Alt-country stumblers Deer Tick know how to keep up the pace. Songwriter John McCauley started the band in 2004. Since then, it’s morphed from a solo project into a full-fledged rock ‘n’ roll machine, spitting cheap domestic beer and rangy Americana fury. In October, they released Divine Providence, and before…
The trio of Pete “SuperMix” Salaz, Sean Badger, and Edson Madrigal admit they haven’t been getting much downtime (or even sleep) as of late. That’s because they’ve been working nonstop running two downtown Phoenix clubs, including the newly launched Monarch Theatre. Salaz says the trio pulled 24-hour shifts in the…
The year is flying by, and heating up as usual. As the days get hotter, the nights tend to get wilder in Phoenix and its surrounding burgs. We’ve culled a selection of our best nightlife photos in April, including hip bashes at American Junkie, Elevated Music Festival, the Sticky Fingers…
See also: Record Heat, “Meta Commentary” Like haiku, the classic comic strip is simple, direct, and brief. There’s not room for the kind of exposition or development found in full-size comics or graphic novels. It’s direct and to the point, a quick shot at a joke or a feeling. Like…
What a wonder prime time slots at Coachella two years in a row will do for you. Everything’s coming up Milhouse for The Black Keys these days. The blues/indie/garage group played a sold-out show at Mesa Amphitheatre last year and will return to a much larger venue in October. Thanks…
See also: Frank Turner Discusses Touring, London Riots, and Drinking With Grandma I may be biased, but I think Frank Turner is one of those underrated artists everyone should know about. He blew me away at The Rhythm Room last year and stole the show once again when he opened…
Rosie Thomas is an upbeat, cheery gal who walks “with a skip in her step,” though one would be hard-pressed to believe it given the often sullen and dark mood found on her albums. Some of that gloom could have come from her living in the rainy Northwest or a…
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…
See also: Up on the Sun the Podcast, Featuring Amen Dunes and Our Levon Helm Tribute When New York-based songwriter Damon McMahon, the man behind the shadowy, warbly pysch-folk of Amen Dunes, says he’s lived a million musical lives, he’s exaggerating only a little. He spent his early 20s in…
How does one come up with a killer name for their weekly club event? The promoters of Bar Smith’s über-popular Sticky Fingers night, for instance, cribbed from the Rolling Stones. Meanwhile, the folks behind The Blunt Club parlayed the hip-hop world’s love of weed into the name of their night…
See also: Kelly Clarkson Is Coming to Town (But You Might Have to Sit Through The Fray Before Watching Her) I don’t have cable and I don’t have one of them there digital converter boxes plugged into my TV, so it’s not often I get to catch commercials. On Saturday…
Blues-rock masters The Black Keys have been on top of the world lately. They’ve toured the globe, sold out Madison Square Garden twice, and headlined every music festival under the sun (including this year’s Coachella fest, where they teamed up with Creedence Clearwater Revival’s John Fogerty during the second weekend).Lucky…
Max Bemis of Say Anything is one hell of a frontman. He’s been through a lot emotionally, and his lyrics certainly prove it. But over the years, and over the course of releasing several records, Max and the band have come a long way. The lyrical content has developed, and…
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…
MarchFourth Marching Band @ Crescent Ballroom I think I’m going to run away with the circus. If they can get out of Phoenix, that is. Last night marked the second time I’d seen MarchFourth Marching Band (and, admittedly, the first time I’ve seen them sober). It’s an act that’s difficult…
The Real Coachella Trunk Space Saturday, April 28 Having attended the annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in the blistering Calfornia desert last weekend, I can state with certainty that The Real Coachella held last night at the Trunk Space is absolutely nothing like event it riffs on. And…
Ross Rocks Hollywood Alley Saturday, April 28 Ross Wincek, the co-owner of Hollywood Alley is responsible for bringing countless great bands to Phoenix over the past 25 years, as well as giving local bands a place to grow. Wincek had a stroke in March, so local bands and fans of…
I think I’m going to run away with the circus. If they can get out of Phoenix, that is. Last night marked the second time I’ve seen Marchfourth Marching Band live (And, admittedly, the first time I’ve seen them sober.) It’s an act that’s difficult to describe without raising a few…
If you’ve happened to listen to last year’s AZ Gunslingaz moombahton comp, we probably don’t need to tell you about DJ Frank Mendez’s mixing skills. “Il Cattivo,” his collaboration with local dubstepper Sluggo, is arguably one of the disc’s best tracks and fully illustrates his abilities to craft exciting and…
If you’d like to experience the dancing, debauchery, and DJs of Scottsdale nightspots Myst and Suede, this weekend is your last chance to do so. Clubgoers will be bidding a fond farewell over the next few nights to the Old Town clubs, as both will hold their final DJ/dance nights…
“Remember, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Except herpes. That shit’ll come back with you.”– Jeffrey Tambor in The Hangover. Las Vegas’ epic Memorial Day Weekend Punk Rock Bowling Festival just got a little more epic: Our favorite local party boys Broloaf have been added to the bill. And…
Sorry about that! Up on the Sun: The Podcast took an unexpected break over the past two weeks to deal with some family matters and take a sweaty trip out to Coachella. (Best show I saw? Wild freaking Flag.) But we’re back in full force, bringing you UOTS: The Podcast…
