Sometime in the naive years before puberty, I told my mom that it wasn’t fair how I had to wear a shirt when my dad and brothers didn’t. She absolutely did not see how “fairness” had anything to do with it and promptly administered a firm and enduring lecture on…
Within hip-hop circles, it’s well-known that M1 and his partner Stic.Man of Dead Prez veer way left of center when it comes to politics. The highly Afrocentric activists/rappers are the most militant group to emerge within hip-hop in the past two decades; consider them the perfect cross between Public Enemy…
With Mother’s Day weekend upon us, we thought it would be a good time to pay tribute to some of the worst moms in pop-music culture… just in case you were wondering whose rock-star kids are growing up the most dysfunctional. Courtney Love: Oh, where do we begin? Let’s see,…
Bay Area rapper and Quannum Projects co-founder Lyrics Born, AKA Tom Shimura, has a big, engaging personality, whether on wax — as with his new disc, Everywhere at Once — or on the phone. Noting that he reads most reviews of his albums, the personable LB was eager to give…
When it comes to blending straight-ahead rock with Americana and bluegrass twang, there’s no other group locally that does it better than Black Finger. These guys have the feel of a band that could have starred in Oh Brother, Where Art Thou, but instead of ripping off the Soggy Bottom…
Yo, correct me if I’m wrong, but there used to be a time in hip-hop where fashion sense was a requirement. Fedoras, rope chains, and sneakers were once as much a part of the everyday streetwear of b-boys as originality and style. Hoodies and Timberlands eventually became the genre’s attire…
Anyone who just made it through all five days of SunFest can attest that this was the long-time festival’s best lineup in years. There was enough talent on all three stages each day to make fans dizzy. Compared to last year’s lineup, which featured only a handful of top acts…
A couple of years ago, Atlanta rapper Young Jeezy was seen as the last great Southern hope. He had the hood respect of T.I. and garnered the admiration of practically every drug dealer in North America. It’s not that he’s overly gangster or that his rhymes aren’t crisp. He’s plenty…
It might not be appropriate to refer to them as the best of praise and worship. But few gospel artists stir souls across multiple cultural and economic lines like Yolanda Adams. Couple her with the legendary Shirley Caesar, the matriarch of gospel music, and you’ve got a concert appropriately billed…
The Stained Glass Pub has been cooking up a calypso-inspired groove since 1972. The Dutch-style bungalow now sports green, red, and blue side panels — symbols of the ever-cheery outlook here (especially during happy hour). This is a happy place and any attempt to upset that will be met with a…
People are still talking about DJ Heather’s set at this year’s Om Records WMC party. Like fellow Chicago DJ Colette, whom she followed on the Ultra Lounge stage, Heather is part of Superjane, one of the first known female DJ collectives. There’s nothing new to report from the Superjane camp,…
That’s the question British police are asking her and according to this storyfrom MTV, as of today she’s being detained for the second time in as many weeks by authorities. This time, it’s over a video that’s been circulating the blogosphere for several months that clearly shows Winehouse smoking crack…
Seminole Hard Rock/Tom Craig Eric Clapton and Robert Randolph Hard Rock Live Monday, May 5, 2008 Better Than: Watching TV pundits continue to treat Hillary Clinton’s campaign seriously. Is Eric Clapton God or just a higher power some choose to call God? Unfortunately, the decades-long debate over Clapton’s exact theological…
Ari Rothenberg RADIOHEAD CRUZAN AMPHITHEATRE MONDAY, MAY 5, 2008 Better than: Singing about the techno-apocalypse by yourself in your room. Thom Yorke wears a white linen jacket, Jonny Greenwood’s mop of hair dangles in front of his stooped head like the curtain in front of the Wizard of Oz. Stalactites…
I won’t give much credit to the guy holding the video camera. As a head’s up, whoever captured this footage is moving around so much that you might get a headache. But hang in there If you’re into the spectacle of 50 touring Africa…then watch the whole thing. It’s really…
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND BANK ATLANTIC CENTER FRIDAY, MAY 2, 2008 Better than: Watching Steven Van Zandt on reruns of “The Sopranos.” The lines between rock ‘n’ roll show and revival meeting were effectively blurred beyond distinction Friday night as Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band…
B.B. King and Joe Bonamassa at the BankAtlantic Center Saturday, May 3, 2008 Better Than: When you ask your baby for water and she brings you gasoline. At 82, the good news is that B.B. King can still play and sing with aplomb. The bad news is that he’d rather…
The video with Latarian Milton, the 7-year-old badass/hood rat enthusiasts that stole his mother’s SUV in Palm Beach Gardens is definitely making the rounds of the blogosphere right now. So there’s no surprise that a remix of the footage has surfaced on YouTube set to music. Initially, that sounds cool…
We’ve just received official word from Dave Slifkin, Studio A’s general manager. The long-term future of the club still remains unclear. But all currently booked shows will still take place there, with the exception of the all-ages May 22 Sophomore Attempt/Mercy Mercedes/Settings show. Says Slifkin: “Studio A will 100% be…
Sayre Berman Carlos Santana and Derek Trucks Hard Rock Live Wednesday, April 30, 2008 Better Than: Sitting home and watching the speeches of Rev. Jeremiah Wright loop constantly on every channel. There are three sure things at a Santana show: 1) Carlos will display the highest level of improvisational virtuosity;…
They were hailed far and wide as digital visionaries last fall, when they offered up their newest album as a “pay as you like” download. But Radiohead lead singer Thom Yorke says it’s not likely to happen again. “It was a moment in time,” he tells the Hollywood Reporter. In…
Perched behind her piano at center stage, Hilary McRae looks positively radiant… and for good reason. For one thing, she’s opening for one of her heroes, the inimitable Todd Rundgren, at the Fillmore in Miami Beach. For another, tonight’s show just happens to coincide with the release date of her…
