Justin Namon/thepopnessparty Modeselektor bringing the German groove to Studio A. Modeseleketor with Otto Von Schirach Saturday, May 31, 2008 Studio A, Miami Better than: When Dieter says, “Now is the time on Sprockets vhen ve dance.” For a moment last night it felt like Studio A was back to buzzing…
Natalie O’Neill Alerta! Miami Indie Showcase Friday, May 30, 2008 White Room, Miami It’s not that indie rock kids can’t dance. It’s just that, at most shows, they spend more time leaning against a wall or sucking down a cigarette than moving to the beat. But not at Alterta Indie…
(Image via miami.metblogs.com) Every year, for the print edition, Esquire magazine rounds up a few of its favorite bars in the country. How do they define what makes a bar great? “If it’s a dive, it’s Christ-this-place-is-a-dive dive. If it’s an Irish pub, it’s not an “Irish” pub. If it’s…
A new Rick Ross/Pharrell collabo, “Get Down,” has just leaked all over the Internet. With production by the Neptunes, the beat is more of their usual quirky, club-ready stuff, but definitely a lot faster and more trebly than anything the Boss usually rocks. Forced to rap at that speed and…
If you were at the Rock The Bells last year in Miami, you can probably attest that it was the best hip-hop tour of the year. The line-up was solid, the weather was perfect, and the vibes for the whole show were just nice. Rock The Bells has announced the…
You know, somebody really should come out with a Beyond the Grave mixtape series. Morbid, yes. But given the number of stellar rappers/producers who have passed away over the years (still tripping off of Camu Tao’s death this past Sunday), it would probably be a smash success. When Brooklyn’s DJ…
There used to be a time when jazz artists were seen as the sex symbols of pop music. A lot of ladies in the ’50s and ’60s would tell you in a heartbeat that there was nothing sexier than a man with a horn. If that’s true for men, the…
It’s probably not a typical assumption that pirates and hip-hop have anything in common. Rap music started in the Bronx back in the mid- to late 1970s, and by most accounts, pirates — those pesky thieves of the high seas — pretty much faded into obscurity almost a century ago…
“Everyone else who gets the one-hit-wonder tag had real hits,” chuckles Nada Surf frontman and principle songwriter Matthew Caws. Of course, he’s referring to the New York-based group’s 1996 video for the appropriately titled song “Popular” off the band’s debut album, High/Low. With its slow-creeping guitar line, loud/soft alterna-rock crunch,…
I have five uncles, and none of them is filthy stinking rich. That said, all five are considerably wealthier than a certain wayward, estranged niece (me). I live several hundred miles from any of them, though, and don’t receive many invitations to visit. But in my mind, reclining in a…
It would be easy to look at the recent deluge of compilation CDs (the three Nigeria Special volumes, Nigeria 70, and the Lagos All Routes and Lagos Chop Up sets) and conclude that (a) all African music comes from Nigeria, and (b) Africans stopped making music sometime in the late…
Nearly a month into his three-and-a-half-year bid on weapons possession, Prodigy, half of the veteran Queens rap duo Mobb Deep, must endure the release of his new album, H.N.I.C. PT. 2, from behind bars. Leading up to his incarceration, Prodigy embarked on a marathon of self-promotion that included a social…
When you’ve got a guy with a guitar, chances are he’s got to be either incredibly entertaining or a self-indulgent bore. Happily, Colin Meloy leans more toward the former on this aptly dubbed effort recorded at various dates during his 2006 solo tour. Meloy, one of the lynchpins for the…
Narrow Stairs sounds just like Plans, right down to the obvious production, weepy lyrics, and inoffensive guitar, continuing Death Cab’s tradition of aping Morrissey lyrics without Moz’s counterintuitive turns of phrase or dark jokes. Songs like “Long Division” seem the product of some sort of indie-rock, nerd-crafted lyric generator: “And…
Even if I weren’t a fan of his politics, I’d still vote for Sen. Barack Obama based on his choice of music. Not only does he have the overwhelming support of most mainstream musicians (Bruce Springsteen, Dave Matthews, and Common among them) but there’s good, danceable music attached to his…
When it comes to playing Southern blues, some musicians have a stronger ear for it than others. If you really want to play it, you need an inherent ability to hear the music. With regard to the banjo-picking and drum-thumping skills of Ben Prestage, he’s got an advantage other musicians…
Philly hardcore juggernaut Paint It Black is touring in support of its latest album, New Lexicon, and the chance to see these boys tear it up is reason enough to check out the show. But the presence of two phenomenal Central Florida punk bands on the bill should seal the…
It’s not always easy to throw an all-night party. There’re curfew laws if you’re in a club, and your neighbors will call the cops on your ass in a minute if you even try to throw a raging house party. That doesn’t leave a lot of options for those who…
Shipwrecked has a full bar, a raw bar, and a perpetual supply of $1 drafts. OK, so they’re only ten-ounce glasses, but even on a New Times budget, that’s just enough beer to help suck down a very slimy, very slippery bivalve mollusk. That’s an oyster, in case you’re wondering. Here…
Indie Unplugged Miami was a nifty little show that went down at the Wallflower Gallery last July and was recorded for posterity. As far as a live recording is concerned, the quality is pretty good. It’s not commercially available, so you have to get this South Florida sampler from the…
Contemporary artist, Frank Haines said it best: “When aliens come to Earth and ask what hardcore music is, just give them Cro-Mags Age of Quarrel.” Reading Jon Joseph’s book is an experience that you will never forget, especially the last couple of chapters about his crack addiction. Listen to part…
It’s been a while since we checked in on Can You Rock a Little Softer, the weekly Wednesday event that Miami New Times just named Best Open Mike night. If you don’t already know, the schedule is thus: From 9:30 to 10 p.m., there’s an acoustic open mike. Then, from…
