Name a pop music A-lister, and he or she has either worked with Pharrell Williams or probably wants to. Gwen Stefani, Jay-Z, Britney Spears, Kanye West, Snoop Dogg, and Madonna all fall into the first category. Need more proof? As Pharell, who is half of the production team the Neptunes,…
Personally, I satiate my inner songstress with an occasional Iron Maiden sing-along in the solitary confinement of my Hyundai (my inner songstress also happens to love ’80s hair metal). I do a mean karaoke rendition of “Total Eclipse of the Heart” — I wouldn’t call it harmonious, but it’s hardly…
In the early 1980s, black music was undergoing a serious metamorphosis. There was less home for the funky sounds of the ’70s and a new style of popular music needed to be created. Prince and his sexy synthed-out R&B was like the yin to Michael Jackson’s yang, and if you…
With its opening bass/drum/piano groove, this album serves as a kind of rabbit hole into the world of experimental jazz. But rather than drop you straight into chaotic sensory overload, alto saxophonist Rob Brown and his cohorts carry you along gradually. So that by the time you get to the…
With the possible exception of the three people who look back fondly on Bruce Willis’ recording career, we’re well acquainted with the eardrum damage that can occur when actors live out their rock-star fantasies. But don’t shy away from She & Him’s debut just because the female half of the…
Almost every young rock/pop music collector knows someone who wanted to be British so badly that they could almost taste it. That if you cut them, they’d bleed vinegar to put on their fish & chips. Those to whom Dave Davies, T. Rex, David Bowie, or Pulp are gods. Destroyer’s…
It is no easy task to adapt the complexities of John Coltrane’s “Naima” to the rhythms of the Caribbean, but that is precisely what vibist and bandleader Dave Samuels has proposed to do since the inception of the Caribbean Jazz Project in 1993. The task at hand is essentially blending…
The Waterford Landing’s 2004 self-titled full-length album was a refreshing burst of real music in what felt like a sweltering sea of local shit populated with bad bass, half-assed hip-hop, uninspired rock, and Atari-produced reggaetón. Scene veterans Richard Rippe (vocals, synths, bass), Ed Matus (guitars, synths, vox), and Alex Caso…
If there’s one thing music journalists have learned over time, it’s that whenever a breakthrough, buzz-laden artist from across the pond shows up in your town for a debut performance, you pay attention. It doesn’t matter which side of the Atlantic the artists cross from or even what style of…
According to Bad Plus bassist Reid Anderson, the concept of creating jazz versions of pop songs like Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” and Queen’s “We Are the Champions” came even before the band’s inception in 2000. “We’ve been friends since we…
There’s a Super Target, an Office Depot, and a GameSpot. And myriad other chain stores and fast food eateries in this colossal shopping center, which anchors the flatlands that bring Cooper City, Hollywood, and Davie together. Drowning, almost entirely obscured if not for an LED text scroller making lots of…
From rockers like the MC5, Alice Cooper, and the White Stripes, to hip-hop artists like Eminem and Slum Village, to electronic gurus such as Juan Atkins and DJ Godfather, Detroit has produced a kaleidoscope of artists who have achieved worldwide acclaim. There’s no shortage of topnotch musicians in that city,…
Audiences first encountered blues guitarist and singer B.B. King in the ’50s, thanks to relentless touring of the so-called “chitlin circuit” and a series of memorable recordings. But that was just the beginning: By crossing over to a rock audience in the ’60s and ’70s, King played a crucial role…
When it comes to making sacred steel music, folks here in Florida take the genre seriously. If you’re not familiar with sacred steel, its main instruments are pedal and lap steel guitar (which are played while sitting down) and it’s typically associated with gospel and Southern-style rock. It’s soulful and…
Los Angeles is a city known for its musical potpourris. There are over a hundred ethnicities represented in the city, so it makes sense that Ozomatli’s latest effort, Don’t Mess With the Dragon, is a fusion of Spanish rock, hip-hop, reggaetón, reggae, and funk, the perfect crossover release from the…
A year ago, with the release of the band’s self-titled debut, the Postmarks instantly became the most critically acclaimed band in all of South Florida. Indie press stalwarts such as Pitchfork Media praised the group’s gorgeously arranged pastoral sounds. Acclaim by mainstream giants like Rolling Stone and Spin magazine further…
Here come the four words many live-music junkies in Miami never wanted to hear: Studio A is closing. Rumors of its demise had plagued the venue practically since its opening in spring 2006, but staff has confirmed that after two years of live shows and alternative club nights, it’s shutting…
How intriguing are the NBA playoffs this year? Every night, brand new drama unfolds. It’s more like a soap opera with athletes than anything and the latest clap-back diss song aimed at rapper Jay-Z proves that. If you’re late to the party…Washington Wizards star DeShawn Stevenson and LeBron James don’t…
In this week’s Miami New Times music section, we gave you the brief rundown on why, this Saturday, you should check Barcelona’s quirky world-disco duo, the Pinker Tones. Click here to read it online, if you missed it. The show is presented by the awesome Rhythm Foundation, as part of…
Pelican, Circa Survive, and Thrice Revolution, Ft. Lauderdale Tuesday, April 29, 2008 Better Than: Considering just Thrice’s set – better than the band’s last appearance in South Florida, last December at the Fillmore Miami Beach. The Review: Alright, I start this review very irritated that it can’t be more detailed…
Since it’s Throwback Tuesdays, I’m in the mood to take it wayyyy back to the Bridge Wars of the mid ’80s in the dawn of hip-hop’s golden years. This originally was a battle of the boroughs. Queens rappers MC Shan and Marley Marl came out with a track called “The…
A few weeks ago, Bartow, Fl rapper Riskay was in town making a video. She’s the hilarious female MC that made a name for herself via the web when her song “Let Me Smell Yo Dick” caught the eye of Perez Hilton, the New York Times, and a gaggle of…
