Bruno Mars November 20, 2010 Martini Ranch Wow, what a showman Bruno Mars is.The young singer-songwriter made it clear he’s not just another pop star at his show Saturday night at Martini Ranch, launching his set with an extensive drum solo. While other musicians in his genre might hide behind…
In terms of pitting two bands to face off against each other in a battle of the bands it seems like a pretty uneven match up between the well established funk hip-hop group The Roots and Brooklyn’s Miniature Tigers.Of course, both groups have their advantages and disadvantages. Miniature Tigers are…
Song: Dr. Dre ft Akon & Snoop Dogg, “Kush”Context: Dre’s new single really is a pile of shit. I can’t believe we waited a decade to hear single that has Akon’s overplayed ass on it. If all of Detox is this bad the Doctor needs to keep it unreleased. Dre…
East Phoenix gay bar Nu-Towne Saloon was the unfortunate victim of an devastating fire earlier this week, which reportedly caused “extensive damage” to its interior. Please refrain from making any jokes involving any wordplay with “flames” or “flaming,” thank you very much. Per reports by KTVK and FOX-10, the blaze…
We at Up on the Sun are looking forward to tonight’s performance by Usher at Jobing.com Arena. It’ll be nice to see his little song and dance while we wait for the headliner. What’s that? You say Usher is the headliner? Come on now. We all know that the only…
There’s something of an unwritten law here in the Valley that dictates the following: Anything remotely cool will eventually either die or start to suck. Don’t believe me? Try tuning into KUKQ on your car radio while heading over to the Mason Jar or Jugheads to catch a show, followed…
As Tempe self-described desert reggae rock n’ roll group The VeraGroove gears up for their Travlin’ Man EP release show Saturday, December 4 at Marquee Theatre, the guys graciously decided to share an exclusive track from the EP with Up on the Sun readers before anyone can get their hands…
: Static MarchTitle: All At Once, a six-song EP.Basics: Formerly known as Five High, this mellow Phoenix trio plays alternative/indie rock inspired by — according to to the band — Incubus, Muse, Death Cab for Cutie and Kings of Leon.Red flag!While the Kings may be personas non gratas with this…
Lollapalooza has expanded to Chile, according to Billboard.Perry Farrell’s music festival will be going down at O’Higgins Park in Santiago, Chile for the first time on April 2 and 3, 2011. This will be the first time that Lollapalooza has ever gone international. Presumably Chile got the honor in part…
The times, they are a’changing, and traditional wedding songs just don’t cut it for everyone anymore. That’s why we’ve suggested some more modern alternatives to keep your wedding rocking, as well as some selections to stay away from that mean you probably shouldn’t be getting married if you have to…
Leave it to Enrique Iglesias to channel lust into a dance hit all about f-ing. The Spanish singer just has this impossible-to-pinpoint, irresistible charm that excuses his chauvinistic qualities and makes him radio gold.But at least he knows he’s a pig, and this is the second song where he implores…
ddie Lebario (a.k.a. DJ Manchester) is old school, just like his favorite musical genre.As you’ll read in this week’s version of DJ Dossier, the cat has been spinning up the hits inside local clubs since the mid ’90s. And more often than not, said hits have typically been from the…
Who’d win in a fight between local legends Miniature Tigers and the hip-hop icons of The Roots? Although its feels like we’re making a Sophie’s Choice between our two favorite children, here’s our pick: The consensus amongst the New Times is that Questlove and his crew would probably wipe the…
Song: Girl Talk, “All Day”Context: So you’re probably thinking it’s cheating to make Today’s Soundtrack the entire new Girl Talk album. Well, not only has been it impossible to download this damn thing from the official site since it came out, it’s actually supposed to be just one track. So…
Mos Def, the Hollywood actor who you may remember was once a respected rapper, has joined Zack de la Rocha’s Sound Strike.Yes, #69 on the official list of Stuff White People Like, will not be bringing his enlightened rhymes to Arizona because of SB 1070, a stupid anti-immigrant law which…
Want to get out of town for New Year’s Eve, but not so far out of town that you’re in California or Vegas?Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers are planning a pretty cool option: a show at Flagstaff’s historic Orpheum Theatre. Clyne’s shows are always a big drunken party, and sometimes…
Kings of Leon has stooped to a new low by bringing a potentially offensive yet interesting idea to the table, according to NME.The band posted an ad in an effort to recruit “characters with scars, pockmarked skin, physical abnormalities or deformities” for their next music video.In the ad, Kings of…
Portland-based indie band The Thermals gave the world a piece of their mind yesterday on Twitter before playing the Rhythm Room in Phoenix, going on a rant against the Arizona Sound Strike boycott and any bands who don’t play Arizona because of SB-1070.Among the Tweets that helped add fuel to…
New Riders of the Purple Sage are famous for their rambling brand of California country music, which is a lot like the original Southern stuff sans the vocal twang. Lumped in with artists like Dwight Yoakam, Merle Haggard, and Buck Owens, they re-create the collective “Bakersfield sound” of the ’50s…
Bruno Mars sure has a way with the ladies. His song “Just the Way You Are” has become an anthem for females everywhere, as the number one hit implores women (and, well, anyone) to stay true to themselves and not give in to changing for the object of their affection…
Following in the footsteps of Jake E. Lee and Randy Rhoads would seem an unenviable task, but Zakk Wylde proved he was more than up to the challenge, serving as Ozzy Osbourne’s lead guitarist for a two-decade, five-album stretch from 1987 to 2009. Along the way, Wylde formed his own…
We all agree that Nat King Cole’s 1951 version of “Unforgettable” is a wonderful piece of music. Timeless. Velvety. A real soul-warming hymn of devotion. Can we also agree that the song is more overused than Michelle Duggar’s uterus? Kenny Rogers recently covered it. So did Jackie Chan. And let’s…
