Perhaps you’ve noticed that the ever-schizophrenic McDowell Mountain Music Festival alternates between hardcore jammy shit and cool kinda-indie shit. Flaming Lips and Matisyahu one year, Steve Kimock and Crazy Engine and Grace Potter and the Nocturnals the next.The 2011 lineup has been announced for the festival — again in the…
Leading the way, at least in my book, are 1990s alternative rockers Toad The Wet Sprocket. I’ll say it right now — I love me some TTWS. I cannot listen to their 1991 masterpiece “All I Want” and not just feel good inside, you know?I absolutely adored the song in…
Janet Jackson — who you may remember for such accomplishments as wearing the world’s worst shoulder pads, being related to the weirdest weirdo in the weirdo-filled history of popular music and letting Justin Timberlake expose her saggy and ugly pierced breast to the largest television audience assembled on any given…
John McRea and company have studied up in their six year absence, coming back with fresh ideas for their latest work – ideas such as the introduction of reverb, something the band had shied away from in the past. Helping balance out the reverb is another first for the band…
Drummer Scott Kusmirek — who did two stints with the Gin Blossoms in the midst of the band’s feud with Phillip Rhodes, the drummer they rode to prominence in the early 90s — has a new project.”The Kooze’s” new band is called Vinyl Station and an “indie-rock” trio also featuring…
When preparing for an interview with a band I Google the hell out of them beforehand. In the case of Columbus, Ohio band The Black Swans, this task was a little more difficult than normal thanks to the movie Black Swan. In fact, when trying to find a photo to…
Young Money rapper Drake and Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine are set to collaborate, according to Spinner.Who’s Florence Welch, you ask? She’s the singer in the band that sang that hit “The Dog Days Are Over.” You know, the one in the overplayed commercials for the film Eat,…
NME’s deputy editor Luke Lewis published an interesting article about the future of digital music last week.Lewis made a list of 10 insightful music predictions regarding what the developments of digital music might entail in 2011, and I’ve got to hand it to him, he did a great job and…
Purple Reign Talking Stick Resort January 8th, 2011 When it comes to most musical acts there really isn’t any substitution for the original. Prince, for example, is a one of a kind musician, but the tribute act Purple Reign is probably as close to the real thing as you can…
Hemoptysis and Landmine MarathonClubhouse Music VenueJanuary 7, 2011Two of the Valley’s best metal bands came together last night for a show that set the bar high for the local metal scene in 2011. Landmine Marathon and Hemoptysis put together a 1-2 punch last night that not only solidified their reputations…
If you’re one of the many fans of The Maine who caught the recent screening of their flick In Darkness and In Light, you’ll likely remember the scenes where numerous children and pre-teens “ultimately engage in bloody war” using wooden swords.The band’s now offering its fervent fanbase a chance to…
Wanna see a badass show? Well you got it.In fact, the upcoming Monsters of Mock gig will be jam packed with 80s tribute band greatness.Bad Reputation, a local Joan Jett Tribute Band, is headlining. Joining Bad Reputation are the Ultimate Van Halen Tribute and 33.Erin Morley, Bad Reputation’s drummer, is…
There’s been a rip-roaring debate raging through the religious world for years over the role of Christian rock. Although some hard-liners feel it’s the devil’s music and has no place in the Lord’s house of worship, more moderate (and less fundamentalist) types feel it’s just another avenue for paying tribute…
What’s the real deal: did Soulja Boy actually write Willow Smith’s smash hit “Whip My Hair”? Hell no, but he did receive a bit of songwriting credit for a line that came from his own song, “Turn My Swag On.”Ronald “Jukebox” Jackson is less than thrilled by the songwriting claim…
Title: Guest HouseBasics: Pawl may refer to:•A common component of a ratchet •A part of the adjustable height locking mechanism of an extension ladder•A part of a table saw splitter, a safety mechanism designed to prevent kickback•Jazzed up cinematic pop from a fellow named Paul Krauss and his friends…
Song: Queen & David Bowie, “Under Pressure” Context: Mr. Space Oddity is gonna be celebrating his 64th birthday this coming weekend (as does Elvis Preseley…if he were still alive, that is). Queen – Under Pressure by Itubaina Radio Retro…
Name: Colleen Fay McLaughlin AKA: DJ Blonde N0ize Current schedule: I’ve been a resident at Sadisco* for the past six years. I’m also spinning in Tucson at Club Sanctuary for their anniversary party. It just so happens to be my birthday along with DJ Plastic Disease and a host of…
Fear Factory fans disappointed by the band’s last-minute cancellation of their Clubhouse gig over the holidays have a reason to roar again. The death metal legends, who’ve been kicking around the music world for more than two decades, have rescheduled the show for April 24. Fear Factory was originally scheduled…
Former Phoenix Suns player (and current New York Knicks superstar) Amar’e Stoudemire was reportedly a big fan of the Scottsdale’s Old Town scene and the many swanky and stylish clubs populating the district. So it’s not much of a shocker that Amar’e is apparently planning a return trip to his…
This Kinch video is too cutely funny for words. So I won’t write any more than strictly necessary. Enjoy. (Watch all the way to the end; it gets better and better as it goes.)…
Welcome to Obscuro, a weekly feature where Up on the Sun dives deep into the world of vinyl oddities: private press jobs, major label cast-offs, and general thrift shop clutter that’s thus far escaped anyone’s attention. These LPs have been hiding out, collecting dust, until we come along, investigate, probe…
J.R. Phillips, better known as D-JR, is on the move to Los Angeles in hopes of an even brighter future as a DJ. He’s been spinning his way to the top spots of many notable DJ competitions, which have been landing him some big gigs. Even though he has already…
