Neolythyc: Teen Virtuosos Reinventing Heavy Metal

Last Thursday, this reporter received an email from his editor, inquiring if he would like to go check out a young, new, heavy-metal outfit from Fort Lauderdale called Neolythyc. Admittedly, I was a little tentative, to say the least. But the saplings, a four-piece originally from Miami, already had a…

Arboles Libres on June 9 at Green Room

Underneath Arboles Libres’ folksy, sonic psychedelia, interconnected lyrics paint images more powerful than a MacArthur Causeway hallucinogen (read: bath salts). “I woke up next to your heart/And I woke up next to your fears,” frontman Juan “Nacho” Londono sing-speaks on their song “Aura.” “And every morning we had breakfast/And every…

The Sweet Chariots on June 9 at Propaganda

The Maddox Brothers and Rose are widely considered the pioneers of rockabilly by music historians, critics, and experts alike. They were playing “hillbilly” with a “rock-and-roll” twist before the latter was even invented, producing an original subgenre along the way. Though the siblings may have hitchhiked to California from Alabama…

Joachim Garraud on June 9 at Gryphon

As a kid, you dreamt about becoming an astronaut and part-time music critic. The future looked promising, a gnarly life of walking on the moon and reviewing advance releases of culturally relevant buzz bands. Real life, however, eventually caught up. NASA scrapped the shuttle program, and “relevant” acts stopped playing…

Beach Day Signed to Williamsburg’s Kanine Records

Word hit the web via Brooklyn Vegan yesterday that Hollywood trio Beach Day has been signed to Williamsburg’s Kanine Records. The New York indie label also represents Grizzly Bear, Chairlift, and local sonic heroes Surfer Blood. We first heard the band live when it opened with Lil Daggers for Black Lips at…

Backstage in South Florida: Questionable Facebook Frenzy

Music vet and New Times scribe Lee Zimmerman shares observations, insights, and updates relating to South Florida’s musical environs. This week: birthday greetings and online affirmation. I had another birthday the other day, an occurrence that seems to take place with increasing frequency at this stage of my life. The…

Happy Birthday, Laurie Anderson! Here’s to a Few Odd Couples

One of the 20th Century’s most remarkable avant-garde musical artists, Laurie Anderson (born June 5, 1947) made a point of defying musical norms ever since the late ’60s, when she made her debut. A visionary of sorts, she plays violin, piano, and a variety of instruments of her own invention…

Ice Cream Releases New EP Safe and Happy From NYC

Just before the new year, the guys in psych outfit Ice Cream packed their gear and boarded jet planes for New York City. They had just released their first EP, Good, and, having grown a bit too big for their Miami britches, these five guys sadly parted with South Florida. Well,…

City and Colour – Culture Room, Fort Lauderdale – June 4

City and Colour with David Bazan Culture Room, Fort Lauderdale Monday, June 4Better than: An Alexisonfire show. Last night, City and Colour — the solo musical project of former Alexisonfire guitarist and vocalist Dallas Green — made its South Florida debut. The sold-out Culture Room show was filled with romance,…

Down – Culture Room, Fort Lauderdale – June 1

Down with PonykillerStone Mountain FreewayCulture RoomJune 1, 2012Better Than: Most of the Sabbath influenced bands playing these days. When County Grind spoke with Down guitarist Pepper Keenan, he mentioned how mind boggling it is that the rock-metal supergroup managed to tour 39 countries since releasing its third studio album, Down III: Over…