You can reinvent the wheel, and you can reinvent the reinvention. The Hep Cat Boo Daddies, a rough, tough South Florida power trio, manages to do a little of both, drawing on a diverse amalgam of blues, rock, surf, funk, and rockabilly to fuel their highly charged musical motif. While…
The last time I saw Circle Jerks live was in the very early ’90s at a now-defunct hole-in-the-wall club in Trenton, New Jersey, during their first “comeback” tour. The show was great, but even then, people were referring to them as the crusty old farts of punk rock. So what…
It didn’t take long for the Asylum Street Spankers’ video for “Stick Magnetic Ribbons on Your SUV” to become a big hit on YouTube. It’s exactly the type of guffaw-inducing political satire that gets e-blasted throughout cyberspace. Like any good Spankers’ song (remember “Boogers”?), “Ribbons” starts out innocently enough, sounding…
From Scottish Highlanders scaring their enemies with bagpipes to American tanks blasting Metallica to ward off Iraqi insurgents, music has long been used as a weapon in combat zones. Most bands in the corny nü-metal movement used their music as a weapon too — against our collective eardrums and intelligence…
With the recent takeover of Congress by the Democrats, it’s possible that the title of Peaches’ latest disc, Impeach My Bush, could be rendered prophetic. Chances are, though, it will be business as usual up in Washington, D.C., just as it is in the Peaches camp. If electroclash is soooo…
A good friend of mine in Los Angeles who’s extremely tapped into the music scene and underground goings-on swears up and down that ska is making a comeback and that it’s happening all over the country. If she’s right — and I haven’t yet seen or heard any proof for…
To the sheltered gringo, daydreams of Colombia conjure up images of picturesque beaches, tan women, and topnotch nose candy. The fantasy intensifies with smoked-filled illusions of the ever-mesmerizing Shakira, yet another of the country’s hedonistic pleasures. Known worldwide for her signature quaver and gyrating hips, the Latin pop artist has…
With a name like Mongo, the North Miami fourpiece probably gets its share of “What’s that mean?” and “That’s the guy from Blazing Saddles, right?” The real question, of course, concerns the indie-rock band’s take on its chosen genre, which runs the gamut from midtempo, Guided by Voices-like rock to…
Let’s face it: R&B needs a savior like a burning building needs a firefighter — and everyone’s pushing for a happy ending. On his latest album, Once Again, pianist John Legend once again strides that fine (and lucrative) line between vintage R&B and modern hip-hop chic. Admirably, he pursues distinct…
Kanye West may have delivered one of the biggest punches after Hurricane Katrina, but New Orleans rapper Juvenile took one of the biggest hits — his mansion was destroyed by the storm, forcing the former face of Cash Money Records to relocate to Atlanta. He expectedly took some shots at…
The roots-rock arena has become a crowded venue of late, proving it takes ample distinction to outpace the competition. Until now, Chris Knight’s chief claim to fame may have been the fact that his sophomore album, A Pretty Good Guy, was released on September 11, 2001 — certainly a dubious…
If you’re lucky, you’ll learn about the connection between anal sex and the state of dental care in Britain at Wednesday’s Deftones show. If not, don’t worry — the answer lies on the band’s just-released platter, Saturday Night Wrist. We’re not going to spoil the surprise, but if you’ve gotten…
Signed while still in high school, Slightly Stoopid’s Miles Doughty and Kyle McDonald were probably the “raddest” of all the “gnarly” dudes, smoking more weed than humanly possible and tossing out generic SoCal skate-punk. Nearly a decade later, the two may still love to party, but their sound has grown…
So the Who is back on tour, performing its only Florida date in Sunrise. Why should we care? Well, to start with, it’s the Who’s first visit since original bassist John Entwistle died in 2002, some 38 years after joining the band (which is now called “the Two” by those…
Every few years, rock and its malcontent subgenres start to suck — everyone knows that, or will soon enough. Thankfully, singer/guitarist Ted Leo maintains the oft-abused verities of punk — doing things his own way; expressing ideas in a supercharged, witty, engaging, and no-waxy-yellow-buildup manner; and combining seemingly unlikely influences…
No group in the jam-band genre polarizes fans the way Gov’t Mule does. Depending on whom you ask, it’s either the best Southern rock band of all time or the living embodiment of everything that’s wrong with pointless noodling. But there’s one thing everyone can agree on: Warren Haynes, the…
So the Bang! Music Festival features Gnarls Barkley on the bill. That raises the obvious question: What’ll their get-up be? The character-assuming psych-funk duo of Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse can’t show up as, you know, Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse; they’ll have some manner of alter ego in place, whether it’s…
Why are there so few drummer-led rock ‘n’ roll bands? After all, the drummer is not only the “timekeeper” but — excuse the automotive reference — the sparkplug that crackle-starts the pistons of a song. Marc Bell, better-known as Marky Ramone, kept the beat for his namesake group for more…
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Having managed the Brooklyn-based La France Promotions for ten years, Micheline Conde has the credentials (and the connections) to book one hell of a show. And this Saturday, she’s bringing the party to downtown West Palm Beach, for the Palm Beach Music Festival. Now a PBC resident, Conde knows what…
Panic! at the Disco’s teenage members sport anachronistic ’60s-squire haircuts, an apt look for a group that generates Beatlemania-caliber frenzy. But while the Fab Four spent years playing R&B covers at unheralded gigs, Panic emerged fully formed, like an adult Athena springing from the head of Zeus. A Fever You…
Focus isn’t exactly what comes to mind when you think of the Melvins, a group that has indulged its every outlandish whim for more than a decade. Despite often fascinating results, even the most devoted fans’ patience must have limits. On the flip-side, even if the Melvins pile on the…
