John O’Callaghan is beat. The 23-year-old singer has just returned from fronting his band, The Maine, on a quickie tour with Taking Back Sunday. O’Callaghan slinks into a molded plastic chair at Cartel Coffee Lab in Tempe. He has the rock-star look down pat: a frayed denim vest over a…
Although all the world may (or may not) be a stage — depending on whether you buy into that old Shakespearean aphorism — the streets of Mesa definitely will become a dance floor this weekend when a cabal of local DJs invades the sleepy suburb’s downtown to stage a ginormous…
NOFX frontman “Fat” Mike Burkett has quite the reputation. In 2010, while performing at Austin’s South by Southwest Festival, Mike took the stage as “Cokie the Clown”: sad-face paint, oversize Chuck Taylors, and a flower that squirts out “cocaine.” He discussed his mother’s assisted suicide and a troubled relationship with…
Calling “Fire Ring b/w Weekend Habit,” the forthcoming release from Tempe psychedelic soul combo What Laura Says, a “single” is a little misleading. “Neither song is slated to appear on the next album,” says bassist Mitch Freedom, laughing. Nonetheless, the band plans on releasing the tunes “in the first quarter”…
Thursday 5 Afterlife: Thumpin’ Thursdays (various) Bar Smith: Ladies Night with DJ Idenaty, DJ EC Rock, & DJ Oh-Jezus (various) Capitol Sports Lounge: DJ Danny Peru (old school, Latin, Top 40) Crescent Ballroom: Boomstick! with Fast Eddie, Jared Alan, BC/AD, President Gator, Fast Eddie, & more (various) Dollhouse Cocktail Lounge:…
“Good morning 2012!” was the rallying cry hollered by a young lass in full-on party mode just before dawn broke on New Year’s Day at hip hotel the Lexington. The sky was drenched in imperial violet as the sun readied its leap over the horizon, which usually is the indicator…
Are you ready for some new Metallica? You bet you are, because while plenty have made valiant and noble attempts to enjoy it, Lulu, the band’s collaboration with rock ‘n’ roll animal/poet Lou Reed was a tough one to get through. You can’t fault the band’s ambition, and it is…
We’re only a few days in to 2012, but it looks like local bands are already gearing up to issue brand new releases to usher the year in. With songs sneaking onto the net as we write, we figured it was time to shed a light on what’s coming up…
If you were waiting to hear the members of Foreigner play “Waiting For A Girl Like You” unplugged, get ready for some disappointing news. The ’80s rock legends have canceled their upcoming “Acoustique” gig at Comerica Theatre.Live Nation sent out an e-mail blast yesterday afternoon stating that Foreigner was pulling…
When What Laura Says released Talk last May, I tried to categorize the band as “neo-boogie rock,” stating after their excellent gig at the Icehouse: “At its core, and perhaps at its best, the band gets down like something your weird-but-cool uncle might jam in his Astro Van.” My tag…
Not content to earn a few comparisons to Hall & Oates, a few listens, and a few laughs, Tempe-based folkies Bears of Manitou have wasted no time in following up their 1-866-25-BEARS hotline with another promotional stunt. That’s right, according to the band’s Fiverr page, for just $5, you can…
Did you guys know that loud music entices bar patrons to drink more and faster? I read this factoid in the back of a Men’s Health Magazine a while back and it prompted me to look further into this phenomena. According to WebMD, there is a French study that says…
Shotgun Willie will be “on the road again” before we know it.You know what that means: it’s time to start shopping for a new cowboy hat.Willie Nelson, Jenny Owen Youngs, Tommy Trash and other artists will be bringing their shows to the Valley very soon.The rest of this week’s shows…
As a rule, I think band’s should rip off as much as they can from Hall and Oates. I’m not talking some goofy, ironic appreciation of the fashion or mustache, I’m talking musically — Hall and Oates are badass, and their string of hit singles is an enduring example of…
New Year’s may have been a couple days ago, but let’s be honest: you probably still have a lingering headache after partying too hard. That’s okay, we’ve got you covered with our Songs To Help You Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions, Eight Songs for Your Walk of Shame, and now…
It would seem Jacob Adler likes “difficult” music. A member of experimental outfits Zeelab, Integers Are For Counting, and Taraf Degrief, as well as avant-garde instigator behind St. Augustine’s Otoacoustic Emissions Halloween droning church service, Adler also teaches Advanced Rhythm at ASU. This Saturday, January 7, Adler will be hosting…
Want to know what new release discs and platters are moving across the Valley at local record stores? We’ve got you covered with another installment of What’s Selling. Feliz año nuevo, friends. The first What’s Selling list of 2012 is full of familiar faces, with Drake’s Take Care owning the…
So right about now you’re looking that weight rack right in the eye, cursing yourself for getting fat in the first place. But not to worry. For years, musicians have been recording songs for just this kind of thing. Your New Year’s Resolution is easier to achieve if you just…
Peoria-based indie popsters Boys and Frogs have a flair for the dramatic: witness the bands excellent and creepy videos. But the cover for the trio’s new mixtape, Sorry For the Weight (a pun regarding the wait for the band’s follow-up to their last LP, Rain Dance Snowed In) takes the…
In 2010, Billboard Magazine’s annual album sales evaluation read thusly: physical sales were sinking like a septic tank full of concrete, except for vinyl. Sales of records were up 14 percent to 2.8 million units that year. Don’t go proclaiming vinyl an industry savior. It’s hardly enough to resuscitate the…
Roll Acosta is helping us start 2012 off on the right foot with just that.Don’t miss the band’s residency at the Rogue Bar. They’ll be playing every First Friday for the first four months of the year. Best of all, they’re amping things up a bit by giving a theme to…
First, a scene from NBC’s 30 Rock: Tracy Jordan: Do you mind if I google myself in your office? Liz Lemon: Sure, Tracy. Tracy: Can I use your computer? Liz: How else are you gonna do it? Today’s installment of Record Heat (Up on the Sun’s very first post of…
