Radars and Wolves; fighting and collaborating

South Florida's indie rock scene owes a large debt to Tom Gorrio. Now living in Nashville and soldiering on with the like-minded, albeit inwardly competitive musicians of Radar Vs. Wolf; Gorrio is better known down here for his work in Call it Radar and Baby Calendar.

Always a restless and travelling soul, we recently had a chance to catch up with him in anticipation and now celebration of their latest album Radarvswolf. In this conclusion Gorrio discusses his pride and one of Peru's finest dishes, lomo saltado.

See also:
- Radar Vs. Wolf's Tom Gorrio Is in "Face-Melting, Kick-You-in-the-Balls Mode"
- Radar vs. Wolf; Playing at Sweat Records on Saturday
- Local Motion

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At age 16, Donavon Frankenreiter fulfilled every teenaged fantasy by moving to Hawaii and becoming a professional surfer. Then a decade ago, he one-upped that fantasy by signing to a childhood friend's record label and becoming a rock star.

Five albums into his second career and a day before he embarked to Japan for his latest tour, which will bring him to the Culture Room on June 15, Frankenreiter spoke with New Times. He did not disappoint. He was every bit as laid-back and mellow as you would expect a surfing troubadour to be.

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Alex Markow

The force of nature that is Snooki wasn't created by an MTV camera crew and salivating reality-obsessed television audience. No, Nicole Elizabeth Polizzi would have thrived and prospered without the streamlined energy of pervertedly watchful Jersey Shore fans.

Not only has Snooki been writing books, pushing everything from boxers (not the undies but the fighters) to self-tanning lotion, giving birth, and raising her son, Lorenzo, but now she's entered the very fickle world of music.

With Team Snooki Music, she's introducing three new artists: B-Capp, Veronica Kole, and local voice AdELA. This weekend, she boogied with the latter at Passion Nightclub in Hollywood. We chatted with the petite promoter about being a mom, playing the drums, and this, her newest venture.

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In Miami, DJs are a dime a dozen. For better or for (usually) worse, anyone with a laptop and a Facebook profile can potentially jump on deck and take over the party.

Fortunately, in the land of eternally thumping bass, a few real DJ talents emerged. Perhaps the most decorated, and genuinely cool, of those few is six-time DMC champion, DJ Craze. The Miami native has even been recognized by Time as America's Best DJ.

While Craze is certainly no newcomer to the game, the world-renowned scratch DJ, producer, and label head hasn't shown any sign of slowing down. With a residency at Mansion, a monthly party at the Garret to showcase his label Slow Roast, and a whole slew of projects in the works, it's safe to say we can continue to expect great things from this homegrown superstar.

Tonight, Craze will make a rare trek up to Lake Worth, where he'll throw down a solid set for the bassheads at the Speakeasy Lounge's dubstep night, Proper Dosage. To help get us pumped up for the party, the turntable master took a moment with New Times to talk about his new Slow Roast party, what kind of set we can expect at Proper Dosage, and why music will never die.

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Michael McDonald will perform live this weekend, June 7th through June 9th, at the Fort Lauderdale Improv.

Michael McDonald might be easily recognized for cracking us up as cast member on MADtv for a staggering 10 years. But having been in the biz for that long, he has found his own path to success that includes a number of ways to make us laugh besides a good old fashioned "Look what I can do!"

The seasoned comedian comes from a deep improv education as a member of the notorious Groundlings. So, before he goes deep into the Fort Lauderdale Improv this weekend, we chatted about how his early career still played a big role in MADtv, chasing down Sandra Bullock with a knife, and playing the voice of Gandhi on the greatest and most forgotten cartoon of all time. All, for the most part, with his pants off.

See also:
- Bobby Lee on "Hot Chicks'" Instagram Accounts: "I Don't Masturbate to Them; I Just Like Watching Pretty People"

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Brian Walsby has been playing music and creating original content for almost three decades.

Brian Walsby has been plying his musical and artistic crafts for longer than many of us have been able to wipe our own asses unassisted, yet the California native and longtime Raleigh, North Carolina, resident remains humble as he adjusts to life as a father three years shy of becoming a quinquagenarian. I had the good fortune of getting ahold of him before his upcoming tour with the Melvins, and he was kind enough to answer some questions.

In this, the second half of our interview, we discuss topics ranging from the influx of memes on our culture and how he's integrated them into his artwork, how active he currently is as a drummer, the Descendents versus ALL, and his philosophy on punk rock exclusiveness.

See also
- Punk Rock Satirist Brian Walsby, Still Kicking Ass After All These Years (Part One)

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Tom Gorrio is no longer a resident of South Florida, but for the time that he was, this humble narrator and scribe was eternally conscribed into his army for the various opportunities that he afforded me to make a simple buck off his numerous recordings.

Tom Gorrio does not produce hip-hop tracks, he does not fuel the Heat; he makes simple rock and roll that can't even be considered a racket. He makes sweet pop noise for discerning ears. If tweens were smart, they'd drop their hard-earned monies on his wares.

Bottom line is as follows: Tom Gorrio is one of South Florida's unheralded sons but not one to buckle from that, he continues to strive forward in California, making good music for good people.

Are you a good person? You might just enjoy what his current act Radar Vs. Wolf has in stock for you. Sit back and relax. This is only part one.

See also:
- Baby Calendar
- Q&A with Tom Gorrio and James Bratton of Radar vs. Wolf; Playing at Sweat Records on Saturday
- Local Motion

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When Dopapod hits the stage, unleashing a flow of bouncy, progressive, jam-rock, a fun scene ensues. In the audience, faces and LED glow toys become illuminated, and the room seems to move like one big, warm, dancing organism. The band delights in being the funky heart.

The childlike bliss seen on stage though, is not quite the only mood which characterizes the hard working band's operation. Rather, according to guitarist and singer Rob Compa, the show itself is more like the fruitional reward of all the hard work that the band does behind the scenes.

This Thursday, the band plays the Funky Buddha in Boca Raton. The show is pre-party for The Big Up Music and Arts Fest, which takes place in New York in August. Ahead of this week's jams, New Times had a nice chat with Compa as he stood on the rooftop of a building in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Williamsburg, where most of the band members live in an apartment together when they aren't living together in a van on the road.

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Photo by Tom Bejgrowicz via Killswitch Engage facebook

Prepare for positive brutality

Killswitch Engage take the roots of hardcore punk, the flash of guitar wizardry, the evil core of heavy fuckin' death metal, and the heart of rock and roll, throw them in a mosh pit, and create some of the most brutally harmonious music the world has ever known.

Their tour in support of their new album Disarm The Descent just kicked off, and soon the band will be creating a metalcore maelstrom at Revolution Live. The band have sold millions of albums, climbed the heights of Billboard charts, and taken their sound around the world. We spoke to bassist Mike D'Antonio about his Fort Lauderdale tattoo artist, the Cro-Mags stabbing at Webster Hall, and how music can change the world.

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Paul Reiser is the type of guy who could have been a Jerry Seinfeld, but didn't quite make it to that level. We mean that in the nicest way possible. The comic is best known for his role in the hit TV show with Helen Hunt Mad About You, but that was like 20 years ago! So when speaking with him recently, we were more interested in chatting about his other projects as he makes his way to the Palm Beach Improv this June. A musician and author, Reiser's skills go far deeper than television.

The comic is back on the road for the first time since the '90s, and working his hardest to not skip a beat. In what proved to be a very natural and entertaining interview, Reiser pulled back the curtain on some of his writing philosophies, and we even got him to spill the beans on the uncertain possibility of another season of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Pretty, pretty good.

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