If you’ve already heard the Inside, you know that it doesn’t take a recipe of matching black mop-tops and Vespa scooters to create a great mod band. It takes a handful of the Kinks, a dollop of the Move, a sprinkling of the Stooges, and a pinch of the Hives…
Skampida makes ska’s syncopated bounce and saucy Afro-Latin rhythms the foundation for heavily politicized lyrics. The inflammatory nonet hails from Colombia, a country plagued by social problems and government corruption (not dissimilar to the good ol’ red, white, and blue) and has been using Miami as an outpost for the…
While understated and ethereal in the vein of the Cowboy Junkies or an acoustic Mazzy Star, the songs on Over the Rhine’s latest release, Drunkard’s Prayer, also pulse with a raw tension that comes not from theatrics or volume but patient, dramatic buildup. The Cincinnati duo of Karin Bergquist and…
In the late ’70s and early ’80s, the only thing the punk/new wave set and the mainstream rock crowd had in common was a disdain for the improvisational flights of the Grateful Dead. Flash-forward to recent years, when long hair and immersion in roots music has become common in indie-rock…
The gentlemen in Sunday Driver, though I’ve never personally met them, are mountain men. Oh yes — they’ve cohabitated in a mountainous terrain, 45 minutes from any semblance of civilization. While recording their debut album, A Letter to Branson City, the dudes set up shop in a cabin on top…
As college students of the ’90s graduated and joined the working world, the Lilith Fair phenomenon subsided and LF-associated artists like Paula Cole, Toni Childs, and Shawn Colvin were like subjects for “where are they now”-type articles. But we all know the trending quotient doesn’t necessarily correlate with quality. The…
“I must’ve been high on crack, high on crack, high on cra-haaack…” So go the lyrics to “The Game You Play,” one of the more hilarious standouts on the upcoming release by Paul Sennello, a.k.a. P-Man, and his band, Rhodes Gibson and His Orchestra. The name’s an exaggerated mouthful, reflective…
Here’s a ridiculous statement: Fishbone is opening for Slightly Stoopid. Fishbone opening for anyone is extremely stupid. The venerable Los Angeles ska-punk-funk forebears are probably the best live band you will ever have the sweat-drenched, moshariffic privilege of seeing while we still care about such things. They set the stage…
As a globetrotting DJ from Hastings, U.K., Danny Howells hasn’t seen much of Miami beyond a handful of days spent here spinning records. Still, he creates a vision of the city with his new CD, Global Underground: Miami, released last month. With pockets of support for trance and lounge, Miami’s…
According to ancient Greek legend, the Hydra was a gruesome, nine-headed beast that roamed the swamps outside town snacking on hapless villagers. Supposedly its breath was toxic, and it was nearly impossible to kill. The same might be said for the remaining members of the Grateful Dead, including Mikey Hart,…
John Denver may have crooned the classic ode to Rocky Mountain highs, but it’s the Samples who currently exude those idyllic notions in both music and mindset. Wielding an irrepressible blend of stoner sentiment, hippie idealism, and jam band finesse, this Colorado quintet has spent the past two decades crafting…
You gotta give it up to the Earth. I mean, stuff like mountains, sunsets, dolphins, and shooting stars are totally cool, not to mention cheeseburgers and sex in tall grass. For all you do, Earth, the least we can do is give you a day, and maybe do a little…
For those too young to remember, in the early 1970s, there was a big Southern rock renaissance. Spearheaded by the Allman Brothers, the South sprouted a viable, back-to-the-roots alternative to the major rock power centers like New York and Los Angeles. Following the Bros. were the old-school R&B of Wet…
With its constant genre-swirling theatrics, New York City’s Mindless Self Indulgence has always been on the outer fringes of popular music. The group’s Atari Teenage Riot-style electro-punk fusion has been a consistent middle finger to the mainstream. Not nearly as political as ATR, MSI instead opts for sheer punk-rock brattitude…
Hula dancers and mysterious wood carvings surround you. Sarong-clad maidens come bearing flaming tropical drinks. The music, with pounding drums and ringing guitars, is intoxicating — or maybe that’s the rum. But this night at the Mai-Kai is different from other nights. On this night, the landmark, old-school tiki bar…
Congratulations, De La Soul — you’re the proud parents of a pair of bouncing baby bands! Surprising, since you’re from Long Island and both of your offspring hail from Atlanta. But hey, the four-man Minamina Goodsong follows in your footsteps, adding infectiously funky beats to soulful smarts and hot-potato lyrical…
Naming itself after Erica Jong’s phraseology (see her book Fear of Flying) for unrequited, driving urges (Jong’s vernacular for “jones,” if you will), Boynton Beach’s Hunger-Thump emerged from an overlap of the local music and poetry vistas. Poet/singer Marya Summers, a star of the international poetry-slam scene, encountered guitarist Jeff…
Arguably the hardest-working band in South Florida returns home after a triumphant showcase at this year’s South by Southwest Festival. Garage ‘n’ roll foursome the Heatseekers are back once again to thrill downtown scenesters and innocent bystanders with their first-class rock. Featuring Owen Maclean on vocals/guitar, AC Cobra drummer Chris…
It’s no wonder Brazilian singer Maria Rita is an eclectic bossa nova baby. She suckled from the breast of Brazil’s all-time greatest female singer, the late Elis Regina, and she was raised by her father, pianist/composer Cesar Camargo. Considered a South American Norah Jones, Rita’s music rocks like a tropical…
The alarm dutifully pummels your gourd, rousing you from a peaceful slumber. You stand up, rub your eyes, and have a minor cranial meltdown. Then you beg for five more minutes in the sack. You consider smashing that clock when your eye catches the calendar: It’s April 8, and you…
No need to give you the details on Huey Lewis’ semi-illustrious pseudocareer. You know all the highlights, which center mainly around 1983’s Sports, ’86’s Fore!, and the slew of damnably hummable, soundtrack-ready, radio-dominating hits they spawned. Since that time, Lewis has made a comfy living as a county fair and…
File under the “so random we had to publicize it” file — and wait for the whole enchilada, because this party sports some funky sauce. This weekend, hip-hop supa-produca and Miami resident Timbaland is holding the Beach Ball Festival, a competition among 12 South Beach hot spots in a sort…
