This week, New Times Clubs Editor Jason Woodbury explores the passion of a tribute band in his feature on Queensrÿche tribute band The Rÿche. As relayed in the story, covering another artist’s material isn’t always easy, but it can be rewarding in many ways — like when a cover song…
“What’s Havarti again?” Deadmau5, Canadian-based DJ and producer known throughout the world for his tasty, electronic beats, asks the question standing in a super market with an oversized, metallic mouse head where his human one should be. “It’s Havarti if you want to party.” The reply comes from Harley, the…
There’s no “secret formula” for success in any music genre, but finding an audience as a prog rock band seems especially tricky. Prog rock’s biggest success stories range from the legendary (Pink Floyd) to the legendarily annoying (Rush). For a genre in which virtuosity is so highly regarded, the gaps…
Portugal. The Man is arguably one of the hardest-working bands making music. They’ve released a record every year since 2006, and five EPs between 2005 and 2007. They tour tirelessly, constantly churning out their psychedelic funk grooves for the enjoyment of their dedicated fans. The Portland via Alaska band got…
This month sees the release of two records featuring Ryan “Elvis Wong” Rousseau. The first is Sonoran, by Destruction Unit, seeing release via indie label Volar Records, and the second is a reissue of The Reatards’ debut Teenage Hate, an album Rousseau played drums on in 1998 with his friend…
There isn’t much demand these days for films about train-hopping hobos set in the ’30s, but if there were, no one other than Man Man could supply the soundtrack. The Philadelphia quintet combines the practice of using a wide variety of instruments, including piano, guitar, pots, pans, and fireworks, and…
History shows that modern musicians can become successful when they work in threes. For instance, ZZ Top, Green Day, The Bee Gees, Destiny’s Child, The Police, and The Beastie Boys have all found fame and fortune. However, not one of them sounds anything like Brooklyn instrumental soul funk trio Soulive…
Calling the warehouse space where Mesa-based band The Rÿche rehearses a “practice space” doesn’t seem fair. Behind heavy metal doors, the room is equipped with a full stage, lined with couches, gig posters, and a sound system that actually puts those at some Valley clubs to shame. In front of…
Juan Carlos Lenz and the other hipster DJs behind the new monthly dance affair Mean Streets aren’t lacking in confidence, by any means. Check out the event’s Facebook page as evidence of such, as Lenz and company declare that the night will be “a party extraordinaire featuring some of the…
The triumphs, scandals, and serial reinventions that comprise the official mythology of “Diddy” né “P. Diddy” né “Puff Daddy” né Sean Combs are compelling, indeed. But what of Diddy’s hidden history, the triumphs and mega-triumphs that he’s not yet disclosed for general consumption? We’ve meticulously compiled it here. 1969: Sean…
THURSDAY 5 27th Avenue Bar: DJ Manage, & DJ Android (Top 40, dance) Afterlife: Thumpin Thurzdays (various) AZ/88: Josh One (rare groove, urban funk) Bar Smith: Splash Thursday (reggae, dancehall, Top 40, house) Bikini Lounge: DJ Shane Kennedy (jazz, blues, country, R&B, rarities, vintage) Blue Martini: Rewind Thursday with DJ…
To some people, being cool is all about not caring if you’re cool. This week, Up On the Sun cartoonist Robbie Pfeffer explores the idea that the less effort you put into being hip, the more hip you really are — and if you’re putting more effort into putting less…
Warner Music Group — home to acts like Led Zeppelin, Green Day, and Tempe-based indie rock band The Maine — is for sale. If you think it’s tough outbidding other eBay users for a rare record, you should see the bidding battle currently underway for one of the last giants…
Who’s ready for a fight?! I’m sure that there’s not actually any bad blood between Tempe-based soul/funk band Black Carl and indie-rockers Gospel Claws, but it’s fun to imagine the two bands climbing into the vintage boxing ring at The Duce to settle a score and duke it out. Sure,…
Dirty dubstep beats, dope dames, and wild times are what you’ll find every Thump Day down at School of Rock in Tempe. The Mill Avenue nightspot is filled with plenty of bass-heavy beats courtesy of such DJs as HavocNdeeD, which shake School of Rock to its very foundation. Club Candids…
In advance of their untitled debut full-length, local garage-pop trio The Cosmeticators released to the world Tuesday a nice-looking music video for “Roboman,” which features women in tight dresses, a dude in a robot costume, and the timeless kids game Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots. So, you’re probably gonna wanna…
The Beastie Boys have been pumping out some of the best promotional blitz I’ve ever seen for their new record, Hot Sauce Committee Pt. 2, out yesterday in stores and online. In addition to the incredible Fight for Your Right Revisited short film, staring Seth Rogen, Elijah Wood, Danny McBride,…
Phoenix resident Stevie Nicks’ new album, In Your Dreams, was released today. Rolling Stone writer Rob Sheffield has already given the album rave reviews, calling it Nicks’ best album in a decade. It’s hard to argue with that, especially considering that Nicks hasn’t released an album in a decade (her…
Fleet Foxes kicked May off in the proper fashion, releasing what I consider to be the year’s best album thus far. In only a week’s time, however, New York experimental rockers Gang Gang Dance will unleash their beast of an album, Eye Contact.Lucky for us, the fine blokes at NME…
It wasn’t too hard a decision to christen Helplessness Blues as my favorite album of 2011. Robin Pecknold knows how to write a goddamn song and the band shows an amazing polish that many bands come across on their fourth or fifth albums — certainly not their second. Such is…
Everyone knows “Tequila,” the 1958 hit by the California combo The Champs, even if they don’t know the name of the band that recorded it. The song was originally cut as a toss-away b-side for rockabilly artist Dave Burgess’ single “Train to Nowhere.” But it was “Tequila,” written by songwriter/saxophonist…
We at Up on the Sun woke up this morning thinking it would be absolutely smashing if, say, a brand new track from Smashing Pumpkins was waiting in our inboxes. As it turns out, dreams really do come true. ”Owata” from Teargarden By Kaleidyscope, the Pumpkins’ 44-track opus being released…
