Blood, Sweat, and Beers Tonight
If you’re in or around South Florida, I need you to join me tonight at The Monterey Club in Ft. Lauderdale to check out BugGiRL.
Long-time listeners will know that I have posted before about this hard-rockin’ Australian duo (
here and
here) and have been oh-so-patiently waiting for them make the 9000 mile trip to this side of the U.S. so I can see some Blood, Sweat, and Beers all up close and personal like.
The first band is scheduled to go on at around 8 p.m. Also playing is Mekango N.T., who I believe are from Florida. The show is 18-and-up and you can find
The Monterey Club at 2608 South Federal Highway (aka US 1). I’ll be the old guy near the bar looking like he’s one beer from having had one too many.
Hot Tonight.mp3 Labels: Australian, hard rock, local stuff, upcoming shows
Miami Music: van*gloria
Anytime I hear a Miami band that doesn’t play Latin dance music or other people’s records, I am always happy to do what I can to help promote them. Such is the case with van*gloria, a Miami-based quartet that recently dropped me a note.
Van*gloria formed in 2005, in the midst of that year's seeming non-stop hurricane season. Music students Nick Kruge, Paul Bender, Luke Moellman, and Matt Gajewski used the time during post-hurricane power outages to play music and write songs. The result was brooding and somewhat jazz-influenced; something you might expect to have come from the calm after the storms. Once power was restored, van*gloria took their music into the studio, touched it up, and, in late 2005, released their self-titled debut through local label
Atomisk Records.
Right now van*gloria are planning to get out of Miami before this year’s hurricane season starts in June. They’ve just released their second album,
Bluebird, and are preparing a tour that will take them probably anywhere there are not hurricanes.
Today’s music is a couple of songs from the first album.
Headstrong Gotham.mp3 Hey Tuscaloosa!.mp3 For more information, more music, and to buy either album, click over to the van*gloria
Website.
Labels: indie, local stuff
South Florida Music Calendar (new blog!)
I don't think there are a whole lot of people reading my little blog who live in the South Florida area. But for those faithful who do, I wanted to clue you in to a new blog I only just discovered this morning.
The SoFla Music Calendar blog is pretty self-explanatory: "A listing of local shows and live music events for Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, and other areas of South Florida."
The blog creators are Fanless and Balou (I know nothing else about them) and they decided to create this blog because they thought it "would be pretty cool to find a simple list of local musical events – both big-name and local acts – all in one place online."
Fanless and Balou are actively soliciting show info from any and all bands playing locally. If you fit that category, click over to
SoFla Music Calendar and drop them a note. If you don't fit that category, well, mentally file this information away so that when you visit South Florida, you know where to go for your live show info.
Peace & love - Peace & love
I'll be back tomorrow morning with some music...
Labels: blogroll, local stuff, no music
One Night Only: A Polar Bear and a Rock Lobster
I only just found out last night that locals the JeanMarie have been picked to open for the B52’s at the latter’s Saturday night gig at Miami Beach’s Fillmore Theater.
If you think back to May of last year, I
introduced you to the JeanMarie and posted a couple of their songs. I liked these guys, their unMiami-like polar bear mascot, and their catchy music.
Over the course of the past year-and-a-half the JeanMarie have recorded and released their full-length debut,
Annie Jump Cannon. The album stays true to the unpretentious sound of the band’s two EPs; non-corporate rock music with a beat that’ll have you up and dancing if you’re so inclined. And you know what else? The music put me in a better mood than I was in earlier.
Saturday’s show with the B52’s is the first of several the band is playing up and down this wonderland known as The State of Florida. You can get more information about dates and places from the JeanMarie
MySpace page. You can also find links there to purchase your very own copy of
Annie Jump Cannon. And I do encourage you to do so.
Vampires Pt. 2.mp3 If you are in the Miami area and care to see the B52’s and the JeanMarie this Saturday night, you can get tickets from
Live Nation or at the theater box office. It looks like individual tickets start at about $36.50. The Fillmore Miami Beach at The Jackie Gleason Theater is at 1700 Washington Ave. on South Beach. Doors open at 7 p.m.
~~~~~
Note:
photo taken by Hector A. Parayuelos, from the JeanMarie Web site.Labels: indie, local stuff
This is Miami - Not So. Fla.
Sorry for the late notice, but I just found out about this yesterday: Churchill’s Pub, over in NE Miami, is putting on a hardcore fundraising event tomorrow (Friday) night.
Seven local punk/hardcore/thrash bands are scheduled to play to raise money for the opening of Goo, Miami’s new all ages venue.
Scheduled are Lowlife, Maldito, Homestretch, Maruta, Merkit, Consular, and Shitstorm. The first band takes the stage at about 8:30 p.m. Best of all, this night of sonic mayhem will set you back only $6.00.
Churchill’s is at 5501 NE 2 Ave.
Fittingly enough, tonight’s music is from a couple of the bands you’ll be able to see live tomorrow night. Definitely check this show out if you can.
Learn Your Lesson.mp3 ~ Lowlife
Vanitas.mp3 ~ Homestretch
You Don’t Like Me.mp3 ~ Maldito
Labels: local stuff, punk, thrash, upcoming shows
Miami's Best Local Albums - 2008
I know it was just a couple of weeks ago when I stood up in front of you good people and said, “Read my lips: No year-end lists from the Licorice Pizza blog!”
Well, let me qualify that statement. This Top 10 list isn’t from
me. It’s actually from the local “alternative” paper, the
New Times. I thought it was an interesting list and one that deserved a deeper look.
Despite my earlier promises, I’ve really paid minimal attention to the local music scene. There are a few punk bands I like, but I really hate reggaeton and club music, so I’ve ignored a lot of the stuff coming out of South Florida.
And it’s been my loss. As I went through the
New Times list, I heard some really good music. Nothing on this list figures as the type of music I’ve become so used to thinking of as “Miami.” There are examples of everything from so-called indie or alternative, to soul, to rock. Dade County still has nothing on Austin, but, damnit, there
is some decent music here. Finding it and paying attention to it will be on my list of New Year’s resolutions.
I’m not listing genres with these artists and bands. I want you to go in blind, like I did, and find something you like. All of these albums, except Rick Ross’, are available at
eMusic. If you hear a song you like, buy the album. And support local music any way you can.
These are in no particular order.
11:59 (Blondie cover).mp3 ~ The Postmarks, from
By the NumbersGallo Pinto.mp3 ~ Spam Allstars, from
Introducing the Spam AllstarsLife as an Extra.mp3 ~ Jacob Jeffries Band, from
WonderfulWendy.mp3 ~ Shawn Snyder, from
Romantic’s RequiemCatfish (Bob Dylan cover).mp3 ~ Albert Castiglia, from
These Are the DaysEvery Day (When Will You be Mine).mp3 ~ Hillary McRae, from
Through These WallsThe Black Hole.mp3 ~ Rachel Goodrich, from
Tinker ToysOut Here Grindin’.mp3 ~ DJ Khaled, from
We GlobalI Want Cuba.mp3 ~ The New Planets, from
We ‘R’ UsMoney Make Me Come.mp3 ~ Rick Ross, from
TrillaLabels: local stuff
Bike Miami
I thought I’d take a moment to mention something happening tomorrow here in Miami.
In an effort to make this city a little more, uh, livable, Mayor Manny Diaz is promoting an initiative called Bike Miami. The event, which starts tomorrow morning at 10 a.m., is designed to promote bicycling, livable streets, and the growing urban neighborhood of Downtown Miami. “It's about liberating urban space for you and your family to enjoy and explore,” according to the Bike Miami blog. “It's about exploring the city in a new way, meeting your neighbors, playing, riding, dancing, and meandering with family and friends.”
This is the first time the City of Miami has hosted something like this and they’re really reaching out to a variety of media to make sure it does well. Along with biking, running, walking, skating, and dancing in the streets, there will also be a ton of other activities such as yoga, public art, food, and things of that ilk. And, oh yeah, it’s FREE.
The event will close Flagler Street from the Courthouse to Bayfront Park, as well as South Miami Avenue from 10th Street (Mary Brickell Village) to SE 4th Street and then north on 1st Ave to Flagler for pedestrians and bicyclists.
If you happen to be in the South Florida area tomorrow morning, load the family and whatever non-automobile means of transportation you have, and head over to the Bayfront Park area in Downtown Miami. Again, it’s free, it’s for the whole family, and it might make Miami a better place to live. For a few hours, anyway.
For more information, head over to the
Bike Miami blog.
Bike.mp3 ~
Pink FloydBicycle Race.mp3 ~
QueenBicycle, Bicycle, You Are My Bicycle.mp3 ~
Be Your Own Pet~~~~~~~~~~
NOTE: The above picture is probably not what you can expect to find at Bike Miami....Labels: classic rock, current events, local stuff, punk
“Tremendo Dinero for Tremendo Negocio”
I thought I’d do something a little benevolent for tonight’s post. There’s a fund-raiser going on this Saturday night at Churchill’s Pub here in Miami (5501 NE 2nd Ave). Most fund-raisers, you may know, usually go to benefit some health-related research. Well, this one is a little different.
“Tremendo Dinero for Tremendo Negocio” is a fund-raiser for the thesis film “Tremendo Negocio.” I believe Abdel Fonseca, the film’s director, is the student in question. I further believe Fonseca is a student at Miami International University of Art and Design. The plot of “Tremendo Negocio” involves a group of South American felons who are involved in the human organ trade. The group forces an undocumented immigrant to participate in their illegal activities, which I guess leads the immigrant to make some decisions about his life.
Be that as it may, there are a few local bands and musicians who have agreed to donate their time and talents to benefit the cause. Because, as the ad copy says, “A film without funds is like a body without a heart.”
Scheduled to appear are Nimencia, Kosmic Lover, Melting Mandarin, Steph Taylor and The State Of, and DJ Abdel. If you’re in the South Florida area and want to hear some good music as well as help Abdel Fonseca get his degree, stop by Churchills. The show starts at 8 p.m. and the cover charge is $10.
Jay.mp3 Steph Taylor and The State OfThrown Off.mp3 NimenciaIf you’re interested in doing more than just donating money, but would like to flex your thespian muscle, Fonseca is looking actors. Go
here for details.
Labels: indie, local stuff, upcoming shows
Get Sexf*ked
One thing about seeming unclosing bars is the tendency to stay long past the time you should. Friday night continues well into Saturday and that feeling Motorhead once described as the “wrong side of another day.” All of that results in the occasional Saturday being good for nothing much beyond laying on the couch watching Comedy Central and napping. Which is what happened yesterday, hence no post.
What I had intended to post is some stuff from local punk band Johnny Sexfuk and the Fleshrockets. Last year, the Fleshrockets provided background music for a Money Talks porn shoot. Beyond that, and a definite DIY attitude, all I really know about the band is what’s on their
MySpace: “They're a bunch of low life assholes with no respect for anything or anyone. They cannot be trusted. They'll drink all your beer, they'll smoke all your cigarettes, and they're always hanging out in the fucking parking lot. They can’t play surf worth a shit and they’ve even managed to make punk rock sound bad.”
What I like like like about the Fleshrockets is their sound. They’ve forgone the pop-punk formula so popular with the kids and radio programmers, instead going for the old-school sound that blurs the distinction between punk and garage, with the occasional slap of a surf bass thumping in the background.
I believe Johnny Sexfuk and the Fleshrockets are currently working on their debut release,
Onward and Up Yours!, which should be out this year. The band also has a couple of upcoming shows in the Miami area and one up the road in Jacksonville. I encourage you to check them out if you’re within driving or hitch-hiking distance of either city.
June 14 – Churchill’s, Miami; 8 pm
June 28 – Flavour, Miami; 8 pm
July 5 – Doozer’s Pub, Jacksonville; 8 pm
Get Your Kicks.mp3 Fight for Free.mp3Labels: local stuff, punk, upcoming shows
Miami "Live" - This Weekend
I thought it might be a good idea to post a couple of days ahead of time about upcoming shows here in the Miami area instead of waiting until the afternoon before. I don’t really know how that happened last week. Well, actually I do, but let’s not discuss that here.
There are a couple of notable rock shows happening in the 305 this weekend. Probably the biggest is
Cultura 2008. This happens at Tobacco Road (626 S. Miami Ave. / 305-374-1198) Friday night, with the first bands taking the stage at around 8 p.m. Roughly 30 very culturally diverse (that means expect anything and everything) bands and performers are scheduled to appear on Tobacco Road’s four stages. Performances are scheduled until 4 a.m., so that leaves plenty of time to get by and check out some local musicians if you happen to be in the local area. Admission is 21 and over only, but the cost is a mere $10. For the full line-up and scheduled performance times, see the
Cultura 2008 MySpace space.
Here is a
very small sample of what you can expect to hear if you make the scene Friday night:
Intimate Apparel.mp3 Caution AutomaticLa Concha de Lora.mp3 Acho BrotherMareo (rough cut).mp3 Ledo y la VainaHate Your Neighbour.mp3 Benjamin Bear
Saturday night, phoenix/NEBULIN is hosting/performing at the Wallflower Gallery (10 NE 3rd Street). This is an all ages show that starts at 10 p.m. phoenix/NEBULIN is an industrial rock band from Miami, who claims such influences as Garbage and Marilyn Manson.
Although the venue name sounds like an art gallery, the Wallflower Gallery “funktions as an artistic collective with the most diverse creative parameters of any organization in South Florida.” That means that in addition to art shows, the Wallflower Gallery also showcases spoken word performances, films, and a wide variety of musical performances. See their
MySpace for more information and a list of upcoming events.
Here is some phoenix/NEBULIN:
Acid Bath (Rape Mix).mp3Labels: hip-hop, indie, industrial, latin, local stuff, upcoming shows
South Florida live
Later tonight, a few miles up the Florida Turnpike (Boca Raton, to be exact), a trio of South Florida bands is going to be tearing it up.
The Gist, Groove Factor, and Trip Aces are playing Murphy’s Downtown Pub (36 SE 3rd St., in Boca). Admission at the door is only five dollars. Hard to beat that.
Trip Aces is a quartet out of Jupiter, Fla. They describe their sound as similar to a Lamborghini Diablo, although I would say it’s a little rougher around the edges, which is a good thing.
Groove Factor, from the general South Florida area, is a funky rock band with a little ska flavor thrown in for good measure. They started out as a jam band hosting open mic nights and playing various venues up and down the state.
The Gist is a quartet from Pompano Beach, not too far up the road from here. They’ve also been playing various clubs and bars around the area.
None of these bands are signed; they’re just out there playing and having good time. This is the kind of show that is fun – three great sounding bands at an excellent price. If you’re going to be in the Boca area tonight (the show starts at 10 pm), I recommend you check this one out. It's more than worth the price of admission.
Believe.mp3 The GistDrinking in a Porn Shop Parking Lot.mp3 Groove FactorLabels: indie, local stuff, rock, upcoming shows
2008's "Best Local Rock Band"
I had enough of my wits about me as I left the bar last night to pick up a copy of the Miami
New Times alternative weekly newspaper, which this week features the annual
“Best of Miami” round up. I like to look through the listings and see all the things I promise myself each year I’m going to check out but then never do.
Over coffee this morning, I’m paging through and looking at the entries for “Best Eyebrow Shaping” (The Brow Shoppe) and “Best Restaurant for Gluttons” (Pescecane), trying to get to the good stuff: “Best Bars and Music.” Upon finding the section, I was pleased to see local-rockers-gone-big-time Black Tide voted as “Best Local Rock Band.”
Black Tide plays old-school heavy rock in the vein of Iron Maiden and Metallica (they actually included a Metallica cover on their debut album,
Light from Above). I remember reading about these guys in Rolling Stone last month in their “Breaking Artists” column. This quote from bassist Zakk Sandler sort of stuck in my head: “We see the world, and people give us free alcohol sometimes.”
The funny thing there is that none of the members of Black Tide are over 21. Lead singer and guitarist Gabriel Garcia is 15 years old and the members’ average age is just 18. Black Tide first started playing Miami area clubs about four years ago, shortly after Sandler – at the time, a lead guitarist for a rival group – agreed to fill in for a couple of gigs on bass. Although Gabriel was only 10 at the time, none of the older guys were remotely fazed by the idea of playing in a band with him. “It wasn’t weird at all to be in a band with a 10-year-old,” Zakk said, “because it was just like, ‘This kid is fucking talented!’”
After playing house parties and club gigs, Black Tide scored their big break when they talked their way onto the main showcase at the 2006 Florida Music Festival. Interscope Records signed Black Tide and flew them to Chicago, where they recorded
Light from Above at Groovemaster Studios, with Johnny K (Disturbed, Machine Head, Soil) producing. No sooner had they finished the album than they got a main stage slot on the 2007 OZZfest tour.
The
New Times describes
Light from Above as “a sucker punch of true old-school heaviness, all Maiden’ed and Megadeath’ed-out.”
Check these songs out and I think you’ll agree. And for more information on buying the album or seeing Black Tide play live, check out their
Web site.
Shockwave.mp3 Hit the Lights (Metallica cover).mp3Labels: covers, local stuff, metal, new stuff
Este fin de semana in Miami rock music
I recently had the honor of getting my little blog listed on the
South Florida Daily Blog blog roll. The South Florida Daily Blog is sort of to South Florida blogs what the
Hype Machine is to MP3 blogs: A gathering of related blogs in one user-friendly place.
I thought this was worth mentioning because I’ve been trying lately to give some attention to local bands and shows. Don’t misunderstand – I’m not about to start posting reggaeton and all that other crap I so dislike – but I have been making an effort to find local rock bands and do my little part in supporting the nearly-invisible Miami rock music scene.
All of which brings me to tonight’s post. Jimmie’s Chicken Shack is playing this Saturday night at Churchill’s Pub in Miami (5501 NE 2nd Ave / 305-757-1807). JCS is touring behind their January release,
Fail On Cue.
I don’t know what you might already know about Jimmie’s Chicken Shack, but briefly, they’re out of Annapolis, Md., where Jimi Haha and Jim McD started out as an acoustic duo. Their 1997 album,
Pushing the Salmanilla Envelope, featured the song “High,” which got a fair amount of MTV play.
One of the opening bands is C.H.A.L.K., a Miami-based hard rock band with influences ranging from Faith No More to Jane’s Addiction. David de la Fe (Freak), KaL MichaeL, Philip Chinea, and Sence Torres formed C.H.A.L.K. (Craving Himself Another Lovely Kill) in 1996. In 1997 the band went on a 10-year hiatus, reuniting last year for a show at Churchill’s, and have been together since.
Rounding out the bill are two other Miami rock bands, Alitheia and Revolution.
Tonight's music is a sample tune from C.H.A.L.K. and a few live songs from Jimmie's Chicken Shack. The JCS stuff comes from a Feb. 21, 2008, show at The Federal House in Annapolis.
Trauma of the Year.mp3 C.H.A.L.K.Making Babies.mp3 Jimmie’s Chicken ShackSmells Like Teen Spirit-intro (Nirvana cover).mp3 Jimmie’s Chicken ShackMutha Luvas.mp3 Jimmie’s Chicken ShackWaiting Room (Fugazi cover).mp3 Jimmie’s Chicken ShackLabels: live music, local stuff, upcoming shows
"I've Got a Temper; She's Got a Gun"
Miami quintet the JeanMarie played a midnight show last night at The Vagabond. I need a smack in the head for missing it because I think this band and I are soul mates. Here’s the line from their bio that convinced me: “Hailing from Miami, a city whose whole appeal is wealth and exclusiveness, the band may seem like a crew of outsiders with their grassroots desire for nothing more than a good time, and maybe a beer.”
The JeanMarie adopted the unMiami-like polar bear as a mascot and take pride in their role as outsiders inside the Miami music scene, playing a mix of pop, rock, indie, groove, and dance. “Bouncy but hardly light, dignified with a Brit-like swagger but truly, effortlessly soulful," wrote the Broward/Palm Beach
New Times, "the JeanMarie makes funk-fueled dance rock that's both passionate and unabashedly silly."
The members of the JeanMarie met at the University of Miami, where they were music majors. They got a huge break last year when another local band pulled out of an opening slot for Bloc Party. Three hours before the show, the JeanMarie’s booking agent called and told them they were up. “It’s like one of those bad dreams you have, when you show up in, like, your seventh grade class not wearing pants and you forgot your homework,” said keyboardist Richard Laudenraudy.
The JeanMarie released their first E.P.,
What's a Revolution Without Backup Dancers?, in 2006. The follow up E.P., 2007’s
Self-Titled, featured the band in its current configuration with all members helping to write, record, edit, and produce the album in a squalid corner of Miami's Little Haiti district. They are currently in the studio finishing the as-of-yet unnamed album that will act as their full-length debut.
Today’s music is a sampling from each of the two E.P.s, and a track from the upcoming album.
Bombs.mp3 Miss St. Claire.mp3 You Again Alone.mp3 For more information about the band and upcoming shows (don’t miss out like I did) check out the JeanMarie’s
MySpace or
Web site.
~~~~~
Top photo by Amy CohenLabels: indie, local stuff
Upcoming: Miami Metal Festival
Regular readers will know that I take any opportunity to kvetch about the seeming lack of rock music coming from this far point of Florida. In contrast to most things I complain about, though, I’ve actually taken steps to see if maybe I’m wrong, or if maybe I might need more facts before coming to this conclusion.
Turns out there is a rock scene of sorts here; I just haven’t been looking hard enough or in the right places. I managed to get on a couple of emailing lists recently and suddenly my inbox is full of events and shows that I otherwise probably wouldn’t have known a thing about.
This weekend, in case you haven’t heard, is the annual occurrence of “4/20,” which may or may not mean anything to you. Locally, it means the 420 Miami Metal Festival is happening, albeit on 4/18, because that’s a Friday.
There are about 20 Miami-area and Florida-based metal bands scheduled to perform this Friday at Churchill’s Pub (55 NE 2nd Ave in Miami). When I say “metal,” I mean friggin’
metal: Grindcore, black metal, thrash metal, whatever you want to call it, if you’re at this show, I’m pretty sure your face will melt.
The Notorious Nastie, one of South Florida’s most recognized and respected music figures, will host the festival, as he has for the last five years. For more information, either about this show or about South Florida rock music in general, check out
the Queen of the Scene. She is truly working to keep rock music alive in the Miami / South Florida area and welcomes feedback.
Tonight’s music comes from four of the bands scheduled to appear at the Miami Metal Fest. No bullshittin’ around – this is serious, hardcore metal. You won’t find hairspray, spandex, or pretty boys in this bunch.
Bottled Up.mp3 Dank SeasonUndisputed.mp3 Chapters UnfoldNascency Termination.mp3 Edge of AngerFor the Rest of the Fire.mp3 Shishcumba~~~~~
Note: That is Edge of Anger, a Ft. Lauderdale-based band, in the above pictureLabels: local stuff, metal, upcoming shows
Deutschpunk
Hey friends and neighbors! I made it back. I’ve actually been home since Sunday, but I needed a couple of days to decompress and get back into the day-to-day groove. Or rut – whichever.
Berlin was awesome. I saw a lot of very interesting and historic-type stuff. I met a few cool people. And, all in all, I had a good time. I won’t bore you with the details, but if you care to see a few pictures, I’ve put some on my
MySpace space. Scenery-type pictures. You’re not going to see any evidence of any drunken misadventures.
I picked up a couple of CDs while I was there, of course. The record stores I went into were much like indie record stores in the U.S. They actually carried a lot of the same stuff. I tried looking for alternative European releases, but couldn’t come up with anything that I hadn’t heard already.
Once I exhausted all of that, I thought I’d have a go at local (“local” in this case meaning “German”) music. I’m a big fan of the beer hall music, but only in a beer hall, so I decided not to buy any of that. A section I figured would be interesting to browse was German punk.
The German language, while lovely coming from a blond-haired, blue-eyed fräulein, can also sound harsh and guttural, which makes for an excellent punk language. I found a 1989 compilation titled
Deutsch Punk Kampflieder (which I think translates to “German Punk Combat Songs”). I did a little bit of Googling and found that some of the bands on this disk were seminal German punk bands: Slime, Toxoplasma, and Canal Terror were among the top bands from this mid-to-late 80’s era.
I also found, at a site called
Taringa!, a little bit of Deutschpunk history, if you’re interested:
In the 1980s, lots of new punk bands became popular in the scene and developed the so-called “Deutschpunk” style, which is not a generic term for German punk rock, but a style of punk music that included quite primitive songwriting, very fast rhythms and politically radical left-wing lyrics, mostly influenced by the Cold War. Probably the most important Deutschpunk band was Slime from Hamburg, the first band whose LP was banned because of political topics. Their songs “Deutschland,” “Bullenschweine,” and “Polizei SA/SS” were banned; some of them are still banned today, because they propagated the use of violence against the police or compared the police to the SA and SS of Nazi Germany.
All of these bands released their records on one of the leading punk labels in West Germany: Weird System Recordings from Hamburg, Aggressive Rockproduktionen (AGR) from West Berlin, or Mülleimer Records ("Garbage Can Records" ) from Stuttgart.
During this period, many bands were influenced by U.S. hardcore punk bands like Black Flag or The Adolescents. Those bands were also known for their extremely left-wing attitude and their aggression carried in their songs. [sic]
For tonight’s music, I’m going to drop on you some “left-wing” Deutschpunk music from Slime, Daily Terror, Canal Terror, and Toxoplasma. These bands range from a Rancid-type style to what sounds to me like the early 80’s SoCal punk bands. Generally, I don’t like listening to music in a language I don’t understand, but the attitude in this music is enough to carry it, even if you don’t know exactly what they’re saying.
Deutschland muss Sterben.mp3 SlimePolizei SA/SS.mp3 Slime99 Stunden.mp3 Daily TerrorTodesschwadron.mp3 Daily TerrorMaximierung des Gewinns.mp3 Canal TerrorTeenager Frust.mp3 ToxoplasmaI am going to leave it to you to translate the titles if you want. There are many, many Web sites that do free translation. My favorite is AltaVista’s
Babel Fish, mainly for its simplicity – and it seems reasonably accurate.
Note: The above pictures, from top to bottom, are Stefan from Toxoplasma; a "Daily Terror" t-shirt, obviously; and a group shot of Slime.
Labels: local stuff, punk, travel
Funeral for a Clown
While the rest of the world readies itself for SXSW, here in
la Habana del norte, we’re going to have a little festival fun of our own.
The Kryptonite Metal Rock Festival will happen this Friday, Feb. 29, at
Tobacco Road (626 S. Miami Ave., 305-374-1198). More than 30 bands are scheduled to appear on four stages in and around Miami’s oldest bar. The party starts at roughly 8:00 pm, so it’s going to happen quick and dirty. If you’re in this area, you won’t want to miss a rare heavy rock event.
A couple of the bands appearing are Boy Prostitute, about whom I blogged
last week, and recent additions to my ever-growing MySpace friends list, Funeral for a Clown.
FFAC is a quartet formed in Miami in 2005. They describe their sound as a “mixture of rock, electronic, and industrial elements (that) sounds aggressive, (but) produces an enjoyable dance beat that most listeners can enjoy.”
The band was in the process of recording its debut album when internal problems led to the dismissal of their original vocalist and their drummer. They quickly found replacements, but again had to fire their singer. Eventually, current vocalist Mike Debuc was brought on board, and the line-up seems complete. Debuc, bassist Noly, guitarist Alex, and drummer EleckttrusS are remixing and reworking the album, tentatively titled
Here Comes the Clown and plan to release it soon.
For more FFAC info and shows beyond the Kryptonite Fest, see the band’s
MySpace page. There is also a
MySpace for KryptFest, where you can see a full listing of scheduled bands. I have another commitment Friday that I’m going to try to ditch early so I can make it out to see at least some of the bands.
These two songs are demos that are from Funeral for a Clown’s MySpace space.
Evilution.mp3 Wheelchair.mp3Labels: local stuff, metal, upcoming shows
How I got a Boy Prostitute today
Up in the northeast part of Miami, just inside Little Haiti, and not too far from where I used to live, sits what is probably the only independent record store in the city.
Sweat Records first opened in March 2005, which was before I came to Miami. They were forced to close after their quarters on NW 23rd Street were pounded by the hurricanes that year (which I arrived just in time for). Owner Lauren Reskin took up temporary residence in the back of Churchill’s Pub, Miami’s only real rock club, which is also in Little Haiti. November last year, the space next door to Churchill’s became available, and Lauren promptly moved in.
I knew peripherally about all of this as it was going on, but because Sweat Records is at the opposite end of Miami from where I live, I hadn’t had a chance to visit. Oddly enough, it was a blog entry about coffee that finally got me over there.
The other day, I was tooling around the Internet when I ran across the
Meatless Miami blog. Now, I am far from a vegetarian; in fact, I had a big juicy burger to go with my beers at lunch today. So never mind what I was doing on that blog. Anyway, an entry there mentioned the coffee bar inside Sweat Records and boasted that the coffee is “Definitely our specialty and [our] best-seller is our dark, velvety espresso, which is meticulously prepared in true Italian fashion (seriously, we had to take classes on this!).”
It was the “dark, velvety espresso” that finally got me to Sweat Records. But it’ll be the music that brings me back. Sweat is no mega-store (a big plus), but they offer a nice selection of new and old CDs and LPs. Most important, though, they offer a selection of local music. I was pretty overwhelmed as I shuffled through the rows of disks. I hate when I pick something up that looks good only to have it turn out to suck. And I’ve been lead astray in the past by well-meaning clerks and salespeople. Usually I’ll trust my own judgment and I’m OK more than half of the time.
This is where Boy Prostitute comes in. When I saw their self-titled disk, I figured I could safely pick it up. I guessed by the band name and the fact that I’d seen them advertised playing alongside bands such as Johnny Sexfuk and the Fleshrockets that I could trust my judgment here.
Good call. Boy Prostitute shows heavy influence from the Ramones, with the hooks of Green Day. I listened to the CD three times on my way home and loved it. I tried to find some information about the band, but really all I learned is that when you Google “Boy Prostitute,” you can get to some weird Internet places. On their
MySpace space, I found a short blurb about the band, but not much other info:
“Boy Prostitute started in 2005 in an English pub called Churchill’s, located in Little Haiti, Miami. ... Matt Touchstone, Michael Midnight, Josh X-mas, and Chris Timebomb Critic are Boy Prostitute. We came to rock – bottom line. We know the world sucks, so keep the politics to yourselves. We don’t like Bush either. Everyone should shave down there. We are anti-racists, though we make fun of everyone. We are anti-homophobic, but agree that bestiality is just sick. Boy Prostitute rolls off your tongue like the finest caviar, bitch. So take heed all you haters and hotties: We want your money, but most of all we want your blood....”
Boy Prostitute’s next scheduled show is March 22, opening for The Unseen at
Studio A in Miami.
You’re Going Home in an Ambulance.mp3 I Want to Kill You but I Don’t Want to go to Jail.mp3Boy Prostitute.mp3 Buy your own Boy Prostitute.
Labels: local stuff, punk
Detroit Punk Rock, Baby!
I think I may have mentioned once or twice that Detroit is home to an incredible rock scene. Today’s post just confirms that idea.
Choking Susan describe themselves (jokingly, I assume) as a “cross between the Bee Gees and Minor Threat.” Seriously, they are an old-school-sounding punk band, and they do their city's rock history proud.
The band has been together – in various versions – since about 1999. Colleen Caffeine and guitarist Killer Keith are the mainstays. If you can believe the bios on their
Web Site (and if you can believe Choking Susan is influenced by the Bee Gees, there’s no reason you shouldn’t believe these bios), Colleen is a former Hooters waitress and is currently waiting to “find some dumb rich man”; and Keith was born in jail and makes frequent reappearances there. Bass player Lower GI Joe, and drummer Bob the Builder round out the line-up.
“The name Choking Susan comes from the name of a porno movie,” Colleen told
Loud Horizon Music. “After a while we decided to change the name to Crap. That was really short-lived though, and we then decided to call ourselves Doug’s Dead Eye, which was a kind of perverse homage to an ex-boyfriend of mine. Although we recorded under the latter name, it again was a short-lived incarnation, and we soon reverted to the original and best, Choking Susan. Why? Because it RAWKS, baby!”
Choking Susan recently released
The FBI Did It, which you can order from the band’s
MySpace space. They’re also on-again, off-again touring, with gigs in and around Michigan. In August, they’ll be at Rebellionfest in Blackpool, UK. More info on tour dates is also on their MySpace.
4 A Girl.mp3 Anorexia.mp3Mental Floss.mp3Labels: Detroit, local stuff, punk
Rock music! From Miami!
I got an email the other day from today’s featured band, Marqui Adora. They mentioned two very cool things that made me decide right away I’d devote a post to them. First, they are a rock band from Miami. I’m not sure if those of you outside Miami-Dade County realize just how rare that is. Miami doesn’t rock; Miami spins turntables and dances to steel drums.
Next, the members of Marqui Adora have gone the same route as Radiohead (they may even have been doing it longer) and are giving away their music via the Internet. While Marqui Adora may not yet be as big as Radiohead, I will definitely salute them for their approach to disbursing their music.
I read an article the other day about bands at CMJ. The gist of the story was how much more important it is now for bands to get a “blogger buzz” going. With government radio in decline, word-of-mouth and the Internet are the only ways people are hearing new music. If a band can produce its own demos or albums and release the music cheaply on the Internet, why would it want to hassle with record deals? Even an artist as successful as Trent Reznor has announced he will no longer deal with a record company, but will “be able to finally have a direct relationship with the audience as I see fit and appropriate.”
Getting off my soapbox and turning back to some music, here is the description drummer Joe Shockley gave me of Marqui Adora:
Marqui Adora is a rock band made up of four guys from Miami, Fla., who have a soft spot for keyboards and 808 kick drums, along with a love of layered sounds and a good hook. We often get comparisons to U2 and The Cure yet we listen to copious amounts of Pink Floyd, Daft Punk and Dub Reggae. Go figure.
Somehow this year we had two songs licensed, one for a national Nissan ad campaign and the other for a small indie film in Portugal. Licensing is nice and all – it helps to pay off the mounds of credit card debt we have, but the real interesting thing is that the two songs that we licensed were ones we gave away freely, no strings attached. So we wondered, “What would happen if we gave all the songs away?” And so, here we are, letting everyone know that we’re out here, that we write what we think are great songs and we want everyone to hear them.
Give these guys a listen and if you like them, which I hope you do, there is plenty more music available on their
Web site. All they’re asking is a donation if you can afford it and for you to help spread their name.
I Suppose.mp3 the newest single
The March.mp3 from the
White Buildings EP
I Walk for Miles (live acoustic).mp3 from the
Marqui Adora EP
Only (NIN remix).mp3 remix of a Nine Inch Nails song, from the
Marqui Adora EP.
Here's the link for the
Nissan commercial, featuring the Marquis Adora song "Empty."
Labels: indie, local stuff, new stuff
Long-time listeners will know that I have posted before about this hard-rockin’ Australian duo (here and here) and have been oh-so-patiently waiting for them make the 9000 mile trip to this side of the U.S. so I can see some Blood, Sweat, and Beers all up close and personal like. 
