It takes a true dancehall aficionado to appreciate the top-ranking ghetto sounds of Jamaica’s Ninja Man. This is only true because most novice listeners, if they could even understand a word he’s saying, would be scared to death of him. Dubbed as “the original front teet, gold teet, gun pon…
Once a year Latin alternative musicians — that is, those who don’t play salsa, tango, bolero, or other regional beats — come together en masse in New York City. The Latin Alternative Music Conference is a series of industry panel discussions, networking opportunities, open bars, promotional stops, and, of course,…
Life Unscripted, the second full-length from Miami hip-hop stalwart Garcia, is technically a solo album. But speak to the man for a just a few minutes, and it becomes abundantly clear the disc was a family effort. He almost never uses a singular pronoun when discussing his music, instead preferring…
The University of Miami School of Music boasts some notable alumni, two of the best known being Pat Metheny and Bruce Hornsby. Only time will tell whether Sam Friend will reach their level, but if his first EP is any indication, this 22-year-old UM grad is off to a good…
New York-based DJ/producer Chris Fortier got his start in the music industry in Orlando (where he moved from the smaller city of Melbourne, Florida, for college). Having weathered the crapstorm that was the Nineties’ progressive house movement and survived to sail into the seas of more substantial future music, he…
Almost 15 years after the release of the series’ first volume, erstwhile Gang Starr frontman Guru has definitely grown in character. But with this latest disc, he seems to be reaching for Starbucks instead of 125th and Broadway, with a few notable exceptions. It features an all-star guest lineup, including…
Since launching his solo career in 2000 — after helping redefine the alt-country concept with Whiskeytown — Ryan Adams has made overachievement something of a musical mantra: He released three albums in 2005 alone. Still, in Adams’s case, quantity hasn’t always equated with quality, and critics have complained that he…
The clock inside the storied bakery on Calle Ocho indicates it’s the middle of the day, but Luis Bofill is searching for a jolt of caffeine amid the patrons’ friendly chatter and the clacking of plates and utensils. “It was a long [night], so it’s like the start of the…
The Web site bigchampagne.com publishes a list of the top downloaded tracks in America. The cool thing about this list is that, unlike iTunes, it takes into account illegal downlaods. Here are the top ten downloaded songs from July 17 to July 24, 2007: Fergie – Big Girls Don’t Cry…
The Format July 24, 2007 Culture Room Better Than: Watching a clip of The Format on My Super Sweet Sixteen. After arriving at the show moments before the door opened, I surveyed my surroundings to see if it met my expectations. Pimped out tour bus, a symbol of budding rock…
Willy Chirino July 21, 2007 Dolphin Stadum A downpour and several rounds of lightning three hours before the first pitch did nothing to deter a large contingent of Willy Chirino’s most loyal fans from heading out to Dolphin Stadium. Whether they are Cuban exiles that arrived in Miami 40 years…
Photo by Santiago Felipe Beyonce July 22, 2007 BankAtlantic Center Better Than: Hating. You gotta love it. The Review: Blue-eyed soulster Robin Thicke was just finishing up his set when I walked into the BankAtlantic Center. So like any good girl on a Sunday night, I head straight to the…
Wu-Tang and LOUD.com offer fans a chance to open for The Wu in Hawaii! From July 16th to August 20th, 2007, Wu-Tang fans have the chance of lifetime. They can log on to LOUD.com, where they will be able to use a unique online recording studio to make and submit…
Tegan & Sara The Con (Vapor/Sire) The musical output of Canadian twins inevitably carries with it a vaguely alien air. One can just imagine Tegan & Sara in Montreal and Vancouver, respectively, engaging in some seizure-like sibling communication and spontaneously birthing The Con. Nothing so medievally weird happened, of course,…
Mary J. Blige July 19, 2007 Hard Rock Live Better Than: Any lip-synching factory-made pop tart we can think of The Review: Last night Mary J. Blige turned the Seminole Hard Rock into the Seminole Hard Soul. Rockin a one-piece black jumpsuit and some killer heels, she started the show…
Jackie Guerrido Premios Juventud 2007 July 19, 2007 BankUnited Center, University of Miami Better than: Staying home, I guess. Univision spent the last several months leading up to last night’s 2007 Premios Juventud playing it up as one that would stand-alone for years to come. Nice try but the Spanish-language…
The Rocket Summer Do You Feel Island Records The Rocket Summer’s major label debut, Do You Feel, rings similar to their two previous full-length albums. Bryce Avary, the band’s songwriter, singer, and instrumentalist has perfected his sound with this release. The Rocket Summer got its start back in 1999, when…
Vans Warped Tour July 21st, 2007 Bicentennial Park 11:00 a.m. Warped Tour is celebrating its 13th birthday this year. The main stages have been appropriately renamed to “Lucky” and “13” for the occasion. South Florida did hit some bad luck, though, with bands such as Alkaline Trio, Mxpx, and Valencia…
Bad Brains Build a Nation (Oscilloscope/Megaforce) By Saby Reyes-Kulkarni With musicians, like athletes, it’s always disheartening to watch them hang around long enough to see their abilities break down. Bad Brains fans, long beset by the band’s notorious instability, have every reason to expect that a present-day reunion album can…
Just announced: Joel Meinholz, head of the supercool party promotions/whatever company IAmYourVillain, has just booked the legendary Beat Junkie J-Rocc to perform this Sunday at the Chocolate Sundays at Purdy Lounge. (IAmYourVillain is also responsible for the chilled-out, hip-hoppy, skateboarderish, anything-goes vibe of fun parties like Take Out Tuesday at…
Anyone who thought Putumayo World Music hit its prime during the early-Nineties Birkenstock revival and organic Color Me Cotton clothing line for aging hippies has another groove coming. The label has never ceased to pump out a steady world beat, and these days it’s gettin’ downright funky. Artists from Iceland…
Oski, frontman for the band the Oski Foundation and freestyling host of The Rock Thursdays at Tobacco Road, hates party promoters. “And band managers,” he adds bitterly as he shares what he claims is his most published quote. “I hate them because I’m not a promoter. I’m an artist.” In…
