Ultra day two didn’t exactly get off to a good start. Much of Miami awoke to sporadic showers and threatening dark clouds in the sky. Then, still groggy from the previous day’s events, thousands of Ultra attendees cracked open their laptops to learn that the Prodigy, Saturday’s Live Stage headliners, were…
This year, Miami’s Ultra Music Festival turns 18-years-old. Which means, under Ultra’s new age restrictions, it can finally attend itself (while smoking a cigarette). And the festival’s maturity is starting to show. Day one of Ultra was largely a smooth success. Even Mother Nature cooperated (which didn’t happen during last…
If all you do during Miami Music Week is chase marquee names from party to party, you’re doing it wrong. At its core, this week has always been about discovering new acts and sounds. The days of Daft Punk spinning at local clubs and poolside are certainly over (yes, that…
With throngs of spring breakers set to invade the 305 for nonstop partying this Miami Music Week, it’s hard not to be in awe of how quickly dance music has been commodified. The genre is now also a lifestyle that can be sold by energy drinks and liquor brands. Then…
Alex Omes was found dead in his bed January 12, 2015, the day before his lawsuit against Ultra Music Festival, which he cofounded, was set for trial. From the get-go, his death was shrouded in mystery. Police found a vial of coke in the Biscayne Boulevard apartment where he lived…
If there ever was a party that epitomized the true attitude of Winter Music Conference and Miami Music Week, it was Sunday School for Degenerates, which took place at several locations during its run, most famously at Pawn Shop and Ice Palace Studios. It started out as a 24-hour event…
Before he suddenly and mysteriously died last year, Miami nightlife fixture and Ultra Music Festival cofounder Alex Omes was fighting to regain control of the popular electronic music event he helped create. After being pushed out of his role as president of the festival, Omes sued the festival for $33 million,…
From covering Nelly’s “Hot in Herre” to answering the question of what’s he driving — “Bugatti,” natch — Tiga has never been afraid of being a bit tongue-in-cheek with his music. In a genre that so often sees lightheartedness as a bad thing, the Canadian DJ/producer relishes in it, not being…
These days, the mashing of hip-hop, pop, and the various forms of dance music seems pretty standard. But back in the early 2000s? Not so much. Perhaps that’s why when Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary formed Modeselektor and decided to take techno and breakbeat for a ride by incorporating hip-hop…
Becoming a viral sensation after marrying America’s royal couple, Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, on May 24, 2014, Rich Wilkerson Jr. quickly rose to stardom. Dubbed “the Hipster pastor,” Wilkerson made headlines. “The Pastor That Married Kim and Kanye Is Super Hot,” said Buzzfeed, while TMZ claimed, “A Star Rises…
Some say the longform story is a thing of the past, but in every weekly issue of the New Times, you’ll find one front and center. And if longform writing in dead, it seems nobody has told our readers because some of our most popular and most-read stories of 2015…
It’s easy to shove Miami music into a corner. Perhaps you think it’s all Latin rhythms or DJs in big, loud clubs. But the music in Miami, like the city itself, is stunningly diverse. With that in mind, we’ve rounded up the best songs Miami musicians have released this year…
Ultra Music Festival has just dropped an early Christmas present for everyone — the phase one lineup, which includes a lot of familiar names with plenty of surprises spread throughout. Afrojack, Tiësto, Avicii, Carl Coz, Knife Party, David Guetta, Martin Garrix, and more are all returning, and the will make plenty…
Be honest with yourself, art fiend: There are only so many times you can see fluorescent lights stacked neatly in a pile until you want to pull your hair out. That’s why this week’s parties, afterparties, and after-afterparties are so necessary. They provide the alcohol and escapism from all the…
She asked me to meet her at dusk. Why dusk? “Because watching the sunset here is so nice,” Poorgrrrl says earnestly pointing out the hues of bright orange and indigo as we sit on the porch of her Wynwood home. “Look at how beautiful those colors are — that’s some…
Spring break forever. Yes, art world, Art Basel in Miami Beach is almost here. And you can pretend all you want that you’re coming to Miami exclusively for the high-brow art and lectures, but nobody’s going to judge you if you manage to get some serious partying done while you’re…
As Anthony Spinello sits inside an Upper Eastside Starbucks, his eyes well up. He pauses for a moment to gather his thoughts and fight back the tears. He’s discussing why he joined the Black Lives Matter demonstration that took over the streets of Wynwood and shut down the Julia Tuttle…
By the sound of it, George Lewis Jr. has just woken up. He’s on the West Coast, meaning the relatively early scheduled interview might be cutting into his sleep. “Hey, what’s up?” he says after a long sigh. It’s not that Lewis is being rude. For the next 15 minutes,…
Zoë Kravitz could easily skip talking to reporters if she wanted to. I’m sure she’s heard it all before — being both an actress and the daughter of Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet. It must get tiring having to keep reporters on the topic at hand, Lolawolf. The band, which is…
After finally getting caught up on sleep, I’m ready to take a look back at all the wonderful chaos that was III Points 2015. Overall, I’d that this year’s III Points was a winner and an improvement from last year’s festival. It was bigger, the acts were more diverse, the…
Feet were sore. Heads hurt. It was the last leg of a long race, but Sunday’s III Points lineup — which featured Bomba Estéreo, Damian Lazarus & the Ancient Moons, and King Krule among others — gave attendees just enough juice to get over the hill. III Points finished its third and biggest…
With names like Run the Jewels, Toro Y Moi, AlunaGeorge, Ghostface Killah and Doom, the second day of III Points was stacked. There was something to listen to in every direction you faced, and good music was never more than thirty yards away. The crowd was big and eager on…
