If sunshine were audible, it would probably sound a lot like Allen Clapp’s music. Based in the Bay Area, the Northern California native has been producing a gorgeous soundtrack to the Golden State lifestyle for almost two decades under his own name and with his band The Orange Peels. Mixed…
UPDATE: For more photos of Tennis, Miniature Tigers, and Gospel Claws click here.Let’s just put it out there: The first time I heard indie boy-girl buzz band Tennis, I absolutely hated them. For starters, I generally hate chick singers who don’t have anything spectacular to offer (though a few of my…
What can we say? We’re suckers for a good cause. Hoodlums Music’s Art Rocks! event is certainly a good one. The indie record store is teaming with Arts Council for Youth, Marcos de Niza High School, Kyrene Middle School, and the City of Tempe for the Saturday, December 10 gig,…
We’re legit bummed that X103.9’s Bush and MuteMath show was cancelled, but since it would have been tonight, we decided that our interview with MuteMath is definitely still worth a read. Mutemath drummer Darren King had a lot to say about stop motion photography, comparisons to the Black Keys, what…
Organizers of the annual Air Guitar World Championships oughta consider holding next year’s event at Rockbar Inc. in Scottsdale, particularly since many folks in attendance at it’s grand opening on Friday, December 2, were strumming faux Fenders and invisible Ibanez while classic rock hits came from the sound system. When…
We here at Up On the Sun are a tad local-centric. We like it that way. We love our local bands and, when it comes to expanding our interests, typically American bands get the attention. But hey, you have to give credit where credit is due. There are plenty of…
Tom “Soda” Gardocki spent years playing guitar in SoCal rockers Wax (go rewatch the credits of Mallrats; the band plays right after its pals Weezer) but more recently he’s devoted himself to more rustic purposes. Either performing with his Large Band, his “Million Piece Band,” or solo with his 12-string…
Attention rock and alternative acts around Arizona: The Phoenix Zoo wants you for 2012’s Rock the Zoo event. “We’re looking for rock and alternative acts,” says zoo PR & Marketing Manager Linda Hardwick. “In the past, we’ve done ’80s music, but this year we really wanted to involve the community,…
Neil Hamburger is not your typical comic, and DJ Horsepussy is not your typical DJ. Hamburger’s “anti-comedy” style has certainly inspired an entire crop of alt-comedians, and while Phoenix has a few DJs with “fucking” offensive names, none go as far to remain anonymous as the lucha libre-masked rocker. Both…
In the latest installment of “Wait, Fox said whaaat?” Eric Bolling, host of Fox Business’ Follow the Money had a conversation with Media Research Center guest Dan Gainor and Andrea Tantaros, co-host of The Five, where they discussed the staunch anti-corporate tone of The Muppets. Jason Richard Kron, of local…
Out of Reverie, Come On Die Young, Alaurabyrd, Just Animals, and Death By Routine will all be bringing down the house this weekend for what is sure to be a very punk rock Christmas. Just look at that Mexican folk-skull dressed as Santa. The flier just screams visually. Not only…
X set itself apart from its first-generation punk contemporaries with Exene Cervenka and John Doe’s dueling vocals and a serious dose of roots and rockabilly in its sound. X has a difficult and fascinating history. Cervenka and Doe started the band as a couple, got married, divorced, wrote a few…
At the end of the year, we like to take a look back and think about all the awesome shows we saw throughout the months. But for whatever reason, 2011 seemed to be a year of cancellations — and some pretty huge shows were canceled, at that. So here are the…
As the football weekend wrapped up Monday night, fans had plenty to cheer about. Cheeseheads everywhere breathed a sigh of relief as the Green Bay Packers survived the New York Giants 38-35 to preserve their undefeated season, while the Cardinals shocked the Dallas Cowboys in overtime. Although the Denver Broncos…
Dream Theater at Ikeda at Mesa Arts Center Loyal fans talk about Dream Theater’s live show in hushed, reverential tones. I’d never experienced the band live before last night, but years of hearing fans rave about the prog-rock theatrics of the long-running group set my expectations high. Mesa Arts Center’s…
Dream Theater Ikeda Theater at Mesa Arts Center Sunday, December 4, 2011 Loyal fans talk about Dream Theater’s live show in hushed, reverential tones. I’d never experienced the band live before last night, but years of hearing fans rave about the prog-rock theatrics of the long-running group set my expectations…
Best Beach Wavves Coast House Fossils. There are plenty of “beachy” bands out there, and most of them combine 60’s pop melodies with boatloads of reverb. Tennis plays off the nautical theme — on in name, but in origin: the Colorado husband and wife team were initially inspired by a…
Most break-ups end horribly, and reunions are often just as rocky. Despite the original magic, it’s nearly impossible to recapture the love. But sometimes it’s not so dramatic. Haffo had one of those rare breakups where you actually can still be friends with your ex and it’s not that awkward…
Want to know what new release discs and platters are moving across the Valley at local record stores? We’ve got you covered with another installment of What’s Selling. It wasn’t so long ago that Jimmy Brooks and his best friend Spinner Mason walked the halls of Degrassi High School. In…
Lucky for us locals, we’re blessed with an annual celebration in Tempe Beach Park featuring a performance by Flogging Molly. It’s official: they’re back for some more luck o’ the Irish and another St. Patty’s bash.The rest of this week’s shows after the jump…..
My favorite moment of Herman Cain’s “That’s it, I’m out of here” speech was when quoted Donna Summers’ “Power of One,” a favorite “poem” of us, and coincidentally, the theme from Pokémon 2000. Brad Dwyer features another kids show in this week’s installment of Record Heat, the much-loved Yo Gabba…
Bah! You know, Christmas is all about commercialism and stampeding people for the cheapest television. Just like Jesus wanted. While I always appreciate a good competition, I think this year… this year is a Festivus sort of year. The last thing we want to do is promote any official Festivus jingles,…
