Miami Blog

Best New Electronica Artist
Panic Bomber
panicbomber.com

Playing live around town for less than a year, the shadowy character known as Panic Bomber has already developed some minor lore. Legend has it that once upon a time, Richard Haig was a local rock musician who got fed up with the grind of being hustled offstage in time for the night's main event -- a DJ. So he turned to dance music himself, supposedly in an act of defiance that's explained, sort of, in a treatise on his website. Whatever. The music he makes, regardless of the reasoning behind it, is slick and dance-friendly. It works up to a funky electro-house groove that's rough enough around the edges to belie its creator's rock roots. And unable to fully relinquish a band's spectacle of performance, Haig has devised a pretty sweet light-up costume. Look out for him at a more discerning -- hmmm, some would say "hip" -- dance club near you.

Full list of winners June 10 via bestof.miaminewtimes.com, June 11 on newsstands.

Jipsy

Best Weekly Party
(((Shake))) at the Vagabond
30 NE 14th St.
Miami 33132
305-379-0508
thevagabondmiami.com

Hipsters love irony. But don't call the Sweat Records and ¿Que Pasa M.I.A.? crews responsible for this Thursday-night fiesta hipsters. That's totally not what they're trying to attract. They're more interested in spicing the event with scrumptiously dirty 305 flavor and enticing those who enjoy an anti-South Beach party. They do very uncool quince-themed nights featuring grilled pan con lechón. And what could be nerdier than dressing grown men in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles costumes? Projecting original Nintendo games on a large screen for patrons to play? Or maybe cranking out old-school tunes that range from 2 Live Crew to the Buzzcocks? But it's not like there's Pabst Blue Ribbon (the official drink of the stylistically unwashed) on special during this particular night -- just one-dollar Colt tallboys, seven-dollar gin 'n' juice, and seven-buck Dirty Shake combos (a tall boy and a shot of Jäger).

So if the organizers are not trying to allure hipsters, why does this undeniably fun, nostalgia-hawking, ultimately sarcastic shindig at the Vagabond draw them like coke on a key every week?

Uh, we're not sure.

But it's kind of ironic, doncha think?

Full list of winners June 10 via bestof.miaminewtimes.com, June 11 on newsstands.

Best Local Album
Torche, Meanderthal
Hydra Head Records
myspace.com/torche

The underground metal cognoscenti revered the 2005 self-titled debut album by heavy hometown heroes Torche for its melodic take on sludgy sounds. But it was last year's followup, Meanderthal, that won the band a wider audience and even more critical praise. (And even though at the time the album was recorded, half the musicians lived outside of their hometown, we'll still claim 'em.) Torche kept the down-tuned riffage cranked to 11 but at the same time explored more left-field influences, with shades of My Bloody Valentine and Sonic Youth brought to the fore. It earned the group prime-time slots at a slew of international festivals, as well as glowing reviews from Mojo, Spin, Pitchfork, and pretty much every other magazine. On a bittersweet note, the record is also the last capturing of the band's classic lineup; guitarist Juan Montoya, who wrote a large chunk of Meanderthal's riffs, was booted last year. Luckily, the album remains as evidence of Miami's best recent heavy exports in their prime.

Full list of winners June 10 via bestof.miaminewtimes.com, June 11 on newsstands.

Best Club DJ
Danny Daze
myspace.com/djdannydaze

Danny Daze has been doing the DJ/producer thing for a while now, but he has definitely been getting plenty of attention recently. He spends as much time on the decks at clubs around the nation as in Miami, and when he's here, you can catch him at South Beach bashes such as LIV's Wednesday-night Dirty Hairy party and Rokbar's Good Clean Fun on Thursdays. He really shines during rare downtown sets at the Vagabond and White Room. Freed from the shackles of the Beach's Top 40 inclination, Daze delivers raw and energetic sets that are drastically different. And there's more. He sometimes produces his own music and works with Midwest DJs Joe Maz and Gigamesh as part of the production trio DicoTech -- which has produced remixes for the likes of Kanye West, All-American Rejects, and Chris Cornell. And, oh yeah, he's working on his new collaborative project with Gigamesh -- Señor Stereo.

If you haven't done so yet, remember: today is the last day you can vote for Best of Miami Readers' Poll. This is your only chance to give a Best of Miami award to who you think truly deserves it. So vote now!