​When we got word that hip-hop king Talib Kweli would be spinning a DJ set at Green Room next week, the sun, which had been hiding, peeked from behind the clouds. Dolphins leapt up from the waves, hibiscus bloomed, and we smiled.

One-half of Black Star -- which was played nonstop on our tape deck in the late '90s -- Kweli is a man who managed to rise to stardom even after his near-perfect duo dissolved. Of course, so did his fellow Black Starer Mos Def, who, fun fact, recently changed his stage name to Yasiin Bey. Super Black Star fans crawled out of the cracks and donned their baggiest T's to watch the duo perform a fantabulous show late last year at the Fillmore.

Guess Kweli's taking a break from recording the Black Star album to make us a visit. It is February, and our weather is better. Hopefully, he'll represent the Khaled crew, Broward and Palm Beach counties, during his set. The following is a wish list of what we'd like Kweli to spin at Green Room.
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Dooooobies

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Doobie Brothers is indisputably the best band name of all time. A doobie, for all of those not in the know, is a joint. It's a rolled-up bit of marijuana one will smoke to get high. Oh, and the Doobie Brothers aren't brothers, except through the doob. 

The Doobies, as we'll be referring to them here, are a terribly lovable, interracial, jazzy, funky, bluesy, country-flavored rock 'n' roll group that has dominated the airwaves for like four decades. Over the years, it's had like a bazillion guys performing as part of the group. One of these men stands out as a legend: Michael McDonald. What a voice. What a man. It's hard not to have a huge crush on MMcD's singing style. It's just so wonderfully recognizable. It's addictive with a touch of corny. It's all him.

In their current incarnation, McDonald is absent, but that don't mean the Doobies can't still doobie it up. In honor of their upcoming gig at the Hard Rock Live, we put together a nice little video playlist of a few things Doobie. Enjoy.

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​Yeah, like you didn't have a crush on Eddie Vedder in eighth grade. It may not be "super cool" to still drool over Pearl Jam's tunes, but just about all of us have had an Eddie Vedder stage.

No one could resist the tortured crooning of the lead singer of the second-most-famous grunge band. "Jeremy" was a tearjerker, "Black" was everyone's breakup anthem in the '90s, and "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town" is a radical name. Maybe we didn't get far past Ten as far as Pearl Jam was concerned, but Eddie Vedder is still a gem.

He's coming to town this May. Instead of writing a creepy love letter to Vedder, we put together a list of the five best reasons to see the man as a solo artist with his newest release, Ukelele Songs.
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Lex One minus the Wizard Sleeves

​​If you know one thing about South Florida rapper/producer Lex One it probably has to do with his penchant for donning wizard costumes and rapping to high energy electro beats. If you know two things it's probably that this dude never stops hustling for a second -- that and the wizard thing. But prior to his international success with wand-wielding, dance-rap outfit Wizard Sleeve, Lex One was sleeping in a snuggie, sustaining solely off Utz Party Mix and running from law enforcement.More >>

Photo by Ian Witlen

Swans rattled my intestines and made my year.

​Another fine year of live entertainment in South Florida is now in the books. This is an especially bittersweet collection of memories from 2011 since I now know that I'll be writing a year-end wrap in a different part of the country this time next year. Some concerts were impressive for their marathon length, others bordered on postmodern expression, and then there's just the Swans' decibel-defying noise. I think that these shows were even better than my top ten from 2010, come to think of it. Take a look below.

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photo by Heather Katsoulis

​As we discussed in our previous blog, Phish is once again holding its New Year's festivities in New York City. Of course, that's many miles from South Florida, where the band historically rang in the millennium and a couple of New Year's eves since. But subtropical Phishheads need not fret, because thanks to the miracle of the internet, we can share virtual Phish space with heads all over the globe via the band's New Year's Run webcast.

Couch Tour -- as this style of following the band is affectionately called -- is pretty easy. You don't have to look for a miracle ticket in the lot, smuggle in your party favors, or wait in line to pee. All you have to do is click here and enjoy. 

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photo by Brady Newbill

Phish on New Year's Eve 2009/2010 in Miami

​For the second straight year, Phish has chosen to do its string of New Year's Eve shows in the frigid northeast at Madison Square Garden rather than coming down to South Florida for the occasion as the band has in years past. Yes, the guys are offering the consolation of webcasting the shows, but our hippie hearts are still heavy with longing for the four goofball musicians to appear here in the flesh. 

Now, we know that MSG is hallowed ground for the band. But we still wonder why they would pass up the opportunity for a Phish family vacation to sunny South Florida -- where palm trees dip and seagulls swerve.

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​Ah! The Holidays are upon us, again, and nothing makes me feel more at ease during this hectic season than cheery songs full of goodwill messages and warm, huggy feelings! It's true! Nothing makes the Holidays better than traditional songs sung around the fire in the company of family and good friends. While there might be some great holiday tracks you can take to the streets in the finest of your Victorian dress, my family prefers some less traditional fare with modern twists. You can rest assured we'll be singing these come Noche Buena over the crackling skin of pork in the Caja China! So from my family to yours, have yourselves a merry little punk rock Christmas!

Nothing says family better than this little ditty by my favorite all-Jewish rock and roll ensemble, The Ramones!

The Ramones - "Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight)

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Sleigh Bells continues the purple-hearted history of "Born to Lose."

​Over the course of pop music's evolution over the past century or so, history continues to repeat itself. New stars are "the next (fill in the blank)," genres are hyphenated versions of established music styles, and unless you come up with song titles like "The Goldheart Mountaintop Queen Directory" or "When 2 R in Love," there's probably another one by the same name floating around.

Sleigh Bells has just revealed a song called "Born to Lose" from its forthcoming Reign of Terror, due on Valentine's Day, 2012. Although Derek Miller's hardcore squall and ethereal vocals by Alexis Krauss are decidedly their own, that title has a 70-year history that traces through country music's humble beginnings, many a punk pasture, a '90s teen soap opera, and a Juelz Santana project that we might never hear. "Born to Lose" hasn't had a happy existence over the years, but a memorable one all the same.

Here's Sleigh Bells' take on the song, and seven-and-a-half others that came beforehand.  
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Steve Kleisath, drummer and video game savant.

​Vintage arcade gaming ain't easy -- and Steve Kleisath, drummer for local emo legends Further Seems Forever, has taken it upon himself to keep the vintage machines alive and relevant in South Florida. In October, Kleisath helped get the word out for his try at the Ms. Pacman high score at Arcade Game Sales in Fort Lauderdale, just a few storefronts down from the new Radio-Active Records location. Now, the outpost of pixelated spaceships, ghosts, and racecars is starting a regular Friday night party for dedicated gamers.

Ahead of tonight's event, we asked Kleisath to run down his favorite classic arcade machines.
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