Miami Music Blog

​Despite the hordes of electronic dance music artists living and working out of Berlin -- natives and foreign transplants alike -- few embody the spirit and sound of Berlin's contemporary EDM scene as fully as DJ/producer Cassy. Born Catherine Britton in England to a Caribbean father and Austrian mother, Cassy got her start performing as a guest vocalist on Elin's "Music Takes Me Higher" on Sabotage Records in 1999. Soon after she got bit by the techno bug and began honing her skills behind the decks.

By 2003 she made the move to Berlin, where she's staked her reputation as one of the city's most formidable DJs and most forward-thinking producers, with releases on the Cocoon, Minus, Get Physical, and Perlon imprints. Blending elegant atmospheric textures with understated rhythms and a distinctive soulful vocal style, Cassy sounds something like a futuristic minimal techno Sade. Her residencies at the esteemed Berghain and Panorama Bar nightclubs have made her a staple of Berlin's late-night scene, and in 2006 she was invited to mix Panorama Bar's debut club offering. Fast-forward to 2009 and Cassy is once again spearheading a new compilation mix, In the Mix - Simply Devotion, this time for the prestigious Cocoon label, and supported by a North American tour that fortunately for us includes a stop by the Electric Pickle on Saturday. This one's an early bird special starting in the afternoon, so be sure you make it in time for Cassy's set!

Cassy at Electric Pickle, with Will Renuart, Alejandro Sab, Michael Christopher and Basti. Saturday, November 21. 4 p.m.-10:30 p.m. 2826 N. Miami Ave., Miami.  

Check out Crossfade's brief Q&A with Cassy after the jump.

​If you thought that the fact he's only 6 phone calls away from everyone in the world made Kevin Bacon cool, prepare to be blown away. He sings. He and brother Michael (can someone start a 7 degrees of Michael Bacon meme, please) have been performing as The Bacon Brothers all of their lives, but professionally since 1995. While the folk country rock duo may not have crossed your radar yet, they're playing at the historic Lyric Theatre (59 SW Flagler Ave.) Sunday at 4 and 7 p.m. Click here to get acquainted with their sound and here to get reacquainted with Kevin dancing in skinny jeans.

​Unmitigated cool never goes outta style. Ever. Especially when said cool comes from one of the originators. See then it's something at once insidious and divine, a thing in and of itself, unexplainable, indefinable and blessed beyond belief.

That kinda cool also tends to be highly emulated. And no one was perhaps more emulated throughout the Swingin' '60s than a dame named Ronnie Spector, front chick of The Ronettes. The beehives, the tight skirts, the black slashes of heavy eyeliner, all spoke bad girl in a time when there really wasn't such a thing. And Ronnie's gang set the stage for all the good female trouble to come.

After Ronnie hooked up and marryied Phil Spector back in '63, she and the Ronettes had a run of Top 40 hits which included "Be My Baby" and "Baby, I Love You," as well as a slate of Christmas classics that still get played to this day. But by the end of the decade their star had faded and Phil had pretty much lost his mind.

​I'm going to resist the urge to use the name of this weekend's festival in question in some ill-conceived pun or a shoddy play on words, and just power through right into the info you seek. I'm also going to try to ignore that little bit of track music that begins to wrack my head from within at the mere mention of this name--you know the one, that incredibly annoying salsa loop that plays any time E, Bravo, Travel, FLN, Food Network or any other cable network does a show in Miami.

Because let's face it. Caliente Music Festival sounds damned corny. But the lineup is smokin' (...damnit, I couldn't resist). Legendary Colombian salsa group Grupo Niche, the "Pavarotti" of salsa Tito Nieves, one of Santo Domingo's greatest merengue exports Hector Acosta "El Torito," and Jerry Rivera, the man behind hits like "Amores Como el Nuestro" and "Cara de Niño," all under one roof? Dare I say that roof will be on fire? No. No, I don't. And I'm ashamed for even attempting it.

Calliente! Music Festival takes place on Saturday, November 21 at 7:00pm in American Airlines Arena. Tickets run $35--103.

The Golden Filter's take on late-'70s downtown glitz has taken Manhattan's club scene (and the blogosphere) by storm. Consisting of record producer Stephen and vocalist Penelope, the duo is notable for its chilly arpeggios, pulsating beats, and plush vocals -- as well as their elusive personas. (No, those aren't their full names.)

What is known about the Ohio-born knob-twister and the Australian chanteuse is that they met in New York through a mutual appreciation for photography. After putting out a sensational debut single, the disco-noir cut "Solid Gold," the Golden FIlter cemented its reputation with brilliant nu disco remixes of Cut Copy's "Far and Away" and Peter, Bjorn and John's "Lay It Down." Couple that with a successful opening slot for the Presets on a recent North American tour, as well as a highly anticipated follow-up single "Thunderbird." In its physical form, it's a limited-edition 12-inch with a glittering disco-pop cover of The White Stripes' "The Hardest Button To Button" on the B-side. 

Crossfade caught up with the enigmatic duo by e-mail a day after they played Iceland's Airwaves Festival. Read the Q&A after the jump.

The Golden Filter. Saturday, December 5. Poplife at Electric Pickle, 2826 N. Miami Ave. Doors open at 10 p.m., tickets cost $10 in advance from wantickets.com. Ages 21+ with ID. 305-456-5613; epoplife.com

​One of the most tragicomic moments in the 2004 Metallica documentary Some Kind of Monster features not the band itself, but rather Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine. In an touchy-feely, on-camera counseling session, Mustaine reveals some seemingly major inferiority issues to Metallica's drummer Lars Ulrich. He even seems to come uncomfortably close to tears as he recalls how fans, in the '80s, would yell "Metallica!" at him on the streets.

La Quinta Estacion (The Fifth Station) only rose to Latin pop prominence in the U.S. in recent ​years, first making an impact with their 2004 sophomore release Flores de Alquiler (Leased Flowers). It may have taken them a minute to catch on, but once they did, single after single became hits, including "El Sol No Regresa," "Algo Mas" and "Daria." Two studio albums later (and an acoustic compilation album in the mix), La Quinta Estacion have picked up a few platinum records, a couple of Latin Grammys, and hordes of fans.

They also lost one of the members, guitarist Pablo Domniguez. However, guitarist Angel Reyero and vocalist Natalia Jimenez carry on. The following statement may be a bit bold, but here goes: the beautiful and ubber-charming Jimenez has the best set of pipes in Latin pop. Seriously, she could belt it out underwater. There's evidence on the discs, but recordings hardly do her justice.

La Quinta Estacion perform live at the Fillmore Miami Beach on Friday, November 13 at 9p.m. Tickets range...something, but their page on Live Nation has been down for a few days. Check back later.

​​Downtown-type promoters love booking 2 Live Crew. (It hasn't been too long since they played the Vagabond, and there were those shows at the old Studio A before that.) This always creates a magical mash-up of a crowd that falls along a very, very wide irony spectrum. The thing is, no matter what kind of stupid outfits people may wear to a 2 Live Crew show downtown, or how openly they express their enthusiasm, underneath it all pretty much everyone loves the Crew. While other people grew up on a childhood memories full of some kind of sugary pop music, if you grew up in Miami, your childhood memories are full of cousins' backyard parties with a rental DJ playing "Pop That Coochie." 

​Ah, Champion Sound. This weekly jam at Electric Pickle deserves ten gold stars for being one of the few regular parties in Miami where quality hip-hop lives. Tonight's edition is special for two reason: One, it's a birthday celebration for Crossfade/New Times music contributor Esther Park. Happy birthday, Esta!

Second, it also celebrates the release of local MC Dynas' new album, The Apartment. We previewed it a little while back (click here for that post, which includes a free MP3 of the track "Totally Tanya.") Although the album was originally scheduled for a September 28 release on BBE Records, it was worth the wait. Besides Dynas' worthy golden-age style rhymes, the record features contributions from marquee names like DJ Spinna, Jazzy Jeff, Rich Medina, Slick Rick, and even the late, great, Dilla.

Helping Dynas celebrate tonight are fellow local greats carrying a torch for quality hip-hop: Basic Vocab, Wrekonize, LMS, Streets Buchanan, and Mike Beatz. Of course, resident DJs Sire Esq. and A-Train will keep the party going, and there'll be a special guest set by DJ KNS as well. Plus, beers are only $5 all night. Do it.

Wednesday, November 11. Electric Pickle, 2826 N. Miami Ave., Miami. Doors open at 10 p.m., admission is $5. Ages 21+ with ID. 305-456-5613

via myspace.com/losangelesguns

photo by Gokhan Kali

via purevolume.com/evergreenterrace

​Thursday's show was meant to be a huge booking coup for Miami all-ages venue the Dugout; warehouse drama has now shifted the show to Ground Control, a similarly bare-bones venue in West Palm Beach. Evergreen Terrace is arguably Jacksonville's most famous musical export in recent years, a mega-popular heavy band who manages to garner the respect of both tough-guy hardcore types and metalcore kids in tight pants. This is because, first off, the band is heavy as hell -- no dialing it in.

Second, and most importantly, the band has earned its spot at the top of the heap, slowly grinding away from the bottom, d.i.y.-style, over the past 10 years. The band's 2001 debut full-length was released on the indie Georgia imprint Indianola Records. From 2005 to 2008, Evergreen Terrace would release another three records on local hardcore stable Eulogy. In the past couple years, the band finally graduated to Metal Blade, and its first studio album for the label, Almost Home, dropped this past September. It's suitably brutal for its new label, but happily still chugs along with a break-neck punk rock energy.

Evergreen Terrace. With For the Fallen Dreams, Asking Alexandria, Serenade of Sorrows, and Thick as Blood. Thursday, November 12. Ground Control. 122 N. Military Trail, West Palm Beach. Doors open at 4 p.m. Tickets cost $8 in advance, $12 at the door. myspace.com/chinupbooking

​Few contemporary dance music labels, even by underground vanguardist standards, can take credit for the sort of daringly forward-thinking and wildly imaginative flavors that have come to distinguish Wolf + Lamb Music in recent years. Founded by the eponymous DJ duo of Zev Eisenberg and Gadi Mizrahi in 2005, Wolf + Lamb's close-knit family of artists includes established producers like Seth Troxler, Lee Curtiss, and Soul Clap, in addition to the provocative emerging sounds of newcomers like Nicolas Jaar and No Regular Play, who are bringing a refreshingly broad-minded and organic new approach to electronic dance music.

Originally exponents of the darker stripped-down aesthetics of minimal techno, the Brooklyn-based imprint and artistic collective has since come to embody a far more multifarious and quasi-psychedelic take on post-minimal house music that embraces subtle disparate influences -- from underground hip hop, to jazz and world music. Leave it to the never disappointing PL0T crew to provide us with some intimate Wolf + Lamb face time this Friday night at the Electric Pickle, which in this incarnation will include both Eisenberg and Mizrahi plus No Regular Play on the decks. They'll be joined, of course, by PL0T residents Michael Christopher and Basti for what is sure to be an incomparable night of mind-expanding and body-jacking dance music fare.

Wolf + Lamb and No Regular Play at Electric Pickle, Friday, November 13, 10 p.m.-5 a.m. 2826 N Miami Ave., Miami.

     

via myspace.com/battalionofsaints

​
In this age of laptop-toting faux live electronic dance music acts, an actual band employing actual live instrumentation and vocals is a rare thing, especially when said band is delivering funked-out dancefloor bangers like 2020Soundsystem. The musical brainchild of Leeds-based DJ and esteemed 2020Vision label owner Ralph Lawson, the Soundsystem was formed in 2003 as a means of interweaving live electronics with his DJ sets and transcending the tried-and-true record-jockeying formula at the clubs.

Originally a duo comprising Lawson and percussionist Danny "Dubble D" Ward, the project became a quartet when Argentine transplants Fernando Pulichino and Julian Sanza where invited to join on bass and keyboards, respectively. Furthermore, the band began to experiment with guest vocalists, including an early collaboration with singer Diane Charlemagne, of Goldie's "Inner City Life" fame, although Pulichino himself has since taken up lead vocal duties.

The band has enjoyed increasing recognition since 2005, when they closed the Sonar music festival in Barcelona to an audience of 10,000 people, the live recording of which became disc 2 of their first album, No Order. The Live at Sonar disc is now widely regarded as a seminal work of live electronica and DJ/musician collaboration, and gave the band's sound more cohesion as they worked towards the completion of sophomore album, Falling, released in September 2009. Crossfade had a chance to catch up with DJ Ralph Lawson on the cusp of 2020Soundsystem's live performance at LIV on Saturday night and ask him what they're all about.

2020Soundsystem at LIV. Saturday, November 7. Doors open at 10:30 p.m. $25 cover. 4441 Collins Ave. (Fontainebleau Hotel) Miami Beach. 305-674-4680.

Read the full Q&A after the jump.

Girls who rock...plus Johnny.

​Alright, if you're not headed up to FLIFF tonight to catch Radioboxer at Cinema Paradiso, but you are in the mood for a little local rocking this weekend, there's a simple solution. It involves floors covered in a perpetual sheen of freshly spilt beer, a haze of cigarette smoke so thick it makes the eyes water and a bathroom where at least seven new infections as yet unknown to man are no doubt being cultured at this very moment. That's right, I'm talking about Churchill's. Where else would you find such a decidedly rock 'n' roll element in Miami?

And tomorrow night they've got a pretty sick lineup waiting to make a hell of a lot of noise. They've got Guilty Fingers (but who doesn't?), Sector 11 and Eztorbo Social. And Guerrilleros de Nadie. The three-piece band, comprised of guitarist/vocalist Michi, bassist Twan and drummer Johnny, play loud, and they play fast. And they're music is really, really aggressive. Plus, they kick ass bilingually, which is like getting a beatdown with the SAP turned on. If you want to rock hard, Guerrilleros' thrash punk is your ticket.

Guerrilleros de Nadie perform at Churchill's Pub (5501 NE 2nd Ave.) on Saturday, November 7.

William Murderface, Skwisgaar Skwigelf, Nathan Explosion, Pickles, and Toki Wartooth

Late Generation X'ers and Gen Y blasted the notion that cartoons are only for kids. Maybe we didn't want to grow up, or maybe we just didn't want to trade creativity and imagination for the drudgery of every-day adulthood. Either way mature themes have been mainstream on animated series since MTV's Liquid Television or The Simpsons. Adult Swim, seemingly run by a bunch of stoner geniuses, has since picked up the torch for the late-night set, and its series Metalocalypse is quite possibly the most violent (translate awesome) show on television.

If you haven't seen it, Metalocalypse follows the misadventures of Dethklok, a melodic-death-metal fivesome who are as much genre cliches as they are hilarious. The show subtly injects (if you can call mass slaughter subtle) social commentary about society's obsession with celebrity. But at its gory core, it's mostly just epic and fun.

Yet the music is no joke. Show co-creator Brendon Small is a Berklee College of Music grad, writes all the music, and plays all the punishing riffs as the lead guitarist. He's also the gut behind lead singer Nathan Explosion's growl. to his credit, Dethklok's first album debuted at No. 21 on the Billboard 200 and, because it was a limited release, will run you at least $500 if you can find it. The band's latest, Dethalbum II, debuted at 15, making it the highest charting death-metal record ever. The band is currently on tour with Converge and Grammy-nominated heavy-metal group Mastodon. The tour will stop by Pompano Beach Amphitheatre Sunday. Brendon Small recently spoke with New Times about scoring drum-god Gene Hoglan, the lack of females in metal subculture, why This is Spinal Tap rules, and why Metalocalypse had to distance itself from the glorious film.

See interview after the jump:

photo by Ben Thacker

Lanzallamas Monofonica play the Rhythm Foundation stage.

​Sleepless Night returns this Saturday to Miami Beach. Staying up all night there is nothing new, but the event is way more high-falutin', asking you to stay awake for things like opera and experimental dance. That can seem like a tall order in this town, but the last edition was surprisingly well-attended, and it's nice to at least say you did something cultural, no? (You can read a general explanation of it here.)

via myspace.com/ycentertainment

Peaches has, among other things, a (relatively) new LP (I Feel Cream), a new clip (for the song "Take You On"), a new band (the Berlin-based Sweet Machines), and a new tour. That last one brings her to Revolution this Friday, November 6. It also gave New Times a chance to play a quick game of "Either/Or" with the electroclash superstar when we chatted with her recently. Read a longer account of that chat here, and check out how the game played out, below.

New Times: ESG or L'Trimm?

Peaches: That is so hard but I have to take ESG. I mean I love ESG so much. Their early stuff is just perfect. And I've seen them lately too and it's just amazing that they're carrying on the tradition with their daughters. I love ESG so much.

MIA or Santigold?

I've got to pick MIA.

Lady Gaga or Pink?

Next question.

​Welsh DJ/producer Sasha (born Alexander Paul Coe) is that rare breed of artist that has managed to balance massive commercial success and notoriety with artistic integrity throughout his long-standing career. I won't go into too many details about his myriad accolades through the years, which include over a decade of consecutive top 10 votes on the DJ Mag polls and various international awards and nominations at the WMC, Grammy and DJ Awards. Needless to say, and as most of you know, the man is one of the most highly-acclaimed figures in electronic dance music and one of its most recognizable names.

Yet unlike many of his peers who share a monolithic stature in the EDM history books (I'm looking at you, Paul Oakenfold) Sasha hasn't really sold out or compromised the innovative edge of his musical output. He continues to experiment with the possibilities of sound and genre, while pushing the envelope both in the studio and onstage, where he applies the latest and most cutting-edge audio technologies (some of which he has co-developed himself.)

A child of the British acid house explosion and Manchester's legendary club Haçienda, Sasha's sound has evolved from the upbeat tribal rhythms of early rave house and the epic sweeping progressive house of his Northern Exposure days with John Digweed, to an energetic and mind-bending signature blend of electro-infused tech house, trance, and breaks. Don't miss out on this rare opportunity to see the legendary world-class DJ perform outside of the usual tumult of WMC and in a considerably intimate setting when he stops by club SET this Sunday night. Sasha will be joined by Hallucination Limited's DJ Three, another house and techno specialist and cutting-edge tastemaker with a finger on the pulse of contemporary underground dance music.

Click here to get your pre-sale tickets.

Sasha at SET. Sunday, November 8, 11 p.m.-5 a.m. 320 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach. 

Check out this killer guitar solo from Radio Galaxy's performance at the Wednesday night blues jam at Titanic Brewery by the University of Miami in Coral Gables.

Click here for Radio Galaxy's myspace.

Like blues music? Check out the jam tonight from 9 p.m. to midnight with an open blues jam hosted by Chris Cosner.

The bar is running specials with $2 Triple Screws, and it's also Mug Club night. So, check it out, kick back some microbrews, bring your guitar, harmonica, voice, or whatever, and bang out your wang dang doodle.

Titanic Brewery and Restaurant, 5813 Ponce De Leon Blvd., Coral Gables. 305-668-1742

​A joint project by FUNDarte and the Miami Light Project, the Global Cuba Fest returns for its third annual edition this weekend. But where last year it was a multiple-day, stand-alone event with daily concerts that weren't cheap, organizers have wised up this year. It's now being mounted in one evening, as part of the Sleepless Night art shebang all-nighter this Saturday on Miami Beach. The line-up has a definite jazz bent this year, a genre sorely under-represented in Miami's current musical landscape. Best of all, admission is free, and the music happens in a full-on, legit venue -- the Fillmore Miami Beach! This is likely the only time you'll get into the place gratis, so pay attention.

Here's a run-down of the entertainers on the bill, which kicks off at 6 p.m.

6 - 9 p.m.: DJ Snowhite

Big up the female DJs! Snowhite is a Miami staple who has specialized in crossing cultural boundaries with her mixes. She even won Miami New Times' Readers Choice poll for Best DJ in 2003. She'll get the evening started off by spinning in the Fillmore lobby before and between the live sets.

There is no better Halloween song than The Misfits - Halloween. The Fiend Club will be out in force when the band, featuring Danzig's brother Jerry Only, and Dez Cadena, and Robo from Black Flag, hits Culture Room on December 4th. Here are the lyrics to The Misfits - Halloween.

Bonfires burning bright
Pumpkin faces in the night
I remember Halloween

Dead cats hanging from poles
Little dead are out in droves
I remember Halloween