When the aptly named Asses of Evil imploded in 2012, Valley punk rock fans were left eager to see what would come crawling from the wreckage. Stalwart bass thumper Todd Joseph and singer/rhythm guitar maestro Chris JJ Jet quickly formed The Smoke Bombs, enlisting lead guitarist Brandon Meunier and drummer…
After a harrowing accident totaled their van and gear in November, the members of Seattle surf-noir quartet La Luz didn’t just feel lucky to be alive. Singer-guitarist Shana Cleveland says the outpouring of support during the band’s recovery came across as a message that a life in music is where…
A few hours from now, the rest of the country is gonna get clued into what local music fans have known for years: KONGOS jams out some seriously fantastic rock ‘n’ roll…
It’s not an easy feat to strike a balance between seriousness and goofiness as successfully as Boston rock band Krill does. You title a song “Turd” or sell your second album as a USB drive stuck into a ball of mozzarella, and you’re inviting some derision. Krill, however, sidesteps all…
Dee Dee Penny, founder and frontwoman of Dum Dum Girls, is known for her shy disposition. She’s probably also tired of hearing about it in the press, but only one second into our phone call, it’s obvious how reserved, quiet, and thoughtful she is. The way she speaks is absolutely…
Dave Hause Rhythm Room Tuesday, March 4, 2014 “Don’t tell the Internet, but there is no Loved Ones.” Sorry, Dave, the secret’s out. Dave Hause, frontman of melodic punk band The Loved Ones, performed his first solo show in Arizona Tuesday night and stuck to his own material, save for…
Being labeled as a genre’s pioneer can be an exhausting role, sometimes allowing these once forward-thinking musicians an opportunity to rest on their laurels. For Blake Miller, the frontman and lynchpin to Los Angeles’ dance-punk act Moving Units, rest isn’t an option. Not just content with working under Moving Units’…
By anyone’s definition, Jared Leto is having one bang up week thus far. There’s that whole Oscar thing, as well as the fact he appeared in arguably the greatest selfie in the history of ever. And now, the actor/director/musician is about to hit the road with his band 30 Seconds…
This Friday’s Viva PHX Music Festival, which takes over downtown Phoenix for a night, won’t just feature popular national bands tearing it up on 14 Valley stages. Included in the lineup of more than 70 musical acts are some of the most notable local bands to represent the Valley. As…
Music journalism is rife with writers quick to say that a band “defies all conventions” or “breaks the mold.” It’s rarely the case, but sometimes an act comes along that’s worthy of the sensational labels. YACHT, a dance-pop duo from Los Angeles via Portland, is the act in question, having…
Vertical Scratchers come with one helluva goddamn resume. John Schmersal is a former member of ’90s synthpunk luminaries Brainiac (and Enon and Crooks on Tape and a touring member of Caribou, but who’s keeping track?), and partner Christian Beaulieu has put in his time with Triclops! and Anywhere. Their debut…
Sometimes tension is a necessary tool in the creative process, and other routes must be taken reach a goal. Such is the case for Painted Palms, the San Francisco-based electro-pop act composed of cousins Reese Donohue and Christopher Prudhomme, whose late-night emailings of clips and samples has yielding something much…
The marriage of horror cinema and heavy metal — it’s a match made in heaven for me and probably hell for others, like my girlfriends who prefer pop music and romantic comedies. Either way, it’s one of my favorite topics and we’ve definitely got some fresh blood on the matter…
Want to get in a show this week? There are plenty of concerts over the next five days around Metro Phoenix to choose from, as you can see for yourself by viewing our extensive online concert listings. And we’re fairly certain that there’s something for everyone, regardless of your particular…
Ramona Gonzalez is simply a musical paradox. Operating under the moniker Nite Jewel, the Echo Park-based musician weaves synth-driven pop that’s as much a product of the Casiotone era as it is ’90s R&B. Where one might expect instrumentation to be lo-fi, Gonzalez shines such production to a polish, layering…
It can be easy to miss unless you’re looking for it, but there are a lot of metal (heavy or otherwise) getting slung in and around Metro Phoenix, thanks to concerts and gigs by locals and touring acts alike. As such, Up on the Sun’s resident metal scribe, Lauren Wise,…
When a band in a small genre possesses a sound that is very much their own, most would assume it would limit the acts it can perform with, but that’s not the case with the local horror-punk trio of the brothers Calabrese. They’ve performed and shared bills alongside a number…
The Ataris Pub Rock 2/28/14 Kris Roe is the perfect cannon fodder for a music reviewer looking to go harsh on a singer. His band is hardly relevant, his recent shows have been fairly lackluster, and he’s had his fair share of attitudinal problems. Saying his group, The Ataris, stunk…
Last night is guaranteed to go down as one of the greatest nights ever in the young life of Matt Peterson. At long last, the 17-year-old Phoenix resident and Arcadia High School student got to go to a prom of sorts with the notorious pop star, albeit in the midst…
While bands and musicians from all over the states will head to the Valley for next Friday’s Viva Phoenix music festival, none will travel as far as Honolulu-based rockers Kings of Spade. The five-piece band will be jetting from their island home to the mainland as a part of their…
It’s 2014 and high time you got some new music into your playlist — seriously. And that’s doubly true when it comes local music, of which there’s an abundance in metro Phoenix. The Valley’s music scene is gifted with burgeoning bands and emerging artists who will be making waves and…
Hear that? It’s the clock counting down the hours until your weekend begins and it’s nearing the magic moment known as quitting time. To help the time pass more quickly, you might consider what it is you’ll actually be doing during the next couple days and nights of work-free bliss…
