We might not all agree on musical taste. I mean that metal, indie rock, jazz, hip-hop — none of it is made for everyone, but I think we can all agree that there’s really nothing so appealing as all-out sex appeal. Sex might not be the first thing you think…
In this week’s issue of Phoenix New Times, we profiled ten new(ish) bands we expect to dominate Phoenix iPods and boomboxes this long, hot summer. We’ll be focusing more deeply on those artists over the next couple days here on Up on the Sun. See the entire list: 10 Local…
Southwest Arts and Music and Jackrabbit Lounge are up to a new collaboration: an original live music showcase — the only of its kind — held every Wednesday night in the Valley of the Sun. I know, I know, Jackrabbit Lounge, right? Well, after being completely refurbished, the managers are…
There’s never been a huge a market for heavy metal music videos. Praise is far and few between, and they don’t garner awards like pop music videos, clips like Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance,” which won seven MTV Video Music Awards in 2010, and even grabbed a Grammy for Best Short…
Editor’s note: We normally run Metal Mondays on, well, Monday, but took yesterday off in honor of Memorial Day. So please enjoy today’s “Metal Monday” column, by our resident rock ‘n’ roll lady Lauren Wise, one day later than usual. Groupies have always fascinated me. They look like supermodels, wear…
The music of Phoenix-based rock ‘n’ roll outfit Dead Eyes of London is the sound of a reboot. It’s a terse re-imagining of the beats of vintage Motown, the slinkiness of jazz, the sweat-caked T-shirts of garage rockers, and spilled cocktails. But it’s not retro-minded and stuck in the past,…
Once again I found myself writing a Metal Monday column on a plane with a glass of whiskey. I’m headed to Rock on the Range in Columbus, Ohio, to see Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson, Five Finger Death Punch, and about 30 other acts (stay tuned for that review next week)…
See also: KUPD’s John Holmberg Chats About MILFs, Naked Grandmas, and Mom Farts Hell hath no fury like a MILF scorned, and right now there most certainly are a couple of outraged cougars on the prowl around town. That’s because 98 KUPD’s annual MILF contest has chosen a lucky winner…
German metal band Rammstein is just as much about visuals as it is about punishing balls-to-the-wall metal, rhythmic tumult, and synthetic keyboards. The band’s albums are intense, but nothing comes close to their staggeringly powerful live performances, spectacles on par with a Hollywood action flick. Although Rammstein has a worldwide…
A couple of Saturdays ago at the Carolina Rebellion music festival, Korn surprised an already-frenzied crowd when they brought out Brian “Head” Welch to perform “Blind,” the first single from the band’s ’94 self-titled debut. The performance was the first time in seven years that Head — at the festival…
The Big Red Radio, known by its longtime call-letters 98 KUPD, is known for putting on big productions, like UFest, the End of Summer Scorcher, and the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival. Concert events and heavy music are the station’s bread and butter, but the unique and hilarious contests they…
See also: Metal Mondays: Phoenix Needs a Heavy Metal Strip Club A friend of mine brought up a very pertinent question the other day, questioning the validity of current heavy metal. Metal will always have fans, turned on by classic metal gods who’ve been around for decades or whatever crap…
Hanging out with the guys from ENOVA is a lot like being inside a kick drum: There’s excitement and tension; limits are stretched. It’s a constant shift of high and low energy frequencies, just like the insistent force on a drum’s tightly drawn skin. Let’s call it a challenge. The…
See also: Ted Nugent’s Still a “Special Deputy” to Sheriff Joe Arpaio (2012) See also: Ted Nugent Talks Guns, Meth, and Hippies Before NRA Convention in Phoenix (2009) Ted Nugent doesn’t need much of an introduction. To put it lightly, he’s intimidating. It has nothing to do with him being…
I’ve never been a fan of Texas, even though it’s the stomping ground for a wide range of heavy acts. From the Dallas Cowboys to the phrase “everything is bigger in Texas” to George Bush, everything about the state has always had a way of agitating the hell out of…
Illinois-based rockers Chevelle have a clear-cut formula when it comes to making music: They keep it honest and real. They’ve never strayed far from their controlled chaos and somehow gentle rampage or their mix of dark magnetism and gothic pop (think early Tool meets The Cure if you haven’t heard…
Local rockers can always count on KUPD to ring in the summer with UFest, coaxing thousands to spend one last day in the sun before temps (theoretically) hit triple digits. This year, the high-energy festival’s lineup is packed with hard-hitting acts that have new music in the mix, and a…
A day in the life of Florence Welch is a lot better than a day in yours: Her group, Florence + the Machine, taped the kickoff episode of MTV’s Unplugged in New York’s oldest synagogue, surrounded by dozens of candles, backed by a 10-person choir, and performing a version of…
For more than a decade, industrial electro/rock band The Strand have increasingly become known for an electrifying stage presence, undeniable talent, and enigmatic sexual energy. They’ve been known to frequent the Valley’s fetish balls and favored intimate venues. And they have a knack for seducing the crowd — not just…
See also: All Hail Jim Marshall’s Black Wall See also: The Ten Hottest Chicks in Metal By now most of you have seen the video from the Golden God Awards of Marilyn Manson (unfortunately sounding like shit) performing “Sweet Dreams” with Johnny Depp as a surprise guest. And while Depp…
While the sibling rivalry that eventually took down Oasis was one of rock ‘n’ roll’s ugliest, the infantile “he’s a liar!” and “well, he’s a twat” tirades resulted in fans’ getting the best of both worlds: Liam Gallagher’s Beady Eye and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. Since 2010, the latter…
I guess it shouldn’t be surprising that The Devil’s Carnival showed up in Scottsdale on Easter Sunday. It was a perfect day for the gleeful underground horror/ rock musical freaks and geeks to get dressed up and go out to play while everyone else is decorating eggs and eating jellybeans?…
