We all had imaginary friends we loved when we were little. Whether or not they actually liked us, well, that’s a different story. You usually leave behind these characters as you age past 4, but for two exceptions: you’re cuckoo or you are in the band Raggy Monster. Bill Schmidt…
Nate “Igor” SmithA juggalo photographed on Wednesday, the first day of The Gathering, 2013.By its organizers’ own assessment, the Gathering of the Juggalos is an event filled with the most misunderstood people of all time. Juggalos are generally looked down upon by “normal” members of society, thought of as losers,…
Nate “Igor” SmithA juggalo photographed on Wednesday, the first day of The Gathering, 2013.At some point in your life, you may find yourself sitting in a minivan in rural Illinois, stressed out as you wear a metal butcher knife pendant around your neck. Your ankles are covered in mysterious goo…
It’s kind of a drag paying your dues when you’re starting up a band, looking for gigs, and your sound is hard to categorize. We sat with Shinbone Alley vocalist/percussionist Jill Lurie and guitarist Robert Goldman as they tried to explain their particular kind of noise in words. Jill spouted…
In a culture that tends to pigeonhole practically everything for the sake of convenience, Slightly Stoopid defy any notion of easy categorization. They even defy their own branding, with an adept combination of reggae, funk, hip-hop, rock, and punk that’s far from what their goofy name might imply. Unlike other…
With a name like Fireside Prophets, you’d think this reggae-rock trio has something profound to say, possibly on a campground at night. Their sound brings bits of grunge to reggae, and it’s up to you to decide if whether these three musicians — guitarist Justin D’Alfonso, bassist Oren Gross, and…
The drum ‘n’ bass party that started up back in May at Lake Worth’s Speakeasy Lounge will have its fourth installment this Friday with veteran headliner A-Sides dropping an old school Jungle set for seasoned and baby bassheads. “The vibes are great, and it’s all about the music,” says Rene…
Exhibit A for why so many people born in the 1970s experimented with drugs is The Muppet Show. This primetime, half-hour variety show aimed at kids was possibly the most whacked out craziest bit of insanity to ever play on television. Running from 1976 to 1981, and starring Kermit the…
People don’t just walk their pups around the block anymore. Residents treat their furry friends like members of the family. They’re treated better than the kids, in their baby carriages, sucking down water beside a sushi place, panting from their Baby Bjorn perches. With the dog days of summer upon…
Thanks to Miley Cyrus, and other widespread forms of ratchetness, twerking is the Macarena of the current era. In other words, the art of twerking is infamously practiced, yet rarely duplicated in its correct form. Only the most graceful hood-rat can hit the nail on the head, in this case,…
The best place in print — besides the New Times, of course — to get your South Florida indie music fix is PureHoney. The monthly magazine is a labor of love, borne from the dedication and experience of one great, bearded man: Steve Rullman. The fold-out party bible is entering…
Dance music isn’t a religion, but taking a look around today’s dance floor might lead you to believe it’s possible. It’s not all sex and hedonism. These beat freaks are having life-changing experiences. They flock from all over the world to pray at the altar of light and bpms. And…
Mayer Hawthorne was excused for running a few minutes late. The Ann Arbor native returned from a European tour and was on his way from L.A. to New York as part of a promotional push for his album Where Does This Door Go. He is currently supporting OneRepublic on its…
You think studying Beer Pong-ology with a minor in Rage-onomics at frat parties helped you prepare for real-life, grown-up drinking activities. But when faced with a drunken spelling bee, the distinct possibility of failure looms large. The smell of stale keg beer, one night stands, and regret has dissipated, and…
Music vet and New Times scribe Lee Zimmerman shares observations, insights, and updates relating to South Florida’s musical environs. This week: Theatre at Arts Garage goes back to the future. Forget the internet, live streams, social media and cyberspace. Delray’s Theatre at Arts Garage has announced a series of innovative…
This past July, our sister paper LA Weekly pulled its collected sources at their West Coast Sound music blog and delivered a list of the “Top 20” punk albums in history. A fairly grandiose scheme on their behalf, and thus bound to fall short in some respects, especially for those…
You know the old saying; when life gives you 200 mangoes, make a Mango Tour. Right? Anyone? That seems to be the plan for Palm Beach County reggae outfit Future Prezidents. The group happened upon a fruity goldmine in their backyard, and are turning it into a way to spread…
You might think it funny for a band that got its start amid the seaside kitsch of Myrtle Beach to have a name like Alabama. But sort of like calling your Brooklyn-born baby Brooklyn, these guys were actually appropriately named after their native state. In 1969, cousins Randy Owen and…
South Florida in the 1960s was a hotbed of live soul, funk, rhythm, and blues; and Deep City Records was Liberty City’s answer to Motown. Two public school teachers named Willie Clarke and Johnny Pearsall pooled their resources and formed the first black owned label in Florida. They based themselves…
Amanda Wright, better known as Mandy Moon, hails from Thailand, and came to Boca via New Orleans. Her musical influences are as diverse as the cities she’s lived, including jazz and indie sounds. She was also in chorus at FAU, and graduated from the school with a degree in classical…
It is a proper shame to lose a venue of any sort in South Florida, particularly in Broward County. We don’t exactly have a wealth of nice places to house live music, let alone one willing to handle some of the sonic baptisms and noise rituals in which many of…
Slate recently reported Miami has the worst drivers in the country, and kinky party stalwart Fetish Factory cares too much about its faithful merrymakers to put them at the frontlines of such highway hell. After a last-minute location change last week from Fort Lauderdale’s Exit 66 to Grand Central in…
