What do you do once you have a handful of Grammys? When you’re not only the first solo salsa star to sell out Madison Square Garden — even though the venue is situated in the seat of Nuyorican salsa, courtesy of Héctor Lavoe, Willie Colón, and Celia Cruz — but…
The golden era of house music came and went with the early-’80s-to-early-’90s heyday of pioneering legends such as Frankie Knuckles, Steve Hurley, and Larry Heard. But with his grasp on the soulful essence and rhythms of classic house, there’s no denying that DJ-producer Dennis Ferrer is carrying the torch into…
The last time Surfer Blood was in Miami, the local crew caused a stir, swearing it’d never again play Grand Central. Now only a few months later, the group has made amends and scheduled a return to the downtown venue, this time with Brooklyn indie-poppers the Drums. Surfer Blood is…
In contrast to Washed Out’s idyllic, well-manicured Life of Leisure, the first full-length, Causers of This, from Toro y Moi (AKA Chaz Bundick) is an intentionally chaotic affair. But it turns out that chillwave, even in deconstructed form, has its virtues. Though Causers is an undeniably piecemeal assemblage, there’s something…
Señor Stereo is what you get when you put together a Kendall boy and two Midwesterners. Individually, Danny Daze, Gigamesh, and Joe Maz have accomplished a lot, but it only gets better when they churn out disco-house tracks together. “We all have the same style, and we feed each other…
British rock band James’s 28-year career has endured the kind of trials and tribulations that would make for a riveting episode of VH1’s Behind the Music — unpaid £250,000 tax bills, drug addictions, and a six-year breakup — but its resplendent jangle pop lives on. While never commandeering the charts…
We’ve been showing Afrobeta some love lately, naming them as “Best Band,” tracking down their latest releases, and even following them around their home studio recently, and with good reason. The duo have been combining synths, heavy basslines, and catchy, often Miami-themed bilingual lyrics that makes us just want to…
Alright, Jacory Harris isn’t getting any fruit baskets this week. But don’t lose faith in the U just yet. And while we’re telling you to keep supporting the Canes, how about supporting a Hurricane alum? No, Michael Irvin won’t be live at Jazid this weekend. And no, Gino Torretta isn’t…
Fucked Up With Neon Blud and Jacuzzi Boys Churchill’s Pub Tuesday, September 14, 2010 Better than: Bleeding from your eyes. It’s now eight and a half hours since Fucked Up played their last song. But still my hearing is dangerously (permanently?) damaged. Human voices sound like muffled, faraway echoes from…
Leave it to a Brit to almost beat Americans, North, Central, and South, at our own global funk game. Yes, stateside, we’ve been enjoying a classic R&B renaissance courtesy of acts like Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Eli (Paperboy) Reed, and, of course, the Mark Ronson juggernaut (and all…
Photo courtesy of Jahrue It seems like YNG (pronounced Why-En-Gee) is the new kid on the block. The best way to describe him is that he’s a smooth type of emcee with a little consciousness mixed with a youthful frame of thought. He’s a new member of #TheNewMiami movement, and…
Illustration by by Johnnie Cluney, via Daytrotter Toro Y Moi had managed to stay slightly below the radar until the chillwave movement took off in the Summer of ’09. The barely-there often only one-man band fronted by Chaz Bundick is at once relaxing and arm swaying, and as his voice…
John Legend and The Roots are each talented in their own right, and they’ve teamed up for a collaborative album called Wake Up! to be released next Tuesday. The album is a funky ’70s soul throwback, and takes direction from legends like Marvin Gaye and Nina Simone. Special guest collaborators…
via his MySpace pageWe like to lay claim on musicians whenever we can. If they’ve lived in South Florida for more than a few months, went to school here, had a girlfriend from here, or even their dog lived here, we like to think they’re ours. So it should come…
Anja Schneider is a veritable renaissance woman of electronic dance music. The DJ, producer, radio show host and record label magnate is a long-standing veteran of the Berlin scene whose renowned weekly show on Berlin’s Radio Fritz has been going strong for a decade. But it’s the success and brand…
The Agency at Transit Lounge, MiamiSaturday, September 11Better Than: I could have even hoped.The Review:If you read my Q&A with drummer Mike Marsh earlier this week, you know I was pretty psyched to see this show. Having attended high school (or various high schools, as the case may be) in…
Photo by Ian WitlenAlice Glass of Crystal Castles performing live at Grand Central, Miami.Click here to view photos from Crystal Castles at Grand Central.Crystal CastlesSaturday, September 11, 2010Grand Central, MiamiBetter Than: Your old-school Gameboy.Let’s discuss the elephant in the room: Why didn’t local artist Panic Bomber open for the Toronto…
Photo by Victor GonzalezThe DewarsThe Dewars & The Band in Heaven Friday, September 10, 2010 The Vagabond, Miami The Review: There were quite a few people that made an hour-plus trip from Palm Beach to the Vagabond last night in support of two of their own local bands — a…
pyrofusion.comHave you ever wanted to be a part of something really big? Well Miami will be one of the hundreds of cities taking part in EarthDance 2010, hailed as “the world’s largest synchronized music and dance festival for peace.” In 2004, it broke the Guinness World Record for largest synchronized…
Photo by Jose FloresMemphis Blac with Smokahontas Jones Thursday, September 9, 2010 The Vagabond, Miami Better Than: A typical night at an 8th Street Motel The Review:Dallas’s Memphis Blac and Smokahontas Jones make no bones about who they are. Memphis used to be a sex worker and has a lot…
Grant C. Dull is anything but. Party promoter, culture blogger, international DJ, impresario, and record company head/founder are just a few labels that apply. Free spirit who up and moved to Argentina from his home in the U.S. after taking a couple of trips inspired by the country’s literature and…
Bwomp-womp-woppa-woppa: That’s the sound of the dubstep. Friday night Canada’s Excision is making like a snowbird and setting up his nest at Discotekka for Boom! Pow! He’ll be joined by Miami’s own Pharaoh of Bass and Throw-up Music, Otto Von Schirach. Dubstep is a dirty, grimy genre, and Excision is…
