Rapper M-Bone, part of hip-hop group Cali Swag District, died last night after an apparent drive-by shooting in his hometown of Inglewood, California. Cali Swag District’s biggest hit was 2010’s “Teach Me How to Dougie.” The group’s debut studio album, The Kickback, was scheduled for release this year. The title…
However, no one Odd Future member is as intriguing as Earl Sweatshirt, né Thebe Kgositsile. Sweatshirt, who has been absent from the Odd Future limelight for some time, was recently found to be at a boarding school in Samoa. The New Yorker recently reached out to Sweatshirt — and his…
Legendary jazz and R&B singer Etta James has been hospitalized in Riverside, California with a blood infection. James, 73, is perhaps best known for her song “At Last,” though she’s also sang backup vocals for Chuck Berry, toured with Little Richard, and garnered four Grammy Awards since her recording career…
And like a strong woman should, she stood her ground and refused to give her ex-boyfriend a portion of her royalties when he came crawling back to her, according to Spinner.Her ex has broken the silence between the former couple and is asking for a cut of the money she made…
AKA: One-half of 2ToneDisco Current gigs: Every Friday you can catch us at Bar Smith for Sticky Fingers. What genres do you specialize in? Mainly hard electro, house, and fidget (which is a genre with tons of those wobbles that dubstep has, except you can dance to it). We tend…
If you’re looking for an example of the old platitude that “attitude is everything,” you could do a lot worse than Love Me Nots vocalist/organist Nicole Laurenne. Less than a year removed from a breast cancer scare that forced the band into a five-month hiatus, Laurenne is back onstage and…
Manny & Lindsay Tripodis The co-owners of The Rogue Bar want you to come to the Prague CD release party this Saturday, May 14, with additional performances by Snake! Snake! Snakes!, Ladylike and Blue Skies. When you put your key in the ignition and turn on the radio, what station…
It’s with great sadness that we report that Dennis Chiesa, owner of Tracks in Wax Records, passed away May 1 of complications involving his battle against cancer. Chiesa was 67. The Irish Cultural Center ran this obituary, expressing sincere sadness and extending condolences to his wife, Julie O’Mahar Chiesa, who…
Sometimes, when art imitates life, you get a bunch of glorified karaoke videos dressed as talent competition shows. In this week’s “Noise Complaint” comic, Robbie Pfeffer explores the vacuous realm of music and celebrity judges on “reality” TV…
To a music fan, there’s nothing like having a unique piece of memorabilia from their favorite artist — for example, an autographed guitar, or maybe the mandolin that Ministry used on three world tours, or Red Hot Chili Peppers singer Anthony Kiedis’ MTV Europe Award. To a music fan and…
Local metal band Rising Pain recently released a new EP, War of Souls, at a raucous show late last month at Chaser’s in south Scottsdale. Frequent Up on the Sun readers might recall that the band was involved in an unfortunate incident last summer when band members and several concertgoers…
Get your illicit substances and Syd Barrett bootlegs in order: Austin psych band The Black Angels are bringing their droney rock ‘n’ roll sound to the Rhythm Room this Wednesday, May 18. The band’s latest album, 2010’s Phosphene Dream, comes courtesy of Blue Horizon Records, legendary for its mid-’60s blues…
On the last Friday in April, New Times met local DJs Melo and Pickster at Bar Smith to talk about a new sound they’re helping pioneer in the Valley. It was loud in the downtown Phoenix club, which was gearing up for Sticky Fingers’ first anniversary party, so we found…
Following a decade of relative obscurity operating in the poppier corner of the indiesphere, of Montreal enjoyed a mid-Aughts breakout with the albums Satanic Panic in the Attic and The Sunlandic Twins, as bandleader Kevin Barnes developed a more idiosyncratic stage presence and songwriting and recording processes. Concurrently, of Montreal’s…
, according to Rolling Stone.Fox News has labeled Common as a “vile rapper” without any support. The claim came suddenly when Michelle Obama invited him to a poetry event at the White House. However, a Fox News interview with Common from 2009 states that the rapper is anything but vile…
Apparently, any corner of the Internet is free game for music promotion these days. Facebook users accustomed to hearing drizzling midi banjo when they log into Zynga’s Farmville game will be in for a surprise this month — Lady Gaga will be debuting new tracks from her record Born This…
Halt your plans to visit Chandler tonight to catch Diddy Dirty Money at Ovations Live! Showroom, the new project hip-hop mogul Sean “P. Diddy” Combs is touring with. According to a Tweet from the man himself (and confirmed by his publicist), Diddy won’t be able to make the show tonight:A…
If you still can’t get enough of that drug called Charlie Sheen, here’s a new fix: a musical collaboration between Sheen and Snoop Dogg called “Winning.” Sheen debuted the video for the song in Detroit on his “Violent Torpedo of Truth” tour last month. Much of Sheen’s audience walked out…
That claim may not be that far fetched. Gang Gang Dance established a pretty bold sound with 2008’s Saint Dymphna, although that album often fluttered away at times with its hyphy/grime/dubstep aspirations. Eye Contact, however, is chock full of good ol’ electronic/dance goodness. It’s as bizarre as it charming, with…
Heavy metal has a rich and diverse history in Arizona. Our state has had a horde of notable residents: hard rock pioneer Alice Cooper, hair metal singer Bret Michaels of Poison, Judas Priest singer Rob Halford, Dave Mustaine of Megadeth and Kerry King of Slayer (both ex-residents now), Sacred Reich,…
Believe it or not, Arizona’s a hot spot for shooting music videos — and we don’t just mean literally hot, but conceptually, too. I mean, where else could a pre-slutty Britney Spears pontificate on her virginity from a cliff top overlooking green waters or Paul McCartney pretend to be an…
Michael Stipe of REM said he tried to reach out to Kurt Cobain as an attempt to help save Cobain’s life, according to NME.Stipe recently told Interview Magazine that he devised a plan to try to save Cobain from the awful state of mind he was in before he killed…
