“I had a dream I could buy my way to heaven. When I awoke I spent that on a necklace.” Oh Kanye, thou utter no truer words than thee. When it comes to financial planning and money management, the last image that would pop into most people’s minds would be…
Kid Rock The Fillmore Theater Miami Beach October 18, 2007 Better than: A Miracle Whip and Wonder Bread sandwich Love him or hate him, Kid Rock makes an impression. From the moment the house lights went down at Miami’s Fillmore Theater Thursday night, the air in the room was electrified…
Miami may be in the south but it’s about as far from the Blues as you can get. Thankfully, you can break out the bourbon and revisit the hard times this Saturday when James Blood Ulmer, a high-powered, sharp-picking blues guitarist, blows into town. The Village Voice has called Ulmer…
Photo by Jeffrey Delannoy Al Jarreau and George Benson Hard Rock Live October 17, 2007 View the concert slidehow. A good friend of mine recently said to me, “I know you like photographing old people.” Well, in response to that, I have to say that when I have the chance…
It’s a little, well known fact, depending on where you get your news from these days, that Atlanta rapper T.I. is in jail. He was arrested for illegally attempting to purchase machine guns from an undercover agent. I’m not sure why T.I. is trying to be all Charleston Heston on…
Rumor has it the new Spank Rock and Benny Blanco CD, Bangers and Cash got pulled from the shelves of Best Buy this week because management just noticed its x-rated cover art. Apparently, this is all about the back cover where a partially obscured dildo can be seen in the…
In this month’s Penthouse magazine, 36-year-old Bob Ritchie, better-known as Kid Rock, is asked about the title of his latest album, Rock and Roll Jesus. His answer? “I believe in Jesus; I think it’s great to promote his name.” It’s the kind of working-class, well-what-did-you-expect answer that’s endeared the rocker/erstwhile…
There are some moments in a musician’s life when reality becomes so unreal that you know you’ve finally made it. One might think trading solos with Prince during an intimate late-night jam session at the legendary hit maker’s home would be one of those moments, but for Maroon 5 frontman…
Consuelo Robinson is that teacher you always wished you had; kind of like Ryan Gosling without all the crack smoking. As a former math teacher at Pompano Beach Middle School, the Palm Beach resident used to let her students listen to (the less curse-heavy) songs by 50 Cent, Eminem, and…
There are certain musical performers whose appeal transcends genres, decades, and whole generations, whose influence will affect music long after you, Dear Reader, and I have become worm food. This by-no-means-definitive list includes Hank Williams Sr., Louis Armstrong, the Beatles, Charlie Parker, Bob Dylan, Miles Davis, and Frank Sinatra. The…
Konono No. 1 is from the Congo and is unlike anything you’ve ever heard. The group’s music is based on the sound of the likembé, or Congolese thumb piano. Angola-born bandleader Mawangu Mingiedi moved to Kinshasa (Congo’s capital) in the 1970s, starting the band with the intention of playing Bazombo…
With the pace of the music world getting faster and faster by the download, it’s easy to forget how important it is to slow down sometimes and just enjoy music for what it is. These days, you can get a brand new album sent to your cell phone before it…
This San Diego-based outfit is surely tired of the constant comparisons they’ve garnered to Ozomatli. But the similarities are hard to ignore; after all, both groups have brown people in their ranks … brown people who speak Spanish. And both groups put forward a power-to-the-people message via intoxicatingly effective live…
Soul music is always a bit more enjoyable when Patti LaBelle is singing it. For more than 40 years she’s been contributing hits to America’s musical lexicon — first as a member of the Ordettes, then Patti LaBelle and the Bluebells, then as the lead singer of LaBelle, and finally…
Twenty years ago, Exposé was one of the biggest girl groups ever to hit the dance and pop charts. The group had a long list of Top 40 hits like “Point of No Return,” “Let Me Be the One,” and “Seasons Change,” to name a few, and it was without…
Last week, the biggest music story around the world wasn’t taking place on stage or in a fancy recording studio. It was happening on everyone’s computer at Radiohead.com. On October 10, the 15-year-old U.K. rock quintet Radiohead independently released its new album In Rainbows for download only. Fans can buy…
Say what you will about the 1970s; some of the most defiantly original albums ever — John Cale’s Fear, Brian Eno’s Taking Tiger Mountain, and Sly & the Family Stone’s There’s a Riot Goin’ On — were released then on major labels. As the music biz teeters on the precipice…
The Caribbean lowlands region of Colombia — where the rough northern Andes descend into the sea — is informed by centuries of conquest and cultural assimilation. The result is a vibrant melting pot as tangled and organic as the humid swamps that weave throughout the coastline. Descendants of slaves and…
When did mainstream rap become more relevant than its underground counterpart? Talib Kweli and El-P released self-congratulatory pap this year while Kanye West’s sincere, introspective effort sold almost a million copies in its first week. Now we’ve got Chamillionaire, whose Ultimate Victory is perhaps the most topical album ever. Though…
With his second solo disc — after previously helming local outfit Legends of Rodeo — Florida homeboy John Ralston builds on the strength of his critically acclaimed debut, Needle Bed. He has created something akin to a seminal milestone. Finding the perfect mix of attitude and ambiance, Ralston crafts a…
Sitting behind a monotonous stretch of pastel, cookie-cutter strip malls on Dania Beach’s Stirling Road is a one-of-a-kind addition to Broward’s cultural landscape. Blue Note Records, Miami’s legendary music store, has moved its vinyl and collectibles collection into town. The new shop is located west of the railroad tracks in…
Himmarshee/Side Bar 210 SW Second St. Fort Lauderdale 954-524-1818 The plan this week was to find a trashy, dirty place to wash off the sexy, pretty residue left behind by VooDoo Lounge. I wanted grimy and drunk, but I had company this week, and my needs took a back seat…
