So I just watched this new six minute video from T-Pain for his song, “Karaoke” and it’s both weird and hilarious. I can’t seem to find much info on who directed it though which is unfortunate. My guess is Gil Green, but it doesn’t totally fit his style. This video…
So former childhood star Malcolm-Jamal Warner is in town and performing a bit of soul music and spoken word poetry tonight at 88’s Dueling Piano Bar inside of the the Hard Rock. A lot of folks don’t know that the actor known as Theo Huxtable from the Cosby Show to…
If there’s one thing Americans can agree on in these divisive political times, it’s this: Work sucks. It’s a 9-to-5 daily grind, with its eagle-eyed bosses, snooze-inducing tasks, and yappy co-workers who can’t possibly know how much you really don’t care about their daughter’s birthday party. Luckily, there are support…
Halloween is one of Elijah Rentas’ favorite holidays. The inside of his two-bedroom Margate apartment is lined with skulls and crossbones and looks ready for trick-or-treaters to show up at any minute. The 1978 cult film Zombi is blaring through his television set and intermittent blood-curdling screams fill the air…
We have a sound?” laughs Maria Christopher, guitarist/frontwoman for the Cambridge, Massachusetts, trio 27. Well… yes and no. The band, which includes Christopher’s sister Terri on drums and Ayal Naor on guitars and samplers, certainly conjures up a distinct brand of swirling atmospherics. But main songwriters Maria Christopher and Naor…
Tokyo rock quintet Dir En Grey has been through a number of musical incarnations over its decade-long history, but none of them resemble the kind of Japanese music that typically catches on in the States: the power-J-pop of Puffy AmiYumi, the doom-rock of Boris, or the experimental noise-rock of the…
The soulful rhythms and vocals of Mama Africa have penetrated many corners of the world’s seven continents. One such pocket is the Pacific coast of Peru, where African slaves blended those beats and melodies with Spanish and indigenous influences to create genres such as lando, festejo, and vals. After 30…
The fact that Duncan Sheik brought home an armful of honors at the recent Tony Awards — thanks to his sensational smash-hit musical Spring Awakening — may have led some unaware observers to believe that he has always been a Broadway bard. In fact, Sheik started his career as a…
On their latest release, this Tennessee-based sextet takes on several old-time jazz standards and adds a new dimension to the a cappella gospel ballads that have made the group famous for the past 15 years. A spirited rendition of “Sweet Georgia Brown” opens the disc impressively, and an exciting take…
When Elzhi appeared on the late J Dilla’s 2001 album, Welcome to Detroit, jaws dropped over his flowing lyricism and unconventional rhyme patterns on “Come and Get It.” Deep into his seemingly never-ending second verse, Elzhi casually yet boldly declared, “I mean business.” Seven years later, after reestablishing himself as…
“We Do This” by Toro Just a week ago, I wrote my first cover story in six months on the current urban phenomenon of rappers taking their music to strip clubs to get discovered. It’s a trend that’s prevalent in certain parts of the country, South Florida especially, so I…
When considering the work of the Jesus and Mary Chain, most conversations begin and end with the Scottish band’s stunning 1985 debut, Psychocandy. Fair enough. With its simple, melodic pop songs dipped in battery-acid guitar feedback, the album is widely regarded as a landmark of the era. Had songwriters Jim…
Tina Turner’s roller-coaster life is always filled with ups and downs. She’s been to the R&B mountaintop with megahits like “Proud Mary” and “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” and she has dwelled in the valley of despair during a knockdown, drag-out marriage to former music partner Ike Turner,…
Reality BV is like that brand new hip-hop LP or cassette you would grab off the top shelf at your local music shop in the ’90s. It’s always blaring through your speakers or headphones until the lyrics are committed to memory and your pulse matches the beats almost perfectly. Now…
Jan Terri, “Get Down Goblin” In the Eighties and Nineties, Jan Terri was a limousine driver who became a cult sensation in her hometown of Chicago for her self-produced albums and music videos. As naive and zero budget as they are, Terri’s pluck, tenacity, and particular, uh, aesthetic, actually scored…
New York-based singer Manze Dayila is no stranger to overcoming the odds. She arrived in Miami from Haiti at the age of 19 in a rickety boat while 8 months pregnant. Here in Miami, she faced all type of obstacles, (many of which are worth reading about) but trying to…
Even in 2008, Tommy Lee embraces the road warrior lifestyle with an energy that would make rockers half his age collapse, panting. About a year ago, he hit the road with DJ Aero to spread the word of their electro-sleaze DJ/production project. They criss-crossed the country, hit the Winter Music…
Good morning everybody…and Happy Diwali. So we here at CrossFade give readers a taste of the old-school every week with Throwback Tuesdays. This week, we’re throwing it way back and including a local legend in the mix. Jazz impresario Julian “Cannonball” Adderley has always been one of my favorite saxophone…
Here are some more bands whose live shows were among the highlights of this year’s CMJ Music Marathon. The Bronx: This confusingly named L.A. band is hardly new, having played a major stage on the length of this past summer’s Warped Tour. But they continue to retain the obsessive devotion…
This year’s CMJ Music Marathon, held last week in New York, delivered yet again another onslaught of new, now bands trying to be next year’s big thing. This year’s edition of the marathon, featured no, as it has in recent years past, real megawatt reunions or U.S. debuts. Much of…
Gloria Estefan Friday, October 24, 2008 Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Hollywood Better Than: The Santiago de Cuba Carnival Who can pack a crowd of Gringos and Latinos equally in one South Florida concert arena? If you guessed Gloria Estefan, you are right. Step to the head of the…
M.A.N.D.Y. bringing ze German electro-house to Circa 28. We are skipping are usual weekend On the List party planner, because everything this weekend is sort of, eh, not so interesting. Maybe everyone is resting up for the Halloween blowout next week. But if you do have to crawl out of…
