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Here come the four words many live-music junkies in Miami never wanted to hear: Studio A is closing. Rumors of its demise had plagued the venue practically since its opening in spring 2006, but staff has confirmed that after two years of live shows and alternative club nights, it's shutting its doors for good. When exactly that will happen or what will become of the shows it had booked through June, remains unclear.

As Miami’s only mid-size music venue (with a capacity of around 600), it single-handedly ushered in a new era in the city's flagging live scene. In recent years, Miami always lost to the better-equipped city of Fort Lauderdale and its surrounding suburbs. The venue presented on-the-verge acts like M.I.A., KRS-One, Brazilian Girls, Avenue D, Tokyo Police, Of Montreal, Justice, and Cat Power, as well as established bands wanting to play a more intimate setting, like Maroon 5. At one time it hosted the now-defunct weekly Revolver party, as well as other nights of clubland past such as Plastik Fantastik, Misfit, and SceneWolf.

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How intriguing are the NBA playoffs this year?
Every night, brand new drama unfolds. It's more like a soap opera with athletes than anything and the latest clap-back diss song aimed at rapper Jay-Z proves that.
If you're late to the party...Washington Wizards star DeShawn Stevenson and LeBron James don't get along. LeBron might be banging his girl (rumor)...DeShawn has already taken multiple swipes at LeBron's face (real)...and rappers Soulja Boy (Clown) and Jay-Z (the Honeymooner) have gotten involved in the process.
That part is mostly comical. But the city of D.C. has gotten the worst end of this feud without a doubt.
Thankfully, a D.C. rapper named Proverb with beach balls for gonads has stepped up out of nowhere and aimed a diss track straight at Jay-Z.
In my opinion, it was well needed...and you can click on this link...
...to hear the track.
For a rather funny visual to accompany that song...click here.

-Jonathan Cunningham

In this week's Miami New Times music section, we gave you the brief rundown on why, this Saturday, you should check Barcelona's quirky world-disco duo, the Pinker Tones. Click here to read it online, if you missed it. The show is presented by the awesome Rhythm Foundation, as part of the ongoing Heineken Transatlantic Music Festival.

Here's the full Q&A with one of the group's cofounders and masterminds, Mr. Furia (the other is the similarly pseudonymous Prof. Manso).

Also, click here to read our review of the Pinker Tones' latest album, Wild Animals, out on Nacional Records. And below, enjoy the video for the first single, "Happy Everywhere." -- Arielle Castillo

The Pinker Tones perform Saturday, May 3 at the North Beach Bandshell, 7275 Collins Ave., Miami Beach. The show starts at 7 p.m.; tickets cost $20 in advance, $25 at door. All ages are welcome; children under 12 are admitted free. Call 305-672-5202, or visit www.rhythmfoundation.com.

Looking at your tour dates, you're playing in Europe, then come over for Miami for just this one date, then you're back across the ocean. Doyou often travel so far for one gig?

Not really. But we had such a good relationship with the people from Heineken from last year when they brought us to Miami during the Winter Music Conference… We knew that they were working really hard to promote the show, etc. so we thought, Well, even when we are not properly touring until the summer in the states, let's make a little trip over there, and it's helping the label as well with promoting the album. [Our tour dates in the United States would be] a bit far away from the release date if we didn’t do it.

When you say your summer tour, you're referring to the Warped Tour, right? It seems like kind of a strange match at first. How did you end up on the lineup?

The big issue is not whether the Pinker Tones are on the event or not -- it's a complete turn of the whole Vans Warped Tour conception. We've just been lucky to be in the right place in the right moment when this turn of ideas was taking place.

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Pelican, Circa Survive, and Thrice
Revolution, Ft. Lauderdale
Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Better Than: Considering just Thrice’s set – better than the band’s last appearance in South Florida, last December at the Fillmore Miami Beach.

The Review: Alright, I start this review very irritated that it can’t be more detailed about things like set lists, for the simple reason that Revolution’s door staff insisted on systematically confiscating all the ballpoint pens in my purse. Witness this exchange, pathetic on every level:

Me: Seriously?
Bouncer 1: Owner said no pens tonight.
Me: Okay, I’m press though, I’m reviewing the show. I need at least one pen to take notes.. Here’s my business card.
Bouncer 2:You need a press pass.
Me: There are no press passes for this show, because there’s no dedicated press area, and I’m not taking photos either. There are just review tickets.
Bouncer 2:You’ve got to have a press pass to have a pen.

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Since it's Throwback Tuesdays, I'm in the mood to take it wayyyy back to the Bridge Wars of the mid '80s in the dawn of hip-hop's golden years.
This originally was a battle of the boroughs. Queens rappers MC Shan and Marley Marl came out with a track called "The Bridge" that posited hip-hop culture in New York was strongest in the borough of Queens. Billing themselves as the Juice Crew, which consisted of Big Daddy Kane, Marley Marl, MC Shan, Roxanne Shante, Mr. Magic, Biz Markie and others, they were considered by many to be the most respected crew in hip-hop at the time. So when "The Bridge" dropped in 1985 it was a major hit but it did spark some controversy.
Led by KRS-One, Bronx rappers Boogie Down Productions begged to differ. And in 1986, BDP dropped this video below sparking one of the first real rap wars.

As if that wasn't enough, BDP followed up with this joint below to help folks remember what part of New York hip-hop really got started in. It's just a couple of fun tracks to listen to on an overcast Tuesday.

--Jonathan Cunningham

A few weeks ago, Bartow, Fl rapper Riskay was in town making a video. She's the hilarious female MC that made a name for herself via the web when her song "Let Me Smell Yo Dick" caught the eye of Perez Hilton, the New York Times, and a gaggle of bloggers around the world late last year.
Needless to say, she's been capitalizing off of her new fame and attention.
Fresh off of a gig at SXSW opening up for N.E.R.D. and scoring a couple of record contracts, one with Glass Note in the U.S. and a U.K. label whose name escapes me right now, Riskay was in good spirits when she showed up in South Florida a few weeks ago to shoot the video for this song. I was at the shoot and let me tell you, it was hilarious.
Anyways, here's the video.
I don't know where the rapper gets her name from??

--Jonathan Cunningham

Here's an oldie but goody from Detroit R&B crooner Dwele. He's been featured recently on Kanye's "Flashing Lights" and Common's "The People" singing hooks--which makes you think that Chicago MC's have a soft spot for him. A lot of the love he gets from the hip-hop community has more to do with his strong singing ability, sleepy falsetto, and his connection to the late great J Dilla.
Dwele's been existing on the fringes of neo-soul super stardom for a few years now and here's the track that really got his career moving forward.

--Jonathan Cunningham

Miami Symphony
April 27, 2008
The Lincoln Theatre

Better Than: 100 years of symphonic solitude sung by Marquez himself.

It’s not every night that one gets to hear a hundred year span of classical music played live; then again, it’s not every night that The Miami Symphony Orchestra hits one of our town’s fabled stages – though I for one of what have gotta be many, more than kinda wish that it were.

Every night like last night, that is, when MSO hit Lincoln Theatre for its season closer, a closer which may even have been more robust than the season which preceded it.

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Washington Wizard forward DeShawn Stevenson is finding that out the hard way. In what seems like a feud that was on it's way toward being a nonstory, Stevenson's war of words with LeBron James just went to an unexpected level. Over the weekend, Jay-Z recorded a (rather funny) diss track about Stevenson and suggesting that he's been hating on Lebron because LeBron is dating Stevenson's ex-girl.
It's a rare moment for Jay to jump into a battle between two other people and this article delves into the back story on this a bit more.

But here's a link for the track. It's not that big a deal, but it is random and the Oakland, hyphy, Too Short, "Blow the Whistle" vibe to it is enjoyable regardless of the lyrics.

Some people vacation during their honeymoon's. Jay-Z writes diss tracks. Go figure.

--Jonathan Cunningham

Honda Civic Tour
Panic at the Disco, Motion City Soundtrack, The Hush Sound, Phantom Planet
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
The Fillmore

Better than: waiting outside the venue in your min-van to pick up your 12-year-old daughter and her four best friends.

I seem to have lost track of when shows stopped being just shows, you know, with the bands simply being promoted as playing a gig. Instead, shows have turned into neatly packaged promotional events surrounded by clever sponsorships, making them more like mini-festivals. It’s not that the mini-festival concept is terrible, but it may be a lot of overkill for something that doesn’t need so much added hoopla.

Funny enough, I’m pretty sure that at least half of the Honda Civic Tour audience demographic aren’t going to be of legal driving age for at least a few more years. Regardless of not being eligible to win the Honda Civic Hybrid, customized by Panic at the Disco (PATD), the über- stylish kids at tonight’s event seemed to be all about the music, and came decked out in their neon American Apparel headbands and Urban Outfitters finest.

Around 7 p.m., The Fillmore lobby was packed with screeching fans waiting in line to get autographs and snapshots with cutie-pie alt-rockers Phantom Planet. Meeting the bands was one of the major perks for fans of this tour. Unlike a lot of meet-and-greet style setups, this one didn’t even require that you purchase anything for the band to sign. Across the way, kiosks (with no lines, because, again, not many of the attendees were old enough to enter) were stationed with computers so that you could enter to win a Honda Civic Hybrid. A few steps away from those were booths promoting the environment and explaining how this was a “Tour on a Mission.” There, you could register to win an PATD autographed guitar for just $3, which went toward saving the earth. Of course, everyone who bought a ticket had already made a contribution, since part of the proceeds are being dedicated to the Reverb/Global Inheritance fund. Yes, there was quite a lot of warm and fuzzy goodwill going around here.

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Bonde Do Rolê
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Studio A

Better Than: Carnival at Rio.

In a mish-mash of Western, Latin and African sounds, Brazilian quartet Bonde Do Rolê got the crowd shakin’ their respective asses last night as they introduced their new lineup after lead singer Marina Ribatski unexpectedly left the group late last year. If they proved anything last night is that they found not one, but two suitable replacements that bring much to the table. Ana Bernardino screams and roars with such ferocity that it felt safer to take a few steps back, while Laura Taylor melodically sings, keeping the sound close to that of when Ribatski was still in the group.

Long-time members Pedro D’Eyrot and Rodrigo Gorky for the most part let the girls steal the spotlight, but each still showed they have much more experience performing in front of a live crowd than Taylor or Bernardino do. D’Eyrot played MC for the night, working the crowd and speaking a mix of English, Portuguese and Spanish, while Gorky commanded the DJ equipment, coming out from behind the decks every now and then to join in on the fun.

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I just got this press release forwarded to me so I apologize for getting this info to folks with such short notice. But it sounds like an alright festival and if bands want to be a part of it, reach out to the organizers asap.
--Jonathan Cunningham

CULTURA Festival '08
Presented by Oski, Queen Of The Scene & Alejandro
May 30th @ TOBACCO ROAD
30 bands, 4 stages, vendors, artists, a Massive drum circle & Musician Jam and other special performances. If you want to be a part of this diverse cultural experience, we need your Bio, a Photo without any logo's or writing, your contact info (phone #, Email, URL) & an MP3.

http://www. myspace. com/culturafestival

Concert Review: B-Live at The Bayfront Park Amphitheatre

B-Live
April 19, 2008
The Bayfront Park Amphitheatre

Better Than: The biggest block party you ever attended.

See the slide show here

Miami is mad about its music, not to mention its mojitos, so when the good folk at Bacardi took over Miami’s Bayfront Park and gave a few thousand of their pals heaping helpings of both, well, pandemonium set in. Oh, not psychotic, mind you, but definitely crazy. And, as they say in the hood: off the motherfucking chain.

Fittingly, Miami’s-own DJ Irie ushered in the throng, and gave ‘em a skip as he did so. I tell ya, Irie has gotta be perhaps the only local DJ who can spin between arenas and cabanas and not lose his heat – or his cool. Last night was no exception. What he spun, I couldn’t tell you, but I can tell you that it went perfectly with sunset and a cocktail. Better yet, his cool warmed Bayfront like God’s breath itself. Little wonder Irie told me he felt “blessed” to be here.

John Hood

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The Smoking Gun recently reported in a long, investigative entry that R&B singer Akon, who has built a career on making a huge deal out of his alleged criminal past, is not as bad as he says he is.

Since the release of Akon's 2004 debut, Trouble, the singer has claimed that he did hard time in a Georgia prison for being "ringleader of a notorious car theft operation" and that he owned four chop shops frequented by celebrities and drug dealers.

The Smoking Gun reports that while Akon has been arrested a half-dozen times, he's only received one felony charge, for gun possession in New Jersey in 1998. He got three years probation for that. That same year, in suburban Atlanta, Akon was arrested for driving a stolen BMW. He was held in DeKalb County jail for several months before all charges were dropped.

Says the Gun:

Akon's invented tales appear to be part of a cynical marketing plan, but one that has met with remarkable success. Few press interviews conclude without Akon being asked about his criminal exploits and his prison days. He obliges with canned and well-rehearsed claims, false as they may be, and compares his supposed nationwide operation to those depicted in the movies "Gone in 60 Seconds" and "New Jersey Drive." And in interview after interview over the years, he always makes sure to point out the "notorious" nature of his theft ring (as if the adjective's inclusion makes him sound even more felonious). Akon repeats the phrase "notorious car theft operation" so frequently it seems like he is reading it from a sheet of talking points.

It's no secret that I've long considered this guy to be a phony. He's practically throwing it in our faces. His name is Akon. Turn the K into a C and that's exactly what you get: A Con Artist.

--Jason Harper

Not everybody hates Buju.

According to a story that came out in the Jamaica Star last week, Apple Inc has recently removed some songs deemed homophobic from their catalog. Buju Banton's "Boom Bye Bye" was one of those songs and according to this article, some Canadian gay rights organizations are happy the song was removed.
"This is an historic victory for the LGBT community here in Canada and in the Caribbean," Akim Larcher, founder of Stop Murder Music (Canada) was quoted in the article. "iTunes is exercising its corporate responsibility by pulling this murder music and raising the bar for other retailers and distributors to do the same."

In addition to "Boom Bye Bye", iTunes removed songs from T.O.K. and Elephant Man (but no other artists faced this censorship that I can tell) which makes it seem as if homophobia is strictly a dancehall problem.
The push behind this came from Stop Murder Music, a global non-profit gay rights organization that has lobbied for years to shut down reggae concerts (quite often successfully) for artists like Beenie Man, Capleton, and others.

There's a lot of debate that could and should come from this. Freedom of speech immediately comes to mind. And should other artists who use homophobic material in their music have their songs pulled...or will it just be dancehall artists only?

They've got some kinks to work out and if you've got something to say about this, please chime in.

--Jonathan Cunningham