Concert Review–Ana Gabriel at Hard Rock Live

Ana Gabriel September 13, 2007 Hard Rock Live Coincidentally or not, Ana Gabriel gave thousands of her compatriots and most loyal supporters an early birthday gift on the eve of Mexico’s Independence Day none of them will soon forget. And in the process the Mexican ranchera/pop queen proved she’s still…

Meg White is Bug Bug Buggin’ Out

Following on the heels of yesterday’s cancelation of their weekend gigs in Austin, Detroit’s favorite garage rock band, the White Stripes, announced today that they are canceling their entire forthcoming Icky Thump tour, again citing health issues. According to a press release, Meg White is suffering from acute anxiety and…

Kanye vs. 50 Cent–The Real Story

Tired of this fake Kanye Vs 50 beef? Here’s the real story. The video below is definitely worth checking out. Forget about this being a money making scheme. 50 Cent is more chum chum with Kanye West than he is with the rest of his G-Unit clan. As if you…

Concert Preview–Ana Gabriel at Hard Rock Live

Ana Gabriel’s tender and raspy voice was already captivating at the age of 6, when she was belting out interpretations of Mexican classics like José Alfredo Jiménez’s “Regalo a Dios” (Gift to God) back in the early ’60s. As one of the most respected female ranchera singers in history, the…

Subhumans

With the recent death of CBGB’s Hilly Kristal, the legendary visionary who gave stage to greats such as the Ramones and the Dead Boys, perhaps there’s no better time to celebrate the old-found glory of punk — even if the gloried old punks gotta come from across the pond to…

Midnight Perverts

The Midnight Perverts are/is only one guy, that being Miami acid house DJ Romeo Ugalde. The Arizona-born spinmeister is used to being part of a package, though. While living in Mexico, Ugalde was with the S.Junkes, a three-piece progressive house outfit. And in Miami he has plugged into the Dirty…

People Noise

The inevitable appendix on show listings for People Noise are the words, in parentheses, ex-VHS or Beta. Well that’s little surprise, considering those masters of dancey New Romanticism are pretty much the longest-running and most successful band out of Louisville, Kentucky, from which People Noise also hails. The latter’s songwriter…

DJ Icey

Icey’s appearance Saturday at Studio A, fresh on the heels of a show there by his onetime protégé, Baby Anne, gives further proof that funky breaks are alive and well. The breakbeat haven of Orlando saw Icey (born Eddie Pappa) grow up, but South Florida can really claim responsibility for…

Our Band to Admire

In this heavily hyped day and age, most heavily hyped bands go only as far as the initial hoopla, their coveted buzz fickly trickling to buzz-kill. Not so with Interpol, the onetime buzz band whose hum has now become a bonafide roar. Back in 2002, the New York band’s debut,…

Daddy Knows Best

Although he’s in the middle of an 11-city national arena tour, platinum-selling reggaeton artist Daddy Yankee has still felt the heat of the growing anti-immigration sentiment spreading throughout the United States. “Let’s be honest — there are some politicians right now working against Latinos,” the 30-year-old says via cell phone…

Manu Chao

Trying to define the work of Manu Chao — who has finally followed up on his 2001 disc, Próxima Estación: Esperanza, after a six-year hiatus — is certainly not easy. The Franco-Spanish musician challenges the listener using lyrics written in four languages and beats that reflect complete open-mindedness. The artist…

Aesop Rock

His Definitive Jux labelmate El-P is P.K. Dick-obsessed, and fellow Caucasian rap-adours like Buck 65 and Sage Francis delve into bloggish beatnik narratives. But Aesop Rock seems like the last honky indie rapper who just wants to kick a beat and bust a rhyme. The hook is that Rock is…

Blame Dave

Here are two situations you have probably found yourself in if (a) you have a penis and are/were (b) not in a fraternity: #1: While at a friend’s generally lame party — he just played Journey — you meet a girl who looks as bored as you. She’s beautiful, and…

Give Peace a Dance

In the beginning, California artist/musician Chris Deckker imagined a world united through music, dancing away to pulsing beats but with a purpose of a greater good. And in 1997, he realized his creation, and it was good. The first Earthdance, as he dubbed his event, was a logical outgrowth of…

Conflagration Proclamation

World/Inferno Friendship Society is many things — namely a suit-wearing, horn-playing, trouble-advocating, theater-referencing 10-plus-member collective fronted by the quip-happy Jack Terricloth. Its live shows are a mix of anarchy and Chicago, its presence a match of swagger and style. What it is not, though, is modest. But nothing influenced by…

John Fogerty

If the opening track of this splendid new disc doesn’t convince you that John Fogerty has returned to full-strength as a songwriter, you’re either deaf or really, really depressed. “Don’t You Wish It Was True” is the kind of rootsy anthem that Fogerty used to kick out with miraculous regularity…

Jeremy Fisher

It’s kind of bad-ass, if you think about it, to sound like Paul Simon. The pop world is full of Beatles and Stones imitators, after all. Not so much Mr. Simon. Yet it’s obvious, from the opening refrains of this inspired sophomore effort, that Fisher spent his youth listening to…

Concert Review: State of the Art (Rawkus Edition) at PS 14

State of the Art (Rawkus Edition) featuring ArtOfficial, L.E.G.A.C.Y., Dynas, Protoman September 8, 2007 PS14, Downtown Miami Better Than: The MTV Video Music Awards The Review: Underground hip hop shows are hard to come by these days. Circa, say, 2004-2005, Miami’s burgeoning boombap movement was in full effect where indie…

Beyonce Cranks Dat

Is everyone doing the Soulja Boy these days?? The dance is kinda fun. Kinda. Looks like Beyonce’s even worked it into her routine. –Jonathan Cunningham If you want to learn how to do the Soulja Boy Crank Dat dance…watch and learn: )…

Weng Weng Rap

This lil dude is too funny! Apparently, Weng Weng was a real Philipino TV star in the 70s and this viral video below has a bunch of clips from that lovely, “miniature” televisions series. Weng Weng’s popularity has seen a recent resurgence thanks to this remix, which shows that Weng…

Trick Daddy Gets Roughed Up

Early this morning, the unofficial Mayor of Miami, Trick Daddy, was arrested at Tootsie’s Cabaret and charged with disorderly intoxication and resisting arrest. Knowing that Trick loves the strip clubs just about as much as he loves the kids, it’s no surprise that his latest scuffle took place at one…

An Interview with 50 Cent

By Ben Westhoff Recently, I met up with 50 at G-Unit Clothing headquarters on 23rd Street, which boasts a faux-library of gold-painted books and topless ebony mannequins. In the flesh, Curtis Jackson III repped his brand loyalties by wearing a white Yankees cap, white Reeboks, and having the office stocked…