Living the PLUR life, wearing kandi, and listening to that tiki-tiki music may be all the rage right now. But there’s one pachanga that cranks up más volumen que Ultra Music Festival, Winter Music Conference, and Miami Music Week combined. And it’s called Calle Ocho. Every year, two million cubanos,…
The year 1966 was a pivotal moment for the Moody Blues. That’s when bassist John Lodge and guitarist Justin Hayward joined the band and changed its direction dramatically. Abandoning the blues and R&B standards that had been the group’s stock in trade since its formation, Lodge and Hayward pushed for…
Since forming in 2004, Austin, Texas,’ Black Angels have become the proverbial torchbearers of traditional psychedelia, wringing aural acid trips from the keys of reverb-soaked combo organs and droning sitars for the better part of ten years now. But beyond an impressive discography of its own drug-rock masterpieces, the band…
Alejandra Guzmán La Guzmán en Primera Fila Tour Fillmore Miami Beach Friday, February 21, 2014 Over the weekend, Mexican rock star Alejandra Guzmán arrived at the Fillmore Miami Beach to celebrate 25 years of rock ‘n’ roll and desmadre. After a series of health issues that threatened her life, the…
Swedish House Mafia may have disbanded. But former mob member Steve Angello is continuing SHM’s tradition of scoping out unlikely locations for epic EDM throwdowns. Over the years, Angello, along with associates Axwell and Sebastian Ingrosso, brought the Masquerade Motel party to Midtown Miami, the sands of South Beach, and…
Jucifer Churchill’s Pub, Miami Friday, February 21, 2014 Some bands wield volume artistically, turning sound waves into bludgeoning vehicles of expression and tapping into the very viscera of the audience through sheer force. Bands like Swans, Japan’s Boris, and Miami’s own Holly Hunt all use decibels to bolster the inherent…
Soulfrito Music Festival With Nas, Don Omar, Busta Rhymes, and others Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens Saturday, February 22, 2014 Better Than: The Winter Olympics. In contrast to the Olympic Games being broadcast the past couple weeks, Soulfrito: The Urban Latin Music Festival was organized to represent nations — Puerto…
With perfectly chiseled beach bodies, (mostly) sunny skies, and 80 degree weather in the middle of winter, Miami is like some sort of magical wonderland. And with never-ending music almost every night of the week, the 305 really is paradise. Here are the five best concerts to check out this…
Snap on that studded leather thong, metalhead. ‘Cause the legendary Lemmy Kilmister and the “loudest band in the world” wanna cruise with you. That’s right … Mr. Kilmister and bandmates Phil “Wizzö” Campbell & Mikkey Dee are joining the ranks of Kid Rock, Kiss, and all the world’s ravers by…
Only five years ago, the Head and the Heart were playing the Seattle pub circuit. But within 12 months, founders Josiah Johnson, Jonathan Russell, and mates found themselves signed to legendary indie-rock label Sub Pop while being buzzed over by critics declaring H&H to be the Emerald City’s next big…
To say that Dave Seaman knows a thing or two about programming a DJ set would be a considerable understatement. The pioneering British DJ-producer’s had over two decades to hone his craft at countless arenas around the globe. He’s also behind a hefty catalog of mix compilation albums, including several…
Party, party, party. That’s the mantra of the beat freaks, and the buzz of their chanting voices is already growing louder and higher and more frenzied with every passing day on the way to next month’s weeklong EDM freakout, otherwise known as Miami Music Week. Among the nightlifers contributing to…
Even if Wendy Davis loses her bid to be governor of Texas, she can be proud that her political career inspired a great song. Just as the Beatles wrote “Come Together” in honor of Timothy Leary’s campaign to be governor of California, the members of Bright Light Social Hour wrote…
Walking with zombies. And surviving the night of the vampire. As a pioneer of tripped-out rock ‘n’ roll and the frontman of quintessential 1960s psychedelic rock band 13th Floor Elevators, Roky Erickson — who emerged out of the wildness and weirdness of Austin, Texas — notched his spot among American…
“It’s acoustically different and it’s sonically different,” Israeli singer-songwriter Asaf Avidan notes, comparing his new debut solo album, Different Pulses, to his work with former band, The Mojos. “It has different sounds and touches on different genres of music and takes a different approach to making a record.” While Avidan…
It’s little wonder that any attempt to get Jim Lauderdale on the phone can become something of a challenge. After all, given the man’s propensity for extreme multi-tasking, any chance of catching him when he’s not in the studio would seem to require both expert timing and enormous luck. Indeed,…
The International Noise Conference has come and gone this year, leaving in its wake perforated eardrums, a melted motorcycle tire, and a missing flute. But noise as an accessory within other genres has become a very regular thing in recent years. Hell, even Kanye West has dabbled with harsh noise…
Don’t call Chaz Bundick’s sound chillwave. The California-based producer might have found his Toro y Moi project pigeonholed as such during its early Internet-based breakout phase, but anyone following his sonic evolution should know he has decidedly shed that dubious classification. “I feel that my sound has changed so much…
Nine Mile Music Festival With Ms. Lauryn Hill, Stephen Marley, Damian Marley and others Miami-Dade County Fairgrounds, Miami Saturday, February 15, 2014 Better Than: Staying home, eating discounted Valentine’s chocolates while listening to “One Love” over and over again. After last year’s Nine Mile Music Festival earned complaints for making…
Music is the fuel that keeps us going. That’s why the Magic City is filled with pretty good shows almost every night of the week, from trap star Lunice to hip-hop veteran Nas and reggaetonero Don Omar at the Soulfrito Urban Latin Music Festival. Just check out the five best…
Deadmau5 Ice Palace Studios, Miami Saturday, February 15, 2014 Better Than: Sitting at home realizing you definitely can’t afford to go to Ultra this year, thinking up futile ways to try and sneak in. Yep, we did it guys. We’ve finally earned cranky old Joel Zimmerman’s respect. As you may…
The Chocó region of Colombia sits in the South American nation’s northwestern countryside. Bordered by the mountains of neighboring Panama and the waters of both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, this small, rural locality is one of the poorest places in the entire country. Yet it is culturally rich. And…
