Last Thursday night, a soul-music extravaganza took place inside the Culture Room in Fort Lauderdale. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings played to a sold-out crowd and let music lovers know that real soul doesn’t have to be retro. The Dap-Kings, a tight group from Brooklyn, have been gaining a heap…
Detroit DJ legend Kevin Saunderson knows how to keep a dance floor packed from the wee hours of the night until early morning. He’s been DJing all over the globe and pioneering various styles of techno for the past 25 years, and he specializes in producing a hard-edged form of…
It’s Thursday afternoon in Athens, Georgia, and the four members of the highly energetic jam band Perpetual Groove are loading the van and heading down to South Florida. It’s 20 degrees there, 40 degrees here, and the thought of sailing off to Honduras and Mexico is the only thing that’s…
JJ Grey & MOFRO Saturday, January 4th 2008 Bamboo Room, Lake Worth Better Than: Tearing up a hot bowl of grits on a cool winter morning in Florida. The Review: After just a few notes, anyone witnessing JJ Grey in action can’t help but notice how strong his stage presence…
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings January 3rd, 2008 Culture Room Better than: Watching the Dap-Kings back up Amy Winehouse. Last Thursday night, a soul music extravaganza took place inside of the Culture Room in Fort Lauderdale. Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings played to a sold out crowd and let music…
Rihanna’s new boss? Now that Jay-Z has stepped down from the Def Jam presidency, the label might need a new president, but could that position end up going to Chuck D? It’s hard to say. If the label ends up hiring a new figurehead, it’ll probably be Jermaine Dupri or…
Better Than: Medieval heat torture. The Review: Candyland, the hyped-up party of the year, was NOT what I expected. In previewing the party, the New Times was told that the party was to be, “the best of the best.” Therefore, I was anticipating Disneyland fireworks. I have seen Culture Productions…
Some Florida lawmakers think it’s finally time to jump into the 21st Century and get a new state song. The old state song, “Old Folks at Home,” also known as “Swanee River,” beloved by some and detested by others, is on its way out. We need a new ditty to…
Go figure. But you gotta give credit where its due and as of today, Miami’s own Flo Rida has bumped Alicia Keys out of the number one spot on the Billboard charts and his song, “Low” has ascended in its place. It’s a proud day for South Florida music fans…
Melbourne, Australia, is known for a lot of things to Americans: kangaroos, crocodiles, Outback Steakhouse, and, oh yeah, having good music from “down under.” Most gringos don’t really know what that “good music” is; we just hear that it’s different and good. If you want to get an idea of…
There’s something deeply compelling about the voice and spiritual lilt of Brazilian samba singer Maria Rita. Upon first listening to her newest album, Samba Meu, you’re instantly transported beyond your car speakers or headphones to the nightclubs of Sao Paulo, where samba reigns supreme. Unlike Rita’s (pronounced HEE-tah) first two…
Around midnight, it seems like most of the rock ‘n’ roll fans in the county are squished into Swampgrass Willy’s, in the heart of Palm Beach Gardens, trying to celebrate with their hometown heroes. This is Big Bang Radio’s album-release party, and considering the fantastic yet turbulent year it’s had,…
If “world jazz” were a legitimate genre (which it should be), then South Florida-based musician Macarldie Nibbs’ newest release, Moving On, would be the perfect album to bear its name. Too often, more popular forms of global jazz, such as Latin jazz, African jazz, and Brazilian jazz, get dumped into…
It’s easy to assume that reggae music is a product of Jamaica alone. The island has produced all of the genre’s biggest names for the past 40 years, and it’s still ground zero when it comes to discovering what’s hot. Reggae music was undoubtedly born in Jamaica, but if you…
A couple of weeks ago, we posted video here at CrossFade of South Florida’s mixtape king, DJ GQ chilling in the studio with his friend DMX. The video ended up all over YouTube, and every other viral video website and essentially played on the fact that DMX looked like he…
MSNBC is reporting that Jay-Z is resigning as president of Def Jam records at the end of this year. He took over post three years ago when former boss Lyor Cohen left the position to become the chief executive at Warner Music Group. Yesterday’s move isn’t surprising (his artists have…
South Florida’s favorite jam band, the Heavy Pets are rocking a show tonight with Suenalo. For more on the Heavy Pets, check out this recent feature on the band, but if you really want to learn more about them, check ’em out this evening at the Culture Room in Fort…
Blues man Seth Walker sings like a man who’s had his heart broken one too many times. Since his genre of choice calls for a bit of misfortune, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It doesn’t hurt to listen to his songs if you’re going through a breakup or wish…
Fathers, hide your daughters. There’s a concert coming through town this week that may have your little angel all hot and bothered sooner than you’d expect. The Up Close and Personal tour hits the BankAtlantic Center on Boxing Day and it’s full of teen heart throbs with bad intentions. OK,…
It’s Wednesday night at Santo in Miami Beach, and most folks in the hip-hop know are in attendance. Local rapper Jackie-O is in the building with her new partner Remy Ma because the two are looking to create a new girl group called 3Sum. They’re scouting talent tonight for a…
Judging by record and ringtone sales, hip-hop is the most popular genre of music in the country. There’s a host of cocksure yet affable rappers out there for whom people can’t help but cheer these days. But who needs to go over a list of the most beloved rappers in…
What a crazy few months it’s been for Beenie Man. These days, it seems like every time Beenie’s name is in the press, it’s about his personal life instead of his music. He’s the center of a tax evasion scandal, with allegations he owes the Jamaican government more than $600,000…
