Axe and the Oak epitomize an aesthetic all their own: twangy in sound, dapper in dress, pure in pursuit. Their debut EP was long-awaited and toiled over till perfection. Then two picks from its six-song track list — “Vampire” and “Dancing on the Grave” — were released on a limited-edition…
Absinthe Lounge5150 Town Center Circle, Boca Raton.Call 561-392-4600, or visit here.”People come in here all the time asking questions about absinthe,” said Mike, the dark-haired, black-clad bartender. “They want to know — ‘Is it legal?’ ‘Does it really make you go crazy?’ ” “Wait, it makes you go crazy?” I asked…
Parallel to rock’s digitization is its ever-snowballing preoccupation with its own history. Take the Bringing It Back for the Kids Fest, a hardcore punk festival engendered by the reunion-show obsession of the internet age as well as a simultaneous yearning for simpler times. “Nostalgia really is playing a role in…
For a heady period from about 2006 to 2008, My Chemical Romance seemed ready to truly run the mainstream-crossover rock world. Its third album, The Black Parade, proved a commercial megasuccess despite its unlikely form — a concept album — about a regretful cancer patient mourning from a hospital bed…
Those paying close attention to the upcoming concert listings at Revolution, Fort Lauderdale’s sizable downtown rock venue, will notice a sizable gap in programming for June. After May 28’s Face to Face show, nothing follows on the calendar until a Dirty South DJ gig on July 1. This is not…
Proof that seduction in reverse is still seduction is Nashville-based Those Darlins’ “Be Your Bro” video. Backed by the second track off their sophomore album, Screws Get Loose, three bona fide babes and a lean male drummer devolve from lingerie-clad sex symbols into casual attire. “At the end of the…
If Those Darlins isn’t your favorite female-fronted act already, then let’s talk. Jessi, Kelley, and Nikki Darlin are three badass country chicks who want so bad to be your bro that they’ve written two albums about it and have toured incessantly to get that point across all over the place…
Maruta Forward Into Regression (Willowtip) willowtip.com This ain’t a hot-tub time machine so much as it is a demonic hell ride. This is Maruta. Regression as a good thing can take many forms. It could be a stop at Presidente Supermercado to obtain some premium churrasco at $2.67 a pound…
The latest offerings from Fernando Perdomo’s Miami-based Forward Motion Records label are impressive, both in terms of substance and variety. They include bows from newcomers Tyler Bernhardt, Jesse Young, Jennifer Kaiser, and Sylvia Emmerson and new discs from three artists worth singling out in particular — Jim Camacho, the Chris…
It took a while to get through the Weekly Standard’s lengthy piece about Luther Campbell’s run for Miami mayor, but it’s a fascinating read for a number of reasons. It’s a little tough to believe senior writer Matt Labash actually finds an impromptu bikini contest hosted by Uncle Luke to…
Even if “Just the Way You Are” suggests a level acceptance in his life, Billy Joel’s less than sunny relationships with music critics, wives, and traffic laws has given him every right to have a vendetta or two. However, one of his vendettas — a 57-foot yacht, to be exact…
Eclectic Boca Raton musician Mike Mineo is up to his old tricks again. We got word this week that the gifted singer-songwriter had completed his sophomore album, titled Beach Season. According to Mineo, the record pays homage to the “South Florida native” way of life. Oddly enough, his inspiration for…
Earlier this week, we wondered which song would emerge as the patriotic anthem of choice in a world untainted by Osama bin Laden. Well, “God Bless the U.S.A.” figures to be that song. But it’ll be Beyonce’s version — recorded for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign in 2008 — instead of…
You might have already heard a thing or three about the SW 3rd Ave Music Festival New Times Stage going on Friday evening in downtown Fort Lauderdale. Among the performers, all of whom have graced our pages over the years, is John Ralston. He’s far from an old man, but…
Nan’s Hideaway Lounge 803 SE Eighth Ave., Deerfield Beach. Call 954-426-0590. Nan’s Hideaway took me far too long to find. That’s because it’s located just off Federal Highway in a plaza in which the establishments encircle the parking lot; this hideaway is a modest little building with reddish-orange cursive letters…
John Ralston has just shaved off his beard, which makes more room for a toothy smile. Now 33, the married Lake Worth alt-country artist must groom himself to keep his infant daughter from tugging at his neck — much the way a need for cross-country touring used to gnaw at…
A few weeks ago, celebrated promoter and drummer Jimmy Pagano died trying to break up a violent brawl at Fishtales Bar & Grill in Fort Lauderdale. Since then, the local jam scene has ached for its fallen brother. For decades, Pagano used his winning personality, motivating words, and constant smile…
Glimpses of the South Florida Scene is a column devoted to the artists thriving within Broward and Palm Beach counties featuring interviews with the folks making it happen. This week, Young Circles.When Blond Fuzz (formerly Stonefox) became Young Circles, the shift stretched far beyond a change in name. Their aesthetic…
While we might not necessarily make the connection between “rare funk” and Hialeah for whatever reason, many people across the globe have, and one of the most-sought-after platters to emerge from the South Florida music scene is Pearly Queen’s “Quit Jivin'” single from 1974. Closely associated with another outfit from…
The Rustic Cellar409 SE Mizner Blvd., Boca Raton. Call 561-392-5237, or visit here.Dark mauve curtains hung from the huge windows of the Rustic Cellar, and through them I could make out a few couples, seated on circular yellow chairs, talking intimately. Inside smelled like a clean hotel; the room had…
Well, it only took 24 years. The Cars (sans bassist Benjamin Orr, who died in 2000) re-formed last year and now are on the brink of releasing the first collection of new material since 1987’s Door to Door. Much like Devo’s 20-year gap between Smooth Noodle Maps and last year’s…
“California, look what you’ve done to me,” Billy Corgan sings on “Owata,” a new song from the forthcoming Teargarden by Kaleidyscope. If you’re curious about what the title means, get to the first chorus of this upbeat acoustic guitar and synthesizer number.As for what the Golden State has done to…
