“Under Cover of Darkness” is now available for download via The Strokes’ official website. Offer up your email and birthdate and you’ll get the band’s first new material since 2006’s First Impressions Of Earth — remember that album? Worry not if you’re struggling to name that album’s lead single (“Juicebox”) — Angles,…
One of the touchstones of the short-lived-but-fondly-remembered shoegaze movement, Ride’s debut album, Nowhere, has been given the deluxe 20th anniversary treatment for re-release with a bonus live disc on Rhino Handmade. Along with My Bloody Valentine’s classic, Loveless, Ride’s remarkable bow towers over the rest of shoegaze, including both bands’…
So long Philthy Phil’s, you will be missed. In case you didn’t read the news over on our sister blog Jackalope Ranch, the long-running dive bar closed its doors this week after eight years of operation. The place became more of a hipster haven in recent years, it’s long served…
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… What was really behind the White Stripes breakup and where does Meg White go from here?…
Song: Smith Westerns, “Smile”Context: Smith Westerns will be at Rhythm Room tomorrow night with Yuck. Should be an interesting show from a pair of buzzing bands. This song is from the new Smith Westerns’ album Dye It Blonde. Smith Westerns – ‘Smile’ by SpunkRecords…
Folk master Paul Simon has just released details about his upcoming album, according to Consequence of Sound.So Beautiful Or So What will be a 10-track LP, and it’s scheduled to be released on April 12.Simon has put out a music video for the first track, entitled “Getting Ready For Christmas…
Despite the fact he’s one of the Valley’s better DJs, you’ll probably never hear the ultra-humble Jimmy Martin-Nelson (otherwise known as Death to the Throne) singing his own praises.Instead, you should leave that task up to the scribes of Rolling Stone or the members of the blogosphere, who will gladly…
The saucy cowgirls at Shotgun Betty’s Rock & Roll Salloon serve their shots with a side of attitude. These gals dance on tabletops while classics from Def Leppard, Journey and Guns N’ Roses blast through the well-stocked bar, which is complete with a motorcycle. Check out this week’s Club Candids…
Arizona State University students couldn’t seem to get enough of John Legend at his Black History Month event at Gammage Auditorium last night.Not only did he give a fabulous 10-song performance, but before that he also delivered a beautiful loosely political speech about education and did a brief Q&A session…
Tennis Rhythm Room Tuesday, February 8, 2011 So it was — a waif, diminutive indie chanteuse and her prim, penny-loafer adorned husband took to the stage last night. The local crowd came out in impressive numbers for a Tuesday night in February. People were dancing, nodding their heads in appreciation of the laid-back, effervescent music. And…
John LegendFebruary 8, 2011ASU Gammage AuditoriumJohn Only needed his voice and a piano to make a huge impression at Gammage auditorium last night.Legend’s show, sponsored by Arizona State University’s undergraduate student government and the black/African coalition, was held in celebration of Black History Month, and that background heavily flavored the…
Phoenix New Times has a lot to tell you about the making of Silver Medallion’s record No One Ever Really Dies in a feature story that’ll be online tomorrow. In the meantime, however, we broke the news about the allegedly drunk teenage driver who killed Carnegie, half of the glammy…
Song: The Strokes, “Under Cover Of Darkness”Context: Today’s pick was actually chosen on account of how annoying it is. Why would The Strokes choose to release a stupid 30-second snippet of a single they’re going to “give away” for two days next week? I guess they really want to up…
Rumors were flying around last week that the Gorillaz had broken up. However, they haven’t split just yet, according to Consequence of Sound.During a performance in New Zealand back in December, vocalist Damon Albarn gave a lengthy speech about how the show might end up being the band’s last ever…
Zonoscope is quite a departure from 2008’s far-too-brilliant In Ghost Colours. The band pretty much had no choice on the matter. Almost anything similar would pale in comparison — it’s rare to hear a band hit their stride in such a magnificent fashion as Cut Copy did on In Ghost…
Hey there,Today Up On The Sun is stoked (YES, “STOKED” IS THE RIGHT WORD) to debut a new music-related comic by local artist/musician/venue operator Robbie Pfeffer.It’s called Noise Complaint and is awesome.That’s really all the introduction this new feature needs. Come back for more weekly.You can view the entire comic…
Plain White T’s may be best known for acoustic love songs like “Hey There Delilah” and “1,2,3,4”, but their newest album, Wonders of the Younger, takes listeners on a trip down memory lane, encouraging listeners to look back at the past with a sense of Peter Pan-like innocence. And if…
Kathryn Elizabeth Hetrick, the teenage driver allegedly responsible for the accident that killed Phoenix hip-hop artist Carnegie last fall was indicted this past week.According to Jerry Cobb, spokesperson for the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, a grand jury handed down three indictments on February 1 against Hetrick, including one count of…
Mixed in amongst this week’s indie rock plethora is a Slick Rick show at The Clubhouse. The British born, New York raised M.C. is best known for being a story-rap innovator, coming of age in what many consider to be the Golden Age of hip-hop. Songs such as “Children’s Story,”…
Why is it that bands — and people in general — seem to be appreciated so much more once they’re gone?After they’re out of reach, suddenly a person somehow becomes even more important than before. You’ve seen it when someone dies, of course, and also when a band like The…
Song: Tennis, “Take Me Somewhere”Context: This buzzing Denver band comes to Rhythm Room tomorrow night. Tennis – Take Me Somewhere by forcefieldpr…
Calexico at Corona Ranch Someone at Corona Ranch realized it was after 11 p.m. Someone knew the band had been playing for damn-near two-hours. Someone wanted to punch their time-card and go home, not caring to hear a truly stellar Southwesternized version of “Tomorrow Never Knows,” which you’d have to…
