Raised by Broadway star Wanda Richert, coupled with her father’s influence in videography and production, she really didn’t know any life other than that of an artist’s.

At age 14, she dove into hip hop and started writing rhymes paired with soulful melodies. By the time that 2006 Ultra Music Festival rolled around, she realized that there was more to her music than heavy, dark booms and baps. Whether exploring Electro, Hip Hop, Dubstep, House, Drum and Bass, Candace wanted to do her part to bring music to life.

“Too many artists get discouraged and stop gripping down on their dreams. Or they let complications become a scapegoat to justify a stagnant progress. If you’re going to talk, do it while you’re walking. I had to start all over – more than once – but I couldn’t and wouldn’t let that keep me from moving forward! It’s a new chapter every moment!” Candace told us.

Candace threw herself into her music with gusto. Along the way she dabbled in music production and modeling. Her goal was to weave all her creative experiences into her music. She carried that same effort into creating Grey Area, a gallery she launched during Art Basel 2011.

“I want people to know that I see art in everything and that I live life based on that principle.” said Candace. “What I do with Grey Area is an extension of that, to share with whoever would like to be a part of it. Our mission statement says, ‘Our passion is to be a ‘playhouse’; a place people can go to experience a feeling of freedom and a sense of comfort to both peruse and express themselves with many different forms of ART, via painting, music, dance, film, fashion, design, sculpture, experimentalism, etc.’ But the whole reason why I did any of this in the first place was because I wanted to weave it with my music career.”

For Candace’s calendar photoshoot, we wanted to create photos that showed off her creativity and her  love for art. The Valentine’s Day concept we came up with was, I’ll Rip Your Fucking Heart Out, a series of photos that showed the different stages of love, from the first sparks of romance to the heart-wrenching moment of heartbreak.

Candace showed up at the shoot armed with an arsenal of vintage clothing compliments of her mother Wanda, a former belle of the stage. Styled by yours truly along with our resident makeup artist, Yarlen, we created looks for Candace that were a bit ingenue, temptress and heart-breaker.

And then there was that bloody beef heart. lol

When Candace came on set, we had an organic beef heart sitting in ice for the shoot. While some would flinch at the idea of holding on to a bloody animal heart during a photoshoot, (Candace avoids meat in her regular diet, opting to eat fish.) Candace’s initial reaction was to say,

That’s awesome. Do you want me to bite into it and chew it? I will totally put it in my mouth if you need me to.

That’s what she said…literally.

Beautiful and talented, Candace Meyer is one of the bright Miami lights that needs to shine. We are pleased to let her shine here.

You can catch up with Candace at Grey Area and check out her music at her site, listed below.

website:  whoiscandacemeyer.com

facebook: facebook.com/whoiscandacemeyer

twitter:  @candacemeyer  

Enjoy the photos from our shoot and download the free desktop calendar by clicking the link for your screen resolution below. If you do not know your screen resolution click here.

Download the Antisteez February 2012 Desktop Calendar:

2560×1440 – 1920×1200 – 1680×1050 – 1440×900 – 1280×800 – 1024×768

Photos by: Greg Gibbs

Makeup by: Yarlen

We caught up Steven for a photoshoot Calvin Klein would have been proud of… except with more clothes on (sorry ladies!) Steven’s stylist Mariangel Robles kept the man looking catalog fresh with his own flavor. We explored his rough edges, dusted off his inner model and even made some Valentine’s out of the notes of heartbreak, Jameson in hand. Check out a couple of questions we asked Steven and then download the desktop calendar, so he can whisper sweet nothings to you each time your computer boots up.

How long have you been in Miami and what brought you here?

I’ve been in Miami for about 5 years, I moved here mainly for the culture and the opportunity.

Describe your sound and the vibe of your music.

My music is influenced by everything which helps it sound unique.

What are you currently working on and what can we expect in 2012?

I’m currently finishing up my new project so you’ll see and hear way more from me in 2012.

Where can we find out more about you and your music?

Check out my site, stevenaclark.com, hit me up on twitter (@stevenaclark), or Facebook (www.facebook.com/StevenAClarkMusic)

Which song would be the anthem to your Valentine’s Day?

“Bump n Grind” remix by R. Kelly

Tell us about your experience at the shoot.

The shoot was great. Dope people, dope vibes, and cool clothes. Can’t wait to do it again.

Please, click below on your screen resolution and save the desktop calendar. If you do not know your screen resolution click here.

2560×1440 – 1920×1200 – 1680×1050 – 1440×900 – 1280×800 – 1024×768

Here are a few more shots from our photo shoot with Steven A. Clark… click ‘em to enlarge, they could make a nice wallpaper if calendars aren’t your thing. February is also about being practical. Enjoy!

Photos by: Greg Gibbs

Oh, and if you are reading this, good luck. 2012 is here and it is rumored that no one is surviving this year. Just sayin’.

But in case the aliens/zombies/wrath of God/natural disaster apocalypses do not take place, we thought that you might want to have a very cool desktop calendar for every month this year.

(Don’t get excited. This is not a Mayan calendar. We don’t know when the actual end of days is. We do, however, suggest you get a COSTCO card and start stockpiling toilet paper and gallons of BBQ sauce, just in case.)

And since 2012 is rumored to be an epic year, and because we love the 305 and all of the creative folks that make it colorful, we will be featuring 24 of them in our 2012 Desktop calendar project called:

305 for life, 365 days a year. 

This calendar will give you an opportunity to know about the keep-it-real people who embody the spirit of our mighty 305. The men and women who make music, art, create the culture in our city and make it beautiful. They are not all professional models. This is not that kind of calendar.

These are professional people. These are our people. These are 305 people.

Our gente, bro.

Each month we will release two exclusive desktop calendars featuring one 305 lady and one 305 gent. Both will be downloadable in various sizes for all of your devices.

Our first two calendar features are incredible in their own right. They both make moves in the 305 and make waves, too. Ladies and Gentlemen, allow us to introduce you to Ms. & Mr. January.

me she:

me she, futuristic front woman from the electro-synth pop duo BFGF (pronounced: boyfriend girlfriend) curates her sound with influences from a MTV generation that introduced her to the beats of Hip Hop and the movement of street culture, combined with the tail end of the disco era. Her captivating performances are somewhat of a love spell, conjuring up video art projections, aerobic dancing and hypnotic vocals.

This Renaissance woman not only captivates her audiences with her vocal prowess, she also finds use of her hands. With over 10 years of interior/exterior design and renovation projects, me she is not only a person she is also a company. me she inc. specializes in decorative wall finishes, furniture refinishing, antique restoration, murals, specialty plasters, art on canvas, and art/fashion rarities.

Whereas the parallels between music and art meet past and present, me she revels in only one domain… the future.

You can connect with me she on FACEBOOK / HER BLOG / BFGF BAND WEBSITE

Daze:

“My name is Daze. I’m 28, Hispanic. I live in Hialeah, acere, con los Cubanos. Ya tu sabes! Hahaha. I am a well-known professional barber. I also model sometimes for magazines, clothes lines and independent photo projects.

I’m an artist. I paint on canvases and also do graffiti art from time to time. (When I have time!) I work in a barbershop in Miami Lakes on Main Street called The Fade Shop. I have a lot of hobbies. I like to create all forms of art, whether it be on canvas, on a wall, with hair or sculpture. Oh, and WOMEN. They’re my favorite hobby. lol

My upcoming projects? Well, I think that the only project I work on and keep working on is LIFE. I wish to perfect my life and make the best of it. As far as Miami? Well, there are so many things about it to love. There are so many interesting and different people here. This city does NOT sleep. You can always find a party or something interesting to do somewhere. And the art scene is almost everywhere, and I love that. And the thing I love the most about my city? I LOVE THE WOMEN. Yes, I love them. Hahaha…”

You can download me she and Daze’s desktop calendar in whatever size you want by clicking the relevant size links below and then save them to your comp/phone/tablet. Then just set the photo as your desktop/wallpaper. It’s as easy as A-B-C, 1-2-3. And make sure that you keep an eye out at the end of the month for the February installment of the 305 for life, 365 days a year project.

2012 me she: 2560×1440 - 1920×1200 - 1680×1050 - 1440×900 - 1280×800 - 1024×768

2012 Daze: 2560×1440 - 1920×1200 - 1680×1050 - 1440×900 - 1280×800 - 1024×768

Photos by Greg Gibbs/Harold D. Ruiz

Makeup: Yarlen

Location: American Demolition Heavy Equipment Yard/ American Demolition “El Patio”

… like my mother used to say. Miami is the land of shock and awe.  People underestimate us sometimes. They give props to the bigger cities like Los Angeles or New York, but we got our own characters and craziness that can make anybody say: “OMG!” Here are the Most “OMG!” Miami Moments of 2011:

5 – BAR shuts down

Vagabond owner Carmel Ophir was accused of being the reason why Bar on 14 Street was shut down. Ophir owns the property and according to many, did not want to renew their lease. It caused a lot of stir in the inter-webs and many people were genuinely pissed their little spot was no more. It’s a they-said, he-said situation. I believe we won’t really know what went down. (Although we heard that the reason BAR shut down was because the renters SOLD the liquor license and were operating ILLEGALLY!) The bottom line: It’s business, not personal.  This unexpected shut-down makes the “OMG!” list at numero cinco.

4 – Tom Cruise ROCKS the 305

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIt7Gm1U5MM

The last time you read any mainstream madness on the ill-est spot this side of the WWW was when I made the common rookie mistake to review the Lil’ Wayne concert.  Truth be told: I almost got fired for that one, but thankfully it all blew over rather quick. To my surprise, the filming of the upcoming Cruise flick ROCK OF AGES made the list.  Now, I have the pleasure and honor of knowing one of the extras on the set, Ruben Fonseca, who personally said to me the experience was amazing. He even had the opportunity to speak by Paul Gia-fucking-matti himself. The bottom line, hot A-Lister’s such as Mr. Cruise and company make exciting news when they come around. The fact that a major movie production has once again picked the 305 as a filming locale is why ROCK OF AGES is our number 4 “OMG!” Moment.

You are not on acid. The dirty, nasty weeds in the Downtown area near Grand Central are in color. Why? Cause GC owner Brad Knoefler took it upon himself to beautify the city since the city won’t do it themselves. It is known as Weed Bombing and I think it gives the area a kind of Wynwood feel.  Here’s where it gets mean: city officials won’t do anything about the over-grown, unsightly brushes yet they ARREST Knoefler for spraying the shit. This number three ”OMG!” Moment was brought to you by the courage and gall of one man willing to beautify his surroundings and take a stand.

“We’re tired of living in a big dump overrun with weeds and trash,” Brad Knoefler

2 – Pepe Billete

Anything this hilarious, original and utterly adorable is “OMG!” worthy.  This fine gentleman has gone viral this year and we can’t get enough of him. Truth be told I have a couple of “Pepe Billete’s” in my own family. Escoria Films concocted this brilliant Cuban creation that I haven’t seen since the ”Que Pasa, USA?” days. I can’t watch too much of it without wanting un pastelito. Click below and say hello to my lil’ fren:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuL69QBD8zg

1 – “Dude, where’s your penis?”

“No clothes and no dick make Isa go crazy …” Only an outrageous moment such as this can earn the number one spot on our “OMG!” list. A strung-out, uncooperative Naked Asian man at the Ultra Music Festival earlier this year had so many of us scream “OMG!” I think it registered on the Richter Scale.  If pictures are worth 1,000 words, I think we can fill 1 million tomes with these two perfectly timed shots. Stills like these belong in the prestigious pages of The National Geo and Time, but until the day comes that they begin appreciate their beauty – at Antisteez is where they’ll live <3.

This whole moment has an entire story behind it that you can’t let the year go by without hearing: Apparently, Naked Asian wanted to get too close for comfort which led to the fully-dressed gentleman take a perfectly aimed swing that knocked Naked Asian on his ass. I know many people fist pump to house music, but this is hilarious. We caught up with the Puncher since the Punch-ee was unavailable due to, what I believe is, the shame his little member put him through. Catch the full interview below.

On a personal note: 2011 has been amazing because of antisteez.com and you. Seeing all of you read and follow-up with us is the biggest high I have ever felt. I am looking forward to continue writing for all of you in upcoming year. Here’s to another successful 12 months with the coolest people I’ve had the priviledge to know and work with: My fellow antisteez-ers.

Ya’ll party safe now, ya’ hear?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-w85xD4ULlM

5 – The “Alleged” Baby-Killer: Casey Anthony

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H6YxAEVJdY

As a Cuban, please believe me that I was putting little glasses of water under each of my loved-ones’ beds, puffing cigar smoke into every room, and I almost killed a chicken to protect us from the evils that allowed this woman to walk free. It seems that everybody was certain that this duct-tape-fetish-and-little-heart-shaped-sticker-collector was the culprit … except the jury. Needless to say, everybody talked about this woman: From her lack of emotion, to her sly stares and the laugh attacks that she had to control during her own murder trial; none of us expected what we heard the day the verdict was read. Antisteez dubs this one as: The WTF?! Moment That Almost Had Us Take The Law Into Our Own Hands.

So basically she got the name DRAKE tattooed across her forehead. Big, bold and ugly. According to the tat artist, she was not drunk; she was not dumb, all she wanted was DRAKE on her head, that’s all she asked for Sam-I-Am. Antisteez dubs thee: The WTF?! Moment That Made Us Say “ew.”

3 – The Occupiers and the Po-Po’s

Occupy: A movement to express the anger and frustration the American people feel over the rich “Fat Cats” that make their wealth off of the hard working man’s bread.

All across the country the Occupy Movement is making a dent in history. However, wherever there’s a cause - there’s The Man to shut it down. Police have raided the areas the Occupiers have taken over and trumped over their rights to peacefully assemble and protest. Raids have occured in Oakland, and in Boston they tore down a mini house structure made of plywood. Built as a symbolic representation to the caving housing market and the way banks are shamelessly foreclosing on homeowners … the same homeowners who bailed out said banks back in 2008. Antisteez dubs this one: The WTF?! Moment That Made Us Say: “Shame, shame.”

2 – “Preacher, preacher, fifth-grade teacher, you can’t reach me, my Mom can’t neither!”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVUg7wwQ1Tw

I remember this well because it was around my birthday and my favorite little spot was serving two-for-one’s Rapture Rum and Cokes which made it a very happy birthday indeed. This crazy preacher, Harold Camping, had the audacity to claim his fifteen minutes of fame by saying the end of the world was upon us on … get this … on May 21. Well, May 21 came and went with not so much as a spring storm and millions of us used it as an excuse for a reckless hook-up, binge drinking, and I wouldn’t be surprise if it sprung up a whole generation of post-Rapture babies. Not so fortunate where the poor saps who believed the crazy preacher and splurged all their savings on bunkers, salvation and SPAM.

Then he went on every channel, website and radio station to say: “Heh, did I say May 21? I meant October 21, OCTOBER 21 … yea.” Uh-huh. Gee, that’s funny because I clearly remember strutting down Lincoln Road on Hollow’s Eve in my hot Kitana costume. I guess he got his wires crossed when taking God’s messages cause in June of this year, Camping suffered a stroke that left him debilitated. We wish him a speedy recovery cause Lord knows we need all the excuses in the cosmos to party and get wild. Antisteez dubs this one: The WTF?! Moment With The Biggest Apocalyptic Fail.

and the number one WTF?! Moment of 2011 goes to …

1 – The NBA Lockout

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIQwkxQf5Yo

Even wealthy basketball players are feeling the recession. The NBA locked them out earlier this year while they negotiated contract deals. I understand. I mean, I went to Dairy Queen just yesterday only to find it closed while managers and employees haggle wage contracts. So much for my daily Blizzard but, I digress, point I’m trying to make is that this is TOTALLY relatable. We all want more money to play. When I was kid playing freeze-tag with the homies, I was always the only one left tagging free my frozen friends. One day I had an epitome: I should earn money for this. Long story short, my Freeze-Tag Player dreams where trumped before they even began. Thus, we’re back to the present where po’ folks like DWADE, Bryant and Howard are in turmoil over their meager paychecks; cause let’s be frank: Half of a multi-billion dollar pie is just not enough. Is my villa in the South of France just gonna take care of itself? I don’t think so! Antisteez dubs this one as: The WTF?! Moment That Made Us Sing: “Money, money, money, mo-ney! MONEY!!”

Happy End of the Mayan Calendar, folks! Catch you on the other side of 2012.

• GLORIOUS UPDATE! January 25, 2012 > Antisteez.com along with thousands of other websites, participated in the Anti SOPA/IP Act Blackout on January 18  and lo’ and behold! Congress shelved the two bills INDEFINATELY! YAY PORN! YAY MUSIC! YAY TRAILERS AND CLIPS GALORE AND YAY YOU!

The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA): Another brilliant concoction from our fellow elected officials in the House of Representatives.  Last week we spoke about the NDAA which aims to cripple one-third of our Bill of Rights; today we bring you SOPA, which will single-handedly take down whatever is left.

In attempts to completely halt the illegal distribution and sharing of copyrighted materials, Congress has created the controversial bill that, many believe, will cripple or completely destroy the Internet. SOPA’s Senate counter-part is the Protect IP Act (PIPA) and both would enable copyright holders and the Justice Department to get court orders against any sites that ”engage in, enable, or facilitate” copyright infringement. In addition, courts could stop advertisers from doing business with the site charged with violating the act, order search engines to stop listing the accused web sites, or even require ISP’s to block access completely.

What does this mean for you?

If this should pass, one of the many sites affected would be yours truly – antisteez.com because any site linking to any copyrighted material would also be in violation. Others to feel the blow will be Tumblr, YouTube, Flickr, Facebook and the millions of independent website administrators that make their living through their sites and blogs.

For whoever doesn’t fall in the above-mentioned category, you will have the privilege of surfing through a highly-monitored, excessively-censored Internet mimicking what communists countries like Cuba or China enjoy. Censorship like the bill offers will be very similar to what certain Arab countries implemented earlier in the year that sparked revolutions among their populations.

Today sites that violate copyright laws are notified and given the opportunity to take down the material in question or argue the right to post or share it. There is even a “safe harbor” provision that reduces or eliminates a sites liability under the law as long as the party performed its actions in good faith or in compliance with defined standards. Under SOPA, sites will not have that right. They will face immediate action – including being taken down before they have a chance to respond.

The non-profit or low-budget sites who may not have the monetary resources to defend themselves from such costly lawsuits would crumble. Meanwhile, Google and Facebook would be spending exorbitant amounts of time and money to monitor their sites each day for offending material.

Expert Opinion

Those much more knowledgeable than myself believe the bill infringes on the very right of free speech. Harvard Law Professor Laurence Tribe says: “The notice-and-termination procedure of [the bill] runs afoul of the prior restraint doctrine, because it delegates to a private party the power to suppress speech without prior notice and a judicial hearing. This provision of the bill would give complaining parties the power to stop online advertisers and credit card processors from doing business with a website, merely by filing a unilateral notice accusing the site of being dedicated to theft of U.S. property – even if no court has actually found any infringement.”

And Julian Sanchez, a Research Fellow at Cato@Liberty believes that the bill “still makes it far too easy for U.S. corporations to effectively destroy foreign Internet sites based on a one-sided proceeding in U.S. courts.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ngRPuXpCIw

The broad language in the bill threatens all kinds of Internet uses and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a coalition aimed at defending our rights in the digital world, worries that the bill will still target tools that might be used to circumvent the blacklist essential to human rights activists and political dissidents around the world.

Tech-experts believe the bills would “break” the Internet by giving the courts power to order rogue sites to be removed from the Domain Name System, and ISP’s would act as if the site did not exist at all. Due to the globalization of the World Wide Web, it’s possible users could seek out foreign DNS servers to access these “blacklisted” sites and such measures could compromise the Internet’s architecture.

Support and Opposition

Backed by Hollywood and the Recording Industry of America, many of the politicians pushing for the bill have probably been bought in a number of ways. Certainly it grants the courts dominion over the largest platform we have ever created and causes monopolies because there would only be one place to see trailers, one place to hear singles, etc. and all of it would have a price for accessing. Meanwhile the Chamber of Commerce and the America Union Movement – AFL-CIO are arguing that online piracy is costing jobs.

But the opposition is strong as well. Net moguls like Google, Yahoo!, Twitter, eBay, and Wikimedia, as well as civil liberties groups such as the ACLU, have launched a massive anti-SOPA/PIPA movement that is causing public uproar and backlash.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave a rousing speech on the topic of Internet freedom at George Washington University, equating the Web to a vibrant, democratic town square without geographical boundaries.

In Washington, it is being held by Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore), and together with Republican Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) have drafted an alternative that would provide more protections to accused sites and halt consequences until a full hearing has been completed by the International Trade Commission.

This less-abrasive bill is being called the Online Protection and Enforcement of Digital Trade Act (OPEN); although many think is still flawed, it offers a reasonable starting point to find a comfortable compromise between the two sides. Rep. Issa has released an illustration showing a clear side-by-side comparison of the three bills:

photo: http://www.keepthewebopen.com

So now what?

Now you make up your mind and decide which side you want to stand on.

The House Judiciary Committee might consider SOPA this month: “The … Stop Online Piracy Act markup will resume on Wednesday at 9 A.M. if the House is in session,” a spokeswoman said Monday. “We do not have any additional information at this time.”

The Senate is preparing PIPA for late January. For anyone who is a part of the “Net-generation,” these proposed bills are detrimental. Additionally, thousands of on-line based jobs in the video game industry, music, movies and even pornography can be eliminated.  The thick blanket of power that SOPA and PIPA would spread over everything we enjoy and need online will halt even the most benign of uploads. For example, if you upload a video of your baby dancing you are in violation of these acts if the music she is dancing to is copyrighted.

If you post on your Twitter your favorite movie’s trailer, you are in violation. The beloved DJ Guilletine’s Podcasts will be a thing of the past, and even this article which contains links to bigger publications such as Forbes and The Washington Post would be illegal. Sites that recommend which electronics to buy, which CD’s to listen to, what places to visit, what celebrity is appearing where and when, sports commentary and highlights … Gone Baby, Gone.

Antisteez.com is anti-SOPA and PIPA. The message involved here is join us and together our voices will be heard. To express your disgust in this matter go here, here or here.  And for those who are still undecided on where they stand, I leave you with this:

Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny.
- Thomas Jefferson

It [the bill] denigrates the very foundation of this country, it denigrates the Bill of Rights, it denigrates what our founders intended.
- Senator Al Franken (D-Minn.)

Ruling this extreme has not occurred since the McCarthy-era, according to attorney and advocacy council for Human Rights First, Raha Wala. Essentially this bill will by-pass several very basic rights appointed to every citizen of the United States by the Constitution. The broad verbiage and poorly defined points of the legislation make the bill extremely vulnerable to abuse to the point that the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is now up at arms.

“The bill currently has dangerous provisions attached that would authorize the president to send the military literally anywhere in the world to detain civilians – even American citizens in the United States itself – without charge or trial,” ACLU stated.

“The Big Four”

Behind the bill are four committee members of the Armed Services Committee who have been discretely drafting this bill in an aim to boost support and momentum. They are Senator Carl Levin (D-Mich), former 2008 presidential candidate John McCain (R-Ariz),

Back in May the House of Representatives passed its own version of the NDAA with a provision of authorizing worldwide war; meaning wherever a terrorist “suspect” resides, whether or not that person is a threat to America or Americans, the President can order military to capture and detain that individual without charge or trial. Even if the person is a US citizen on American soil or residing in one of our allied countries.

The Next Steps …

According to the White House, the President is threatening to veto the bill unless these provisions are changed.  The Obama Admistration further insisted on its objection by stating:

“Applying this military custody requirement to individuals inside the United States … would raise serious and unsettled legal questions and would be inconsistent with the fundamental American principle that our military does not patrol our streets.” However, before the White House even sees the controversial bill a formal House-Senate conference will convene to approve the legislation one final time before it goes to the floor for voting.

Despite the White House’s clear concerns, an amendment to eliminate the provision was defeated 60 to 38.

Retired Admiral John Hutson, who was Judge Advocate General for the Navy from 1997 to 2000 and is dean emeritus of the University of New Hamphsire School of Law, believes this bill that challenges one of our most basic rights and liberties is a win for the terrorists.

“The enemy is just laughing over this, because they will have gotten another victory,” Hutson told The Huffington Post. “There’ll be one more victory. There won’t be any bloodshed or immediate bloodshed, there’s not a big explosion, except in a metaphorical sense, but it is a victory nonetheless for the enemy. And it’s a self-inflicted wound.”

My Two-Cents

So much for a smaller government and Obama’s campaign promise of transparency and efficiency.  The United States will not become a socialist country overnight, but it is taking the proper steps in that direction.  If this bill passes, we will travel back in time to the 1960′s when Senator Joe McCarthy had created an unethical and unconstitutional movement where he had taken the liberty of randomly accusing anyone of being a communist or subscribing to communist activities.

During that time many were accused merely on hearsay alone and forced to testify in front of a condemnatory panel who, for all intent and purposes, had already passed judgement on that individual before he/she ever said one word in their own defense.

Today, ten years after 9/11 and after the death of Osama Bin Laden, we are regressing to a state that is reminiscent of scenes from the movie V for Vendetta.  The ACLU is actively taking part in urging people who disagree with this legislation to sign their petition and help stop it in its tracks.  Despite Obama’s threats of vetoing the bill, it is campaign season and all bets are off.

Additionally, bill verbiage is so easy to intertwine and misconstrue. The best thing that could happen is for this bill to not exist at all. If passed, expect more of the same to appear. Expect the leash to be tightened even further, and expect the great land of equality and opportunity to slowly fade.  Isn’t Congress also trying to censor the Internet in some way as well … ?

Unfortunately mass media is too busy with the NBA negotiations, Penn State scandal and all the Occupy Movements to bother with a little bill such as the NDAA, and none of the most-watched shows on Fox, CNN or MSNBC have given it the time of day.  But now you know, and now whether you agree, disagree or don’t care, you cannot be caught by surprise or be played for a fool. Remember, if somebody asks – tell them antisteez.com told you: because there is ALWAYS a message involved.

When Immortal Technique came into town recently it was no surprise that many in the audience had signs and t-shirts supporting the Occupy Miami movement being that his lyrics are so politically driven. Tech received an Occupy Miami shirt at the show, signed the poster with the hash tag and even promised the elated crowd that he’d stop by the next day. The Occupiers jumped the gun and promised that Tech would be there at 2pm prompting a restlessness to early arrivers and inaccurate accounts across the internet.

With their first day of rest on a heavy tour schedule Immortal Technique and his tour mates enjoyed immaculate weather which might have delayed their arrival at the government center (Miami time is contagious). We met up with Black Bobby, Michelangelo from the Cornerstoners and other MCs who took to the mic for those were occupying. There were breakdancers and beatboxers alongside a DJ… not to mention food and a sea of tents. Miami sure knows how to make anything a celebration. The feeling in the air was positive and hopeful.

When Tech finally arrived around 5pm a crowd quickly formed with questions, voice recorders, cameras and inquiring eyes. Tech was backed up against the herb garden which would have been trampled had this been any other encounter with the rapper. People crawled out of tents to see what the commotion was about and young people took avid notes while he spoke. Fans circled the crowd shouting about how his latest album was a free download and everyone needed it and how he was the truth. But mostly people waited their turns patiently asking him his thoughts… one supporter wondered how she could get her community more involved. He went into a discussion about knocking on doors and actually talking to people she knew. The whole thing was broadcast on Ustream while stickers and masks of Guy Fawkes were offered to GI Joe, who was the DJ for the East Coast leg of The Martyr tour.

After answering questions and preaching to the crowd Tech took a tour of the space, shaking hands and taking pictures along the way. A couple of people in whispers wondered who he was as he played Pied Piper across the camp. Before making his exit he took the mic to thank everyone, sign a bicycle? (among other items of opportunity) and sneak in a couple of pictures before the sun set. He then made his way back to his tour van which was off to the next city…

We’re at the age where hipsters roam the Earth chasing food trucks and indie rock has pretty much taken over the scene for the past 10 years at this point. Now a days bands are surfacing sounding like other Brit-indie rock bands and as great as some bands are, it’s sickening how they all sound the same. It’s a clone war now a days between what’s cool in the eyes of the hipster. Most people that pay attention to music business history know that music repeats itself every 20 years and at this point it only means that 1990s rock will resurface again. A prime example is Manny Sanchez (AKA Maestro Manny)’s latest musical project known as Elemenopee (L-M-N-O-P in kindergarten language) and slowly but surely they’ll be more emerging to break the hipster movement into something with a little more balls.

Right now our focus is here with Elemenopee and for those of you who don’t know who Manny Sanchez is, he’s the CEO/President/Producer of Flower Blade Records. He’s produced my old band Vladez‘s debut and sophomore album, Sun Dry Cilo‘s debut album, and Radioboxer‘s sophomore album. He was also the vocalist and bassist of Session Zero (until Session Zero rebooted and ventured toward another direction) and produced their first album, “In Vertigo” as well. Now Manny has started his own project performing and recording all instruments except for drums which is played by the drummer of 7 Seas (Andrew Nicholson). While it’s different from his own Session Zero project, this track proves to capture the full on influence of the 90s rock feel, in terms of The Melvins and Faith No More era. While Elemenopee gives Antisteez his first single EXLUSIVELY, we’d like to share it with you all, just in keep mind Manny is a perfectionist at the studio and it would be appropriate to mention that this is the Unmastered version of the track. It is an honor for me to post this track for you all and believe me when I say this music will make hipsters in the scene cry, beg, and possibly pray to their homeless looking Gods. Well done!

The situation in London was one that was born from social unrest and turned into lawlessness for lawlessness sake. This may have started as angry protests after a heavily armed police unit shot 29-year-old Mark Duggan, a father of four who who lived in the Broadwater Farm Estate, a large public housing complex in in Tottenham in north London, but it soon turned escalated in opportunistic criminality. The way in which Tottenham seemed to be executed by the police lit a flame to the socio-economic and racial unrest and ignited the ire of London’s youth. What started out as a peaceful protest soon turned into violent rioting and looting, eventually damaging and destroying local homes and businesses, even resulting in more deaths. The initial protest might have been a cry for change, but the resulting lawlessness undermined and erroded any support from the powers that be. By attacking their own communities and socio-economic base, these youths now face a backlash, marginalizing them even further.

But one wonders how this one-peaceful protest escalated to such a destructive level. First and foremost, the mob mentality starts with a psychology of fear. Most genocidal crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed under conditions spurred by this kind of mob mentality. The situation in London is an example of a hive mind or collective mind process, where the group as a whole suffers a loss of consciousness, going from mindful to mindless.

While most would argue that the actions of the police created this heated situation, justifying the actions of this army of youth in revolt, anyone can make a “context” and “perspective” argument to justify anything.  That does not make it the constructive,  justified or rational. We can analyze the context of Bernie Madoff crimes but that doesn’t relieve his accountability.  What it boils down to is the right to protect yourself. If someone comes to destroy you your property and/or your country, you have the GOD given and instinctual right to defend yourself by any means necessary.

I offer up this perspective: This is the result of a larger socially engineered project that people across the globe have been subjected to. The so-called middle class and working class “winners” are strapped with debt/ indentured servitude by Western bankers and corporations that seek to increase the “bottom line” any way they can, so they strip third-world countries of material and human resources and import them into their countries for cheap labor. This creates an atmosphere of “Us vs. Them” amongst the welfare class and working-middle class. While these two groups attack one another, the elite watch and wait sequestered from the masses. But this is not a new concept. This has always been how the upper echelon maintains power and control over the lower class. If these people in turmoil have a gripe, it should be with these engineers and sell-out politicians; the puppeteers of the stratification of classes.

If you take a look at the lack of police presence and resources during these riots when compared to the hyper-militarized police presence during peaceful political protests such as the G20, you have to ask yourself, “Why did they allow this to spiral out of control like this?” The answer is simple: They allowed this chaos to unfold in order to strip people of more rights and create a consensus of fear and demand for more security. This is a classic “problem, reaction, solution” tactic. When the smoke clears, no one watching will remember what caused this hotbed of youth in revolt, they will only remember that there was violence and chaos and demand that the powers that be police these youth even more. Did these kids want change? Yes. But what they will get is now more of the same, except that this time, there will be public approval for this kind of policing.

Is that the solution? It doesn’t seem that way, however, it is the solution born from rioting and looting sans reason and cause. There is no need for riots and protests to incite change, what is needed are criminal convictions and critical mass. If the youth want change, they NEED to stop supporting the system that strangles them and non-participation is key. Lawlessness will not change the law. What is needed is a revolution on a grander scale that removes the money and the power from those in charge. If the youth of today want to become part of the revolution  of tomorrow, they need to start by removing their money from fraudulent criminal banks. They need to stop paying taxes and mortgages. They need to buy only what is necessary and not all of the unnecessary things that are funneling more money into the pockets of those who would oppress them. If they want change, they should stop giving their spare change to the very people who are using it to cage them. That is the real solution and that is the way to start a successful revolution.

-Rick Cuebas

There are a ton of amazing causes in this city to give your money to and that’s why the Friends of the Miami-Dade Public Library are only asking for $10. In its second year, their 10×10 program seeks to raise $100,000 by getting 10,000 Miami-Dade residents to donate $10 each to the campaign. A campaign, might I add that will fund some amazing and important programs.

“The 10 x 10 Challenge funds all Library programs including Summer Reading initiatives, Reading Ready: an amazing tri-lingual program designed by the library to help children learn to read, Storytelling Camps: where Children and Parents learn the art of storytelling and practice with a professional and the Art of Storytelling Festival: a massive festival day every year in April where children pour into the Main Library from all over the county for a day of fun activities and Storytelling on the library’s dime.” said Nicole Chipi, Friends of the Miami-Dade Public Library

“The library also funds lesser known programs that I am really proud of like Talking Books: a program that lends full-length unabridged books on cassette along with a player or Braille books to the sight-impaired in our community. We also fund Connections, a program which delivers books to the homebound. What I consider the most amazing program that the Friends of the Library funds is Project LEAD. Project LEAD is a program that advocates Literacy for Every Adult in Dade county. This program offers confidential and private tutoring sessions with a personal mentor that helps adults learn to read. “

All they ask for to keep these programs running is to support the 10×10 Challenge.
Going on June 1 – October 10 you can make your donations by going to their Website

By Mail
Send a check to:
Friends of the Miami-Dade Public Library
101 W Flagler St
Miami, FL 33130

By Phone
Call the Friends at (305) 375-4776.

Let’s show how much love and support the Antisteez family can give by making your donation, helping spread the word and becoming a Friend of the Miami-Dade Public Library.

It’s time…(bass is gonna blow your mind!) for the Miami-Dade County Special Election!

With early voting opening for Dade County residents just this past Monday, I scored myself a copy of the Official Sample Ballot for the Miami-Dade County Special Election, which takes place on May 24. (But you can vote in ANY of the 20 Early Voting Locations from May 9-22, and I suggest you do, as lines on Voting Day are always bananas!) The special election gives you (The responsible voters that you are!) a chance to vote for a new State Representative for District 10. (There are three candidates.) It also gives you the opportunity to vote for six amendments. (All of which are about balance of power and rules to govern our…dare I say it?…CORRUPT ASS Politicians.)

But none of that voting really matters compared to what I am calling:

THE BALLOT BIG SHOW

That’s right, the real deal taking place during this special election is the run for the Miami Dade County Mayor, and looking at the ballot it is going to be a bigger race than you’ve ever seen in any Fast and Too Super Fast and Really Fucking Fast and Furious Movie.

I consider myself to be pretty informed when it comes to politics, but opening that ballot and seeing 11 CANDIDATES FOR MAYOR is pretty intimidating for any voter. That is until you notice that the third candidate listed on the ballot is none other than Luther “Luke” Campbell.

Uncle Luke says, "I want to be your Mayor...head, head and more head for err'body!"

(Two things should have happened right now. 1: You should have instantly put your hands up high and your feet down low and done hydraulics to the floor. 2: You should have said, “DUH,” because if you didn’t know Uncle Luke was running for mayor…you’ve been living under a (crack) rock.)

While most critics are trying to bash Uncle Luke’s run for mayor, I am suggesting that you celebrate it. Now, I am not telling you to vote for Luke just because he is the godfather of Miami Bass and because he fought THE MAN on censorship laws and WON, forever making it possible for all of us to enjoy musical stylings featuring the lyrics, “My neck, my back, lick my pussy AND my crack.” Oh, no.

I am telling you to endorse Luke’s run for mayor for more important reasons.

• He is a legit and very successful business man.
• He is all about going over our county budget and figuring out why the, pardon my English, FUCK our airport is a mess, our public hospital is a mess, our inner city is a mess, our economy is a mess, our employment is a mess and why our POLITICIANS ARE BALLING! (Call me naive, but that shit speaks to me.)
• He wants to tax the strippers. (Why not? They’ve been taxin’ our wallets for years!)
• He wants to allow medical marijuana dispensaries. (I know a lot of you with “glaucoma” and “anxiety” who would benefit from this.)
• He wants to create affordable housing. (Have you SEEN the housing situation in Little Haiti? Overtown? Liberty City? How are we supposed to make people proud to live here, decrease crime and clean up the streets if we have people living in shanties and on the streets, eh?)

But I could sing Luke’s praises until I was blue in the face. For some of you, that would make no difference. So, I am going to speak to you in terms that you understand.

Hey, man…LET’S FUCKING PARTY! LET’S FUCKING PARTY WITH UNCLE LUKE!

That’s right. The man himself, along with our friendly pals at the Miami New Times and promoter legend Notorious Nastie, are going to throw the most-epic of all Campaign rallies this Saturday and YOU ARE INVITED.

(RSVP to the FACEBOOK EVENT here!)

Featuring LIVE performances by YMF aka Your Mom’s Favorite, The LLAMABEATS Crew and the legendary UNCLE LUKE, the night is going to be one that will forever change your view on politics.
Also on the roster are musical stylings by DJS: Chico Biscayne, Run Sevim Run, Atrasolis, Madame Turk, DS and Karakter.

It will be a night for dancing, a night for bass in your face and for TWO LUCKY WINNERS (And their guests!) it will be a night to meet and hang out with Uncle Luke. Yes, you and Uncle Luke, straight lounging and sharing LOLs. How? Because your great pals at antisteez are going to give away TWO FREE PAIRS OF TICKETS to this event and those tickets get you and your date in the door and also grant you special face time with the one and only, Tio Luke. (I like calling him Tio. It’s very Que Pasa USA of me.)

Do you want to hang out with Uncle Luke this Saturday? Just leave a comment and we will randomly pick two lucky winners on Friday. Don’t hesitate…this could be your chance to ask the man himself about his political platform, why you should vote for him and his plans to revamp the budget. OR…you could just ask him how he came up with the lyrics to Pop That Coochie. Your call.

Enter by leaving a comment below. (Antisteez staff and affiliates are excluded from this contest. Sorry kids…)

Uncle Luke Campaign Rally
Saturday, May 14, 2011, 10 p.m.
EVE Event Space
1306 N Miami Ave
Miami, FL

www.tabathamudra.com

I always thought the best thing you can do when you start a band is to try and keep the amount of members to a minimum. I loved the idea that many great bands out there were trios (Nirvana, Muse, John Mayer Trio, Primus, ZZ Top, and even Miami’s Local REBEL (just to name a few), and then I wondered if you could simplify it further by just having two members. Obviously, it’s a rare case when a band with only two members succeed in making great music. I want to name Local H being the worst band to feature to only two members, but there’s other great phenomenal duos like The White Stripes (R.I.P) and the recently reunited, Death From Above 1979. Now Miami has its own power-duo and that band is named The State Of.

Unlike The White Stripes, the music is not bluesy and doesn’t feature guitars. Instead, The State Of is composed of Steph Taylor’s keyboard,synthesizer, vocals, and Nabedi Osorio’s drums. The music is usually fast-paced and blurs the line between rock music and electronica sub-genres such as drum n bass. Unlike Death From Above 1979, the music features no distortion on bass, and while it’s not fast-paced like the dance-punk sub genre, it still makes you want to dance. The duo are true to their dark pop sensibility because it’s not what you would consider happy music, but their music is far from a party-buzz-kill. They’ve received a lot of positive reception from many local websites, other local musicians, and anyone else I know that’s seen them live.

“Ladies, y’all rock! Great set.” – Illia Tulloch (drummer of Astari Nite)

“Lovely music.” – TwoStep Culture

“YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING!!!!!!!” – Level (frontman of Alukard)

“An amazing lady duo from florida came through last night, headed to Denver and points northwest. Called “the state of”, they are art rockers masquerading as the emo band from next door. Their raw talent is beyond words, and they have no interest in effects or anything to interfere between their raw, honest music...” – Mariana Mendoza of Figure M

My personal opinion of The State Of matches the same as most people, and I must add that with a lot more enthusiasm. Considering I’m really big on the electronic rock sound, I really admire the fact that some people got together, worked with very minimal resources and made an amazing band together. The State Of reminds me of the day I was amazed when I discovered Death From Above 1979 with the exception of the musical style differences. To me, I hear a rock band with a live drum n bass edge. The State Of is a great example of my admiration for electronic rock. I will also give tons of salute to these ladies for working together as a duo and covering all the empty spaces with their music, just the two of them. Keep it up!

Take a listen to one of their softer tunes, “I Know” Thanks to Remezcla Music

I Know by The State Of by remezclamusica2011

Click Here To Visit The State Of’s Website

Photo Credit: The Guardian SF

Not only is Pulse an eargasm for music lovers and a breath of fresh air for jaded Miami sceners but with the added visual elements that they include, the bar that keeps the drinks flowing (for a price, of course) you can dance the night away ’til the wee hours of the morning with your twenty closest friends or the twenty you just made there.

Photo Credit: Tomas Loewy

There is definitely a price tag to this cutting edge night out at the NWS but no more than you would pay at any other club you’d frequent on South Beach. So consider shelling out the $20 admission charge for this unique experience that really should be experienced first hand. Mark your calendars and don’t miss out on the second and final Pulse of the season on Friday, April 22nd, doors open at 9:30pm.

Coinciding with Record Store Day 2011 there will be an all day block party where everyone is invited free of charge. Here’s what you need to know…

The store opens bright and early at 10am Record Store Day exclusives

DJs hit the turntables inside the shop at noon with one hour sets

Tom Loroc
Juan Basshead + MC Jumanji
Contra
DJ Immortal
Mike Deuce
DJ Hottpants
Induce
Carmel Ophir
Haitian Hillbilly
Bonnie Beats
Patrick Walsh

Bands start the block party at 2pm outside

Panic Bomber
Beings
Deaf Poets
ArtOfficial
Lil Daggers
The State Of
Entresol
Can’t Stop

AND if you need more rowdy onstage music you can hop over to Churchill’s from 4pm on to keep the party going all night.

Furious Dudes
Guy Harvey
Teepee
Sumsun
The Getback
Little Beard
North&South
Rebel
Space Between Words
Out of the Anonymous

Starting at 10pm with NO COVER at Churchill’s the Roofless Records patio stage will host…

Rat Bastard
Hahahelp!
Slashpine
Nagshead
Holly Hunt
Rauh

What else could you expect to encounter?

Pure Imagination Live
Casa de Ha-ha Comics
Morphologic Projections
The Borscht Music Video Showcase
O, Miami Poetry Throwdowns
Friendswithyou TOY GIVEAWAY
Shady Teez Limited Edition Record Store Day Shirts
TONS of LPs and CDs on clearance
Fillmore concert ticket giveaways!

Keeping everyone well fed during the madness, mayhem and festivities will be some food truck love from: Mac’n, Purple People Eatery, Raaga Cart and Gatropod. The menu of local talent comes in the form of music, art, food, performers, vendors, venues and so much more! What a way to celebrate Sweat’s Birthday, record store day and the sexy 305? If you missed last year’s Sweatstock then don’t sleep this time around.

Plus, you’ll get… A COMPLIMENTARY HEINEKEN FOR THE FIRST 500 ATTENDEES!

Is it Saturday yet?!

Sweatstock 2011
Saturday, April 16th | 10am-?
Sweat Records + Churchill’s Pub
5505 NE 2nd Ave., Miami, FL
FREE – All Ages