Miami Music Blog

​If cult movie messiah Alejandro Jodorowsky and PFFR co-produced a mass psychosis session in the secret subterranean tunnels that link Vizcaya Gardens to the Domino's at NE 2nd Ave. and 34th, then Miami-bred psychedelicists Ice Cream would be named official jam band. 

​Hey, lost soul. Word is, you've been searching for some kind of trippy party shaman to lead you on a spirit quest to the center of your very own inner outer space. True? OK, then, it's totally time you took a tab of that Space Voodoo Crystal stuff. Hence, today's free MP3, "Mutations." 

Mr. Entertainment and the Pookiesmackers' Socialismo Americano

​Hollywood band Mr. Entertainment and the Pookiesmackers have remained a recognizable presence on South Florida's music scene for over a decade. They've released three records, and have a fourth on the way called ¡Socialismo Americano!, due out Thanksgiving week.

For a peek into the upcoming release, Mr. Entertainment (a.k.a. Steve Toth) sent us a couple MP3s including "Center of the Universe" and "The Looker." "Center of the Universe" sounds almost like a slowed-down "Back in the U.S.S.R." (which makes sense considering their album cover is an obvious homage to Sgt. Pepper's) infused with Pink Floyd psychedelia. It's epic yet palatable and poppy. Gritty at times, but with synths floating above, softening the rock. The song will stick in your head for days.

"The Looker" spins psychedelic with touches of classic rock, alternative, hints of Latin rhythms, and vocals that breeze more like an endearing wise guy than growl with angst or soar with ostentation. The song is fun and memorable. Think a more danceable, mainstream Ween or a much cooler, more appealing, eerier, (dare I say smoother?) Rob Thomas during his Santana-collaboration era. 

Random details: If you can't deduce from the album cover who the Pookiesmackers are, Toth is dead center with the commie-starred hat. To his right (our left) is Brandon. Next to Brandon is Mahoney (in a red shirt). Above Mahoney is Richard Vergez (wearing sunglasses). Next to Vergez with the long blond hair is Mark Zolezzi. And finally Mike Vullo in the banana suit.

Get the MP3s after the jump.

via myspace.com/ycentertainment

​Like some buff God-looking dude, Jon Gaiser (a.k.a. Gaiser, a.k.a. Fraktion) emerged from his bedroom studio in a blaze of blue light. The genius was naked, except for a sweaty sheet wrapped about his waist, and he stroked his beard while muttering this rote quote: "My bedroom has always been a room full of gear that happened to have a bed in the corner." So wise, so sagacious, so weird -- Gaiser had just given birth to today's free MP3, a minimal techno baby called "New Dust." 

It's entirely possible, unless you reside in Little Buenos Aires (right up there between North and South Beach ...where Las Vacas Gordas throws down!), that you're unfamiliar with Damas Gratis. Hailing from Argentina, the eight-piece band has never been to Miami before. But these guys have been putting together some seriously swinging cumbia with Andean flavor, known as cumbia vilera, for the better part of the decade. The band started when founder and singer/keyboardist Pablo Lescano quit his previous band, Amar Azul. (Prior to that he was responsible for putting together Flor de Piedra, considered the first of this style of groups in Argentina -- though he didn't actually play in that band).

This is the first South Florida show of Damas' career, and to sweeten the pot, promoters are bringing on board your very own Bachaco. That local favorite group of kids is named after a type of wood ant, and has made a name for itself by melding reggae and dancehall with cumbia. It's a delicious little blend that is damned sure to get you shaking your money maker ... if in fact you make money with yours. We're not here to judge.

Get full show details and a few Damas Gratis MP3s after the jump.

Photo by Aigin Larki

​Ever wondered what screamo-lectro dudes do to unwind after a particularly strenuous hipster bikini dance party? Well, apparently, if the dudes in question are Daniel Werb and Paul Banwatt of Toronto synth-and-drum duo Woodhands, then it's all about a nice, relaxing, man-on-man bubble bath. Why the bubbles? Why the bath? Who knows, but bro bathing must be a team-builder beyond compare 'cause it's helped these two sustain their partnership through cold Canadian winters and several summers' worth of transcontinental touring. 

​Brooklyn's Drop the Lime has been nothing if not prescient. Those last few years, while everyone was running around to overly processed, overly happy so-called "blog house," the DJ/producer born Luca Venezia carefully stuck to his own thing. In the face of all that neon glare, Venezia and his Trouble & Bass crew built up a small army of fans into a more aggressive vibe.

The Drop the Lime style is impossible to classify neatly into a single genre, but above all it comprises a global, fiercely urban sound collage. Baltimore club beats meet Manchester acid house, then pair up with Kingston dancehall, Detroit ghetto tech, London dubstep, and every kind of gritty city dance sound.

Bass lines are warped, chewed up, and spit out, and frequencies get low enough to loosen the bowels. These are tough times, and tough music appeals, and as such Drop the Lime's star on the dance scene keeps rising. In 2008 he remixed for big names like Little Boots, Moby, and even Armand Van Helden; a new artist album is said to be in the works as well.

Here's a new track he just created for the folks at Bacardi B-Live...

MP3: Drop the Lime - "Devil's Eyes" (A B-Live Original)

MP3: Drop the Lime - "Devil's Eyes (Luca's B-Live Club Mix)"

Drop the Lime. With Damaged Goods, Troy Kurtz, and Juan Basshead. Saturday, October 24. White Room, 1306 N. Miami Ave., Miami. Doors open at 10 p.m. Tickets cost $10 in advance from wantickets.com. Ages 21+ with ID. 305-995-5050; whiteroomshows.com 

Album art by Reeve Schumacher

​For five years, local duo Michael John Hancock and Brian Robertson of Awesome New Republic have made hipsterized pop that sounds like some dead future from the '80s. They self-describe as "punk, soul, R&B," but that hardly probes the bloggy depths of the ANR enigma. It's way more complicated than just crossbreeding genres. In fact, Awesome New Republic is like a Pro Tools-powered tuneage collider that eats a bazillion bits of sonic matter (synthy soul, sci-fi folk, New Wave-y disco, etc.) and poops retro-futuristic fireworks for your ears.

​Like all purebred party animals, the adventuresome men of Miami garage psych crew Lil Daggers welcome any kind of fun, no matter how dangerous, drunk, or bizarre. They'll play house parties. They'll play pool parties. They'll play satanic séances, bake sales and shit fights. From the very first Pagan fuck fests to last weekend's killer kegger, we've always needed Daggers like these to keep things from getting dull. 

via thccrew.com

​This remix of Black Dada's "Imma Zoe" comes courtesy of UB the Underboss from the THC crew. The song is called "Imma Chico," and it calls for Latinos all over Miami-Dade County, South Florida, and the world to stand up.

Here's UB's message that we received by e-mail with the track: "Get ready for Calle Ocho 2010!!! Chicos & Zoes 2gether gettin' paper!!! Can you see the vision??? Let me know what you all think!!! Hollaaaa!!!"

The standout on the track is the Boss Lady Destinee. Damn, she can sing. UB's rocking the autotune, and the the third artist on the track, well we didn't get any info on who he is, but he did his thing too.

​You've heard the haters' standard bitch: "Man, the rap game these days ain't nothin' but a lobotomized, blinged-out, corporate pimp." And while that's true to a certain extent, hip-hop in the late aughts is anything but a bag of boring, homogenized bullshit. For every one-dimensional gangsta rap retread, you've got a Nintendo-obsessed hipster hopper, or a Tao-infused backpacker, or even some lyrically deranged, schizophrenic superstar like Lil' Wayne. Basically, the rap world's infested with weirdoes. Just look around ...

And, for one creeping through our own backyard, meet the modestly odd Yakuillasin, a.k.a. YK.SIN, a Pasadena transplant who sounds sorta like the perpetually drunk test-tube baby of ODB, Kool Keith, and the Insane Clown Posse. Earlier this year, he gave us a 19-track opus entitled The Darker Side Of Light, featuring nuggets of certified strange such as "Count Drunkula," "Lethal Injection," and today's free MP3, "Bump Datt." Alternately hyper-violent, horny, dumb, dorky, and funny, YK.SIN keeps it street while also messing with rock riffs, sci-fi sound effects, and rubber ducky squeaks. He's even got his own YouTube video series, Yakuillavizion, typified by this hater-baiting, nuclear apocalypse-themed episode wherein the Yak asks: "Will you witness the rebirth of hip-hop, or continue to dance in the flames?"

MP3: Yakuillasin - "Bump Datt"

photo by Danny Clinch

​The Postelles are another coolly dressed, young and good-looking New York four-piece getting a lot of buzz in all those blogs and magazines that "matter." That makes them sound kind of douchey, but actually their music is eminently likable. The band overall has a kind of vibe similar to the Virgins -- more young, stylish New Yorkers playing rock and roll -- with songs about the sort of gutter-glamour that is the downtown NYC lifestyle. The lyrics of the song, below, deal with the anxiety that comes after a "white night" -- if you need a more explicit explanation of that, don't worry about it. 

​

The world is full of awful noise and sometimes one's sanity depends entirely upon getting a teensy bit of quiet time. But it should never be too quiet. That's where Sharlyn Everetsz' unsteadily strummed guitars and whispery vocals come in handy. Hers is singer-songwritery stuff that's better than silence. 

via myspace.com/themauxms

Though the band name is likely to confuse many, the band also stands out for truly sounding like no other act currently active on the circuit. Music-store geeks will be impressed by these guys' clear musical prowess, and the average bar-goer will get swept up in the band's smarty-pants party vibe. By listening to the band's recordings, it's easy to imagine how these boisterous tracks will sound live. But you can hear for yourself this Saturday, when the band plays a gig at Bougainvillea's in South Miami. Get full show details, and a free MP3 of the band's song "Ponsela," after the jump.

Seattle's Sunny Day Real Estate can't really be blamed for the tearful bombast behind today's biggest-selling emo bands. Still, a direct line can be drawn from the band's '94 debut, Diary, to indie label Deep Elm's 11-volume set of compilations called The Emo Diaries, which ran from 1997-2007. And in the annals of emo -- and in the interviews of the form's platinum progeny -- it is Diary that's gone down as the sound's defining moment.

That's probably why Sub Pop chose to reissue the legendary slab, and to add on a couple bonus tracks for good measure. It's also probably why the label has chosen to re-release SDRE's second offering, the commonly called LP2, and they've tossed on a couple extra tracks there too. But the biggest news about this highly influential outfit concerns their new second reunion. 

The ever-elusive Scotchy as rendered by Jamie Tao.

A man of many beards and a million sunglasses, local blues rocker Uncle Scotchy is so rarely seen -- truly seen -- that some of you have begun to doubt his very existence. Admittedly, the guy's an enigma wrapped in a riddle inside a nutshell buried at the center of a brick-sized 'shroom brownie ... Yet, rest assured, Scotchy isn't merely some figment of our riff-deprived collective mind. He is very real and he's out there tearing shit up.

According to the official MySpace biography, Uncle Scotchy was "born in or around 1950, and raised in an orphanage just west of Turkey Neck Falls, Montana" where he cared for "his mentally challenged twin brother, Ezra" before meeting, wooing, and losing "Matilda Anne Magillicutty, daughter of famous horse breeder, Anus Magilligutty." From there, the wild saga goes on and on and on. Go get the unedited version here.

Then, if the bio's still not proof enough, all you doubters need to ponder today's free slab of digitized muzak, "Hold This" by Unk himself. It's the sound of a one-man blues band boozing and blazing its way from living mystery to living legend, using nothing more than guitar, harmonica, "cajonbassdrum," and the human voice. Indeed, you shall be swayed.

MP3: Uncle Scotchy - "Hold This"

Every Thursday. Bougainvillea's, 7221 SW 58th Ave., Miami. Set starts at 8 p.m., and there's no cover. Ages 21+ with ID. 305-669-8577; bougiesbar.com.

​The last time New Times caught up with New York transplant DJ Elle, she was still in the middle of transitioning down from the Big Bad Apple. But her Thursday residence at the Catalina (alongside Self Born) is now a bona fide success. And with her recent slot at both the Future Classic Festival this past weekend, and an ongoing engagement at Burgers and Bar, it looks as if this head spinner has settled in for keeps.

Here DJ Elle mixes up something very stylish for the very stylish site that is Karin + Raoul.   

Courtesy of myspace.com/mrsoulville

​When Slip 'N' Slide Records announced their 2008 Next Big Superstar Tour, artists from all over the country answered the call. But only one, Mike Bless aka Mr. Make It Happen, could win the title. Though there's a whiff of Flo Rida's breakthrough hit "Get Low" track-wise and Bless' staccato, twang-ed out, upbeat delivery -- hopefully Bless won't abandon us for a career in straight pop music like Flo did.

"Do it Like This" status as a strip club anthem is clear from the time you press "play," with a female vocalist declaring, "If I was a stripper I would do it like this." Click here to hear the track, and hit the jump to see footage of Bless' unanimous Next Big Superstar win.

​The singer of The Great Tribulation has a bit of a name, so he'd rather you not know it. The rest of the band members may have something of a name too, but we don't know, because they're not saying. We do know that the name of the band itself refers to what Christians believe will be a time of intense suffering and sacrifice. But that apparently the Believers will make out okay in the end.

We also know that the nameless band members are from Miami. And that they'll be at Future Classic Festival this Saturday night. And if the band sounds half as good there as they do here, they'll be pretty dynamite.

They call themselves The Great Tribulation and we think they sound a little but like Jellyfish or Elbow, perhaps with a bit of Pulp thrown in for good measure. What do you think they sound like? After the jump, get MP3s of their songs "Like a Drug" and "Save That Memory."

​If the current South Florida thrash scene were a rotting animal carcass, then Vultures are Wolves would be the three-headed scavenger beast sent forth from, as the band describes it, the "disgusting swamps of Miami" to clean up the mess. (Well, maybe I shouldn't say clean up so much as devour/ digest/expel.) And, extending the metaphor, V.A.W.'s recent self-titled album -- rife with bowel-destroying bass, hardcore guitar chug, growls, hell screeches, and demon-beaten drums -- would be the terrifying sonic record of that bloody-faced feasting ... Oh, did I mention that these guys are also very funny?

Now naturally, despite the very real danger posed by the twisted, joke-loving psychos of V.A.W., you'd like to become better acquainted with their violent metal-punk thrust, right? Well, lucky you, the New Times has made your highly inconvenient trip to Satan's Lair CD Emporium totally unnecessary, offering up a free download of the band's hilariously titled "The River took Dee Snider." It's two minutes and three seconds of hysterically smiling insanity which should be enough (perpetually looped) to satiate your hunger for dead flesh.

​Ready for the weekend? Well, you might think you are, but not until you download this DJ mix by local mix-master Sean Drake, also known as Mister Drake. Formerly a resident DJ at Pawn Shop Lounge, Drake has been away from the music game for a while. He made his return a few weeks ago when he celebrated his birthday at Back Door Bamby at the Vagabond, dropping plenty of house-y grooves and indie-dance staples.

Maybe that short stint reignited Drake's passion for DJing because he returns tomorrow night at the Vagabond with Heidi and Audiofly. The Get Physical beauty should be reason enough to stop by the Overtown locale, but for those of us with fond memories of partying between Pawn Shop's trailer and thrift store knick-knacks might appreciate the extra nostalgia.

Still, if your expecting a open format set from Drake these days you'll be sorely disappointed. He has successfully abandoned the middle-of-the-road "genre" for deep groove and house. Check it out!

MP3: Mister Drake Gets Deep Sept. '09

​These days it's rare to find a new reggae act who embodies the genre's traditional roots. But such is the case with Rootz Underground, a six-man band formed 10 years ago out of "di yard" -- Jamaica. They not only sound right, but act right, singing conscious lyrics of justice and peace and matching them with heavy, heavy bass lines and pop-driven hooks. The combination will make any rookie reggae listener an irie fanatic.

Rootz Underground's 2008 debut album, MOVEMENT, garnered much praise on the international reggae scene, establishing them as a definitive new cross-genre and cross-generational Jamaican group. And now, fresh from a sold-out West Coast tour, Rootz graces South Florida with a high-octane rebel-rocker performance at Pulp Live on September 16.

It's a sweet treat, as their last show down here was more than a year ago. Don't expect too many mellow hippie singalongs, though. as Rootz can often be more Bad Brains than Bob Marley. So bring the weed and the Red Bull and let the riddim hit ya.

Get show details and a full free download of the group's latest album, Alive, after the jump.  

​In the vast suburban everywheres of the North, there is a surplus of Sublime-obsessed white boys who smoke reefer as if it were a bodybuilding supplement for the brain. They jam incessantly, knocking out funky pseudo-ska while backed by their great-aunt's analog drum machine. And during band breaks, each individual member takes five to fantasize his own private version of the following paradisiacal scenario: Hot (vaguely Polynesian) chick in a bikini cradles a frosty, overflowing beer mug while wedged (waiting for her white boy) between a pair of crooked, lazy coconut trees. 

​Being a Miami native, I'm always curious to hear what folks think about my hometown. And, as you might suspect, I'm not afraid to ask. When it's bold-faced name folks, I get even more curious. Not that their thoughts are any more or any less important than those of plain text folks, mind you; but that their thoughts do seem to get around more. And they're much more likely to have an impact too.

So here is  what I hope will be the first in an occasional series called Mad About Miami, where I ask some bold-faced names to come clean about Miami. And it is with great good pleasure that I begin with no less a name than Moby.

Here we go now, after the jump -- and get a free MP3 from Moby, too.

​Last week, you totally blew it, missing the jumpoff for Dade County hustler Pitbull's impending album Rebelution. (I mean really ... Where is your civic pride? The guy carries the keys to our city.) You missed a backdoor taste of club bangers like "Calle Ocho," "Hotel Room Service," and "Krazy" -- not to mention a crunktastic Lil' Jon cameo. Plus, there were Hornitos and unitarded vogue girls and gentleman thugs in black tie. You know, it was a Thursday. 

​The local hard rock-rap band Purple Popcorn does, in fact, rock, but has gotten most of its recognition from stomping all over pop hip-hop. In the early days of its formation two years ago, the band pummeled both Soulja Boy's "Crank That" and Chris Brown's "Kiss Kiss," and in so doing added some much-needed weight to both tracks.

More recently, Purple Popcorn did the same thing with Kid Cudi's "Day N Nite," though why they did so is anybody's guess. Thankfully, these days the band is after more righteous game. Their mashing in on Lil Wayne's "With One Arm," Flo Rida's "Low" and, most impressively, Eminem's "3am" shows that, given the right track to back, that part of what they do is well worth getting done - and then some.

 

​What to say about local DJ Danny Daze that hasn't been said before? Daze has been one of the most in demand DJs around the country for the last few years and he keeps busy with side projects like DiscoTech and Señor Stereo. Is it any surprise we picked him as this year's Best Club DJ?

Well if you got to hear it to believe it, check out Daze's contribution to the White Light mix series. The mix includes tracks by PNUA, Kraak & Smaak, Holy Ghost!, Tiga and the aforementioned Señor Stereo.

MP3: Danny Daze "White Light Mix, Vol. 9"

​Besides Young Money's still-really-underground Nicki Minaj, the term "mainstream female rapper" is one usually heard before "ain't doin' shit." Kim tried to come back with a song that was so 2002 that I nearly called my mom to ask her money for books and a plane ticket home from college, Foxy popped up on Ross' album (and as his lover on the blogs), but other than that pfft. And the other day, a new single from Trina popped up in my inbox. "That's My Attitude" sounds more like a track from the Baddest Bitch than the Diamond Princess, whom even Trick Daddy told us he wasn't really into.

On this new joint she talks about her favorite shit - money, clothes, and cars - and says "Still running over bitches" and "Still running over ni**as" so it's safe to say that those things plus the hard bass line and catchy hook makes this street single strip club-friendly and will probably do well in the 3-0-5. Not sure whether the rest of the country will fall in line, but hit the jump to hear for yourself.