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THE ROCKING HORSE WINNER Song: "Tomorrow" 3:45 Album: State of Feeling Concentration Label: Ohev Website: www.therockinghorsewinner.com Copyright: 2000
Rocking Horse Winner: Not only does the Rocking Horse Winner have nothing in common with their South Florida musical cohorts, their pretty, melodic rock sounds too perfect to be the product of a suburban strip-mall upbringing. The band's pastel-hued debut, State of Feeling Concentration, packs all the delicacy of the Sundays (thanks to gossamer-voiced Jolie Lindholm and the guitar of Henry Olmino) with the emo-punch of Jimmy Eat World (thanks to the lock-down rhythm section of Matt Crum and Jeronimo Gomez).
THE FAINT Song: "Worked Up So Sexual" 2:40 Album: Blank-Wave Arcade Label: Saddle Creek Website: www.thefaint.com Copyright: 1999
The Faint: The Faint's drum machine-driven glitter pop isn't what one would expect to originate from the silos and cornfields of Omaha, Nebraska. In fact, the band (signed to Saddle Creek Records) takes the best parts of those infamous ´80s new wave synthesizer workouts and updates them flawlessly. "Worked Up So Sexual" does create a lather of titillation as it unravels the complexities of strip-club politics. Look for them at Respectable Street in September.
PANK SHOVEL Song: "Pipebomb Dream" 3:14 Album: #1 Car Label: TheHoneyComb.com Website: www.pankshovel.com Copyright: 2001
Pank Shovel: Riding into our hearts on a tire-squealing wave of hype, Delray Beach's unisex septet cooks up some righteous riot-grrl rap-'n'-roll on its debut, #1 Car. Bored, disaffected singers Kristen Kelly and Genny Slag use their pleasingly narrow ranges to sling top-notch rhymes reminiscent of Kathleen Hanna coupled with the power-chord punch of the Breeders. Simply put, they are the bastard children of the Ramones and the Lunachicks mixed with some Beastie Boys semen. Pipebomb Dream leaves little doubt as to this Pank's tenacity or energy level. File under Spunky.
GROOVENICS Song: "Slush Puppy Girl" 4:42 Album: Unreleased Track Label: appear courtesy of Spitfire Website: www.groovenics.com Copyright: 1999
Groovenics: Palm Beach County's omnipresent Groovenics are one of the area's most consistent concert draws, by virtue of their work ethic and energetic performances. The band's diverse blend of metal-rawk won the hearts of NYC's Spitfire Records, and a recent appearance at South By Southwest in Austin showed that the Groovenics' star is on the ascent. "Slush Puppy Girl" boasts a string-bending crush with a chorus as yummy as a Yoo-Hoo.
MINDLIKEWATER Song: "Two Believing Eyes " 3:53 Album: Unreleased Track Label: appear courtesy of Avalon/Fork in Hand Website: www.mindlikewater.org Copyright: 2001
Mindlikewater: MindLikeWater, from the coastal town of Port St. Lucie, blends the energy and drama of Pacific Northwest indie acts of the late '90s (Built to Spill, 764-HERO) with heady Brit pop in the style of the Ocean Blue, with some pretty synthesizers poking through the mix. The band members' intimate knowledge of recording studios lends their work a polished, professional sheen.
REMEMBER THE OCEAN Song: "Summer" 4:06 Album: Ruth Label: TheHoneyComb.com Website: www.remembertheocean.com Copyright: 2001
Remember the Ocean: The shimmering, lyrical folk-pop of Remember the Ocean will evoke memories of Sarah McLachlan or the Cowboy Junkies, but the band comes across much more ballsy than that in a live context. The big soulful voice of Kristen Larkin, a transplanted Tenneseean, gives Remember the Ocean its focal point, underpinned by Earl Coraluzzo's distinctive Rickenbacker finger-picking. The coffeehouse crowd has embraced the band, who have carved out an impressive little niche for themselves -- even more impressive given that the Miami region ain't exactly Folk/Pop Central.
DISCONNECT Song: "Hialeah" 3:40 Album: Unreleased Track Label: Website: www.disconnectonline.com Copyright: 2001
Disconnect: It's difficult to imagine any band with guitarist Juan Montoya at the helm being anything less than amazing. With his six-string slinging radiation beyond the Van Allen belts, Scott Nixon's loping bass keeps the music tethered to earth while his passionate voice narrates each song with eyes-wide-shut intensity. Montoya's intergalactic guitar freakouts have becomethe stuff of local legend, and the band has been invited to open for national acts ranging from Trans Am to The Mercury Program. It's but a matter of time before this band hits the indie-rock echelon.
SEE VENUS Song: "Are You Ready?" 3:54 Album: Unreleased Track Label: Website: www.seevenus.com Copyright: 2001
See Venus: Miami five-piece See Venus dispenses playful, clever pop - not unlike Stereolab or Flowchart -- with a mellow, mood-ring warmth. The youngish band are as adept with cool boss-nova ballads as they are with silky slabs of computer-generated sweetness. Bandleader Christopher Moll seems to be sharpening and refining the precious pop sensibility he captained with his old band 23, with Rocky Ordonez's soft, whispery vocals perfectly complementing the cool, Euro-pop sound. See Venus, through the wonder of mp3 technology, have fans on every continent.
LEGENDS OF RODEO Song: "Jesus Drank Wine and So Will I" 3:14 Album: South Atlantic Hymns Label: Academic Life Website: www.legendsofrodeo.net Copyright: 2000
Legends of Rodeo: Legends of Rodeo has thrilled many a Respectable Street crowd with its wall-of-melody sound and sparkling six-string spray. These guys are FUN. With impassioned, emotion-drenched vocals, simple, major-chord structures, and a direct, irresistible approach, Legends of Rodeo is among the most instantly appealing of all South Florida guitar acts… and Nate is one hell of a dancer.
BABY ROBOTS Song: "Privacy Calls" 2:44 Album: Lakitu: The Baby Robot Label: Ant Lunch Musick Website: www.thebabyrobots.com Copyright: 2001
Baby Robots: Boca Raton's Baby Robots fabricate a convoluted brand of post-rock madness that draws heavily from feedback-friendly groups from the mid-90s. "It's My Bloody Valentine rip-off stuff" says guitarist/singer Bobby Baker, though he's giving his group short shrift. Baby Robots new album, Lakitu, is at once weirder and more lovable than the Valentine, keeping noise and melody lashed to the mast together.
A KITE IS A VICTIM Song: "Fireflies" 4:25 Album: Unreleased Track Label: Space Cadette Website: www.akiteisavictim.com Copyright: 2001
A Kite Is A Victim: The brokenhearted, minor-chord love songs of Miami's A Kite Is A Victim are always sensitive and sad. Owing a debt to both Jeff Buckley and Nick Drake, the band's hushed, reverent music seems to originate from a half-remembered dream. With Al Galvez' impressionistic, water-color voice and pinpoint guitar, Henry Rajan's fluid, fretless bass, and Ulysses Perez' brushes barely stroking the drum heads, A Kite Is A Victim is all about the beauty of restraint. National tours and an impressive distribution network have helped the band earn support slots for the likes of Low and Mark Kozelek of the Red House Painters.
BREAKING SPREE Song: "Section Nine" 2:08 Album: 9PWF Label: Iron Fish Productions Website: www.breakingspree.com Copyright: 2000
Breaking Spree: Loving doling out short rations of pulse-quickening hardcore, Breaking Spree's admirable m.o. is simple: get in, make a point, get out. Using Rancid's Clash-grabbing antics as a template, Breaking Spree resurrect the days of oi with a surprisingly authentic attack. The band's debut album, 9PWF, blends old- and new school influences with a jolt of ska and reggae.
THE YOUNG AND THE USELESS Song: "It Hurt, But It's Over, and So Are We" 3:42 Album: Unreleased Label: Thorp Website: www.younganduseless.com Copyright: 2001
Young and the Useless: With a punishing Cookie Monster scream, Young and the Useless may well scare off the squeamish. "It Hurt..." beings with full-bore hardcore, but gradually reveals a nifty sparkly acoustic bridged tucked inside. And the group isn't all about anger and diseased relationships: they've got their shit together enough to appear on a recent comp with commie punks Boy Sets Fire.
BETSY ROSS Song: "October One" 1:55 Album: Unreleased Track Label: appears courtesy of Slammie Productions Website: www.betsyross.cc Copyright: 2001
Betsy Ross: The fledgling industrial/rap/metal outfit reinvents the sledgehammer attack of area legends Radiobaghdad and Collapsing Lungs but injects a new secret weapon into the fray: the proto-feminist rants dished out by the group's 16-year-old street-urchin namesake. Not only does young Betsy take absolute no shit from anyone, she uses "October One" as a soapbox against sexual oppression, issuing a stern warning with swaggering contempt.
WHIRLAWAY Song: "Distance" 4:57 Album: Unreleased Track Label: Courtesy of Morning Drinker Website: www.whirlawaymusic.com Copyright: 2001
Whirlaway: Though often tagged as a shoegazer-come-lately contender, Broward's Whirlaway offers a more muscular prettiness. The band's full-bodied narcotized swirl bowls over crowds with psychedelic aplomb, leaving a lingering aftertaste. The heady feedback and melodic drones reaches a peak on Letting Go, the band's first album. Biweekly alt-rock bible Magnet even included a Whirlaway track on a recent sampler CD.
ONELINEDRAWING Song: "Aeroplanes" 4:22 Album: Unreleased, Recorded Live at Respectable Street 3.15.00Original version appears on Sketchy e.p. #1 Label: OLD Records Website: www.onelinedrawing.com Copyright: 5761 onelinedrawing (ASCAP)
Onelinedrawing: Strum-laden stool-perching sincerity from Jonah, whose mission statement is appropriately simple: "I like to sing. I like to make things. I like to share." Jonah -- formerly of the band Far -- spreads his emo-acoustic gospel in a high tech grassroots fashion through his website, offering his CDs for sale using a sliding-scale system. Keep a serious eye out for his new band the New End.
PLUTONIUM PIE Song: "I-95" 1:36 Album: Nuclear Pussy Label: Kama Website: www.plutoniumpie.com Copyright: 2001
Plutonium Pie: You'll need lead mittens, protective eyewear, and titanium earplugs to withstand the dangerous emissions of this Miami trio, whose sturdy three-part harmonies boast a half-life of several thousand years. After a brief fling with "punktry" a year or so ago, singer/guitarist J. Christ, his girlfriend, singer/bassist Max Pluto and his sister, drummer Lucy Rex have returned to form (straightforward, slam-happy hardcore with a melodic twist) with their new Nuclear Pussy album, the cover of which offended the sensibilities of several conservative local printers. This here track is an examination of South Florida's most accident-prone Interstate. |
