With his solo project, Hurricane Yellow, psych rock outfit Jai Alai frontman and guitarist Oscar Sardiñas has opted for something quieter and a bit more introspective. His debut single, "Midnight," came out last year, taking listeners on a sonic journey into outer and inner space as he reflected on the experience of being a new father. Influenced by Beck's quiet records and by a couple of Beatles who went solo, "Midnight" is a five-minute toe-dip in an exciting, brand-new direction. Thankfully, this isn't a breakup omen for Jai Alai. Sardiñas instead will have and will offer the best of both worlds.

The first thing you'll notice at an Alexa Lash concert is her distinctive and impressive pipes; then you'll hear the wide array of inspirations woven together in her melodies and poetic lyrics. Her between-song patter is often a songwriting seminar, as she goes into intimate details about the muse for each track. The subjects can be heavy, like in the folky song "Missing," a story of childhood trauma rife with double meanings. They can be lighthearted, as she playfully explores neurosis in "Fuck that Noise" or with "Sage and Wine" on bonding with friends while sniffing sage and sipping wine. But there's no need to light up sage for this New Times' Readers Choice for 2023 Best Musical Act. Lash is all good vibes and a leader in her craft.

iCandy's TikTok viral hit "Keep Dat" took the app by storm last year with celebrities like Lizzo, Tia Mowry, and Chloe Bailey using the breakup anthem to soundtrack their videos. The Pompano Beach native isn't an overnight viral sensation. She started making music at 14 and credits her whimsical, tongue-in-cheek persona to Miami pioneers like Trina and Disney's most famous pop star, Hannah Montana. She followed up that momentum with an all-star, all-girl remix featuring GloRilla, Kali, and Big Boss Vette. Last September, iCandy released the Lil Mama "Lip Gloss" sampled track "Big Mad," with her lyrical counterpart Flo Milli. What's next for the rising rapper? A debut EP hailing her the "CB County Princess."

Her name may imply she's an elusive singer-songwriter on the fringes of R&B, but Scribbles Who is stamping her imprint on the genre. The poet turned songwriter got her start penning songs for artists like Flo Rida and Trina before transitioning from behind the board to on the mike. Her 2023 project 12 Nights Under the Sun details her travel escapades over a sun-baked blend of Afrobeats and R&B, while her latest single, "Like Me," is a melancholy indictment of a past lover. A soft-spoken introvert, Scribbles Who radiates stardom with jewel-adorned locks and a bejeweled grill that illuminates her smile. She says her next release will offer a more personal view of her artistry, promising a lot of soul and darker, blues-influenced songs.

Miami's MJ Nebreda shows that breaking all the rules is a good look. The singer, producer, and DJ captivates crowds with her powerful prose, raunchy Spanish lyrics, and disorientating rapture-house music on the decks. Everything off her 2023 Arepa Mixtape shows that Latin music is no longer a boys' club, it's a hip-shaking, inclusive world where women and the LGBTQ community are raising their voices and bringing a new sound that's provocative and fun. Fans should look forward to her upcoming work with Danny From Miami (AKA Danny Daze) for a perfect hybrid of Latin music and underground electronica. It's clear from Nebreda's rise that the times, they are a changin', and for the better.

Some may claim "Rock is dead!" but, no, it's alive and well — if a bit more underground these days. We only have to point to Miami psych-rock outfit the Floridians to prove our point. The band is led by frontman and guitarist Ian Renaud and keyboardist David Gonzalez and includes a cast of session musicians, including Caleb Carr, Danny Garcia, and Sebastian Holmes. The Floridians has quickly matured into an apt band worthy of throngs of adoring fans. Its latest release was back in January when it dropped "How Are You Are So Certain," a cut that has the feel of MGMT at the peak of Oracular Spectacular. If you see the band on a local lineup, do yourself a favor and attend the show. For now, we wait until the band delivers something a bit more substantial, like an EP or, the music gods willing, an album.

You ever get a hankering to play the slots or see some poker hands without making the hourlong drive to the giant guitar? There's a much more central location to wager on games of chance — the Magic City Casino. Bets have been placed at the venue since it was known as Flagler Dog Track all the way back in 1935. Thankfully, the dogs stopped racing in 2019 when the casino started to offer cruelty-free jai alai competitions to wager on instead. Open from 10 to 3 a.m. Sunday to Thursday and 10 to 5 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, a million stories get told and created every night — from the jackpot hit as soon as you walked away to the straight flush you sucked out on to beat the four kings.

How do we say this? Whether it's on a half-mile stretch of Haulover Beach, crawling along I-95 and being flashed, or sitting in a sketchy mini-strip club in Miami, there are plenty of places to see boobs around these parts. Tootsie's Cabaret is different. The largest strip club in Miami (it's 76,000 square feet) has upward of 300 performers daily. And, here, it's not a sacrifice of quality for quantity. The quality aspects include six stages, six bars, oodles of VIP areas, 300-plus HD TVs for sports action and fully nude performances throughout. A true distinguisher is Knocker's Sports Bar. It's not uncommon to see people lining up outside the club to pick up food and not even going in. Yes, the fried lobster tail ($32) and jumbo chicken wings ($16) are that good.