Is your name Alejandro? Well, your life’s about to change thanks to Lady Gaga and her new, 8-minute plus long video for her song “Alejandro.” Always one to have fun with the medium of music video, Gaga has once again proven how important she is to popular music.Now, “Telephone” this…
What I have noticed about Before Today is that it is an absolute grower of an album — a piece of music that gets right under your skin in all the best ways after repeated listens. Ariel Pink’s genius — and yes, I mean genius — is splattered all over…
Now that pop rock artist Never Shout Never (Christofer Drew) has been steadily picking up steam, with headlining tours and massive MTV promotion, Drew’s got his own record label, called Loveway Records, an imprint of Warner Bros. Records. One artist (besides Drew) who’s on the label is Drew’s pal Carter…
Song: Insane Clown Posse, “Hokus Pokus”Context: Ladies and gentlemen, the circus is in town. ICP(Insane Clown Posse) – Hocus Pocus by skitzylette666…
50 Cent looked pretty healthy last night at The Invasion Tour at Celebrity Theatre, where he performed alongside G-Unit member Tony Yayo. Even though he lost more than 50 pounds for an upcoming film role as a cancer patient in Things Fall Apart, Fiddy managed to bulk up a little…
Artist: Blitzen TrapperTitle: Destroyer of the VoidRelease date: June 8Label: Sub PopDon’t be surprised if Blitzen Trapper starts another Grateful Dead revival. We’re probably overdue for another one, anyway. It’s not that BT is a proper jam band, but they have that same dry, folky country rock that the Dead…
Tony Bennett’s signature tune may be “I left my heart in San Francisco,” but the legendary singer is a true New Yorker — born and raised in Astoria, Queens.But the Big Apple, Bennett announced at his concert last night, has got nothing on Phoenix.Surprisingly, Bennett wasn’t talking about the sunshine…
It seems the fight over who actually owns music is never-ending. This time, the fight isn’t about burning CDs, online torrents, or album leaks. It’s about re-selling physical copies of a record that you bought and paid for. Who knew that this was a problem?Well, the folks at Universal Music Group…
Song: Jimmy Eat World, “Sweetness (Double ‘n’ mix)”Context: There’s never a bad time to listen to the Best Local Band in Phoenix (according to The Arizona Republic). Jimmy eat world – Sweetness (Double ‘n’ mix) by new now…
Artist: The MelvinsTitle: The Bride Screamed MurderRelease date: June 1Label: IpecacTo me, The Melvins have always been one of those bands that more people say they like than actually listen to. Could be wrong, but that’s my perception. I certainly respect their longevity (they’ve been around damn near 30 years),…
Name: Kristian Herrera AKA: Kris the Fist Genres spun: Hip-hop, dancehall, and dubstep. Current club nights: I was a regular at the Hidden House for the last two years, but for the last few months I’ve been at Hanny’s on Fridays and Saturdays for the first couple hours they’re open…
The fine people at San Francisco non-profit Noisebridge — described as “an infrastructure provider for technical-creative projects, collaboratively run by its members” — are dedicating their Saturday evening to tackle some of the more stymying concepts described in the greatest song ever recorded, Insane Clown Posse’s “Miracles.” Their science fair…
We all know that people are multi-dimensional, and cannot be defined by one singular act or piece of art that they produce. Having said this, it’s hard to imagine that the same guy who sings “Hey Ladies” would be interested in a documentary on William S. Burroughs. Adam Yauch, the…
Who cares if you can sing as long as you’re as hot as Tim McGraw, right? That seemed to be the sentiment of most of the fans at the McGraw/Lady Antebellum show last night at Cricket Wireless Pavilion, as comments about the man’s good looks were just as prevalent as…
Song: Katrina and the Waves, “Walking On Sunshine”Context: A press release reminds me of the song, a delightful of little 80’s pop ditty made even better by a memorable appearance in High Fidelity. Listening in from the current milieu, much of K&tW’s work really seems to anticipate indie rock in…
Artist: Crystal CastlesTitle: Crystal Castles IIRelease date: May 25Label: FictionExactly 36 seconds into the new record by Crystal Castles, I said to myself, “This is way fucking better than Sleigh Bells.”I’m sure many of you are saying, “Quit being an asshole about Sleigh Bells; why do you feel you have…
This week, New Times ran a box 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. How was Brian Wilson’s show in Scottsdale? What does Pearl Jam’s protest song about the oil…
The Pixies are coming to town. Punknews is reporting that the band will play Mesa Amphitheatre on September 24 as part of a smallish tour. That means you will soon have the chance to be underwhelmed by the band’s show in person.I’ve come to believe that being unimpressed by The…
Thrash metal’s Big Four — Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax — rarely assemble. When they do, it’s in places like Bulgaria where, as we understand it, Metallica’s Black Album has not yet been released, pussifying the genre in the minds of the denim-vested masses.On June 22 that Bulgaria concert will…
Fans in the audience at last night’s Boys Like Girls concert (which included members of Scottsdale pop rock band The Summer Set) at Venue of Scottsdale weren’t the only ones Tweeting deets from the show. All Time Low singer Alex Gaskarth was quick to take to the interwebs (maybe he…
This week’s music feature traces the sociological lineage of Juggalos — the bizarre, and cultish fans of Insane Clown Posse. Craig Outhier gives ethnomusicologists a head start by pointing out some of the defining characteristics of the Juggalos, and exactly from where their traditions originated.We also take a look at…
Song: Zac Brown Band, “Chicken Fried”Context: I’m really looking forward to trying Chick-fil-A’s new spicy chicken sandwich today. I made the ‘reservation’ over a week ago, and am thrilled the day is finally here. Chicken Fried by regross67…
