Arulpragasam, known to the world as hip-hop visionary M.I.A. Today sees the release of Arulpragasm’s third album as M.I.A., the cleverly titled ///Y/. Calling Arulpragasam controversial is akin to declaring July “pretty fucking hot” in Phoenix — once the stark, violent video for lead single “Born Free” hit the Internet in…
I remember it like it was yesterday: it was the summer of 2002 and I was in super-humid Milwaukee for Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game. We were in the parking lot of Miller Park, enjoying the pre-game festivities, eating and drinking all of the finest food the city of Milwaukee and…
Artist: Crowded HouseTitle: IntriguerRelease date: July 13Label: FantasyThanks to the many people who read and commented on my post last week of my must-hear songs from the first half of 2010. Seems I touched a few nerves with that list — a common theme of those who were critical of…
Welcome to 21 Questions, a regular feature where PHXmusic.com goes to the favorite hangout of a notable Phoenician and asks the “big” questions. This week we met up with Ear Candy’s Nate Anderson at the Compound Grill. Name: Nate AndersonAge: 28Occupation: Founder and President of Ear Candy CharityNew Times: In one…
While it may be the opinion of the majority of Up on the Sun writers that Glee represents everything that is awful about the world of popular music, and even popular culture, the show’s producers seem to have found yet another way to piss off music critics everywhere. According to…
Name: Jimmy Ng, Jr. AKA: Silent J Current club nights: Thursdays and Fridays at Afterlife in Scottsdale.Genres spun: Electro, Dutch, dubstep, hip-hop, mash-ups.Craziest shit you’ve seen at a club? I would say seeing one guy get maced for trying to get into a fight with a girl, and blindly trying to…
Artist: Ty SegallTitle: MeltedRelease date: May 25Label: GonerOne of most reliable indie record labels going is the Memphis label Goner, which has putting out lo-fi garage and punk rock for well over a decade now. Most of the acts still are strictly underground, so Goner may be best known for…
Ever wonder why Kings of Leon have such a massive following, even though critics love to hate them? This week’s music feature offers up a few explanations on the love/hate phenomenon. Valley favorites Kinch have been keeping busy, writing personalized songs and touring the country. Could they be the next…
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 does Andrew W.K. think makes a great party? Why did Music Editor Martin Cizmar let…
While some Phoenicians have been long-time fans of New Jersey indie rock band Steel Train because they discovered the group on their own, many know the group’s studly singer Jack Antonoff for his work with former Valley musician Nate Ruess, who has since moved to New York and formed the…
Trap just released his second mixtape, I Never Sleep, last Friday, but the Phoenix rapper/producer shows no signs of slowing down. Trap says he still has several other upcoming projects in the works, including a highly anticipated collaboration with Hannibal Leq and Lo called Monstaz Ink. For now, though, local…
If Kinch doesn’t become the next Phoenix band to earn national acclaim, it won’t be for lack of effort. The guys have been spending plenty of time on the road recently, and drummer Jake Malone confirms that the band members have essentially committed themselves to music full time. “I quit…
How do you know when a band crosses over into pop-rock mega-stardom? How about when it plays its second big show in 14 months in any given town. Sure, indie bands will play the Valley two or three times, flogging the same disc because they desperately need the money. But…
Why does the lady in the tan cargo shorts have a sad look on her face? Probably because this was the weekend that Lilith Fair was supposed to come to Cricket Wireless Pavilion but didn’t. Why? Anemic ticket sales. Unless you harbor some kind of SB 1070-backlash conspiracy theory —…
Artist: Pierce the VeilTitle: Selfish MachinesRelease date: June 22Label: Equal VisionThe second half of 2010 starts on off a rather sour note — or about 45 minutes’ worth of sour notes, courtesy of Pierce the Veil.Here’s pretty much all you need to know about this San Diego band, which bills…
There was a huge slate of show announcements from Stateside Presents today, including a Halloween night show by of Montreal (pictured above) at The Rialto in Tucson.The Walkmen drop by The Clubhouse on September 17, while Ratatat comes to The Venue of Scottsdale on September 25 and Dungen drops by…
An electrical fire gutted the Blooze Bar burned last week, leaving the NoPho venue out of commission for some time.As we told you yesterday, some of the joint’s regulars are pitching in to raise funds for the folks left jobless by the inferno. First, Whiskey Six is hosting a benefit…
There was once a time when Menomena was fresh on the Portland indie rock scene. It was 2003 and the band had just self-released their debut album I Am The Fun Blame Monster! to a rather impressive critical acclaim (P4K gave it a 8.7). In true Portland/DIY fashion, the band…
Things are looking pretty good for The Maine and This Century, who embark on two-month national tour today. Their first show tonight, at Slim’s in San Francisco, is officially sold out, and that’s quite a feat, considering the venue holds 400 people. Both pop rock bands have been busy in…
Song: Of Montreal, “Coquet Coquette”Context: The new Of Montreal single is aggressive but symphonic — should be interesting to hear what the rest of False Priest (September 14) sounds like. Of Montreal – Coquet Coquette by modernmysteryblog…
Let it be known that the latest album/clusterfuck of music from M.I.A., ///Y/ (easier known as “Maya”) leaked onto the internet Tuesday afternoon. In response to this, the spiteful M.I.A. has made the album available for a full album stream via her MySpace page. The lead single and subsequent video/ginger massacre for…
