Third Eye Blind Reflects on Discography

In 1997, Third Eye Blind was arguably the biggest band in the world. Led by Stephan Jenkins, the band’s popularity exploded in the wake of its first single, “Semi-Charmed Life,” and the steady stream of hits that followed. Despite being marketed under the umbrella of “alternative,” the band’s paradigm could…

Os Mutantes’ Sérgio Dias Baptista on the NSA and Fool Metal Jack

In 1966, brothers Sérgio Dias Baptista and Arnaldo Baptista formed Os Mutantes, a Brazilian rock band that played the role of confident court jester within the folk-rock tropicália movement. While the group’s forerunners and mentors, such as Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil, preferred sentimentality and left-leaning ideals, the Mutants zeroed…

Thank You, Mark Wahlberg, for Introducing Me to Lou Reed

The famous quote that appeared in all the Lou Reed obituaries when he passed away last month involved the purchasing of Velvet Underground albums: “everyone who bought one of those 30,000 copies started a band.” With the even more recent news of Morrissey releasing a live cover of “Satellite of…

Sammy Hagar Doesn’t Suck, I Tell You!

All right, we get it: Van Hagar was not Van Halen, nor will the band’s work with Sammy Hagar ever hold a candle to the groundbreaking canon the David Roth era produced. However, Sammy Hagar is, in his own right, a real-deal rock star, and while we have to agree…

Don’t Call Passion Pit EDM

In a world of people seeking salvation in the beat, Passion Pit is a messiah. These Boston-based kings of indie sound give rockers something to chew on, and techno kids get the electro vibes they crave. The result is simple: Everyone dances to Passion Pit. Having graced us with its…

Of Montreal Respond to La Luz’s “Terrifying” Van Accident

By Monica McGivern Bands living on the edge from little sleep to partying non-stop, is nothing new. Add in a hectic touring schedule, and the potential for danger heightens. Yesterday morning, we received some sad-glad news about Jacuzzi Boys Hardly Art label-mates, La Luz. After living through one of “probably…

Lake Worth Is the Coolest City in South Florida

That “One Human Family” bumpersticker? The one you see around that’s inextricably linked with Key West, that speaks to that city’s eccentric, tolerant personality? It might just as well apply to Lake Worth, a similarly quirky, gay-friendly pot of many ethnicities where social/political lines — if they aren’t non-existent –…

Derek Miller on His Evolution From Poison the Well to Sleigh Bells

Sleigh Bells strike a nifty balance. The Brooklyn-based duo creates experimental cacophonies, yet somehow the music is instantly accessible. New Times caught up with Derek Miller, the band’s guitarist and producer. He explained this dichotomy: “It’s my way of reconciling all the records I love. I grew up with my…

Kurt Vile on Sonic Magic, Nine-Minute Songs, and Gary Numan

The term “singer/songwriter” conjures images of musicians lounging in coffeehouses while strumming open chords on classically tuned acoustic guitars to overly earnest lyrics. But since leaving his band War on Drugs to go solo, Kurt Vile has consistently subverted the stereotype with experimental atmospherics. This signature sonic approach can be…

New Times Looking For an Assistant Web Editor

Miami New Times and New Times Broward Palm Beach have an immediate opening for an assistant web editor. This position combines journalism with social media marketing and analytical data management to increase the audience for New Times on its desktop and mobile applications. The assistant web editor assigns and edits…

Arcade Fire Lyrics That Possibly Indicate Other Secret Shows

When South Florida heard Arcade Fire was making their local debut, no one would have ever guessed the first announced date would be at the Little Haiti Cultural Center. But if you parse through the Montreal band’s catalog, you’d remember that their first album included a beautiful ditty called “Haiti.”…

Alice Cooper at the Hard Rock on October 27

Since the 1970s, Alice Cooper has been making bloody fantastic rock ‘n’ roll. Known for his shocking stage shows, the artist born Vincent Damon Furnier is now a little further along in years but still touring like crazy. Cooper lives in Arizona, where he enjoys playing a lot of golf…

A Brief Rundown of the Bonkers TLC Movie

TLC/Courtesy of VH1[Editor’s note: In his new column, award-winning goofball Shea Serrano writes about his life and times. Better put on your shoes, because your socks are about to be blown off.] By Shea Serrano On Monday night, I watched the movie about TLC, the most important all-girl rap group…

Rob Budowsky, Tired of Making Mixtapes, Debuts Strutter Productions

One person’s “curation” is another man’s life blood. Hollywood CPA and 33 1/3s guitarist Rob Budowsky has spent decades watching his favorite bands bypass South Florida to avoid the “200-mile trip to nowhere” from Orlando so loathed by lazy booking agents. Budowsky, 46, is no stranger to musical education. He…

Miami’s Austin Mahone Is a Teen Dream With a Style All His Own

Austin Mahone is a teenaged dreamboat. The perfectly adorable 17-year-old pop sensation went from YouTube cutie to VMA winner in almost record time. Signed to Cash Money Records, he was voted 2013’s “Artist to Watch” by the formerly musical channel and named the new Justin Bieber by everyone else. Mahone…

Miley Cyrus: How Do People Really Feel?

As the internet demonstrates on a daily basis, Popular Culture beats the horse down to its elegant skeleton better than anyone. So to make mention of common discourses as redundant is more redundant than your average trend or meme or hit or whatever. In other words, how the fuck (in…