Tahita Bulmer, the effervescent frontwoman for New Young Pony Club, has little love for the sort of po-faced, pseudo-earnest bloke rock that’s held her London home in its tatty-trousered chokehold. “Women and their histories and their perspective haven’t been fashionable for a long time,” she says from a recording studio,…
It’s an undeniable fact that certain traditionally black genres of music such as the blues and sacred steel have become embraced by jam-band audiences far and wide. Despite what some purists may think, this is irrefutably a good thing. Artists like Robert Cray, Aubrey Ghent, and the Lee Boys can…
You don’t have to scroll very far down the lengthy list of actors who have tried to pass themselves off as singers — William Shatner and David Hasselhoff, anyone? — to dash expectations that any other thespian will ever fare better. Still, Minnie Driver proved a rare exception when she…
It was sometime around last February that Sharon Osbourne, wife of grandfatherly rocker Ozzy Osbourne, made the shocking announcement. Ozzfest, the 11-year-old mainstay of the world of heavy-metal concerts, would be free this year. All summer long. Questions of how could they pull this off and what it meant for…
“Last Romantic Day,” a song off the latest Rentals EP, The Last Little Life, begins with gentle plucking on violin strings. Even before any other instruments come in, it’s painfully clear that Matt Sharp did the right thing when he freed himself from the repressive yoke of playing in Weezer…
A few years back, the Used’s Bert McCracken and My Chemical Romance’s Gerard Way were the enfants terribles of the ’00s post-emo/post-whatever world. The duo shared a serious dark streak and a fuck-it-all attitude, seemingly inhaling substances by the gallon and sharing a kind of symbiotic man-bond that defied definition…
The Bang Gang has attracted international attention as one of Sydney, Australia,’s sweatiest, most forward-thinking club nights, where techno trash and indie slop coexist happily. This double-disc mix set, a group effort by the night’s masterminds, is a hypercaffeinated mishmash, a snapshot of what would be one of the most…
Whether you consider Dub Trio’s approach to be a King Tubby-influenced take on spazz-rock or a rock-laced assault on dub conventions, the essential fact remains that its disorienting attack is best appreciated live. Cool Out and Coexist was recorded over the course of two nights of Brooklyn concerts and is…
In all the hoopla over the influence of ’60s and ’70s art rock on some of today’s most interesting bands, one salient fact is frequently overlooked: A lot of that stuff blew. For every Roxy Music and King Crimson, there was a Yes or an Emerson, Lake & Palmer (plus…
On her newest disc, Zingaro, Fort Lauderdale-raised jazz sensation Alexis Cole takes on several familiar standards and allows her captivating voice to stand out without much accentuation. She’s accompanied solely by guitarist Ron Affif and bassist Jeff Eckels for the entire disc except on the upbeat song “Walkin’,” which features…
Jamaican reggae group, Rootz Underground is playing their first ever show in Miami tonight at PS 14. The group has a powerful video, “Victims of the System” which has been getting a lot of love on MTV’s Caribbean station, Tempo, lately and the band is known for its positive vibes…
Juan Luis Guerra Juan Luis Guerra isn’t much of a morning person. “It took me a while to gather all my senses,” said Guerra. “I’m not used to getting up so early.” But getting up early Wednesday morning proved to be beneficial as the Dominican singer/songwriter led the way with…
Kinky August 28, 2007 The Fifth, Miami Beach Better Than: Once Upon a Time in the West as fleeced by The Thievery Corporation. Or something. Else. Kinky lead man Gil Cerezo The Review: The seven-city Samsung/AT&T Summer Krush series swung into South Beach last night with a set so low…
New York media is reporting the death yesterday of Hilly Kristal, founder of legendary downtown rock club CBGB, which finally closed last October after a 33-year run. Kristal, 75, had been battling lung cancer. Although Kristal talked of opening a new branch of his club in Las Vegas, the forced…
And you thought Bobby and Whitney were bad. Amy Winehouse and her husband, Blake Civil-Fiedler were recently photographed bloodied and bruised after a recent fight in London. It can’t help that paparazzi follow their every move and make matters worse, but the couple could certainly clean themselves up after they…
From the Big TNT show in 1965. It’s and old school medley with the full Ike and Tina Turner band moving and grooving like mad. Not sure how they managed to have such good stage chemistry considering how crazy Ike was behind the scenes, but here’s a rare video that’s…
It’s been a bluesy week so far so why not start off Tuesday with a nod to John Lee Hooker, one of the greatest blues musicians to ever live. “Hobo Blues” is easily one my favorite songs of all time, mainly for its guitar work and the sincerity in his…
Josh Smith The Poorhouse August 25, 2007 Better than:Watching Taylor Hicks perform in Boca Raton with a bunch of horny grandmothers The Review: Guitarist Josh Smith played two shows on Saturday and was running on fumes by the time I caught up with him at the Poorhouse in Fort Lauderdale…
Baby Anne Studio A August 25, 2007 Better Than: Paying $80 to watch break-beat sessions at Ultra Music Festival. The Review: Florida’s own legendary bass queen, DJ Baby Anne, headlined the Clash of the Titans electro breaks session at Studio A on Saturday August 25th along with Darling Nikki, vocalist…
There’s a big reggae concert happening on Randall’s Island in New York this weekend that even state politicians are trying to get shut down due to the homophobic lyrics of some of its artists. Typically, I would say, FORWARRDDDD!!!! And big up to anyone willing to put all of that…
Autumn To Ashes Holding a Wolf By The Ears Vagrant Note to all you would-be rock scribes. When you’re reviewing a group fronted by the band’s drummer, have your earplugs handy. Drummers tend to crank up the volume and you don’t want premature hearing loss to hamper your career. Okay,…
A.K.A. PS 14 August 22, 2007 Better Than: Getting jumped, robbed and stabbed by a group of raging women. The Review: A.K.A., the all lady trio voted 2007’s best female band by the Miami New Times, held one of their last shows at PS 14’s, Spider Pussy, on Tuesday before…
