MP3 of the Day: "Little Children" by Ice Cream, Playing Sweat Records This Saturday

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If cult movie messiah Alejandro Jodorowsky and PFFR co-produced a mass psychosis session in the secret subterranean tunnels that link Vizcaya Gardens to the Domino's at NE 2nd Ave. and 34th, then Miami-bred psychedelicists Ice Cream would be named official jam band. 

As the authors of artfully shitty recordings like "W.H.O.R.E.S.," "Meadow Where the Sun Was Born," and today's free track "Little Children," these inner-city Floridian freaks bang out a certain kind of joyfully creepy tuneage they describe as "religious/glam/religious." It's the kind of noise -- a mesmerizing musical murk that's equal parts sing-along kid's songs, bad trip soundtracks, and proggy noise freakouts -- perfectly suited to full-blown festivals of weirdness. 

So, this Saturday, join the daisy chain of skinhead saints and long-haired sinners as it stumbles and weaves through the streets of Little Haiti and into Sweat Records' tiny concert cave. You'll meet Ice Cream, local freak-folks Arboles Libres, and horticulture enthusiasts Flower Flower Yes. Plus, there's even an outside chance that Jodorowsky and PFFR will show up on skateboards handing out free early-bird tickets to their underground pizza party. 


Saturday, November 21. Sweat Records, 5505 NE 2nd Ave., Miami. Show starts at 8 p.m., and the event is free. 305-342-0953; sweatrecordsmiami.com

MP3 of the Day: "Mutations" by Space Voodoo Crystal, Playing Sweat Records This Saturday

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Hey, lost soul. Word is, you've been searching for some kind of trippy party shaman to lead you on a spirit quest to the center of your very own inner outer space. True? OK, then, it's totally time you took a tab of that Space Voodoo Crystal stuff. Hence, today's free MP3, "Mutations." 

Like 'shrooms on E, this local tropical/dub/hip-hop crew from the future ("Miami 2099") makes a druggy sound that blends both psilocybin's hallucinogenic brainblast and MDMA's oversexed synthetic edge. Or, if you'd rather ask the band, SVC sounds something like: "You and Bone Thugs and the ghosts of their grandmothers just simultaneously beat Mega Mans 1-6 during a solar eclipse, inside of a crystal sphinx smoking a blunt." 

So, go ahead and get "Mutations," then complete your collection of SVC sci-fi dance skullfuckery by scoring a free copy of the full demo here. It's a six-song digital slab of weird instrumental tracks (like "Black Unicorn" and "Early Earth") anchored by "psychedelic booty beats." Welcome, lost soul, to inner outer space. 


Presented by Roofless Records. With Self & Other, Stead and His Larson, and Skunk Ape. Saturday, November 14. Sweat Records, 5505 NE 2nd Ave., Miami. Show starts at 8 p.m., and admission costs $3. 305-342-0953; sweatrecordsmiami.com

MP3 of the Day: "The Looker" by Mr. Entertainment and the Pookiesmackers

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Mr. Entertainment and the Pookiesmackers' Socialismo Americano
Hollywood band Mr. Entertainment and the Pookiesmackers have remained a recognizable presence on South Florida's music scene for over a decade. They've released three records, and have a fourth on the way called Socialismo Americano!, due out Thanksgiving week.

For a peek into the upcoming release, Mr. Entertainment (a.k.a. Steve Toth) sent us a couple MP3s including "Center of the Universe" and "The Looker." "Center of the Universe" sounds almost like a slowed-down "Back in the U.S.S.R." (which makes sense considering their album cover is an obvious homage to Sgt. Pepper's) infused with Pink Floyd psychedelia. It's epic yet palatable and poppy. Gritty at times, but with synths floating above, softening the rock. The song will stick in your head for days.

"The Looker" spins psychedelic with touches of classic rock, alternative, hints of Latin rhythms, and vocals that breeze more like an endearing wise guy than growl with angst or soar with ostentation. The song is fun and memorable. Think a more danceable, mainstream Ween or a much cooler, more appealing, eerier, (dare I say smoother?) Rob Thomas during his Santana-collaboration era. 

Random details: If you can't deduce from the album cover who the Pookiesmackers are, Toth is dead center with the commie-starred hat. To his right (our left) is Brandon. Next to Brandon is Mahoney (in a red shirt). Above Mahoney is Richard Vergez (wearing sunglasses). Next to Vergez with the long blond hair is Mark Zolezzi. And finally Mike Vullo in the banana suit.

Get the MP3s after the jump.

MP3 of the Day: "Cybernetic Girl" by Dainamite, Playing Milly's Cafe Bohemio This Saturday

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via myspace.com/ycentertainment
?The last time New Times caught up to Dainamite, Miami's hardest-working reggaeton artist was bouncing back and forth between a seminar called "A Millionaire's Approach" (where he was the lone invited performer) and American Tv (where he was about to make his third appearance in as many weeks). Well, less than two months later, things don't seem to be simmering for the burgeoning superstar; in fact, they seem to be heating up nicely. 

On Saturday night, to take advantage of both Sleepless Night and the Urban Latin Music Conference, Dainamite will be performing at the notorious Milly's Caf Bohemio. A late-late place primarily for dames of a certain persuasion, Bohemio is one of our town's truly hidden gems. That Dainamite even knows it's there shows he's three steps ahead of the pack; that he's deigned to set stage in the joint proves he's earned his lead. 

But don't think this tireless MC is simply content with another engagement, as wild as it may be. No, Dainamite's also got another track up his sleeve, a brand new ditty he's titled "Cybernetic Girl," which features electro mashing up against reggaeton. If the incredibly infectious hook is any indication, this won't be the last. Hell, it could very well be the hit that helps Dainamite explode. Hear it for yourself right here, and get show details, after the jump.

MP3 of the Day: "New Dust" by Gaiser, Playing the Electric Pickle November 20

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Like some buff God-looking dude, Jon Gaiser (a.k.a. Gaiser, a.k.a. Fraktion) emerged from his bedroom studio in a blaze of blue light. The genius was naked, except for a sweaty sheet wrapped about his waist, and he stroked his beard while muttering this rote quote: "My bedroom has always been a room full of gear that happened to have a bed in the corner." So wise, so sagacious, so weird -- Gaiser had just given birth to today's free MP3, a minimal techno baby called "New Dust." 

It had been a tough 12-month gestation period since Gaiser's last album, 2008's Blank Fade, but now he's got a baby that blips and bleeps and blaps better than the rest. Not to mention, he's also the proud father of twin 12" singles -- October's Pullpush and November's Flashed -- mothered by Richie Hawtin's M-NUS label. And with all these newborns, it's time for a christening in the club, so get a glimpse of Gaiser the half-naked genius before he goes back to birthing little minimal masterpieces in his bedroom studio.


With Will Renuart and Stickly B, Basti, and Alejandro Sab. Friday, November 20. Electric Pickle, 2826 N. Miami Ave., Miami. Doors open at 10 p.m., and tickets are $15 through ResidentAdvisor.net. Ages 21+ with ID. 305-456-5613; Electric Pickle at Facebook.com

MP3s of the Day from Damas Gratis, Playing Kukaramakara November 8



It's entirely possible, unless you reside in Little Buenos Aires (right up there between North and South Beach ...where Las Vacas Gordas throws down!), that you're unfamiliar with Damas Gratis. Hailing from Argentina, the eight-piece band has never been to Miami before. But these guys have been putting together some seriously swinging cumbia with Andean flavor, known as cumbia vilera, for the better part of the decade. The band started when founder and singer/keyboardist Pablo Lescano quit his previous band, Amar Azul. (Prior to that he was responsible for putting together Flor de Piedra, considered the first of this style of groups in Argentina -- though he didn't actually play in that band).

This is the first South Florida show of Damas' career, and to sweeten the pot, promoters are bringing on board your very own Bachaco. That local favorite group of kids is named after a type of wood ant, and has made a name for itself by melding reggae and dancehall with cumbia. It's a delicious little blend that is damned sure to get you shaking your money maker ... if in fact you make money with yours. We're not here to judge.

Get full show details and a few Damas Gratis MP3s after the jump.

MP3 of the Day: "Dancer" by Woodhands, Playing the Vagabond This Saturday

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Photo by Aigin Larki
Ever wondered what screamo-lectro dudes do to unwind after a particularly strenuous hipster bikini dance party? Well, apparently, if the dudes in question are Daniel Werb and Paul Banwatt of Toronto synth-and-drum duo Woodhands, then it's all about a nice, relaxing, man-on-man bubble bath. Why the bubbles? Why the bath? Who knows, but bro bathing must be a team-builder beyond compare 'cause it's helped these two sustain their partnership through cold Canadian winters and several summers' worth of transcontinental touring. 

Born in a Montreal basement before taking a southwesterly route to T.O., Woodhands has been pounding out sweaty dance floor fillers for four years. The pair's done remixes for Peter Bjorn & John, a questionable cover of Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl," and indie party tracks like today's free MP3, "Dancer." Mostly these songs are the missing musical link between the knowing New Wave-y dance of Sweden's Teddybears and the punky rage rap of Floridian faves I Set My Friends on Fire. Which sounds fun, right? Except Werb and Banwatt are weird and they "want to make you cry while you're having sex, and it'll be the best damn sex of your life. And you'll be dancing." 

So, umm, yeah ... Anyone up for a bubble bath? 


Opening for Junior Boys. Saturday, October 24. The Vagabond, 30 NE 14th St., Miami. Doors open at 10 p.m., and tickets are $10 through Wantickets.com. Ages 21+ with ID. 305-379-0508; thevagabondmiami.com

MP3 of the Day: "Devil's Eyes" by Drop the Lime, Playing White Room This Saturday

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Brooklyn's Drop the Lime has been nothing if not prescient. Those last few years, while everyone was running around to overly processed, overly happy so-called "blog house," the DJ/producer born Luca Venezia carefully stuck to his own thing. In the face of all that neon glare, Venezia and his Trouble & Bass crew built up a small army of fans into a more aggressive vibe.

The Drop the Lime style is impossible to classify neatly into a single genre, but above all it comprises a global, fiercely urban sound collage. Baltimore club beats meet Manchester acid house, then pair up with Kingston dancehall, Detroit ghetto tech, London dubstep, and every kind of gritty city dance sound.

Bass lines are warped, chewed up, and spit out, and frequencies get low enough to loosen the bowels. These are tough times, and tough music appeals, and as such Drop the Lime's star on the dance scene keeps rising. In 2008 he remixed for big names like Little Boots, Moby, and even Armand Van Helden; a new artist album is said to be in the works as well.

Here's a new track he just created for the folks at Bacardi B-Live...

MP3: Drop the Lime - "Devil's Eyes" (A B-Live Original)

MP3: Drop the Lime - "Devil's Eyes (Luca's B-Live Club Mix)"

Drop the Lime. With Damaged Goods, Troy Kurtz, and Juan Basshead. Saturday, October 24. White Room, 1306 N. Miami Ave., Miami. Doors open at 10 p.m. Tickets cost $10 in advance from wantickets.com. Ages 21+ with ID. 305-995-5050; whiteroomshows.com 

MP3 of the Day: "Digital World" by Awesome New Republic, Playing Rokbar Tonight

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Album art by Reeve Schumacher
For five years, local duo Michael John Hancock and Brian Robertson of Awesome New Republic have made hipsterized pop that sounds like some dead future from the '80s. They self-describe as "punk, soul, R&B," but that hardly probes the bloggy depths of the ANR enigma. It's way more complicated than just crossbreeding genres. In fact, Awesome New Republic is like a Pro Tools-powered tuneage collider that eats a bazillion bits of sonic matter (synthy soul, sci-fi folk, New Wave-y disco, etc.) and poops retro-futuristic fireworks for your ears.

Beginning with 2005's Pitchfork-approved debut, ANR So Far, and continuing through the recent double-volume release of Rational Geographic, the pair have been orchestrating those kind of intricately arranged musical starbursts with nary a misstep -- except, um, the soulful white boy crooning. And, unfortunately, the latest Awesome New Republic album Hearts (out October 27 via Honor Roll Music) suffers from the same thing.

MP3 of the Day: "Outta Your Hair" by Lil Daggers, Playing the No Brainer Party at PS14 Tomorrow October 8

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Like all purebred party animals, the adventuresome men of Miami garage psych crew Lil Daggers welcome any kind of fun, no matter how dangerous, drunk, or bizarre. They'll play house parties. They'll play pool parties. They'll play satanic sances, bake sales and shit fights. From the very first Pagan fuck fests to last weekend's killer kegger, we've always needed Daggers like these to keep things from getting dull.

No, really ... It totally seems the Dagger dudes have accepted a life-mission to keep the rager raging harder than a rager's ever raged. Right now, for instance, they're barely back from a twelve-city tour and they've already booked a gig with the No Brainer boys. I mean, c'mon, you would have thought a mach-speed two-week trek -- flashing up the East Coast (Atlanta to DC to Brooklyn) before hooking into the Midwest (Cleveland to Detroit to Chicago) and doubling back through the near South (Lexington to Nashville to Athens, GA) -- should've worn these guys out. But, no, them Lil Daggers be ready for another round. It's always time to fucking party.


With Satan's Youth Ministers. Thursday, October 8. PS14, 28 NE 14th St., Miami. Show starts at 10 p.m., and there's no cover. Ages 21+ with ID. 305-358-3600; ps14.com
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