Imagine a human civilization built on a swamp, surrounded by beaches, and populated by everyone from condo-dwelling retirees to crack dealers. That’s South Florida, all right, and it’s the perfect setting for the break-core/noise-hop that Hialeah native Otto Von Schirach has been producing. After releasing several albums and remixes, Von…
For those of you tired of the paint-by-numbers approach employed by too many emo bands, here’s some good news: An increasing number of them find it boring too. Matchbook Romance is a case in point. A quartet from the rock hotbed of Poughkeepsie, New York, the group, led by guitarist/vocalist…
The transformation of No Fair Fights has been absolutely stunning. Just two years ago, the group was churning out mediocre, cookie-cutter pop punk. But the outfit’s musicianship has taken a quantum leap since then, and its latest effort, a self-titled, seven-song affair, is killer from start to finish. The prog-inflected,…
It would be difficult to imagine two artists who better embody the spirit of authentic Americana than John Fogerty and Willie Nelson. Each has established an indelible imprint, from the relentless refrains that framed Fogerty’s Credence Clearwater Revival hits to the rugged, backwoods drawl Nelson navigated. Likewise, their careers paralleled…
Bands change, fortunately, and so does the music they make. But that implies opinions must change too. After telling MxPx frontman Mike Herrera’s bass tech at this summer’s Warped Tour that the band was a pale Green Day imitation, a moment later we were introduced to Herrera himself. Oops! He…
Culled from a few historically significant West Coast punk bands (Agent Orange, Social Distortion, and the Detours) came one of the most influential outfits in American punkdom: the Adolescents. Buzz-sawing their way since 1981’s self-titled debut, the Ads are a textbook example of chemistry, growth, and influence, from the guitar…
It was just after 10 p.m. when I arrived at Gold Coast Roller Rink (2604 S. Federal Hwy., Fort Lauderdale) for its Tuesday-night “Rollout at Rainbow Skate” party. I’d seen fliers for it in the previous weeks but hadn’t seen any advertising for this particular night. So I took my…
Action Action doesn’t have a huge tour bus. Hell, the band doesn’t even have a small tour bus, just a van — a ’98 Dodge Ram that serves as sleeping quarters half the time. Though, if you ask bassist Clarke Foley, it works just as fine as any four-star hotel…
Dave Melillo is the kind of heartthrob tween girls swoon over and young guys either envy or admire. Melillo’s handsome, young, bright, and articulate. But he knows that adolescent-themed music is like adolescence itself — just a phase. And at 17, Melillo’s at the age where youthful passions intersect with…
Canadian rock gladiator Jon Mikl Thor transforms his love of comic book superheroes, Norse mythology, metal, and glam-rock into mind-blowing theatrical stage shows in support of his new CD, Devastation of Musculation, which hits stores July 25. Fighting against Reptilian leader Invictus, wrapping his microphone stand around Evil Ogre’s neck,…
Once upon a time, America had more to worry about than whether Elvis’ shaking hips would lead to premarital sex. There was a war, a very Cold War. Children would bury time capsules so that future generations could retrieve from the Earth just a little slice of American life. Future…
These days, few performers are capable of crafting long-lasting careers — but producers like Tim “Timbaland” Mosley are another story. More than a decade after emerging from the wilds of Virginia, Timbaland is as in demand as ever, and his work on the unexpectedly pleasurable Loose ensures that his cell…
There’s always been an innate English eccentricity in the music of singer/guitarist Richard Thompson. But his latest opus is perhaps his most oddly ambitious. A live DVD/double-CD set detailing a millennium’s worth of popular song, it paints the survey in broad strokes, melding old folk melodies, carols, and madrigals with…
In the early 20th Century, a bridge was formed between Cuba and Jamaica. It’s a bridge made not of concrete and asphalt but of rhythm and melody. And now the audio architects in Ska Cubano are giving it a 21st-century renovation. The swingin’, high-styled outfit is fronted by British ska…
Time and space are inconsequential, and the proof is in the cobra — Black Cobra. Despite living on opposite ends of the country, South Florida expatriates Jason Landrian (guitars/vocals, now a New Yorker) and Rafael Martinez (drums, now a Californian) are as tight as they ever were. Since first joining…
Anthony Green was California dreamin’. In 2003, he left his hometown of Philadelphia for the golden sands of Newport Beach, where he formed Saosin. But a year later, Green exited stage east, back to Philly, where he hooked up with former This Day Forward guitarist Colin Frangicetto to start a…
Everyone knows that kung fu and dance music go hand in hand. As early as 1974, disco balls were spinning to Carl Douglas’ timeless classic “Kung Fu Fighting,” and 30 years later, the Wu-Tang Clan is representing the Chinese delegation with its Shaolin style of hip-hop. Well, if you’ve had…
There’s something about Juana, apparently. Whoever she is, the namesake of Miami’s Locos por Juana (“Crazy About Jane”) has inspired one spiced-up fusion of Latin-style music. The band is pure Miami — Biscayne Boulevard, baby — taking everything from salsa, reggae, dub, and hip-hop and spinning it into a rhythmic…
At this point, it’s no secret that the Kottonmouth Kings indulge in all things cannabis. Bona fide stoners who, unlike many of their fellow tokers, have managed to stay busy and creatively peaked. With a handful of albums under its belt collectively (and a few solo ventures), the six-man bong…
The latest schlep to win American Idol may have the downhome looks and soulful voice (and the last name) to have won the Southern vote. But the second Taylor Hicks took his prize-winning pipes to the studio (for the single “Do I Make You Proud”), he proved to be just…
Whenever I ask people if they want to see a show at Gumwrappers, they say, “Hey, isn’t that a strip club?” Well, sure, back when Reagan was president. The joint on A1A has been through a transformation that still doesn’t get it the attention it deserves. Just four years ago,…
So the space shuttle Discovery finally launched three days after its original lift-off date of July 1. NASA blamed bad weather for the three-day delay. Fair enough. But what was the reason for the other delay on July 1 — you know, Ms. Lauryn Hill’s big holdup at West Palm…
