Concert Review: Julieta Venegas at Dolce Ultra Lounge, April 21

Julieta VenegasWednesday, April 21, 2010Dolce Ultra Lounge, Miami Beach(Even) Better than: The last time I saw her, at the Gibson Showroom in 2008, actually.Julieta Venegas is something of a shape shifter. Her sound has remained in a state of perpetual motion throughout her career. Hers has been a constant evolution…

Swamp Stomp Music Festival 2010 Saturday Bayside Hut

Like Travis Bickle said in Taxi Driver, “One day a real rain is gonna come and wash all this scum off the streets.” When that day comes to Miami (maybe with a big hurricane this summer), and all the bullshit, plastic, glass, and concrete is gone, we’ll be left with…

A Real Circus Within the Usual Churchill’s Circus This Friday

I’m guessing that Dave Daniels saw this as an opportunity to make some capital improvements on the joint since outside there will also be a mural painted live by Paul Andras and Avtar Rojas. I wonder if these dudes will do my townhouse too…. Anyways, incidental music will be provided…

The Black Rabbits

Over the past couple of years, much of the American iteration of “indie rock” has gotten mired in a latte-scented puddle of mild psychedelia on one hand and purposely low-fi, pedal-doused noise on the other. There’s a lot of cool stuff in between, but what nearly nobody is doing anymore…

Bigelf

Describing L.A. quartet Bigelf involves a swan dive into the adjective grab bag, employing all the clichéd linguistic parlor tricks of the rock critic’s trade to find words for surreal yet disturbingly visceral forces. You know — bombastic, epic, thunderous, mind-bending — all the words you read in rock reviews,…

Dubfire

It seems like the guys of Deep Dish are spending more time apart than together, but the musical results become more and more interesting as the two collaborators diverge. The clear maverick of Sharam and Dubfire is the latter. Born Ali Shirazinia, the Iranian-American grew up around Washington, D.C., in…

Band of Horses

Ben Bridwell’s swelling sonic ambitions were apparent early in his musical career. Now the frontman and main brain behind Band of Horses, he had a knack for pushing the borders of jangly, somewhat mopey rock toward outer space when he was part of Seattle indie act Carissa’s Wierd. After that…

Concert Review: Caetano Veloso at the Fillmore Miami Beach, April 20

Caetano VelosoThe Fillmore Miami BeachApril 20, 2010Better Than: A world cruise through an aural netherworldThe Review:It’s virtually impossible to categorize the music of Caetano Veloso. World Beat is weak. Because though what he does is both global and rhythmic, the term doesn’t even begin to describe its aural majesty. World…

Happy 62nd Birthday, Iggy Pop!

The musical legend born James Osterberg is Miami’s most famous rock and roll resident. And though he guards where, exactly, it is that he resides, lately it seems it’s been easier than ever to see him out on the town. And boy, the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau should…

Concert Review: Sweatstock, April 17

​To view a slideshow of photos from the event, click here. SweatstockWith No Age, Otto von Schirach, Awesome New Republic, Jacuzzi Boys, and othersSweat Records, MiamiSaturday, April 16, 2010Better Than: Giving more of your precious dollars to the local suburban big-box store.The Review: Sweatstock, the fifth anniversary block party for Sweat Records…

Concert Review: The Black Keys at the Fillmore Miami Beach, April 18

The Black KeysThe Fillmore Miami Beach at The Jackie Gleason TheaterApril 18, 2010Better Than: Being stuck between rock and a hard placeThe Review:There was one moment during The Black Keys’ Fillmore Miami Beach set that entirely defined what the Akron combo does to and for this thing called rock music…

Concert Review: Stephen Stills at the Fillmore Miami Beach, April 17

Stephen StillsThe Fillmore Miami Beach at The Jackie Gleason TheaterSaturday, April 17, 2010Better Than: Having to mud through WoodstockThe Review:Okay, it’s a given that I and everyone else who has ever heard American music am somewhat familiar with the work of Stephen Stills. I mean, how could anyone not be?…

Concert Review: Funky Meters at Revolution on Friday, April 16

The Funky MetersWith King BeeRevolution Live, Fort LauderdaleFriday, April 16, 2010There was something in the air outside Revolution Live on Friday night. A steady drizzle mixed with the aroma of boiled crawfish provided by Fort Lauderdale’s Shuck ‘n Dive reminding me that the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival is…