What if I told you that Cameron Jibril Thomaz (better known as oddball rapper Wiz Khalifa) was born in North Dakota, a state hardly synonymous with hip-hop? That he moved around Europe as a child, far from the American ghettos. That he had a goofy-looking short white friend named Mac…
It’s tempting to think of Peter Case as a rock ‘n’ roller who went soft, abandoning the power pop/mod sounds of his ’70s and ’80s bands The Nerves (who wrote the Blondie hit “Hanging on the Telephone”) and The Plimsouls (known for new wave classic “A Million Miles Away”) for…
If Radiohead’s February full-length King of Limbs left you scratching your head, feeling like you just didn’t “get it,” here’s another track to add to the whoosh, over-the-head pile. Or, you know, maybe it will offer some clarity. The slightly more melodic, bass-driven “Staircase,” just released by the Oxfordshire fivesome, is…
Arizona resident and legendary singer/songwriter Glen Campbell will release his last album on August 30, titled Ghost On The Canvas.Campbell was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, which is apparently a factor in his decision to stop recording and touring after this album. Campbell discussed his career and health with People magazine,…
For the first time ever, Adam Levine’s voice is saddening people. The vocals of Maroon 5’s frontman are simply way too over-processed on Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera’s new collaborative single, “Moves Like Jagger.” Idolator thinks the song is the best thing since sliced bread, but I disagree.”Moves Like Jagger,”…
In case you’ve missed practically every noteworthy blog hyping it, or didn’t watch The Colbert Report last night, here’s some news: Bon Iver, the band, released Bon Iver, the album, today. It’s the band’s second outing, and technically the first that was recorded as a band and not just songwriter…
Joel Davis, better known by his DJ handle, DJ Epidemic, is moving to New York to join up with Silver Medallion, whom he officially mans the wheels of steel for. Epidemic isn’t planning on leaving Phoenix without a party first; he’ll be guest DJing at Sticky Fingers at Bar Smith,…
First, let’s recap his situation. Back in April, Complex managed to crack the case and find Earl and revealed that he is at a boarding school in Samoa. Earl’s mother sent him there only because she found his music to be disrespectful. Then the New Yorker wrote an article about Earl…
Ah, Nicki Minaj. She’s a woman of pure beauty and pure poetry. In honor of her appearance opening up for Britney Spears Wednesday, June 22, here are 10 of her most thought-provoking raps. Eat your heart out, world!…
Aside from perhaps Lynyrd Skynyrd, you’d be hard pressed to find a classic rock band that’s been through more tribulations than Mountain. The Long Island, New York-based band is perhaps best known for their 1970 hit “Mississippi Queen,” but there’s some ugly lore in the band’s story, too. After leaving…
In a similar fashion, we bring you this week’s pick for Tumblr of the Week: Album Tacos, a blog collective of Photoshopped album covers that all managed to work tacos into the album artwork.More on what’s awesome about this week’s Tumblr of the Week after the jump…..
, according to Stereogum.”Apple Carts” is the first track that Albarn has released from Dr. Dee. He recently performed an acoustic version of the piece on the Andrew Marr Show.Dr. Dee is an opera about John Dee, an alchemist, spy and astrologer.The opera will run from July 1-9 at the…
These days, people are plugged in like The Matrix — only they’re plugged into their iPods, smart phones, and mp3 players rather than machines on an underground ship. Our detachment from the real world is never as obvious as when strangers are jumbled together in a public space. And this…
The Whisperlights have released plenty of catchy songs between their debut EP, Wake up Dead, and their upcoming full-length album, Surfaces. The new album explores new sounds with violinist/singer Tobie Milford picking up a guitar on tracks that shift away from themes of death to subtle love songs. What makes…
, according to Rolling Stone.The rider was made by Gus Brandt, the Foo Fighters’ tour manager. A section of the rider entitled Catering Visual Enhancement & Activities depicts the differences between a lame entree and an awesome entree, the differences between a good salad and a bad salad, what constitutes…
Kara Roschi The local artist is co-owner of Practical Art. When you put your key in the ignition and turn on the radio, what station would play right now? I am proud to be car-free! But when I did have one, it was NPR in the afternoons, KSLX in the…
The Musical Instrument Museum already boasts some cool rock ‘n’ roll relics, including an Eric Clapton guitar and John Lennon’s piano. But on Sunday, June 19, the museum will unveil perhaps its most iconic instrument yet: a 1975 Martin D28 acoustic guitar that belonged to Elvis Presley.Presley played the guitar…
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 happened back in 1971, when Alice Cooper says Elvis asked him to put a gun…
“Homegrown” and “organic” are not words normally associated with Phoenix. After all, what the hell could possibly grow from soil that rivals the sun in heat? How about “acoustic-driven indie folk” artist Charles Barth from local band Saddles. Barth, 24, is something of a one-man army of musical talent. All…
, according to Consequence of Sound.Dexter Isaac, who is already an inmate, confessed to the shooting. Isaac’s shooting took place two years prior to Tupac’s death. Isaac has claimed that he was hired to shoot Tupac by one of Tupac’s associate MCs. He says James “Jimmy Henchan” Rosemond, the CEO…
A little more than three years ago, The Format shocked the Valley with the announcement of their breakup. The duo of Nate Ruess and Sam Means seemed poised to put Arizona music in the national spotlight. They had established their own imprint, The Vanity Label, with national distribution through Nettwerk…
You know your band is cool when indie folk hero Devendra Banhart “opens” for you at a house party. It was pretty exciting for local rockers The Tremulants, anyway, when they found themselves playing after Banhart in the basement of a Mesa home one Saturday night in early June. “I…
