PUREHONEY 36

CROCODILES Dive into a kaleidoscopic atmosphere of music where genres of punk, noise, garage and psychedelic collide into one. San Diego based band Crocodiles shake things up, thriving on blaring yet groovy lo-fi recordings in their music.

Singer Brandon Welchez and guitarist Charles Rowell are the creative minds that took mold into Crocodiles.

They met in high school performing in California punk band Some Girls, and The Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower. After the band’s Crocodiles Rock Churchill’s Pub success had caved, Welchez and Rowell stuck together and kept working on new ideas.

What had started as a determined punk duo in 2008, expanded in 2009 with the release of Crocodiles’ first album Summer of Hate. Shortly after, they had been noticed by experimental group No Age on their Top Ten Shredders of the Year list. The list mentioned the Crocodiles’ single Neon Jesus, which only increased the hype of the band’s music. Crocodiles have since released three more albums including 2010’s Sleep Forever, 2012’s Endless Flowers, and 2013’s Crimes of Passion. Each album has unique variations, but they all grasp the sound of a boisterous garage band straight out of the 80s.

Crocodiles have absorbed themselves into the music scene this year, collaborating with band Dum Dum Girls, and participating in several solo projects. Rowell has created solo project Wartime, in which he developed an entire album in a means of coping from his friend’s suicide. Welchez, on the other hand, has continued to collaborate with Dee Dee from Dum Dum Girls on a side project called Haunted Hearts.

It should be interesting to see what sort of journey Crocodiles will take their listeners on next. The duo has announced the completion of their 5th album, and their first single, set to release this Fall. Crocodiles will be performing at Churchill’s Pub in Miami with opening act Jaill on Saturday, August 23. The Wisconsin indie rock group Jaill brings a upbeat and carefree tone to their music that compliments Crocodiles’ psychedelic sound. Don’t miss out on this one, all who attend are most definitely in for a night of invigorating and unforgettable performances. ~Brittany Curtis

STIFF LITTLE FINGERS

Stiff Little Fingers

A one-finger salute, stiff and little If there were any justice in this sorry, creepingly fascistic world—if bands received set time and billing based on their quality and importance, and not their number of units moved—the lineup for the punk-rocking Summer Nationals Tour would be almost exactly reversed. As it stands, the tour, which swings by the Cruzan on August 15, will be headlined by the Offspring, a group of perpetually adolescent sellouts that hasn’t released anything vital or relevant in 20 years.

Meanwhile, at the bottom of the ticket is none other than Belfast’s Stiff Little Fingers, punk royalty for nearly four decades. Its members—only two remain from its late ‘70s peak—are grayer than they used to be, but they remain proudly independent, and they’ve outlived the many acts that once overshadowed them, like the Sex Pistols and Ramones.

I’m not ashamed to admit I discovered Stiff Little Fingers, like many latent fans, through the movie High Fidelity, when meek record geek Dick introduces SLF to an impressionable punk-rock novitiate raised on Green Day. The song he plays is “Suspect Device,” an essential punk nugget excavated from oblivion, what with the three-chord fury, the politically astute lyrics, and the radically stuttering chorus—“you gotta suss, suss, suss, suss, suss out / Suss suspect device!”—that continues to confound many a turntable.

It’s one of several cuts from the band’s seminal 1979 debut Inflammable Material that still turn up on its set lists. The group’s sound has “evolved” over numerous incarnations, warming to the ‘80s and ‘90s by adopting the mellower influences of The Specials, Elvis Costello and certain Replacements songs, but there’s nothing punker than the concept of its latest album, “No Going Back,” a record that was self-released and crowd-funded—a techsavvy way of sticking it to the man.

Bad Religion

Speaking of which, Bad Religion, a band well accustomed to opening for inferior acts, joins this tour as well. They have, thankfully, changed very little over 35 years of exhaustible touring, carrying the mantle of moral righteousness in a society overrun by corporate avarice, destructive dogma and a populace frustratingly numbed by technology and prescription drugs (the band’s 1990 hit “21st Century Digital Boy” sounds positively prophetic these days). Bad Religion’s latest album, True North, is rage against the machine that sounds as essential as anything in its storied archive.

The tour, which also includes skate-punkers Pennywise, begins at 6:30pm (and do show up early!) August 15 at Cruzan Amphitheatre, 601-7 Sansburys Way, West Palm Beach. Tickets cost $36.95 to $88.01. Call 561/795-8883 or visit livenation.com ~John Thomason

SUMMER DAZE 3

New Kingston | Photo by Jammi_York Day 1, we jammed. Day 2, oh did we rock. Now with Summer Daze Day 3 on the horizon, it’s only right that we celebrate. This time, we celebrate not just the success of a bad ass festival. Not simply the ample sharing of groovy tunes and live performances from local favorites and national headliners. We celebrate ourselves.

We pay homage to all things South Florida. We revel in all of our weirdness. It’s the chance to fist bump all your buddies and reflect on another summer living where other people only vacation.

So how, might you ask, should a level-headed, tanned, beer slugging South Floridian properly salute the beachy paradise they partake in every day? The answer is simple: With a fatty crew of like-minded peeps at the last of three Summer Daze block party celebrations.

The festival that we needed more than we ever knew, Summer Daze has quickly become a pillar of the local music scene in these often unforgiving summer months.

To close it out, Propaganda is doing it right. With a fully jacked lineup of the finest local reggae that Palm Beach County has to offer, plus a sprinkling of big name acts, it’s a party fully customized for the SoFla-er living and breathing in all of us.

Seriously, basically every local reggae band is on this lineup. Future Prezidents, Seagrape Souljahs, Fireside Prophets, even a rare performance by Common Wealth and another lap around the stage from show stealers Spred The Dub. With headliners The Expanders, Tribal Seeds and New Kingston leading the pack, the local gangs have a chance to give it their all and bring South Florida pride to the two stages.

Brooklyn raised New Kingston aren’t your basic ‘one love’ band.

Yes, these three brothers promote peace and happiness through their music, but their irie take on reggae jams stays friendly for all ears. New Kingston have been playing music since 2006 and have toured with everyone in the reggae scene from indieSWIM | Model Taylor Paedue Collie Buddz to SOJA, but they know a good show when they play one. “We love playing in South Florida because of the love people have for reggae music,” says Tahir Panton of keys and vocals.

“Everywhere we play is different, but something about Florida is special. There’s a deeper appreciation for live music.”

But, let’s be real. While music is a major part of it, it’s not the only entity that defines our esoteric South Florida culture. Those intangible things you can’t quite explain but you know it’s why your cousin from up north keeps trying to visit. It’s the beachy vibes, the chillin’ the most attitude and constant and necessary accessibility to a pool that make us who we are. What better way to to bring those vibes into Summer Daze than with bikinis?

Local bathing suit company indieSWIM has been tasked with showing off their styles in a bikini fashion show that will take place live during performances at Summer Daze. Co-owner Zoe de Boehmler Gregalot describes indieSWIM as “a true mix and match line of Caribbean cut cheeky swimwear with custom designed prints on high quality fabric.” A pretty sweet option considering they are local and you probably just got back from the beach! She continues, saying that “indieSWIM is for the the ladies who like to have options with their style and not sacrifice comfort. It’s for girls who are confident, classy, cute and proud of who they are.”

The cultures that make up indieSWIM mirror the mix of different personalities and backgrounds that come together to define South Florida. The beauty of our location is all of these elements seamlessly fit together to. “I think live music plays a role in all cultures” says Zoe. “Just like the sun brightens your day, music brightens your soul.”

So, what’s your soul looking like these days? If it need some brightening or a recharge of radiance, we know just where you can get it. Where every South Florida kid can get it. It’s a little town with big heart called Lake Worth and it’s a festival that has come to mean more to the summertime and just keeping the living easy. Summer Daze emerged, full of our favorite things, and delivered big on promises of sunshine and music. And down here, that’s all we can ask for.

Saturday, August 23 3pm at Propaganda: Future Prezidents, RYTHMadix, Roots Shakedown, Spred The Dub, The Expanders, New Kingston, Tribal Seeds, Seagrape Souljahs, LFTD LVLS, Fireside Prophets, Common Wealth, South Side Dub, BUSHWOOD, Kulcha Shok Muzik & DJ HiGrade $25 advance, $30 gate ~Dana Krangel

Friday, auguSt 1

The Dropa Stone @ Funky Buddha Lake Worth Long Shots @ Dada Miami Moombahton Massive @ Grand Central Uproot Hootenanny @ Terra Fermata Fat Mannequin @ Funky Biscuit The Lovers Key @ Gramps Slip and the Spinouts @ Vintage Tap Spred The Dub, Danka, Hours Eastly @ Propaganda

Saturday, auguSt 2

Swede Fest Palm Beach 3 @ Borland Center for Performing Arts Die Artwoord (Musik+Art) @ Bohemïa AG / Harold’s Down North @ Funky Buddha Tattered Saints @ Kill Your Idol Animal Collective (DJ Set) @ Grand Central Cody and the Qualified @ Terra Fermata Lather Up! & Friends @ Funky Biscuit The Gladezmen @ Vintage Tap The Cravens, Jangle Leg, The Sawgrass Kin @ South Shores The Violet West E.P. release, Necrophiles, Riot Act @ Poorhouse Zomboy, Mayhem, Victor Niglio @ Revolution Live O’Brother, Royal Thunder, Lavola , World’s Strongest Man @ Propaganda

Sunday, auguSt 3

Jahfe, Lance-O, Tall Up & the Kulcha Shok Krew @ Jazid Acoustic Showcase / Open Mic @ Propaganda The Sierra Band @ Terra Fermata Leo Casino, The City Mission Band @ Churchill’s

Monday, auguSt 4

Rhythmation & Lance-O of Kulcha Shok Muzik @ Bostons Drum Circle / Open Mic Night @ Terra Fermata Jess McCartney, Guinevere @ Revolution Live Miami Jazz Jam & Theatre De Underground @ Churchill’s Basement Jams @ Dada

tueSday, auguSt 5

Peter Murphy, My Jerusalem, Astari Nite @ Grand Central DJ G-Money(Garret) @ Propaganda Ben Meija @ Terra Fermata Comedy Open Mic @ Dada

WedneSday, auguSt 6

Daikaiju @ Propaganda Vinyl Solutions: You Bring it, You Spin it w/ Holly Hunt @ Churchill’s Chloe Dolandis @ Dada

thurSday, auguSt 7

Singer Songwriter Night @ Funky Buddha Degeneration: Nunhex @ The Garret at Grand Central Ryan Owens and Friends @ Terra Fermata JL Fulks, Joel Da Silva @ Vintage Tap Lalibela Band @ Dada

Friday, auguSt 8

Prints Charming Art Opening @ Bear & Bird Gallery Comedy Show @ Funky Buddha Jangle Leg, Shotgun Betty @ Vintage Tap Subgroove @ Terra Fermata Linkin Park, 30 Seconds to Mars @ Cruzan Amp Talent Farm FanFest @ Revolution Live

Gunfight CD Release with Old Habits, Sweet Nothings, Beastplague and Sunnyvale @ Propaganda Fickel Souls @ Dada

Saturday, auguSt 9

The Violet West @ Dada Public Sounds @ Funky Buddha Talent Farm FanFest @ Revolution Live Foxing, The Hoteliers, Little Big League @ Revolution Live Feed Me, Treasure Fingers @ Revolution Live Flashback @ Kill Your Idol The Drip Effect, The Romantix @ Swampgrass Willys Making Faces @ Terra Fermata Ordinary Boys @ Dada Feed Me @ Revolution Live White Rabbit Crawl @ Propaganda Afro Roots World Music Fest: The Resolvers, Suenalo, DJ le Spam, Morikeba Kouyate, Ephniko @ 7th Circuit Studio

Sunday, auguSt 10

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Japanese Snack Tasting @ TATE’S Comics, Lauderhill nine inch nails, Soundgarden @ Cruzan Amp Talent Farm FanFest @ Revolution Live Inna Sense, Lance-O, Kulcha Shok Krew, J5 @ Jazid Mike Maytin @ Saltwater Brewery Jupiter Trailer Trash @ Terra Fermata Acoustic Showcase / Open Mic @ Propaganda

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Basement Jams @ Dada Rhythmation & Lance-O of Kulcha Shok Muzik @ Bostons Miami Jazz Jam & The Theatre De Underground @ Churchill’s

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Monday, auguSt 11 tueSday, auguSt 12

Comedy Open Mic @ Dada Victoria Leigh Condenz @ Terra Fermata DJ G-Money (Garret) @ Propaganda

WedneSday, auguSt 13

Within Your Reach, Outline In Color, Bad Luck @ Propaganda Vinyl Solutions: You Bring It, You Spin w/ Vice City Rockers @ Churchill’s Josh Horton @ Terra Fermata

thurSday, auguSt 14

Craft Bazaar @ Dada Jeff White and Soul Taxi @ Terra Fermata Reggae in the Garden Lance-O, Kulcha Shok @ Gramps OFF!, Bad Antics, Gay Kiss @ Churchill’s Joe Cannizio Solo @ Vintage Tap

Friday, auguSt 15 + 16

Mighty Oak Music Festival: Sweet Bronco, JUDE., Caution Children, Saskatchewan, Terror Pigeon, Iji, World’s Strongest Man, Brightwing, JohnyTiger, Kaizen, Lautlos, Phantasman, Second Nature, Telescope Thieves, The Gamma Bot, Tidur, Tyrod, DataDiamond, Melt Channel, Marvelous Good Fortune, Adjy, Uncle Marty, Civil Brute, Fjord Explorer, Young Adult, Boysin @ 5 Points Jacksonville

Friday, auguSt 15

Bad Religion, Stiff Little Fingers, Pennywise, Offspring @ Cruzan Amp Bushwood @ Funky Buddha Glasscloud @ Propaganda Sawgrass Express @ Dada The Lovers Key @ Vintage Tap

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Killbillies @ Terra Fermata Dep’t of Corrections, Budd Dwyer, God Harvest, Orbweaver, Karras, Devalued @ Churchill’s The Lovers Key @ Vintage Tap Panic! at the Disco, Walk the Moon @ Mizner Park The Hip Abduction @ Funky Biscuit

Saturday, auguSt 16

Bizzy Bone & Flesh-N-Bone @ Grand Central Twelve’len @ Kill Your Idol Hot Whiskey @ Dada Slightly Stoopid, G. Love & Special Sauce, Stephen Marley @ Sunset Cove Black Tongue, Villains, Beacons, Lifeforms, Dealey Plaza, Existence Has Failed & DEVIANT @ Propaganda Comedy Show @ Funky Buddha Funky Nuggets Festival @ Vintage Tap Lucky Dogs @ Terra Fermata Nicole Henry @ The Colony Hotel PB

Sunday, auguSt 17

Rythmadix, Lance-O, J5 & the Kulcha Shok Krew @ Jazid The Howl Folk night w. Ryan Rachal & friends @ Churchill’s Joel DaSilva & the Midnight Howl @ Terra Fermata

Monday, auguSt 18

Basement Jams @ Dada Rhythmation & Lance-O of Kulcha Shok Muzik @ Bostons Miami Jazz Jam & Theatre De Underground @ Churchill’s

tueSday, auguSt 19

Comedy Open Mic @ Dada DJ G-Money (Garret) @ Propaganda Kill That Rooster @ Churchill’s Ben Meija @ Terra Fermata

WedneSday, auguSt 20

Ella Herrera @ Dada Michael McDonald, Toto @ Hard Rock Live Vinyl Solutions: You Bring It, You Spin w/ Surfer Pig @ Churchill’s

thurSday, auguSt 21

Army Gideon @ Dada Ben Prestage @ Terra Fermata Piano Bob & Nick Trill @ Vintage Tap Squeedlepuss, Displace @ Funky Buddha

Friday, auguSt 22

Int’l Language @ Funky Buddha Mylo Ranger @ Dada Mobile Deathcamp @ Revolution Live Strung Like a Horse @ Terra Fermata Smells Like Grunge @ Vintage Tap Jangle Leg, Sawgrass Kin @ SwampGrass Willies Remembering Never, Beastplague, Moirae, Fero Lux @ Churchill’s The Lovers Key @ Respectable Street DJ Needlez Presents: Rock The Mic @ Propaganda

Saturday, auguSt 23

SUMMER DAZE CONCERT SERIES DAY #3 feat. Future Prezidents, RYTHMadix, Roots Shakedown, Spred The Dub, The Expanders, New Kingston, Tribal Seeds, Seagrape Souljahs, LFTD LVLS, Fireside Prophets, Common Wealth, South Side Dub, Bushwood, Kulcha Shok Muzik & DJ HiGrade @ Propaganda

Mandy Moon @ Funky Buddha Inna Sense @ Terra Fermata Hybiskus @ Kill Your Idol Have Gun Will travel @ Vintage Tap Jack Stevens Band @ Dada Crocodiles, Jail, Jellyfish Brothers, Plastic Pinks @ Churchill’s Everymen, Jangle Leg, Drunken Cuddle @ The Poorhouse Nicole Henry @ The Colony Hotel PB

Sunday, auguSt 24

Tori Amos @ The Fillmore Miami Inna Sense, Lance-O, Bin Bin & the Kulcha Shok Krew @ Jazid SowFlo @ Terra Fermata

Monday, auguSt 25

Basement Jams @ Dada Rhythmation & Lance-O of Kulcha Shok Muzik @ Bostons Miami Jazz Jam & Theatre De Underground @ Churchill’s

tueSday, auguSt 26

Comedy Open Mic @ Dada The Romatix, Mia Mia, Southern Misconduct @ Propaganda Cog Nomen @ Churchill’s Josh Horton @ Terra Fermata

tueSday, auguSt 27

Hairpeace Duo @ Terra Fermata Vinyl Solutions w/ Reapermanser @ Churchill’s

tueSday, auguSt 28

Katie Channing @ Terra Fermata Junglbuth, Centuries, Holly Hunt @ Churchill’s Warp9 @ Funky Buudha

Friday, auguSt 29

PureHoney Magazine FREE 3 Year Party: ROADKILL GHOST CHOIR, Sweet Bronco, Plastic Pinks, JUDE., The Gravel Kings, The Alleys, The Psymatics @ Respectable Street Scott Marischen Jazz Quartet @ Funky Buddha Cerveza @ Terra Fermata The Lox @ Grand Central Spechlis & Teri Catlin Songwriter Night @ Vintage Tap Violet West @ Dada 35 Years of Churchill’s Fest @ Churchill’s

Saturday, auguSt 30

Summer Jam 10: Sweet Bronco, Reptar, Roadkill Ghost Choir, Millionyoung, Beach Day, Have Gun, Will Travel, SWIMM, Gwan Massive, SUNBEARS!, New Madrid, Good Graeff, Dear & Glorious Physician, DieAlps! & few more surprises @ Crowbar & New World Brewery in Ybor City Joel DaSilva & The Midnight Howls @ Funky Buddha Mandy Moon @ Kill Your Idol WolfCat @ Vintage Tap Grace & the Victory Riders @ Terra Fermata Off Orbit @ Dada Burlesque @ Propaganda 35 Years of Churchill’s Fest @ Churchill’s Nicole Henry @ The Colony Hotel PB

Sunday, auguSt 31

South Side Dub, Lance-O, Kulcha Shok & Socialist Roots @ Jazid Acoustic Showcase / Open Mic @ Propaganda Part One Tribe @ Terra Fermata 35 Years of Churchill’s Fest @ Churchill’s The Resolvers @ JB’s on the Beach

SUMMER JAM 10 When Ybor City hosted its first Summer Jam music festival, in 2005, it was supposed to be a one-time event—a showcase of great eclectic indie bands, especially from the Sunshine State. But, as founder Joe D’Acunto recalls, “the first year was a success and sort of connected the music community in Ybor City during a time that connectivity was needed. So we did it a second year and then expanded it to two venues the third year, and then it just kept going. We joked about only doing it for 10 years, not ever expecting to be successful for that long.”

Indeed, it’s become a signature annual event in the historic Tampa Bay neighborhood, expanding its reach of venues and number of bands throughout the years. And if you’ve never driven up for it, now’s the time: The festival’s 10th annual edition, which will rock the New World Brewery and the Crowbar on August 30, is the final Summer Jam. “In recent years, ‘festivals’ have become the norm, which has made it increasingly difficult to even do a regional festival with a couple of national acts,” D’Acunto says. “So we decided to stick to our guns and have one final blowout. And damn, a decade’s long enough!”

Well, we’ll just have to help make this one the best Summer Jam yet. Athens-based quirk-poppers Reptar will headline the show, along with the lyrical folk rockers Roadkill Ghost Choir, aka the best thing to come out of DeLand since Buckminster Fuller.

Representing South Florida will be the girl-group revivalists Beach Day, the moody shoegazers Sweet Bronco and the electro-chill of Millionyoung. Other must-see acts include the halcyon dream-pop of Bradenton’s Sunbears! and the Dylanesque troubadours Have Gun Will Travel, from Jacksonville.

If this turns out to be the best Summer Jam yet, it will have stiff competition. D’Acunto’s favorite memories are of Summer Jam 6, which he called “completely nuts! There were so many little wrinkles to the event: over 20 bands, an art opening, an Olympicsized pool in the middle of a parking lot, a fixed gear race, free barbecue, beer tastings, six deejays … it just went on and on. We had finally really taken over all of Ybor City. Kids were getting jobs at the pool, bikes were whizzing through the streets, each venue was packed with smiles from ear to ear.”

That was more information than requested, perhaps, but I can’t conjure a better endorsement than that. Summer Jam 10 runs from 2pm to 2am August 30 in Ybor City.

Tickets cost $20-$25. Visit ticketfly.com/purchase/event/610327?utm_medium=bks. ~John Thomason

MIGHTY OAK FESTIVAL The strong local lineup of the Mighty Oak Music Festival is enough to reignite your belief in both the diversity and quality across the Florida music scene.

This first year DIY fest is planting its roots in Jacksonville over two days, August 15 and 16.

Festival organizers Jonathan Narallah and Andrew Chafin have been scowering just about every breed of music they could find across their Florida scene, citing indie, folk, electronic, and punk as the general blend of genres they have cherry picked from to create the Mighty Oak experience. The FSU roommates grew up in Jacksonville, going to shows together throughout middle school and high school, but it wasn’t until college that they cut their teeth on the “DIY” music scene via their involvement with the Total Bummer fest.

“I had been interested in throwing my own fest for a while, and things just fell into place to work out this summer,” says Jonathan. “We initially thought about doing the fest in Tallahassee, but right now it doesn’t have the infrastructure to do something like Mighty Oak. Most shows happen at houses, and there aren’t many venues walking distance from each other”. The guys immediately turned to their hometown of Jacksonville, where Jonathan recognizes, “everyone in the city (Jacksonville) is on the same page as far as artistic, cultural and technological ambition goes.”

The official venues for the fest are Rain Dogs, Deep Search Records, and Sun-Ray Cinema, which Jonathan promises you can navigate between inside of four minutes. “We’re making sure to stagger the schedule so someone could theoretically catch 15 minutes of every band” says Jonathan. Challenge accepted.

The variety of the music is all unified under this common goal of what Jonathan calls “punk ethics”. The guys aren’t expecting to bank on the fest. With a ticket price of only $20 for the weekend, 90% of the money goes to the bands and the rest they are crossing their fingers covers their marketing and admin costs. They’re working with local restaurants to get the musicians fed, and they’ve operated mostly on handshakes when booking the acts. “We envision this festival as a community effort, and the response has been better than I ever imagined,” says Jonathan.

Mighty Oak is shaping up to be not only a meet-up for the independent music projects of the state, but also a showcase of Jacksonville’s up and coming art and culture community.

Jonathan and Andrew named the fest after their inspiration and appreciation for their hometown. Jonathan says, “Growing up underneath a canopy of oaks, you learn to stop and appreciate your environment. We feel that Mighty Oak is a chance for us to do that and focus on the noteworthy musicians who are making Florida an exciting state for music.”

The Mighty Oak Fest will be held at Rain Dogs (1045 Park St., Jacksonville) and surrounding venues, August 15 and 16. Tickets and information for the Might Oak Music Festival are available online via www.mightyoakfest.com ~Danielle Romanowski

ROADKILL GHOST CHOIR

Roadkill Ghost Choir play a Free PUREHONEY Show Aug. 29 at RSC Last year, BPB New Times music editor Liz Tracy wrote about PureHoney’s 2nd Year Anniversary: “The fold-out party bible is entering its terrible twos. They say print is dead, we say: f**k that, pick up a dang paper!” It might seem anachronistic, even a little kitschy to forge on in the internet age in this outmoded medium. How does one explain the simple joys of ripping out a page from Thrasher magazine and thumb-tacking it unto a wall to someone whose entire memory’s evidence is housed in Instagram’s computer servers? Annoying as it might be, there’s still something special about getting ink stains on your fingertips and feeling the fold of crisp paper in your hands. There’s something even more special when you get to celebrate three years doing what you love in the company of a great young band like Roadkill Ghost Choir.

Roadkill hails from Central Florida and they’ve already shared the stage with notable acts like Band of Horses and Blonde Redhead. That they’ve managed a steady rise from the dregs of this state into the national consciousness is as improbable a story as this fledgling publication completing its 36th issue. And there’s something poetic about Roadkill Ghost Choir headlining PureHoney’s anniversary party – the cosmic bond of this paper’s creasing rattling in your hands is no different than the disembodied voice of that possum someone ran over a few days ago. There is some truth in the pedantic nature of music lovers and the eccentricities of musicians; we here at PureHoney pride ourselves in our work the way fans of the Avett Brothers or Dead Confederate will love the Americana sounds of Roadkill Ghost Choir.

While the band has that Tom Petty-vibe from time to time, it is interesting that singer/guitarist Andrew Shepard wasn’t as keyed-in to his local music scene as you might think; it would be in his early 20’s that he’d begin to explore the scene in Central Florida and experience the confidence to take his then hermitic music to the stage. Adding to that, there is something intrinsically “Florida” about this band that does not take itself too seriously. According to Shepard, “the name just sort of happened because we needed one at the time when we first started.

We played shows under different names but they were all terrible. Our guitar player, who played keys at the time, had a joke project called ‘Lester Possum and the Roadkill Ghost Choir.’ We thought ‘Roadkill Ghost Choir’ was kind of interesting so we tried that out and it stuck. Some people love it and some hate it. We’ve come to accept the name.”

Roadkill’s only an EP young but their debut full-length album, In Tongues, recorded at Athens, Georgia’s Chase Park Transduction Studios, will be released in August. “You start to learn quickly when you spend a significant amount of time on the road. Not every show is going to be great. There are always terrible shows. Our first touring experience was pretty bleak but you have to push through and work hard no matter who is at the show. You’ll learn a lot about yourself as a musician and how your band operates while on the road. It was a crucial step for us as a band.” Aside from getting some excellent experience with their tour-minded attitudes, they’ve also enjoyed some much-needed national exposure by appearing on the Late Show with David Letterman. “It was no doubt the most stressful performance we’ve ever been a part of. A few of us vomited beforehand. After it was over, we all felt like we did something incredibly important as a younger band. It was very rewarding for us in the end and it taught us so much about that weird side of the business,” remarks Shepard.

PureHoney’s dedicated staff may play musical sage-- but there’s no mystery to unravel as publishing a print edition doesn’t seem to get easier with time. Facing the same challenges experienced in the beginning has done little to dissuade the steadfast resolve to continue providing a product that does indeed retain the nostalgia of covering your walls with music-related imagery.

PureHoney is as much a labor of love as Roadkill Ghost Choir is a family affair.

Andrew, along with the rhythm section comprised of his brothers Zach and Maxx, guitarist Stephen Garza and pedal steel/banjo player Kiffy Myers are looking to continue spreading their earnest version of folk rock throughout this nation the same way PureHoney will continue its mission of dirtying your fingertips and becoming a part of your wall.

While the terrible twos were spent celebrating longtime supporter Respectable Street’s 26th Anniversary last year, PureHoney will take a little time for itself on the completion of its third dozen of tactile codices with the help of Roadkill Ghost Choir and many other musical friends from this great state. Here’s to another three years of distributing the love of music and art from Stuart to Miami!

PureHoney Magazine’s 3 Year Anniversary with Roadkill Ghost Choir, Sweet Bronco, Plastic Pinks, JUDE., Gravel Kings, The Alleys and the Psymatics at 8pm on Friday, August 29 at Respectable Street, West Palm Beach. FREE SHOW! ~Abel Folgar

NATHANIEL DEAS If one were to believe that rock and roll has been in decline for the past couple of years, then it stands to reason that certain rock and roll peripherals have also begun their respective death knells.

If the excessive lifestyle will not be missed in favor of healthier outlooks and more responsible public personas, there is the question of the art associated with rock and roll and where it has gone. In the digital age, where album and concertposter art has almost disappeared, it would seem an anachronistic career choice for anyone to embark on. Even weirder is the fact that such an artist exists in South Florida.

Nathaniel Deas grew up a fan of music and from an early age, developed an obsessive attraction to album packaging that saw an early artistic training Nathaniel Deas recreating them in his sketchbooks. But one doesn’t join the ranks of Mati Klarwein and Brian Schroeder by simply doodling in a book. As an undergrad at the University of Florida, Deas was commissioned by a promoter to create flyers. It would be this type of work that would eventually lead to his first concert poster and that was in 2008 for Built to Spill’s show in Gainesville.

His work, though influenced by the golden era of rock and roll artistry with an informed palate for color and the melted geometry of psychedelic music, manages to exist presently. He’s not reinventing the wheel and he’s not painting over one, he’s showing how great the wheel can be. He marries the boldness of wood engravings with a surrealism that blends Eastern mysticism with the West’s familiarity with fairy tales where lions are regal creatures that possess third eyes and his fungal landscapes are lysergic playgrounds.

Admittedly harboring a secret fantasy of being a rock star, Nathaniel Deas is one in his own right; in the time that he has been creating original concertposter art, Deas has a very impressive list of clients including Railroad Earth, King Buzzo and Ziggy Marley. Like all artists looking to improve, Deas is a harsh critic of himself, “I’m never completely satisfied and there are works I did years ago that I’m not happy with now.” It might just be such a self-imposed level of personal achievement that will keep him in business and maintaining this art form afloat.

Lord knows rock and roll can always use a little anachronism, especially if it’s coming from Florida. www.facebook.com/BourbonSunday ~Abel Folgar

Sunday Movies Every Sunday at Dada double features starting at 10pm on the patio

For the full list find us on facebook: Facebook.com/DadaHouse