Courtesy of Columbia/SycoZayn and the crew[Editor’s Note: In his column Serrano Time, award-winning writer and goofball Shea Serrano writes about his life and times.] Song: One Direction’s “Story Of My Life” History: A long time ago, there were barbershop quartets. After that, there were the New Kids on the Block,…
Beloved local metal quartet St. Madness has been stirring the pot of metal insanity for about 20 years, and you usually won’t know what to expect from them, especially at a live show. But anyone who has met lead vocalist Prophet — a.k.a. Patrick Flannery — knows that the band…
There’s no more sun in Cults’ eyes. The Manhattan-based indie-pop act best known for the cloyingly sweet singles “Go Outside” and “Oh My God” have returned with Static, a departure from what set sights on them in the first place. The only familiar part of their aesthetic is the album cover itself, placing vocalist Madeline Follin and vocalist/guitarist Brian Oblivion’s silhouettes at the forefront. Most everything else, however, is different.
Diehard fans of Southern mathcore outfit The Chariot know what’s happening. They know that after a 10-year run the band is finally going its separate ways. The Chariot is a little over two weeks out from their last show ever, taking place in vocalist and founding member Josh Scogin’s hometown…
It can be easy to miss unless you’re looking for it, but there’s a lot of metal in the Valley, locals and touring acts alike. That’s why we’re looking for it. Here’s a list of nine shows–the 10th was Thursday’s Testament/Killswitch Engage/Lamb of God/Huntress bonanza–you must see this month, as…
Chances are, whatever you’re listening to right now isn’t as heavy as The Body’s Christs, Redeemers. The record, the latest from southern-born duo Chip King and Lee Buford, opens with a haunting drone, “I, The Mourner of Perished Days,” before “To Attempt Openness” kicks in, marrying Buford’s doomy drums and…
If there’s one constant to the rave scene — other than all the bright lights and booming beats — it’s kandie. No, not the sort of sugary confections that are sometimes sold by vendors and often munched on by hyperactive teens and post-adolescents at underground events. Instead, we’re referencing the…
Lita Ford is a bitch. Her words, not ours: She’s touting the title track of her new album, The Bitch Is Back . . . Live. “I heard [the original version] on the radio and it just came tumbling down on me like a ton of bricks: ‘Hello! Please record…
[Editor’s Note: In his column Serrano Time, award-winning writer and goofball Shea Serrano writes about his life and times (and Katy Perry’s “Roar.”] History: Katy Perry was born in 1984, except back then people called her “Katy Hudson” because that’s her real name. In 2001, she was like, “You know…
Krimson Chord has been rocking the Valley with their Southwest blues for more than a decade now, playing regular gigs at Pappy’s Bar in Phoenix and Coyote Alley in Surprise. This is no fly-by-night group; they won the Arizona Blues Challenge in 2010 and competed in the International Blues Challenge…
Killswitch Engage has gone through some major changes during the past few years. Since 2000 the Massachusetts’ metal act has put out six studio albums, sold more than four million albums in the U.S. alone, and is known as one of the defining bands for the New Wave of American…
Since 1983, California-bred Testament has evolved into one of the biggest names in thrash metal. If you were a metal fan in the past three decades, chances are such albums as 1987’s The Legacy, 1992’s The Ritual and 2008’s The Formation of Damnation. And of course, the band’s most recent…
There’s a lot to love about Huntress, and it’s not just because frontwoman Jill Janus is gorgeous, bad-ass and intelligent. The band’s debut album Spell Eater, recorded and produced by Chris Rakestraw, earned stellar reviews. The musicians–Janus, guitarist Blake Meahl, bassist Ian Alden, and drummer Carl Wierzbicky–thrive on heavy riffs…
Some Kanye West shows have been canceled and/or postponed, and I admit that this is only news in the way “Dog Bites Man Really, Really Hard” is news. Buying a ticket to a Kanye West show is a little like preordering Chinese Democracy in 2000: You’re pretty sure you’re going…
“You can’t 3D-print Obamacare; it’s too beautiful.” This is one of the things you could overhear at a Treasure Mammal practice. It’s what they’re talking about at the moment, but the subject may shift to the “rap-rock vortex,” Juggalos, Bud Lite Lime, or bro culture. It’s part of the consciousness…
Wolfgang Gartner and Tommy Trash will hit the decks Friday at the Marquee Theatre, making sure that Halloween last one day longer. Their recent tour and track “Hounds of Hell” captures both of the DJs’ creative styles, with a bit of a spooky undertone. Up On The Sun spoke with…
Josh Tillman sighs into the phone, taking a breath before launching into a personal sentiment that’s a signature of his tell-all take to his music — something he’s fond of exploring rather than simply talking about his inspirations. As the man behind Father John Misty, the psych-folk act that’s followed his work with both Fleet Foxes and his previous solo project J. Tillman, he’s no stranger to plumbing the depths of philosophy to create his own narrative.
By Jason Roche Recently a petition to have GWAR play the 2015 Super Bowl Halftime Show went live on Change.org. It’s gotten nearly 46,000 signatures, but let’s be honest: Even if it had 46 million, we doubt the NFL would let the costumed metallers perform on its biggest event of…
It’s safe to say you’ll never encounter anyone like James St. James. Sure, you’ve likely heard his name before, since the fabulously freaky celebutante, party guru, and TV personality has earned worldwide infamy for his over-the-top lifestyle and fashion sense. And, of course, for his history as one of the…
Any time you go out to a club in Phoenix, you’re putting your night in the DJ’s hands. Sure: You’ll pick the style of music you’d like to hear, and the venue, and the drinks. But if the DJ’s having a bad night, it’ll take an industrial-strength pair of earplugs…
Terraplane Station has been around only a couple of years, but they’re already making the rounds on the Valley’s blues scene. Terraplane Station has periodic performances at the El Dorado Bar and Grill in Scottsdale, Pappy’s Sports Bar in Sunnyslope, and the American Legion Post on north Cave Creek Road,…
Since 1983, metal band Megadeth has sold more than 20 million albums, and earned eleven Grammy nominations. The band has built an enduring fanbase around their intelligent take on heavy metal, lyrical themes like religion, politics, and addiction, and densely driven grooves. Most recently the band toured the world with…
