Gospel music often is often pigeonholed as a genre to be enjoyed only by Christians. But two artists are having success making sure secular ears hear their songs, and they’re gaining fame in the process. Longtime gospel veteran Kirk Franklin was one of the first to make Christian-themed music that…
While the new President of the United States of America will have to contend with an economy in the toilet, a couple of wars, and whatever other global calamities are coming down the pike, the Presidents of the United States of America have a different message: These Are the Good…
Here’s a last minute show announcement for a party that sounds like it’s well worth attending. Former Jane’s Addiction frontman Perry Farrell is playing a gig tonight at the Florida Room inside of the Delano Hotel that should be a lot of fun. The show starts around 11 p.m. The…
The instrumental rock quartet Pelican has markedly evolved in recent years. Perhaps it was a result of moving from the band’s original hometown of Chicago, for the sunnier climes of Los Angeles. For where the earliest Pelican material skated around the borders of metal, as time has passed there’s been…
The newish local nonprofit S.A.F.E., dedicated to forward-thinking dance music events with no bullshit and no guest lists (omg!), continues to impress. There was that crazy Richie Hawtin one-off last December, a gig by Matthew Dear this summer, and the latest coup, M.A.N.D.Y. at tiny Circa 28 two weeks ago…
Over the weekend, I had the treat of heading over to Nassau, Bahamas to cover the Millennium Countdown 8, a mammoth three day concert broken up by genre. The line-up for the first evening, somewhat strangely tagged “International Night” was stacked with stellar acts like Morgan Heritage, Etana, Sanchez, and…
Score another point for Miami in the good fight to keep quality dance music coming down here beyond WMC. The latest coup? Why, the only East Coast appearance on the current tour by white-hot Italian producer/DJ duo Crookers, who skip down here straight from Toronto. What’s even stranger is where…
So former childhood star Malcolm-Jamal Warner is in town and performing a bit of soul music and spoken word poetry tonight at 88’s Dueling Piano Bar inside of the the Hard Rock. A lot of folks don’t know that the actor known as Theo Huxtable from the Cosby Show to…
Tokyo rock quintet Dir En Grey has been through a number of musical incarnations over its decade-long history, but none of them resemble the kind of Japanese music that typically catches on in the States: the power-J-pop of Puffy AmiYumi, the doom-rock of Boris, or the experimental noise-rock of the…
The soulful rhythms and vocals of Mama Africa have penetrated many corners of the world’s seven continents. One such pocket is the Pacific coast of Peru, where African slaves blended those beats and melodies with Spanish and indigenous influences to create genres such as lando, festejo, and vals. After 30…
The fact that Duncan Sheik brought home an armful of honors at the recent Tony Awards — thanks to his sensational smash-hit musical Spring Awakening — may have led some unaware observers to believe that he has always been a Broadway bard. In fact, Sheik started his career as a…
Tina Turner’s roller-coaster life is always filled with ups and downs. She’s been to the R&B mountaintop with megahits like “Proud Mary” and “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” and she has dwelled in the valley of despair during a knockdown, drag-out marriage to former music partner Ike Turner,…
Even in 2008, Tommy Lee embraces the road warrior lifestyle with an energy that would make rockers half his age collapse, panting. About a year ago, he hit the road with DJ Aero to spread the word of their electro-sleaze DJ/production project. They criss-crossed the country, hit the Winter Music…
Here are some more bands whose live shows were among the highlights of this year’s CMJ Music Marathon. The Bronx: This confusingly named L.A. band is hardly new, having played a major stage on the length of this past summer’s Warped Tour. But they continue to retain the obsessive devotion…
This year’s CMJ Music Marathon, held last week in New York, delivered yet again another onslaught of new, now bands trying to be next year’s big thing. This year’s edition of the marathon, featured no, as it has in recent years past, real megawatt reunions or U.S. debuts. Much of…
Gloria Estefan Friday, October 24, 2008 Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Hollywood Better Than: The Santiago de Cuba Carnival Who can pack a crowd of Gringos and Latinos equally in one South Florida concert arena? If you guessed Gloria Estefan, you are right. Step to the head of the…
M.A.N.D.Y. bringing ze German electro-house to Circa 28. We are skipping are usual weekend On the List party planner, because everything this weekend is sort of, eh, not so interesting. Maybe everyone is resting up for the Halloween blowout next week. But if you do have to crawl out of…
The biggest concert to hit Nassau, Bahamas all year is right around the corner and anticipation is building up for it. The Millennium Concert 2008 is scheduled for Oct 30-Nov 2nd and features three nights of top notch music acts plus a night of fashion and partying. The line up…
I just got the good word that Cape Verdean singer Anané and her husband, New York house legend, Louie Vega, are playing a show together in Miami two weeks from now. The show is set for November 6 at the Florida Room inside of the Delano Hotel, and sounds like…
It’s Chrome-o-o-o-o-oh! Oh Chromeo. We remember seeing you play at Circa 28 during Winter Music Conference 2007. Back then, you had released your debut album She’s In Control, which was filled with syrupy synthetic beats and Prince-like melodies — in other words, it was sex on a platter served via…
The title of Gloria Estefan’s latest album, 90 Millas (“90 Miles”), alludes to the physical distance between her native Cuba and the mainland United States. It’s no surprise, then, that lyrically, she continues her peaceful activism in favor of democracy there. This includes beautiful ballads like “Cuando Cuba Sea Libre”…
A jam-band summit of sorts, this trio brings together drummer and Grateful Dead alum Bill Kreutzmann, former Aquarium Rescue Unit/Allman Brothers bassist and Peacemakers bandleader Oteil Burbridge, and guitarist Scott Murawski of Max Creek. Although cross-pollination among bands has been the hallmark of the scene that all three players hail…
