Yesterday, we here at Crossfade went bangin' on the beach with Miami Bass Warriors and even enjoyed some bathroom fellatio with Rat Bastard's Scraping Teeth.
But that was just the beginning of our weird and wild ten-day trip through the MIA's long and varied musical history.
For today's edition of the Best Miami Bands of All Time, we'll be hanging out with romantic gypsy rock 'n' rollers, dudes with hooks and looks, a gang of Locos, a cult metal crew from Coral Gables, and chicks in hot-dog skirts.
Just check the cut for numbers 45 to 41.
45. Nuclear Valdez
When this quintet hit the mainstream, it was notable on two levels. First, it was Miami's only entry into the late-'80s/early-'90s romantic gypsy rock 'n' roll scene. Second, Nuclear Valdez was likely the first band featuring a completely Hispanic lineup to enjoy its own MTV Unplugged session in English. And as thanks to hometown fans, the Valdez dudes immortalized their slice of the local scene in the video for breakout hit "Summer," shot in part at Churchill's Pub. -- Arielle Castillo
44. The Goods
The Goods seemed to have it all. Hooks, looks, talent, tenacity, and supercatchy melodies. Frontman Jim Camacho and crew even got inked to a national label. But burned by the biz, their fortunes eventually floundered. Nevertheless, they left behind several outstanding albums, including Mint, 5 Steps to Getting Signed, and the sadly ironic Good Things Are Coming. Individually, its members still soldier on, offering belated reminders of the greatness that The Goods possessed. -- Lee Zimmerman
43. Locos Por Juana
Itagüí Correa, Mr. Mark Kondrat, and Javier "Lakambra" Delgado are a self-described "Latin Urban Orchestra" called Locos Por Juana who've been nominated for Premio Lo Nuestro awards, Latin Grammys, and all kinds of other industry honors. But really, they're a musical coral reef with a million different sonic species living inside each song. They're smoked out, Afro-reggae/dub-clash/hip-hop fusion with a trunk full of quads makes the booties shake. And every time Locos play, they set the stage on fire like they're planning on burning down the house. -- Jacob Katel
42. Cynic
Probably the only cult metal crew to ever arise from Coral Gables, Cynic's earliest incarnation was heavily influenced by the rising death metal legends of late-'80s Florida. Over time, though, frontman Paul Masvidal (son of Cuban-American civic heavyweight Raul Masvidal) and drummer Sean Reinert let their slightly geekier sides seize control of the band's sound. And years before it became trendy, Cynic began blending equal parts progressive and aggressive heavy music.
Hurricane Andrew almost broke up the band. But a year later, the group put out what would become its sole, legendary release -- Focus -- for Roadrunner Records. A decade later, the Internet helped foment a Cynic renaissance. And now reunited, the group tours internationally, playing massive metal festivals. -- Arielle Castillo
41. Avenue D
When electroclash became EDM's hot genre at the turn of the century, Miami's Avenue D was there to capitalize on it. Formed in 2001, the duo consisted of Debbie D. and Daphne D., whose major contribution to the movement was the inescapable megahit "Do I Look Like a Slut?," produced by electroclash's king, Larry Tee
They would've made L'Trimm proud. Peaking at the number 8 spot on the Billboard dance charts, nobody could deny that Debbie and Daphne had left their mark on dance music. Follow-up singles like "2D2F" (AKA "Too Drunk To Fuck") and "You Love This Ass" never matched the popularity of Avenue D's breakthrough, but they were just as catchy. After three studio albums, though, the group bowed out in December 2007 with a final show at Miami's now-defunct Studio A.
R.I.P, Avenue D! Avenue D forever! -- Jose D. Duran
Check out the other installments of Crossfade's 50 Best Miami Bands of All Time:
-From 50 to 46: Scraping Teeth, Frank Williams & The Rocketeers, Iko Iko, ANR, Miami Bass Warriors
-From 45 to 41: Nuclear Valdez, The Goods, Locos Por Juana, Cynic, Avenue D
-From 40 to 36: The Agency, Pygmy, Suenalo, Triple C's, The Crumbs
-From 35 to 31: Quit, Young and Restless, The Reactions, Afrobeta, Cavity
-From 25 to 21: Critical Mass, Phoenicia, The Dogs, Chickenhead, Floor
-From 20 to 16: Buckwheat Boyz, The Mavericks, Against All Authority, T-Connection, The Eat
-From 10 to 6: Murk, NRBQ, Exposé, Poison Clan, Load
-From 5 to 1: KC and the Sunshine Band, Sam & Dave, Harry Pussy, Miami Sound Machine, 2 Live Crew
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