David Bazan — who issued records under the Pedro the Lion banner before embarking on a “solo” career — is an artist who values connection with his listeners. That sounds flowery, sure, but it’s true. All of Bazan’s records, including this year’s excellent Strange Negotiations, have centered around big themes:…
Carla Bozulich, Badwater Bob, Where Dead Voices Gather, and Tobie Milford The Trunk Space Friday, September 9, 2011 “That’s a pretty song, right?” — Badwater Bob There’s only about twenty people in the Trunk Space, and we’re sitting on the floor. Badwater Bob is on stage, a spry, gray gentleman…
Like your favorite comfort food, power pop music is familiar, tasty and satisfying… and, sometimes, it’s the only thing you want. If you consider The Raspberries’ 1972 self-titled debut album and its absolutely perfect single, “Go All The Way,” as the genesis of the genre (and I do, with apologies…
Chances are you know Aaron Hempsey or at least one of his DJ handles. Billed as monikers such as Swerv Griffin or Rapturo for reputable dance nights like Cheap Thrills, Solstice, The Scenario, and Sticky Fingers, Hempsey has decided to keep things simple for the moment, going by his first…
Less than two months ago, we announced the arrival of North Scottsdale’s Canyon Club. Just as the venue began gaining ground with music fans, we received word that the venue has officially closed. No further explanation was offered. For now, some of the venue’s previously scheduled shows have been moved…
When I was young, I used to love Friday night because it meant TGIF (Thank Goodness It’s Funny) — the ABC block of programming that included Dinosaurs, Full House, Boy Meets World, Hanging With Mr. Cooper, Muppets Tonight, and Family Matters. I really liked those shows. I don’t love any…
Hanson has been a household name since 1997 when they made it big with their unforgettable song “MMMBop.” You know, the one you could never get out of your head every time you heard it. But the three-brother band has moved on to bigger and better things now, like their…
September 15 marks the celebration of Grito de Dolores one of the five Fiestas Patrias, or national holidays, in Mexican history. It’s an important day, coming directly before Aniversario de la Independencia, the day Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla called for the end of Spanish rule in Mexico. For DJ…
Jim Adkins The singer and guitarist for Jimmy Eat World is playing Tempe Beach Park Friday, September 30 as part of Fall Frenzy. It will be the last show of the band’s year-plus long tour supporting their album, Invented. When you put your key in the ignition and turn on the…
The Morning Infidelity on KWSS 106.7 are hosting their first concert event where, “it’s all about performance.” Six bands will duke it out tonight at The Rogue Bar for stage supremacy in a winner-take-all battle of the bands (our own Christina Caldwell will be acting as a judge). One of…
The last Twilight movie will be released soon and only one episode remains in the fourth season of True Blood. But don’t think the vampire craze is on the decline — MTV recently launched Death Valley, which looks like a campy cross between Reno 911! and Zombieland. How much longer…
Manu Chao has announced a free concert in support of Alto Arizona. The concert, hosted in collaboration with the National Day Laborer Organizing Network and Alto Arizona, is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, September 21, at West Grant and S. 2nd Avenue, right across the street from El Portal…
If you’re one of the Steel Panther fans anxiously awaiting the band’s new record, Balls Out, well, you’re just going to have to wait a little longer. The band announced on its website yesterday that the record has been pushed from its original release date of October 18 to October…
Worship Music, the new record from thrash kings Anthrax, is slated for release on September 13, but the record wasn’t easy for the band to get out. Plagued by problems with vocalists, the record was delayed time and time again, with the band cycling through a selection of vocalists before…
Isabelle “Bella” Vise is a simple lady. The 100-year-old from Torquay, England led an equally simple life — well, simple for the time period in which came up. IAMWE drummer Josh Carlson met Bella while volunteering at a hospice. The two quickly became unexpected friends, and Carlson told his bandmates…
Normally we feature fliers that look cool, but this one is downright tasteless. Jeez, Prostyle Promotions, have some class.The second annual 911 Massive Goes Glow event will be held on Saturday at Stratus from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. It’s a 16-and-up rave. Tickets are $22 to $25 with $1…
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 are the best songs with whistling? What does Super Stereo thing about being featured on…
This week, Christina Caldwell brings us the story of iamwe, a Phoenix-based indie rock band. The band’s forthcoming record She’s a Soldier tells the tale of a 100-year-old Englishwoman. “We’re all fighting our own personal wars,” the band says. Anthrax members Joey Belladona and Charlie Belante discuss the band’s killer…
One hundred years ago, a girl named Bella was born in rural England. There was nothing extraordinary about her life. She lived as thousands did in those days — struggling from day to day, living through wars, both internal and external. It sounds like the beginning of a cliché storybook…
Ever tried online dating? I have, and though it can be a remarkably rewarding endeavor, there’s a lot of chaff to sift through. Ultimately, any online peruser ends up developing an eye for profile red flags: girls who do that gross duck face, dudes who take pictures of themselves with…
Philip Anselmo joined Pantera after they put out three poof-metal LPs; his debut with them, Power Metal, introduced a new edge to the band (see “P*S*T*88,” a.k.a. “Pussy Tight”). After that, Pantera launched a grueling tour schedule and focused on being as lyrically and musically vicious as possible. Trouser Press…
The rise in popularity of Southern and Midwestern hip-hop has given otherwise overlooked American cities a voice. For example, the multitalented Big K.R.I.T. was raised in Meridian, Mississippi. Yelawolf, meanwhile, hails from Gadsden, Alabama. But rappers aren’t particularly thick on the ground in Bowling Green. Indeed, the tiny Kentucky town…
