The history of the sludgy, heavy rockers of Alice in Chains has been as misery-riddled as much of the band’s music. Its sound owed less to punk than it did to, say, metal, but its Seattle origin and late-Eighties birth date meant it was swiftly pigeonholed as grunge. It was…
On a recent Saturday night, Karu & Y (71 NW 14th St., Miami; 305-403-7850) gave new meaning to the phrase disco inferno. Inside the 5000-square-foot Tottem Lounge, one of the sprawling complex’s clubs-within-a-club, a Seventies-theme party unfolded hellishly. But to be fair, Hell and that decade had a lot in…
Plump Is Perfect Stop with the anorexia already: “Fat Chance” by Amy Guthrie (September 27) was a surprising yet refreshing look into the desires of homosexual men — a topic that does not get exposure in most of the mainstream media. While reading it, even as a heterosexual woman, I…
The first of South Florida’s pre-Carnival parties are jumping off tonight and with the weather warming up a touch, this should all make for a good five day weekend from here on out. Since soca doesn’t get nearly enough love on CrossFade, here’s some Machel Montano with his ever popular…
Carnival season is upon us here in South Florida and it’s only fitting to kick off the week with a video to celebrate. Thousands upon thousands of Caribbean folks will be rolling into South Florida every day this week for the dual carnivals happening in Miami and Broward County through…
Timoney’s Travels Where’s the meat?: Next time you chase a “provocative” piece of investigative journalism, make sure (a) there actually is a story and (b) you assign it to someone other than a wide-eyed cub reporter such as Tamara Lush. As someone with a mild disdain for the behavior of…
On the nightlife scene in Gothenburg, Sweden, you either go hard or go home. Over the summer, at least, this city of 900,000 could give Miami a run for its money. Last year I hopped over from London, planning a weekend around the Midsommar holiday. I wound up staying 10…
Waiting is a part of life in Miami. You wait in traffic, you wait in line, you wait for police to respond, and you will definitely wait for seats at the Kendall Ale House (11625 N. Kendall Dr., Miami; 305-595-7448). On a recent Friday night, the roar of shouting sports…
If 2Pac’s legendary status within urban America is to be examined, folks should start with the video below. Released in 1991 on his stellar 2Pacalypse Now album, “Brenda’s Got a Baby” is one of the most poignant songs to ever be composed within the genre of hip-hop. They’re bold words,…
At night the only lights shining on SW 136th Street between 137th and 144th avenues belong to two behemoths: Tamiami Airport and the neighboring El Rey Jesús (14100 SW 144th Ave, Miami; 305-382-3171). The former lifts visitors up physically, while the latter does so spiritually. But El Rey — a…
Cats Rule Free them: I’m glad that for once there’s an issue where animal rights activists and most members of the public can reach the same conclusion: Big cats don’t belong in back yards, which is what I took away from Calvin Godfrey’s article “Cat People” (September 13). I have…
Gabe Pendas decked a guy that cool March evening seven years ago. Fractured his jaw. It was in front of the Starbucks on Kendall Drive, not far from Jamba Juice. “We had a beef. He provoked it, and he lost,” Pendas says. “Two or three punches and he went down.”…
This tune was an urban anthem 18 years ago and it’s just as vital right now. Can’t believe it’s been that long, but “Self Destruction” is one of the most important hip-hop songs ever created! I’m probably missing somebody but here’s the Stop The Violence Movement as I could catch…
I don’t know which one of these dudes had a bigger persona in the 80s but they both loved to party all the time. No surprise they turned their mantra into a hit. The song is much cooler than this corny music video… but if you don’t remember it from…
The homeless were out and about on the block of NE 11th Street between NE Second and North Miami avenues one recent Saturday evening. A man in a wifebeater repeatedly accosted anyone for five dollars, then one dollar, nearing hostility with each solicitation but never quite crossing the threshold to…
Accuracy Is Our Bond We are numb: While I commend Miami New Times and Joanne Green for the coverage of Filipina comfort women, “Comfortably Numb” (August 30), I need to point out a number of inaccurate facts and misleading ideas: 1. The island of Luzon is misspelled. 2. Narcisa Claveria…
It seems like a good time to throw a lil New Jack Swing into the midday mix. It’s been a long time since Tony! Toni! Tone! put out an album, and watching this video below really makes me think they need to get back together. They did do a brief…
Malls, much like bars, are epicenters of style and social activity, places where people come to parade as much as they do to splurge. In the Shops at Sunset Place (5701 Sunset Dr., South Miami; 305-663-4222), alcohol is as much of an attraction as any retail store there, with a…
War Is Hell For both sides: Isaiah Thompson’s “Ramadi Madness” (August 23) is another example of what happens to many soldiers when they return from war. I have always believed that war is the child of Hell. That all of Florida’s 124th Infantry came back alive is in and of…
Gatsby’s (8575 SW 124th Ave., Miami; 305-412-2220) is one of the few pubs to successfully capture the air of a bygone era without kitsch overload. The upscale sports bar/restaurant’s dim confines recall the plush cigar parlors and smoky speakeasies of the Twenties. Colorful paintings of jiving partiers adorn the walls,…
Taking a Toll By telling jokes: As one journalist writing to another, I have this to say about Calvin Godfrey’s August 23 story, “For Whom the Hell Tolls”: Good show, chap! Excellent story. Ambitious, creative, and hard-hitting. (Well, two out of three ain’t bad.) Your story stirred in me the…
In a misguided attempt to dodge traffic on my way home the other day, I got lost and stumbled upon this building with four fresh pieces on it near NE 2nd Ave. and NE 71st Street. — Tovin Lapan…
