Miami’s Ten Best Music Releases of 2013

Sounds like the 305. Just stumble down the street, slip into the club at 3 a.m., or tune into some pirate radio station while crossing the causeway from South Beach to the mainland. And almost as if by accident, a Magic City soundtrack will arise from the cacophony — a…

Florida’s Ten Best Ska Bands of All Time

If it wasn’t for Miami, there wouldn’t be ska. This musical style was born in Jamaica during the 1950s from a mix of traditional Caribbean mento with American jazz and R&B. But when Miami radio first started playing independent black music in the 1940s, Jamaica and the rest of the…

Five Best Concerts in Miami This Week

The best way to spread Christmas cheer, is singing loud for all to hear! That may be Buddy the Elf’s definition of a Happy Christmas, but for us Miami peeps, nothing puts us in the Holiday spirit more than getting caught in the middle of a hardcore mosh pit at…

Miami’s Top Ten Rappers on the Come-Up

Miami’s rap scene is on the come-up. There is no stopping or denying it. Over the past couple of years, numerous local talents have taken to the mic and released quality material that warrants outsiders’ ears. Our city’s rappers aren’t only about the keys picked up at the Port of…

Bizerq Miami, New Wynwood Club, Opening Soon

We here at Crossfade almost lost our thick-framed glasses and striped shirts when we discovered that Wood Tavern owner Caesar Morales had leased the former Soho Lounge space. Fond (and somewhat hazy) memories flashed back, as if it were only yesterday that we were getting down to indie-dance tunes on…

Tracy Young: “New Year’s Eve Is for Amateurs”

It was just a few hours before midnight on New Year’s Eve 2002, and the woman who’d DJed Madonna’s wedding could not find parking. She had rejected multiple offers to play NYE parties in other cities, because she — Tracy Young — and her friends had decided that celebrating together…

We Saw Miley Twerkin’ Santa Claus

Have you been naughty or nice this year? And no, Miley, no one is asking you. Because it doesn’t take Santa’s omniscience to know you’ve been a very bad girl. This year, we’ve seen your flat booty more times than we’ve seen our mother’s face. So you’re getting a sexy…

Ultra 2014: Why the Live Music Lineup Is a Big Improvement

“Who do you think we should book?” It’s a question that Ultra Music Festival founder Russell Faibisch asked me last year when I interviewed him for a feature about the iconic fest. My answer: “I can’t believe M.I.A. has never performed at Ultra.” Yesterday, I got my wish and more!…

Six Best Parties on South Beach This Week

Well, would you look at that? It’s already Hump Day. That means that in a few short days we’ll be shredding our papers, cutting our phone lines, and getting blasted for the weekend. In the meantime, here are the six best bashes to crash on SoBe oozing with booze, celebrities,…

Life in Color Festival on “Growing From the Bottom Up”

In Life’s Little Instruction Book, H. Jackson Brown Jr. famously wrote: “An overnight success takes about 15 years.” If that’s the case, Life in Color is way ahead of schedule. Over the course of just seven years, this crew of Miami-based paint party professionals has fought, struggled, and lost a…

Miami’s New Year’s Eve 2014 Party Guide

Another year, another 365 ragers. In Miami, though, the New Year’s Eve getdown doesn’t last just one night. It’s a weeklong bender of pachangas con Pitbull, tiki-tiki tunes with Tiësto, stripping and singing along with Robin Thicke and Pharrell, drankin’ in the VIP with Lil Wayne, and chasing that cheese…

Ultra 2014’s Phase One Lineup: Avicii, Diplo, M.I.A., MGMT, 101 Others

“It’s lineup day!” For the last 21 hours, Ultra Music Festival has been taunting and teasing international beat freaks with its 2014 Phase One reveal. But now it’s finally here … A 105-act roster packed with big-name DJs (Avicii, Eric Prydz, Diplo, Hardwell, Tiësto) and a killer live contingent (M.I.A.,…

Miami’s Best Christmas 2013 Parties

Our empty nug pouches have been hung from the chimney with care. Our palm trees are tinseled up like sexier, skinnier white pines. And our glowstick menorahs are ablaze. That’s right — it’s holiday season in the MIA. And we, the party people, aren’t about to celebrate with family, fruitcake,…

LeBron James and the Six Best NBA Rappers

Rappers live the life. But deep down, they want to prove they can ball out on the court. In turn, almost every NBA player fancies himself an MC. And though few have had any semblance of crossover success, some of them aren’t half bad. From our own King James to…

Misfits in Miami: A 36-Photo Recap

On Saturday night, the Misfits horse-kicked all of the creep punks at Grand Central into a new dimension of brutality. Oceans of blood washed over the flabbergasted audience until the red tides left them soaked in the afterbirth of a new American monster. Then that horrible creature reared its ugly…