The San Francisco-based house DJ duo of Josh Gabriel and Dave Dresden celebrated its “Best American DJ” award at this year’s Winter Music Conference in novel fashion: They broke up the act. They went out with a bang, too, slaying the Pawn Shop crowd with a five-hour set March 28…
It’s certainly impressive that Steely Dan masterminds Walter Becker and Donald Fagen have contributed such a staggering group of hit songs to the canon of modern music. One imagines that, even after civilization collapses, jazzy classics such as “Reelin’ in the Years,” “Bodhisattva,” “Any Major Dude,” and “Peg” will continue…
With his turnip hairdo and a voice that evokes an infusion of wanderlust and yearning, South Florida’s Shawn Snyder could be Adam Duritz’s forgotten sibling. The tangled emotions Duritz puts forth with Counting Crows share much common ground with Snyder’s introspective musings. Still, Snyder’s confessional style is clearly borne from…
Who knew music this shit-hot could come from a mountainous Norwegian town known as “The City of Rain”? Following in the footsteps of fellow townsfolk Röyksopp, Kings of Convenience, and Sondre Lerche, Fredrik Saroea (vocals, guitar, and keyboard) and Ketil Mosnes (backing vocals, bass, and keyboard) formed Datarock in 2000…
Since 1996, it’s been all about the music “every damn night” at 1342 Washington Ave., the home of Jazid. This unwavering ethos has attracted a loyal following to the venue, turning into South Beach’s longest-running nightclub. For some perspective: It has survived six Miami Beach mayors, four presidential elections, and…
The local boys of Social Klash make sweet electro- and Britpop-inspired melodies, effortlessly swapping English and Spanish lyrics as well as crafting a cool, unique sound the band members describe as electro en español. Their confessed passion for Eighties bands such as The Cure and Depeche Mode is instantly palpable,…
In case you haven’t heard, Camila is the Mexican rock act of the moment. The band’s 2006 single “Abrázame” — a catchy Spanish ballad reminiscent of Oasis’s “Wonderwall” — climbed to the top of the charts throughout Latin America. The group’s follow-up chart-topping debut album, Todo Cambio, brought the band…
Thanks to sad coincidences, the latest albums from both Bun B and Prodigy — not so much parallel narratives as subtle varieties of disturbance—stake out oddly similar territory in this weird year for hip-hop. One man has to go away; another has to go it alone. Prodigy’s 25th hour is…
Most producers who supervise reclamation projects for aging stars make the mistake of trying to contemporize the artist’s sound — the equivalent of dressing your eightysomething Uncle Jake like a 21st-century club kid. Not so Roots drummer Amir “?uestlove” Thompson, who helmed the Al Green comeback platter Lay It Down…
The best DJs are those who have, of course, an extensive knowledge of music — but often what’s more important than depth, necessarily, is an accompanying breadth. Members of the iPod generation rarely want to hear hours of even their favorite musical style any more — but they do want…
So there’s a rumor floating around as of today that Karu & Y is temporarily shut down. It’s totally unsubstantiated, and we’ll keep you posted as more news develops, but it also makes sense.I’ve heard from three people today alone that business there has been dead which must make keeping…
A lot of mash-up albums don’t work. Two years ago, every hipster DJ seemed to have a mash-up disc at the ready to help promote their name–and only a small number of those were worth a damn. But a new mash-up came out last week that’s definitely something worth checking…
So what if she didn’t win American Idol this year–…local fans can still come and celebrate with Syesha Mercado tomorrow evening at Gulfstream Park for her welcome home party. If you’re lucky, she might sing a couple of tunes but according to the press release below, she’ll probably just be…
John Hood Nada Surf Monday, June 2, 2008 Studio A, Miami Better Than: Letting Leonard Cohen’s bubblegum lose its flavor on the bedpost overnight. I’m not supposed to dig Nada Surf. Their songs are sentimental, sometimes sappy even, drenched in despair, cuddled by consolation and stricken in all kinds of…
Justin Namon/thepopnessparty Modeselektor bringing the German groove to Studio A. Modeseleketor with Otto Von Schirach Saturday, May 31, 2008 Studio A, Miami Better than: When Dieter says, “Now is the time on Sprockets vhen ve dance.” For a moment last night it felt like Studio A was back to buzzing…
Natalie O’Neill Alerta! Miami Indie Showcase Friday, May 30, 2008 White Room, Miami It’s not that indie rock kids can’t dance. It’s just that, at most shows, they spend more time leaning against a wall or sucking down a cigarette than moving to the beat. But not at Alterta Indie…
(Image via miami.metblogs.com) Every year, for the print edition, Esquire magazine rounds up a few of its favorite bars in the country. How do they define what makes a bar great? “If it’s a dive, it’s Christ-this-place-is-a-dive dive. If it’s an Irish pub, it’s not an “Irish” pub. If it’s…
A new Rick Ross/Pharrell collabo, “Get Down,” has just leaked all over the Internet. With production by the Neptunes, the beat is more of their usual quirky, club-ready stuff, but definitely a lot faster and more trebly than anything the Boss usually rocks. Forced to rap at that speed and…
If you were at the Rock The Bells last year in Miami, you can probably attest that it was the best hip-hop tour of the year. The line-up was solid, the weather was perfect, and the vibes for the whole show were just nice. Rock The Bells has announced the…
You know, somebody really should come out with a Beyond the Grave mixtape series. Morbid, yes. But given the number of stellar rappers/producers who have passed away over the years (still tripping off of Camu Tao’s death this past Sunday), it would probably be a smash success. When Brooklyn’s DJ…
Apakalypse Walking Coma (Rhyme Network) www.myspace.com/apacalypse Hey! Not bad. This is some kind of paranoid hip-hop that has brewed in some thick blunt smoke, videogames, welfare checks, UFO abductions, Eighties cartoons, and Asian punany. The beats are good and at times distorted, and the hooks are where they should be,…
Long established as the most accessible act in contemporary prog-metal, New York’s Dream Theater is probably more accurately described as a hard rock band whose members just happen to know how to play the shit out of their instruments. Prog’s defining tendencies toward nutty arrangements, obscure classical influences, and multiple…
