The news waits for no one -- at least that's what we read somewhere -- so it's perfectly understandable that you, the reader, might have missed out on a musical tidbit, breaking news about your favorite venue, or one of our rants.
So enjoy this digest-style sampling of some of our biggest stories from the week of September 3-September 8.
Maynard James Keenan: Up on the Sun's New Columnist
Maynard James Keenan has a lot on his resume. He's a musician, known for leading Puscifer, Tool, and A Perfect Circle, an actor, record producer, comedian, multimedia artist, and winemaker in Northern Arizona, where he co-owns Arizona Stronghold Vineyards, and oversees Caduceus Cellars and Merkin Vineyards.
Now he's got another feather for his cap: We're pleased to announced that Keenan will be penning a biweekly column for Up on the Sun and Phoenix New Times.
In typical Maynard James Keenan fashion, the column will feature his freewheeling examinations on whatever he feels like writing about, including music, wine, and...well, you'll see.
--Jason P. Woodbury
The Coolest Metal Shows To See in Phoenix This Month
It's tempting to dash off some sort of cliché metal salutation here, like "Get your devil horns up! It's a good month for metal in the Valley!" But the truth is, metal is an ever-shifting thing, with genres and bands that defy rules and ideas about what "heavy" is, and fans that are smarter, stranger, and more passionate than hesher stereotypes might imply. With that said, "Get your devil horns up, Phoenix, September's a good month for smart, dark, and most chiefly, heavy, music in the Valley."
Check out our picks for the best Phoenix metal shows in September.
--Jason P. Woodbury
Passion Pit: The Electropop Band Is "Doing A Lot Better" After Drama Earlier This Year
Massachusetts' electropop outfit Passion Pit got fans moving with its full-length debut, Manners, in 2009. The group followed it up this year, with Gossamer, full of the same catchy synth tones, but with much darker undertones. Songs like "I'll be Alright" provide a glimpse into songwriter Michael Angelakos' struggle, and reports surfaced of Angelakos' bipolar disorder making it impossible for the frontman to even get out of bed -- leading to a string of canceled dates -- made headlines.
But according to keyboardist and guitarist Ian Hultquist, Angelakos is doing much better now.
"Everyone is in pretty much good spirits," Hultquist says, "and we made it through a two-week around-the-world run and everyone came out alive and happy, so everyone's doing a lot better."
Check out the full Q&A with Passion Pit.
--Melissa Fossum
Collective Chaos on Misconceptions About Scottsdale DJs
"Four turntables, two DJs, one powerful sound." That's the phrase that the computer-generated vocal drop states at the beginning of Collective Chaos' epic, hourlong megamix "Riot," and it's a pretty fitting description of the DJ/production team of MastaMonk and Thomas James.
The duo, which regularly haunts such Old Town Scottsdale joints as Smashboxx and El Hefe, is mostly known for its high-energy club ragers, which causes the Forever 21-wearing crowd to lose their shit via electro and dubstep-heavy bootlegs and remixes. MastaMonk and James admit, however, that they're in the process of mixing in more original tracks into both their sets and upcoming EP, which should drop sometime later this year.
"At first remixing was our bread and butter, but now we are really focusing on creating a unique sound that people will instantly recognize as Collective Chaos," they say. "With our new EP coming out, I'm sure people will be excited to rock out to our new sound."
See what else that the pair had to say, including why they're a cut above other local EDM/producer duos, in this week's edition of DJ Dossier.
--Benjamin Leatherman
Suspect in Rogue Bar Stabbings Surrenders Himself to Scottsdale Police
The man accused of stabbing two people at the Rogue Bar this past weekend has been arrested by Scottsdale Police Department.
According to a department report, Adam Logan Graham, a 36-year-old resident of Tempe, was taken into custody on Monday after contacting detectives from Scottsdale Police and stating he wished to surrender himself willingly.
Graham is suspected of allegedly attacking two patrons of Rogue with a knife early Sunday morning in an altercation that took place during the weekly Rebel Yell dance party at the Scottsdale dive bar and music venue.
The police report also says that Graham "made statements admitting his involvement" to detectives during his arrest.
Read the full story about the Rogue Bar stabbing.
--Benjamin Leatherman
