This week, New Times ran a list in our print publication highlighting some of the most interesting posts published at Up On The Sun over the past week. Here are links to those posts. Why did DMX get arrested last week? What underground hip-hop is Yaya Martinez bringing to Power…
When Jimi Hendrix reinvented the guitar instrumental as we know it with “Third Stone from the Sun,” he took time out to make a PSA warning that stated: “You’ll never hear surf music again.” In 1967, the sounds of 1961 and, even, 1964 seemed a century removed. But if surf…
It seems pointless to define the music of Sade (either the female lead singer/songwriter or her group of the same name) as “sexy” at this point. “Sexy” is as Sade does. Sure, sexy will always have a place on the radio, but it’s Sade’s career model that flies in the…
First, you notice the beats. The melodies pulsating in the air have a hypnotic quality, and their rhythms command your hips to move, your feet to shuffle, and your arms to be thrown in the air. It’s such feel-good electronic dance music that fist pumping is forgivable, but standing still…
Dear and the Headlights may have officially broken up, but we’re not done hearing music from the Phoenix indie rockers. In their official breakup letter to fans, guitarist PJ Waxmen expressed frustration with the music industry, but not with writing music itself. Clearly they were actually pretty prolific when it came…
Jack White and I.C.P. have one thing in common — they love screwing with people’s expectations. Scratch that, they’ve got two things in common. Just listen to “Leck Mich Im Arsch,” the new single that combines unlikely collaborators Jack White, I.C.P., Mozart, and Jeff, the Brotherhood. I’ve spent plenty of…
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but conventional wisdom suggests that fans of Morrisey and The Smiths are prone to naval gazing, crying, and a lot of black clothing. But that’s all stereotyping, right? You don’t have to be a depressive to dig the band. Even Fred “I…
Cake will surely come bearing an arsenal of their awkward but lovable alternative hits, including “Love You Madly,” “Walk on By,” “The Distance” and “Short Skirt/Long Jacket,” and that signature monotonous droning on their cover of “I Will Survive.”Joining Cake with shows of their own are Deer Tick, GLOWfest, The…
Earlier this year, I pissed off a whole bunch of Aaron Lewis/Staind fans when I claimed that Lewis’ song “Country Boy” was a “gone country” cash-in. Let me tell ‘ya — Lewis’ fans are a feisty bunch. One even tweeted at me, insulting the jacket I was wearing in my…
Devin Fleenor of Mr. Meeble is a busy guy. Talking over the phone, he explains to me that, somehow, he’s got to finish mixing a few songs, line them up on disc, and then burn a 100 or so copies before waking up early and catching a flight to Europe…
Labor Day weekend is shaping up to be a good one for local music. KWSS 106.7 announced plans to today to play nothing but local music starting Friday at midnight, and continuing on till Monday, when the TMI Morning Show’s Beef Vegan, Shorty, and Buddah will count down their 20…
Up On The Sun is putting a local twist on Tumblr of the Week by shedding light on some blogs that are closer to home. So this week, we’re brining you The Season Premiere. More on what’s awesome about this week’s Tumblr of the Week after the jump… …
Banana Gun is a busy band. On average, this local blues/rock group performs twice a week, often playing free shows at Long Wong’s Firehouse and Yucca Tap Room. Drummer Ian Breslin describes “Sometimes,” a rhythmic guitar-driven song from the band’s debut EP, as a fan favorite. “‘Sometimes’ is a song…
Way back in April, we spoke with cartoonist/musician Stephen Steinbrink about his plans for Yellow Canary Dance Hall, which he described then as “a community center, movie theater, punk basement, print shop, art gallery, lecture hall, and a place to play board games at three in the morning.” The space…
She made the announcement about expecting her and Jay-Z’s first child together when she walked onto the red carpet and showed off a small baby bump at the MTV Video Music Awards. A representative for Beyonce Knowles has confirmed her pregnancy.”I always said I would have a baby at 30,”…
Yesterday Up on the Sun reported that DMX was arrested for speeding on Wednesday night. I noted that, sadly, the event was hardly surprising, given X’s history of arrests in Arizona. Today, things got a little less routine. In a statement made to The Source earlier today, Domenick Nati, DMX’s…
Luis Sias, otherwise known as DJ Les735, is one busy dude. He’s made himself at home at pretty much every DJ-focused venue in town, from Chasers to The Clubhouse, setting down temporarily tonight at Club Red. And he’s only looking to take on more. The hip-hop turntablist and producer spends his days…
Wait, what? Katy Perry is being considered too sexy for China? And Lady Gaga is too controversial, you say? That’s unheard of! Well, not if you have any say in Chinese cultural authority.Katy Perry’s hit “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” as well as six songs by Lady Gaga have been blacklisted…
Jessica Cuff Cuff is the owner of The Coffee Shop and has appeared on Food Network’s Cupcake Wars. When you put your key in the ignition and turn on the radio, what station would play right now? 103.9-FM. I’m not hella into a ton of super mainstream bands, but I’d…
No doubt you read our awesome Q&A with Atmosphere’s Slug from the other day — but even if you didn’t, you probably want to go see the group on Saturday at Mesa Amphitheater. After all, the group’s latest record, The Family Sign, is loaded with taut rhymes and minimal beats…
Well, here’s one for the “nobody is surprised” bin: Rapper Earl Simmons, better known as DMX, was arrested Wednesday night. The arrest took place just before 9 p.m. after being pulled over for doing 102 miles per hour while driving westbound on U.S. 60 near the Power Road exit in…
In this week’s issue, we featured a story about Mergence, a Phoenix band that knows a thing or two about “weird.” We knew the group was out there — just check out singer Adam Bruce’s explanation of “Me and My Family Vs. The Robots” — but when guitarist Yod Paul…
