The Temper TrapDecember 13, 2010Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill In perhaps the weirdest artist/venue pairing ever, Australian indie band The Tempe Trap played Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill in Mesa last night. “I’ve never seen so much plaid,” someone in the crowd said, and…
Song: Mariah Carey, “Oh Santa!” Context: Mariah Carey’s 1994 Christmas album is the all-time best, so I’m excited to see she has a new Christmas album out. This is the lead single off Merry Christmas II You. Mariah Carey – Oh Santa by Ju Miguel…
Gone are the misguided, commercialized efforts from Temporary Pleasure, instead replaced with nine minute, techno-centric odysseys. There are no vocals on this album, which should be a huge beacon of hope for long-time SMD fans — especially after the flurry of random guest vocals on their last album. Delicacies finds the…
If this all makes sense to you, then you’re all set for Akron/Family’s show this April. For those not salivating at the news of psych rock weirdness, Yann Tiersen, Loretta Lynn and Plain White T’s have just announced shows of their own.The rest of this week’s non-abandoned train station-recorded just announced shows:…
Salvia sales in Los Angeles have rapidly increased since a video of teen pop star Miley Cyrus allegedly smoking salvia from a bong leaked early Friday morning, according to NME.Apparently the video has triggered salvia sales to triple overnight.It seems many lots people than usual went to L.A. shops over…
Phoenix area band 49 Til Midnight is stepping up its game to open up for Sublime tribute band Badfish at the Marquee on February 12. With a sound that’s somewhat similar to Pearl Jam with a Scottsdale twist, these guys will undoubtedly catch on quickly.Up On The Sun caught up…
Local pop/rock band This Century recently stopped by Arizona for a hometown show at the Nile Theater with Hey Monday, The Ready Set, Cartel and We Are the In Crowd. While they sadly had to cancel their concert (singer Joel Kanitz had vocal issues), the band was kind enough to…
“I’ll kick anyone out smoking reggie.”
Those were Curren$y’s first words to the audience at the Clubhouse Music Venue on the eventful last stop for the Smoker’s Club Tour. The crowd — mostly flat-brimmed baseball cap clad guys in their early 20s — received the threat warmly. A few minutes later they tossed a few blunts onto the stage for him.
Alternative/acoustic hippie band Dispatch, part of whom you might know now as the band State Radio, has a big upcoming announcement.Here’s the catch: Nobody’s heard from them in so long that it’s tough to guess what the announcement is going to be. Will the band be reuniting after an extensive…
The featured story in this week’s music section detailed the growing success of local ska band 2 Tone Lizard Kings. While my piece mainly focused on 2TLK, the six-year-old ensemble is only one of seven different ska acts that are actively performing in Arizona (which, as I mentioned in my…
It’s amazing how much music is released in a year. I’ve listened to nearly 270 records in their entirety this year, yet I still have a huge stack of unlistened CDs on my desk, several unlistened digital downloads in my iTunes, and a lengthy list of high-profile stuff I never…
Song: Gay Blades, “Try To Understand” Context: The Gay Blades play Rogue Bar in Scottsdale Saturday night. Their new record, Savages, is excellent even if Jay Bennett liked it barely better than Kanye. The Gay Blades – Try To Understand by Alexandre Diogo…
Santa as a Hatchetman? That’s how’s depicted in this Christmas card from the good folks at Insane Clown Posse’s label, Psychopathic Records. I have to say, this really warms the cockles of my heart. In fact, I don’t think eggnog flavored Faygo or a moderately attractive Juggalette in red and…
The motto for Jared Alan and Sean Watson’s much-ballyhooed indie dance night Cheap Thrills is ostensibly “dancing and debauchery.” But for all intents and purposes, it might as well be “Rinse. Lather. Repeat.” That’s so slight against them or their mixing skills (as they’re some of our favorite record-spinners in…
Welcome to Obscuro, a new 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,…
Album: Wake Up Dead EPBasics: Phoenix’s The Whisperlights are amongst the stable of indie rock bands currently making the rounds in Phoenix/Tempe — Black Carl, What Laura Says, Dry River Yacht Club, and Gospel Claws. Many an opening slot has been reserved at those bands’ shows for The ‘Lights. Their Wake…
Miley Cyrus decided to have a little fun not long after her 18th birthday. She was caught on video smoking out of a bong, according to TMZ.First of all, this absolutely made my day even though Miley was only smoking salvia, a natural herb that is legal in the state…
Awwww, Bruno Mars. What a puppy dog he is.He’s the lyrical epitome of what a man should be–accepting, someone who doles out sincere compliments, someone who wants his partner to be his equal, etc. And his current single, “Grenade,” is yet another example of what a fine gentleman he is.In…
Name: Michele Chinichian AKA: DJ Roya Current gigs: Obscura, held at Rips Bar every second Saturday of the month. Genres spun: I play a blend of indie, New Wave, and Britpop at Obscura. I also enjoy spinning ’80s pop, old school, electro, and the occasional Top 40 guilty pleasure. How…
Artist: Mini Mansions Title: Mini Mansions Release date: November 2 Label: Ipecac One of the biggest musical curveballs of the year has to be the debut record by the Southern California trio Mini Mansions. I say it’s a curveball because I wouldn’t have guessed such a Beatles-esque display of psych…
Although there isn’t particularly an abundance of ska bands in Arizona, local ska band the 2 Tone Lizard Kings are keeping the genre fresh. They incorporate the energy of Fishbone frontman Angelo Moore, a maturing sound, and the vibes of a raucous crowd into their performances, and they put on…
Song: 2 Tone Lizard Kings, “The Bail Song”Context: Here’s a little taste from the local ska band that was the subject of this week’s New Times music feature in our print edition. The Bail Song — from Primeval Itch…
