There are few things as intrinsically scary as ghost stories. Considering the fact that Halloween is right around the corner, we thought it might be interesting to get some rock stars to share a few of their own. Scarily enough, we got more than we expected: James Valentine, Maroon 5:…
More than 25 years on — ten spent at the helm of the Eurhythmics, the rest following a solo trajectory — Annie Lennox remains one of pop music’s most distinctive divas. Her credence stems not only from her beguiling vocals, clearly among the best in the biz, but also from…
Juliette Lewis has always projected danger. As early as 1990’s Too Young to Die?, she seemed not-quite-right; like a person you couldn’t help but watch but might not want to meet. Those who picked up on the vibe were proved right by 1994’s Natural Born Killers, in which the then-…
If you didn’t catch the Cult’s last “reunion” lap around the States, then you may have missed one of the most libido-crushing doses of rock ‘n’ roll reality since Axl Rose stuffed his ’00s body into his ’80s spandex. The image of Ian Astbury that’s been etched into the general…
Musical dexterity is well and good. But better yet, try writing melodies with hooks your listeners can hold on to. Take the Samples, for example. Having attained credibility with the college crowd by prefiguring the jam-band template in the mid-’80s, this Colorado combo has largely eschewed the rambling, numbing style…
Local poet and idiot savant Renda Writer is well-known for his dedication to “the scene.” He throws open-mic nights, poetry slams, and artist showcases all over Broward and Palm Beach counties in an effort to keep “the scene” alive, however you interpret that. For the most part, it’s simply his…
Every independent music scene needs a selfless character to help shine the light on other artists — even when it detracts from his own spotlight. As far as Palm Beach hip-hop goes, that catalyst is a producer/MC by the name of E.F.O.N., who’s been putting out a series of mixtapes…
Evanescence October 23, 2007 BankUnited Center Better Than: Entering a bat cave with an angel by your side. It seems only natural that Amy Lee is perfectly at home in arenas. After all, her voice is the size of the sky. Even at a coo, it rises from the horizon;…
Troubled female rap star, Foxy Brown, keeps digging herself a deeper and deeper hole. She’s had a long list of legal troubles over the past year and a half, which exclude the fact that she temporarily went deaf and has also seen her music career come to a staggering halt…
Photo by Jeffrey Delannoy Cat Power October 22, 2007 Studio A Better Than: Finding out Syd Barrett still sings in honky tonks. The Review: The last time I caught Cat Power at Studio A, it was just her, her pain, her anger and her keyboard – and a crowd of…
Just got an amazing press release from the guys of Humbert, the local band most associated with La Ciudad que Progresa — Hialeah. If you’ve been to any local shows some time in the last 14 years, you’ve seen Humbert. If you’ve been totally oblivious, this is part of what…
Ky-Mani Marley has a new reality TV showing airing this week on BET J that should be worth watching. The Jamaican-born, Miami-bred artist always stays busy–either writing new music, working on films, or hustling in a variety of positive ways. He’s currently on tour doing 50 dates with Van Halen…
I came across this video a few weeks ago while surfing on YouTube and fell in love with John Lee Hooker’s eerie songwriting ability all over again. I’m not sure what this clip is from; presumably it’s one of Hooker’s early television appearances, but exactly what show it’s from is…
Poco/Firefall October 20, 2007 Gulfstream Park Before Uncle Tupelo, before Son Volt, before Steve Earle, before the other champions of roots rock and insurgent Americana, there were bands like Buffalo Springfield, the Flying Burrito Brothers, and Poco, groups that helped etch a well defined link between rock ‘n’ roll and…
Champagne Taste on a Beer Budget “Now go and get your money little Duffle Bag Boy … cos I ain’t ever ran from a nigga and I damn sho ain’t bout to pick today to start runnin …” Now where was Lil’ Wayne when you need him? This past Saturday’s…
James Blood Ulmer October 20, 2007 The Colony Theatre, Miami Beach Better Than: A back alley brawl between jazz and blues. The Review: Back when I first moved in New York, one of the greatest musical pleasures I had was catching James Blood Ulmer get all “avant-gutbucket” at a dingy…
Hot Hot Heat October 19, 2007 Culture Room Better Than: A B12 shot of mid-‘80s nostalgia. The Review: I hate beginning with a negative (there’s too much bad in the world already), but I will say this: if I never had to stand through another song by Bedouin Soundclash, my…
Hot Hot Heat October 19, 2007 Culture Room It’s exactly 8 p.m. when I pull up to the parking lot of Culture Room. The night air is surprisingly cool and comforting as I freak out about not being able to find parking. A few maze-like trips through the lot yield…
The Skatalites: Many Rivers to Cross. More Jamaican Artists that you can shake a stick at. Bergeron Rodeo Grounds October 20, 2007 Better Than: Watching the Miami Dolphins lose to the New England Patriots in the ‘Manhandle South of the Panhandle.’ Jamaica as a nation has an incredibly rich musical…
It’s been a tough few days for musicians as now another legendary recording artist is headed to that great big rock’n’roll party in the sky. Paul Raven, critically acclaimed bassist for Ministry and Killing Joke was found dead over the weekend in Geneva, Switzerland of an apparent heart attack. While…
Regardless of if the rumors are true, word around town these days is that Ne-Yo is fresh out of the closet and proud to be gay. That would be great (and shout outs to Ne-Yo if it’s true) but even newer rumors are saying he vehemently denies it. Booo…hiss. If…
Last Thursday, Lucky Dube’s luck ran out. The South African reggae star was shot dead in a botched carjacking attempt in Johannesburg. Currently, there was no other motive for the killing beyond the carjacking, which was unsuccessful. South Africa’s president, Thabo Mbeki, has appointed a special task force to search…
