The Knux Kick Off US Tour at Scottsdale’s Rogue Bar

It’s a pretty common complaint around town that awesome acts often skip Phoenix on tour. Well, here’s a story that argues the opposite. New Orleans-based rap duo The Knux are kicking of their tour here in the Phoenix Metro, at Scottsdale’s Rogue Bar on Tuesday, November 8. The band often…

Random and Mr. Miranda Team for “Planet Silk”

I don’t want to get too hyperbolic here, but this year Jay-Z and Kanye teamed up for one of the year’s biggest albums, and I can’t help but make the comparison when I think about Phoenix emcees Mr. Miranda and Mega Ran hooking up for a combo album. Titled The…

Drive a Car? You’re Gonna Get The Lightningrod

A few months ago we brought you the story of Bryan Lightningrod, a 98- (38)-year-old vampire (dude) from Cairo (Chandler) who makes music (noise with titles like “I Want to Fuck Your Butt”) and creepy-ass music videos with young girls’ butts being (unknowingly?) taped at skate parks. …

DMX: Going Old School on New Album?

There’s a glimmer of hope that Up On The Sun’s DMX Rap Sheet will finally be put on the back burner as the hip-hop artist returns to the music world, determined, reportedly sober, and with new management headed up by Jason Fowler of J Mike Management & Entertainment, based in…

Record Heat by Brad Dwyer

Up on the Sun is proud to present the first installment of our new weekly comic strip, Record Heat, by Brad Dwyer. We’re pretty big fans of Dwyer around here, awarding his series Epic Tales of the Mundane a Best of Phoenix award last month. We love Dwyer’s dry jokes…

Tumblr of the Week: Eyes Set to Kill

Turns out fans of post-hardcore band Eyes Set to Kill are pretty fanatical about their love for the band, so this week we’re bringing you FY [F**k Yeah] Eyes Set to Kill.More on what’s awesome about this week’s Tumblr of the Week after the jump…..

Holli Christensen, What Are You Listening To?

​Holli Christensen The owner of Park Avenue Blow Dry and Beauty Bar is also a makeup artist and studio hair stylist who teaches a free class every first Friday of the month 6:00 p.m. at Park Avenue, demonstrating how to take the latest trends from the runway and translating them…

Aggregate Records: New Kids On the Record Label Block

What exactly does a record label offer a musician in 2011? The internet has leveled the playing field in so many ways. No longer does it require a big machine to create awareness. But record labels can still be a big help; musicians can use them market and distribute their…

French Quarter Tour Diary – Weeks 3 & 4

There’s so much to report and so little Internet to shove it in. First things first: the small bit of youth music we’ve witnessed in the Western United States convinces me thoroughly that my generation of American musicians has the studiousness and audacity to be emotionally unflinching in the face…

Tumblr of the Week: F**k Yeah, The Format

As much as ASU’s radio station The Blaze 1330AM still overplays the hell out of “The First Single,” The Format is still a lovable band that will always be in our hearts.One blogger has made it his or her mission to keep The Format’s spirit alive since the group broke…

From Print: Blogs Teased in Our October 20 Issue

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 ten songs did we pick to soundtrack the Occupy protests? What legendary country stars are…

St. Vincent Dials Up the Aggression on Strange Mercy

These days, women dominate what used to be the boys’ clubby rock scene. There is a strong scent of “girl power” predominant throughout the newest albums from kick-ass groups like Wild Flag and Warpaint. Björk, Lykke Li, and Katy B are the brains and brawn behind some of 2011’s boldest…

Landmine Marathon Featured on Brooklyn Vegan

Tipped off from a friend over at Waved Rumor, we were alerted today that prominent music blog Brooklyn Vegan featured Phoenix’s own Landmine Marathon as part of the blog’s CMJ coverage. Well, kinda. Landmine didn’t play as part of the official CMJ Music Marathon, but that didn’t stop Brooklyn Vegan…

Maria Taylor Playing for Free at Crescent Ballroom Tonight

Okay, so Crescent Ballroom has been open two full weeks, which is long enough for us to review five shows there, eat one of Chris Bianco’s burritos, and listen as all the “cool kids” started calling the place “Crescent.”Stateside and Crescent owner Charlie Levy has enjoyed the past two weeks,…

Merle Haggard and Kris Kristofferson Headed to Heard Museum

Two of classic country’s baddest bad-boys, Merle “Hag” Haggard and Kris “That Dude From the First Blade Movie” Kristofferson, are headed to Phoenix this week, and they are not performing at a typically “country” place like Toby Keith’s I Love this Bar & Grill. No, the digs will be classier,…