Matty Steinkamp Steinkamp is the president and founder of Sundawg Records and Sundawg Media. He invites you to Gumptionfest in Sedona Friday, September 16 through Sunday, September 18. Sundawg labelmates and Valley bands A Life of Science and The Wiley One are playing. For more info, go here. When you…
DJ Kyko keeps it on the level. The Latin DJ holds two residencies at clubs in the Valley. Not that it’s going to his head. His down-to-Earth perspective makes him a man of few words, and maybe that’s a good thing. He’s all action, little talk.We talk beginnings, vintage vinyl…
Keeping Up with the Kardashians may be one of the most vapid, superficial, painfully annoying shows on television right now, but this Sunday night’s new episode on E! actually has one redeeming quality to the vomit-inducing drivel — local “future pop” band Super Stereo will have three songs featured on…
When Cactus Chainsaw’s singer said the band’s list of influences was possibly a higher number than his criminal record charges, I took it with a grain of salt (courtesy of a cheap tequila shot). But within the first 20 seconds of listening to their music, I could hear the band’s…
It was only yesterday that I was sharing the news of Smiths-related activity in Phoenix, including former-Smiths bassist Andy Rourke’s DJ set at Bar Smith this Friday, and the upcoming performance by Los Esmiths, Calexico, California’s premier Smiths tribute band, at Rips Ales and Cocktails. But it looks like I…
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. Why did DMX get arrested last week? What underground hip-hop is Yaya Martinez bringing to Power…
When Jimi Hendrix reinvented the guitar instrumental as we know it with “Third Stone from the Sun,” he took time out to make a PSA warning that stated: “You’ll never hear surf music again.” In 1967, the sounds of 1961 and, even, 1964 seemed a century removed. But if surf…
It seems pointless to define the music of Sade (either the female lead singer/songwriter or her group of the same name) as “sexy” at this point. “Sexy” is as Sade does. Sure, sexy will always have a place on the radio, but it’s Sade’s career model that flies in the…
First, you notice the beats. The melodies pulsating in the air have a hypnotic quality, and their rhythms command your hips to move, your feet to shuffle, and your arms to be thrown in the air. It’s such feel-good electronic dance music that fist pumping is forgivable, but standing still…
Dear and the Headlights may have officially broken up, but we’re not done hearing music from the Phoenix indie rockers. In their official breakup letter to fans, guitarist PJ Waxmen expressed frustration with the music industry, but not with writing music itself. Clearly they were actually pretty prolific when it came…
Jack White and I.C.P. have one thing in common — they love screwing with people’s expectations. Scratch that, they’ve got two things in common. Just listen to “Leck Mich Im Arsch,” the new single that combines unlikely collaborators Jack White, I.C.P., Mozart, and Jeff, the Brotherhood. I’ve spent plenty of…
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but conventional wisdom suggests that fans of Morrisey and The Smiths are prone to naval gazing, crying, and a lot of black clothing. But that’s all stereotyping, right? You don’t have to be a depressive to dig the band. Even Fred “I…
Cake will surely come bearing an arsenal of their awkward but lovable alternative hits, including “Love You Madly,” “Walk on By,” “The Distance” and “Short Skirt/Long Jacket,” and that signature monotonous droning on their cover of “I Will Survive.”Joining Cake with shows of their own are Deer Tick, GLOWfest, The…
Earlier this year, I pissed off a whole bunch of Aaron Lewis/Staind fans when I claimed that Lewis’ song “Country Boy” was a “gone country” cash-in. Let me tell ‘ya — Lewis’ fans are a feisty bunch. One even tweeted at me, insulting the jacket I was wearing in my…
Devin Fleenor of Mr. Meeble is a busy guy. Talking over the phone, he explains to me that, somehow, he’s got to finish mixing a few songs, line them up on disc, and then burn a 100 or so copies before waking up early and catching a flight to Europe…
Labor Day weekend is shaping up to be a good one for local music. KWSS 106.7 announced plans to today to play nothing but local music starting Friday at midnight, and continuing on till Monday, when the TMI Morning Show’s Beef Vegan, Shorty, and Buddah will count down their 20…
Up On The Sun is putting a local twist on Tumblr of the Week by shedding light on some blogs that are closer to home. So this week, we’re brining you The Season Premiere. More on what’s awesome about this week’s Tumblr of the Week after the jump… …
Banana Gun is a busy band. On average, this local blues/rock group performs twice a week, often playing free shows at Long Wong’s Firehouse and Yucca Tap Room. Drummer Ian Breslin describes “Sometimes,” a rhythmic guitar-driven song from the band’s debut EP, as a fan favorite. “‘Sometimes’ is a song…
Way back in April, we spoke with cartoonist/musician Stephen Steinbrink about his plans for Yellow Canary Dance Hall, which he described then as “a community center, movie theater, punk basement, print shop, art gallery, lecture hall, and a place to play board games at three in the morning.” The space…
She made the announcement about expecting her and Jay-Z’s first child together when she walked onto the red carpet and showed off a small baby bump at the MTV Video Music Awards. A representative for Beyonce Knowles has confirmed her pregnancy.”I always said I would have a baby at 30,”…
Yesterday Up on the Sun reported that DMX was arrested for speeding on Wednesday night. I noted that, sadly, the event was hardly surprising, given X’s history of arrests in Arizona. Today, things got a little less routine. In a statement made to The Source earlier today, Domenick Nati, DMX’s…
Luis Sias, otherwise known as DJ Les735, is one busy dude. He’s made himself at home at pretty much every DJ-focused venue in town, from Chasers to The Clubhouse, setting down temporarily tonight at Club Red. And he’s only looking to take on more. The hip-hop turntablist and producer spends his days…
