Lady Gaga is not the first artist with a kooky, eye-catching wardrobe — nor will she be the last. The fashion parade presented by James Brown, Madonna, Elton John, Prince and, hell, even Liberace has kept goofy getups integrated in pop music for decades. She’s all the rage and has…
Otis Redding nostalgia has been going on for decades, and two men who were responsible for quite a push were Jake and Elwood Blues back in 1980s’ The Blues Brothers. Their cover of “Can’t Turn You Lose” became a mainstay within the Dan Ackroyd-John Belushi lore and kept Redding rising…
The victory lap for Guided by Voices — the indie-rock superstars who inspired many a Torche song — continues with the “classic lineup” announcing details of a new album, Let’s Go Eat the Factory.As Mojo points out, this is the first recording featuring the assembled cast of Robert Pollard, Tobin…
In honor of the upcoming Death to the Sun III music festival at the Snooze Theater, County Grind will profile select acts from the lineup.Miami’s Toad Eyes are a band to be watched. Not that we have any idea where they’re going. But that’s a big part of the allure…
Inspired or perhaps possessed by the intoxicating swag and all around baller-ness of b-movie actor (If Looks Could Kill) and former professional male model Richard Grieco, Broward hip-hop supergroup The Party Monsters revamp Tone Loc’s “Funky Cold Medina” from a PG, pop rap classic about a malfunctioning aphrodisiac into a…
Leonard Cohen, who turns 77 today, may be the most unlikely of pop stars. His age notwithstanding, his dark, somnambulant vocals and unassuming demeanor hardly qualify him for the rabid following he’s attained over the decades, especially since returning to the limelight after having abandoned his music in favor of…
Want to step in the name of love with R. Kelly? Details are still scant, but the R&B superstar is set to bring his classy self to South Florida for a weekend of high-end festivities around the state. The events are billed “Black & White” parties because Kelly would like…
These days, it seems that Miami is in no shortage of bands who like to party. With endless ragers like Jacuzzi Boys and Pool Party, the town has made something of a name for itself in the category of sweaty, drunken dance-offs. Jumping into the fray is none other than…
Around this time 20 years ago, any young rocker worth his weight in Vision Street Wear was rocking Guns N’ Roses Use Your Illusion I & II, full blast. We may not have admitted it out loud, but something felt weird about this oversaturated double album. It was way too…
Miami’s infectious metal outfit Torche recently recorded three covers of indie-rock stalwarts Guided by Voices for a split 12-inch record with their equally infectious buddies (and tourmates) Part Chimp. The record is set for a limited 500-copy release by Chunklet in November, and from what we’ve heard of the stuff…
Aside from eating brunch every Sunday at Rosie’s, I’m still new to the nightlife scene in Wilton Manors, so traveling to Bill’s Filling Station on Saturday night was like visiting a foreign land. It’s easy to imagine the male gay bar scene to be covered in glitter with half-naked boys…
Many Floridians observed last week that the sweltering beast that is summer is beginning to break. Though the heat is still upon us, its intensity is waning at this point, and it will soon be safe to go back outside. Indeed, the coming of autumn (AKA weather in the 80s,…
This past Saturday, HBO presented arguably the highest-billed boxing event of the year, a title fight featuring Mexican-American WBC Welterweight champ Victor Ortiz and challenger Floyd Mayweather Jr. At the end of four rounds, a headbutt, a sucker punch, and a screaming temper tantrum, the sentiment regarding the spectacle unleashed…
When DJ Mehdi passed last week at the all-too-early age of 34, he left a gaping hole in South Floridian clubbers’ hearts in particular. Mehdi, of course, was a frequent visitor to our shores, soundtracking some of the best feel-good nights across the circuit, particularly during the marathons of Winter…
Love those My Morning Jacket dudes, but it’s gotta be said that they are not quite normal. The Louisville, Kentucky staple of Bonnaroo has done much to defy stereotypes of being an alt-country/roots act by experimenting with many psychedelic sounds, and weird Muppet-esque videos.Now, Jim “Yim Yames” James and his…
Technically this is a belated wish, but Flo Rida’s birthday party is tonight at Opium in the Seminole Hard Rock complex in Hollywood, and it’s time to prep for the celebration. On Saturday, the Carol City native born Tramar Dillard turned 32, and for the many who were not able…
JourneyWith Foreigner and Night RangerCruzan Amphitheatre, West Palm BeachSunday, September 18, 2011Better than: Running off with a member of Styx. Recently, the ultimate melodic rock powerhouse that is Journey has found itself riding the wave of a massive resurgence. Credit both in no small part to The Sopranos’ final episode…
The marvelous Miami metal men of Torche, who released our No. 3 favorite local album last year, are impressing us again. This time they’re covering a trio of songs by the Ohio lo-fi behemoths Guided by Voices for their side of a Chunklet-commissioned split 12-inch with London noise act Part…
Let’s be honest here for a second. September babies are the most beautiful babies ever. That’s a simple fact. Google it. Here’s another moment of honesty: We all know who Tegan and Sara are, but how exactly do we know them? Let’s be honest, again. It was 2004’s So Jealous…
In honor of the upcoming Death to the Sun III music festival at the Snooze Theater, County Grind will profile select acts from the lineup.Though 90s Teen self-identifies as a revisionist grunge band conducting an exercise in nu-retro stylistics, the trio — comprised of frequent collaborators, bassist Rick Diaz and…
Had he not succumbed to a combination of heart failure and painkillers on January 1, 1953, Hank Williams would have turned 88 years old today. Yet the fact that he died at the tragically young age of 29 doesn’t diminish the indelible imprint that he left not only on the…
Anyone who has taken part in a Japanese tea ceremony (who hasn’t) knows that the preparation of the tea, and cleaning up afterwards, are just as important as the act of sipping the tea. And we at County Grind know that this idea applies to attending a rock show as…
