It was somewhat of a surprise that NOFX sold out last night’s Marquee Theatre show at the very last minute. In spite of Fat Mike’s poo problems and outspoken attitude toward our city, we welcomed the band with open arms and screamed along to the songs as if our lives…
If we’re being realistic, not every band that comes out of Phoenix is really worthy to be classified with what Emma Pew and crew do on a show-by-show basis. The lead singer of Black Carl and her four-piece backing band obliterated Crescent Ballroom last night as they celebrated the release The…
NOFX Marquee Theatre Saturday, January 7, 2012 See the full NOFX slideshow here. Fat Mike painted a grim picture of Arizona a couple weeks ago. He was convinced that nobody goes to shows in Phoenix anymore because it’s on its way to be coming the next Detroit. Sure, we’ve got…
Pickster One, Scottie Does, and Dumperfoo don’t unite as Crusher Sound System too often, but when they do, it’s worth catching. I saw the trio back in April, and the mixture of Pickster’s excellent song choices (“Rock With You”) and the heavy live drums of Does were irresistible. The supergroup…
Stereo HD Fridays isn’t happening tonight at Cream Stereo Lounge in Scottsdale, nor is Ultimate Saturdays, Blush Thursdays, or any of the club’s other theme nights. In fact, absolutely nothing’s been happening at the club recently, as Cream is currently undergoing a complete makeover and renovation.According to a few Scottsdale…
So, the Radiohead thing felt pretty big, and Gun N’ Roses was positively surreal. So try this one on for size: Van Halen, featuring David Lee Roth and the Van Halens: Eddie, Alex, and Wolfgang, are headed to US Airways Center on Saturday, June 16. That’s right. Saturday night. With…
Vinnie Iñiguez Iñiguez is a professional golfer. For more info on him, visit his website here. When you put your key in the ignition and turn on the radio, what station would play right now? Straight out the gate, it’s usually BackSpin on Sirius. Its got a solid mix of classics. What’s…
There’s a curious balance at work in the music of Oregon’s Starfucker (STRFKR, for the less profane), a mix of the dark and dancey, as evidenced on the band’s 2011 album Reptilians, and the track “Death as a Fetish” in particular. Over bouncy beats and buoyant synth, singer Josh Hodges…
Looks like 2012 is going to be a big one. Quite a few giant records are dropping this year.Some of them are timely followups, while others have been a long time coming (hello No Doubt). Some have release dates, and the dates of others have yet to be announced. We’re…
Some people get stuck in ruts. My dad, for example, has been listening to the same 300 songs for the past four decades (let us take a moment to remind you of Nothing Not New, where our own Jay Bennett gave up all his favorites and listened to nothing but…
Local mic controller Mr. Miranda isn’t one to mince words. If you don’t believe us, check out this little trifling he recently laid down to the head-nodding beat of Nicolay’s “Tight Eyes.” Tight Eyes ( Freestyle ) by MrMiranda “You’re not a man homeboy, you’re a mannequin,” Miranda quips. Sharp…
British tabloid NME has a penchant for overstating it — you know, a new “savoir of rock” every couple weeks — but they’re right on the money with this one: the January 7 issue of the magazine spotlights Phoenix-based Otro Mundo as one of the 100 New Bands You Have…
The Young, Mangled Men, ROAR, The Plainfield Butchers Yucca Tap Room Wednesday, January 4, 2012 Bits of Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney’s interview with Rolling Stone started hitting the web yesterday, with the bespectacled musician stating: “Rock ‘n’ roll is dying because people became okay with Nickelback being the biggest…
IFC’s darling indie cult hit Portlandia returns this Friday at 8 p.m., and we can’t get enough of it. (We like to imagine that all the extras wandering in the back are displaced Phoenicians. Come back, guys — it’s cooler here.) Of course, young retirement does sound awesome. Fred Armisen:…
Life was looking good for robot apocalypse outfit A Life of Science back in August of 2009. They had just released their debut album, The Apneist and got all geared up to produce the most epic underwater city music video ever shot in front of a green screen for the…
This week, New Times ran a list in our print publication highlighting some of the most interesting posts published at Up On The Sun over the past week. Here are links to those posts. Want to rewind? We take a look at three local cassette tape labels. What famous album…
What happens when a promising young pop band’s album gets rejected by the major label they’ve signed a seven-album contract with? In the case of The Maine’s Pioneer, the band says “screw it,” and releases it anyway. Of course, the story is more complicated than that, which singer John O’Callaghan…
From bedroom recordings to Target commercials, Portland three-piece Starfucker has had an interesting climb up the pop-culture ladder. In a perfect world, the group’s catchy hook-producing capabilities would make it a Top 40 shoo-in. But perhaps there’s something too deliberate in the act’s chosen moniker. A handful of earlier name…
After our burnt and decimated post-apocalyptic planet is discovered by alien robots thousands of years in the future, they will sift through the rubble of Tempe and likely find, among the ash of unopened textbooks and maroon and gold bongs, hundreds of copies of a round shiny disc with the…
While the lasting image from the Coen brothers’ 2000 film O Brother, Where Art Thou? may be a mustachioed, overall-clad, hicked-up George Clooney lip-synching “Man of Constant Sorrow,” the film’s multi-platinum soundtrack reignited interest in America’s earliest roots music. It was inevitable that musicians devoted to Americana would look beyond…
On the opening track of Kaumakaiwa Kanaka’ole’s eponymous 2008 album, the traditional island music is interrupted by a chant provided by Kanaka’ole’s grandmother. Delivering recitations in Hawaiian, her part acts as a bridge between generations and traditions. In fact the entire album, Kanaka’ole’s third, is a family affair, as more…
Clear away the tie-dyed shirts and Widespread Panic bootlegs. Though popular Tempe spot Sail Inn is known best for twirling, weed-addled jam-banders, things are going to get very metal this week, as the Arizona Local Rock Fest sweeps in, bringing acts with names like Flying Donkey Punch, Plagued Angel, and…
