Musician’s Discount Center is a South Dade Vinyl Goldmine

Musician’s Discount Center can seem like it’s half way to Key West if you live in downtown Miami, Cuba if you’re in NMB, or Argentina if you’re in Broward, but for Cutler Ridge, West Kendall, Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest, Florida City, and the whole Down South, the store is pretty much…

Another New Times Writer Loved Mike Mineo, Goolsby Too

The charms of New Times contributor Courtney Hambright go well beyond her abilities to pen a clever phrase. We were particularly pleased with her recent profile of local singer-songwriter-goofball Mike Mineo because the reportage included plenty of passages like this:In the spring of 2006, Mineo, who plays acoustic guitar without…

Black-Owned Miami Beach Hotel Goes Belly Up

The Royal Palm Hotel on 16th Street and Collins Avenue was supposed to be a beacon of atonement for Miami-Dade County’s racist past.In 1989, county officials snubbed South African leader Nelson Mandela when he visited Miami. African Americans across the country boycotted Miami-Dade, costing the area tens of millions in…

Slashpine Brings the Doom to Roofless Records’ Cinema Sounds No. 6

It was an insanely heavy way to start a nice night of music and movies: Bodies tossed across train tracks, horsemen of the apocalypse streaking through snowy nowheres, and local metalheads Slashpine shredding slow and deep into doom-y sonic territory. A couple days before the show, I asked Roofless Rex…

More Free Music: No Age and Teenanger, Both Storming Miami April 17

All you hardcore weekend warriors can just keep on keeping on, living “in the moment,” and partying so unendingly hard that your eyes, teeth, and toenails hurt till Wednesday. Personally, I’m taking a fucking break.Why? ‘Cause I don’t really give a shit about today, tomorrow, or the next day. Every…

MP3 of the Day: The Crumbs – “Just Like That”

It makes me really happy and sad that a new Crumbs album (Gator Kicks) will be coming out at the end of this month. Happy because I’ve been a fan for a very long time and sad because it might very well be the last effort by these long-running punkers…

Some Folks Will Surely Get Fat From $14.7 Million Grant to Fight Obesity

It was reported earlier this week that Miami-Dade County will be receiving $14.7 million from the federal government, the money earmarked for fighting obesity. It is part of a  $370 million Obama administration program called “Communities Putting Prevention to Work.” Miami-Dade is one of 44 counties, cities, tribes, and other…

Thursday Deals at Acqualina and Essensia; Outback Out, The Spot Removed

$29 Dinner at EssensiaOn Thursday nights, Essensia Restaurant now features a special two-course dinner for $29. Executive chef Frank Jeannetti has been winning praise for his clean, innovative cooking style. Guests can choose between appetizer selections such as Ahi tuna two ways, pan-roasted seafood cake, and watermelon/feta cheese salad. Entree…

Food Porn: When Photographing Food Becomes An Obsession

The New York Times recently wrote an article about the rising trend of food enthusiasts who photograph their meals and post them online. I have to admit that I have become one of those people. At first, it started innocuously. I would take a picture of a particularly gorgeous dish,…

Centerplate Vendors Throw Knockdown Pitch At Marlins Fans

So I was thrilled to receive word that Centerplate, a leading hospitality vendor for sports stadiums, convention centers and entertainment venues, “has announced several new partnerships, menu items and other ‘game-changers’ for the home fields of the Tampa Bay Rays, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners and Florida Marlins.” It went…

iPad vs. Kindle: You Need Both

This week’s Newsweek — which should probably be titled “Suck-up-week” — includes a front page pic of the iPad and a back page ad for the Amazon Kindle. The main article is a generally positive piece about the iPad and the geeks who love it…

Miami City Commission Should Expand African Square Park

This past September 16, Miami’s planning advisory board recommended the city expand African Square Park on NW 14th Avenue and 61st Street. The board recognized the need for more public green space in one of Miami’s poorest neighborhoods, but the city commission apparently didn’t get the hint.View Larger MapThree months…

Fight Doctor Ferdie Pacheco Pays Homage to 5th Street Gym

If you grew up in Miami Beach prior to 1993, the floor above the neighborhood drug store on Fifth Street at Washington Avenue was a magical place.For more than a quarter-century, aspiring boxers climbed two flights of creaky stairs to a cavernous, broiling-hot room to train, hoping they would emerge…

Jersey Shore Cast Arrives in South Beach — With Angelina in Tow

Yesterday we noted the pop-culture luminaries of the Jersey Shore have arrived in South Beach and are staying at the Catalina Hotel (until their full-time pad is ready, we hear), but TMZ reports there was a bit of surprise. Angelina “Jolie” Pivarnic, who lasted only three episodes during the first season,…

Moving Units: Radio-Active Records’ Top 5 Releases for March 30-April 5

In our Moving Units column, Mike Ramirez at Fort Lauderdale’s Radio-Active Records  graciously keeps us up-to-date and comments on the current releases flying out of his store each week.Two was the magic number last week, and things have only changed moderately since then with Norwegian shoegaze specialists Serena Maneesh and…