Went to the new Poplife tonight. Beautiful people. Groovy scene. Saw Jim Camacho sing tonight with his new band Waxburn, at Churchill's earlier that night. Awesome show. He makes you believe again. His voice is amazing. Good scene there tonight. Jim is great. Talked to The Toad  on the phone. Explained to him that if he was doing his thing in any other city in America he’d be huge by now a superstar. Miami music isn't suffering because of lack of talent. The industry needs to learn that. We just don't have a lot of rock music fans here. The talent is still great, like any town. But things are picking up here. clubs are starting to open up now, not on South beach but in the city itself, where American kids are coming together who are into pop, and rock, and non-hip-hop, Latin, or dance music and fashion—which is what most people in Miami are all about. But there is this whole underground starting to come up now around real music, so its really cool, inspiring. 

Current Spin: waxburn, hey hey hey.

Letter to cdbaby

Hey guys,

Miami is a tough town for local music as you may or may not know already. its over 65% Latin now, and about 20-25% black. So us “gringos” who make pop/rock music and still listen to it are a very small minority here in Miami. That's why you don't hear about bands breaking out of Miami. Over the last twenty years we’ve had maybe two—mavericks (country) and Marylyn Manson who was more of a broward/palm beacher—he never played in Miami and still doesn’t. [We’ve had a few lesser knowns like nuclear Valdez and Mary karlzen.] And Broward County (fort Lauderhell) is not part of the Miami scene—they cater to more of the mainstream alterna-schlock you hear on rock radio—bands like Endo and New Found Glory have come from there recently. And also most recently Dashboard made it out of Palm Beach about an hour up from here. Bigger cats like Lenny and the bee gees live here but don't actually play here. but the sick thing is that we have an amazing scene here with amazing talent. I'm sure all of them are already with CD BABY so I'm sure you already know their names—if not we can drop them on you. If our label had more money we would put out a lot more of these bands besides just our own band. There's so many talented bands and singer/songwriters. Really really good stuff going on here. What there is not is so many fans. I think maybe there are about fifty music fans here in Miami. I shit you not. 

Christmas in Miami feels like… is it really Christmas time yet? Christmas all over the world, but so much harder to notice in the southern states, even though lots of cards are coming in from all over—that is the only reminder that it is Christmas. 

I stood outside today, had to take my shirt off, perspiring like crazy in the high 80’s maybe, low 90’s—so un-Christmas. I think they have put up some carnivals or something in certain parts of town, I swear to God—big flashing lights and rides begging for you to spend money, maybe that's Christmas to them... very weird. No one really decorates. I think I had a nervous breakdown sometime in the last 48 hours. I haven't heard “Happy Holidays” yet, or even a Christmas song.