Neil Young: Le Noise

Artist: Neil Young Title: Le Noise Release date: September 28 Label: Reprise Neil Young is a first-rate iconoclast and one of the few successful rock artists who has remained truly uncompromising throughout his long and storied career. Of course, uncompromising can result in inconsistency, something that has followed Young around…

Best of 2010 Lists from Other Phoenix Music Writers

This week’s issue of New Times has Best of 2010 lists from a slew of contributors to our music section as well as Nothing Not New columnist Jay Bennett and a few other staffers. We compiled 13 writers’ lists of the top 25 albums of the year into our own…

The Love Me Nots – Move In Tight

Song: The Love Me Nots, “Move In Tight”Context: The Love Me Nots are back playing shows after singer Nicole Laurenne beat a recent cancer scare. They’ll be at Yucca Tap Room on New Year’s Eve. Oh, and a familiar face — original drummer Jay Lien, who left the band in…

Girl Talk: All Day

Artist: Girl Talk Title: All Day Release date: November 15 Label: Illegal Art Whether sample-happy mash-up act Girl Talk is “good” or “not good” and whether you “like” or “dislike” Girl Talk are completely irrelevant to any discussion regarding Girl Talk. The only things I care about when it comes…

Elton John Is Now a Father

Sir Elton John and his husband David Furnish are now proud parents of a baby boy, according to MTV News.The pair welcomed Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John into the world on Christmas Day. Man, what a name.The surrogate mother is unidentified. Regardless, the baby is “healthy and doing well,” the couple…

Miami Horror: Illumination

In lieu of this glaring lack of new music for today, I present to you one of my personal sleeper/dark horse albums of 2010, Illumination by Melbourne-based electronic outfit Miami Horror. Think Daft Punk’s Discovery or Justice’s † — Illumination is along the lines an electronic music album that has…

Jon Hardy & the Public – A Hard Year

Song: Jon Hardy & the Public, “A Hard Year”Context: I’m sure this song rings all-too-true for a a lot of people on this, the last Monday of 2010. Jon Hardy & the Public – A Hard Year…

Yeasayer Drop a Live Album; You Pick the Price

Yeasayer’s new album Live at Ancienne Belgique was released on Christmas, according to Pitchfork.The concert, which was recorded on October 28, 2010 in Brussels, has been released as a 13-track live album that is available for download on the band’s website.As a Christmas treat from the band, fans get to…

Kinchmas: Kinch and Ladylike in Photos

It sure as hell didn’t feel like Christmas to me until Thursday night. Yes, I dealt with the crowds ransacking Target for stocking-stuffers. I even heard myself spout of the obligatory comment about how a small, college-era stint in retail killed most holiday music for me. But it took the…

Now Trending: Indie Supergroups

Holiday cover songs were popular this season, but there’s something else that has been getting just as much attention. It seems to be that the latest and greatest trend among rock bands, particularly indie bands, is forming supergroups.Ben Harper, Dhani Harrison (George Harrison’s son), and Joseph Arthur were the leaders…

Gorillaz Release ‘Phoner to Arizona’ Music Video

Gorillas have just dropped a music video for their new song “Phoner to Arizona,” according to NME.Phoner to Arizona” is the first track on Gorillaz’ new iPad album The Fall, which they wrote while on the road during their North American fall tour this year.The Fall will be released as…

Kinch Does Christmas

Christmas in the desert isn’t like it is in other places. There’s no snow, it doesn’t get that cold, and novelties like warm fires and cups of hot cocoa serve no practical purpose the way they do in the east. So even if we’re not huddling for warmth, one of…

Legendary Eastside Records Is Closing Its Doors

It’s an ordinary afternoon at Eastside Records, which usually means the following is happening: an obscure punk song is blasting way too loudly out of the tiny shop’s decrepit stereo (in this case, Television’s 1975 single “Little Johnny Jewel”) and Michael Pawlicki is hard at work behind the glass counter…

Girl Talking: A Q&A With Gregg Gillis

Girl Talk’s audio tapestries — constructed entirely of sampled beats, verses, and hooks — are challenging the long-held definition of “musician.” With the recent release of Girl Talk’s latest album, All Day, Pittsburgh-based Gregg Gillis continues to skirt copyright issues, sampling other artists’ music without paying or asking permission, and…

From Print: Blogs Teased in Our 12/23 Issue

​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.What happens when a local band begs a music journalist to review their work via Craigslist?How bad…

50 Cent’s Mansion Burgled by Stoners

Two men broke into 50 Cent’s Farmington, Connecticut mansion, according to MTV News.Clearly 50 Cent hasn’t had the best of luck lately. Last week he was sued for copyright infringement, and now this happens. Shit, man.Considering how stupid this story is, it might be one of my favorite stories of…