14 Phoenix Musicians You Need to Hear in 2014

It’s 2014 and high time you got some new music into your playlist — seriously. It’ll help that Phoenix’s music scene has plenty of fresh jams and brand-new tunes to offer, as there’s an overflow of gifted and prolific musicians cranking out sounds. Since many local acts will make waves,…

KONGOS Rock Out for a Nationwide Audience on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

If KONGOS had not officially “made it” before Wednesday night, they certainly have now. The South African-born, Phoenix-based rock quartet made their national television debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and while their single “Come With Me Now” did not sound quite as buff as it does on Lunatic, their latest…

Six Must-See Bands at Blues Blast 2014

If you’re a fan of blues music, particularly the kind proffered by local bands and artists, plan to spend part of this weekend soaking up some 12-bar down-home sounds in the great outdoors. The latest Blues Blast, the Valley’s premier festival celebrating the genre, will be held on Saturday at…

The 25 Best Club Candids Photos of February

February was most certainly a busy month for the Club Candids crew. Each and every week, we hit up hot nightspots and dance joints in both Tempe and Scottsdale and grabbed snaps of some of the mass revelry that was taking place within. And believe us, there was a lot…

Pete Tong @ The Monarch Theatre

If you know a thing or three about electronic dance music, no doubt you’ve heard of Pete Tong or listened to the highly influential DJ’s popular BBC Radio 1 program, Essential Mix. At the very least, you’ve raged to some of the formerly neophyte EDM artists, producers, and beatsmiths whom…

The Smoke Bombs @ Yucca Tap Room

When the aptly named Asses of Evil imploded in 2012, Valley punk rock fans were left eager to see what would come crawling from the wreckage. Stalwart bass thumper Todd Joseph and singer/rhythm guitar maestro Chris JJ Jet quickly formed The Smoke Bombs, enlisting lead guitarist Brandon Meunier and drummer…

La Luz @ Last Exit Live

After a harrowing accident totaled their van and gear in November, the members of Seattle surf-noir quartet La Luz didn’t just feel lucky to be alive. Singer-guitarist Shana Cleveland says the outpouring of support during the band’s recovery came across as a message that a life in music is where…

Top 12 March Metal Shows in Metro Phoenix

It can be easy to miss unless you’re looking for it, but there are a lot of metal (heavy or otherwise) getting slung in and around Metro Phoenix, thanks to concerts and gigs by locals and touring acts alike. As such, Up on the Sun’s resident metal scribe, Lauren Wise,…

Tempe’s Leonardo DiCapricorn Gets Geeky with Its Punk-Rap Sounds

It’s 2014 and high time you got some new music into your playlist — seriously. And that’s doubly true when it comes local music, of which there’s an abundance in metro Phoenix. The Valley’s music scene is gifted with burgeoning bands and emerging artists who will be making waves and…

The Chainsmokers @ Maya Day and Nightclub

If you’ve spent anytime on Facebook recently, it’s a strong possibility that any of the EDM fans, club kids, or party-monster millennials on your friends list have dropped a link in their respective newsfeeds to “#SELFIE” by The Chainsmokers, probably with comments along the lines of “ZOMG! This is soooo…

Travis James Is Raising Hell and Having Fun

It’s 2014 and high time you got some new music into your playlist — seriously. And that’s doubly true when it comes local music, of which there’s an abundance in metro Phoenix. The Valley’s music scene is gifted with burgeoning bands and emerging artists who will be making waves and…

Matt and Kim Donate $1,000 to Trunk Space’s Indiegogo Fundraiser

There’s just over 11 hours left in the Trunk Space’s oft-promoted Indiegogo campaign to raise enough cash for its 10th anniversary celebration and a new air conditioner. As such, there’s been a flurry of last-minute donations, including the crowdfunder’s biggest monetary gift yet, which came from some famous names: Matt…

Metalocalypse‘s Brendon Small: From Death Metal to Playgirl

Creating a virtual band that somehow became the highest-charting death metal band in history and posing in Playgirl magazine aren’t usually two things that go hand-in-hand. However, neither is directing a Soundgarden music video, then releasing a solo album, and co-headlining alongside Mastodon in said fictional metal band — just…