Nortec Collective is no stranger to the Latin alternative scene. Since dropping its first disc in 2002, The Tijuana Sessions Vol. 1, the electro-fusion outfit has carved a well-defined niche. That’s not only across Latin America but also stateside, amassing a cult following from various appearances at some of the…
With our usual focus on the house and techno end of things going on at the Electric Pickle, it’s easy to overlook the fact that the Wynwood hotspot has also become one of Miami’s premiere live music venues, showcasing a regular variety of local and international bands. Past bookings, including…
It’s always good to see the Warped Tour pick up on local talent. This year add the Parable MC and Llamabeats project Think Tank to that list.Hip Hop is back on Warped in the form of the Grind Time Now Stage. It’s a project of the world’s largest rap battle league…
It’s a big week for local masters of Cuban son, Conjunto Progreso. Not only are they celebrating the release of their brand new disc Alive in Miami, but now they have a Best of Miami award to celebrate too, having earned the honor of Best Latin Band this week. The band…
Click here to view photos from this event.50 CentFillmore Miami BeachTuesday, June 15, 2010Better Than: Whatever you did last night, but not as much better as it should have been.The Review:If somebody tells me to put my hands up one more time I’m gonna flip. I mean, really. Isn’t that…
Brooklyn trio School of Seven Bells chalked up a whole lotta blog and magazine love in 2008 with its debut album, Alpinisms, a set of beat-driven dream-pop that sounded, at times, like an updated version of the Cocteau Twins. The ethereal, sometimes vaguely tribal female vocals came, even, from identical…
When we found out about the punk and indie show this Saturday at Churchill’s we called up Fabio from Destroyio Records. He said, “Fuckin’ shit man. Why you calling me when I’m in the middle of doing my one-handed clapping push-ups? Go to Churchill’s this Saturday. It’s five bucks, two…
Click here to view photos from this event.Passion PitWith Tokyo Police Club and BrahmsThe Fillmore Miami BeachSunday, June 13, 2010Better Than: Anything I expected … and expectations were high.The Review:If you’re reading this, I’ll assume you’re a Passion Pit fan. Either that, or just way bored at work today and…
If you’re a fan of Cut Copy, you’ll love Miami Beach incarnation Crystal Cadillac. Dark dance rockers Brett Thorngren and Gil Bitton (former lead singer of Endo) have teamed up to form the band in all of its synthy-pop goodness, and they’re releasing their debut 4-song EP this Friday at…
Poplife’s Anniversary Party With Surfer Blood, the Pains of Being Pure at Heart, and Hooray for Earth Grand Central, Miami Saturday, June 12, 2010 Better than: Getting pains for being too pure of heart, or surfing in blood, or…. The Review: The hipsterati and then some came out in droves…
Out on the winding, gothic highways of America, there are many strange, unnatural beings traveling through the darkness in search of fresh meat and virgin blood. The hunger must be sated. The night is lonely. In general, it’s hard to quantify those evil legions. But whenever you work out the…
John Hancock seems to have always been the slightly more out-there member of local favorites Awesome New Republic, continually releasing his own, more experimental material during the band’s down time. The latest addition to his solo oeuvre is a new vinyl-only album, Antenna Death, out now on 10K Islands/St. Ives…
The Lebron James speculation is serious. Of course, here in Miami we’re hoping he comes down to join buddy D-Wade … but Wade’s future in Miami hardly seems certain, either. So who can help entice James make up his mind? How about some rappers with a new mixtape!Yesterday saw the…
British DJ, producer, and A&R man Matt Tolfrey has staked his place on the international electronic dance music scene since launching the esteemed Leftroom imprint in 2005. Home to acclaimed emerging artists such as Glimpse, Inxec, and Marc Ashken, Leftroom encapsulates the sounds of a new generation bringing a deep…
While people complain about the lack of live music in town, and usually the same people complain about going to South Beach for anything, Jazid is a lone soldier quietly battling to prove the naysayers wrong. Sure, the venue has changed plenty over the years — for one thing, only…
Listening to the band’s incredibly tight, über-polished debut album, Manners, it’s hard to believe Passion Pit has been around for such a short time. But fact is, it hasn’t even been three years since frontman and songwriting mastermind Michael Angelakos conceived of the project. Back then, it was a solo…
After releasing separate solo albums, singer Andrea Echeverri and bassist/producer Hector Buitrago reunited in 2007 to record Oye, their first CD as Aterciopelados in five years. The disc wasn’t as rambunctiously rocking as their early work in the mid-’90s. Instead, there were entrancingly lovely interludes such as the upbeat prayer…
Remember when reggaeton first blew up internationally, extending its reach far beyond the confines of Puerto Rico? Every club and radio station from Beantown to Brussels was playing that new booty music from La Isla del Encanto. Few of the cats from that first wave have survived in the industry,…
Sure, socially conscious artists are prevalent in Spanish-language music. But few acts have committed themselves so completely to fighting for the greater good than Aterciopelados, whose zeal for placing social and political causes right before the public’s eye is legendary.The band’s most recent album, last year’s Grammy-nominated Rio, is a prime…
Somehow this slipped under our radar before, but here’s a seeming last-minute booking that may entice the hip-hop heads to get out to a South Beach megaclub. Jay Electronica, one of the Internet’s Favorite Rappers, is set to perform at Cameo Saturday night.While he first gained his hype status in…
Sloppy Seconds, Nobunny, and the Spits at Churchill’s Pub, MiamiThe Axe and the Oak at Sweat Records, Miami Saturday, June 5, 2010 Better Than: Sitting at home on a Saturday night with a $10 dollar jug of wine and having my ass handed back to me on a casual game…
Ghostwridah has risen to the forefront of the local hip-hop scene as of late. Since he dropped his Don Cannon-produced “Red Bottoms” single in February, his stock has grown and the offers from record labels just keep pouring in. Ghost announced back in late March that he did finally sign…
