In the undisputed birthplace of jazz, grand old New Orleans, there’s a brass-band tradition called the “second line.” On random Sundays, Mardi Gras, or certain other celebratory occasions, a group of people without a parade permit will gather to blow horns, twirl parasols, and strut through the streets of the…
Los Aldeanos is leading the new generation of rebel music in Cuba. Since 2003, this collective has operated from within the confines of a tyrannical dicatatorial regime and made conscious hip-hop records that call out Fidel and his henchmen. It’s music that reflects a starving, oppressed, but still deeply musical Cuba…
We’re not big fans of having to drive to venues. Quite frankly, looking and paying for parking downtown, the Design District, or anywhere in Miami, really, is a big pain in the ass. So when we heard about the Rock the Bus Tour happening every Thursday during Miami Live Music…
If one good thing has come from globalization — and no, it’s not having McDonald’s in every corner of the planet — it’s the cross-pollination of world sounds and electronica. From Gotan Project’s fusion of tango and breakbeats and Kruder & Dorfmeister’s dub bossa nova, to the Hindustiani IDM of…
Since launching in 2009, the Miami Dance Party website has emerged as one of Miami’s premier sources for local underground EDM. The weekly podcast showcases guest mixes by a bevy of local DJs and producers, from Miami staples like DJ SpinnZinn of 90.5 WVUM to resident favorites at hotspots like…
With Donnis The University of Miami Friday, November 5, 2010 Better than: Listening to your vintage 1998 copy of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill for the billionth time. Believe it … Ms. Lauryn Hill never disappoints her fans. She always leaves them waiting for an hour or more. Let’s be…
View photos from Robyn’s Fillmore Miami Beach concert.RobynWith BFGF and Natalia KillsFriday, November 5, 2010The Fillmore Miami BeachBetter than: The Eurovision song contest.Perhaps it was the excitement of launching her first extensive North American tour, but Robyn didn’t let the fact that the Fillmore was half-empty (or half-full if you…
As you may have already read, Miguel Bosé is a living legend. “A living freakin’ legend,” no less. And you don’t necessarily need to know your Paty Cantu from your Pimpinella to recognize that fact. If you’re of Hispanic descent, this legendary performer’s music is part of your life’s soundtrack,…
Unlike with punk rock, at the height of drum ‘n’ bass’ near-mainstream crossover, there was never much of a debate over its country of origin. The skittering, ragga-inflected, bass-heavy electronic music was, at least at its inception, purely a product of the U.K. Singles only made it to our shores…
You know what’s funny about primetime pop pageant American Idol? (Nope, not ex-panelist Ellen Degeneres.) It’s that the biggest star to ever shoot out of that black hole was a loser named Jennifer Hudson. Of course, there’s an argument to be made for Season One winner, Kelly Clarkson. And if…
Not only is OG Dirty South spitter Chris “Ludacris” Bridges the star of such upcoming films as Fast & the Furious 5, chairman of the non-profit Ludacris Foundation, and a connoisseur of fine cognac. But he has also become an unlikely mentor to former Latin heartthrob and nude waterskier Enrique…
For those who don’t know, El Gran Combo is known as La Universidad de la Salsa (the University of Salsa). And Sergio Vargas is the king of merengue. Which basically makes their gig at the James L. Knight Center this Friday the equivalent of the ’73 Miami Dolphins meeting the…
Just like Ms. Whitney Houston, former Fugees frontwoman and diva of the new millennium Ms. Lauryn Hill was a mind-blowingly successful pop star and actress who freaked out under the pressure of her own fame. But where Whitney disappeared into a billion-dollar mansion and ten thousand hits off the crack…
If your name were “Steve Lawler,” you’d probably spend Wednesday afternoon spinning for the Masters of the Universe on the deck of some Cypriot millionaire’s gigayacht off the coast of Dubai. Then Thursday, you’d take the red-eye home to collate your 1,001 solid-platinum platters. And Friday, you’d teleport to Miami…
Miguel Bosé is a living freakin’ legend. Maybe it was just his fate, or maybe it comes from being gifted progeny. (Bosé’s mother was a famous Italian actress, and his father a celebrated Spanish bullfighter.) Or maybe it’s the sort of thing for which he was simply hard-wired, readily exemplified…
In the early ’00s, cool kids everywhere became obsessed with all kinds of lupine creatures. Maybe it was irony. Maybe it was rabies. Or maybe the moon had slipped off its axis. Whatever the cause, almost everyone between the ages of 16 and 28 was wearing a howling wolf’s head…
To understand the German techno scene’s fascination with African-American funk and soul, you need look no further than the work of Frankfurt-based DJ-producer Sascha Dive. As chief ambassador of the so-called “Rhein-Main sound” (though he shrugs off the label himself), Dive boasts that quintessentially Teutonic interpretation of soulful house via…
Last month, we announced that British industrial act Nitzer Ebb was stopping in Miami November 13 for a rare concert appearance. At the time, ticket prices hadn’t been announced, but they are now available for $20 via Flavorus.As a primer for the Grand Central show, take a listen to the…
UPDATE: We’ve just been informed that today’s show has been cancelled because of rain. What do we know about Entresol? Well, like all good 21st century journalists, we here at Crossfade subscribe to incredibly laborious methods of research, such as Googling stuff, poking through Tumblr blogs, and checking out Facebook…
See Crossfade’s review and photos from Ms. Lauryn Hill’s UM Homecoming concert. Just like Ms. Whitney Houston, former Fugees frontwoman and diva-of-the-new-millennium Ms. Lauryn Hill was a mind-blowingly successful pop star and actress who freaked out under the pressure of her own fame. But where Whitney disappeared into a billion-dollar…
View photos of Masquerade Motel Miami here.Swedish House MafiaSaturday, October 30, 2010Scope Art Fair, MiamiBetter than: We still can’t believe what we experienced.We have to forgo the traditional concert review because in-depth analysis of DJ sets is about as interesting as watching people push buttons. Seriously, though, Saturday’s Masquerade Motel…
With Holy Ghost! and Depressed Buttons The Electric Pickle Saturday, October 30, 2010 Better than: A pillowcase full of snack-size Snickers and black-market cigarettes. In the run-up to Hollerween, Tony Smurphio and Cuci Amador absolutely insisted on keeping their freak fest costume plans a total, non-negotiable, lockbox secret. Every time…
