They said it couldn’t be done. Nothing Not New is well into its fifth month. That’s something like 100 records that I’ve listened to so far. That’s a lot of songs, and here are 11 more standouts from the past four-plus months.On this podcast, music editor Martin Cizmar and I…
Song: Evelyn Evelyn, “My Space” Context: Wondering if I should drive to LA on a Wednesday Evelyn Evelyn – “My Space” by moderntonic.com…
It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. They practiced, they planned, they were ambitious and optimistic. Then, like so many rock musicians before them, excessive use of alcohol took it all away. Before they knew it, Hooves had embarrassed themselves at probably the biggest annual event in the Phoenix rock…
The most powerful force in commercial music today? No debate. It’s iTunes. According to recent data, Apple’s online behemoth crammed 69 percent of our collective digital-music spending into its swollen, Jabba-like gullet last year. That works out to 25 percent of all music sales — a fairly astounding figure that…
For Dan Snaith, a.k.a. electronic musician Caribou, winning the Polaris Prize for his fourth album, 2007’s Andorra, was validation of seven years of hard work. The award, given annually to the best Canadian album, was an odd nod considering the solitary nature of his bedroom recording and the cultish appeal…
Artist: Flying LotusTitle: CosmogrammaRelease date: May 3Label: Warp RecordsA while back, a reader posted a comment on one of my Nothing Not New posts asking why I continued to listen to electronic/laptop music even though I don’t care for it all that much.Well, first of all, in the spirit of…
Ever wonder what sort of merch the Phoenix band featuring former Malcolm in the Middle star Frankie Muniz would print? We have the first look and it ain’t pretty. Actually, it looks like, ummm… Affliction Tapped Out the Smashing Pumpkins in 1996.Yeah, that about sums it up.You Hang Up says…
Looks like Stephen Steinbrink has decided to “get the band back together.” May 17 marks the release date of It’s Not Just Kissing and marks the full-length return of French Quarter, the “band name” under which Steinbrink recorded and toured for several years. Steinbrink, aided in concert by Chase Kamp, Preston…
This week, New Times ran a box 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 do music editor Martin Cizmar and local promoter Stephen Chilton think is going to happen…
So if you haven’t listened to the new Dead Weather album Sea of Cowards yet, it’s pretty freggin’ awesome. But did you know that Jack White is a fan of none other than Lady Gaga? According to a blog written by wenn.com, White tried to channel the pop star on…
I love the new Hooves EP, Greater Aspirations, Lowered Expectations. Like, a lot. The Phoenix Rock and Roll Band (they seriously defy any genrefication beyond that), which is the subject of this week’s music feature in print, really, really outdid themselves. I won’t write any more about them — you…
Song: Urge Overkill/Gwen Stefani Mashup, “Hollaback Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon”Context: Happy birthday, Ving Rhames. Hollaback Girl, You’ll be a Woman Soon – GLORYHOLE VS. REMIX…
Artist: The Dead WeatherTitle: Sea of CowardsRelease date: May 11Label: Third ManI’ve read more than a couple of references to The Dead Weather as Jack White’s third-best band. Hmm. Really? Granted, I’ve heard only bits and pieces of The Dead Weather’s debut record, Horehound, and White’s other side project (and,…
[jump] There has been a massive amount of hype placed on Sleigh Bells — a duo comprising Derek Miller (of Poison the Well fame) and Alexis Krauss — and Treats damn-near solidifies all of it. The band’s early demos had many (myself included) foaming at the mouth for new material…
As May starts to heat up here in the Valley, the new releases are following suit. Brooklyn rockers The National release their fifth album today, High Violet, to very lofty acclaim.Anything the band lays down these days seems to turn to gold. The National has indie rock by the balls,…
It’s finals week at Arizona State University, which means The State Press, the school’s student newspaper, is printing articles that appear to be term papers. Like, for example, this monster 1,800-word profile of Stinkweeds Records owner, former Modified owner, and all-around Phoenix indie booster/mascot Kimber Lanning.The piece is really, really…
This week marks 40 years since the release of Let It Be, the 12th and final studio album produced by The Beatles. A lot has happened in almost a half-century, but the music of the Fab Four is standing the test of time and John, Paul, George and Ringo are…
Song: Cypress Hill and Tom Morello, “Rise Up”Context: Cypress Hill becomes the latest group to punish Arizona for SB 1070. Cypress Hill feat. Tom Morello – Rise Up…
According to one of our favorite British music blogs, NME, Michael Shamberg and Stacey Sher have bought the rights to a graphic novel, titled Paul is Undead: The British Zombie Invasion. The book depicts the Beatles as zombies.The plot line roughly revolves around John Lennon killing the other three of…
Artist: The NationalTitle: High VioletRelease date: May 11Label: 4ADIf The Hold Steady’s Heaven Is Whenever is destined to be the party album of the summer, then The National’s new record, High Violet, is destined to be the party-is-over record of the summer. In fact, I couldn’t blame you if you decided…
Sorry, folks: There will be no hits from the bong in Tucson. Latino rappers Cypress Hill posted an announcement on their website saying they will cancel an upcoming show at Tucson’s Rialto Theatre because of the law, which requires Arizona law enforcement officers to ask suspected illegal immigrants for documentation.The…
I did not wake up this morning feeling like P. Diddy. No sir — but then I saw this video of Ke$ha (pronounced “Kay dollar sign ha”) claiming that she doesn’t use autotune, and I totally felt like P. Diddy. I am convinced that this Ke$ha person is now just…
