Y'all better show some love...

Hey friends,

Just wanted to let you know we've started a blog where you can always find the most up-to-date Sweat news and events emails!!

Here's the link, you can also use it if you're into RSS feeds and all that jazz: sweatrecordsmiami.blogspot.com

Cheers,
Lolo + the Sweat crew

Posted October 18 2006:

Best Record Store

Sweat Records
5501 N.E. Second Ave. (inside Churchill's Pub), Miami, 305/758-5862, ext. 5, Sweatrecordsmiami.com

Owner Lauren Reskin's brain works like the Encyclopedia Britannica of indie music but without the High Fidelity-like snobbery that can make shopping for tunes intimidating elsewhere. This in turn renders her homegrown record store the perfect retail operation. During the 2005 hurricane season, Sweat lost its downtown Miami location and was forced to move to a smaller space on the back patio of Churchill's Pub. While it might have seemed like an odd place for a storefront, it now makes perfect sense. The store specializes in hip-hop, noise and punk CDs and carries a decent collection of vinyl records, imports and reissues of hard-to-find classics. Sweat also stocks titles by big-name artists for pop fans interested in bucking the chain-store and online-music systems. But don't just take our word for it; Spin magazine recently crowned Sweat "Miami's beating heart of youth culture."

Hey friends,

Sweat's big PLUG Miami event is upon us!! Here is a FAQ with links so that you can know exactly what's going on...

Q: When is the event, when does it start and how much is it to get in?
A: PLUG Miami is Friday, October 20th at Churchill's/Sweat, 5501 NE 2nd Ave. Doors are at 9.30pm, the first band goes on at 10, and the cover is only $5!!

Q: What are The PLUG Awards?
A: "Every year incredible records get released by indie artists who don..t take their cues from the mainstream - Aesop Rock, Bloc Party, Dangerdoom, Pelican, Rufio, Wolf Parade, and so many more. PLUG is about all of us in the margins coming together to recognize our own. PLUG is about the independent community, all of us in the margins, coming together to recognize our own. The UN-Grammys."

Q: So what are they doing here in Miami?
A: "PLUG is teaming up with the top promoters and tastemakers in secondary and tertiary markets all over North America in order to present the PLUG City Highlight Tour. Working with local promoters, PLUG will help create an all-local show highlighting the best-unknown bands, fashion designers and zines. Our goal is to showcase the uniqueness of each city and use our connections to gain nation wide recognition for their scenes."

Q: Who's going to be playing at the Miami show?
A: Well we're glad you asked! Performing live will be...

THE DOWN HOME SOUTHERNAIRES
JESSE JACKSON
VELVETEEN PINK (who are in fact from Gainesville but since G-ville ain't gettin' no Plug party we invited them to ours!!)
+ a rare live performace by
FEATHERS (Home-Tapes)

Q: What else is going on that night?
A: Tons!!

+ Esteemed Miami artists Francesco LoCastro and LEBO will be painting a colorful new mural live on the outside of Sweat Records' space!!
+ Hott DJs HOTTPANTS, Kentsoundz, and PG-13 will be spinning the party jams on the patio
+ R. Grimes of FACTION will be silk-screening live!! Bring your favorite comfy tshirt and get it made into a one-of-a-kind piece of art!!
+ Some of our favorite local artists will have work on special display this night. Check out some dope new pieces by AHOLSNIFFSGLUE, the yummy pop cuteness of Helena Garcia and super-duper 8-bit Nintendo love by J.R.
+ Also, a certain notorious band of South Floridian lounge-punks might be crashing the party for a late night set!!

Q: Will Sweat be open that night?
A: Absolutely, and we're even having a special sale on used CDs and records - tons of stuff for $1!! We'll probably stay open until 1am.

Q: What's the cover again?
A: Only $5 for all this goodness!!

Q: Now tell me about the pre-parties...
A: Well, Plug's boy Greg aka DJ Never Forget from Brooklyn's bumping Finger On The Pulse party will be down and guest DJing at 2 events during the week:

..1: Tuesday, October 17th. DJ Never Forget joins us in the booth at ROLL OUT at Rainbow Sk8 at Gold Coast Roller Rink. 8pm to midnight, 2604 S. Federal Hwy. Ft.Lauderdale

..2: Thursday, October 19th. The Waterford Landing performs live, plus DJ NF guests at Plastik Fantastik at Studio A, 60 NE 11th St.

We hope to see you all there!!

Cheers,
Lolo + the Sweat crew

Woo hoo!!

Best Indie Music Store
Sweat Records

Founded by two young entrepreneurs, Lauren Reskin and Sara Yousuf, Sweat Records managed to take advantage of Wynwoods popularity and stood as a symbolic middle finger of the areas gentrification at the same time by selling CDs and LPs geared toward what they call the independent/eclectic/underground/aesthetic musical tastes of South Florida. And then it was taken out. Not by a developer wanting to build a high-rise but by Hurricane Wilma which tore our old space a new oneliterally. But Sweat Records didnt die it simply relocated to Little Haiti inside Churchills Pub in what used to be warehouse space. Here at this location, Sweat continues to sell hard to find music as well as DVDs, magazines, accessories, art and Japanese toys. There is even a DJ setup for anyone who thinks they can spin records. And for those who fancy themselves intellectuals, guess what? Sweat Records has an in-house book club. Location: 5501 NE Second Ave., Miami. Phone: 305-758-5862, ext. 5. Web site: www.sweatrecordsmiami.com.

HELL YEAH!!

"Sweat records is Miami's beating heart for youth culture, an indie-music store that sells used vinyl, as well as CDs, local art, and Japanese toys, with a community DJ setup and a book club. You can also enjoy a pint of Boddington's, a perk of the store's current location, inside Churchill's Pub. (FIVE STARS)" -SPIN Magazine July '06

Hey peeps, we did it again!!

The Miami and Broward New Times 2006 Best Of winners came out today and we sorta racked up!!

*SWEAT RECORDS won New Times AND Reader's Choice for Best Record/CD Store
*AWESOME NEW REPUBLIC's "ANR So Far" won for Best Album
*CHURCHILL'S won Best Rock Club
*and ROLL OUT Tuesdays at Gold Coast won Best Dance Club in Broward!!

Here's what they had to say about Sweat...

>>>
Best Record/CD Store
Sweat Records

5501 NE Second Avenue
Inside Churchill's Pub
Miami 33137
305-758-5862, ext. 5
www.sweatrecordsmiami.com

Last year we gave this little-indie-store-that-could the title of Best New Record Store. A year later, Sweat has won the hearts of all who deem themselves hip in Miami and has undergone some serious growing pains. The original location took a major beating from Hurricane Wilma, and the store was eventually relocated to a small warehouse at the back of English bar/longstanding live rock and roll venue, Churchill's. Could there be a better place for a record store? We don't think so. Fans can feast on Churchill's delectable pub-style grub and then wander into the tranquil aqua atmosphere of Sweat to rummage through racks of vinyl, CDs, and DVDs, as well as quirky toys, magazines, and locally made jewelry. Preloved records go for anything from one to five bucks, and for many of the new CDs, all you'll need is a Hamilton. Sweat opens late -- usually around 2:00 p.m. Monday to Saturday, but it closes at midnight. So after that killer local band plays its set on Churchill's stage, fans can creep back to the store to cop an EP. The store has its own book club that meets regularly to discuss edgy, well-written literary works. Plans to start craft and movie nights are in the works. A laid-back afternoon at the independent bastion finds a hipster clad in black, picking up albums by the likes of the Beta Band, Joy Division, Outkast, and Le Tigre. Lauren Reskin (nickname Lolo), the orange-haired, label-owning DJ/record store co-owner, is busy behind the counter, putting the finishing touches on the latest issue of the store's newest project, a funky, free zine named The Sweater. Late-period disco videos by Serge Gainsbourg burble in the background, screened on a gigantic TV set that dominates the small space. A hippie chick clad in paisley stumbles in, carrying an armload of old records. "Look at these! I found them in the dumpster," she exclaims, as Lolo leaves her post to shuffle through the pile. "Who would throw away records, man?" the hippie girl wonders. Old vinyl and young music lovers have found a good home.

Readers' Choice: Sweat Records
>>>

Big ups to our other fine friends who got New Times kudos:

- Shuttle F*CKING Lounge!! (Best Rock Band)
- Raffa Jo Harris of Raffa + Rainer (Best Songwriter)
- Jesse Jackson (Best Solo Artist)
- New Art School's ROCK VS ART (Best Concert Series)
- WVUM 90.5 FM (Reader's Choice Best Radio Station)
- Stop Miami (Best Wine Bar)
- Fitzroy aka Jason Jeffers (Best Mod Rasta Groove)
- The Waterford Landing (Best Pop Band)
- Schematic (Best Record Label)
- Otto Von Schirach (Best Electronic Musician)
- CD Collector (Best Record/CD Store FTL)
- Brooke Dorsch's Dorsch Gallery (Best Art Gallery)
- Bert Rodriguez (Best Local Artist)
- Deejay Smeejay (Best Club DJ)
- Matt Cash (Best Club DJ Reader's Choice)
- Dead Hookers' Bridge Club (Best Band Name)
- Blue Note Records (Best Used CD Store)
- Up Yours Luv Records (Best Roaming Place to Buy Punk Vinyl)
- Books & Books (Best Bookstore Reader's Choice)
- The SunPost (Best Neighborhood Newspaper)
- Jorges (Best Acoustic Performer)
and
-Python Vs. Alligator (as featured on the cover of The Sweater No.1) for Best Reptilian Death Match!!

All kidding aside, thanks to everyone for making Miami a more awesome place to live. Much love and thanks for all the support. It means a LOT!!

-Lolo

Sweat Records
-music, culture 305 style-

Dear Friends,

A lot has happened since our last email.  Just when we thought we had found the perfect temporary location, our luck fell through, much like Sweat's ceiling.  Fortunately, we've found a new temporarily location that couldn't be a better match - the one and only CHURCHILL'S PUB.

Less than 3 miles from our previous location, Churchill's, one of Miami's most established musical institutions, will be graciously hosting us in their back warehouse until we find our next perfect, permanent space. 

Churchill's is located at 5501 NE 2nd Ave. and has come a long way in it's 20 years.  Along with it's unwavering committment to live music, Churchill's offers a wide selection of beers, pool tables, rad pub food, ample parking and random interesting stuff going on every night of the week!!  We'll be inside through the back and we'll put plenty of signs up so you can easily find us.

So now we're going to be painting, moving, and getting the word out that we're opening next week.  As soon as we know the extact day we'll send another message out. 

The holidays are drawing near so don't forget you still have time to place a special order, or purchase Sweat gift certificates for your all your honeys.

Special thanks to Mike Toms, Dave Daniels, and everyone who's offered us help during this annoying hiatus!!

Additionally, we are going to be hosting a last-minute late-night shopping event on Saturday, December 24th - the First Annual Sweat Stocking Stuffer!!  Sweat will be open until midnight for all us South Floridians running on Cuban time.  Band/DJ lineup TBA!!

We can't wait to see you all again!!

Love,
Lolo, Sara and the Sweat crew

__

Sweat Records
(inside Churchill's Pub)
5501 NE 2nd Ave.
Miami, FL 33137
305.342.0953
www.sweatrecordsmiami.com

Miami New Times METRO Cold Sweat An indie Miami institution takes five By Emily Witt Published: Thursday, November 17, 2005 The sign, written in marker on a dry-erase board, leans against the remaining window of Sweat Records' store at NE Second Avenue and 23rd Street. "Dear friends and customers," it reads. "As you can see, Sweat Records got pretty messed up by Wilma...." And you can see: Weeks after the hurricane, plywood still masks a window's absence, fragments of ceiling tiles and other debris are swept into a small mountain in the center of the concrete floor, a tree branch lies forlornly on the sidewalk outside, and metal bars cover the façade of the darkened storefront. The handwritten notice concludes with the obvious: "We will be closed until further notice." It might not be a casualty yet, but Sweat Records, retail anchor of Miami's precocious indie music scene, was certainly knocked into a coma by what its owners refer to on their Website as "lame and sucky Wilma." "There's a lot of theories about what happened," sighs 25-year-old Sara Yousuf, who cofounded Sweat Records this past March with partner Lauren Reskin, age 23. "The building has been around since 1931. It's been through every hurricane. We think it could have been a mini tornado, or the pressure of the storm created some sort of suction." Whatever the cause, the damage was grave. "We lost a window and a lot of ceiling tiles," Yousuf says. "The ceiling on the second floor just crumbled, and we can't operate our business for the time being." The desolation of the storm-battered music shop is a far cry from just more than a month ago, when college kids and musicians packed the back yard for performances by the Down Home Southernaires and a so-called "homecoming dances-with-wolves" for recently-returned-from-tour duo Awesome New Republic. On that October night, the youth of Wynwood danced in T-shirts and sneakers to music powered by extension cords — a mass rejection of Miami gloss. In retrospect, the blown fuse at that show and an early shutdown by police seem like trifles. "We were having anywhere between one and five events a week," says Reskin. They ranged from performances by local bands and vegan potlucks to film screenings and even a book club. "We've been told we're the hub of the indie music scene," she asserts, "and we're proud of it." But it's a scene that now finds itself homeless. "Our landlord is working on getting a contractor," Yousuf says. "But it's really hard to get one." She doesn't want to leave, but "if by Thanksgiving we don't have an answer, we would have to move though — we have to be open for holiday shopping." The owners are already planning a reopening party, titled Sweatstock, which Reskin says will feature "tons and tons of bands." Even if the date itself is still unclear, the two are adamant: "We're not closing down," Yousuf states. "When we reopen, our intention is to stick around and be here 30 or 50 years from now."

So hey, we lost this round... but Wilma is long-gone and we'll be back soon - we're moving to Churchill's!

sweeeet!!! Best Record Store Posted September 21 2005 Sweat Records 2320 N.E. Second Ave., Miami, 305/573-5681, www.sweatrecordsmiami.com Laura Reskin and Sara Yousuf opened this one-stop shop for CDs, records, DVDs, local art and Japanese toys this past March during the Winter Music Conference with a party that drew about 500 people. Besides having a diverse selection of indie, electro, underground hip-hop and punk music, Sweat stocks albums by legendary acts such as Johnny Cash and hosts a monthly book club meeting. An in-store turntable allows shoppers to sample the merchandise and show off their skills. As much a community enrichment project as a record store, Sweat hosts performances by everyone from local acts such as Awesome New Republic to indie icons like Fugazi's Ian MacKaye. Reskin and Yousuf say they plan to launch their own record label by year's end.

MUSIC Out of Step Sweat Records takes indie culture out of the clubs and into your speakers By Mosi Reeves Published: Thursday, July 7, 2005 The first things you notice when you visit Sweat Records are the pastel colors. Several canvasses by local artists such as LEBO, Duane Hosein, and Helena Garcia dot walls painted in bright hues, creating a perpetually warm and earthy environment. You could assert without irony that Sweat Records is a happy place, full of go-go energy and positive, can-do spirit. Its motto is "Music, Culture, and 305 Style," and its owners, Lauren "Lolo" Reskin and Sara Yousuf, are advocates, even cheerleaders, of local indie culture. "A lot else comes with an indie record store. It's not just about buying the music, because you can do that online," says Sara. "It's about learning about the music. It's about the culture that comes with it, the magazines, and the books...." "And the weird people you meet in the stores," interjects Lolo. "Yeah, the experience," finishes Sara. Though only 23, Lolo has been kicking around the local indie scene for years. She's been DJ'ing since she was 16, and has done street team promotions for Matador, Emperor Norton, and countless other indie rock labels. Lolo met her more serious-minded friend, 25-year-old Sara Yousuf, in May of 2002. Sara moved from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, to attend college at the University of Miami, from where she graduated in 2002. Two months ago she earned a Juris Doctor degree, and is currently studying for the bar exam. Sara was DJ'ing at WVUM-FM 90.5 when Lolo brought a band she was promoting by Sara's show for an on-air interview. "We became really, really good friends," says Sara. The duo faces a steep uphill climb if it is to reach solvency, much less longevity. In the past three years alone, similarly independent-minded stores such as M-80, YoYo, Osiel Store, and MIA Skate Shop have all targeted the local indie scene. Only MIA Skate Shop remains, mostly because it caters to a lucrative skateboard market that cuts across cultural and generational boundaries. In contrast, Sweat Records, like those other failed ventures, screams indie in its appearance, from the Gorillaz tracks piping through the overhead speakers to a prominently placed marker board announcing upcoming discs from Sufjan Stevens and The Juan Maclean. Since the store opened during Winter Music Conference this past March, Lolo has organized concerts, workshops, and even her own birthday party June 9 (Awesome New Republic and Shuttle Lounge performed during the free event). In May she brought down the Scribble Jam tour, a concert modeled after the indie hip-hop festival that takes place in Cincinnati, Ohio, every August. On June 18 a concert by the Evens, a project featuring punk rock icon Ian MacKaye, drew more than 200 people. The most important thing about Sweat Records, however, is the fact that it is the only one of its kind in Miami-Dade County. There are other independent record stores, including the venerable Uncle Sam's and Culture Records; and any number of kitschy shops, including Pop and Base, that sell Japanese toys. But none of them is as dedicated to alternative youth music culture as Sweat Records. It is both a testament to Lolo and Yousuf's imagination and a stinging indictment of this city's highly commercialized and intellectually bereft musical landscape. Sometime during the midnight hour, Daniel "Hottpants" Blair takes to the turntables at Plastik Fantastik, an event co-promoted by Creations PMG and DJ Lolo's Sweat Records. But the most interesting thing isn't his set, but his act. When he drops a record, he dances wildly while dressed in a white headband, short shorts, and tube socks. Then he bounces in front of the turntable decks and jumps along with several men and women. Hottpants freely acknowledges he's been criticized for what he does. He never blends his records and, damnably, he sticks to a strict diet of party music, spinning everything from mid-Nineties Miami booty bass to Jennifer Lopez's "Get Right." You might think Hottpants's brazen exhibitionism is the antithesis of willfully serious indie culture. But in reality, it's the epitome of it. If Sweat Records caters to obscurantists looking for the latest from the Decembrists and Outhud, Hottpants represents the indie scene's fun side. So it comes as a shock when he suddenly launches into a strident critique of Miami's growing list of indie nights. He says most of these clubs, which range from the established (Revolver, Spider-Pussy) to the recent (Vibrator Wednesdays), are "less about sharing new music and being interested in what's coming up. Instead the focus has shifted to just playing the hits." The problem is most of these parties play, in Hottpants's words, "the soundtrack" for an indie scene that is increasingly an obsessively stylish subculture. Their celebration of veganism, radical politics, the German techno label Kompakt, electro-inspired house by UK producer Mylo, and high-concept indie rock bands such as the Arcade Fire and Of Montreal are mimicked by hipsters across the land, as documented by Websites such as Pitchfork Media (www.pitchforkmedia.com). And the Miami indie crowd is hardly an exception to this rule. At each party you'll hear the same underground hits: the White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army," Le Tigre's "Deceptacon," and Franz Ferdinand's "Take Me Out." Couple that with a fashionably rude crowd and expensive drink prices, and you have the makings of a party as shallow and predictable as an Opium Garden affair "hosted" by Nicole Richie. Other cities comparable to Miami's size and influence have plenty of record shops, magazines, and other resources for people who want to share their love of indie culture. In contrast, this city's music landscape has always been defined by nightclubs; as indie rock music has become a soundtrack ripe for usurpation by The O.C. , it threatens to lose its identity, much as electro fans were overshadowed by electroclash two years ago. That's what makes Sweat Records so promising. Says Hottpants: "Sweat is trying to bring back that local flavor."

Friday, June 24th. Page 5 of the Weekend Section of the Miami Herald. Oww!! SWEAT RECORDS: INDIE MUSIC MECCA IN WYNWOOD BY EVELYN McDONNELL emcdonnell@herald.com Sweat Records is a mecca for devotees of music not from the mainstream, but from tributaries and deltas and underground springs. ''When was the last time you were in a record store with 200 people whistling?'' punk rock legend Ian MacKaye asked the folks crowded into Sweat, a new Miami CD and vinyl outlet, Saturday night. Amplified gospel music from the storefront Pentecostal church next door seeped through as the Evens (MacKaye and drummer Amy Farina) judiciously unpacked a set of art-core anthems. Worship of sorts was transpiring in front of the racks of CDs and LPs on this side of the Wynwood wall as well. As founder of seminal D.C. bands Minor Threat and Fugazi and ultimate indie label Dischord Records, MacKaye has nurtured an international following of socially conscious moshers. The overflow crowd flocked on the sidewalk outside and hung on MacKaye's words slipping through the door to the store's backyard. In the three months since it opened, Sweat has become more than just the place to find records you won't find anywhere else in South Florida. With its purple couch, community DJ booth and backyard, it's also become a hangout for the region's burgeoning indie scene: a place to practice your turntable skills, buy paintings and clothes by local artists, and see favorite bands, including such national acts as the Moldy Peaches' Kimya Dawson. Sweat also promotes shows in other venues, such as Chicago glamster Bobby Conn's performance at Churchill's tonight. ''There were no indie stores in the area, but there were all these people who like this music,'' says co-owner Lauren Reskin. ``That was a source of personal embarrassment to me.'' Sweat was born as a dream between two friends. Reskin, aka Lolo, 23, a South Miami native, and Sara Yousuf, 25, a University of Miami student from the Detroit area and DJ on WVUM-FM 90.5, met through Yousuf's boyfriend. They bonded over vegetarianism, Blur, feminism, Prince, and being left-handed. As girlfriends do, they fantasized about their ideal retail emporium. Women committed to action, not daydreams (''We're all about getting slackers off their a - - -s,'' Reskin says), they began devoting portions of their time together to making their fantasy real. Sweat happened even quicker than they hoped. They pooled savings and borrowed money from friends and family. Then they found the 1,000-square-foot space at 2320 NE Second Ave., just up the street from I/O and the Pawn Shop Lounge, down from the Design & Architecture Senior High School. The Sweat shop opened with a party that drew 500 March 12, just in time for Winter Music Conference. ''We wanted a place people could utilize,'' Reskin says. ``It's like our apartments combined: cute toys, funky furniture.'' Earlier this month, Yousuf gave Reskin a scrapbook commemorating their dream turned brick and mortar. ''They envisioned a magical space where culture-starved kids could go to feed,'' she wrote amid photographs, flyers and newspaper clippings. The name is a tribute to South Florida humidity, the owners' interest in yoga and the multiple slang uses of the word: ''Eat, drink, breathe, sweat records;'' ``I'm sweating that Chemical Brothers record so hard.'' Coming from a musical family -- including a great uncle, Alan Freed, who coined the phrase rock 'n' roll -- and with a resumé that includes more than five years working at Virgin Mega Store, DJing at Pop Life and Revolver, music business school, and show promotion, Reskin is the store's music buyer. ''We have a lot of different music: Tibetan monks, bossa nova, world fusion, underground hip-hop, shoegazing, slow-core, minimal house, electro, Johnny Cash, George Michael,'' she says. ``We put in things we consider quality music.'' They have impeccable taste. This critic went in with a months-old list of CDs she hadn't been able to find elsewhere in Miami, and Reskin led her to every single one. She offers a personalized service and encyclopedic knowledge that can outdo Amazon, with no shipping charges. ''I know what people involved in the indie scene down here want,'' she says. ``I find things so and so would like.'' Yousuf, who just finished law school and is studying for the bar exam, handles the store's business and legal affairs and buys the artwork. ''Our strengths balance out,'' Reskin says. In these days of e-commerce, Sweat offers the homey comfort of, well, not a mom-and-pop, but a friend-and-friend store. It's a place where vinyl-loving vegans can gather, but also where, Reskin says, Dad can run in and pick out a used jazz CD while Daughter ogles ultra-cool Japanese toys. They also sell DVDs, magazines, used CDs and handmade greeting cards. iPod users can browse the store's track list. You can try out open vinyl in the DJ booth, cruise the net in this wireless hot spot. Along with promoting shows in-store and at other venues, Reskin is also planning to start a label, tentatively called Subtropic. The first release will be a 12-inch by local band Awesome New Republic. Reskin plans to have the ``largest, most comprehensive local music section in the area.'' For years, the dearth of good record stores has been one of South Florida music-lovers' main complaints. Sweat's stepping into that gap, and giving acts like the Evens -- straight-edge MacKaye refuses to play venues where alcohol is served -- a place to play, and whistle. ''We definitely have local pride,'' Reskin says. ``Miami is on the upswing. We're promoting arts, education, intelligence and culture in the city. I don't own a TV. There's so much else to do.''

Sweat's very own employee, Matt Cash, won the "Best DJ" award in the Miami (Reader's Choice) AND Broward/West Palm Beach Best Of issues!! As people who get to hear him throwin' down in the store all the time, trust us when we say he deserves it. Here's what the Broward New Times had to say: Best Club DJ MATT CASH Precocious youth perhaps won us over, but to be fair, this 19-year-old Fort Lauderdale native's got the skills to back it up. In just two years, Matt Cash has graduated from the back rooms of Broward Brit pubs to wowing hipsters ten years his senior at mainstay Miami nightspots like Poplife and the District. There are those half-assed, pseudo DJs who are content to rely on auto-cues and cross faders, but Cash's sets are on-the-fly mash-up mixes that splice Moving Units into Weezer into Trick Daddy, recalling the likes of 2ManyDJs. While Miami's Design District is where Cash calls home these days, the lad has left his mark with the 18-to-25 demographic in Lauderdale after various residencies, including Crush and Deck. If you see him, ask him for his new mix and you'll know what we're talking about. Sweat is so proud of you dude!! (And yes, that's his real name)

Sweat Records is super honored to announce that we won Reader's Choice for "Best Record/CD Store" AND the Miami New Times pick as "Best New Music Store" in the new Best of Miami issue!! Here is what the New Times had to say: BEST NEW MUSIC STORE Sweat Records This brand spanking new independent record store had its grand opening in Wynwood in March, and more than 500 people showed up to give a symbolic high five to its owners, former Poplife and Revolver DJ Lauren Reskin and former WVUM-FM (90.5) DJ Sara Yousuf. Posters of Napoleon Dynamite and Interpol watch over CD bins filled with everything from Yo La Tengo to Bloc Party. Within its turquoise walls, Sweat also sells used CDs, albums by local bands, DVDs, underground music mags, Japanese toys, vinyl, and works by area artists. The space boasts a back-yard patio as well as a DJ station sporting the latest equipment, which spinners can sign up to use any time -- that is, when Sweat isn't hosting one of its many in-store hootenannies. "Notice there is no ö.99' in our prices. That's because we know you're not stupid," reads a sign taped above the CDs. You would be stupid, however, if you didn't check out Miami's latest attempt to keep it real. Aww shucks we love you all too...