This week’s issue of New Times has Best of 2010 lists from a slew of contributors to our music section as well as Nothing Not New columnist Jay Bennett and a few other staffers. We compiled 13 writers’ lists of the top 25 albums of the year into our own…
Unless you’re planning on planting yourself at home to avoid the usual drinking and driving drama, New Year’s Eve always mean parties…and plenty of ’em: parties at clubs, in the street, and even at palatial mansion or two. But a party on a pedestrian bridge somewhere in Phoenix? You gotta…
Song: The Love Me Nots, “Move In Tight”Context: The Love Me Nots are back playing shows after singer Nicole Laurenne beat a recent cancer scare. They’ll be at Yucca Tap Room on New Year’s Eve. Oh, and a familiar face — original drummer Jay Lien, who left the band in…
Artist: Girl Talk Title: All Day Release date: November 15 Label: Illegal Art Whether sample-happy mash-up act Girl Talk is “good” or “not good” and whether you “like” or “dislike” Girl Talk are completely irrelevant to any discussion regarding Girl Talk. The only things I care about when it comes…
Sir Elton John and his husband David Furnish are now proud parents of a baby boy, according to MTV News.The pair welcomed Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John into the world on Christmas Day. Man, what a name.The surrogate mother is unidentified. Regardless, the baby is “healthy and doing well,” the couple…
In lieu of this glaring lack of new music for today, I present to you one of my personal sleeper/dark horse albums of 2010, Illumination by Melbourne-based electronic outfit Miami Horror. Think Daft Punk’s Discovery or Justice’s † — Illumination is along the lines an electronic music album that has…
Song: Jon Hardy & the Public, “A Hard Year”Context: I’m sure this song rings all-too-true for a a lot of people on this, the last Monday of 2010. Jon Hardy & the Public – A Hard Year…
Yeasayer’s new album Live at Ancienne Belgique was released on Christmas, according to Pitchfork.The concert, which was recorded on October 28, 2010 in Brussels, has been released as a 13-track live album that is available for download on the band’s website.As a Christmas treat from the band, fans get to…
It sure as hell didn’t feel like Christmas to me until Thursday night. Yes, I dealt with the crowds ransacking Target for stocking-stuffers. I even heard myself spout of the obligatory comment about how a small, college-era stint in retail killed most holiday music for me. But it took the…
Holiday cover songs were popular this season, but there’s something else that has been getting just as much attention. It seems to be that the latest and greatest trend among rock bands, particularly indie bands, is forming supergroups.Ben Harper, Dhani Harrison (George Harrison’s son), and Joseph Arthur were the leaders…
Gorillas have just dropped a music video for their new song “Phoner to Arizona,” according to NME.Phoner to Arizona” is the first track on Gorillaz’ new iPad album The Fall, which they wrote while on the road during their North American fall tour this year.The Fall will be released as…
Like the small number of unfortunate souls are required to do every year, DJ Louder will be toiling away at his job on Christmas while the rest of us are engaging in mass amounts of holiday cheer. But don’t you dare pity him, as the 32-year-old will be spending the…
After six endless weeks of endless hype, treacly commercials, and non-stop carols, we’re only 48 hours or so from the arrival of Christmas morning. But you don’t have to wait until then to get your presents, as Up on the Sun is presenting y’all with 10 inexpensive activities to be…
The rumors are true: local record store Eastside Records will be closing up shop at the end of the year. Although they haven’t been hosting wild shows since the mid-90s, they’ve still got an impressive collection of rarities that rivals that of any other local record store. Moreover, their employees…
Christmas in the desert isn’t like it is in other places. There’s no snow, it doesn’t get that cold, and novelties like warm fires and cups of hot cocoa serve no practical purpose the way they do in the east. So even if we’re not huddling for warmth, one of…
It’s an ordinary afternoon at Eastside Records, which usually means the following is happening: an obscure punk song is blasting way too loudly out of the tiny shop’s decrepit stereo (in this case, Television’s 1975 single “Little Johnny Jewel”) and Michael Pawlicki is hard at work behind the glass counter…
Girl Talk’s audio tapestries — constructed entirely of sampled beats, verses, and hooks — are challenging the long-held definition of “musician.” With the recent release of Girl Talk’s latest album, All Day, Pittsburgh-based Gregg Gillis continues to skirt copyright issues, sampling other artists’ music without paying or asking permission, and…
The week leading up to Christmas has been a little light in shows overall, but with plenty of holiday-themed shows around the Valley.Fans of all genres enjoyed some killer awesome shows this past week, including Alice Cooper’s Christmas Pudding, Andrew Jackson Jihad, Infected Mushroom, The Judds, Sweet Pie, and Trapt.Read…
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 happens when a local band begs a music journalist to review their work via Craigslist?How bad…
Two men broke into 50 Cent’s Farmington, Connecticut mansion, according to MTV News.Clearly 50 Cent hasn’t had the best of luck lately. Last week he was sued for copyright infringement, and now this happens. Shit, man.Considering how stupid this story is, it might be one of my favorite stories of…
Without being too hyperbolic, New Year’s Eve is a major night when it comes to revelry. Besides the endless amounts of nightclub events and parties that will take place in an around the PHX, some big name band and music acts will be in town to bid farewell to 2010…
Song: The Whisperlights, “Until Then”Context: This song from The Whisperlights excellent album Wake Up Dead is definitely one of the very best recorded by any Phoenix band this year. The Whisperlights – Until Then by mmcizmar…
