Another Piece of Pop Culture Retired: Sony Walkman

“What’s a cassette tape?” Parents, you’ll never hear your children asking that ever again now that Sony has retired the Walkman, according to Paste.It turns out that the last of the Walkmen left Sony in April. The 30-year-old portable cassette player couldn’t outlast the competition of music players made by…

Warpaint: The Fool

For all intents and purposes, I could tell that at least the lead singer and guitarist/backup vocalist were female, but I had no idea the entire band was. It changes absolutely nothing about my reception of The Fool as it steadily inches towards becoming one of October’s better new releases…

Jimmy Eat World/Gorillaz Mashup – If Jimmy Ate Gorillaz

Song: Jimmy Eat World/Gorillaz Mashup: “If Jimmy Ate Gorillaz”Context: Gorillaz come to Dodge Theatre tomorrow night. I thought this mashup with local boys Jimmy Eat World was pretty cool. If Jimmy Ate Gorillaz (Jimmy Eat World vs. Gorillaz) by Austin Eterno…

Celine Dion Gives Birth to Her 2nd, 3rd Children

Despite having just popped out more kids and, ahem, getting old, Dion is still booked for a three-year concert stint in Las Vegas. Oh, and her nine-year-old son will be a teenager soon. Actually, speaking of old people, Rene Angelil, Celine’s husband and the father of the twins is 68 years…

Screaming Females: Castle Talk

Artist: Screaming Females Title: Castle Talk Release date: September 14 Label: Don Giovanni Back in the day, I’d hate to miss a good show (I’m still not happy that my parents wouldn’t let me drive to Kalamazoo one Monday night to see Scratch Acid and Big Black play, ditto the…

Sufjan Stevens – The Age of Adz

Song: Sufjan Stevens, “The Age of Adz”Context: Sufjan Stevens’ show at Mesa Arts Center tonight is sold out. Guess people don’t hate The Age of Adz that much after all! Sufjan Stevens – The Age of Adz – 03 Age of Adz…

Jack White to be First Musical Guest on ‘Conan’

, according to Spinner.Conan O’Brien and White teamed up for the final performance on Late Night With Conan O’Brien as well, so while the collaboration is nothing new, it’s still an exciting favorite to watch.It has not yet been said whether Jack White will be performing solo or with one…

Junip: Fields

Artist: JunipTitle: FieldsRelease date: September 14Label: MuteI admit to being one of those swept up in Jose Gonzalez fever in the wake of that TV ad (circa 2003) with all the colorful balls bouncing all over San Francisco. My then-fiancée bought Veneer, the debut album by the Swedish guitarist, and…

Toubab Krewe – Sirens

Song: Toubab Krewe, “Sirens”Context: Just got word that Toubab Krewe will be opening for the Yo Gabba Gabba! live show at Comerica Theatre in December. I wasn’t expecting to see them play Phoenix in support of TK2 since the Valley isn’t a hotbed for jazz-and-Afro influenced instrumental acts, so this…

Beyonce Not Preggers After All

Yesterday Us Weekly reported that Beyonce and Jay-Z have a baby on the way. However, Beyonce’s mother Tina Knowles shot down those rumors, according to Billboard. TMZ has a clip of the pre-recorded Ellen show, which will air today, in which Tina denied any gorgeous kids are on the way…

Are the Newly Serious Gorillaz Any Less Fun? Naw

If Gorillaz ever took themselves completely seriously, would it spell doom for their infectious virtual-band whimsy or make for some iconic, classic postmodernism? Originally just a playful side project for Blur frontman Damon Albarn, the animated quartet captured creative lightning in a bottle with the hip-hop-infused synth pop of 2001’s…

Sufjan Stevens Forsakes His Christian Fans to Create Art

Here’s a summary of nearly all the too-long-didn’t-read reviews you’ll see of Sufjan Stevens’ electro-beat-y new album, The Age of Adz: “He’s not doing the state thing anymore. Something about the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. This album is weird. Where’s the banjo?” Sure, most critics will throw around big words and dance…

Kelley Stoltz: To Dreamers

Artist: Kelley StoltzTitle: To DreamersRelease date: October 12Label: Sub PopSan Francisco’s recent resurgence in the world of garage-y indie rock (Thee Oh Sees, Ty Segall, Fresh & Onlys, Sonny and the Sunsets) is probably in some part due to the work of Kelley Stoltz, who’s been dabbling in mid-fi ’60s-influenced…

Weezer- The Good Life

Song: Weezer, “The Good Life Context: I’m loving the re-issue of Pinkerton. They say my promo copy is water-marked, so I’ve resisted the temptation to upload one of the extra cuts myself. But, trust me, it’s worth buying. Weezer – The Good Life by jhowlett…

From Print: Blogs Teased in Our 10/21 Issue

T his 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 selling two minutes of silence the weirdest thing Thom Yorke has ever done?What are…