlier this week the company announced the addition of local Latin reggae…
As the football weekend wrapped up Monday night, fans had plenty to cheer about. Cheeseheads everywhere breathed a sigh of relief as the Green Bay Packers survived the New York Giants 38-35 to preserve their undefeated season, while the Cardinals shocked the Dallas Cowboys in overtime. Although the Denver Broncos…
Want to know what new release discs and platters are moving across the Valley at local record stores? We’ve got you covered with another installment of What’s Selling. It wasn’t so long ago that Jimmy Brooks and his best friend Spinner Mason walked the halls of Degrassi High School. In…
Drip, drip, drop. There’s nothing quite as soothing as a nice little December shower to cool the senses. Unless of course if you throw in a nice hot cup of coffee and some acoustic musings by Tucson pop rockers, Steff Koeppen and the Articles. Koeppen along with a violinist from…
Rachael Yamagata with Mike Viola Crescent Ballroom Wednesday, November 30 I first heard Rachael Yamagata two years ago when she opened for folk/rock duo Swell Season at the Mesa Arts Center. She played for only 45 minutes that night, but made a lasting impression with her witty banter and heartfelt…
As finals wrap up and holidays consume every waking minute, some people still have work to do. That’s exactly what Stellacutta is doing: working on their debut album. Earlier this year, Michael Lopez broke down the Tempe rocker’s two-song self-titled EP in You Asked For It, and showed a lot…
By this time you should be out of your turkey coma, foraging through your garage for that shabby box labeled: Christmas Lights. All that talk about department stores jumping the gun after Halloween is behind us, because it’s time to show your Christmas cheer and light the night skies with…
Want to know what new release discs and platters are moving across the Valley at local record stores? We’ve got you covered with another installment of What’s Selling. Now that Black Friday is mercifully behind us, we can move on to Music Store Monday. A day that doesn’t require you…
Meet Jon Tate. He’s from the future. Jon is a genius infatuated with robotics and a blond, buxom beauty named Sandy. He’s building an army of robots in hopes of ending a war that is gripping the world. It’s an army that eventually will turn on him, culminating in an…
Creative noisemakers Former Friends Of Young Americans are sprinting to the end of the year. They’ve been gigging extensively, with shows lined up this week and next month in the midst of their latest album, estas diluculo. You can stream the full album from the band’s website or download it…
The Devil Wears Prada Marquee Theatre Monday, November 21, 2011 I found myself at The Devil Wears Prada show in large part due to my kid brother. He’s been high on openers Enter Shikari for a couple of years now and asked me to accompany him to the show. While…
Want to know what new release discs and platters are moving across the Valley at local record stores? We’ve got you covered with another installment of What’s Selling. Since his solo debut, DC guitar whiz Tosin Abasi has enlisted the help of a second guitarist in Javier Reyes and drummer…
The Hype Music project has added another Arizona rapper to its family. Mesa’s lyrical linguist Hannibal Leq has joined the MTV and Extreme Music partnership. The last time we saw Leq he was rocking the microphone alongside The New F-O’s MCs Pancho and Lifted in our exclusive video. As a…
Nowhere Man And A Whiskey Girl The Crescent Ballroom November 16, 2011 Being a critic is a funny thing. Namely in that, you have to be critical. But there’s a fine line between, “looking to find fault or to judge with severity,” and “skillful judgment.” With enough practice, I hope…
Want to know what new release discs and platters are moving across the Valley at local record stores? We’ve got you covered with another installment of What’s Selling. Renowned for moving narcocorridos as quick as rounds through an AK-47, Las Korajudas Discoteca isn’t that much different from other Latin music…
This past Saturday Michael J.Fox, who suffers from Parkinson’s Disease, held his annual charity benefit, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Cure Parkinson’s. While at the New York fundraiser, Fox busted out a guitar and reenacted the popular scene from 1985’s Back To The Future where Marty McFly…
