See also: How Bob Marley Was Sold to the Suburbs At the time of his death, in May 1981, Bob Marley was 36 years old, reggae’s biggest star, and the father of at least 11 children. He was not, however, a big seller. For Dave Robinson, this presented an opportunity…
It was a bittersweet send-off, at best, this weekend at The Sail Inn. On the one hand, it was one of the most amazing local music lineups that could have possibly been arranged, but on the other, there was the idea that this was never going to happen again at…
I went to a Deafheaven show, but you probably haven’t heard of them. That’s a deaf joke, because my ears are ringing and won’t stop and I’m a little terrified I have tinnitus. I get called a hipster every so often, which is kind of stupid, but whatever; I’ve been…
Steve Wiley is Up on the Sun’s resident Record Store Geek. Biweekly, he shares stories of great music and whacky characters from his continuing 27 years in Valley record stores and the always-zany music biz. Have you been watching the World Cup? Me too. I’m a huge sports fan, but…
“Runnin,” Scattered Melodies Scattered Melodies is a unique Valley band in that the drum/bass duo uses a variety of singers on their albums and at their live shows. The duo is aiming to finish their second album by early next year to take it to South By Southwest in Austin,…
Songwriter Tyler Broderick has a knack for discussing big themes in a small way. “I’ve been here before / And I’ll be here again,” he sings on “Wide Range,” the opening song from Always Room, his second album with pop outfit Diners. It’s a line True Detective’s Rust Cohle might…
It’s 111 degrees outside, and the Valley of the Sun is deserted. Summer is upon us — which also means that the music industry-touring slowdown is, as well. While the rest of the country delights in sunny breezy festival days, our prime time for outdoor shows is during winter. But…
The heinous death rattle of the June sunset had arrested the city as I descended into Mitchell Park in downtown Tempe with vocalist Alec LoCruzio and guitarist Alex Rempel of the nascent hardcore quartet Humiliation. We are not-so-comfortably seated at a still sun-warmed picnic table that’s partially pocked with pigeon…
These days, music videos are essential to the whole music making process. It’s one of the easiest, most effective ways to really burn into someone’s head whatever you’re trying to play. It also tends to make your lo-fi Bandcamp “release” more “official.” And the best thing is, these days you…
I’m not sure what went wrong with this show. All the bands were talented, smart individuals, yet it seemed like no one could be bothered to even pretend to be interested. First, this gig started off with tickets around $7, but Crescent Ballroom made the event free, presumably because they…
The national acts are abandoning Phoenix en masse, but never fear, brave, sun-proof Phoenicians: You don’t have to look very hard to find some quality tunes. Here are our favorite picks for the week. For more options, check out our comprehensive concert listings for many more options…
Going to a show at The Underground is always an interesting experience. The basement-style venue is popular for local and national acts and crams in its audience for the bigger shows. One of the most memorable shows I’ve been to there was about four years ago. My friends opened up…
When The Sail Inn closes on Sunday evening after the final night of its three-day Farewell Festival, it will mark the end of an era — not just for the bar itself, but also for the Tempe music scene. A big chapter in the city’s lore will draw to a…
The story goes, Mr. Picasso is sitting in a posh Paris café when he is approached by a young woman. She instantly recognizes the famous painter and begs him to draw for her. He snorts, until the lady offers to pay him. So Pablo whips out his pen, doodles something…
What’s that, you say? Summers in Phoenix suck for live music? Expand your tastes, philistine. We got everything from washed-up ’90s alt-rock superstars to at least three significant local showcases and almost everything in between. If you don’t see anything that tickles your pickle, check out our comprehensive concert listings…
When reached by phone, Matt Holmen immediately tells Up on the Sun that he’s super busy. “I’m here for 36 hours. I’m trying to put my life in a box,” he says. The PHOX guitarist is in his adopted hometown of Madison, Wisconsin, gearing up for the band’s biggest tour…
Another day, another Tempe spot bites the dust. This time it’s the Public House on Sixth, the party-happy bar and college kid hangout just off Mill Avenue next door to El Hefe in Tempe…
By Mike Seely Mainstream country music gets an unfair rap as being universally over-polished and formulaic, a notion that artists like Kacey Musgraves and Eric Church obliterate every time they strap on their guitars. But there’s a granule of truth to the stereotype, and a particularly damaging sub-genre — known…
When you learn that Youceff Yunque Kabal, better known as YUS, is studying accounting and economics, it makes sense how precise and organized his chillwave tunes are. Now he’s released Talisman, his second full-length, not counting three remix albums. It’s the kind of conscientious craftsmanship found in Daphni or Burial…
Someone who compiles these things (Metacritic, apparently) averaged all the reviews for all the records released last year, and Deafheaven’s Sunbather came in at number one. In fact, the album with the starkly pink cover is the seventh-highest-scoring record in Metacritic’s entire database, dating back to 1999. That means it…
In March, Gina Lombardi announced that longstanding Tempe rock venue Sail Inn had been purchased by a local developer and would be demolished to make way for a new location of The Lodge, a restaurant in Scottsdale. The announcement bummed out the club’s loyal regulars and the local musicians who’ve…
Things are going well for Phoenix rapper Futuristic. The video for the unsigned rapper’s single, “I Guess I’ll Smoke,” from his released released album Traveling Local, has now surpassed one million views on YouTube. If you listen to him, it’s clear he’s bound for great things. And he’s not the…
