Last Night: J. Lo and Marc Anthony at American Airlines Arena

Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez American Airlines Arena Nov. 2, 2007 Better Than: Sonny and Cher The Mennifer, or shall we say, J.Ant show is so overwhelmingly over the top, you can’t help but marvel at the star power in all of its pyrotechnics. Friday night at the American Airlines…

Chris Cornell on Life After Soundgarden and Audioslave

Through The Past, Darkly Currently touring in support of his second solo album, former Soundgarden/Audioslave wailer Chris Cornell spoke with New Times about the environment, the thought process behind choosing which songs to include in a career-spanning setlist, art versus audience perceptions of it, and the consequences of a positive…

Last Night: Annie Lennox at the Carnival Center

Annie Lennox October 31, 2007 The Carnival Center Better Than: A Weimar-era balladeer in a blender. I don’t know what’s better, that I got a privileged seat for the set of Annie Lennox last night, or that I got to sit next to the Herald’s Howard Cohen, who I thought…

Jah Cure Concert Postponed

In the words of Andre 3000, “You can plan a picnic, but you can’t predict the weather.” Considering Tropical Storm Noel is storming through the Bahamas right now, it’s a wise decision that Down Sound Records and Sigma Management have decided to temporarily postpone Jah Cure’s concert this weekend in…

Say What?

Max Bemis, frontman for the New York-based band Say Anything, was diagnosed three years ago as bipolar. This, he says, made absolute sense — it explained his manic episodes. In fact he attributes the lyrics of the band’s 2004 debut, … Is a Real Boy, to the disorder. If that…

Whole Wheat Bread

To visit Whole Wheat Bread’s MySpace page — which pairs a profile photo of three unsmiling black men with streaming strains of fast, melodic punk — is to suspect an elaborate hoax. Not because black dudes can’t play punk (Bad Brains obliterated that silly stereotype two decades ago), but because…

Various Artists

On this mostly pan-Latin compilation, DJ Raul Campos, the host of Nocturna, a popular program on Santa Monica’s KCRW-FM radio station, brings together tunes from artists both new and well-known. He hooks the listener right from the opening track, “Shine,” a tune by DJ Bitman, which successfully blends into Nortec…

DJ DB

New York-based DJ DB has always known how to throw a good party. Years after his first events (notably the groundbreaking, historic NASA parties), the veteran electronic music persona is still breathing new life into the city with his monthly Secret Art of Science nights. A cofounder of the pioneering…

Baby Elephant

The idea of a collaboration between Prince Paul and Bernie Worrell — with guest appearances by George Clinton, Shock G, and others — is a self-fulfilling prophecy, right? The quirky hip-hop producer and the P-Funk keyboard wizard are going to make some sort of Dope Dogs ’07, because, well, that’s…

Oh Astro

Viva subterfuge and theft that doesn’t harm anybody who doesn’t deserve it. But holy Girl Talk, Batman; at a certain point, one gets the sense that powerful music-biz suits aren’t the only folks falling prey to sample-happy activist-composers. To be more concise: If you simply must taunt copyright lawyers, flip…

The Birdman Lands

When Bryan “Birdman” Williams walks through the doors of North Miami’s Hit Factory Studios on a recent Friday night, he cuts a commanding yet calm figure. The spray of diamonds dripping from his neck, wrist, and ears is almost blinding, but then there’s his understated swagger. Williams exudes successful music-exec…

Last Man Standing

Most hip-hop MCs are hungry, but LMS is starving like a late dinner guest to the Last Supper. You can feel it in his delivery, you can see the look in his eyes, but most of all you can hear it in his words. “Knowing the power of words, you…

Macho Men

Since their inception in 1977, the Village People have sold more than 85 million albums and singles. With omnipresent hits like “YMCA,” “Macho Man,” and “In the Navy,” the group has become universally known for catchy disco hits as well as distinct onstage costumes. Ray Simpson, who plays the policeman,…

Pushing Through

Shine opens its Sleepless Night festivities Friday with an appearance by steamy DJ Colette. With her doe eyes and demure presence, Chicago native Colette is the very essence of postmillennial house music. Her sweet but sultry voice has been called “angelic” so many times it’s a wonder she hasn’t grown…

James Zabiela

Chances are good it’s already too late to get yourself into Studio A for the only U.S. date on UK DJ James Zabiela’s fall 2007 tour. One thing that’ll probably be there is a small band of haters standing around with arms crossed, silently cursing Zabiela for bringing turntablism into…

Kings of Leon

We found this blurb on Yahoo!, describing the Kings of Leon’s official Web site: “Rock band from Tennessee whose songs teem with primal emotions and rangy rhythms.” First, somebody from the Kings’ camp wrote this. Second, somebody in the Kings’ camp thinks their songs teem with primal emotions and, moreover,…

Reverend Horton Heat

It’s difficult to believe it’s been almost 20 years since the Reverend Horton Heat released his first album — and he hasn’t changed a bit. Of course, the whole point of psychobilly is an unabashed dedication to purity of sonic identity. (That, and getting just fucked up enough to let…

Last Night: Juliette & the Licks at Culture Room

Juliette and the Licks October 30, 2007 Culture Room Better Than: Patti Smith fronting the MC5 – or just as good anyway. It’s a sad state of affairs when more people turn out on a Tuesday for the Tiki-fied floor show at Mai Kai than for a second South Florida…

Interview: Pepper

The Hawaii-born trio Pepper is based in Southern California, played this year’s Warped Tour, and mix in Jamaican rhythms with a little punk rock ‘tude. But don’t call ‘em any variation of s-k-a. Rather, they look a little further later in the history of Caribbean beats, mixing in a classic…

Habana Abierta this Weekend!

If you plan on going to Sleepless Night this Saturday, make sure you head to Collins and 21st around 1:00 a.m. That’s when Habana Abierta, the Cuban supergroup – by way of Madrid – will rock the beach. For an excellent profile on the band, read Julienne Gage’s February New…

Interview: Motion City Soundtrack

Although the band originally about ten years ago in Minneapolis, Minnesota, things really started picking up for Motion City Soundtrack within the last few years. A booster: a big helping hand from Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus, who fell for the band’s high-powered, punk-inflected, Superchunk-y rock. Hoppus later produced the band’s second…

Last Night: Lil’ Blaze and Yungen at Cameo

Last Night: G Records Presents Lil’ Blaze & Yungen Monday, October 29, 2007 Vice at the Cameo, Miami Beach Better Than: Watching reruns of I Love New York 2 on VH1. OK … so maybe it’s not as good as watching Tailor Made get his ass beat by Midget Mac…