REV Miami's Launch Party: The Bands

I can't believe that it's almost here!  This thing has completely flown off the handle. 

A month ago when I first started the site I remember telling people, "hopefully in a year the attention and traffic of the site will be enough that I think people will be able to recognize the name REV Miami."

Here we are now, 1 day before our launch party, one month after the site officially launched, and REV Miami has already made an impact.  Everyday site traffic is rising drastically, I'm getting regular phone calls from advertisers, bands want to be reviewed, there are parties to attend, artists who's brains need to be picked apart, movies to promote, etc., etc.

By no means should anyone think that this has happened by itself.  This has been an intense labor of love.  I wake up everyday with REV being the first thing on my mind.  I work on the site before I go to my day job, during my lunch breaks I head to the Miami Dade Public Library downtown and work on REV (and suffer through the stench of homeless people), and go to sleep at night after working on REV for several hours and am literally passing out.  On the weekends I roll out of bed log onto my computer and I don't move unless I need to eat or go out to cover an event.

The point is that things don't magically happen.  I've poured hundreds of hours already into this project and to assume that it would subside would be silly.

But damn is it a really awesome project to be involved in.

I've met some amazing people already,  Otto von Schirach, Jose El Rey, Afrobeta, Mariela Rossel, Joey Explodey, The Mauxms, and so many more.  And rekindled old friendships and working relationships that are propelling the site forward with an ever increasing frenzy: Notorious Nastie, Joshua Xmas, Furious Dudes, AHOLSNIFFSGLUE..., Fireside Social, !MAYDAY!, etc.

They are all the reason I created REV (plus all the other bands, artists, performers, venues, and anyone else involved in Miami music and art that I didn't mention).  I feel as if I am a nerve ending sucking in all the information I can about the Miami music and art scenes, then regurgitating it back out for everyone to enjoy.

I sincerely can not express how over the top unbelievable Miami is right now.  I am in awe of the creative minds and imaginations that reside here.

For the first time in my life I am bursting with pride to be from Miami.  I was joking with friends the other day that I'm considering getting a "305" tattooed across my neck - uh... maybe not.

At this moment in time (because I would be a liar if I didn't think that things may change tomorrow), I hope that it comes across that REV is the expression of my impressions and love of what is happening down here.

But, if there's anything that I can impress on everyone involved in the local scenes, it's that more can always be done.  It's just a matter of putting in the work, loving the grind, and beaming with pride as our city, our Miami, grows and explodes with creative energy and love.

Below I've done short write ups (or posted bio's) on the bands involved in the Launch Party. 

I want to thank them all.  It's been a real pleasure working with all of them.  Compared to shows I've done in the past, this has gone incredibly smooth.  But that was due to my own devices.  The vast majority of them are either friends or acquaintances that I specifically picked because they are good people.  They all have promoted with an excitement that I've never seen.  It is amazing that they believe in REV as much as I believe in them.

Thanks again to everyone.

Much Love,

Ric Delgado
REVMiami.com

Afrobeta

When I was first putting the show together I asked around for suggestions of incredible bands that would be an amazing representation of Miami music.  With rapid response, a lot of people told me, "you HAVE to check out Afrobeta."

You know those cartoon-like moments from old cheesy 40's movies when the fat guy gets amazing by something and he shakes his face only to have his fat cheeks jiggle back and forth open mouthed gaping in amazement at what he's seeing?  The first moment I heard the song The End I had the exact same reaction.

Afrobeta so completely encapsulates so many different aspects of Miami music it's stunning.  Tony Smurfio's synthetic deliciousness underpins the ambient vocals of the gorgeous Cuci Amador.  Their music is seductive, sexy, teasing, and beautiful - just like the vast majority of women in Miami (the most beautiful in the world).  Cuci's singing reminds me a lot of AIR collaborator Beth Hirsch or Esthero, which fits so perfectly in the lounges and bars found in any trendy hotspot in South Beach or Downtown's developing Upper East Side.  But they wouldn't be from Miami if Tony didn't lay down a fast, catchy, and danceable beat.

The combination is lethal.

But to limit the amazingness of Afrobeta to their music would be leaving out a fundamentally important fact about these two musicians.  Tony and Cuci are two genuinely nice people.  I am a firm believer that you can conquer the world with a positive attitude and these two have it.

The first time I spoke to Cuci on the phone our heads almost exploded from excitement.  We declared each other BFF's, it was a magical moment.

Having them as part of the show is such a joy and I am so happy to see them doing so incredibly well.  Their myspace page reflects the incredible work ethic they have, playing a show around Miami almost every night coupled with Tony outside projects, including playing with Miami legends Suenalo or Cuci's acting career.  They were also the first Miami based group to be featured on Myspace Latino.

Afrobeta: www.myspace.com/afrobeta

Mad Martigan and Furious Dudes

I want you to go and punch yourself in the face fifty times, spin around in a circle, yell at the top of your lungs, punch an old man in the stomach, jump on top of a building, and flick off a cat.

After you do that, then you may slightly, just slightly, understand the way that MadMartigan and Furious Dudes make me feel. 

The second I decided to have a Launch Party with bands I knew I wanted MadMartigan and Furious Dudes to play together.

I am completely open to any form of music, but my heart lies in the harder sides of rock n' roll: punk rock, metal, and garage.  These two bands are like gulping down a gallon of gasoline and lighting my insides on fire.  Easily compared to The Bronx, but they also have that even harder side like The Refused, Catholic School Boys, or The Kinison.

They make music that kills.  I could imagine them engorging an audience with guitars, bass, and drum sticks, then ripping off the heads of everyone around them and laughing at the bloodshed.

If you have any love of Rock n' Roll you do not want to miss these two play.  They get right down to the heart of what Rock music is supposed to be.  Tear it down, play hard, and peel the skins off people's face.

These guys have it.

MadMartigan: www.myspace.com/iammadmartigan

Dyslexic Postcards

Carol likes to call the Dyslexic Postcards "my hot ex-girlfriend".  You know, that girl that you've gone out with who drives you crazy but is the sexiest woman you've ever seen in your life?

Well, that's the relationship that I have with the Dyslexic Postcards.  Anyone who read the interview I posted with Joshua Xmas (lead singer and guitarist) can see that he can have some extreme moments of irratic behavior.  On the other hand, he makes some of the most unbelieveable music I've ever heard in my life.

When Josh and I originally worked together 3 years ago, Dyslexic Postcards were often times associated with the hair metal rock acts of the 80's like Motley Crue and Guns n' Roses, two bands that I was a huge fan of growing up.  I remember being 7 years old listening to Dr. Feelgood, and then going out and buying tapes for Theater of Pain, Shout at the Devil, and my favorite, their greatest hits Decade of Decadence.

But, to pigeonhole Josh and DP like that would be a mistake. 

During the time that we worked together the music that Josh played was limited by the musicianship of the surrounding band.  After that lineup, Josh reformed with original members Ely Bascoy, Adam Schoenen, and Raul Rubiera, and returning to their earlier sound reminiscent of their mid-90's roots, similar to Jane's Addiction and Pavement.

After taking some time off, Josh and DP are back, better than ever and with a brand new lineup.  Instead of putting themselves in a specific sound, DP is finding a happy median between stoner rock and balls to the wall garage rock.  Even though there is a gaping hole at second guitarist (nothing was more inspiring than watching Josh and Atom Xmas hit power chords simultaneously, then intricately weaving guitar leads between each other), the band moves forward and they are not to be missed.

Dyslexic Postcards: www.myspace.com/dyslexicpostcards

The Still Voice

It is so weird to me that this band is playing my show.  Don't get me wrong, this Orlando-based quartet is an impressive addition to a strong Miami lineup.  Their math rock sound is pretty rare down here but is a musical aspect that I did not want missing from this show.  It's complicated yet beautiful, inspiring and soaring.

But that has nothing to do with the weirdness.

I moved to Miami in 1984, and moved into an apartment complex on Kendall Drive and 95th ave called Nob Hill.  In this little neighborhood I had a very tight group of friends.  There was me, my brother, Jonathan Barrett (of mid-90's local Miami group Level Nine - thanks to Chip from South Florida Music Scene Past & Present for helping me remember the name of the band), Travis Allen, our friend BJ, Brian Burke, and then there was Jeremy Perez-Cruz.  Jeremy lived in the downstairs apartment in our building.  I think he was the first person to get an Atari and we would play Pole Position at his parent's place ALL THE TIME.

We were a little gang that grew up together, played Transformers, went to school together, etc.  It was so much fun.  Those are some of the happiest moments of my life.

Around 1987, our parents all started moving out of the neighborhood.  My brother and I moved out to West Kendall and Jeremy moved to Cocoa Beach.  The gang was broken up, and life moved on, but I never forgot those early childhood friends.

Then came "Social Networking Websites".  I think it's fair to say that every single person has found a long lost friend through Friendster, Myspace, or Facebook.  One of the first people I looked up was Jeremy, and 'lo and behold, he happens to be a musician in Orlando.

Inviting The Still Voice down to play is an indulgence on my desires to reconnect with a friend that I can now say I've known for almost 25 years!  But beyond that, their music really is incredible.  Fans of Dredg, Circa Survive, Minus the Bear, or Mute Math will get a treat.

The Still Voice: www.myspace.com/thestillvoice

Fireside Social

I grew up in the punk rock scene.  At 15, the first show I ever saw was Against All Authority, The Agency, and the Blue Meanies at Roses on South Beach.

Punk Rock is the official music of disenfranchised youth and alienated social outsiders.  Often times it's bitter, angry, resentful, and judgmental.

But then again, sometimes there's a band like Fireside Social.  They take all those feelings and they say back to the world, "you don't like us?  Well, I don't really give a crap.  I'm going to have a good time and then piss on the handle of your car, and laugh at you from the bushes as you reach for the door after partying all night at Mansion."

Beyond that, these guys are people I consider friends.  Kris (drums) was my neighbor for two years when I was living in South Miami and Chris (guitars and vocals) was in Dead Letter Post Office, who I covered 4 years ago when I was printing UnScene Zine.

When I was putting together the show the first band I contacted after Furious Dudes and MadMartigan was Fireside Social.  A large part of REVMiami is that I only associate myself with good people.  If a band has a massive audience but are total douchebags, I will not work with them.  The guys of Fireside Social are not only humble, but they sincerely love playing music.  Go to their Myspace page and you can see all the house parties they've played lately (my favorite being the "sleepover" party, where all of the band is in tidy whiteys and dress shirts, a la Tom Cruise in Risky Business) or the guys just having fun playing their music.

They are completely holistic and natural.  Music to them is about having a good time, enjoying yourself, spreading the fun, etc.  I love it.

Fireside Social: www.myspace.com/firesidesocial

The Secondhand Outfit with Name Brand

Bio from The Secondhand Outfit:

The Secondhand Outfit is a super fabulous 1-10 man music group, collectively responsible for no less than 10 off-shoot groups, whose combined musical catalog consists of roughly 13 songs. Originators of such unacknowledged, overly complex music genres as Thrift Hop, Budget Rap, Doom Bap, Surf Crunk & Horror Bass, THSO is absolutely form over function and unintentionally self-mocking.

They spend more days in jail than in the studio, cut more wrists than records and most impressively have fathered an excessive amount of children out of wedlock.

These musicians have shared stages with the absolute cream of independent music's cultural elite, none of whom have ever vouched for them or even offered to be friends. After somewhere between 6-10 years of haphazard touring, minimal output and invited poverty, they've stumbled blindly into a hell they dumbly prophecized with poetic masochism and preachy, overly-romanticized DIY ethics; cursing their famous obscurity and all the while intentionally undermining any painstaking efforts towards moderate success.

And now all of the sudden, they want back in.  

Indie culture is dead, choked by the thousands already alchemizing irony into artsy bullshit and championing benign politics as something other than efforts of futility, like they can somehow fuck its corpse back to life with an electric pallet of dickishly pretentious noodlings and epic, fabricated bios. They have re-forged a war against the pop, anti-pop and those anti anti-pop and pop, armed with devices of procrastic machinery, outputting wasted potential at assembly line speed. Board up the house, the end is neigh, neither change nor help is on the way.

The Secondhand Outfit: www.myspace.com/secondhandoutfit

Gatoe Xango

Musicial philosopher Gatoe Xango produces a form of music that pulls on the brain and the soul.  Thankfully, Gatoe is versitile enough to play in a four piece and also as an acoustic soloist, like what he'll be doing for the show.

He is also heavily involved in the underground Miami spoken word and poetry scenes.  An overall musician and wordsmith, Gatoe adds a dimension of higher conscious and thought to the show.

Gatoe Xango: www.myspace.com/gatoexango

Gus Gus

Starting the night off is little-known Miami Beach musician Gus Gus. 

I met Gus while I was eating in Van Dykes Cafe with Liz.  He overheard us talking about the show and asked if he could be part of it.  A major part of REV Miami is finding and helping bring forward little known local artists and musicians.  I take a great deal of pride in going out on a random Tuesday, hearing or meeting a musician that no one else knows, and later being able to say "I helped them when they were just starting out."

-------------------------------------------------------

REVMiami.com's Launch Party is happening on Friday, January 30, 2009 at PS14 (28 NW 14th Street) in the heart of DWNTWN Miami.  Doors open @ 10pm.  $6 entry.  Ask for THE REV, $5 for a shot and a beer.

See you all there.

If You Enjoyed This Post, You May Also Like:

• Show Review: Arsenal 88, Furious Dudes, and Fireside Social at Jada Coles - Jan 16 2010
• Liz's Photojournal of REVMiami's Launch Party
• Our Launch Party!
• REVMiami.com Presents: Rockaway Beach
• Dyslexic Postcards sign to District Records

Tags: Afrobeta, Dyslexic Postcards, Fireside Social, Furious Dudes, Gatoe Xango, Gus Gus, MadMartigan, Name Brand, REV Miami's Launch Party, The Secondhand Outfit, The Still Voice

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 29th, 2009 at 9:08 am and is filed under Music, REVMiami. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

NOTE FOR COMMENTS: Do not flame or leave obnoxious comments, THEY WILL NOT BE APPROVED. Constructive criticism should always be welcomed by any artist, but don't be a d-bag, show some class. Thanks. - REVMiami Staff