Jon Saxx is a young saxophonist who’s been making waves in the local jazz scene for some time now. We had a little chance to catch up with him before this weekend’s Miami Gardens’ Jazz in the Gardens 2010 where he’ll be performing on a roster including Mary J. Blige,…
Music is a Weapon has been making some noise for a couple of years. This coming Saturday they will be rocking the Vagabond alongside local Spanish-language punks G2 and Dutch DJ’s Saskia Rocks and Geza Weisz for the big-top party Cirque Excentrique; featuring “Party Monster” himself James St. James. We…
Blast From the Past is a weekly column on Crossfade re-examining classic releases from Florida music of yesteryear. To read previous installments, click here. 2 Live CrewBanned in the USA(Luke Records) Well, it was bound to happen within these pages: 2 Live Crew. It would be downright irresponsible to revisit…
Blind people jokes and creative reinterpretations of “Feliz Navidad” aside, my knee-jerk reaction was, is this dude still alive? Yup. Alive and active. He’s been keeping busy on the live circuit and in the studio, releasing a pair of digital albums last year (American Classics and Djangoisms) and shopping for shades…
The CichildsBe True To Your School (Bold/TK Records)The Cichlids’ story is one of your typical musical stories rife with intrigue, pleasure, strife, and the passing of time. The act was widely considered one of the first alternative Florida acts who could have (should have) made it, and 1980’s Be True…
Ooh! What a treat for the kids, Johnny-come-latelys, scenesters, middle-aged fogies and record collector nerds! Anybody into South Florida punk andgarage would be wise to not let this one slip, because on the Monterey’s stage this Friday will be three bands who pretty much sum up the last 30-odd years…
Joshy Josh is a journeyman DJ in South Florida who skims the fine line between South Beach and downtown. Some people know him as the spectacled dude with long hair and the perpetual three-day college professor beard, but most know him for his DJ sets of fun. Crossfade caught up…
CalahoneySlow Stride (True Records)calahoney.com Calahoney features top-notch bluesy vocals from frontwoman Laura, accompanied all the while by guitarist Josue, who may or may not be a pair of bohemians trapped in number – crunching nine – to – fives. The overall vibe is reminiscent of the ’90s alt-rock scene, and while…
The Andalusians are not from Spain; they are from Washington, D.C. They are not horses, either; they are nice white kids. Basla Andolsun is the lady in charge of the act, and to further stamp her über-coolness, her outfit’s got a seven-inch out on Dischord Records (for the uninitiated, that’s…
To read past installments of Blast From the Past, click here. Jaco PastoriusJaco Pastorius (Epic Records)One of my first charges here for the Miami New Times sheriffs all the way back in September of 2003 was a review for the Jaco Pastorius tribute CD, Word of Mouth Revisited, on the Heads…
Manuel Valera’s one of those young guys out there in the jazz circuit who has paid his dues and has toured supporting some stellar names. These past couple of years he’s come into his own. His compositions for trios and quartets, as well as his inviting and symbiotic manner on…
Blast From the Past: Coke, the late, great Miami band
Four questions with Afrobeta’s Cuci Amador
For a while there, I was completely convinced that the young men of the Axe and the Oak would waste away in the studio, eternally tinkering with the production of their forthcoming debut album. And then, I recently got word that the album is, indeed, ready to go! This track,…
Hearing Damage: The Rat Opera is one of those little artistic things that pop up that are so uniquely weird and South Floridian. Yes, it’s an actual opera about longtime local producer and noise god Frank Falestra, a.k.a. Rat Bastard. It debuted last year at Tobacco Road and Churchill’s, but…
Always looking to balance my rock and roll with a little culture, I’m happy to report that Miami Beach’s Bass Museum of Art kicks off its much-lauded winter/spring season of biweekly jazz concerts tonight, February 19. Getting the festivities going will be the Mike Orta Quartet. FIU students will recognize…
Blast From the Past is a weekly column on Crossfade re-examining classic releases from Florida music of yesteryear. To read previous installments, click here.DeathLeprosy (Combat)For this installment of Blast from the Past we’ll be concentrating on Death’s second full-length album, 1988’s Leprosy. Hailing from Orlando, Death were pioneers of metal…
Here’s an MP3 for the upcoming third album by Miami’s Elastic Bond. Ringleader Andres Ponce always does a good job of imbuing his musical efforts with a keen sense of blues, Tropicalia, and little bit of funk that’s usually termed “urban,” but in my book, makes for some good listening…
Local Motion: The State Of, Frightdoll, and Andrew Bayuk
Black CobraChronomega (Southern Lord Recordings)blackcobra.net In a follow up to the 2007 album, Feather and Stone, these two South Florida ex-pats continue their furious onslaught of metal-tinged hardcore. First off, as a record geek I must seriously recommend that you acquire the vinyl version of the album. This is for three…
To view past editions of Blast From the Past, click here. CokeCoke (Sound Triangle Records)One of the perils of collecting Florida music is the often confusing and frustrating searches one can often endure. There are many reasons for this: small print runs, obscure bands, even more obscure “record labels” and very…
Cuci Amador is the effervescent frontwoman of Afrobeta, a Miami favorite who’s currently finishing up a new studio album. Crossfade caught up with her recently to ask her about her musical background, new projects, and that recent almost-Grammy.New Times: Let’s get some things out of the way first. Where do…
