Photo by Michelle F. Solomon Ricky Martin The Fillmore Miami Beach at The Jackie Gleason Theater October 10, 2007 The Review: The words Fillmore and Ricky Martin somehow just didn’t seem to go together. Ricky Martin opening the Fillmore Miami Beach, the namesake of the Fillmore San Francisco where Jerry…
Since rap icon Nas stated that hip-hop was dead last year, certain rap artists have gone to great lengths on wax to prove him wrong. Whether you agree with Nas or not, one thing that’s for certain is that Broward County’s Brokensound Blvd is doing what it can to give…
It’s easy to assume that Natalie Cole’s journey through the music world would naturally be an easy one. As the daughter of legendary crooner Nat King Cole, she’s obviously inherited the good looks and silky voice that helped make her father famous ages ago. Back when she was cranking out…
If there’s one thing Asheville, North Carolina, is good at exporting, it’s sure-fire music talent — especially of the Afro-hippie variety. That town’s got more dub, Afrobeat, and West African percussion acts fronted by Anglos than you can imagine. Interestingly, most of them are pretty good, but one Asheville group…
This is what Ricky Martin would sound like if he had more hair on his chest. The name is Black Guayaba, and it’s a Latin alternative-rock outfit from Puerto Rico that’s funkier than rotten bananas but sweeter than Fiona Apple’s lip gloss. At times, they sound like Stone Temple Pilots…
Jenny Lewis Photo by Jamie Puntumkhul Rilo Kiley Revolution, Ft. Lauderdale October 1, 2007 Better than: A three-way between a man, me, and Jim. The Review: The last time Rilo Kiley ventured down to South Florida it was roughly two years ago at the I/O Lounge. They performed for about…
Fight Klub Buck 15 October 2, 2007 Better Than: Getting lost in Liberty City on your way to the beach. The Review: The first time I went to South Beach, I got attacked by a beautifull cross-dresser. So, I never know what to expect when I’m in the area. On…
The year was 1988. The “golden era” of hip-hop was in full effect, and practically every rap record to hit the radio left a lasting impression. Almost two decades later, not all of those songs can still get folks on the dance floor like they used to. But Rob Base…
This Austin group is far from catholic in its approach to indie rock. Though pegged as “experimentalists,” the Octopus Project is more than capable of delivering the pop goods. And despite the members’ tendency toward vintage electronic equipment like theremins, the group’s passion for tweaking the capabilities of modern recording…
Scotland may be best-known for kilts, bagpipes, the Loch Ness monster, and Scotch whiskey, but that doesn’t take into account the country’s rich artistic heritage. Broward does its bit to promote awareness through its annual Scottish Festival and Games, but casual observers might put sole focus on the big brawny…
When it comes to music, hearing the last name Allman automatically makes one think of Southern-rock royalty. The Allman Brothers Band of old were quintessential rock gods below the Mason-Dixon Line, and they were often seen as the original “jam” band to folks who didn’t subscribe to the sounds coming…
Concert Review The Postmarks & Apples in Stereo The Culture Room 9/28/07 Better Than: Standing around with seven thousand of your closest “friends” at last week’s Interpol concert. As far as cool line-ups go, the Culture Room’s double bill featuring The Postmarks and Apples In Stereo was really a match…
The Slackers September 28, 2007 Studio A, Miami Better Than: That place with the good fried chicken with biscuits and gravy and all the fixin’s The Slackers are all about democracy. After a few wise cracks about President Bush and the state of the war, the band was feeling awfully…
The cast of Stomp, that international theater hit starring a motley gang of percussive dancers, performed at Mansion this past Friday as a special addition to the show’s week-long stint at the Carnival Center. The event, billed as “Stomp vs. DJ Ideal,” wasn’t so much a rivalry between a wax…
News from across the pond is that Radiohead will be dropping a new album much sooner than most people expected. It’s available on October 10, via the band’s website as a digital download only. Get ready. Of course the price is not cheap and will run you £40 quid–which sounds…
Apples in Stereo September 28, 2007 The Culture Room Better Than: Eating a barrel of Count Chocula while in interstellar overdrive The Review: We dig The Culture Room, even if we’ve gotta drive about a million miles to get there. The joint’s dark, the sound’s swimming, and it’s run by…
Broward County’s the Postmarks have the music industry paying attention to their sugary sounds in a big way. It may have taken two years to put out their debut, self-titled album, but now that it’s on shelves, everyone from Spin to the New Pornographers seems to want a piece of…
I like Rilo Kiley. I can’t help but groove to their country-inspired brand of indie rock loosely influenced by Straight Outta Compton, De La Soul, and The Beastie Boys’ Paul’s Boutique. I find vocalist Jenny Lewis’s quirky, choppy, and occasionally incomprehensible lyrics and pleasantly girlish voice refreshing. I like when…
BMG will get you gooey Michelle F. Solomon The Blue Man Group Saturday, September 15, 2007 Universal Studios Citywalk, Orlando Better Than: Late night TV’s stupid human tricks. The Blue Man Group has been a staple of Greenwich Village for almost two decades. I saw them a few years ago…
Sometimes, wildman blues can be good for what ails you. If you believe in that theory, then consider Eddie Kirkland as the blues version of a hot toddy. His eccentric brand of boogie-woogie is peppered with high-powered guitar wails and lightning-paced strumming that makes you wonder if the term electric…
Behold the mouth that roared… and keeps on roaring! Over the past 20-plus years, Megadeth leader Dave Mustaine has made enough outrageous statements to warrant the publication of his own quotation book. Fortunately (or unfortunately), the man has shown no sign of slowing down anytime soon. Where it’s typical for…
The voice sounds hauntingly familiar, betraying a slight hint of a reggae lilt and a casual charm. That’s not surprising considering Scottish-born Colin Hay’s tenure at the helm of Men at Work, an Aussie outfit whose relentlessly catchy hits — “Who Can It Be Now” and “Down Under” chief among…
