“Someone, somewhere said something about tragedy being an opportunity,” insists Ulysses Perez, drummer for Miami trio A Kite Is a Victim. It’s not that the band’s downbeat, melancholy songs take listeners down a suicidal spiral or that its members lead particularly dismal lives. But the group actually thrives on living…

If you went and saw The Klumps when it opened and missed the Spitkicker Tour, you helped Eddie Murphy pad his bulging pockets while making it even harder for nonmainstream acts to make the trek to our area. On Thursday, July 27, the hip-hop festival visited the Sunrise Musical Theatre,…

Last week’s column detailed the ongoing noise problems associated with West Palm Beach’s weekend fun destination, Clematis Street. This week Mayor Joel Daves, who lives just blocks from the street’s busiest section, details his hands-on involvement in the continuing decibel debate. For the past 20 years, Daves has kept a…

For months, one of the area’s most dynamic streets — the pedestrian mall that West Palm Beach’s Clematis Street becomes on weekend nights — has been under siege from the city. Mayor Joel Daves, who lives less than a mile from the busy 500 block of Clematis, has been the…

What if a miracle happened and rap suddenly replaced stupid self-aggrandizement with progressive politics of inclusion and unity? Give praise, for that has finally happened. The party line touted by L.A.’s Jurassic 5 is free of the standard hip-hop trappings of violence, status, jewelry, bad taste, and champagne. In fact…

Spin City: It’s sad, but this very newspaper had the poor judgment to name Best Buy as the best place to buy CDs in Broward and Palm Beach. (Why dontcha just go shoot Mom and Pop in the head, huh?) We all know that saving a few bucks on that…

It was set to be a rather serious affair at Fort Lauderdale City Hall last Thursday, when the mayor and the city commissioners held a public hearing regarding the proposed ban of underagers from clubs that serve alcohol that is threatening to migrate from Miami Beach north to Fort Lauderdale…

One of the area’s best roots/blues acts, the Keith Brown Trio, is undergoing some major lineup changes. The group has long kept a twice-weekly residence at the Bamboo Room in Lake Worth and will continue to do so — albeit with a different rotation of players. Just a few weeks…

Whereas most drum ‘n’ bass acts are identifiable by a signature sound (Goldie, LTJ Bukem, and the like), Spring Heel Jack doesn’t really have one, which makes its music all the more interesting. The duo’s inventiveness may be a result of pedigree: When he’s not with Spring Heel Jack, John…

The pending move by Fort Lauderdale city officials to ban patrons under the age of 18 from entering clubs serving liquor looks likely to succeed. On June 6 a committee was granted 30 days to draft a proposal, and further discussion will commence at that time. Last Sunday night at…

“Jan and Andi make the most bulbous sounds,” once declared Mouse on Mars’ record label, and no one has found a better word yet to describe the music of Jan St. Werner and Andi Toma. It’s bulbous in the way liquids bubble through the grease trap of a sink; bulbous…

Jethro Tull: Can anyone name a single song these self-dubbed “old farts” have produced since the late ’70s? Neither can anyone in this office. But the band (playing in Sunrise on Friday and Saturday nights), still under the stewardship of singer-flutist Ian Anderson and guitarist Martin Barre, keep pumping out…

Hardcore act Boy Sets Fire, by its own definition, is a group of politically active young men. The band regularly turns its volume-heavy, slam-dancing live shows into forums about the future of the nation. But the drug history of George W. Bush and the wooden pronouncements of Al Gore rarely…

I’ve never thought of ex-Pink Floyd leader Roger Waters as the nicest guy. Maybe it’s all those bombastic songs delivered through clenched teeth in a voice reminiscent of a monocle-wearing SS officer. But at his performance in West Palm Beach June 4, he showed off a sweet side by paying…

“Where there’s no respect, there’s hatred,” cautions David Hinds, leader of the indomitable reggae outfit Steel Pulse. “And where there’s hatred, there’s instant violence, and it leads ultimately to death.” Such dire sentiments from Hinds are nothing new; he’s spent 25 years using Steel Pulse (performing in Sunrise June 21)…

We’re nearly halfway through the first year following the biggest odometer rollover any of us can recall, and we’ve accumulated a teetering tower of local compact discs to pore over. Thanks to all the South Floridians who have sent in product and press kits and called to check the status…

Six years ago, when the band known as Ed Matus’ Struggle settled on its curious moniker, the whole thing felt like a joke. “There’s a lot of cheesy names out there,” notes guitarist Juan Montoya. “So we just named ourselves after someone we knew.” The real Ed Matus, another Miami-area…

A lethal combination of nightclub politics and unlawful decibels, exacerbated by the oncoming heat and humidity, has thrown a wrench into the gears of “Sonic Saturday,” the weekly West Palm Beach drum ‘n’ bass party that has held court on the back patio of Respectable Street for nearly a year…

Begin with a broth of Zappa, Beefheart, and the Residents, add a liberal dose of lowbrow humor, and throw in some zany sound effects. That’s the recipe for entertainment — Mister Entertainment to you. Mr. Entertainment is Steve Toth, preparing to spread joy and mirth with the festive musical menu…

Take heart if you’ve become accustomed to certain genres of music taking center stage at Alligator Alley, one of Broward’s finest live music venues. Local music man Fran Snyder is bringing his Writers Night showcase to town. This monthly meeting designed to hone local musicians’ chops is among one of…

With the dissolution of Dead Can Dance two years ago, the schizophrenia that gave the music its conflict and mystique was finally cured. Angelic singer Lisa Gerrard was free to pursue the serpentine swirls and exotic esoterica that showed up on recent scores for The Insider and Gladiator, while Brendan…

Can’t we all just get along? Not if you look at the demise of Veruca Salt, which went down in flames two years ago, after singer-guitarists Nina Gordon and Louise Post had a major falling out. The band scored big with its 1994 debut, American Thighs, and seemed destined to…