The VeraGroove “Hand in Hand”: Exclusive Track

As Tempe self-described desert reggae rock n’ roll group The VeraGroove gears up for their Travlin’ Man EP release show Saturday, December 4 at Marquee Theatre, the guys graciously decided to share an exclusive track from the EP with Up on the Sun readers before anyone can get their hands…

Lollapalooza to Go International in Chile

Lollapalooza has expanded to Chile, according to Billboard.Perry Farrell’s music festival will be going down at O’Higgins Park in Santiago, Chile for the first time on April 2 and 3, 2011. This will be the first time that Lollapalooza has ever gone international. Presumably Chile got the honor in part…

Girl Talk – All Day (Yes, the Whole Thing)

Song: Girl Talk, “All Day”Context: So you’re probably thinking it’s cheating to make Today’s Soundtrack the entire new Girl Talk album. Well, not only has been it impossible to download this damn thing from the official site since it came out, it’s actually supposed to be just one track. So…

Mos Def Joins The Sound Strike Boycott

Mos Def, the Hollywood actor who you may remember was once a respected rapper, has joined Zack de la Rocha’s Sound Strike.Yes, #69 on the official list of Stuff White People Like, will not be bringing his enlightened rhymes to Arizona because of SB 1070, a stupid anti-immigrant law which…

This Century Gets Imprinted by The Maine

It helps to have friends in high places. Just ask This Century, a Phoenix pop-rock band that, thanks to its pals in another local pop-rock group, The Maine, recently scored a record deal with a Warner Bros. subsidiary. The Maine, which released its 2010 album, Black & White, on Sire…

Vincent Gallo’s Band Rriiccee and Other Weirdness

Vincent Gallo has done a lot of weird stuff in his day. The on-screen fellatio, the hexing of Roger Ebert, the marketing of his own reproductive fluids — these are just a few of Gallo’s performance-weirdness masterworks. So the actor-director-screenwriter-painter-musician-model (and part-time astronaut-obstetrician?) had something of a reputation to uphold…

From Print: Blogs Teased in Our 11/18 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.Has My Chemical Romance also abandoned the Sound Strike boycott of Arizona?Which song by local band Gospel…

Mini Mansions – Thriller Escapade

Song: Mini Mansions, “Thriller Escapade”Context: Mini Mansions, an LA-based trio featuring Queens of the Stone Age bass player Michael Shumanthat, are playing Nov. 30 @ the Yucca Tap Room The Mini Mansions – Thriller Escapade by Vlady Turner…

New Album From the Strokes on Its Way to Being Complete

The Strokes have finally finished a long awaited album, according to SPIN.While the mixing and mastering still has yet to be done, the recording process itself has been completed.After working out their differences and deciding to go forth with making a new album, they worked with Beck and White Stripes…

Stereolab: Not Music

Artist: StereolabTitle: Not MusicRelease date: November 16Label: Drag CityNo, Stereolab, the long-running and influential indie-pop band, is not necessarily “back.” (In fact, the band is still reportedly on indefinite hiatus.) The near-hour of music found on Not Music comes from the sessions that produced the 2008 record Chemical Chords. The…

Digable Planets – Nickel Bags

Song: Digable Planets, “Nickel Bags”Context: Not only are Digable Planets coming to town, Nickel Bags are, too. Up On The Sun is so proud of how our sister blog Valley Fever is quickly becoming Arizona’s paper of record for the coming medical marijuana program. Digable Planets – Nickel Bags…

My Chemical Romance Re-Boycotting Arizona? WTF?

My Chemical Romance may be re-boycotting Arizona over SB 1070. Yesterday we pointed out that the band had formerly joined The Sound Strike during the height of the outrage over our state’s crazy immigration law, SB 1070. Then they announced a date at Tempe’s Marquee Theatre (without any comment) and…

Now on iTunes: The Beatles Catalog

Stop the world. Apple has announced that the Beatles catalog is finally available on iTunes, according to Billboard. I love when Christmas comes early.After plenty of rumors went around yesterday about what Apple’s big announcement regarding iTunes was going to be, practically everything under the sun that the Beatles ever…

Stereolab: Not Music

For a band that was the first to be truly labeled as “post-rock,” Stereolab has kept things going solid since their inception in 1990. Not Music may have its momentary lapses, but fans of the band will feel right at home amongst the baroque-esque aural landscapes and, most importantly, Sadier’s luscious vocals.What…