The standard for excellence dating back nearly 60 years now,, stemming from her time with the Supremes, Ross played a key role in what’s considered some of the most important work done in modern American music. They got their start in the projects of Detroit in 1960 and four years later were a global sensation rivaling the Beatles. The Supremes’ second album, 1964’s Where Did Our Love Go, with the atomic-level hit “Baby Love” as well as the title song and “Come See About Me,” probably has made them a billion dollars over the years … unless the crooks at Motown took all the royalties. But let’s stay positive here.
At 75, Diana Ross is still reaching fans — and making new ones — with her singular voice. She did an entire album with Marvin Gaye in 1973 titled Diana & Marvin — which I was completely unaware of until recently. The single “You Are Everything” feels like discovering Marvin Gaye all over again, and I’m over the moon for it. Ross had a million hits on her own, but this album is a treasure. The song “Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)” is a beautiful composition that takes two once-in-a-generation artists at their best to create a song that feels like it was made for the era it was recorded in and still hits home today.
After years of making history with Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard, Ross went solo in 1970, racking up hit singles and starring roles in Hollywood for the next decade. Even so, the 1980 album Diana, her 10th solo studio LP, was earth-shattering when it dropped. With the mega-hit “I’m Coming Out,” Ross reinvented herself yet again and scored what’s undoubtedly the biggest crossover hit ever, as the song quickly became a gay anthem and sealed Ross’ place as an icon of the gay scene of the 1970s and ‘80s. There is no selling short the depth of her influence in American pop music. 8 p.m. Monday, March 9 at Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm; kravis.org. Tickets start at $59.
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Lovelorn
I love music that makes me think the artists have found a new pathway to chaos. That they’ve cracked some ancient code and tied those findings to new technology or new sounds.When I listen to the demos released by Lovelorn, I can’t help but feel like I’m in some romantic cybernetic future, where dreams float by on VR advert screens high above us and completely out of reach. They haven’t produced a ton of music that can be found online, but what they have is creepy, ethereal new wave-ish hot shit.
On their latest single, “Around You,” they build up their self-proclaimed Drugpop sound around these really intense drums, with bass player Anna behind the wheel. It feels at times like a record off the soundtrack for the film Drive, intense and cosmic. Lovelorn combines elements of industrial, ‘80s new wave, and a dash of psychedelia to confuse your neuro transmitters. The Philly-based band needs to be listened to — they may just be playing the music that gets us out of this mess. Make sure to hit SoundCloud to listen to the three blazing tracks they’ve released. With Planet Loser, Glass Body, and Real People. 8 p.m. Monday, March 9 at Propaganda, 6 S. J St., Lake Worth; PropagandaLakeWorth on Facebook. Admission is free.
Dan Luke & the Raid
With catchy tracks like "Exoskeleton" and "Fool," Dan Luke & the Raid are on their way to indie glory. Their debut album Out of the Blue, released in October of last year, is messy and yet catchy as fuck — it keeps you bobbing your head while you think about your reckless youth ... and if you are still in your reckless youth, then you have a great soundtrack for Saturday night. The song "Black Cat Heavy Metal" reminds me of some wild MOD shit from the 1960s. I wanna put my big ass on a scooter and zip around the East End of London on barbiturates while I tag my name on the walls of a local council flat before throwing up from one too many pints of the “black stuff”. Dan Luke & the Raid bring us back a messy garage version of that '60s British style that bands like the Who embodied when they first got their start. The track "Disco Is as Disco Does" is a perfect example of this ... hopefully, they aren’t drowning in a bottle of cheap Scotch right now. 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 11 at Revolution Live, 100 SW Third Ave., Fort Lauderdale; 954-449-1025; jointherevolution.net. Tickets start at $8.43 via ticketmaster.com.Art Garfunkel
Art Garfunkel will live forever in the music he’s created both with Paul Simon and as a solo artist. I’ve never been much for the soft shit, but Garfunkel is one exception.Simon & Garfunkel are considered one of the greatest pop duo’s in history. After their final breakup in 1970, Garfunkel continued making lullaby pop that makes boomers slow dance on their 30th wedding anniversary after they have dinner at the same Italian restaurant where they met. Check out his 1977 album, Watermark, and the song “(What a) Wonderful World.” The title of the album expresses everything you need to know about the now 78-year-old New Yorker — it’s softer than a goose-down pillow. With songs like “Crying In My Sleep” and “All My Love’s Laughter,” Garfunkel shows just how deep his cupcaking goes. South Florida baby boomers, with their back problems and their over-extended lifestyles, need to go just one night without a headache — and Arthur Garfunkel is the lullaby they need. 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 12 at Coral Spring Center for the Arts, 2855 Coral Springs Dr., Coral Springs; thecentercs.com. Tickets start at $90 via eventticketcenter.com.
Supergold
Ah, impressionable youth! God, I miss being completely reckless and broken-hearted. After decades of life, I’m all dried up and have nothing left to give sometimes. But when you listen to a band like Supergold, you begin to think, maybe the world won’t burn down around us (it probably still will, but it’s nice to dream).This indie rock band is working hard to become the heartthrobs they embody in their music. The Fort Lauderdale-based quintet, playing Saturday at the third annual Parkchella in Parkland, has a very loose and fun style that has long been the lane of the lovers of indie-rock music. Their most recent release, Paris, Texas, is a three-track record that is a slice of heaven for all those girls out there looking to dance and enjoy life, if only for a while. Songs like “The Leech” are great examples of a young band coming into their own with elements of the beach that they can’t help but pick up when living down here. Then the song “Paris, Texas” floats in softly over an organ as the sounds of waves seem to come along a shore in the background. 5:30 p.m. Saturday, March 14 at Pine Trails Park Amphitheatre, 10555 Trails End, Parkland; cityofparkland.org. Admission is free.
