UPDATE: The show has been rescheduled for Friday, December, 9.Yesterday we brought the news that the ever-busy Maynard James Keenan was bringing his art-rock/comedy troupe Puscifer to Phoenix on Friday, December 9, with the venue TBA. Today, we can confirm that Puscifer is scheduled to perform at the place we…
Nothing is Wrong, the sophomore album from Los Angeles rock ‘n’ roll band Dawes, is an earnest effort. There are times you wonder if it’s too earnest, to forthcoming about its mellow, sun-drenched intentions. But the album works, charming right past your cynicism, with golden-hued tracks like the Band-recalling “Million…
There are tribute bands, and then there’s something like The Musical Box. The Canadian band doesn’t just pay tribute to Genesis, it painstakingly recreates specific periods of the prog rock band’s history, using vintage equipment, stage sets, and in the case of their Lamb Lies Down on Broadway tribute, actual…
There’s no getting around it. No matter how awesome DJ Star Slinger may have been before getting shouted out by Donald Glover, AKA Childish Gambino, AKA Troy on one of TV’s best shows, Community, he was immeasurably cooler afterward. The cred boost wasn’t entirely necessary. Slinger, known as Darren Williams…
There are always those albums that you miss. Analog Drift, by Chico Mann came out in 2010, but I didn’t get it until last week. Which is a real shame, because it’s a fantastic disc, featuring 12 tracks comprised of vintage hip-hop synths, Afrobeat shuffles, Latin vocals, and a Talking…
Maynard James Keenan doesn’t seem to like down time. When not working with prog rock giants Tool, he performs in the arty A Perfect Circle, and when not keeping busy with either of those bands, he makes wine here in Arizona, and has a major role in the upcoming existentialist…
The Zombies Celebrity Theatre Friday, September 30, 2011 50 years is a long time. There’s no getting around it — The Zombies, lead by original members Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone, have been at it for a five decades; much longer than the original run of The Zombies, from 1961…
Bad news for fans of ’80s new wavers Blondie — the band has canceled its appearance, previously scheduled for October 4 at Foundry on First. Promoter Danny Zelisko confirms that the band had a “late scheduling conflict,” and on Facebook states that the gig may possibly be rescheduled. I spoke…
This weekend is full of things to do in the Valley of the Sun. Tonight, the massive AZ Fall Frenzy concert, featuring Halocene, Matt & Kim, Jimmy Eat World, and blink-182 hits Tempe Beach Park; MegaRan and MC Chris bring the nerd-rap “Race Wars” tour to Martini Ranch; and British…
Seattle band iji have roots here in Phoenix. Songwriter Zach Burba started the group in Tempe, and played frequently at The Trunk Space, honing his weird funk-pop. I’ve always liked the Burba’s sensibility (full disclosure: a band I used to play in a band that covered the iji tune “Meet…
You’ll find this week’s issue wrapped up in our annual Best of Phoenix special. This week, Chris Hassiotis takes us into the world of teacher-turned-rapper MegaRan, who is taking the world of nerd-rap by storm. We’ve also got short features on blink-182, and Unknown Mortal Orchestra, who are scheduled to…
This week, New Times ran a list 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. What does NPR’s music blog have to say about Sister Cities? What does Halocene’s Addie Nicole…
Unknown Mortal Orchestra Break in A New Venue, Crescent Ballroom. It’s September, which means that most music nerds are deep into their “Albums of the Year” process. I’m no different. I’ve got about 15 drafts of my list, and the name Unknown Mortal Orchestra appears on most of them. The…
It’s September, which means that most music nerds are deep into their “Albums of the Year” process. I’m no different. I’ve got about 15 drafts of my list, and the name Unknown Mortal Orchestra appears on most of them. The Portland-via-New Zealand band’s eponymous debut alternately recalls Led Zeppelin, Prince,…
It takes only about 40 seconds of “Up All Night,” the first single from blink-182’s new album, Neighborhoods, for the track to feel like a statement. That isn’t to say that what comes before that mark (skittering electronic flourishes and a punk rock riff huge enough for the stadiums) is…
Growing old in rock ‘n’ roll is one tricky beast, especially when you are Blondie, a band with a catalog defined by youth culture: sleek, sexy, funky, and ever stylish. Panic of Girls, the new record from Blondie, struggles with the contradiction. At 66, it’s hard to think of singer…
Breathe In, Breathe Out is the new record from The Zombies. Yeah, those Zombies, the band that recorded “She’s Not There,” “Time of the Season,” and “Care of Cell 44.” The band that recorded Odyssey and Oracle, which created the framework for most modern psychedelic pop. The new record finds…
When a legendary band comes out with a new record, it’s easy to get nervous. Such was the case when I received a copy of Breathe Out, Breathe In, the new record from The Zombies, a band celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Could the new songs live up to…
Welcome to the latest installment of our weekly feature, Sound Off, where Jason P. Woodbury is joined by a different guest each week to listen to and discuss three tracks from local Phoenix artists. If you would like your songs to be considered for future Sound Off columns, please email…
Last weekend, X103.9 crowned Phoenix-based rock band Halocene winner of the Fall Frenzy Showdown at the Marquee Theatre. That means that Friday, September 30, the band will join Matt & Kim, Jimmy Eat World, and blink-182 at Tempe Beach Park for Arizona Fall Frenzy. The young band just released a…
Every now and then, the Yucca Tap Room hosts 18 + shows. On Sunday, October 2, as something of a courtesy to Love Me Nots bassist Sophie O. — who’s shy of the 21 mark herself — Valley Fever at Yucca Tap Room will be an 18-and-over affair. Valley Fever…
Luz de Vida, a compilation featuring Neko Case, Spoon, Jimmy Eat World, Calexico, Giant Sand, Lenguas Largas, Robyn Hitchcock, Brian Lopez, The Meat Puppets, and many, many more, is set to see release in two formats, a 37-track digital album, and a limited-edition 12-song vinyl release, on October 18. The…
