Considering the circumstances surrounding the bungling would-be plane bomber on Christmas Day, Laura Meyer’s decision to dub her recent northern jaunt “The Long Underwear Tour” might have proven somewhat unfortunate. So it’s a wise choice she shed that banner for her current tour, which includes an extended stay in South…
In a surprising change from its usual highfalutin programming, this Broward Center-affiliated venue on the Nova campus gives itself over Friday night to local hip-hop. The star of the event is 954 rapper Breyan Isaac, who celebrates the release of his album Extraordinarily Average. Luckily, the disc is more than…
What in hell happened to hardcore? It’s right up there with hip-hop in the constant hand-wringing and state-of-the-genre analysis from its fans. The mid-’00s, MySpace, and regrettable haircuts came along and — voila — a genre that was once famous for its no-nonsense rage became a morass of sub-subgenres tangled…
Like fellow New Yorkers Danny Tenaglia and Danny Morales, DJ Roger Sanchez has become one of the most ubiquitous names in the world of electronic dance music. He’s an icon of the jet-setting transatlantic scene stretching from the East Coast to Ibiza, where he has held residencies every summer for…
At Francesco LoCastro’s Pinkghost show opening Saturday night, the band Kill Miss Pretty was working the packed room with word of an upcoming gig at Squeeze, which, as far as we knew, had been closed for quite some time.So what’s that about? Well, while the venue is indeed now Sea…
Click here to view photo from this show.Surfer Blood, Invisible Music (John Ralston), Sweet Bronco, Kill Now?! Propaganda, Lake WorthMonday, January 18, 2010 Better Than: Pat Robertson The Review:Beauty often emerges from tragedy, and last night’s Benefit for Haiti show at Propaganda was like a little flower growing from the bloody rubble…
What the hell happened to hardcore? It’s right up there with hip-hop, these days, in the constant hand-wringing and state-of-the-genre analysis by its fans. The mid-2000s, MySpace, and regrettable haircuts came along and…. Voila, a genre that used to be famous for its no-nonsense rage became a morass of sub-sub-genres…
With the cold weather long gone, South Florida came out of hibernation and in full force. Plenty of events keep the area busy with activity as the high season seems to finally be in full swing.Wolf + Lamb at Electric PickleNYC label Wolf + Lamb took over Electric Pickle Friday…
Slip and the SpinoutsThe Monterey Club, Fort LauderdaleSaturday, January 16, 2010The Review:The new Fort Lauderdale bar the Monterey Club is rockabilly through and through. There are hot rods parked out front, a flaming sacred heart painted on the wall behind the stage, and tiki imagery throughout the room. And it…
As more and more details come out about the widespread devastation and the desperate conditions in Haiti following the earthquake, local venues, promoters, and bands have been teaming up to answer the call for help. One of the quickest to respond in this way is Propaganda’s Steve Rullman, who put…
I know for a fact that most of you, dear readers, like to have fun. Usually in a musical and beer-drenched setting, Hell, I like it too. I was born and raised in Venezuela and if there’s one thing you won’t read in the dailies, is how much fun Venezuelans…
Last night, I hit up the official Get Physical label site while looking for some info on Philipp Jung of M.A.N.D.Y.’s upcoming DJ gig at Space on the 23rd. On a lark, I decided to hit the little “Miami” tab on the label’s tour dates page, and lo and behold……
Radioboxer, which formed in the Magic City from the remnants of a previous incarnation called Falaz, has earned a strong fan base around town thanks to the band members’ honesty and sincerity. And, of course, because they really rock out. The band crafts alternative yarns built on thoughtful storytelling, while…
Saturday’s Miami Monstrosity minifestival at Churchill’s will feature, unsurprisingly, a wildly divergent mix of styles in its all-locals lineup. Among the artists who depart most drastically from the venue’s usual sounds is Static Moon, producer John Paul Sindoni. A multi-instrumentalist on the South Florida scene for the past decade, he…
Make no mistake: Four Year Strong loves the ’90s. Not only is its pop-hardcore sound a throwback to genre innovator the Movielife (as well as the guys who took it to the bank, New Found Glory), but also its new covers album, Explains It All, is a love letter to…
Guitarist and vocalist Warren Haynes is a busy man, juggling roles in the Allman Brothers, the Dead, and Gov’t Mule, which he leads, having founded it with the late Allmans bassist Allen Woody. Like the other bands Haynes is involved with, Gov’t Mule is based on a classic-rock sound: hard,…
2009 was a big year for Wolf + Lamb, the NYC-based DJ/production duo and eponymous label responsible for some of the most exciting and imaginative new sounds in electronic dance music. From their growing cult following, centered around the infamous “Marcy Hotel” parties in Brooklyn, to their recent leap from…
Arturo Sandoval’s 2003 release Trumpet Evolution is perhaps the most aptly titled album he, or many others, for that matter, have ever dropped. It’s not only a fitting title for what the listener finds on the record–19 lush jazz tracks that span the history of the genre–but a very accurate…
Folk Nation isn’t just a street gang.According to Wikipedia, “It has been defined in several ways; as music transmitted by word of mouth, music of the lower classes, music with no known composer.”Folk is the music of ramblers and wildcats, grifters and coal miners, killers, thieves, pimps, train hoppers, hitch…
Tony BennettFriday, January 8, 2010Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, MiamiBetter Than: The BestThe new songs are “lousy.” That’s what Tony Bennett said from the stage of the Arsht Center during his sold-out show last Friday night. And Tony Bennett knows about song. As I pointed out in my…
Somewhere between blues and alternative, there’s a particular sound, and that sound is King Bee. But whether they’re churning through dark riffs in the key of D minor or driving through bluesy, tube-driven leads, their sound is distinct and immediately recognizable–perhaps because there simply aren’t any bands like them in…
JJ Grey & Mofro, GalacticRevolution, Fort LauderdaleSaturday, January 9, 2010Better Than: Being stuck on a boat with “suspicious liquids.”The Review:This past weekend marked an annual ritual: the end of the Jam Cruise, which always floods South Florida with musical talent. Though sometimes this place feels like a musical black hole,…
