The long overdue debut record from Lake Worth-based indie rawk troupe Bonnie Riot will be unveiled this Saturday night at Propaganda. On and off since 2004, this female-fronted danceable, power-punk group has endured many epic highs and lows in order to put out this EP.

At its core, Bonnie Riot is founding members Milly La Madrid and Luis Sanabria, who have persevered through countless lineup changes. Their act was revitalized by the addition of its most recent members, giving their sound a punchy and raw rebirth. The band with the gag name that stuck has all its ducks in row now and, according to La Madrid, and recorded its six best tracks for this album.

New Times chatted with the invigorated unit about its long-awaited songs on wax, desire to take over Miami, and love of chongas.
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Yesterday, Pitbull, the 305's reigning lord of reggaeton-rap responded directly to Cash Money, Young Money mogul Lil Wayne's extensive shittalking against the Miami Heat and the team's Holy Trinity of LeBron, Wade, and Chris Bosh's wife.

More specifically, Mr. 305 released a track instructing Wayne to refrain from "shitting where he eats" and -- to our grand delight -- Para de comer tanta pinga. Which, in so many words, is a command that Birdman Junior eat dick.

Pitbull's localism should be a bold example for every star in Dade County to stand up and defend these millionaire athletes from this millionaire pop star.

Here are ten celebs we'd like to see go after Weezy next.
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The supercool album cover was done by local artist Marc Paperscissor.

SoFla Flow pays tribute to South Florida's wonderful jam-band, reggae, and related activity: heady, homegrown, local stuff.

​Deerfield Beach band the Resolvers' new album, Big Band Reggae, debuted at number five on the Billboard Reggae Charts, and that was before it was released online, which happened last week. As readers may have picked up on from various posts (here and here, for example), County Grind thinks this band deserves all the little gold stars of feedback that it can receive. 

Big Band Reggae is a profoundly original statement in the world of reggae, both the album and the sound to which the title refers: the well-nurtured child that this 11-piece musical family has been bringing into the world for a couple of years now. On the six-song record, it's clear that not only is the child up on its own two feet but it's dancing like James Brown. The record delivers it so well that the listener can't help but shake loose and join in.

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James Stafford

This Rasta wizard is bringing his magic to Lauderdale. Yes I!

While the reggae scenes in surrounding areas like Boca and Miami have been maturing like young dreadlocks, with lots of shows from up-and-coming local bands at spots like the Funky Buddha, the scene in Fort Lauderdale has been less natty.

The beloved Fourth Dimension rocks Fat Cat's downtown once a week, and Lauderdale gets big touring acts at Revolution and Culture Room once in a while, but it has seemed for some time like Lauderdale could use some attention so that it may begin to lock up as its own dread on the larger SoFla Rasta head, if you will.

Well, we're pleased to announce that a new knot is forming. Local reggae personality extraordinaire Lance-O of Kulcha Shok is bringing his energy and expertise to Fort Lauderdale with a new weekly reggae party...right near da' beach, boiiii!

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via facebook.com

Wuest tweaking knobs in real time

​Winter Music Conference, the annual week long celebration of bleeps, blips and untz, untz, untz, is once again descending upon South Florida. To celebrate the knob tweaking dance-a-thon, Brotherly Love Productions is throwing a kickoff show at the Stage in Miami this Friday which will spotlight a recent trend within the world of electronic music: live, band-style renditions of bot produced music.

Now, just where the line is between "live" and "not" is debatable, especially if you can go along with the idea that turntables and records are instruments and that knob tweaking and clicks of the mouse happen in the present moment just like taps on a hand drum.

However, what all the acts performing as part of Jamtronic Chronic WMC Kickoff Party have in common is the presence of musicians on stage playing instruments that can make music without the help of electricity-- like basses, drums, guitars, and pianos (well, keyboards at least) -- and jam sensibility inspired by acts like the Disco Biscuits.

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Andrew Coury

Resolvers and their SoFla colleagues are ready to get it on!

​Part of the beauty of a good Florida festival is that it provides opportunities to discover acts that don't make many appearances way down here on the peninsula. This weekend, bands will be traveling from as far away as Philadelphia and Colorado in order to bring their goodness to Aura Fest up the road in St. Cloud.

Also though, the festival provides a platform for local and regional bands to throw down extra hard and show fans and newcomers alike what they've got. 

The fest energy is conducive to big moments and magic breakthroughs. This weekend, a handful of South Florida's finest jam units are in position to blow it out for the big crowd.

While you pack your bags and coolers, pump these jams from our beloved locals. And be sure to make it to their sets throughout the fest to show support, and to enjoy!

Check out the schedule here.

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via facebook.com

This is the face of someone who loves her work.

​When you come across the relaxed and cheerful faces of Matt Beck and Destiny Spang at local shows, it may not be at all apparent that they are perpetually making moves and generally working their asses off to help those very shows happen. But they are. The duo heads Brotherly Love Productions, a local "full service live music production outfit" that could fairly be called the engine that drives the jam band scene in South Florida.

The pair exudes such love and enthusiasm for the scene, that one must wonder what sort of fuel keeps the BLP engine running. "Community!" says Spang. At shows you'll see her floating around hanging with friends--pretty much everyone in the room--as much as getting lost in the music. 

And, the community gatherings are not limited to darkened clubs. In addition to putting together stellar shows, BLP has been known to organize activities like kickball games and kayaking trips that bring together bands, artists, and good vibe peeps of all sorts.

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The Senses, 2007

​It could be said that beauty is best expressed in the simplest of forms. This is the case with Boca artist Marc Paperscissor, whose medium is more commonly found in kindergarten classrooms than in the art world. He uses paper and ordinary scissors, hence the name, to create artwork that, at times, is as playful as the work produced by kiddies during arts and crafts hour. At others, it conveys heavy spiritual concepts.

Simplicity here does not imply lack of devotion or laziness. On the contrary, within the clarity of his images is evidence of incredible discipline and vision. "I don't see the light of day; I'm just working, working," he says.

The energy and focus that he puts into his work has resulted in the establishment of a career that is gaining momentum all the time. Currently, he receives calls for commission work from as far away as Mexico and Canada and is so busy with local and regional work that he'll soon be taking a break in order to refresh.

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Andrew Coury

The band is so big, that 2.5 members had to be cropped out of this photo so that it would fit in this blog. Sorry!

​The Resolvers are the biggest reggae band in the area, literally. In fact, with 10 musicians comprising the group, they are among the biggest reggae bands anywhere. "When people find out how many people are in the band, they think we're crazy," says guitarist Ron Eisner. Whatever challenges come along with keeping together a unit that big though are worth it to Eisner and his band mates.

The large ensemble delivers a sound that just can't be achieved with lesser numbers, no matter what sort of technology exists. Ten personal inspirations joining as one with the intent to joyfully get down is a powerful thing. They call the sound, appropriately, Big Band Reggae.

Big Band Reggae is also the name of the band's forthcoming album, which will be officially released next week. "The sound and mentality is a mix between roots reggae and funky, party music," says Eisner. "A mix between Jamaica and New Orleans." That makes sense, since the band's hometown of Deerfield Beach is kinda in between those two hubs for soulful, uplifting music.

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​SoFla Flow pays tribute to South Florida's wonderful jam-band, reggae, and related activity -- both the homegrown, heady, local stuff and national acts passing through.

​One year ago, the legendary reggae group Inner Circle, alongside local promoter and scene elder Lance-O of Kulcha Shok, called on the area's most energized reggae bands to gather at Circle Village in Miami. That's Inner Circle's headquarters and recording studio (Circle House Studios), and the plan was to share with the bands their recent inspiration and invite them to join together to begin work on a project called Reggae Wave.

Tomorrow night, Reggae Wave makes its global debut in front of an international crowd in Orlando as a handful of the bands represent at Lance-O's annual Surf Expo satellite party.

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