It's that time of year again in Miami when it seems that there are hundreds of concerts each day and no place to park anywhere in the city. I'm talking of course about the Winter Music Conference. Each year since 1985, the crowds attending the WMC have grown consistently.

The activities during the WMC range from drug-ridden club parties to seminars on marketing strategies and artist development. The festival always seems to live up to the hype and is never lacking in events.

This year, Miami receives a special visit from Stones Throw Records. Stones Throw is presenting "Hella International", a free event to be held at the Raleigh Hotel, Friday, March 23rd from 1 - 10pm. The show will feature DJs: Madlib, Peanut Butter Wolf, J.Rocc and many more. Stones Throw Records already achieves an underground fan base through its connection with Adult Swim, an adult-based series of cartoons featured on the Cartoon Network.

Incidentally, the Stones Throw production, "Chrome Children 2" is available on adultswim.com and stonesthrow.com as a FREE downloadable album. The album is, in a word, amazing and there is no doubt that the courtesy Stones Throw Records shows towards their fans by offering free music is appreciated.

It shows a confidence in all of the label's talents to offer their music free of charge. Of course, CDs can be purchased on Stonesthrow.com. However, the (free) Chrome Children album is a good indicator of the jazzy, hip-hop sounds you could expect to purchase online.

General events for the Winter Music Conference will take place from March 20th until March 25th at the Miami Beach Resort and Spa. Rooms for the week are already sold out but you can still register for a mere $435. Another definite highlight in the conference will be during the Ultra Music Festival at Bicentennial Park, also on Friday, March 23rd, where The Cure will be headlining the concert. A two-day pass for the festival will run you $120. More info on all the events is available at wmcon.com