Now in its second year, the Miami Music Festival is trying to overcome some of the major mistakes it made in 2009. You had overpriced wristbands, bad venues, and bloated lineups. Basically, it was a mess. And then-Miami New Times music editor Arielle Castillo wrote, “Planned as a three-day set…
Did you know that according to 2006 census data almost three quarters of Dade County residents speak either Spanish or some variant (i.e. Spanglish)? And most of those people also sing en Español. That’s partly why we here at Miami New Times are actively seeking bilingual freelance writers for our…
It’s no big freaking secret that the Miami Music Festival has its critics. And Will Lopez of Hialeah punk crew Guajiro is not a fan. He made the fact pretty clear with his sarcastic seven-minute animated YouTube video titled Miami Music Festival: A Primer. “Aside from singing in Guajiro, I…
After an entire decade behind the decks as a DJ-for-hire, German spinner Timo Maas finally became a full-blown techno convert in the early ’90s. He hung around warehouses and cut together live mixes that kickstarted his ascent through Deutschland’s rave scene. There were residencies in Hamburg, a slew of singles,…
With Ogre You Asshole The Fillmore Miami Beach Wednesday, November 10, 2010 Better than: A totally empty auditorium. Too bad Montreal indie rockers Wolf Parade don’t travel with a pack of thousands. The Fillmore could have used some filling last night. The crowd was only a cluster. But like singer…
In their home laboratory, cousins Tom van Buskirk and George Langford of Javelin conduct strange sound experiments, feeding snippets of hip-hop, lost vinyl nuggets, and newly unearthed audio clips into a massive sonic collider. The result: A series of increasingly legendary 12″ records, mixtapes, CDs, and podcasts that completely confuse…
Hailing from Asheville, North Carolina, world-beat rock band Toubab Krewe is kinda like Animal Collective’s cousin from the country whose long-absent daddy happens to be the Dead. Taking cues from indie rock, psychedlic jam, and traditional Malian tuneage, the Krewe twists out songs — i.e. “Holy Grail” and “51 Ft…
Fantasia Barrino at James L. Knight Center November 14
Like any 31-year-old punk crew that has spent a good chunk of its life in the gutter — rocking recklessly, shooting heroin, looking for love, and breaking the law — Social Distortion has a pretty messed-up face. Obviously, we don’t mean that literally; Social D’s middle-aged frontman, Mike Ness, is…
Ludacris at James L. Knight Center November 11
2010 Miami Music Festival, November 11 to 14
In the undisputed birthplace of jazz, grand old New Orleans, there’s a brass-band tradition called the “second line.” On random Sundays, Mardi Gras, or certain other celebratory occasions, a group of people without a parade permit will gather to blow horns, twirl parasols, and strut through the streets of the…
A pretty loaded question, right? Especially after last year’s admittedly shaky showing. Overpriced wristbands, crappy tents, and other bad venue choices … For some, like New Times, it was a big disappointment. For others, it was just a minor misstep that could be corrected in 2010. But now, next year…
We here at New Times are gonna be hosting a VIP party to help launch the 2010 edition of the Miami Music Festival. And yeah, we want all our friends to come, including you, J-Lo, and Jimmy Buffett. The bad news: Part of the night (9 to 11 p.m.) will…
Heads up, all you live music junkies. The second annual Miami Music Festival starts this Thursday and here’s what you can expect: A 72-hour sprint of 200 bands blitzing through approximately 400 sets in 45 clubs, bars, cafes, hotel lounges, and skuzzy pubs. For just $25, you’ll have the chance…
See the full Lil Wayne Welcome Home Party slideshow. It had been eight months since Weezy’d seen the streets. So he wasn’t gonna waste his first weekend of freedom. On Friday, the Young Money Cash Money prince made a straight shot for New Orleans to see the Hornets vs. King…
With Donnis The University of Miami Friday, November 5, 2010 Better than: Listening to your vintage 1998 copy of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill for the billionth time. Believe it … Ms. Lauryn Hill never disappoints her fans. She always leaves them waiting for an hour or more. Let’s be…
You know what’s funny about primetime pop pageant American Idol? (Nope, not ex-panelist Ellen Degeneres.) It’s that the biggest star to ever shoot out of that black hole was a loser named Jennifer Hudson. Of course, there’s an argument to be made for Season One winner, Kelly Clarkson. And if…
Like any 31-year-old punk crew that’s spent a good chunk of its life in the gutter, rocking recklessly, shooting heroin, looking for love, and breaking the law, Social Distortion has a pretty messed-up face. Obviously, we don’t mean that literally; Social D’s middle-aged frontman Mike Ness is surprisingly well-preserved, despite…
Not only is OG Dirty South spitter Chris “Ludacris” Bridges the star of such upcoming films as Fast & the Furious 5, chairman of the non-profit Ludacris Foundation, and a connoisseur of fine cognac. But he has also become an unlikely mentor to former Latin heartthrob and nude waterskier Enrique…
In the early ’00s, cool kids everywhere became obsessed with all kinds of lupine creatures. Maybe it was irony. Maybe it was rabies. Or maybe the moon had slipped off its axis. Whatever the cause, almost everyone between the ages of 16 and 28 was wearing a howling wolf’s head…
If your name were “Steve Lawler,” you’d probably spend Wednesday afternoon spinning for the Masters of the Universe on the deck of some Cypriot millionaire’s gigayacht off the coast of Dubai. Then Thursday, you’d take the red-eye home to collate your 1,001 solid-platinum platters. And Friday, you’d teleport to Miami…
