Thursday's the unofficial start of the weekend, so here are a few things to get you going. -- Arielle Castillo
*The big event in Miami tonight is MOCA's second installment of its Battle of the Bands series. Old Wives Tale, Treasures, Minimal, the Psycho Daisies, and the Hongs play. Click here to read my predictions for the evening, in the Miami New Times.
*Prog-ish, psych-ish, weird-ish Alaskans Portugal. the Man hit Culture Room, with the Rx Bandits (OMG they're still around) and Facing New York. Click here to read about these guys' unorthodox methods of songwriting in the Broward-Palm Beach New Times.
*Soulful local R&B crooner Lucian, as well as hard-hitting MC LMS, both play at the bimonthly Art of Expression event at Zero Ping in Hollywood. (Amazingly, the venue is usually a LAN gaming center!) Click here to get the scoop.
*Back in Miami Beach, the always-excellent Jacob Jeffries Band gets down in the upstairs lounge at Van Dyke's.