Welcome to the second edition of our new biweekly local artists column, Miami Music Fridays. This time, the selections are eclectic, wild, and ridiculously hot, just like the city itself.
Not going to drag this introduction out, you came for the hooks in the songs, not a long, wordy overture, but, as a reminder, if you've got a bead on something new we should be listening to, hit this button right here.
1. Eddy Gatoe — "The Path"
With a sound influenced by everything from indie rock, classic rock, and hip-hop to Motown and punk, Miami singer-songwriter Eddy Gatoe (the Collektives; Perro Negro) has a deep sonic well from which to draw. And you will hear most of it in the rousing, wall-of-sound pop rock sidewinder “the Path,” which feels a bit like Phil Spector producing a '70s arena rock act in the flannel-flags-flying Seattle of 1991. It’s got edge, beauty, and drive — hard to ask for more. 2. Exit Life — "Damaged by Neglect"
Forget Hammer! Please, Kendall, don't hurt 'em! Goddamn this Underneath Heaven's Reign demo — available, appropriately, on cassette via Tampa's Armageddon Records — goes hard. It feels like it was influenced by Integrity, Ringworm, All Out War, and other seminal bands that put the dark underbelly of metallic hardcore on the map in the nineties while incorporating some (relatively) newer black metal and grind elements. I assume it kills live. Really solid, nasty stuff. File Under: IYKYK.3. Folktale San Pedro — "Wasted (Street Affairs)"
What this says about the last couple of years, who can tell, but Folktale San Pedro just followed up its incredibly underrated 2023 full-length Romance Romance with "Wasted (Street Affairs)," which the band's mastermind Paco Villafane describes as a "half-baked, semi-accurate perspective on Miami's dating scene." And while you can still hear the sly early aughts indie of earlier work on a foundational level here — think Sea and the Cake by way of Spoon by way of early the Strokes — the lounge-y troubadour vibes are brought to the fore to great effect. It’s a beautifully layered and realized piece of work, both sophisticated and stirring.4. Hunters of the Alps Ft. Thank You Lord For Satan - "Con La Misma Piedra"
Curveball covers have a decidedly mixed history, but this inspired reimagining of (no, really) Julio Iglesias' 1982 standard "Con La Misma Piedra" by Miami's Hunter of the Alps and Peruvian shoegaze band Thank You Lord For Satan teases an insanely validating amount of new soul-stirring emotional heft and ethereal beauty out of old melodies. The accompanying press release fills in some of the blanks as to why this may be: "The recording carries special significance as a homage to [Hunter of the Alps founder Mario Giancarlo] Garibaldi's late father, Mario Garibaldi Sr., who passed away in 2024 and was a lifelong Julio Iglesias devotee." (You may know Garibaldi's work from other Miami indie projects such as Modernage and Private School.) And if you enjoy this — which you will, considering what good taste you have — be sure to check out the 2022 equally smart, innovative cover of Juan Gabriel's "Costumbres."5. Kill the Robot — "Western Shore"
Though led by the eldest son of legendary Bee Gee Barry Gibb, Miami-based Kill the Robot, to borrow a phrase from David Byrne, "ain't no party, ain't no disco, ain't no foolin' around." Instead, Stephen Gibb — who has performed with everyone from his father to Mötley Crüe's Nikki Sixx to former Ozzy Osbourne/current Pantera guitarist Zakk Wylde to hardcore innovator Jamey Jasta to New Orleans sludge metal champions Crowbar to '80s pop metallers Saigon Kick —along with Gil Bitton (vocals), Kenny Cordova (bass), and Jean-Pierre Espiritusanto (drums) takes the best of earnest, electronics-driven '80s pop and give it a stadium-sized modern rock (sometimes verging on metal) upgrade. The songs touch that not-quite-definable place in us where soul awaits succor, including on "Western Shores," a tribute to the band's late friend and Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins.6. Lea Louisa — "Four Days"
Though Miami-based model, actress, and singer-songwriter Lea Louisa came of age in the Berlin club scene of her native Germany, she never stopped kindling a deep love for more vulnerable "intimate, storytelling-driven songwriting." In her own electro pop, she has sought — with much success — to bridge those worlds, perhaps nowhere as affectingly and powerfully as on her dreamy yet anthemic latest track, "Four Days." Written during a "sleepless summer in Berlin," recorded by Marcel Stroh, and mastered by Stuart Hawkes (Charli XCX, Amy Winehouse), Louisa describes the song as "made for late-night drives, dopamine spikes, and intense crushes." If that sounds like a lot to pack into one jam, give Louisa 2:39 of your time. She'll make you a believer.7. Nefarious Grime — "Evil Dead"
That's not a cold front you feel creeping into our tropical environs — it’s Death is Immortal, the latest EP from Miami's ultra-grim gothic black metal experimentalists Nefarious Grime. The whole thing is great, but check the operatic bridge on opener "Evil Dead," and you'll understand this female-driven solo project is not just bound for Hell but also bigger tremolo-picked-riff-festooned stages. 8. The Grey Tones — "Agent Provocateur"
To paraphrase Goldfinger, "No, we don’t expect you to talk, Mr. Bond. We expect you to dance." This debut demo from surf-bass driven '60s throwback duo The Grey Tones — veteran SoFl multi-instrumentalist The Abominable Dr. John (John Messing) and vocalist Agent Mar (Marcela Agüero) — is a sultry, endlessly cool little number. Pairs well with spaghetti westerns, old school shaken-not-stirred spy flicks, and vintage everything.9. The Zappe Cats — "Catnip"
Formed by Venezuelan musicians Luis Irán (vocals/guitar), Lucas Paredes (bass), and Ozzie Perez (drums), The Zappe Cats found each other in Miami after separately immigrating from Venezuela. The result is an amalgamation of classic, radio-ready New Wave-y alt-rock (think Verve Pipe, Matthew Sweet, Toad the Wet Sprocket, and Paul Westerberg wrestling in a very cozy living room) infused with the trademark unadulterated passion for all things rock n' roll upon which South America has built its rep. Misu Misu is a for-real best of both worlds release.10. Viper—“Undercover”
The debut EP from Miami-based Cuban American singer-songwriter Viper (née Vanesa Perez) is finally here — and it was well worth the wait. (Recall, New Times crowned her Best Solo Musician in 2023.) Check out the official video for the bewitching, serpentine single “Undercover” below, which, yes, at moments calls to mind artists such as Lana Del Ray and Billie Eilish but also cuts a path very much its own across listeners’ emotional landscape. (The video for the title track is worth a watch as well.) Is there anything more beautiful than something that is knowing and incisive without being contrived? Empathy in that sense seems more than an internal statement from a rising alt-pop star—it feels like a call to arms.For your convenience, and in case you want to listen to all these songs while driving or stuck in Friday afternoon traffic, we included all the tracks in the New Times Spotify playlist. Make sure to hit it with a like and subscribe. Please and thank you.
