In 2000, Prefix Magazine called Devin the Dude “your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper.” Eleven years later, the Dude still hasn’t achieved mainstream recognition, despite the fact that his string of laid-back, ganja-obsessed albums has earned him a loyal fan base and Billboard-charting albums. Despite his propensity to smoke out, Dude’s…

Supposedly, there are three things you never talk about in polite company: sex, religion, and politics. It would seem no one passed that memo on to local “punkgrass” band Haymarket Squares, who formed in 2009 and immediately became a fixture on the downtown arts scene, playing in coffeehouses, bars, and…

Local boys St. Ranger were featured today on My Old Kentucky Blog, a national indie-blog that is part of the Blog Radio program on Sirius Radio’s XMU channel. The blog focused on their jam “Ohnowoe,” comparing the band to Grizzly Bear and Animal Collective, though I hear the former a…

At the start of this year, Martin Cizmar wrote an excellent piece about local folk-punks Andrew Jackson Jihad. Though the band is known for lyrically dense, poignant songs, they also have a reputation as being damn funny guys. The duo, comprised of guitarist/singer Sean Bonnette and bassist Ben Gallaty, released…

It’s with great sadness that we report that Dennis Chiesa, owner of Tracks in Wax Records, passed away May 1 of complications involving his battle against cancer. Chiesa was 67. The Irish Cultural Center ran this obituary, expressing sincere sadness and extending condolences to his wife, Julie O’Mahar Chiesa, who…

Get your illicit substances and Syd Barrett bootlegs in order: Austin psych band The Black Angels are bringing their droney rock ‘n’ roll sound to the Rhythm Room this Wednesday, May 18. The band’s latest album, 2010’s Phosphene Dream, comes courtesy of Blue Horizon Records, legendary for its mid-’60s blues…

Halt your plans to visit Chandler tonight to catch Diddy Dirty Money at Ovations Live! Showroom, the new project hip-hop mogul Sean “P. Diddy” Combs is touring with. According to a Tweet from the man himself (and confirmed by his publicist), Diddy won’t be able to make the show tonight:A…

Welcome to Obscuro, a feature where Up on the Sun dives deep into the world of vinyl oddities: private press jobs, major label cast-offs, and general thrift shop clutter that’s thus far escaped anyone’s attention. These LPs have been hiding out, collecting dust, until we come along, investigate, probe and…

Two of R&B/soul’s most loved voices are headed for Celebrity Theater on June 16. Mavis Staples and Dr. John are set to take the rotating stage, and the show ought to be utterly fantastic. Staples’ last record, You Are Not Alone (2010) found the 71 year-old songstress teaming with Wilco…