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…

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…

DrFameus – The Funky Buddha, Boca Raton – June 1

Dr FameusThe Funky Buddha Friday, June 1, 2012Better than: All of the pro button pushers calling themselves DJs these days. Lately, I find myself less and less inclined to make the trip across the county line and all the way up to Boca for a show. But, when I heard that…

The Dog Is Back — DMX Is Coming to Fort Lauderdale July 6

Does DMX really need a comeback album? If you’re over the age of 20, and have heard of this music we call “hip-hop,” you’d likely say, “no.” But the Ruff Ryder is coming back on the scene this fall with a tour and a new album Undisputed. He collaborated with Swizz…

Down Shows Us What’s Great About Metal — Playing Culture Room Tonight

Lately, the heavy-metal environment offers some pretty interesting terrain: There are popular death-core bands with eight-stringed guitars playing polyrhythms they’ve rehashed hundreds of times, a full-on early Megaforce Records-style thrash revival, and more blossoming subgenres than you can shake a stick at. And while it would appear that a lot…

Taproot Perseveres Like the Energizer Bunny With a New Album and Nationwide Tour

Nü-metal Ann Arbor, Michigan, outfit Taproot set the charts ablaze with its pioneering 2002 hit “Poem.” The track hypnotized audiences with its mix of thunderous heavy-metal riffs over lead singer Stephen Richards’ shifty, rumble-to-pristine-clean vocals and a melodic hook with colossal appeal. Taproot presented the world with hard rock that both…

Allen Aucoin: Life Lessons of a Disco Biscuit

Allen Aucoin is all about pushing his musical limits. The Georgia-born, Berklee-bred drummer joined the Disco Biscuits in 2005, and since then, he’s presented artistry beyond imagination, drumming up beats and patterns seemingly impossible from human limbs. On his Zildijan drums and mix of Edrum pads, Aucoin’s precision and pace…

Backstage In South Florida: Homegrown Talent Makes Its Mark

Music vet and New Times scribe Lee Zimmerman offers his insights, opinions, and observations about the local scene. This week, three distinct and disparate artists bring South Florida some national glory.Clearly, South Florida is no stranger to the national music scene. Past graduates of our area that have achieved wider…

Lady Beats the Blues to a Bloody Pulp: Sophie Sputnik and Killmama

Killmama is the newest project by South Florida musician Sophie Sputnik who has traded in her acoustic guitar for a stripped down drum kit. Together with guitarist Rob Kingsley, she’s spent the past few months crafting a more aggressive and infinitely louder sound. Drawing heavily on blues and rock influences,…

Neil Diamond at BankAtlantic Center on June 1

You may not know his face or sweaty chest, but everyone’s familiar with the songs of Neil Diamond. This old crooner was quite the baja panti in his day. Hell, he remains a sex symbol for more women and men than the Biebs. New Times writer Lee Zimmerman claims this…

Two Door Cinema Club at Revolution Live on June 5

Contagious choruses are hardly anything new to the music industry; they’re almost the heart of it. Three-piece band Two Door Cinema Club makes climbing the charts look crazy easy even without straight pop hooks. Its genre-bending fusion of pop, indie rock, and dance makes it stand out from the rest…

Roberto Carlos at American Airlines Arena on June 2

A year before the Beach Boys embarked on their Surfin’ Safari, Roberto Carlos was redefining South American music — that was 50 years ago. Though Brazil’s pop-rock movement kicked off in the 1950s, Carlos is considered one the pioneers of Jovem Guarda. For more than half a century, the affable…