While many aspiring musicians would kill to work in the studio with big names like Pitbull, Ricky Martin, and KC & The Sunshine Band, the two brothers who make up XAXO found it soul sucking. “We were producing, writing, engineering, vocal coaching, and working as a psychologist for all these…
The album cover to the self-titled debut EP by Miami-based Chase the Jaguar perfectly captures the duality that an urban city set in paradise frequently offers: palm trees and a soft, calming sunset with streaks of lingering blue and flamingo pink, all broken up by a giant, imposing, and often…
It’s been a long week. And if you just don’t have it in you tonight to Uber over to LIV, we’ve got a significantly more laidback (and free) option. This week, the monthly series Jazz at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in North Miami presents Lanzallamas Monofonica, a Miami-based…
Rock n’ roll is all about mythology: selling your soul to the devil in exchange for godly guitar riffs. Bands achieve immortal status by soundtracking the most important moments in our lives, sometimes with eerie specificity. Unfortunately, in the world of rock n’ roll mythology, old legends and first impressions…
A John Lennon “Imagine” license plate greets you in the driveway of Joe Johnson’s home studio in Plantation. The common areas in the house are lightly sprinkled with Beatles memorabilia. A poster for the Beatles’ Vegas Cirque du Soleil show, Love, and an official print of Lennon’s “Dear Prudence” lyrics adorn…
EDM catches a lot of flak, much of which is well-deserved. It is a genre of excess, produced by excessive musicians in order to be consumed by people with excessive taste. EDM is so large and monolithic, that it wound up consuming — insofar as terminology — an entire format…
Started in 2010 by U.K. radio personality and DJ, Colleen Murphy, Classic Album Sundays is meant to be a way for music lovers around the world to gather once a month and geek out over a masterful record. Sadly, we’ve never had a formal Classic Album Sunday gathering in our…
When it was announced last year that the Cure would grace Miami with its grim presence at Bayfront Park Amphitheatre, we were pleasantly surprised. Shortly thereafter, upon learning that Robert Smith and company’s time in our fair city had been extended to a two-night performance, we were positively shocked. The…
For a lot of rock stars, headlining a show at Bayfront Park is just another gig at just another amphitheater — a very hot and humid amphitheater, but an amphitheater nonetheless. For Dashboard Confessional’s Chris Carrabba, though, it brings back fond memories. “I mostly went to smaller venues, but I…
Soda. Now close your eyes. What do you see? Chances are, floating in the tunnels of your subconscious, there’s either a red-and-white Coca-Cola bottle or a blue Pepsi can — maybe a Dr. Pepper for all you rebels out there. That’s no coincidence. It’s called brand association. You think of…
Though the lawsuit has been ongoing for over a decade, Ticketmaster only recently finalized a case over its sneaky service fees, and the justice system agreed that they are, indeed, sneaky. And, apparently, illegal too. So, as part of its $400 million settlement, Ticketmaster announced it would be dishing out…
It’s impossible to talk about Pink Floyd without invoking some heady existential themes. Both in their lyrics and in the storied mythos surrounding them, the band contended with insanity, greed, and the occasional overinflated ego or two. So when I ask Damian Darlington, lead singer and guitarist behind Floyd tribute…
Two weeks ago, I went on an Instagram rant criticizing local hip-hop radio stations for not showing any love to Miami-based artists. You won’t hear any songs by up-and-coming underground MCs like Super Mario, Denzel Curry, Robb Bank$, and Yung Simmie by tuning into 99 Jamz or 103.5 the Beat…
“Part of the weekend never dies.” That was the vocal hook of this Soulwax track I used to bang the fuck out to when I was in college. Back then, it seemed like a hopeful rallying cry for a weekend warrior. It was the mantra you repeated to yourself between…
It’s a well-worn cliché, but seriously — DJ Irie is a man who needs no introduction. Hell, we’ve introduced him within these very pages on no less than five occasions. To any readers who are unmoved by that number, when you get the chance, please type ‘DJ Irie’ into the…
There’s a little bit of everything at EDC Las Vegas. The outfits, décor and stages are all unbelievable, and the massive festival grounds offer plenty of chances to intermingle with fellow ravers. Throughout the weekend, there were many, many bests. But, as with any large logistical nightmare of a gathering,…
While much of the talk since the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando has focused on the shooter himself, the politics of gun control, homophobia, and Islamophobia, the people at Miami’s Revolution Radio couldn’t stop thinking about the victims. So, this Saturday, June 25, at the Mana Wynwood Event Tent, Revolution…
Even though this is a dense week in Miami, bursting with a number of quality shows — including Bryson Tiller and Fabulous at the Bank United Center and Dashboard Confessional and Taking Back Sunday teaming up at Bayfront Park — as the old movie tagline goes, “There can be only…
Behind an unmarked door in a nondescript wall behind a row of vendor tents, there’s a small army of positive-minded people whose job it is to make EDC Vegas fun and safe for every attendee. They’re called Ground Control, and over the course of the weekend, 370 of them roam…
One day after the tragedy in Orlando, a petition appeared on Change.org addressed to the mayors of Miami and Miami Beach and five of the cities’ commissioners. It asks for safety and security, and for metal detectors to be required at the entrance of Miami nightclubs. “Requiring local nightlife venues…
The blistering roads of Florida got even hotter this week, from the deep depths of Carol City all the way up to Orlando. After Pompano Beach’s Kodak Black dropped off his highly anticipated mixtape Lil Big Pac last week, Dade County kingpin Rick Ross and other rising Florida rappers like…
Looking for a good dose of local music, art, and free booze? This is your lucky day! On Saturday starting at 9 p.m., downtown’s 1306 will host the first edition of Something Tropical, an event featuring live bands, DJs, art installations, and an open bar on select drinks. The night,…
