Bonde Do Rolê Thursday, April 24, 2008 Studio A Better Than: Carnival at Rio. In a mish-mash of Western, Latin and African sounds, Brazilian quartet Bonde Do Rolê got the crowd shakin’ their respective asses last night as they introduced their new lineup after lead singer Marina Ribatski unexpectedly left…
I just got this press release forwarded to me so I apologize for getting this info to folks with such short notice. But it sounds like an alright festival and if bands want to be a part of it, reach out to the organizers asap. –Jonathan Cunningham CULTURA Festival ’08…
“Once upon a time in a French city called Lyon, some young people decided to rule the world with the best weapon, which was music,” David Baruchel — vocalist, guitarist, and founder of the 10-piece band Babylon Circus — says by phone from France. He chuckles at his own theatrical…
In case you missed it, a rumor began to circulate this past November that none other than Jon Bon Jovi was interested in running for governor of New Jersey. The rumor was largely instigated by the fact that Jon hired political public relations guru Ken Sunshine to … well, who…
Young@Heart is a senior citizens’ chorus out of Northampton, Massachusetts, that covers rock songs by everyone from The Clash to Sonic Youth to Coldplay. They infuse their takes on hits such as “Forever Young,” “I Wanna Be Sedated,” and “I Feel Good” with a kind of profundity that only age…
South Florida punk forefather George Van Orsdel has been in a million bands — Cell 63, Fay Wray, and Not Dead Yet, to leave 999,997 unmentioned. In recent years, though, he’s mostly been the namesake and backbone of the Van Orsdels. And the question that always comes up once a…
One’s interpretation of Clutch, the mostly metal and sometimes funk-soaked ensemble, depends on where in the game a listener was made hip to the band’s interpretation of Led Zeppelin doing the nasty with Black Sabbath. Fans of the band’s 1993 debut, Transnational Speedway League: Anthems, Anecdotes and Undeniable Truths, still…
Dr. Manhattan is full of youthful bluster, promising musical revolution even while the band reminds you it doesn’t really give a shit. It’s a common rock trope, sure, and usually an unfortunate indicator of pending disappointment. Far better, as put so eloquently by Teddy Roosevelt, to “speak softly and carry…
Both Pelican and Thrice are stretching the boundaries of their sounds and others’ expectations. Pelican’s City of Echoes soft-pedals the band’s usual throb, taking its complex art-metal instrumentals in a melodic direction. The tracks are still dense but don’t unwind as far, getting through each thematic movement with heretofore unseen…
Carlos Santana has a lot on his plate these days: He’s launching a chain of Mexican restaurants, appearing in Macy’s commercials to hype the line of women’s shoes he has designed, and advocating a national holiday to honor labor leader César Chávez. But he still finds time now and then…
When people refer to Brazil as a land of endless rhythms and melodies, what comes to mind isn’t usually a wacky mix of grunge, metal, booty bass, and funk. But Brazilians are an eclectic folk. So it’s not surprising that in 2002, Bonde do Rolê, the nation’s latest youth sensation…
Earlier this year, the silver-anniversary re-release of Michael Jackson’s Thriller — a souped-up, repackaged remembrance of the nine tracks of pop/soul perfection that the tree-climbing, surgical-mask-wearing, yeah-it’s-okay-to-sleep-with-kids, nutty sumbitch unleashed on the world so many years ago — hit stores. Sadly there’s one thing keeping the re-release from being just…
Miami’s Junc Ops combines some of the better elements of South Florida music into a savvy and futuristic amalgamation that whets the appetite and satisfies the hunger. The work of PG-13 (Paul Gaeta) and Kentsoundz (Kent Hernandez) gels well with the assistance of Matt CNTRL on the cuts, and musically…
The greatest Morrissey songs aren’t just sad, creepy and boastful; they also contain telling details, counterintuitive punch lines, and surprise turns of phrase. On Greatest Hits, we get winners such as “The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get.” But sometimes Morrissey doesn’t channel Morrissey properly, and one of…
Kid Creole and the Coconuts — possessed of a flavorful, beat-driven energy with a slight urban touch — were a staple of the hip musical experience in the Eighties. Prior to that time, however, central figure Kid Creole was known as August Darnell. As such, Darnell worked in front of…
Usually, overly long band names point to an irritating sense of self-importance. Why else would you make someone spend a full minute enunciating your name, or force your fans to apply some ridiculous acronym? But somehow, by about 15 seconds into “Glue Girls,” the lead track from Pershing, it’s easily…
This past February 27 would come to be known as Kristopher Hull’s Worst Day Ever. Armed with a full-size upright piano, a repertoire of Chopin’s etudes and nocturnes, and his nerves, the 33-year-old pianist planned to storm Lincoln Road, guerrilla-style. He was going to bring classical music out of the…
Concert Review: B-Live at The Bayfront Park Amphitheatre B-Live April 19, 2008 The Bayfront Park Amphitheatre Better Than: The biggest block party you ever attended. See the slide show here Miami is mad about its music, not to mention its mojitos, so when the good folk at Bacardi took over…
Not everybody hates Buju. According to a story that came out in the Jamaica Star last week, Apple Inc has recently removed some songs deemed homophobic from their catalog. Buju Banton’s “Boom Bye Bye” was one of those songs and according to this article, some Canadian gay rights organizations are…
I’d toast to that! I knew there would be more to this story after Kelis first got arrested last year in Miami. Now it looks like both her and her legendary hip-hop husband, Nasir Jones, are going to be suing the City of Miami to the tune of $100 million…
Eisley Thursday, April 17, 2008 Culture Room Better than: Taking three xanax and drinking a handle of Jack. If you’re anywhere near exhausted, don’t even think about going to an Eisley show. This all-in-the-family Texas-born quintet (four sisters and their cousin, all with the last name DuPree) may produce some…
“Warning: trying to follow Meshuggah’s music can make your eyes cross.” Apparently, the appeal of Swedish death metal band Meshuggah extends beyond your typical metal fan base. So much so that awareness of the band has even reached classical conservatory culture. In Volume 29, Issue 2 of Music Theory Spectrum,…
