UltrachicUltrachic (Self-released)www.myspace.com/ultrachicUltrachic stand on a weird crossroad bridge where they sonically span the golden years of Venezuelan rock (Sentimiento Muerto, Dermis Tatu, Desorden Público) with the newer bloods who continue to make the racket (Zapato 3, Los Amigos Invisibles, Caramelos de Cianuro). The funny thing is, Ultrachic bass player Luis…
Luz MarinaCoincidencias (Cacao Música)www.cacaomusica.comVenezuelan singer/songwriter Luz Marina makes her debut for Cacao Música with 14 tracks of heavy-breathing soft numbers full of sexy insinuations and personal moments. It works. “Noche a Noche” (Night to Night) and “Cómo Dueles” (How You Hurt) were a little more my cup of tea, while…
Da REAList is not Plies’ meditation on Platonic realism; it’s mostly just demonstrably false braggadocio and sentimental hooey. (He could have eliminated this confusion by calling it Da REALest.) The main problem is that a July Hip Hop DX report showed that despite his claims to be a lifelong thug,…
On the corner of Breakbeat and Bass, in the town of Danceville, there hangs a cat whose scratch is surely as deep as the hiss of some vintage vinyl. I’m not talking about some throwback turntablist trying to revive the art of the back-cue, mind you – hell, most of…
For those that don’t already know, today is Boxing Day. We don’t celebrate it here in the U.S. but it’s a major shopping holiday in Canada, the Caribbean, the U.K., and countries associated with the British Commonwealth. Those of us with connections to the Commonwealth are well-familiar with Boxing Day…
(Photo via Music is a Weapon’s MySpace page.)Music is a WeaponMusic is a Weapon (Rain Trust)www.myspace.com/musicisaweaponbandMost of the members of Music is a Weapon boast enough years of playing under their belts to know a thing or two. As must be repeated, most of them were in the late, great…
It’s been a good year for the music scene of South Florida. Talented upstart artists who were expected to break out exceeded expectations. Already-established acts released stellar projects as well. There’s a lot of good music coming out of this region at the moment (enough to make any local audiophile…
What with the economy circling the drain and Sarah Palin coming down from the tundra and then refusing to go back, 2008 has been that kind of year. Good thing there were so many awesome records available to serve as a soundtrack. We’ve broken them down into the three categories…
What with the economy circling the drain and Sarah Palin coming down from the tundra and then refusing to go back, 2008 has been that kind of year. Good thing there were so many awesome records available to serve as a soundtrack. We’ve broken them down into the three categories…
I love Santa Claus. I wish it was because I’m fascinated by the way his modern-day story evokes folkloric traditions, possible real people, and pre-Christian mythology. Or because he’s got a toy shop, magic reindeer, a flying sled, and it’s cool to lie to little kids about his existence. But…
What with the economy circling the drain and Sarah Palin coming down from the tundra and then refusing to go back, 2008 has been that kind of year. Good thing there were so many awesome records available to serve as a soundtrack. We’ve broken them down into the three categories…
They wanna know why South Florida is runnin’ shit right now,” Rick Ross howls into a microphone during a recent performance as sweat drips from his brow. ” ‘Cause we got hits man!” And with that, his DJ drops the beat for “Hustlin’,” Ross’ megawatt single that propelled him straight…
Virgins Miscarriage (Kiss of Death) It seems like just a few months ago, Sam Johnson was wandering around Orlando, telling people that his longtime band, New Mexican Disaster Squad, was ending, but that he had a new thing cooking — and maybe this next band would be recording some demos…
WAUMISSWAUMISS (Little Ramona Records)The Carrboro, North Carolina-based duo WAUMISS traces its roots back to Florida, to a series of early-Nineties Tampa and St. Petersburg bedrooms that produced many beautifully skewed pop songs. The musicians who comprise WAUMISS became two of many who wandered beyond their original Florida circle, but remained…
If you know anything about Blowfly, the self-proclaimed Original Dirty Rapper, then you know he’s one of the last people on earth who should be talking to kids. The legendary Miami songwriter, who used to perform under his given name, Clarence Reid, has spent the latter part of his…
So I am a sucker for Christmas, and the Seraphic Fire’s Friday night concert at the Arsht Center made the season for me. Messiah — particularly the hallelujah chorus, was sublime. The small orchestra and beautiful voices organized by Notre Dame professor Patrick Quigley and partially funded by the Knight…
That’s right everybody, I kissed a girl,” declares Katy Perry to an audience of screaming teenagers. “She was hot, and I liked it!” With that, an entire arena full of teens and tweens begin shrieking the words to Perry’s hit song, “I Kissed a Girl,” so loudly that Perry’s voice…
What your holiday gift list doesn’t need is a robotic vacuum cleaner. Or an overpriced Walkman with an “i” in front of it. What you need, and what you should be giving to everybody you know, is baby-faced U2. And a bit of crooning reggae. Mixed with a drug-soaked freak…
Just across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, Missouri, sits that city’s rough-and-tumble little brother, East St. Louis, Illinois. Despite decades of poverty and urban blight, any city would be proud to spawn the gritty, heartfelt soul of the East St. Louisans compiled on Chicago-based label the Numero Group’s Eccentric…
Kieran Hebden is an electronica performer better known as Four Tet; drummer Steve Reid is a veteran of 1960s and ’70s R&B and free jazz scenes. They initially seem like an unlikely pairing, but not when one considers the cross-pollination between jazz, electronica, and indie rock scenes over the past…
There’s no doubt that VP Records is the upper echelon music label when it comes to reggae worldwide. So at the end of the year, legions of reggae fans look forward to their Strictly the Best series, a sort of year-end list of all the hottest jams from the past…
I just came across this video today while I was on the Rappers I Know blog, and it’s of Miami’s DJ Craze doing his finals routine from the 1998 DMC championship. It’s hard to believe this video is already 10 years old and Craze definitely goes in during this six…
