When the aptly named Asses of Evil imploded in 2012, Valley punk rock fans were left eager to see what would come crawling from the wreckage. Stalwart bass thumper Todd Joseph and singer/rhythm guitar maestro Chris JJ Jet quickly formed The Smoke Bombs, enlisting lead guitarist Brandon Meunier and drummer…
After a harrowing accident totaled their van and gear in November, the members of Seattle surf-noir quartet La Luz didn’t just feel lucky to be alive. Singer-guitarist Shana Cleveland says the outpouring of support during the band’s recovery came across as a message that a life in music is where…
A few hours from now, the rest of the country is gonna get clued into what local music fans have known for years: KONGOS jams out some seriously fantastic rock ‘n’ roll…
The marriage of horror cinema and heavy metal — it’s a match made in heaven for me and probably hell for others, like my girlfriends who prefer pop music and romantic comedies. Either way, it’s one of my favorite topics and we’ve definitely got some fresh blood on the matter…
It can be easy to miss unless you’re looking for it, but there are a lot of metal (heavy or otherwise) getting slung in and around Metro Phoenix, thanks to concerts and gigs by locals and touring acts alike. As such, Up on the Sun’s resident metal scribe, Lauren Wise,…
When a band in a small genre possesses a sound that is very much their own, most would assume it would limit the acts it can perform with, but that’s not the case with the local horror-punk trio of the brothers Calabrese. They’ve performed and shared bills alongside a number…
Last night is guaranteed to go down as one of the greatest nights ever in the young life of Matt Peterson. At long last, the 17-year-old Phoenix resident and Arcadia High School student got to go to a prom of sorts with the notorious pop star, albeit in the midst…
It’s 2014 and high time you got some new music into your playlist — seriously. And that’s doubly true when it comes local music, of which there’s an abundance in metro Phoenix. The Valley’s music scene is gifted with burgeoning bands and emerging artists who will be making waves and…
It’s 2014 and high time you got some new music into your playlist — seriously. And that’s doubly true when it comes local music, of which there’s an abundance in metro Phoenix. The Valley’s music scene is gifted with burgeoning bands and emerging artists who will be making waves and…
It’s 2014 and high time you got some new music into your playlist — seriously. And that’s doubly true when it comes local music, of which there’s an abundance in metro Phoenix. The Valley’s music scene is gifted with burgeoning bands and emerging artists who will be making waves and…
If you’ve spent anytime on Facebook recently, it’s a strong possibility that any of the EDM fans, club kids, or party-monster millennials on your friends list have dropped a link in their respective newsfeeds to “#SELFIE” by The Chainsmokers, probably with comments along the lines of “ZOMG! This is soooo…
It’s 2014 and high time you got some new music into your playlist — seriously. And that’s doubly true when it comes local music, of which there’s an abundance in metro Phoenix. The Valley’s music scene is gifted with burgeoning bands and emerging artists who will be making waves and…
Sorry to say, Meat Puppets, but you ain’t Arizona’s favorite band. At least, not anymore. Same goes for you, Gin Blossoms, Roger Clyne, Jimmy Eat World, and Alice Cooper. Y’all don’t rate, at least not to the number crunchers at The Echo’s Nest, a Massachusettes-based “music intelligence company” that supplies…
It’s 2014 and high time you got some new music into your playlist — seriously. And that’s doubly true when it comes local music, of which there’s an abundance in metro Phoenix. The Valley’s music scene is gifted with burgeoning bands and emerging artists who will be making waves and…
There’s just over 11 hours left in the Trunk Space’s oft-promoted Indiegogo campaign to raise enough cash for its 10th anniversary celebration and a new air conditioner. As such, there’s been a flurry of last-minute donations, including the crowdfunder’s biggest monetary gift yet, which came from some famous names: Matt…
Creating a virtual band that somehow became the highest-charting death metal band in history and posing in Playgirl magazine aren’t usually two things that go hand-in-hand. However, neither is directing a Soundgarden music video, then releasing a solo album, and co-headlining alongside Mastodon in said fictional metal band — just…
It’s 2014 and high time you got some new music into your playlist — seriously. And that’s doubly true when it comes local music, of which there’s an abundance in metro Phoenix. The Valley’s music scene is gifted with burgeoning bands and emerging artists who will be making waves and…
It’s rare to find a group that can go from being a cassette-recorded basement pastime to a full band that’s able to translate dazzling musicianship from the album to the stage. Such an evolution is rarely seamless, however. Dr. Dog — whose brand of psychedelic-tinged, harmony-driven pop was once the…
It’s 2014 and high time you got some new music into your playlist — seriously. And that’s doubly true when it comes local music, of which there’s an abundance in metro Phoenix. The Valley’s music scene is gifted with burgeoning bands and emerging artists who will be making waves and…
When they haven’t been busy rehearsing, recording, or playing out around town, five Valley bands — The Prowling Kind, Andy Warpigs, The Hourglass Cats, The Prowling Kind, Fairy Bones, and The Haymarket Squares — have been busying themselves in recent weeks planning and filming music videos for their latest tracks…
The members of Rebel Disco are being tight-lipped about their newest hangout. After years of slinging beats at such Phoenix nightspots as Bar Smith and Club 24, the tastemaking local DJ collective has a new joint in town, which will make its debut Friday, February 21, during the We Still…
Editor’s Note: Shea Serrano is an award-winning music writer and goofball whose recent exploits include Bun B’s Rap Coloring and Activity Book, and writes this weekly column about his life and times. 3:20 p.m.: Today I am chaperoning our school’s Valentine’s Day dance. A line of about 100 kids is…
