The Maine to Wrap Up Tour with Augustana in Tempe

Valley indie rock band The Maine has been one of the city’s success stories. The quintet toured with bands like Good Charlotte and Boys Like Girls before being signed to Warner Brothers Records in 2009, and their debut for the label, 2010’s Black & White, debuted at #16 on the…

M-Bone of Cali Swag District Killed in Drive-By Shooting

Rapper M-Bone, part of hip-hop group Cali Swag District, died last night after an apparent drive-by shooting in his hometown of Inglewood, California. Cali Swag District’s biggest hit was 2010’s “Teach Me How to Dougie.” The group’s debut studio album, The Kickback, was scheduled for release this year. The title…

Earl Sweatshirt Speaks With The New Yorker

However, no one Odd Future member is as intriguing as Earl Sweatshirt, né Thebe Kgositsile. Sweatshirt, who has been absent from the Odd Future limelight for some time, was recently found to be at a boarding school in Samoa. The New Yorker recently reached out to Sweatshirt — and his…

Etta James Hospitalized with Blood Infection

Legendary jazz and R&B singer Etta James has been hospitalized in Riverside, California with a blood infection. James, 73, is perhaps best known for her song “At Last,” though she’s also sang backup vocals for Chuck Berry, toured with Little Richard, and garnered four Grammy Awards since her recording career…

Manny and Lindsay Tripodis, What Are You Listening To?

​Manny & Lindsay Tripodis The co-owners of The Rogue Bar want you to come to the Prague CD release party this Saturday, May 14, with additional performances by Snake! Snake! Snakes!, Ladylike and Blue Skies. When you put your key in the ignition and turn on the radio, what station…

Who Needs Talent?

Sometimes, when art imitates life, you get a bunch of glorified karaoke videos dressed as talent competition shows. In this week’s “Noise Complaint” comic, Robbie Pfeffer explores the vacuous realm of music and celebrity judges on “reality” TV…

Rising Pain’s “The Price We Pay,” Explained by the Band

​Local metal band Rising Pain recently released a new EP, War of Souls, at a raucous show late last month at Chaser’s in south Scottsdale. Frequent Up on the Sun readers might recall that the band was involved in an unfortunate incident last summer when band members and several concertgoers…

The Black Angels to Play The Rhythm Room This Wednesday

Get your illicit substances and Syd Barrett bootlegs in order: Austin psych band The Black Angels are bringing their droney rock ‘n’ roll sound to the Rhythm Room this Wednesday, May 18. The band’s latest album, 2010’s Phosphene Dream, comes courtesy of Blue Horizon Records, legendary for its mid-’60s blues…

David Barnes Turns of Montreal’s Live Shows Into a Musical Menagerie

Following a decade of relative obscurity operating in the poppier corner of the indiesphere, of Montreal enjoyed a mid-Aughts breakout with the albums Satanic Panic in the Attic and The Sunlandic Twins, as bandleader Kevin Barnes developed a more idiosyncratic stage presence and songwriting and recording processes. Concurrently, of Montreal’s…

Lady Gaga to Debut New Songs on Farmville

Apparently, any corner of the Internet is free game for music promotion these days. Facebook users accustomed to hearing drizzling midi banjo when they log into Zynga’s Farmville game will be in for a surprise this month — Lady Gaga will be debuting new tracks from her record Born This…

Gang Gang Dance: Eye Contact Review Roundup

That claim may not be that far fetched. Gang Gang Dance established a pretty bold sound with 2008’s Saint Dymphna, although that album often fluttered away at times with its hyphy/grime/dubstep aspirations. Eye Contact, however, is chock full of good ol’ electronic/dance goodness. It’s as bizarre as it charming, with…