Oh, those crazy Brits. It seems every three or four months, a new band from across the pond is hyped as the greatest band in the history of recorded music (or at least since The Beatles). For every Coldplay that shows staying power, there are countless other Britpop bands (Travis,…
The Wednesday-night electro/hip-hop affair Pinky Ring has offered some choice guests during its six months of existence (including local legend Z-Trip and NYC/ATL funkmeister Treasure Fingers). Now, its organizers are about to top themselves with their latest coup: Afrika Bambaataa. The Bronx-born hip-hop pioneer (who’s considered by many to be…
Portland, Oregon-based singer-songwriter M. Ward has built a steadily growing cult following over the past decade, releasing six studio albums and collaborating with a diverse array of artists, including Cat Power, Beth Orton, My Morning Jacket, and actress Zooey Deschanel, with whom he records and performs as She & Him…
Music Editor/Ambassador of the Funk Martin Cizmar got things kicking with his Friday picks for this year’s edition of the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, so I figured I should divulge my picks for Sunday’s lineup. My sensibilities are different than most people’s. Last year’s Coachella lineup was my…
So I know Coachella isn’t quite the planning nightmare SxSW is — given that there’s less than a tenth of the bands playing, and it’s at a single site — but I’ve learned my lesson and have planned things carefully. I thought I’d share it with you. I’ll be there…
So Idol soldiered on last night with its Top 7 sans Scottsdale’s Scott MacIntyre, who has been hitting the morning show circuit hard and fast since we said au revoir to him last week, talking about his time on the show and about the health issues both he and his…
Comparing Conor Oberst to Bob Dylan is somewhat old hat. It’s easy enough to make a case for grouping the two Midwestern singer-songwriters known for folky instrumentation and unique styles of story-telling, and people have been since Oberst’s days as a child prodigy in Omaha. But what really strikes me…
St. MadnessSaintanic(Evil Me Music)Putting a cover song as the second track on your CD is ballsy. Either you’ve got ’em right there, or you’ve lost ’em forever. For a metal act to put a cover of an Ozzy/Black Sabbath song second on their record? Well, that’s pretty much suicidal. Sure,…
Well the long wait is over: those in power at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival (Goldenvoice) have released the set times for this weekend’s affair. An initial glance at things shows a pretty smooth flow for the weekend, with minimal conflict for fans of the same genres. Picking…
Conor Oberst — who is Bright Eyes in the way that Trent Reznor is Nine Inch Nails — comes to the Marquee tonight. To mark the occasion we enlisted local singer-songwriter Zachary James Dodds to play a song from Conor’s immense catalog. He chose “Tourist Trap” off the Four Winds…
I actually try to keep Republic-bashing to a minimum here on Up on the Sun, but, as you’d probably expect of one of the largest papers in the country to never win a Pulitzer, the Gannett-piloted drone just keeps embarrassing itself.The latest example? Their “Best Local Band” category in the…
Right now, if you were to amble over to Live Nation’s No Doubt page you’d see that lawn tickets for Gwen Stefani’s band’s show at Cricket Wireless Pavilion are $25. Not tomorrow. In a promotional effort tied to tax day they’ll be a more modest $15. For the band that…
As we all eagerly await the set times to be announced for this weekend’s Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, San Francisco’s Outside Lands Festival announced its initial lineup. The headliners for the second edition of the festival, set to take place August 28-30, are the Beastie Boys, Pearl Jam,…
If you’re a fan of The Love Me Nots, a local act that makes their bones playing originals inspired by the garage acts from the Motor City, you will not want to miss The Detroit Cobras at The Rhytm Room on May 27. Actually, anyone with even the tinest soft…
The big music news today is a report from Billboard on iTunes price changes and their negatively affecting chart positions for the top 100 songs.Last week, iTunes introduced variable pricing, with some newer and more popular singles priced at $1.29 while other songs remaining at 99 cents and some older…
Zombie Ball: Undead Dancers and One Freaky Side Show I was halfway to the drug store when I remembered what I was wearing: a suit coat stained with blood and ripped to as though it had been run over. My face was paled like parafin and my eyes were sunken…
First, the good news: Wilco is coming to Arizona for the first time in five years on June 18. Now, the band news: to Tucson. A two-hour drive really won’t affect the most die-hard fans (like me) of the Americana-turned-jam-turned-soft rock band, which tours extensively and once wrote a song about how…
I was halfway to the drug store when I remembered what I was wearing: a suit coat stained with blood and ripped to as though it had been run over. My face was paled like parafin and my eyes were sunken. I was a creature of the night in desperate…
We’ve been telling you all week about The Loveblisters’ last show, Saturday at Last Exit, because it’s going to be epic. The band is one of the best local live acts you’ll ever see, and they should be letting it all hang out tomorrow.You know what else is going to…
Local music fans can breathe a huge sigh of relief, as Tempe’s Last Exit Bar & Grill will remain open past the end of April. While I’ve had almost a dozen people tell me in recent weeks that the Tempe live music venue will be closing, the bar’s co-owner Brannon…
Calling all Britney wannabes: Westgate club The Shout House will be hosting a Britney Look-A-Like Contest Friday, April 17. The interactive dueling piano bar is inviting people to dress up like Britney Spears, our favorite pop-princess train-wreck, for a chance to win tickets to Spears’ Circus Tour, which will roll…
Pop-punk act The Heartless posted three new tracks “Just to Be,” “Get Away” and “Bigger Than Us” on their MySpace this week, asking fans to let them know which track is their new favorite. Our vote is for “Get Away.” Hip-hop act Silver Medallion posted one new track, “Slave in…
