The Smoke Bombs @ Yucca Tap Room

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…

La Luz @ Last Exit Live

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…

Top 12 March Metal Shows in Metro Phoenix

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,…

Tempe’s Leonardo DiCapricorn Gets Geeky with Its Punk-Rap Sounds

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…

The Chainsmokers @ Maya Day and Nightclub

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…

Travis James Is Raising Hell and Having Fun

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…

Matt and Kim Donate $1,000 to Trunk Space’s Indiegogo Fundraiser

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…

Metalocalypse‘s Brendon Small: From Death Metal to Playgirl

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…

No Volcano Takes Its Love of Music Seriously

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…

5 Must-See New Music Videos From Phoenix Bands

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…

We Still Believe @ Location to Be Announced

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…

I Chaperoned a Middle-School Valentine’s Day Dance

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…