Hailing from where else, WPB, the local trio Lavola has built a lot of momentum in a relatively short amount of time, opening for the Silversun Pickups and Against Me! less than 6 months after their first live performance, playing shows all over the tri-county area, and releasing their latest EP last week with a wild performance at Propaganda. And let me say, on my first listen, their EP blew me away.
Like a finely tuned elevator pitch, track #1 The Queen Is Dead on the band’s Leaving Paris EP immediately drew me in with its clear At The Drive In-esque vocals and shoe tapping beat. In fact, the opening track might be the strongest first tracks I’ve heard in 2011. That’s not to say that the rest of the EP isn’t stellar though. The next 4 tracks might be less aggressive, but they successfully showcase the band’s range of emotions and versatility. And just when my heart rate reaches an acceptable level, the title track picks up the pace again and offers a worthy grand finale to an all-around excellent release by the frenetic ensemble.
I have yet to behold these guys in action, but word-of-mouth from everyone whose been to one of their shows, these guys are a big ball of kinetic activity — some might even say their shows are like a volcanic Lava-ola eruption (fail?). Bad wordplay or not, I wouldn’t miss the next time these guys play a venue near you (hint hint, look at the italics at the bottom of the post).
Stream the The Queen Is Dead below and download the EP by clicking the album art on the left sidebar or the link below (pay what you want, $0 to infinity dollars).
Still hungover after last night’s Digital Love last night? Stop sulking and rally for the weekend. I’ll be in DC this weekend, but this would be my itinerary for the weekend in Broward.
FRIDAY
After months of anticipation, Laser Wolf is finally opening tonight. From what I’ve heard, this place has lots of potential to be a really cool spot in Ft Lauderdale. Be one of their first customers to grab a craft beer at this new establishment. Like the Laser Wolf’s Facebook Page for the latest details. The bar is located at 901 Progresso Drive, Suite 101, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304.
Saturday
Don’t want to shell out 31 bones ($22 if you go straight to the box office) for Broken Social Scene at Revolution Live? Check out some local bands by the beach at Da Big Kahuna. The event is being put together by The Malcriado Productions and features live performances by Daybreak Embrace, Venejer, and Kezia. JAMS co-founder DJ Esoteric will be spinning all night. Cover is $5, and ladies get open bar till midnight. Party starts at 10. Da Big Kahuna is located at 17 S Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd. Click the links to hear some music from the bands. More details on the Facebook event page.
Back in June, REBEL headlined our official launch party Under The Hood with a raucous performance. Since then, I’ve been fortunate to witness the band’s kinetic live performances multiple times at various venues from Palm Beach to Dade (most recently their epic show at The Vagabond for their INTRCPTR EP release party). With a new energetic bassist, a commitment to playing shows all over South Florida, and the September release of their hook laden EP, this Miami rock trio seems to get better with every gig . After listening to a handful of their catch anthems (start with Stampede or Warning Sirens), it begs the question — how the hell are they not signed already.
Come watch one of South Florida’s best unsigned talents this Thursday at The Green Room in Revolution for the weekly indie music event Digital Love. As usual, no cover, $2 PBRs/$5 Jack Daniels shots, and 3 DJs spinning indie/electro/new wave. Stream some of their songs below or go to their website to stream the new EP in it’s entirety.
Side note: REBEL might have the most bad ass band website I’ve ever seen. I definitely recommend checking it out, even if you’re too lazy to stream their music. Props to lead singer Migue Fedez for the website design.
The last year has been an exciting time for the local scene in Fort Lauderdale. Just about every weekend, there’s a new art show, band showcase, or warehouse party that attracts impressive crowds of all types (see New Times’ review of Dialect or snapshots of the last FAT Village’s Art Walk for proof). Well, FTL Collective is proud to announce its latest co-sponsored endeavor to promote the 954’s emerging creative community — Digital Love, every Thursday at The Green Room (the club attached to Revolution). Last week, fellow bloggers Reed Fischer and Courtney Hambright previewed the party on their respective music blogs, County Grind and Mood Vane. If you read their posts, you already know the basic details of the party: residents Andie Sweetswirl and myself (Mig), plus a guest DJ will be spinning the best in indie, electro, and 80s new wave every Thursday at The Green Room. No cover charge for 21 and up. $2 PBRs, $5 Jack Daniels shots. Those details alone should entice any nightlife hungry partier trying to extend the weekend by a day. However, there’s even more details about Digital Love to coerce you from your couch on a weeknight:
Alongside the regular DJs, there will be at least one local band or well known national act. FYI, Miami rock trio REBEL is performing this coming Thursday, February 10th.
Local businesses will be working with the party to promote their services or product. Again, send us an email to digitalloveparty@gmail.com if you’re interested in getting involve.
Expect the same quality music selection at every party, but know that each event will be a little different than the last. This includes (but not limited to): free swag, unique party themes, and major national DJs or bands.
Unlike a lot of parties that fizzle out after a few weeks, the party organizers and the people at Revolution are fully committed to making this event a fixture in Fort Lauderdale for a long time. A major focus is to involve as many creative types in our metropolitan area to help make the event more diverse than just an indie dance party and more like a community-driven event that happens to have consistently awesome music with an amazing dancefloor and cheap suds. Of course, this blog will be the first to announce the details on all the upcoming parties, as well as the official Facebook account. Drop by this coming Thursday and say ‘what up’. I’m not hard to find. Just look for the man with the headphones and laptop with MIG in big letters.
Despite similar admission prices, comparing Flamingo Gardens with Zoo Miami is just plain idiotic. The Davie animal sanctuary is devoid of any of the animal superstars (elephants, giraffes, meerkats, and camel back riding) and is a heck of a lot smaller (8.1% the size of Dade’s super zoo). Regardless, it’s still worth a visit on a sunny weekend afternoon on a slow Sunday. With attractions such as monster-sized alligators, Florida panthers, Broward’s 2nd highest peak, a free flight aviary, an old school tram ride, and a Jurassic era turtle hybrid, you’re bound to have a blast.
Recently, I had the chance to visit the 60 acre wildlife sanctuary and snapped a handful of photos. To liven up the post, I decided to tweak the pics a bit. Here are some photos from Flamingo Gardens….through the glazed eyes of a Jam Cruise passenger.
