What happens when a previously instrumental band decides to add some vocals to the mix? The jury is still out on that — just ask RJD2 — although the reception is never quite as positive as it could be. Australia’s PVT (formerly Pivot) are going through these exact same vocal…
As if Lady Gaga hasn’t saturated the music business enough already, last week, she released her latest album, The Remix, in the U.S. It’s a whole lotta Gaga (two albums and an EP) for less than 2 years, but she may as well milk her schtick while she’s hot, right?It’s…
Song: The National, “Bloodbuzz Ohio”Context: Reading Dan Gibson’s dispatches from Lollapalooza, The National’s set seems to have been one of the highlights of the weekend. 06 Bloodbuzz Ohio…
Is it possible that the rapping career of New Kids on the Block member/Funky Bunch leader-turned-actor Marky Mark Wahlberg could be resurrected? Perhaps. But only at the invitation of Justin Bieber. In a recent Q & A with Time magazine Wahlberg was asked, “Would you be willing to drop a…
I know, I know — you’re looking at that headline and thinking to yourself, “Well how is he gonna shine this turd new show announcements?” I won’t lie — I can’t really. You Hang Up is finally playing a show, but all that jazz was taken care of last week…
Michigan-bred singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens will bring his banjo to Mesa Arts Center on October 22.”Sufjan himself scheduled the trek, which takes him to some of the continent’s most notable venues, like New York’s Beacon Theatre and The Chicago Theatre,” says Stateside Presents, which is promoting the show. “A pretty big…
Well, it looks like Lady Gaga’s not the only one who can’t keep her mouth shut about political issues during concerts. At last night’s Toby Keith show at Cricket Wireless Pavilion in Phoenix, Trace Adkins decided to let the Valley know just how he weighed in on the whole SB…
Mark Chapman, the man who killed John Lennon in December of 1980 is scheduled to be interviewed by the parole board of the Attica prison in New York next week, NME reports. He’s currently serving a sentence of twenty years to life for Lennon’s murder. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Yoko Ono encourages…
Frankie Muniz’s band You Hang Up will finally make its [triumphant/embarrassing/predictable/mediocre/incredible?] Phoenix debut with a show at Scottsdale’s Martini Ranch on September 4.It’s been nearly a year since the band hired on the former Malcolm In The Middle child star as a drummer (before ever actually hearing him play in…
This year’s big fundraiser for the Phoenix Symphony is going to be a little different. First, it’s going to be in mid October instead of on New Year’s Eve. Second, Donna Summer is the featured performer. Yes, the incomparable Donna Summer, known for such hits as “Love to Love You…
Song: Toby Keith, “Should’ve Been A Cowboy”Context: I often think this to myself (substituting “Park Ranger” for Cowboy, since I’m a lefty) but with Toby coming to town Sunday it’s a perfect tune for today. Toby Keith – Shoulda Been A Cowboy…
Name: Adam Anthony O’Suna, Sr. Nickname: Suna, brah! Current club nights: I play out when the opportunity presents itself. On guest rotation at Skyline on Fridays, Solstice on Saturdays, and Retro Hi-Fi about every month or so. Genres spun: Real house, jackin and good deep with a solid groove (but…
Artist: Arcade FireTitle: The SuburbsRelease date: August 3Label: MergeHere’s something I did not know until after multiple listens to Arcade Fire’s new record: The suburbs are not what they seem. Here I’d lived 40-plus years (including my first 18 years in the suburbs) thinking that suburbia provided an idyllic backdrop for…
This week’s music feature is on the local band Snake! Snake! Snakes!, who are starting to get a lot of national attention, particularly from the college radio world. Despite their burgeoning success, the group has a bit of a problem a la Spinal Tap: They can’t hold onto a drummer.Chris…
Music editor Martin Cizmar and I are back with another podcast, in which we discuss the overratedness of The Gaslight Anthem, the bleak Danger Mouse/Sparklehorse collaboration, my failed attempt at concert promoting, the return of Crowded House, and a bunch of other stuff that you didn’t even realize you needed…
Song: Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, “Last Days”Context: Heard this song from Ted Leo’s new album for the first time a couple days ago and loved it. I asked them to spin it on KWSS 106.7’s The Morning Infidelity this morning. Ted Leo – Last Days by cizmar…
It’s a quiet Friday afternoon at Carly’s Bistro, and the members of Phoenix indie-rock act Snake! Snake! Snakes! shuffle in one by one. First comes guitarist/vocalist Jon Messenger, followed by bassist Chris Sanchez and, finally, drummer David Cooper, who slides down into his chair with uncalculated ease. The group announces…
You might not think that a guy who writes songs called “Yank Me, Crank Me” and “Wang Dang Sweet Poontang” would lead you to soul-searching, but when Ted Nugent called me a prick, that’s exactly what happened. Now, the Nuge wasn’t ripping on people like me or on a group…
In the post-Summer of Love late ’60s — smack-dab in the middle of the Vietnam War protests, draft-card bonfires, and the Chicago Democratic convention melees — Merle Haggard dropped a couple of jingoistic little H-bombs titled “Okie from Muskogee” and “Fightin’ Side of Me,” which told the hippies burning their…
Rolling Stone gives a nice little recap of the first interview Lil Wayne’s done since he’s been in prison.Weezy called in to Funkmaster Flex’s radio show from the New York penitentiary, and is apparently already planning post-release collaborations. Wayne said, “I’ve been saying to myself that I really wanna do…
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. Who are the most worthlessly obscure artists boycotting AZ over SB 1070? What are the five…
Ever wanted to learn a ton of shit about the music biz without going to Brooklyn to get P. Diddy a cookie or riding in a van with Ian MacKaye as he talks about not eating animals or drinking beer? Mesa Community College has you covered.MCC has been beefing up…
