Happy 83rd Birthday B.B. King

So I just got off the phone with blues singer Shemekia Copeland, who’ll be performing at the Hollywood Clambake on September 26 and, as far as I could tell, she’s really looking forward to coming down to South Florida. She’s going to be working out some new songs off of…

An Open Letter to Metallica Regarding Death Magnetic

Metallica released its ninth studio album on Friday, five years after the release of its last album, St. Anger. I want to believe, but I’ve been disappointed by the last, oh, five albums and seventeen years. But despite all logic, Death Magnetic is finally here, according to Metallica, and I…

Kelis Found Not Guilty in a Miami Courtroom

This past Thursday, R&B singer Kelis was found not guilty in Miami on charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. She was initially arrested last march for allegedly harassing two undercover police officers who were posed as prostitutes outside of a local club. On Thursday, a judge determined that there…

Is Kanye Dropping a New Album This Year?

I’m labeling this post as Bossip because thus far, news of a new Kanye album is still a rumor. But according to various retailers (Amazon and Target.com specifically) who must be trying to drum up anticipation for the holiday shopping sprees already, rapper Kanye West may have a new album…

Hit It!

It’s a hot Saturday night at Miami’s Transit Lounge, and it seems like, temperature-wise, there’s no relief in sight. Just as a breeze starts to blow through the semi-open air bar, Miami’s hotter-than-lava Latin funk band, Suénalo, takes the stage and cranks up the heat even more. Instantly, everyone inside…

Stanton Moore Trio

With a sound that’s heavily rooted in New Orleans jazz, the Stanton Moore Trio could be fine on its own just sticking to that style of music. Instead, the three opt to pepper their music with well-placed traces of funk and jam-band rifts. That makes sense since Moore, who plays…

Does Anyone Want to Date Ray J?

If you saw the full-length version of the Kim Kardashian sex-tape, for some ladies, this is a no brainer. But VH1 is in the process of starting a new television show called, So You Want to Date Ray J? One can only suspect that it’s all about lining up eligible…

Rahsaan Releases his Fly Paper Mixtape

Miramar-based rapper Rahsaan is quickly showing himself to be one of the hardest working MCs in South Florida. The Georgetown, Guyana-born, Brooklyn/Kendall raised lyricist has been on a tear lately, first hopping on the Rock the Bells tour with his crew, the Outfit, then linking up with Scheme Magazine to…

Throwback Tuesdays–The Queers “Punk Rock Girls”

The Queers are coming! The Queers are Coming! You can almost hear the Republicans protesting outside of Churchill’s this weekend as New Hampshire-bred punk band, the Queers come to town. The legendary pop-punk group will be here playing a show with the the Independents this Saturday and hopefully diving into…

Bendy Pastorius Group

The Bendy Pastorius Group isn’t playing straight-ahead bop by any means, but its funk-tinged electric jazz still swings, and it’s lively enough to make folks want to get up and dance. The group has local roots (natch) as drummer Julius Pastorius was born and raised here along with his twin…

No More “Sweet Home Alabama”

One unfortunate aspect of South Florida’s music scene is that there isn’t nearly enough room for bands making original music to thrive financially. There are only so many venues left (and the economy isn’t helping). Too many bar owners who hire bands are really just looking for a live jukebox…

Brazilian Forró Star Chico César Returns

For a variety of reasons, Latin American proponents of music from the native lands often pretend that race and class aren’t relevant when it comes to music. But listen to the rhythms and the lyrics of samba — or cumbia or bachata or other styles of Latin American music —…

Throwback Tuesdays–Buika “Mi nina Lola”

Lot’s of American music lovers aren’t familiar with sultry Spanish singer, Buika, who is coming to Miami on September 9th and performing at the Gusman Theater. She’s at the forefront of an emerging AfroSpanish sound that mixes soul, jazz, flamenco, and funk. With a powerful voice, and alluring stage presence,…

Happy 50th Birthday Michael Jackson

Yes, the gloved one really is turning 50 years old today. It’s hard to think of the one-time king of pop at 50. That’s partly because he’s had so much work done, that it’s difficult to image what he’d actually look like as a normal, aging person. To me, I’ll…

Chris Isaak and Lisa Loeb Tickets Discounted Today Only

Just got a press release stating that for today only, all of you die-hard Chris Isaak and Lisa Loeb fans can get a sizable discount on tickets for their upcoming performance. All of the details are below. And check out the infamous “Wicked Games” video after the jump–considered by many…

Toots and the Maytals

Reggae owes a lot to Toots Hibbert. The ageless frontman of the classic Jamaican band Toots and the Maytals claims he’s the first person to mention the word reggae on wax. His 1968 hit single, “Do the Reggay,” was recorded when reggae was just a dance and not even a…

Kill Miss Pretty Returns to the Stage

The past 15 months have been a bit turbulent for the band Kill Miss Pretty. In 2007, the group was enjoying plenty of attention within local music circles, and its lead singer, Alicia Olink, was (and still is, in fact) seen as an indie darling on the rise. With a…

Toots and the Maytals Play the Culture Room This Sunday

Legendary reggae artist Toots Hibbert is coming to Broward County this weekend. If you’re even vaguely familiar with the history of reggae, you’ll know that Toots is a long-time staple of the genre…so much so that he lays claim to being the first musician to use the word “reggae” in…

Speaking of Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids

Since it’s Throwback Tuesdays and the post below this one mentions local guitarist, Daisy Berkowitz, who used to play in Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids, I figured I’d scour the Web for old Spooky Kids footage. The band was a staple in Fort Lauderdale’s metal scene long before they…

Kill Miss Pretty Releases a New Video

So Boynton Beach electro-rockers, Kill Miss Pretty, recently shot a new video for their song, “Drawing Pictures of Haunted Houses With You.” It’s the first single off of their new album, Permission for Strange, which the band is having a CD release party for this Saturday at Respectable Street in…

Throwback Tuesdays–Happy Birthday Branford Marsalis

So today is jazz saxophonist Branford Marsalis’ 48th birthday. I figured a good way to kick off this week’s Throwback Tuesdays is to feature one of his tunes. We don’t showcase jazz nearly enough on this blog, which is something that needs to change. And as far as a slow…