It might seem hard to believe, but there was a time when the idea of mixing punk rock with the aesthetics of skateboarding was brand-new. Back in those old-school days, Southern California power trio Agent Orange became an instant underground hero when its music was featured in early-Eighties skateboard videos…
Inspired by the likes of Masters at Work and Mousse T, Fedde Le Grand is known as an all-around DJ possessed of a special knack for decorating energetic, danceable house music with acoustic, hip-hop, and electro touches. Born in Utrecht, Netherlands, in 1977, Le Grand is best known for 2006’s…
Few bands have had such an intense rotation of members as the Doobie Brothers. At the group’s inception in 1971, vocalist/guitarist Tom Johnston and drummer John Hartman teamed up with late bassist Dave Shohgren and guitarist Patrick Simmons to begin the journey. It would bring several hits (“Long Train Running,”…
The first and last time I saw Omaha, I was struck by the tremendous gray of the place. The town’s sky, its streets, its buildings, even the skin of the townsfolk themselves all seemed to be cast in this otherworldly shade of slate. Granted it was winter, and there wasn’t…
Few cinematic moments feature such a perfect marriage of image and song as one in Goodfellas, with protagonist Henry Hill coked out of his skull and packing a bag of guns. As he tries, by car, to outrace a helicopter chasing him, a suspenseful swell of piano rises in the…
So last night I was at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino when I saw an interesting poster on display. Billy Joel’s sexy mug was plastered on the wall. Come on, ladies still think he’ sexy…and I noticed that he’s got not one, not two, but three sold out concerts coming…
STFU when LMFAO performs at Karu & Y. You’ve hear the track “I’m in Miami Bitch” more times than you care to count, but still it never fails to get you cracking a smile. And if the MySpace count is any indication, there’s almost 1.3 million people cracking smiles right…
T-Pain Thr33 Ringz (Nappy Boy Entertainment) How has T-Pain done it? He’s not attractive, his fashion-sense leaves much to be desired (at least for those without Dr. Seuss/ LSD fetishes, in any case), and without the benefit of the computer program Auto-Tune his voice is nothing special. And yet, considering…
By ANDY VIHSTADT After giving it away for a limited time on eMusic, the Postmarks’ sophomore effort, By the Numbers, is officially released worldwide today. The all-covers album boasts a numerical theme and includes renditions of songs by David Bowie, the Cure, Jesus and Mary Chain and even the Pointer…
The obvious similarities between Secondhand Serenade, hailing from the suburbs of California’s Bay Area, and homegrown sensation Dashboard Confessional are impossible to ignore. Like Dashboard Confessional, the name is a framework for a shifting project led by a singular talent; John Vesely is to Secondhand Serenade what Chris Carrabba is…
With Art Basel only three weeks away, there is plenty of reason to be musically excited about South Florida. Why? Because art isn’t the only thing that rolls into town. Plenty of musical acts also stop by that week to entertain the crowds. In previous years Peaches, Iggy Pop, Justice,…
News has come in from Italy this morning that prominent South African singer Miriam Makeba has passed away today from an apparent heart attack. Makeba, who collapsed while exiting the stage right after performing in Southern Italy, essentially died doing what she loved most–singing. She was 76-years-old. Widely revered by…
Coldplay November 9, 2008 BankAtlantic Center Better Than: You’d Expect Say what you will about Coldplay (and most folks do), but unlike a lot of so-called arena acts – nevermind their smaller setting counterparts – they’ve at least got sense enough to make a spectacle of themselves when they come…
John Hood Rufus Wainwright November 8, 2008 The Jackie Gleason Theatre at the Fillmore Miami Beach Better Than: Crooning a Storybook They call it a Rubus. In theory, one suspects the thing is related to the centaur (half man/half horse), the mandrake (half man/half plant) and the Minotaur (half man/half…
Aww, I thought today would be a slow blogging day, but alas, there’s joy in Mudville. South Florida’s favorite indie-pop trio, the Postmarks, are releasing a brand new album next week, entitled By the Numbers and finally, there’s some material floating around to help give it a buzz. This video…
So rapper Kanye West has teamed up with the once celebrated Hype Williams to create an animated video for his upcoming single, “Heartless.” What they put together isn’t bad (it’s sort of got that Waking Life feel to it) and I can’t complain about their choice to go with an…
So if you listen to Rick Ross’ music, you probably already know that he likes he’s ganja green and sticky. And according to Miami New Times reporter Jason Handelsman, he can also roll blunts one-handed. I’m not sure if the latter is true, but there’s a hilarious new video on…
Hailing all the way from Milan, Bot and Phra, who together make up the DJ duo Crookers, prove that globalization, at least when it comes to music, isn’t such a bad thing. Arguably, its been the Internet that has given them the power to become more popular than they are…
“Just Chilly.” That’s how he said to write him up. No “DJ.” No “Mister.” No “Sir.” No nothing. “Just Chilly.” Which kinda makes sense considering the cat took his name back when “chill out” was the parlance of the day and anything more need not be said. Not that Chilly…
Since time immemorial, skinny young men have learned how to play guitar in order to start bands to impress girls. French electro remix king Simon Delacroix, a.k.a. The Toxic Avenger, was no exception. From the onset of puberty, he sang and played guitar in a variety of punk, emo, and…
Tim Charron Tim Charron (self-released) www.timcharron.com Tim Charron is a singing and songwriting and guitar-slinging kind of guy. The work on this album is country-fried rock and roll for fans of modern country, Kid Rock, and American Idol. Actually, Mr. Charron has toured, recorded, and performed live with Idols Bo…
At 38 years old, this Mexican-raised (but Puerto Rican-born) singer is a bona fide veteran of the music business, with several platinum albums and Grammy Awards to his credit. Often dubbed “The Latin Sinatra” because of his cool, guarded personality and numerous high-profile love affairs in recent years, Luis Miguel…
