Hating Nickelback is reflexive for many of us. It’s become one of those comforting mass-culture validations, like praising the Dalai Lama or distrusting people with Hotmail accounts. This groupthink methodology has an obvious flaw: The conclusions, though potentially valid, are also quite empty. I’ve never actually listened to a Nickelback…
If you’ve been keeping up with the country music coming out of Nashville, stumbled upon one of the industry’s several televised awards shows, or even if you’ve just glanced at the cover of Country Weekly in the grocery store checkout line, you’ve noticed that most of today’s male country stars…
Artist: The 88Title: The 88 Release date: September 28 Label: Rocket ScienceWhat do you do if you’re a band like The 88? You’re top-flight songwriters and musicians, you get your songs placed in all kinds of big-name TV shows and high-profile TV commercials, you tour the country opening for famous bands and…
I’ll be honest with you: this week’s group has to be the most random assemblage of just announced shows I have seen. Leading this week’s pack is Los Gatos rockers Trapt, whose 2002 song “Headstrong,” it has been confirmed, will simply never go away. Trapt has released three albums –…
Song: Snake! Snake! Snakes!, “Thieves”Context: S!S!S! will be opening for Jimmy Eat World’s big Invented homecoming show this weekend where fans will get a download card for this track. Up On The Sun readers get it first. Thieves by Common Wall Media…
People couldn’t help but leave the Comerica Theatre last night with giant smiles on their faces. That’s because it’s pretty difficult not to have fun at a concert where the “band” is animated, and their antics are displayed on-stage above a live performing orchestra. Thank the Gorillaz for that. The…
A U.S. District Court judge has ordered LimeWire to be shut down, according to Consequence of Sound. Four years ago, 13 record companies sued Lime Wire LLC so that their company and their artists could properly be paid for their hard work.The LimeWire program is the only part of the…
Song: Built To Spill, “Pat”Context: BTS is scheduled to perform at Marquee Theatre tonight. Built to Spill – Pat…
Artist: Warpaint Title: The Fool Release date: October 25 Label: Rough Trade The musical path taken by L.A. foursome Warpaint is well trodden — but this kind of ultra-moody, sort of experimental, Joy Division-indebted music is usually plied by men. But Warpaint is a quartet of women, and in their…
“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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Name: Samuel Groove AKA: DJ Sam Groove Current schedule: Audiometric is the next event my company, United Groove, is throwing at Club Stratus on November 6. You can usually catch one of my sets on a Friday or Saturday night at any given underground event in the Valley, and from…
Back in May, when SB 1070 hysteria was at a fever pitch, Cuban-American rapper Pitbull jumped in the fray with both feet, canceling a show and issuing a statement in text-speak. “I am canceling my concert in Phoenix on May 31,” he wrote. “How is the country we enjoy and…
, 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…
Released last month to theaters across the country for a special one-night-only screening, legendary concert film Ladies & Gentlemen The Rolling Stones is now available for home viewing on its first authorized release on Blu-Ray and DVD. Just another Rolling Stones concert flick, you say? Uh, yeah, much like the…
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…
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…
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…
