Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy Sends Us The Worst Promo CD Ever

Before today I really had nothing against Bonnie “Prince” Billy. Sure, his insistence on saying he plays “Appalachian post-punk solipsist” when he’s clearly a fairly run-of-the-mill folkie is a little pompous, and I’ve always been a little skeptical of failed actors trying their hand at music, but William Oldham’s always…

Would You Give Up Sex Before Music?

The two things that get us talking here on Up on the Sun are music and sex, and if you can combine the two then it is something that is going to get written about on this blog. Well, NME is reporting a new survey in the U.K. of young people…

Off The Chain: Unsexy Songs About Sex

My good friend Albert Ching at our sister paper in Orange County penned a real gem this week: “Seven Unsexy Songs About Sex.” From Bruce Springsteen talking about anal sex with a hooker to the Liz Phair song that’s more lewd than “Flower” these songs are guaranteed to kill any…

Tempe Music Fest Boosts Lineup

Tempe Music Festival has bolstered their lineup with three acts that give the beachfront festival — headlined by Kid Rock and Three Doors Down — some indie cred. The Outlaws, Mutemath and Shiny Toy Guns pad a lineup that also includes Cowboy Mouth, Roger Clyne and The Peacemakers and The…

Off The Chain: San Francisco Porn vs. Phoenix Porn

One of the things I enjoy most about reading the other music, arts and culture blogs in the Village Voice chain is seeing how they reflect their respective scenes. Take, for example, today’s porn-related posts here in Phoenix and at our sister paper in San Francisco.Last night, Niki D’Andrea covered a…

Santogold Changes Name, Avoids Weirdo

After having a humongous 2008 — and sure to be large 2009 — Santogold has chosen to change her name to “Santigold.” This comes as very little surprise; the original “Santo Gold” has been all over her ass, harassing her and threatening legal action if the singer didn’t change her name…

Smoky Mountain Skullbusters Call It Quits

In his bedroom, Mike Roberts has a mural comprising old gig fliers, posters, and ads in which someone has egregiously misspelled Smoky Mountain Skullbusters’ name incorrectly. “This was the flier to our first show, December 9, 2001,” he says. “And Smoky is spelled wrong. And look at this — ‘Rocky…

Joshua Radin Returns to His Indie Roots

Joshua Radin never intended to become a musician, at least not outside of the confines of his personal life where he always quested for new ways to artistically express himself. Painting and screenwriting had largely occupied him — until 2004, when friend and singer-songwriter Cary Brothers prodded him into recording…

Jack’s Mannequin Offer Pre-Sale Tickets for May Date at Marquee Theatre

Pre-sale tickets for Jack’s Mannequin’s Farther From Earth tour, slated to hit Tempe’s Marquee Theatre on Saturday, May 23, are available on the band’s Web site.The pop-rock band, which started out as a side project of Something Corporate frontman Andrew McMahon and seemed to turn into the singer/pianist’s main love,…

You Heard It Here First: Yuksek

Ah, new music Tuesday. It’s always exciting to note what new albums come out on any given Tuesday, especially so early into the new year. While today may be a particularly slow day in the American market, one French artist has released some of 2009’s finest work to date. The…

TV on the Radio on The Colbert Report: Better than the Grammys

The Colbert ReportMon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30cTV on the Radio – Dancing ChooseColbert Report Full EpisodesFunny Political NewsChristian Bale ParodyJoke of the DayTV on the Radio appeared on The Colbert Report on Monday night to perform their single “Dancing Choose,” off their latest album, the critically acclaimed Dear Science. This was a…

Eddie Vedder Sings Karaoke in Mesa Hotel

Turns out I should go to my neighborhood hotel bars more often! Yes, that’s Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder doing U2’s “Where the Streets Have No Name” at the Best Western Dobson Ranch Inn in Mesa. Vedder was in town for the Chicago Cubs 2009 Fantasy Camp, according to Stereogum.Two…

Does Anyone Know How to Play Live Anymore?

An interesting thing is happening. It seems these days everyone is lip-synching. It used to be the case that is was the random pop hack or teen puppet who was exposed in the act. But now it seems that some of the best and talented artists in entertainment are guilty. Take Yo-Yo…