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…
The apparent goal of this local-artist extravaganza, according to the tireless Oski Gonzalez and his cohort, the anonymous Queen of the Scene, is to present “culturally diverse artists.” Well, that’s sort of a given in Miami, no? In any event, Oski has again done what he does best — arranged…
This weekend, Down Home Southernaires hit NE 14th Street two nights in a row, to play two neighboring venues. The Vagabond and PS14 are nice venues for dancing and drinking. And though the stage areas at both clubs are small, it’s this kind of intimate setting where amazing local shows…
Beyond the crush of Winter Music Conference, the folks behind Soul Simple Entertainment have been keeping it real for lovers of house music on that, well, soulful tip. They’ve been sort of quietly running a weekly Friday jam in the bar attached to the restaurant Ouzo’s, with the soundtrack supplied…
No Age, the axe-‘n’-drums duo from L.A., has reconnected with the quirky and all-too-damaged spirits coursing through old-school American indie rock. Nouns’ title stinks compared to that of the band’s 2007 debut, Weirdo Rippers, but the jams are way better. There’s this distorto-pop thrasher called “Teen Creeps” that rules the…
The image of African music, as seen through American eyes, goes through phases. Right now we’re in a retro moment: It would be easy to look at the deluge of compilation CDs (the three Nigeria Special volumes, Nigeria 70, and the Lagos All Routes and Lagos Chop Up sets) and…
We should begin with the time John “Bloodclot” Joseph dressed up as a retarded, wheelchair-bound Santa Claus and scammed horrified Staten Island shopping-mall patrons on behalf of the Hare Krishnas. In his memoir, The Evolution of a Cro-Magnon, Joseph claims to have made $3,000 in just one week this way,…
“Everyone else who gets the one-hit-wonder tag had real hits,” chuckles Nada Surf frontman Matthew Caws. Caws should know about real hits. His band scored one in 1996 with the song “Popular,” off the band’s debut album, appropriately titled High/Low. With its slow-creeping guitar line, loud/soft alterna-rock crunch, and increasingly…
In the Sixties, while British Invasion bands dominated the Anglophone music scene, a group of young Brazilian performers took their own unique look at the possibilities of rock music. They soon began spreading the seeds of what would become known as the Jovem Guarda (the Young Guard), a movement that…
After getting Richie Hawtin down here outside of Winter Music Conference for a packed-to-the-gills one-off last December, the local promoters of Future Mob have scored another seemingly impossible booking. The latest feather in their cap: an ultra-rare Miami appearance by the German duo Modeselektor, enticed to come down at the…
It’s natural that Foxy Brown is the object of Ali G’s affections — with her foul mouth and short skirt, she epitomizes the fake gangsta-ism he parodies. At least she has the track record to support it: Brown recently finished a stint at Rikers Island, having violated probation stemming from…
Prong’s Tommy Victor recently remarked that metal bands can’t play in standard E tuning anymore because they’d “sound like the Eagles.” Not that Meshuggah ever had anything to worry about, but about midway through the band’s career, the guitarists switched from using already-low seven-string guitars to an eight-string approach in…
Contemporary artist, Frank Haines said it best: “When aliens come to Earth and ask what hardcore music is, just give them Cro-Mags Age of Quarrel.” Reading Jon Joseph’s book is an experience that you will never forget, especially the last couple of chapters about his crack addiction. Listen to part…
It’s been a while since we checked in on Can You Rock a Little Softer, the weekly Wednesday event that Miami New Times just named Best Open Mike night. If you don’t already know, the schedule is thus: From 9:30 to 10 p.m., there’s an acoustic open mike. Then, from…
Usher Here I Stand (LaFace/Sony BMG) You really can’t fault entertainers claiming “player for life” status. At least they’re being honest; everyone from Rod Stewart to Karrine “Superhead” Steffans knows that the promiscuous can’t be reformed and that once you get the taste of the easy-lovin’, high society lifestyle, it’s…
The contrast between Jamey Jasta, normal guy relaxing, and Jamey Jasta, frontman of crushing metalcore latter-day legends Hatebreed, is striking. Onstage, the compact 29-year-old is a man possessed by righteous rage, lathering up a roiling pit of burly guys who pressure-cook just short of a full-blown melee. Often rocking a…
Hip-hop artist Camu Tao, known for his membership in acclaimed underground assemblies MHz, S.A. Smash, the Nighthawks, and the Weathermen, passed away Sunday afternoon after a two-year battle with lung cancer. Born Tero Smith, he was two weeks shy of his 31st birthday. In his hometown of Columbus, Ohio, he…
Johnny Louis Barrington Levy performs at Best of the Best Sunday, May 25, 2008. Last Night: Best of the Best Concert 2008 featuring Super Cat, Beenie Man, Buju Banton, Sizzla, Junior Reid, Barrington Levy, Tony Matterhorn, etc. Sunday, May 25, 2008 Bicentennial Park, Downtown Miami Better Than: Best of the…
Turkey: Mor ve Otesi – “Deli” (Insane) Turkey was ballsy and pretty ass-kicking on two levels here: 1) For entering a straight-ahead contemporary rock song, with band members actually playing their instruments, and 2) For singing in Turkish. That effectively prevents any kind of crossover success, even within Europe, but…
Because today’s a slow, lazy holiday, here are some more highlights from last week’s and weekend’s Eurovision song contest. The previous blog entry looked at some countries’ intentionally funny entries. Now is time for some possibly unintentional lulz. Azerbaijan: Elnur & Samir – “Day After Day” It looks like they’re…
This last weekend marked the finals of the Eurovision song contest’s 2008 edition…. What, haven’t heard of it? If not, you’ve missed out on years of amazing spectacle, full of slinky costumes, little-heard languages, and some of the most painful strains of Euro dance pop we’ll never hear widely on…
Best of the Best weekend has finally arrived and there’s lot’s of reggae madness going on all over South Florida for the next 3 days. Here are five artists who are a part of the show that you definitely should not miss. 1) Buju Banton. He’s been a mainstay in…
