Despite its flaws, the city of Miami is often viewed by outsiders as an oasis, a little humid slice of heaven. The locals, on the other hand, know it’s more complicated than that, and learn to love it or simply tolerate it. But one group of young entrepreneurs simply couldn’t…
Almost exactly a year has passed since we last spoke to local musician Galactic Effect. The occasion (other than to chat about a life-changing trip to Burning Man) was a celebration of the release of his newest single, “Sky Fortress,” which preceded an accompanying EP called Life On The Outer…
Hundreds of thousands of individuals make the choice to have an abortion every year in America, but the stigma toward the hotly debated procedure makes it so that many of these people feel isolated and unsupported in their decision. Even worse, states continue to pass laws actively restricting access to…
The first official day of fall is September 22. The first official day of what we laughably call “winter” is December 23. A lot will happen in between that time. We’ll fight over turkey with relatives who require several very full glasses of wine to tolerate. Some of us will…
Some bands become pillars of a genre, some redefine it, and others rise to the level of exemplar in their chosen style. And then there are bands that outright create an entirely new genre. Such is the case with Kassav’, the first zouk band the world ever knew. Formed in…
After years of debate, most agree the birth of hip-hop can be traced to an exact day and place: August 11, 1973; 1520 Sedgwich Ave., Bronx, New York City. At his sister’s birthday party, a dude by the name of DJ Kool Herc used a DJing method no one had…
In the beginning of 2016, we learned that Homestead would once again have a proper music venue. The historic Seminole Theatre was to undergo the third renovation of its 95-year lifespan. And, soon, it would host shows with both local and national acts. The Wailers, Bob Marley’s old backing band, and the…
This Thursday, courtesy of the kind folks over at the Rhythm Foundation, Ivan “Melon” Lewis and his backing band, the Cuban Swing Express, will make its U.S. debut at the North Beach Bandshell. Lewis, a prominent pianist of Cuban decent, was nominated last year for a Latin Grammy for Best…
By the time you first heard of Leon Bridges, it felt like you were the last person on Earth to have done so. The 27-year-old from Fort Worth, Texas, started his career in a slingshot. After gaining some buzz on the local music scene, one of Bridges’ songs, the megahit…
Chris Escobar is frantically cutting onions in the kitchen of Miami’s most eclectic punk house. It’s a Thursday afternoon in Black Sheep House, where five members of the local activist group Food Not Bombs is cooking reclaimed food from grocery stores to serve to houseless folk in downtown. The skinny,…
Oh boy. That was a lot. Labor Day Weekend delivered more music than our poor ears could handle and now we will nap forever. Or, at least until Friday. Because then it’ll be time to do this all again. I mean, how could we miss out on a chance to…
With complimentary donuts and popsicles handed out Saturday night at the Hangar, things got off to a sweet start. It was night three of Red Bull Sound Select Presents: 3 Days in Miami, a series of concerts meant to showcase both established talent and new up-and-comers. Thursday saw the hard…
As we mentioned on Monday, the range of music happening this weekend in Miami is, to say the least, overwhelming. It’s a good week to be a music fan in the 305. But it’s a really good week to be a rock fan in Miami. That’s because Miami’s historic Little Haiti punk…
18 years ago, Jose Elias, a self professed “world music nerd,” thought to put together a one-off tribute to the iconic artist Sun Ra at Tobacco Road. His curation of the event called attention to what he quickly realized was a hunger for African-derived music in Miami. “There were a…
It seems like the “comeback” is a trending theme in South Florida hip-hop this week. Miramar resident Bizzy Crook took the more literal route, dropping his new video for “The Come Back,” in which he takes over the Miami Marine Stadium before its possible renovation this fall. Meanwhile, Little Havana’s…
Much like musicians of the post-punk era they idolize, the musicians in Astari Nite are romantics in black. “We really love what we do. We have a lot of passion and we’re super humbled doing what we do. If you enjoy what you’re doing there’s really no room for anything…
Fool’s Gold Day Off, the hip-hop/electronic music festival presented by Fool’s Gold Records, was a good thing for Miami music. Coming to the 305 for the first time outside of Art Basel last year, the event helped jumpstart the fall concert season, providing a smooth transition into III Points. Last…
Things should be good for the West Palm Beach indie-rock heroes of Surfer Blood. They have a new album set for release in early 2017. They’ve had opening gigs for some of their biggest influences, including the Pixies and Guided by Voices. Their song “Swim” was even heard on the…
Labor Day in Miami is a welcome respite from the daily grind of traffic and work, but it’s also an extra day of the week to spend the cash you worked so hard to earn. It’s also the beginning of the end of summer, which means that — finally —…
Jazz Cartier doesn’t like doing too many interviews. He speaks bluntly — preferring superlatives to subtleties — and sometimes that means saying something in the moment, which he’d later like to reconsider. But he get’s it: hip-hop is competition. And when you’re the self-proclaimed “Prince of the City” in Toronto,…
What do you do once you’ve already seized the hearts and ears of millions around the globe? For those lucky few who have ascended to pop stardom, this is a predicament that has — and likely always will — pose a steep challenge for the newly minted Biebers and Swedish…
If Drake and I were best friends I think we’d start the day off with breakfast. Not some fancy lobster eggs Benedict sort of joint (unless it was Sunday) but a regular old diner would do. I’d go with french toast and he’d stick with an omelet. We’d ask for…
