Zeds Dead Reps New Label and Eclectic EDM at Mana Wynwood

In conversation, Zachary “Hooks” Rapp-Rovan is modest about his success. As one-half of Zeds Dead, he and creative partner Dylan Mamid (DC) have built a veritable EDM empire that has allowed them to travel the world, command an army of adoring fans, and collaborate with some of their musical heroes. If any of this has fazed Hooks, it doesn’t show. Beyond the joy of making music for a living, Hooks and DC seem to relish the opportunity to share their passion — rather than just their work — with followers.

Dracula Uses One Guitar and Two Voices to Haunt With Intensity

The duo Dracula’s name doesn’t just reference a bloodthirsty Transylvanian vampire. It also represents the subtler Bram Stoker depiction of the lonely and lovesick Count. The only instruments they use are one nylon acoustic guitar and two distinctively gorgeous voices. Spanish and English songs are tightly woven into a tapestry of quiet intensity…

Why Is Modest Mouse Fascinated by Florida?

Maybe it shouldn’t be surprising that the indie rock greats, Modest Mouse, have become obsessed with the Sunshine State. Their mastermind, Issac Brock, has found lyrical inspiration in subjects as varied as Charles Bukowski and math equations. But even for a lover of geography who hollered out the names of…

Deaf Poets Talk Touring and Peyote Coyote Partnership

Fresh off a successful spring tour for their recently released album, Lost in Magic City, Miami’s Deaf Poets are not content to sit around. They’re gassing up and hitting the road once again to shatter a few eardrums around the rest of Florida, and they’re taking some hometown friends with…

The Best Concerts in Miami This Week, August 21-27

It feels like it was only yesterday that Mary J. Blige was singing about “no more drama.” What happened? Since January, the headlines have been nothing but drama. Perhaps Blige will remind everyone there is no need for “hateration, holleration in this dancerie” when she takes the stage at…

The Members of Social Distortion Are Punk Rock’s Greatest Storytellers

Started in Southern California in 1978 by a teenaged Mike Ness, Social Distortion was inspired by the Sex Pistols and the Rolling Stones. Listen to the band’s catalog of seven albums, released sporadically over the past 34 years, and you’ll hear the rebellious spirit of those influences. But lyrically, Social Distortion takes an approach that’s different from that of those two British acts.

Luisa Maria Güell Premieres Her Latest Album, Tu Canción

There is no denying Luisa Maria Güell has an angelic voice. Singing mainly love songs, often backed by the drama of a big-band sound, she is an idol among Spanish speakers. Her back catalogue shows a diverse spectrum of influences, from tango to country and western all the way through…

The Best Concerts in Miami This Week, August 14-20

This week’s music offerings are strong from the get-go with J. Cole working out at the AAA. Wednesday, it’s Matchbox Twenty and Counting Crows at Coral Sky Amphitheatre. And if you have a need for that Latin thing, Los Amigos Invisibles will play the Flamingo Theater in Brickell Saturday. Hot is right!