Steel Pulse Brings Politics, Urban Reggae to Revolution Live

“Everyone looks up to America. When they see these things happening — people shooting in churches, schools, movie theaters — the rest of the world is confused,” says David Hinds, lead singer and guitarist of the British reggae band Steel Pulse. “How can you be police of the world when…

Finally Happy, the Violent Femmes Play Sunset Cove Friday Night

Sure, the Barenaked Ladies are headlining, and it’ll be awesome to sing along to “chickity china, the Chinese chicken” — but has any rock band ever captured adolescent angst quite like the Violent Femmes? Songs like “Blister in the Sun” and “Add It Up” have helped at least two generations…

Lord Russ Brings New Life to Moldy Oldies

Cover bands often play like they really believe imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. You know, the bar bands who try to put the serious overdrive in Bachman Turner Overdrive when they rock out to “Takin’ Care of Business.” Massachusetts glam rock fanatic Lord Russ, however, will undoubtedly…

The Gipsy Kings on Big Lebowski and Embracing the Internet

If nothing else, The Gipsy Kings hold the distinction of being the soundtrack to one of the great moments in comedic history. If you’ve never seen The Big Lebowski, you should stop what you’re doing right now and change that. But those sane souls who have seen the Cohen Brothers classic…

Tiki Culture Reigns Supreme in Fort Lauderdale During Hukilau

“The world was bigger then,” says Mark Riddle, host of the Quiet Village Podcast. He’s attempting to explain why tiki culture and all its Polynesian-themed bars, stiff tropical drinks, and beachy music dominated the United States in the ’50s. “It was the beginning of when middle-class people could travel. The…

Ten Songs for Fallen Soldiers This Memorial Day

We often think of the last Monday in May as a day revolving around beaches, heavy drinking, and barbecue, but Memorial Day is meant to be a day of observance for the soldiers who lost their lives in war. Started after the Civil War as Decoration Day, Memorial Day became…

If Florida had an iPod, Mylo Ranger Would Be on It

The long state of Florida holds nothing but inspiration for the five members of the Americana band Mylo Ranger. From their southeast home in Delray Beach to the shores of Pensacola to forgotten spots in between, the band has found fuel for their country-tinged rock sprinkled throughout this beautifully weird…

West Palm Beach Band Rivers Releases New Single, “Wide Eyes”

“Wide Eyes”, the sunny new single released today by West Palm indie rockers, Rivers, is a sign of maturity explained singer/songwriter/guitarist Danny Brunjes. “The first EP we were throwing as many darts as we could and waited to see what hit. Our songwriting evolution has taken a stronger form.” The…

Devon Allman Has More Than Just a Famous Last Name

You may have heard of Devon Allman’s father. He is, after all, one half of a little band called the Allman Brothers. But though Devon Allman’s paternal side of the family is undisputed rock royalty with his father Gregg and uncle Duane being, you know, the Allman Brothers, it was…

Tampa’s Big Guava Music Festival Lives Up to the Hype

We in South Florida like to think our neck of the woods is the hottest place in the world, but Tampa staked its claim this past weekend, not just with the temperature, but also with the incredible line-up at the Big Guava Music Festival. Saturday was a meeting of rock…

Ten Reasons to Drive to Big Guava This Weekend

We know SunFest just put the finishing touches on five days of music festival goodness that might have put some in a live music coma, but if you are like us (and if you are reading a music blog, you probably are), the umpteen acts to take the West Palm…

Albert Hammond Jr. on the Return of the Strokes

Few young bands had ever been hyped as relentlessly as the Strokes. Back in 2001, when there was a yearning to wash rock radio’s hair of Limp Bizkit and Korn, the dirty garage rock of the Strokes seemed so refreshing, they were dubbed as heroes, not necessarily stopping crime but…