America loves dance music, and bass music is especially beloved by thousands, probably millions, of happy beat freaks, from Miami to New York and Los Angeles. Now, we can’t really say 12th Planet is the man responsible for the current bass trend in the U.S., but we can say he…
If you’re old enough to recall the mid ’80s, you can probably recognize the sounds of Debbie Deb’s “When I Hear Music” and “Lookout Weekend” in an instant. The freestyle hits were the teen anthems of their day, ubiquitous soundtracks at roller rinks and mall parking lots. Younger listeners may…
Too $hort is an independent hip hop pioneer who made his first million on cassette tapes. The East Oakland pimp is famous for dirty sex raps, and has put out a new album almost every year since 1987. He’s also a ghetto reality rapper in the style of Melle Mel…
How many rappers are there with multiple number-ones and college degrees? How many rappers stay pure amid the media circus, refusing to change who they are physically or morally? How many rappers are immediately embraced by the biggest names in the industry while spitting cold, hard truths? On second thought,…
One of the standout tracks on Metric’s latest entry into their 15-year oeuvre, Synthetica, features vocals by a figure who helped lay the foundation of modern alternative rock, Lou Reed. On “The Wanderlust,” a song that arrives close to album’s end, the breathy alto of vocalist Emily Haines gives way…
Before Marilyn Manson painted a stripe across his face, before Lady Gaga turned sonic sex into a catchy summer anthem, and before Johnny Depp donned a pirate hat, Adam Ant was Adam Ant. Even today, this influential ’80s mad man who once led Adam and the Ants continues to be…
Sure, weekends are great. But when you throw in Gin Blossoms, Tracy Morgan, Bret Michaels, and cocktails, you’re in for the Ultimate Miami Weekend at Magic City Casino. Going down November 7 through 9, the 305’s most talented will compete against one another for the title of Miami’s Ultimate Band,…
It must be something in the air, but Miami is definitely one crazy city. I mean, where else in the world would you find some of the most bizarre crimes, strangest laws (well, Florida in general), or a celeb-studded party going down at a megaclub on a Tuesday night? Only…
Even though she is currently in Spain, enjoying vacation time, Metric’s Emily Haines can hardly hide her exuberance about visiting Miami again. Talking over the phone, Haines notes a couple of rather unforgettable connections between her and the Magic City. One revolves around a past Metric performance and the other…
Living in one of the world’s most popular party cities has its perks. Sure, you get herds of tourists who stop in the middle of the street to gaze at the reflection of the blinding sun off perfectly tanned, sweaty beach bods … But you also get a slew of…
“Can you read my mind? Read my mind.” That’s Emily Haines talking. She’s the moodily magnetic singer for Canadian indie-pop crew Metric. And if you’ve been blessed with telepathy (or even just, uh, read this blog’s headline), then you already know … Ms. Haines, Metric, the Fillmore Miami Beach, and…
Like 94 percent of the world’s population that listens to music, the guys of experimental cumbia collective Locos Por Juana cannot get Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” out of their heads. “Personally, I fell in love with Nile Rodgers’ guitar,” says Locos Por Juana guitarist Mark Kondrat. “The funky guitar, the…
Zach Deputy is a beat-boxing, guitar-playing, Puerto Rican, Saint Crucian, Irish, South Cackalackee cracker, one-man looping band experience. He makes good-time island music mixed with funk, soul, R&B, bluegrass, and even some Spanish classical guitar. And he does it all while sampling himself live. Tomorrow, he plays Knock N’ Roll:…
It’s the dawn of a new day, y’all, but not just any day… Friday! Sure, you could make plans to blow all of your hard-earned dolla bills poppin’ bottles at LIV… Or you could have an equally liquor-filled weekend partying it up at the Vagabond, Grand Central, and other Miami…
Deborah Wesoff Lopez’s music career got off to a brilliant start. As Debbie Deb, her first single, “When I Hear Music,” recorded with Miami electro legend “Pretty” Tony Butler when she was just 17, helped define the aesthetic of the burgeoning freestyle genre in the mid ’80s. And her dreamy…
Since he began putting out music as Palmbomen in 2011, Dutch artist and producer Kai Hugo has been pegged by bloggers and industry nerds as a proponent of that notoriously amorphous, dreamily DIY chillwave sound. Making use of layered synth textures and adopting the old-school bedroom aesthetic of early-’80s new…
It’s hard out there for a musician. Just ask the “King of Miami Pop,” Robert Elias. “It’s been somewhere between fun and neurotic,” laughs Elias. “It’s lots of hard work, but I feel like I’m kind of starting to get to a really interesting place in my career.” Aside from…
He can’t stop “sweating like crazy.” And he’d really like for you to experience insane levels of perspiration too. “When I play live, I’m really soaking wet,” Palmbomen told Crossfade last week, discussing dance music and the health benefits of bouncing to a beat. “It just heals me, always, when…
Circa 2000, Marilyn Manson was the biggest, scariest, darkest, weirdest rock star on the face of the planet. He was the devil incarnate, the voice in a troubled child’s head, the savior of the unsalvageable. He’s come a long way, we’ve all come a long way, and now it’s 2013…
Beats, boats, and the beach — that’s what summer’s all about. And even though us hard workers still have to face the work week ahead, summer nights are meant to be enjoyed no matter what day it is. Check the cut for Crossfade’s five best concerts in Miami this week,…
It’s been 18 years (wow!) since antenna-braided Compton rapper Coolio released “Gangsta’s Paradise,” the dark, chorus-heavy narrative about repenting for a thugged-out life in the hood. And on August 1, Mr. Cool himself will turn the big 5-0, partying down the next night at LIV Miami. Weaved through a ’90s…
The monsoon got you feeling blue? Brighten up, sunshine. It’s Friday! And no matter how much rain may pour down on us, the party never stops in the 305. Especially when there are endless bashes flooded with great music and booze… All for under 10 bucks. Check out the ten…
