In 1972, free jazz pioneer Sun Ra proclaimed, “Space is place,” in a bizarre sci-fi/blaxploitation film of the same name. Space remains the focus of intense interest for astronomers, astronauts, moviemakers, and UFO hunters, and it also serves as the latest inspiration for former Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart, who…
Don’t call it a come back: mythic Phoenix art-punk Eddy Detroit never went away, releasing a string of albums all throughout the ’80s, ’90s, and ’00s, but thanks to Ammit Records, the vinyl imprint of downtown music shop Revolver Records, he’s back in vinyl form. Eddy Detroit Meets the Sun…
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 songs are we excited to spin this holiday season? What Back to Black Friday vinyl…
Local fans of ’90s alt-rock hitmakers Bush are in for some heartbreak and disappointment. The band’s upcoming concert at Celebrity Theatre next Wednesday, which was part of X103.9’s “No Snow Holiday Show” series, has been cancelled.An e-mail that was sent out by Celebrity Theatre’s staff (and reposted on Bush’s official…
As finals wrap up and holidays consume every waking minute, some people still have work to do. That’s exactly what Stellacutta is doing: working on their debut album. Earlier this year, Michael Lopez broke down the Tempe rocker’s two-song self-titled EP in You Asked For It, and showed a lot…
Beware, West Coast festival lovers! The Coachella flier that has started circulating is a phony.Whoever made this flier is both ridiculous and awesome. This is one hell of a lineup but is typically “wishlist,” as these things tend to be. I’d really be pissed at Goldenvoice and other festival organizers…
Even with rumors rumbling that the Big Four (soon to be three?) will cease producing CDs at the end of 2012, Seattle-based label Light in the Attic has teamed with Rhino Handmade to help distribute ultra-deluxe compact discs. Turns out, certain people (collectors) still want some physical, musical products, provided…
After Thanksgiving comes and goes, it seems like just about everyone gets into the holiday spirit. Even the creepy, strange and misguided among us (which describes most of the lovely Up on the Sun staff, now that we think about it). We’re not sure what these artists were thinking when…
Like most of you, I was pretty surprised by that Radiohead concert announcement, but you know, this one might actually take the cake: Guns N’ Roses is coming to Comerica Theatre on Tuesday, December 27. G N’ R fans might be soured by the current lineup (Axl backed by DJ…
In “Take it Or Regret It,” one of my favorite pieces of music writing this year, songwriter and Seattle Weekly columnist John Roderick wrote: Music writers aren’t engaged in a conspiracy of bitterness and bad taste (at least not most of them), they’re just trying to make their deadlines. When…
The ’70s stunna is going to help you get your adult contemporary groove on when he comes to Phoenix.Neil Diamond, Social Distortion, Handsome Furs and other bands will be bringing some stellar performances to the Valley soon.The rest of this week’s shows after the jump…..
Jacki Orr The multi-media artist, humorist, performer and publisher of the ladies’ indie adult naughty mag PoolBoy Magazine hosts First Friday Night Live Friday, December 2 at The Firehouse at 11 p.m. Tickets are $7 at the door or $5 online here. $7 tix at the door or $5 online here…
Although no one in the music industry with a whiff of official about them is on record as saying so, it’s been widely reported throughout the blogosphere that the remaining three major record labels will cease manufacturing CDs before the end of 2012. For those who came of age during…
From Keith Richards’ blood transfusion to Ozzy Osbourne’s bat-biting, rumor and lore have been critical to rock music’s appeal, and no act maintains a more infamous collection of legends than Norwegian black metal pioneers Mayhem. To make a long and bloody story short (but still bloody): In 1991, Mayhem singer…
For a while, Eric Bachmann decided he was done with music. No matter that he’d made a name for himself as frontman of ’90s indie icons Archers of Loaf. No matter that he’d gotten acclaim for Crooked Fingers, his moody, Americana-influenced second act. No matter that he still had yet…
The cynical among us (ahem) might view Sting’s “Back to Bass” tour as a way to cash in on The Police experience without having to deal with the other two guys who make The Police so awesome. But we’re the critics? What did you, the loyal reader have to say…
The death of the CD may be neigh, but as Serene Dominic tells us, the format’s demise probably won’t impact punk trios like Rumspringer much. The band acts a lot like it doesn’t care much, but the poetic melodic punk rock on records like Empty Towers betrays otherwise. Of course,…
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 are your 100 favorite Arizona songs? What bands names might you find on your Thanksgiving…
It’s a sad day when we have to comment on the passing of two Valley musicians, but over the weekend Phoenix lost two members of its music community. Tony Richey, who played in heavy bands like Nihil, Grum, and most recently sludge-rock favorites ZiRoh, was killed on Saturday, November 19…
Black Friday. One of those days when people like me hole up for one more day of food-coma bliss, fearing the heightened level of commercialism that turns consumers into zombified shopping maniacs, out for blood over $30 plasma televisions. But the upside to Black Friday is when the words Record…
It’s been a little over a year since Tempe-based pop-rockers The Maine released Black and White, the band’s major label debut. And while the paint still seems wet from that album’s promotional blitz (view “the Maine Wall” on Roosevelt downtown on Tumblr), the group is already gearing up for a…
“Beam me up, Scotty.” “There’s…somethingonthewing. Some…thing!” “Rock-it-man.” Get your best/worst Shatner impression ready, because Phoenix Comicon announced today that none other than Captain James T. Kirk himself, William Shatner, will be the esteemed guest at the convention on Saturday, May 26, 2012. Fellow nerd Benjamin Leatherman alerted me to the…
