When the members of Three 6 Mafia won a 2006 Best Song Oscar for “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp,” from Hustle & Flow, they reacted with so much exuberance that they made Cuba Gooding Jr.’s Jerry Maguire acceptance speech seem restrained — and even though the group is…
True to guitarist Evan Mast’s side career as a graphic designer, Ratatat’s instrumental pop owes as much to the Photoshop ethic as it does to Pro Tools. At times, this Brooklyn duo shoots its wad in the songs’ layouts, as if simply choosing which genres to mix and match is…
After years of having worked with artists such as the Temptations, Bette Midler, Kenny G., and the late Luther Vandross, Latin jazz percussionist Steve Kroon has finally released his own album. It’s short, comprising only 10 songs. Of those, nine are instrumentals; the sole vocal track here is a remake…
Sometimes a little bit of masturbatory metal revelry is just what the doctor ordered. In the case of Swedish power/melodic/technical metal maestros, that prescription comes filled in the form of Blooddrunk. A 40-minute rampage through crunching riffs, chain-gun rhythms, climaxing guitar crescendos, and the occasional lovely keyboard flourish, Blooddrunk provides…
It’s safe to assume it was the first time a bunch of West Kendallites appeared in the New York Post’s infamous “Page Six” gossip column. And it’s especially notable because they did so for indirectly inciting a minor riot in L.A. alongside a famously celebrated, then disgraced, then semi-redeemed memoirist…
Jose D. Duran Poplife founders Barbara Basti and Aramis Lorie. Nine years is a lifetime in clubland. It’s hard to stay relevant in a business in which the trends change as fast as the minds of the people who frequent it. So when perennial indie party Poplife turns 9 this…
Going for the Haitian vote. Lord knows the Democrats are going to have to pull out all of the stops this November to take over the White House and this latest news might help them do it…or it could backfire. According to NME, part-time Miami resident Wyclef Jean along with…
So there’s been a local rumor existing for quite some time that famous Miami rapper Rick Ross used to work as a correctional officer before he started in the music industry. It’s something I never spent too much time thinking about, but also never doubted either. A man’s gotta eat,…
Here’s the latest variation in the ever-popular Guitar Hero competition circuit: a Hard-Rock-Cafe-sponsored bonanza focusing specifically on the game’s all-Aerosmith edition. The Guitar Hero: Aerosmith Rocks the Hard Rock national tour takes place in 15 different cities; next Monday, July 21 marks the Miami date. And while the Seminole Hard…
Danny Daze As far as local DJs go, Danny Daze easily comes in as one of my top five favorites. Why? Because he is better than most DJs in the nation, and even better than most DJs who have come to rule the blog house “genre.” But I sort of…
Ari Justin Rothenberg Gym Class Hereos performing at the Warped Tour’s Miami stop at Bicentennial Park. Vans Warped Tour Saturday, July 12, 2008 Bicentennial Park, Miami It was hard to say whether any band or artist stood out most on this year’s Vans Warped Tour. The sounds varied from the…
Ernest Barteldes Latin Alternative Music Conference, Day 4 Saturday, July 12,2008 Central Park Summerstage, New York With no more panel discussions to attend anymore, we headed out to Central Park’s Rumsey Playfield during a mild Saturday afternoon for the final round of concerts for this edition of the LAMC. Like…
Juan Luis Guerra Saturday, July 12, 2008 American Airlines Arena, Miami Roaring airplanes – on dual screens – and luggage towing flight attendants on stage, albeit uninspiring production tools, were clear indicators that Juan Luis Guerra could not be far behind. And while his mere presence seconds later was welcomed…
Dave Matthews Band Saturday, July 12, 2008 Cruzan Amphitheatre, West Palm Beach Better Than: Eating, drinking and being merry with a side of chocolate-covered weed brownies. After what seemed to be the perfect return to West Palm Beach by the Dave Matthews Band Friday night, fans wandered back to the…
Ernest Barteldes Latin Alternative Music Conference, Day 3 Friday, July 11, 2008 Roosevelt Hotel & Prospect Park, New York On the second day of panels and networking at Midtown’s The Roosevelt Hotel, former producer Moses Avalon discussed the various pitfalls faced by young musicians in the dog-eat-dog world of show…
Against Me! will be in town this weekend for the Vans Warped Tour. I interviewed their lead singer and founder Tom Gabel last year while the band was in Europe and as you can hear, I am an “obnoxious reporter.” var so = new SWFObject(“http://media.newtimes.com/players/vvmMiniPlayer.swf?audioFile=http://media.newtimes.com/2336228.0.mp3&autoPlay=no”,”theSWF”, “91”, “32”, “8”, “#FFFFFF”); so.write(…
I just got word that Miami’s favorite girl band, A.K.A. is playing a show at the Vagabond tonight which is sure to be a good time. If you’re not hip to them yet, go and get acquainted. They were just voted best female band by the New Times (since when…
Jose D. Duran Gravy Train!!!! perform at White Room Thursday night. Gravy Train!!!! with Mission Veo and Jose El Rey Thursday, July 10, 2008 White Room, Miami Better than: Er, gay porn I suppose. Gravy Train!!!! (yes, the exclamation points are part of the name) are one of those bands…
Ernest Barteldes Los Fancy Free perform at the Bowery Ballroom Thursday night during the Latin Alternative Music Conference in New York. Latin Alternative Music Conference, Day 2 Thursday, July 10, 2008 Roosevelt Hotel, S.O.B.s and Bowery Ballroom, New York On the second full day of the Latin Alternative Music Conference…
If you haven’t been to White Room’s Monday night party Exposure, I don’t blame you — you are probably thinking why party at the beginning of the week when so much happens on the weekends. Well, sorry to tell you that plenty of action happens during the week, and Exposure…
Charles Sweeting There’s a good chance that you’ve been hearing his new hit, “She Bout It” a few times a day if you’ve listen to Power 96 lately. His name doesn’t initially seem ready-made for stardom but his sound definitely is. And when you think about it, if you’re a…
Move over Fillmore Miami Beach, Bayfront Park Amphitheater is about to get in on some of the Live Nation action. Whether you love or abhor it, Live Nation, one of the nation’s leading concert promotion companies is set to take over the operation of Bayfront Park Amphitheater in Downtown Miami…
