Did you hear what recently happened at the G-8 in Germany? Anarchists from around the world tried to overthrow the fascist global police summit with a punk rock revolution! Black masked protesters wearing Crimethinc and Leftover Crack T-shirts threw grapefruit-size stones and bottles at police and torched overturned cars. But…
Developing a strong identity as a band is a challenge. Often, groups try so hard to be unique that they all end up sounding the same, or they don´t have the experience to trust their gut and just be. Throw race and nationality into that mix and things get even…
There is no better way to dismissively sum up a rock band than by labeling it ¨emo.¨ This has worked almost universally for the past six or seven years, with few exceptions. The problem arises when a few exceptions occur, as music aficionados and pop culture in general must scramble…
Twenty-year-old British soul phenom Joss Stone sings with a quiet but powerful strength that epitomizes what the French meant when they came up with the word chanteuse. With three hit records under her belt, it´s hard to believe how much she´s accomplished in such a relatively brief career. None of…
Less than a decade ago, it seemed that Broward County was known for its emo-pop heroes. John Ralston was getting started, Recess Theory was making waves, and New Found Glory and Dashboard Confessional were breaking out and becoming darlings of MTV. Anybody who paid enough attention could credit South Florida…
Although a member of Buena Vista Social Club (in 2001, at the tender age of 26, he replaced Rubén Gonzalez) right up until the group´s final recordings, Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca is not at all interested in having his music viewed as nostalgia. Though certainly respectful of the various traditions…
Listen to the track “Anti Love Song” by Betty Davis here. Music history is packed with people on the periphery of fame, amazingly talented, and/or ahead of their time that never quite ¨make it,¨ defined by achieving stardom and riches. Eccentric model and singer Betty Davis, a former Mrs. Miles…
The average unsuspecting gringo has no idea: Across Latin America, Los Tigres del Norte are huge. Regularly selling out stadiums of more than 80,000 seats, registering global sales of over 32 million records — yeah, that kind of huge. Playing continuously for close to 40 years now, the five-piece band…
The title of this superb anthology of furious rare grooves from Florida speaks for itself. There are tons of righteous soul, hard-kickin´ drum breaks, James Brown-influenced grooves, and a whole lot of unheard funky goodness. For those new to the funk, according to the scrupulously detailed liner notes, funk music…
I’m not sure what’s more filthy, Pisspot the handpuppet or Blowfly, the Miami-based dirty rapper. You’d think Pisspot would win, but in this video, Blowfly steals the show. –Jonathan Cunningham…
“Electric Porkchop is a fluctuating DJ collective that plays everything under the sun in varying configurations. I cover mostly dub, breaks, house and techno, and other members mix in hip hop, funk, soul, acapellas, mashups and more. This mix is something of a “disc 2” sampler, highlighting some of the…
Some came dressed in barely-there dresses, armed with look-at-me attitude. Some came in hip-hop gear designed to demonstrate street cred. Everyone came with their business face on. Russell Simmons was about to be in the house, and the vibe at Books & Books was electric. At 7:00 p.m., Simmons was…
If you haven’t heard already, this year’s Ozzfest is free. No catch, just free. However, you still need to download a ticket from the Ozzfest web site, and before that, sign up for a special download code. Tickets for the South Florida stop, on August 30 at the Sound Advice…
If your brain is a bit groggy as you sit in that cubicle, here’s a throwback video to help shake out the cobwebs. And for the newjacks, yes Xzibit had a career before MTV’s Pimp My Ride. Long live the golden era of hip-hop. –Jonathan Cunningham…
So reports say that legendary producer, radio host, and Juice Crew affiliate Marley Marl has had a heart attack and is recovering in a New York hospital. I’m not sure if there’s need for a candlelight vigil, but dude could use some prayers. And for those that worship the Temple…
Maroon 5’s gig at Studio A, originally scheduled for this Saturday, has been postponed until July 10. Here’s the band’s official statement: “If you haven’t heard already, Matt Flynn’s wife gave birth to the couple’s second child on Tuesday! In order to let Matt spend time with his family, we…
Hip-hop legends Grandmaster Dee of Whodini (now a Broward County resident) and Flava Flav are usually great on the microphone, but watching them trying to plug a local sports channel is too funny. By the third take, the cameraman must have been wondering what he got himself into. –Jonathan Cunningham…
No? Well, the two are two of the most important breakbeats, ever, in the history of hip-hop and dance music. Here’s a history of the amen, so called because it originates from a 1969 soul record, “Amen Brother” by the Winstons. You’ll recognize this six-second loop instantly, and this video…
Further proof that the dance music underground is growing down here: A day after posting mixes by DJ Nova and Anatoli Russki, I’ve received a message from another local mixer of minimal sounds: Baez. He tells me he’s spinning at a free minimal/tech house party this Friday at the Mark,…
An item that appeared in this week’s print edition “Night and Day” section contained errors about two upcoming shows at Churchill’s. Blitzkid will be playing there this Friday, June 8. The psychobilly festival will take place there on Saturday, June 16. Visit www.churchillspub.com for full details and an updated schedule…
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club performs Saturday, June 9, at the Culture Room, 3045 N. Federal Hwy., Fort Lauderdale. The show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $18. Call 954-564-1074, or visit www.cultureroom.net
As if the name ¨Boca Raton¨ (variously translated as ¨Mouse´s Mouth¨ and ¨Thieves’ Cove¨) isn´t awkward enough, just imagine being a hip-hop group named after a street in this upper-crust South Florida city and trying to eke out some street cred. That´s hard on its own, but when the actual…
