More >>

During its brief, few months' run, the short-lived Lush Haus party at Propaganda cemented a sort of miniscene. Its resident performers, Sumsun, the Get, and Secret Hideout, tapped into a certain cosmic, New Age-y Zeitgeist in electronic music that was gaining steam on the internet but hadn't quite reached real-life South Florida yet. Sumsun pushed past the boundaries of chillwave for sounds that bordered on Balearic house, while the Get was slightly dubbier. More >>

via facebook.com/OldHabitsFC

After a few years of whining, makeup, and unfortunate haircuts, things seem to have come full circle in certain corners of the all-ages hardcore-ish scene. Actual hardcore is back in its full gym-shorts-wearing, windmilling glory -- no overly complicated attempts at subgenres or sing-screaming needed. Luckily, too, there's a new band on the scene which reaches young kids for some schooling, but comes straight from people who have lived hardcore for years. That's Old Habits, a five-piece that includes on guitar John Wylie, founder of the legendary local imprint Eulogy Recordings. More >>

When Two-Door Cinema Club comes to town on June 5 to headline Revolution, their well-chosen supporting act is well worth a listen by fans of similarly punchy pop-rock. Cincinnati duo Bad Veins has popped in and out of mainstream consciousness, but certainly are radio-friendly enough to push past the verge again. The pair's blend is sort of like a meat-and-potatoes indie rock that you'd expect from the Midwest -- straightforward, feel-good, honest, and friendly-sounding. More >>

CC by 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

At just under 30 years old, Freddie Gibbs, who opens for Raekwon at Revolution this Friday, April 6, boasts more than a decade in the hip-hop game already. All right, in hip-hop, that's actually several lifetimes, and that makes Gibbs pretty much a wise old battle veteran. Yet for many recent years, it's seemed that he's perpetually on-the-verge. Despite the hype, an Interscope Records deal fizzled, the planned album as part of it shelved, and Indiana native Gibbs has remained independent since then.

More >>

Top Five Records in downtown Lake Worth is one of the most equally amazing and frustrating record stores ever. Don't bother trying to look it up online or call -- the store's only web presence comes via Facebook, and the page hasn't been updated since 2011. Phone numbers in old blog posts and listings floating around the web no longer work.

And yet, there it is -- still in business after a handful of years, possibly because of its choice location for music lovers, right next to Propaganda. So you'll have to make it up in person. Well, don't try on Monday or Tuesday, when it's closed, and not too early or late; the place is open from noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and from noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.
More >>

A high point in the Worst Band's career.

​On Tuesday, April 10, local instrumental sludgy duo Holly Hunt embarks on its first tour with a kickoff show at Churchill's in Miami. The ensuing dates will see the group crossing the South, Midwest, and Northeast in just over two weeks. The musical pair, with its raw, surprisingly melodic take on drone rock, is one of the more interesting and exciting rock bands currently gigging on the Churchill's/DIY-type circuit. That stands in stark contrast to the official title of the group's tour: "The Worst Band in America 2012" tour.

For that, thank the mastermind behind the outing, the legendary Miami noise king Rat Bastard, perhaps best-known for his work under the name the Laundry Room Squelchers. The nod for Worst Band in America, though, goes to another Rat Bastard project, Scraping Teeth.
More >>

www.facebook.com

​Making some serious strides is what local indie-dance punk outfit D.V.N.O. has been doing lately. The West Palm Beach quintet will be performing at the 30th edition of SunFest this year. Led by brothers Marco (vocals, bass) and Jacob (drums, percussion) Baez, D.V.N.O. will take the FPL stage on Sunday, May 6, at 4:30 p.m. That positions them as openers for Rasta-meets-Rabbi rapper Matisyahu.

It's not the first time the band performs at a local major music festival, however; back in late 2010, the D.V.N.O boys garnered a spot on Buzz Bake Sale 15's stage.

More >>

​Since Mayday signed to Strange Music last year, the relationship between the local act and label head Tech N9ne has been positively symbiotic. Besides touring the most obscure reaches of the country (Casper, Wyoming, anyone?) with the underground legend, Mayday has guested on his tracks and, now, completely produced his latest EP, Klusterfuk. It's six tracks of Tech's trademark spitfire rapping, many of the songs flavored with the addition of new Strange signees.  More >>

via facebook.com/AsherRoth

​Asher Roth, the not-long-ago poster child of suburban rap, had either a wise or misguided marketing plan when he first hit it big. In 2009, his single "I Love College" was inescapable and remains his best-known song to date. The ode to wanton first-world privilege and lazy binge drinking was so deadpan and so clichéd, it surely was meant to be taken with a certain layer of irony -- something that seemed to completely escape many of the song's fans. It also seemed to escape most mainstream media that wrote about Roth, with the Pennsylvania native painted as an idol for the fans who took his song at face value. More >>