Features

Song: Weezer, “Tragic Girl”Context: This is the last song on the excellent and informative two-disc re-issue of Pinkerton which came out last week. Weezer – Tragic Girl (Pinkerton Reissue) by mmcizmar…

Regulars at the new Long Wong’s have a new favorite band. What are they called again? They change their name practically every five minutes, but for now they’re going by Future Loves Past and they’re helping shape a special vibe for the venue, making it a hip hangout spot and…

Worthy Farm, home to the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts in the UK, now boasts what festival organizer Michael Eavis calls “the best solar power system in the country,” according to NME.The cluster of 1,116 solar panels that is fixed on top of the cowshed at Worthy Farm is…

Around midnight on a recent Saturday, Jack Maverik gets a text message from a friend. A few minutes later, he gets another one. Then another. While getting three texts in a row is not remarkable for Maverik, the general manager of the new Long Wong’s in Tempe, the reason is…

Over the past 25 years, Gwar has become the most successful extraterrestrial music act of all time, selling more than 30 million albums worldwide. Although attempts at carbon dating have been inconclusive, the members of Gwar are believed to be more than 1 million years old, making them the second-oldest…

I’ve never quite understood why so many white people like reggae music so much. I even say that as a white person who likes reggae music. Maybe it’s just a phase. Sometime in middle school or high school, lots of white kids smoke weed for the first time and begin…

Song: The Aggrolites, Free TimeContext: You’ve got your choice of American reggae bands this week with both The Aggrolites and Pepper coming to town. Both have shows on Friday — choose wisely. The Aggrolites – Free Time by KROQ…

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.Is AZ Country Music USA’s four-month tenure the shortest ever by a Phoenix-area club?How was A Perfect…

What’s more humbling for an alt-rock band whose better days are behind them? Playing a free concert being put on by a radio station or performing at a casino. In a few weeks, Smashing Pumpkins will have the dubious distinction of having done both within the span of six months. KUPD…

When a band uses a cat named Snacks as the mascot for their drum kit, you know the group is cool. And when there’s a guy at the show whose seemingly only duty is to get people to clap their hands, the group gets even cooler. Such is the case…

OK Go is back with a brand new soon-to-be-viral video, according to SPIN.The video for the new song, entitled “Last Leaf,” shows that the band has gone in a new direction with their visuals. Rather than another video that showcases the Rube Goldberg Machine (which was shot 89 times), a…

For a punk band more than 30 years old, Bad Religion still knows how to rock out and put on a great show for fans. Appropriately, the band busted out their track “Ten in 2010,” along with a slew of hits. Audience members at the Marquee Theatre last night couldn’t…

Song: Paul McCartney and Wings, “Band on the Run” Context: If you don’t yet have a copy of Band On The Run, the album, the new remastered version is worth picking up. It certainly sounds a lot better than this mp3. Paul Mccartney & Wings- Band on the Run…

Sweeping generalizations aside, both Aoki and Gillis are famed DJs with similar mashup stylings, as the kids say. Both fellas like to take multiple songs and cram them all into one, a style Gillis has perfected under his Girl Talk moniker. Aoki’s 2008 album Pillowface and His Airplane Chronicles had…

Jack White and Norah Jones will be featured on Danger Mouse’s long-running project with Daniele Luppi, according to Consequence of Sound.While Norah Jones has only been rumored to be on the album in some capacity, Jack White has been in the loop for a while. After having showed off his…

[jump] Their song “How to Ride the Bus” is the first NOTES song to be made available. Bassist Dave “Mitch Freedom” Maroney is absolutely bullshitting poor Kristin Anderson, by the way. Valley Metro describes NOTES as, “a series of short animated music videos that demonstrate all the ins and outs of…

And yet, here I wait, eagerly awaiting the next hit single from Cee-Lo’s former Goodie Mob cohort Big Gipp. What the critics are saying:…

Song: Kid Cudi, “REVOFEV”Context:I’m surprised there’s so little hype for the release of Kid Cudi’s second album, Man On The Moon 2: The Legend of Mr. Rager, tomorrow. This is the first single. REVOFEV by ITSTHEMANSION…

It’s no secret that blogger-generated genre names keep getting weirder. It’s also no secret that kids with laptops are recording “music” that’s getting weirder and weirder.And so we have Hoop Dreamz, the first “Dunkwave” EP from a Tempe-based outfit called Vladee Divacc. You can stream or download the whole thing…

A young celebrity has decided not to go all out in acknowledgment of their birthday for once, according to Celebrifi.Miley Cyrus, who will be turning 18 on November 23, isn’t planning on celebrating her birthday Kim Kardashian style with five parties around the world. Her biggest birthday wish is bring…

Bill Wyman — a valued member of Phoenix’s blogging community held in high esteem by all those who know him — has successfully perpetrated a humorous ruse upon the news media.Mr. Wyman, you see, shares his name with the former bassist of The Rolling Stones, one of the world’s most…

Song:Girl Talk – Bounce ThatContext: Girl Talk will play Marquee Theatre on March 23, it was announced today. w00t! Girl Talk – Night Ripper…