BEST LOCAL BAND TO BREAK UP IN THE PAST TWELVE MONTHS

As much as we hear about Miami's lack of a music scene, there are bands worth coming home smelling like an ashtray and risking that train-ran-over-my-head feeling the morning after. Secret Service, three guys doing punk-meets-pop with high energy and a decibel level to match, took shape in 1998. They had a great blend of heavy and pop hooks and stood out from the let's-rehash-New-Wave gang. Their 2003 EP, This Landmark Will Distort, received solid reviews, as did their live performances at the usual Miami bar-band haunts. Unfortunately, suffering from continual drummer havoc, the band could no longer keep the beat.