Maybe the reason South Florida's beachfront dives and downtown haunts are filled with so many reggae-rock bands is the year round sunshine, miles and miles of sandy beaches, our general love of flip-flops. The island grooves with dub bounce just feel natural here.

But with such a saturation of like-mined bands, it is a challenge to stand out. Fort Lauderdale six-piece, Bushwood, has actually accomplished this task, striking a chord with a sound that meanders from reggae to funk and R&B.

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Music writers all over the world were awakened today by this press release put out by the seminal alternative rock ban, the Pixies.

"We are sad to say that Kim Deal has decided to leave the Pixies. We are very proud to have worked with her on and off over the last 25 years. Despite her decision to move on, we will always consider her a member of the Pixies, and her place will always be here for her. We wish her all the best.

Black Francis, Joey Santiago and David Lovering"

Kim Deal leaving the Pixies would be newsworthy if this was 1991 when the Pixies last put out an album of new material. Or maybe even in 2010, when they last did a reunion tour playing their glorious old music. Kim Deal is currently touring with the Breeders (a tour that comes to Miami's Grand Central in October). So, the only surprising item in the press release was that on June 13, 2013, there were people who thought the Pixies hadn't broken up.

In the spirit of that announcement, here are some other press releases we might expect in upcoming days.

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Sayre Berman

Taken at last year's One Direction show in Broward.

One Direction
BB&T Center, Sunrise
June 13, 2013

Better Than: The eardrum reconstructive surgery we will be having next week. Earplugs or not, those tweens have a set of lungs on them.

It's a strange thing to be a 25-year-old woman at a One Direction concert. When asked to cover this show, it was a no brainer. I said yes. Boy bands and I go way back. Way, way back.

You must understand, I grew up in Orlando during the times of Lou Pearlman with his incredible ability to put together a group that placed all the girls' training bras in knots. One year, I saw 'N Sync not once, but twice, because they started and ended their U.S. tour in Central Florida. Why my parents agreed to pay for this, I didn't really understand. Well, that was until last night.

See also
- The Fans of One Direction at BB&T Center

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Amanda Bynes, former Nickelodeon cutie, "inventor" of LOL, Twitter monster, and childish celebrity disser, can add aspiring rap star to her list of titles as of this week. Already, Chinga Chang Records roped this controversial, and some might say crazed, retired actress to their label.

Oddly enough, becoming a hip-hop artist is one of the least insane things Bynes has done lately. Based on her bad behavior and manic tweets, here are five songs we imagine Amanda Bynes writing for herself and rapping the shit out of.

See also
- Ten Craziest Photos of Amanda Bynes

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Submitted photo

Employing guitar, bass, drums, keys, vocals, and computers, Former Champions alternate between structured song and extended improvisation. The resulting offering is a dancey, trancey, trip-friendly atmosphere for folks looking to get high (with or without controlled substances). They make use of available technologies and human energies in order to explore new musical frontiers and get a nice groove going. Their self applied genre is "electronic rock," but they may fairly be described as a 21st century jam band.

One notable quality of this Richmond-based outfit is that they've got good songs and singers, which is showcased nicely on their recent release, Special FX Machine. Guitarist Matt Walton, keyboardist Ben White, and bassist David Ashby deliver very sweet harmonies within well written, catchy tunes. And driving the melodic beauty is the precise, energetic drumming of Geoff Bakel, who sits at a very modern beat station which features an old-school, acoustic trap set supplemented by an analog synthesizer and sampler which tie into White's computerized rig.

One challenge for the band, says Bakel, is making use of the gadgets while remaining human musicians: "Technology gives us all these tools. You want to use them, but there is that fine line between going too far and losing the organic-ness that I think creates a lot of magic for a live band. We strive to make a hybrid of it all."

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Brahma Kumaris Hollywood Meditation Group's Facebook

You need to chill. No doubt about it. Look at those bitten fingernails, bloodshot eyes. You're worried about your dog's teeth, Syrian refugees, the Ogallala Aquifer. There is no end to the things worth stressing.

Instead of worrying your way through yoga this week, head to Young Circle this Sunday for a global mediation for world peace. World Meditation Hour -- during which you meditate on world peace -- launched in 1978, but Hollywood got in on the action in May. You'll spend an hour on Father's Day along with mediators in over 90 countries, reflecting on "collective inner worlds" they say.

To get you pumped, or deflated or whatever, for the event, we put together 10 of the most peaceful songs we could for one of the most calming playlists of all time. Namaste.

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Led Zeppelin reunion shows have been few and far between since drummer John Bonham's death in 1980. Led Zeppelin tributes, however, have helped carry the group's musical flame well into the 21st Century. But none is as authentic as Jason Bonham's "Led Zeppelin Experience."

Since 2010, Bonham has toured with his audiovisual ode to his late father. And on Monday, he'll be joined by Heart for a nostalgic night of rock 'n' roll in West Palm Beach.

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It's been over a month since the tragic passing of Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman. The fact that we will never again see what is undoubtedly the nastiest group to come from the Big Four of thrash return to the stage with its original lineup intact has settled in. We have even come to grips with the fact that Slayer will more than likely never truly return to the bludgeoning grace of its golden era output without the fallen guitarist's punk-infused thrash riffing and manic whammy bar abuse fueling the madness.

Slayer has continued to function without Hanneman's involvement for an extended period due to the guitarist allegedly contracting a flesh-eating bacteria (other reports claim the alcoholism that killed him had also affected his ability to tour). But we had always hoped that Slayer might one day ride again with the original lineup, and maybe at some point make another record as hard as Reign in Blood.

See also: Jeff Hanneman, Slayer's Legendary Axe-Man Dead at 49

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Monica McGivern

No one at the Culture Room really knew what they were getting themselves into at The Tallest Man on Earth's debut South Florida performance last night.

After Strand of Oaks set the stage with their mellow but invigorating tunes, The Tallest Man came out with "King of Spain," and hushed the crowd. His albums demonstrate his abilities as a good finger-picking guitarist, but live, he revealed a whole different side of his talent.

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Get ready to prance like a show pony!

Internet sensation and sex icon Joanna Rohrback is bringing her trademark workout, Prancercise live to Seminole Casino Coconut Creek.

Hot to trot and ready to stroll, Rohrback describes her exercise as a "springy, rhythmic way of moving forward, similar to a horse's gait and ideally induced by elation." Sure you'll have Equus flashbacks, but this mama's gallop will also make you a little tight in the pants. Boner City.

See also: Prancercise: Diet Tips From The Horse's Mouth

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