When the founding members of Surfer Blood first decided to be a band, they hit the road hard. Within their first five months, they’d already done four tours. Before long the band had built a buzz that stretched between SXSW, CMJ, and beyond. Their DIY debut LP, Astro Coast, was…
During the chorus of the song “Celebrate,” lead singer and frontwoman Emily Haines of Metric sings, “Who wants to celebrate?/and who’s just fine to sit and wait?/I gave it everything/cause I just wanted you.” The fourth cut from the band’s latest effort, Pagans in Vegas, “Celebrate” represents not only where…
Ben Folds is a musical chameleon. Since the early days of the Ben Folds Five, when he was banging out cheeky, college kid, punk rock for nerds, Folds was paying homage to his heroes – namely George Gershwin – while deftly misdirecting our attention to his honest and often clever…
The Knight Arts Challenge South Florida 2015 People’s Choice Awards nominees are live. The community can vote now through November 17 via text message for one of four selected Knight Arts Challenge finalists to receive $20,000 to fund their projects. It’s a text-to-vote campaign: pick your favorite group, and text…
The long walk through the lobby and adjacent mall of the DoubleTree Hilton in northwest Miami is a normally mundane one. This past weekend however, that same path, leading ultimately to the Miami Airport Convention Center at the rear, was sprinkled with a bit of color and an eccentric collection…
Despite the massive success of superhero films from both Marvel and DC, there’s something to be said for the formats in which those characters first appeared. Comic books may not be as fashionable as they once were, but for those who still collect, the support is strong. Animation, a longtime…
Whenever an actor or musician wins a major award, they climb on stage to tell the world that they “never expected this.” When they lose, it was always “an honor just be nominated.” Mexican singer/songwriter Natalia Lafourcade has been on both sides of the coin, having won the Latin Grammy…
Daniel Goldstein is an American DJ and producer slowly making his way from the outer rings of the electronic scene to the inner circle of today’s top talent. Under his stage name, Lane 8 (a moniker lifted from swimming competitions and being stuck on the outside), Goldstein has created a…
When a lady Darth Vader and an overweight Batman are sharing a Diet Coke and a cigarette, there can only be one of two explanations: Either some interesting life choices were made or there’s a comic con in town. This past weekend, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Broward Convention Center hosted…
In computing, the delta sign signifies “a small but noticeable effect.” On their first ever visit to Miami, British indie rock outfit, alt-J, left a marked impression on the audience that was anything but. The Mercury-award winning group from Leeds, England, brought their collection of soaring songs to a near…
For their third record, the 2075 EP, Atlanta-based, alternative pop outfit, Stokeswood, go back to the future by remaining rooted in the past. It’s a dynamic contrast of sounds the five-piece hope will win over Miami music fans early next month during their appearance at Blackbird Ordinary, the second show…
The Neighbourhood craft the sort of emotionally turbulent music made for staying indoors on stormy nights. So the rainy weather enveloping the Fillmore Miami Beach Tuesday evening was perfect in terms of atmosphere – once inside the building that is. Was their concert worth braving the frankly crappy conditions? If…
Last night, American Airlines Arena was a dangerous place to be. Explosions, fireballs, and the very real possibility of getting an enthusiastic elbow in the face were only some of the hazards present. Thankfully, they were all part of the grand musical pageant known as Janet Jackson’s Unbreakable World Tour…
The Neighbourhood are that band. They’re the Americans who spell their name the British way and they insist on every photo or video taken of them to be in black and white. Here’s the thing though: they actually have legit reasons for their approach. They treat the band as an…
A large contingent of South Florida’s teenagers began their three day weekend by hanging out with their parents on a Friday night. It’s safe to say, for once, neither party had any complaints. This generational ceasefire was thanks to the dazzling, musical fireworks of Canadian electro-dream pop duo, Purity Ring…
Miami is a city swollen with world travelers and transients. It’s fitting, then, that Argentine singer, songwriter, and producer Panda Elliot would begin her U.S. tour here. Born in Buenos Aires, Elliot lived the better part of her teenage and university years abroad. “I’ve been around the world a bit,”…
On the day I speak to Umphrey’s McGee keyboardist Joel Cummins, he’s psyched about the privilege to throw out the first pitch at a Brewers-Cubs game (a matchup his hometown Cubbies wind up winning 6-3.) Additionally, Umphrey’s McGee is scheduled to perform both the national anthem and the seventh inning…
My Morning Jacket Monday, August 3, 2015 The Fillmore Miami Beach Better than: Anything that’s supposed to happen on a Monday. If there is one constant regarding My Morning Jacket, it’s that no two concerts are alike. It’s a conscious effort by the band who always try to mix up the…
Adam Duritz and the Counting Crows love Miami so much, they not only visit South Florida with some regularity, but they also wrote a song bearing the city’s name. It’s the type of wistful and sweeping pop rock the group has been known for over the course of its twenty…
There’s a neat little cultural gem brilliantly shining from the recesses of shipping containers just north of the Adrienne Arsht Center: MicroTheater Miami. Located on the patio of the Cultural Center of Spain (also known as Centro Cultural Español), MicroTheater Miami is an innovative take on live theatre. The way…
Thanks to Bob Dylan, plenty of rock and roll fans are familiar with the name Hollis Brown. His 1964 hit, “Ballad of Hollis Brown,” is the dark tale of a South Dakota farmer who escapes poverty by killing his family and then himself. These days however, Hollis Brown is a…
The guys of My Morning Jacket are legendary live performers. Given that they’ve been going strong since ’98 and released seven albums, you’d expect them to put on a stellar show. Still, no matter a group’s longevity, stage presence and charisma are rare in music. They’re inherent skills, ones not…
