Features

Free show? Video with cats playing instruments? What’s not to love? The video for “Red Lights” is after the jump…

Milwaukee singer-songwriter Peter Mulvey has an odd gimmick: He rides his bike on tour. Like, across state lines and stuff. He’s apparently biked around to about 120 shows over the last three years and will be cycling into Cave Creek on Saturday, October 30 for a show at the new…

The Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne made a poster using his own blood as ink, according to Consequence of Sound.Wayne poured four vials of blood that he had drawn in early September into a cup, spilled his hemoglobin onto a screen print, and went to town on an Austin City…

Is the world ready for a grunge revival? At first blush, that might appear to be a ridiculous question. For Gen Xers, it seems it wasn’t even that long ago that Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains were the toast of MTV and modern rock radio. Then there are bands…

“Who says we can’t go to Africa?” Those immortal words are uttered by Nas’ character, Sincere, in the gripping (if narratively challenged) 1998 film Belly. They’re words of hope, a desire to return to something original, a home you’ve never seen. Belly is a modern camp classic unmatched in its…

Do you remember the rousing, anthemic song you heard sound-tracking key moments in Barack Obama’s presidential bid? This was long ago, in the halcyon days of late 2008, when the feeling was one of indefinable rush, belief that maybe the process could work and we could make history simply by…

​Pop-folker Courtney Marie Andrews, a former New Times covergirl, isn’t releasing her new record, For One I Knew, until January but her label is already streaming it.Hear the album in its entirety below or you can go to to her bandcamp page.It’s obviously no great departure — CMA’s powerful, occasionally…

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’s up with the Dodge Theatre’s new name?Is Kanye West the busiest mofo in America?How were concerts…

Artist: The MoondoggiesTitle: TidelandsRelease date: October 12Label: Hardly ArtWell, well, well, whaddaya know? There is something called the “rock canon,” and it’s right here in one handy bound volume. There’s also this less-formal version, which is mostly the favorites of the white old guard. But we’ll get back to that…

​ How much you enjoy Tucson’s Mostly Bears depends on how high your tolerance for shirtless press photos, warbling falsetto vocals and anthemic indie-prog is. If the idea of Muse barn-storming with The Mars Volta sounds like something you could get down to, by all means, catch the band when…

​Song: David’s Lyre, “Heartbeats”Context: This artist’s name, combined with the opening of this song, made me sincerely worry we had a male Joanna Newsom on our hands. Whatever your feelings on Ms. Newsom (mine? “Over-Rated! clap, clap, clapclapclap”) you can probably agree the last thing on earth we need is…

Eminem has clarified that there’s a borderline between what he raps about and what his opinions actually are, according to NME. Em told CBS in a recent 60 Minutes interview that he doesn’t have anything against gay people and that he’s on good terms with all groups of people.He went…

​Brooklyn-livin’ Phoenix-leavin’ indie-pop band Miniature Tigers have done a second Daytrotter session.The Chicago-based Quad Cities-based taste-making website writes: “Miniature Tigers are one of the best examples America has of a young band working a something new, something old and something borrowed mentality with its songwriting. With each album they make…

Artist: Belle and SebastianTitle: Write About LoveRelease date: October 12Label: MatadorSometimes, after a hard day spent arguing with co-workers about which records people who write about music should be exposed to, you just want something breezy, something feel-good. Enter the new record by longtime indie darlings Belle and Sebastian. Write About…

Song: Dr. Dog, “Nobody Knows Who Are You Are”Context: This is a free song the band has up for free download here. Dr. Dog – Nobody Knows Who You Are by cizmar…

South African hip-hop group Die Antwoord has five albums up its sleeve that are ready to go, according to Consequence of Sound.The first album in their line of releases is $O$, which they named “because if we didn’t make it with this album we were gonna be f*cked,” Ninja said.The…

As the singer of Tempe metalcore act Eyes Set To Kill, Alexia Rodriguez has made a name for herself, landing a spot on the Warped Tour and getting lots of ink from the glossies.Solid vocals and great looks will do that in a genre ruled by brutish men in saggy…

As always, with such a creative leap forward, Adz is not without its controversy. But an album like Adz is what keeps both critics and the public on their toes, forcing them to shift their mindset to adjust to Stevens’ new work.What the rest of the critics are saying:…

Artist: The Old 97’sTitle: The Grand Theatre, Volume OneRelease date: October 12Label: New WestThe Old 97’s hold a special place in my heart. Back in 1998, they very nearly singlehandedly shook me out of post-breakup depression. After a couple of months of moping, I drove to Chicago from my home…

Let’s not beat around the bush — there hasn’t been a new shows list in a few weeks. This doesn’t really matter, however, since the shows will get announced one way or the other and you know what? Now’s the time to announce them.It’s easy to see that list is…

Song: E-40, “The Server”Context: E-40 will be at Marquee Theatre tonight with Tech N9ne. This is the first single off E’s new album Revenue Retrievin’: Night Shift…

@tekakwitha​Jack Johnson may be one of the most mellow artists around, but his show at Cricket Wireless Pavilion last night got people on their feet for a full 2-hour-long performance. He even hooked a lucky couple up with a concert marriage proposal–that’s sure to be a great memory. Here is…