Arielle Castillo

Lose Yourself On Two Wheels Touring Miami's Artsy Subculture

Arielle Castillo — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:28:04 +0000

Miami's quickly growing bike scene remains tightly interwoven with the city's other do-it-yourself-spirited, artsy subcultures.

Sure, there are plenty of people with fancy road bikes and Lycra suits joining Critical Mass and speeding along on group rides. But a large number of the scene's most outspoken two-wheelers are young people who push for bicycling less as an exercise form per se.

Got A Face For Public Radio? Then Try This Name Generator

Arielle Castillo — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 11:00:00 +0000

It's almost a chicken-and-egg question. Do reporters and hosts with worldly or intellectual-sounding names naturally seek out public radio? Or are they drawn to this career after recognizing their fellow fancy-monikered peers on the air? Either way, among the staff at National Public Radio there are definitely a lot of fancy first-and-last-name combos like Ofeibea Quist-Arcton and Douali Xaykaothao.

Flying Under The Radar With Six Hip South Florida Writers

Arielle Castillo — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 17:00:00 +0000

Last month, we introduced you to nine acclaimed authors who call South Florida their home, at least part-time. But that was just a small sampling. South Florida boats a tribe of critically acclaimed scribes living anywhere from the Florida Keys to Palm Beach County. Below are seven folks who are building on the tradition of hometown heroes like Dave Barry and Carl Hiaasen (who actually now lives just a little bit further north in Vero Beach.)

Five Local Acts You Need To Watch At The Heineken Transatlantic Festival

Arielle Castillo — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 15:00:00 +0000

This weekend marks the 11th annual edition of the Heineken Transatlantic Festival, a project spearheaded by the Rhythm Foundation in 2003. Like most other musical events mounted by the area nonprofit, the focus here is on a confluence of sounds from across the globe.

Miami-Based Limited Fanfare Records Succeeds On Rock And Roll, Not Rocket Science

Arielle Castillo — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 15:00:00 +0000

Record labels -- the kind that lovingly hand-pick a few bands and release real, tactile product by them -- aren't exactly cash cows in 2013. Yet two years of solvent success shows that Brian Kurtz, the proprietor of Miami-based indie outfit Limited Fanfare, has discovered a niche. In releasing music and promoting concerts by, and even managing, a selected handful of promising underground rock and roll bands, he's managed to move physical units. Imagine!

Nine Acclaimed Authors You Didn't Know Lived In South Florida

Arielle Castillo — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 15:00:00 +0000

South Florida may not exactly have the brainiest reputation -- but those of us in the area's intellectual trenches know that it's not all beach bimbos here. In fact, the pleasant weather and peaceful shoreline vistas may well be making the population collectively smarter.

Six Local Acts To Watch At Ultra Music Festival

Arielle Castillo — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 15:00:00 +0000

We've gone over the main beginners' tips to navigating Ultra Music Festival, the sprawling dance music festival that takes place this weekend, March 16 through 18, and next weekend, March 22 through 24. We've also gone over the top live acts to see there, too, since not all of the festival is just one repetitive beat.

Ultra Music Festival: Seven Live Acts You Need To See

Arielle Castillo — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 15:00:00 +0000

If you've passed through or live in downtown Miami, you've probably already heard Ultra Music Festival testing its massive low-end speakers. Yes, the festival, which starts this weekend and then repeats all over again next weekend, brings plenty of bass. With the top names in electronic dance music converging on the massive event, the weekend offers plenty of straight-ahead, four-four beat oblivion.

Ultra Music Festival For Beginners: A Five-Step Guide

Arielle Castillo — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 15:00:00 +0000

This Friday marks the beginning of a nearly two-week sprawl of events surrounding Winter Music Conference, and what's come to be known unofficially as "Miami Music Week." It's a time when the entire world of electronic music descends on Miami in a frenzy of industry palm-greasing and parties.

Miami "Downtown Soul" Act Ketchy Shuby Aims To Conquer SXSW

Arielle Castillo — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 15:00:00 +0000

Six-piece "downtown soul" collective Ketchy Shuby is a rare local act that easily crosses genres and crowds. There are dashes of grinding psych for the garage kids, touches of reggae for the rootsy hippies, plenty of soul for the crate-diggers -- and basically everyone gets down to funk, right? "We generally play soul music," explains Jason Joshua Hernandez-Rodriguez, the band's singer and guitarist. "But we draw inspiration from other genres like Ethiopian jazz, psychedelic rock, and '70s music."

A Transit Station In The Design District? The Pop-Up Purple Line Miami Makes It So

Arielle Castillo — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 11:00:00 +0000

If you're friends with any civic-minded folks on Facebook -- or people who just like to get around without a car -- you've probably come across this lovely little meme this week. We've known for quite a while that Miami public transit is lacking. But this handy web graphic, by Leah Weston via her Twitter account, @LeahSwanky, sure throws it into stark relief, doesn't it?

Seven Lesser-Known Film Festivals Already Happening in Miami This Month

Arielle Castillo — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 16:00:00 +0000

The Miami International Film Festival started last week on March 1, bringing scads of film and megawatts of international star power. And while it may be the biggest celebration of film this month in town, it's not the only one. The Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) has, for the second time, dubbed March Miami Film Month in an effort to promote the city's art cinemas.

Sons Of Mexican Music Royalty Look To Miami Booty Bass For Inspiration

Arielle Castillo — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 19:54:32 +0000

In the world of norteño music, a boisterous, accordion-driven genre of Mexican music, there is no bigger act than Los Tigres Del Norte. Think of the Rolling Stones in English-language rock and roll, and you'll get an idea. The band boasts the same kind of longevity (some 45 years since its inception) and stadium-filling power across the world.

Does Little Haiti's Cultural Scene Need To "Reintroduce" Itself?

Arielle Castillo — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Last week, Jordan Melnick of Beached Miami posted an interesting interview with the organizers of a new event in Little Haiti dubbed "Sunday Stroll." The monthly event starts this Sunday, March 3, organized by the underground art studio and gallery Yo Space, and supported by Sweat Records and the Little Haiti Cultural Center. Melnick interviewed Yo Space's founder, Yuval Ofir, who wants to introduce a wider audience to small, creative businesses established in the area:

'Searching For Sugarman' Has Connection To South Florida's Radio-Active Records

Arielle Castillo — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 16:01:04 +0000

This year's Oscar for best documentary went to Searching For Sugar Man, a film that follows two South African fans of the cult musician Sixto Rodriguez as they attempt to figure out if, as rumors have it, he died, or if he's still toiling in obscurity. The film explores how Rodriguez went from an almost-was folk star of the early '70s to a largely forgotten cult icon, to a favorite once again of the clued-in.

Virginia Key Grassroots Festival: Bands, Yoga, And Sustainability, Too

Arielle Castillo — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 16:00:49 +0000

As of this morning, the second annual Virginia Key Grassroots Festival is already easy-grooving on Virginia Key Beach. The four-day event, which started last night, features bands, camping, yoga, and the usual array of slightly crunchy entertainment. But still, it's not just another run-of-the-mill hippie jam-down.