by Charles Hurley
El Paso Music Scene Facebook page
Click on the image to get a higher-resolution photo
Zane Williams will appear at State Line Barbecue Wednesday, August 12.
If you have any information that you would like to be included, send it to me! - C.H.
10/1/15
From Indie On The Move:
How to Properly Promote Yourself at Gigs
9/24/15
From Indie On The Move:
Should Radio Stations accept a "listen" fee from bands
to screen music for airplay?
Five things every
musician should know about copyright (from DIY Musician Blog)
. Originally posted on
DIY musician.
9/22/15
International Song-writers competition
9/17/15
From Indie On The Move:
Musicians checklist: 23 little things that will help you nail your next gig
Originally posted on
TakeLessons.com.
9/11/15
video by The Blue Vein.
I just posted an interview with TC Milan, of Avan Lava, who will be appearing at Lowbrow on 9/23.
9/10/15
From Indie On The Move:
SEO for musicians: 3 tips to optimize your website content
9/3/15
What To Send To Your Fan Email List from Hypbot.com.
9/2/15
Great Shapes, who I interviewed in July, will soon be touring far from home:
10/3 Fort Worth, TX
10/4 Denton, TX
10/5 Knoxville, TN
10/7 Berwyn, IL
10/8 Chicago, IL
10/9 Grand Rapids, MI
10/13-14 New York, NY
8/25/15
12 Ways To Get More Facebook Likes (And Engagement) For Your Musician Page
from Digital Music News.
8/19/15
Excerpts from Avan Lava's
press release:, 8/19/15
AVAN LAVA released their Make It Real EP via the JD Samson co-founded label Atlas Chair to critical acclaim. The band has been making a stride the past few months with praise from supporters like NPR at SXSW, FADER Magazine, NYLON's 11 break out artists at SXSW, IndieShuffle interview, Interview Magazine interview, NY Magazine, Time Out NY, Noisey interview, IDOLATOR etc etc. Besides the critical praise they also reached#1 on the Hypem charts with their LEFTI remix of "Wanna Live", that Your Music Radar called "you could be forgiven for mistaking this as a new Basement Jaxx track." ...
In doing so, the trio of Ian Pai (producer/drummer), Le Chev (producer/keyboard/guitar) and TC Milan (vocals) have earned a fervent fanbase and managed to bring their raucous live show to points all over the globe. The group last EP - Flex Fantasy - proved to be a commercial breakthrough, fine-tuning the trio's penchant for marrying soulful vocals and sanguine beats. In addition to a seemingly endless amount of touring, the EP also produced three videos (including a gorgeous clip for "Sisters", filmed in San Juan) and lead to a long-standing collaboration with famed fashion photographers Inez & Vinoodh, for whom AVAN LAVA created original music for the duo's fashion campaigns. They also contributed music to campaigns for Dior, Mango, Viktor & Rolf, Calvin Klein, and Miu Miu - collaborations that not only kept the band occupied, but kept them at the cultural forefront. Now, after constant touring, collaboration, and logging countless hours in the studio, AVAN LAVA returned with Make It Real - a six-track EP that pushes the group's seamless, club-friendly sound into the stratosphere. ...
-- More praise for AVAN LAVA --
"AVAN LAVA's "Last Night" is your new moody dance party jam." - Paper Magazine
"a total revelation." - Noisey
" a stomping club-ready track that encapsulates the vibrant underground NYC dance scene, thanks to the smooth vocals, attention-grabbing harmonies and wild synths that have an '80s flair." - IDOLATOR
"A rich sound that melds together Prince-style pop flair on one side with a Daft Punk disco edge on the other resulting in some pretty party worthy anthems." - MTV
"dark, self-pitying, computer-driven R&B in the style of the Weeknd, except sweeter and smarter and way better sung. Album, please." - NY Post
Avan Lava will be at Lowbrow on 9/23
8/17/15
From Norma Hinojos on the EPMS Facebook page:
Ibero Academy is looking for a music instructor who love to work and share their knowledge with kids from 3 to 10 years. If you are interested please send me your resume to: Norma Hinojos - nhinojos@iberoacademy.com
8/13/15
From Tyler Frey on the EPMS Facebook page:
I am currently booking a tour for two North Carolina based pop punk bands: Eyes Eat Suns and Take the Fall. We have an El Paso date lined up for October 30th at the Mesa Music Hall and we are looking for local bands who are interested in supporting this tour. Thanks!
Tyler can be reached via his Facebook page.
Last night I saw Zane Williams at the State Line Barbecue. They had a pretty good crowd; maybe country is more salable here than people think!
I salute State Line Barbecue for doing shows like this, but it almost seems like they're determined to not make money on it. The bar closed immediately after the show, which ended about 10 PM. It would make more sense, IMO, to at least keep the bar open a couple of hours after the music stops. There were still a lot of folks there. But, what do I know?
8/5/15
I just posted
an interview with Be Music and Entertainment recording artist
Zane Williams.
Zane won a 2005 John Lennon Songwriting Contest for Hurry Home, which became the Maxell $20,000 song of the year for 2005. Hurry Home was covered in 2009 by Jason Michael Carroll, and reached number 14 on Billboard's Country charts.
Zane has appeared on the Grand Old Opry, and recently won Entertainer of the Year at the Texas Regional Radio Awards.
He will be appearing at State Line Barbecue on Wednesday, 8/12.
7/28/15
Here's something you don't see every day:
The El Paso Symphony Orchestra is doing a show with a Rolling Stones tribute band on August 22:
The Rolling Stone’s music, pure rock and roll with the heart of the blues, is perfectly suited for a symphonic treatment. EPSO is joined by a full rock band lead by Las Vegas star Brody Dolyniuk who delivers a fabulous rendition of Mick Jagger’s vocals and attitude. Heightened by rock concert lighting, the symphonic rock hybrid has met with riotous approval at both ends of the hall.
Get your tickets at epso.org, ticketmaster.com or call (915) 532-3776
http://www.epso.org/events_detail.sstg?event_id=88
7/27/15
I had a discussion via the EPMS Facebook page last night with Francisco "El Mas Chicho" Marquez. His band, the BlueVein, has been playing in Juarez, but they are looking for El Paso gigs.
El Mas Chicho Marquez: Hi, My name is Francisco and I play bass guitar for the Band The BlueVein. We are new to the music scene of El Paso. We only have played at Cd. Juarez and will like to play at any event in El Paso. We have one EP recorded and our songs can be heard at soundcloud and youtube. If you are interest we can send you a cd. We dont know a lot of musicians from El Paso and we will like and advise from this group if you dont mind. Please contact me at 5753121757. Thank you foe your attention and time.
EPMS: Where do you play in Juarez? What kind of music?
El Mas Chicho Marquez: We plays hard rock blues. We played at different bars, but we had our presentation at the Independent Music Hall.
EPMS: Hard rock blues? Covers or originals?
El Mas Chicho Marquez: Yes. Hard Rock Blues and all originals.
El Mas Chicho Marquez: Thank you so much again if you are interested in listening to our songs here's the link:
EPMS: Why do you want to play in El Paso?
El Mas Chicho Marquez: Because the music we create in our opinions will be better treated in El Paso or in the United States, and we are arguing this based on experience. The music scene in Juarez is mostly cover bands, and original bands are treated differently.
EPMS: Which places do you play in Juarez?
El Mas Chicho Marquez: We played at different bars. Brewjas, Anexo, Centenario Club... There, we won 3rd place on battle of the bands created by enrockeciendote. Also, we had our EP presentation on the Independent Music Hall, which was a success - full house. We played at The Grudge bar, and next weekend we will play at Ladyfest and an Art expo.
EPMS: Do you see many El Pasoans at your shows?
El Mas Chicho Marquez: In our band we have two US citizens: including me, we are four members and yes, sometimes we have El Pasoans at our shows. Not as many, but we do. That's why we need to play in El Paso.
EPMS: What is the source of your blues inspiration?
El Mas Chicho Marquez: Well our life and our idols, T-bone Walker, Robert Johnson, Joe Bonamassa, John Meyer, Jimi Hendrix, etc..
EPMS: Damn. You weren't kidding.
El Mas Chicho Marquez: I was not kidding, about what?
EPMS: No. I mean, those are not casual influences. I'm not into the blues as much as you, but I have Bonamassa's DVD 'Howlin Wolf at Red Rock' and I saw him at the Plaza 2 years ago.
Do you see shows in El Paso?
El Mas Chicho Marquez: Yes. I like the Lowbrow Palace and Tricky Falls and Speaking Rock Casino and of course, The Coliseum. But, I dont know any bands and you saw the white man of blues? That must have been awesome.
EPMS: One thing that stood out for me when I saw Bonamassa was how much he uses dynamics.
El Mas Chicho Marquez: Well, he's an expert on that. I have two DVDs and by far, he's one of the best ever.
EPMS: What are the best few shows you have seen recently in El Paso or Juarez?
El Mas Chicho Marquez: The best shows in the past months, to be honest, I haven't seen many shows in the past months, only our gigs.
EPMS: Best shows you have ever seen live?
El Mas Chicho Marquez: My best shows well, I saw Deep Purple in Juarez about four months ago. That was good, but that's the only recent big show. I've seen Iron Maiden, Rush, Blue October. This town needs Guns and others.
EPMS: I was a huge Deep Purple fan going way back, but with Steve Morse, they seem more like a jazz fusion band.
El Mas Chicho Marquez: Yes, you are correct, and that's why I like it more. I like jazz a lot, too.
EPMS: Guns and Roses?
El Mas Chicho Marquez: I like Guns 'n' Roses. Actually, they call me 'Slash' because I have curly long hair and I use a hat - but I play the bass.
lol!
7/20/15
Joe King Carrasco will be appearing at Al Fresco on Friday at the
Convention Center Plaza downtown at 6 PM. I used to see him on MTV,
when the cable network was first starting. He's a real character, and
I'm looking forward to seeing him this week.
I only occasionally post press releases on this page, but here it is, anyhow:
(Austin, TX - July 20, 2015) Known as the King of Tex-Mex rock and roll, Joe King Carrasco, creates a stylistic borderland of pop rock and Latin rhythms. His cross-cultural stew blends cumbias, calypso, salsa, surf, reggae, and Latin-tinged polkas. Joe King y Los Side FX are releasing their new CD, Chiliando on August 7, 2015. Rick Del Castillo produced the CD at Smilin' Castle Productions in Kyle, TX. The CD was mastered by Jim Wilson mastering in Longmont, Colorado. Y Los Side FX includes: Albert Besteiro (guitar), Vince Mejia (drums) and Chuggy Hernandez (bass). Special guests on the CD include: Rick Del Castillo (vocals and guitar), Leeann Atherton (vocals), Carmelo Torres (Los Lonely Boys/ on percussion), Michael Ramos, David DeLaGarza and Alex Ruiz.It has been a long road, coming from Dumas,Texas, a dusty little west Texas town where in the 7th grade he started playing in garage bands. In his late teens, he was often lured to the beaches in Southern Mexico and was drawn to the Mexican music he was hearing around him. Back in Texas he joined up with future members of the Texas Tornados and in 1979 released his 1st LP titled Tex-Mex Rock & Roll. He later formed a band in Austin, Texas featuring Vox organ-driven Tex-mex pop and soon the band was playing chic New York venues and generating lines around the block. Signing with England's legendary Stiff Records, he toured extensively consistently delivering high energy performances.
Joe's had interviews in Rolling Stone and performed on SNL and MTV. His song "Party Weekend" is still known as the quintessential party anthem and made him a household name to MTV viewers across the world. In 2009 he released Rancho No Tengo - a movie and soundtrack that he wrote and directed. He sang "Adios Mexico" with members of the Texas Tornados, in a 2010 tribute to one of his early heroes the late Doug Sahm.
Joe, a Texas Hall of Fame inductee, continues to tour, write music, record musicians, act in independent films and relentlessly search for the perfect desolate Mexican beach to hang out with his 3 Jack Russell Terriers. Joe King Carrasco has found his musical home at Nacho Daddy in Puerto Vallarta, a Mex-Tex restaurant and club. Its walls are tapered with memories, such as posters and photographs of Joes' musical history and travels around the world. Holding court at Nacho Daddy gives Joe King a palace to rock his Tex Mex and transport those who drink the magic flavored "margaritas" to a place where the "Party Weekend" goes on forever.
7/17/15
I bought a uke recently, seeing it as a simple thing
I could take anywhere, sing and strum.
That's pretty much what I thought I would get out of it.
Turns out there's a lot more to it,
as
this video
of the awesome Jake Shimabukuro shows.
7/12/15
Saw Pissing Razors last night at Tricky Falls, with Voyeur, Andromeda
Theory, and a band with two guys (doh! Didn't get the name!).
Pissing Razors, Voyeur, Andromeda Theory,
July 11, 2015 at Tricky Falls.
Click on a thumbnail to see the photo.
Andromeda Theory
Pissing Razors
Voyeur
7/11/15
Just got finished with
an interview
with Evan and Neil of Great Shapes.
They talk about their recent West Coast tour as well as their EP release
a couple of months back.
7/2/15
12 Ways To Get More Facebook Likes (And Engagement)
For Your Musician Page
by Digital Music News.com.
6/28/15
Chris Squire (1948-2015), founding member of Yes, passed away June 27.
From Yes'
web site:
Chris peacefully passed away last night (27 June 2015)
in Phoenix, Arizona.
There is a page on that site for
Tributes from his colleagues, friends and fans.
Yes had been scheduled to play in Cohen Stadium on August 28; no
word about that show.
6/26/15
John Hernandez told me this of the status of his band, Bellature:
We have a new lineup (Art Villalobos and Eric Vera both from the early 90's local band "The Petal Birds") ... we are starting up again after a hiatus.
Bellature have been working at Sound Stage 9 Studios toward a new release later this year. We have a show at Nice Dreams Hookah Lounge on Friday the 24th of July, which is slated to be a secret "coming out" gig for fiends... all attending will get a free CD with a newly-recorded track.
6/22/15
I keep forgetting, it was in El Paso where
Ozzy Osbourne bit the head off a bat.
Tommy Aldridge plays for Whitesnake, who will be at the Socorro Events Center June 25. He also played for Ozzy (when Randy Rhoads was in the band), and a bunch of others.
Yes and Toto will be performing at Cohen Stadium, August 28.
From Yes' Wikipedia page:
Yes are an English rock band formed in 1968 by bassist Chris Squire and singer Jon Anderson.
Yes first achieved success in the 1970s with a progressive, art and symphonic style of rock music. They are distinguished by their use of mystical and cosmic lyrics, live stage sets, and lengthy compositions, often with complex instrumental and vocal arrangements. Nine of their twenty studio albums have reached the top ten in either the UK or US, with two reaching number one in the UK. They have sold 13.5 million certified units in the US.[1] The band's most recent line-up consists of singer Jon Davison, guitarist Steve Howe, bass guitarist Billy Sherwood, keyboardist Geoff Downes, and drummer Alan White.
More information.
6/16/15
Rene Hernandez
and
Never Too Late
will be touring Phoenix and California from June 7-25.
Cool Canyon Nights - Free Concert Series inside McKelligon Canyon Amphitheater. This takes place Thursdays at 6 PM. Future acts include:
Chuco Soul Project 6/18
Sabrosoora 6/25
Billy Townes 7/2
More info here.
I couldn't hear the commentary, but it was clear that there was something about this girl, Marlana Van Hoose, who sang at game 6 of the NBA finals last night. She stumbled on the last high note, but it would be ok with me if I saw her sing the national anthem every time I see a sporting event. According to her story,
Marlana was born with Cytomegalovirus (CMV), by the time she was a few weeks old it was discovered that she was blind. Her optic nerve never formed. She was not expected to live past one year. At the age of two, Marlana was diagnosed with mild cerebral palsy.
But God knew better, He had special plans for Marlana. After Marlana turned a year old her body healed from the virus and that is when it all began. Marlana was humming "Jesus loves me" before she talked and by the time she was two years old she started playing the piano.
6/15/15
Metallica played the national anthem
before Game 5 of the NBA playoffs. Two of them did, anyhow. Pure instrumental.
6/11/15
El Paso's Great Shapes just got back from their western tour. They went to
Tucson, Phoenix, San Diego, Los Angeles (twice), Burbank (CA) and Las
Cruces. They already have a number of shows lined up here in town.
Here are some columns from Ernie Ball about what to do (or not to do) in your shows.
How to Advance Your Show, What NOT to Do during Live Performances, 8 Tips to Master Onstage Banter, How to Promote Your Band: Before, During and After the Show.
6/6/15
I got a late message from the artist management of Le Butcherettes, who will
be playing tomorrow with The Melvins Sunday at Lowbrow. Last-minute messages
from publicity people are generally BS (they don't actually want to work
with me, but maybe I can help them out some, and supposedly they will put me
on the guest list). I had not really
been familiar with them, but they are pretty big stuff.
Their first bass player was Omar Rodriguez-Lopez of At The Drive-In and The Mars Volta, who also produced all three of their albums. Teri Gender Bender also played with Omar (and Deantoni Parks of The Mars Volta) in Bosnian Rainbows. Bosnian Rainbows appeared in Neon Desert Music Fest in 2013.
I try not to post straight publicity material on this page, but I was pretty impressed with this:
Teri Gender Bender - Vocals, Keys, Guitars
Jamie Aaron Aux - Bass
Chris Common - Drums
The garage-punk Le Butcherettes are like the brilliant offspring of surrealist Luis Buńuel and intrepid rock icon PJ Harvey. Led by 25-year-old vocalist/guitarist/pianist Teri Gender Bender (a recent transplant to El Paso, TX from Guadalajara, Mexico), Le Butcherettes’ songs and wildly cathartic live shows have often drawn comparisons to Karen O, Patti Smith, Bikini Kill, and many other female-fronted rock groups, but there's a theatricality to Le Butcherettes that brings a further reaching sense of mystery and imagery to the band.
This electric live show has led to extensive tours with legendary artists such as The Flaming Lips, The Mars Volta, Iggy Pop & the Stooges, Faith No More, Jane’s Addiction, The Deftones, Queens of the Stone Age, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Dead Weather and The Melvins, along with appearances at Coachella, Lollapalooza, Corona Capital Festival, Fun Fun Fun Fest, and Sonar Festival.
Despite the relentless tour schedule, Le Butcherettes have released a steady stream of critically acclaimed music. Their debut EP, Kiss & Kill, in 2009 was nominated for Best New Artist and Best Punk Record awards at Mexico’s Indie-O Awards, while their second full-length Cry Is For the Flies (2014, Ipecac Recordings) won the award for Best Punk/Garage in 2015. Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (At The Drive In, The Mars Volta, Bosnian Rainbows) has produced all three Le Butcherettes full-length albums to date. You can hear guest appearances from Iggy Pop (LA UVA), Garbage’s Shirley Manson (Shame, You’re All I’ve Got Left), and Henry Rollins (Moment of Guilt) across the band’s discography.
I bought and downloaded their third full-length album, A Raw Youth. They will be touring for the remainder of 2015, with dates already booked with Faith No More and The Melvins.
Teri recorded with Nina Diaz of GIAC and Carla Morrison (Latin Grammy Awards winner) at Red Bull Studios in LA... The Cry is for the Flies CD features spoken-word track from Black Flag's Henry Rollins...
Part of the information I received said that Teri had moved to El Paso, but I call BS on that. More artificial honey to suck the little blogger in.
5/27/15
A couple of interesting lineups of
Austin City Limits (Saturdays on PBS): Nine Inch Nails
on 6/13, Los Lobos on 6/20.
5/25/15
GECU presents the 32nd year of Music Under the Stars. These shows will be Sunday nights, June 7-July 24 at the Chamizal Memorial.
These are the featured bands:
June 7, Pachukiza (cumbia)
June 14, Dirty River Boys (country)
June 21, Como La Flor (Selena tribute)
June 28, 911-In-Effect (funk/variety)
July 4, El Paso Wind Symphony & Fireworks
July 12, Vertical Horizon (alternative rock)
July 19, Dos Santos Anti-Beat Orquesta (Latin fusion)
July 26, Zulema Villela y Mariachi Cuauhtemoc (Noche Ranchera)
The El Paso Times has a nice article on the series.
The Melvins are coming to Lowbrow on June 7. They are a 3-piece right now; sometimes they have an additional drummer.
I know they are influential, because I have seen many bands list them in their "Sounds like" section. Btw, those of you who think your band sounds like no other, are wrong. If you don't like stating what bands you are like, you will be disappointed to find out how other people answer the question about you.
I guess they can't be too influential, though, since I don't often see bands with two drummers.
Yesterday I was watching a show called Texas Music Scene on CW. It is mostly country or I guess, country-rock. Anyhow, there was an interview with Cody Jinks, a country singer from Fort Worth. He has an album out called "Adobe Sessions." He took that name from a building at Sonic Ranch. One of his co-horts, Whitey Morgan, has a CD titled, "Sonic Ranch." Sonic Ranch is fairly well-known by musicians across the country.
Cody's blog is a pretty good read, btw. Here is a review of a show Cody and Whitey did together in NYC.
5/24/15
Hey, Whitesnake appears at the Socorro Entertainment Center on
6/25, in support of their brand-new CD, The Purple Album.
VIP tickets are $50 (sold out already), but they have General Admission
tix for $10. This is very interesting to me, because I was just about
to buy plane tickets to go see the show in Houston.
The Purple Album is their tribute to the three Deep Purple albums on which Whitesnake's front man, David Coverdale, appeared. Before being chosen to join Deep Purple after Ian Gillan and Roger Glover departed, Coverdale had been a hair-dresser in England. So you see, there is hope for hair-dressers everywhere.
State Line Barbecue has another show in their series on Wednesday, May 27: Thieving Birds. I'm not sure if this is the last one of the year; they have a strange policy of only posting the next show.
5/15/15
Reggae icon Pato Banton returns on June 14 at
5 Points Bistro, 3019 Montana Ave. I
interviewed him
back in 2011. Fairly comprehensive interview, if you are interested
in Pato.
From the interview:
His awards include the BBC's Lifetime Achievement Award, being an initial inductee into the Reggae Hall of Fame in Birmingham (UK), and a Grammy nomination for Best Reggae Album of 2001, for Life Is a Miracle.
He recorded a song on the UB40 album Baggariddim in 1985, and also recorded two re-mixes of Sting songs, sharing vocals with the pop superstar: "This Cowboy Song," which reached top ten in sales in the UK and South American charts, and the Police classic, "Spirits in a Material World", which was included on the soundtrack of the Jim Carrey movie, "Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls".
Also on the bill are Steady Shakedown, System A, Blaze the Nation, and maybe some others.
5/11/15
Rene Hernandez and Never Too Late are going on tour June 2-28, and are looking
for donations to help defray the costs. You can
find him on Facebook.
Hey, the Eagles are coming to El Paso May 22 at Don Haskins. Huge 70s pop-rock group on their History of the Eagles tour. Supporting their DVD of the same name.
The Texas Music Scene comes on Sundays on CW. Austin City Limits comes on Saturday nights on PBS. This week, they have Bon Iver.
KLAQ's Balloon Fest will have Gin Blossoms on 5/23, All That Remains and Sons of Texas on 5/24, Volbeat with special guest Anthrax and We Are Harlot on 5/25.
5/9/15
Jamie Foxx
blames the sound guy for his lousy rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner.
Nice.
Indie on the Move is an excellent reference for traveling musicians. I found this article, Merch makes the difference on it. Actually, I'm on their mailing list. Anyhow, by poking around, I saw a couple other articles that might interest El Paso bands: How I Double My Gig Money With Merchandise Sales and How to Make Money in the Music Biz.
5/3/15
Seems to me that Jamie Foxx was trying to jazz up the national anthem at the
Pacquio-Mayweather fight, without knowing how.
Seems like I wasn't the only person
who thought he bombed
:
4/30/15
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1boUYB9LFJY&feature=youtu.be
Three young girls from Monterrey, Mexico, playing Metallica's
Enter Sandman.
What ever happened to Atomic Pink?
4/29/15
Something I had been wondering about. The local band,
Dayluta Means Kindness... I asked them if "Dayluta"
really does, and in what language.
They said, "Yes, Hindi. Though traditionally spelled 'Dayaluta'"
I knew I should have kept up with those Hindi lessons.
The Neon Desert Music Festival is happening downtown for three days over Memorial Day weekend (May 22-24).
At $119 ($350 VIP) it seems way pricey, but I've always said that a thing is worth what people will pay for it.
Their Facebook page is facebook.com/neondesert.
When I did this site in the past, it was mostly about local bands, but it seems like all of that is on Facebook (and other social media) now. So, while I will post what people send me (if it's reasonably suitable), this incarnation of EPMS will be more into road band interviews, big shows, and posting event information.
Something fascinated me about Lowbrow the last time I was there: the acoustics. I just about never see a venue in El Paso that gives a damn about that, but somebody put some thought into it for this place:
There are curtains in the corner, behind the performer. In many places, the sound coming out of the monitors hits the back wall, bounces to the far wall, and comes back. If it goes into the microphones, that is feedback.
When the sound guy compensates to eliminate the feedback, in one way or another, he cuts some of the frequencies. Depending on his/her skill level, this affects the music, even if the feedback is eliminated.
The curtains absorb the sound, as do all soft surfaces, and people.
The place also has a stone wall along the side. This doesn't absorb the sound, but because of the different shapes, it sends it off in all different directions. This adds to the ambient noise, but at least it isn't an echo.
Also, they have most of the sound coming out of the hanging JBL speakers, which are well-aimed at the audience. One thing I hated about the House of Rock on Viscount was, you could get good sound from most of the place, but not right in front of the stage.
I like that commercial where the rich girl says, "Daddy always says, 'Money doesn't spend itself.'"
Mine sure seems to.
4/24/15
I got this message from Armando Delgado
on the
EPMS Facebook page.
Hi, my name's Armando, I was stationed at Ft. Bliss from '86-'88. There was this place that Punk and Alternative bands used to play, it was pretty much a barn. Game Theory played there as did several other bands going between Phoenix and San Antonio. My question is, do you or anyone else there know the name of the place?
Does anybody have an answer to Armando's question?
4/17/15
I was at a show at Lowbrow on April 7. I didn't get to see
Little Child Man (Palmdale , CA), but I spoke with
Danny Hernandez of the band.
He said he's been " Touring in different bands for four years;" this is his third different band to tour with. Their music is Electronic / dance / indie,
He has been "Playing in bands eight years... in this band, it's different because we connect faster; it's more natural. In other bands, it has taken more time getting to know each other. With this band, we've known each other a while."
He added, "To make genuine music, there has to be a genuine relationship on some level."
I was at an internet caseta in Juarez, and I needed something to drown out the background noise. I picked a live Jeff Beck video on Youtube of 100 minutes, live at Ronnie Scott's. I saw this young girl bass player, and at first I thought maybe she was his grand-daughter or something, so I looked her up: Tal Wilkenfeld. Boy, was I surprised. Turns out she's a bass prodigy.
From Tal Wilkenfeld's wikipedia page:
Beck recalled; "When I was inducted we were going to have Jimmy Page come on and play '(Beck's) Bolero'. But I didn't think it would be right for him to be playing rhythm guitar all the way through that one number. Then the phone rang and it was Tal Wilkenfeld, my then bass player. She was on the way down in the elevator and told me we should play "Immigrant Song". We were going on in ten minutes and had no time to rehearse. She said 'Oh, when you stop in the middle of 'Bolero', when the rhythm changes, we'll kick in to "Immigrant Song"'. "That's what I like - right on the hoof. Nobody knew, the lighting and sound guys didn't know, the organizers didn't know. I just grabbed the microphone and shouted, 'Jimmy Paaaage' and went straight into the song. I loved that. That's what you call dangerous, that's living on your reflexes."
video of Beck, Page, Tal Wilkenfeld and others playing at Beck's induction into the R&R HoF.
I got a message on the EPMS FB page from David Keenan, a "21 year old Singer Songwriter from Ireland. A video of me performing my original song El Paso in a local taxi went viral over the Internet a couple of month's back, El Paso is the nickname given to my home town of Dundalk as it is situated on the border of Northern Ireland and the Republic. It's been accepted for the soundtrack of new Texas film Brothers James distribution due to be released early next year. I thought you might like a listen." This video isn't the one performed in a taxi, David says "It's live from The Workman's club in Dublin." This is the one in the taxi. Dig the accents.
4/16/15
I asked Michael Santoscoy of
Formal Intent
what's up with the band; they were recently signed.
Michael Santoscoy: Just recording for now really motivated and excited for what's coming; got a couple tours planed in the future, so we'll see mate!
EPMS: How many CDs does this make?
Michael Santoscoy: First debut album.
EPMS: What tours do you have planned?
Michael Santoscoy: In-state for the first to see where we pop off being that Texas has a huge variety out of El Paso, and depending on the outcome, we'll plan the second one on the east or west coast.
EPMS: Who, what studio is doing your recording?
Michael Santoscoy: Dynamic Media. It's also our signing label.
EPMS: Recorded in El Paso?
Michael Santoscoy: Yes we're recording here in EP.
EPMS: Does Dynamic Media have a studio here?
Michael Santoscoy: Yes they do, and quite a prestigious one, too, located off Cotton.
EPMS: How much time remains on your military commitment?
Michael Santoscoy: 6 years, I get out next month on May 8th to be exact.
EPMS: Much thanks for your service, brother.
Michael Santoscoy: Hahaha, no worries mate. I joined because I wanted to serve; you owe me no thanks.
EPMS: If you say so. Live long and Prosper.
Michael Santoscoy: You as well mate! God bless.
4/12/15
I'm not even sure how I ran across this, but I am going to include more stuff
like this, as I come across it.
The article is called
Ten Most Metal Game of Thrones Characters, from a site called
Metal Hammer,
which looks like a pretty good metal site.
4/11/15
El Paso Live:
Alfresco! Friday’s celebrates the 12th Anniversary in 2014 at its
new location at the Convention Center Plaza! Alfresco! Fridays provides
a casual way to experience some of the best established and upcoming
local bands. Originally conceived as a way of keeping employees downtown
at the start of the weekend, the concerts quickly became a draw for
visitors to downtown. The upcoming season will feature Jazz, Latin,
Reggae, Classic Rock, Salsa, Funk, Mariachi and more.
No Outside Food or Beverages Allowed. No Pets Allowed.
May 2nd: Sorry About Your Sister (Rockabilly) May 9th: Radio la Chusma (Latin, Reggae) May 16th: PT & The Cruisers (Classic Rock) May 23rd: Brown Betty (Classic Rock) May 30th: Fixed Idea (Latin Ska)
June 6th: Trailer Band (Country Rock) June 13th: Tejas Band (Spanish Variety) June 27th: Sobredosis del Sabor (Salsa, Cumbia)
July 11th: Exito (Tejano) July 18th: Toll Booth Willie (Ska, 80’s, Pop-Rock) July 25 th: Sha’Vonne (Pop, R&B)
August 1st: The Birdogs (Classic Rock) August 8th: Windy City (Chicago Tribute Band) August 15th: Joe King Carrasco (Tex-Mex) August 22nd: Abe Mac Band (Country) August 29th: Fungi Mungle (70’s)
September 5th: Prime 80’s Xperience (80’s Classic, Retro) September 12th: Troupe Sublime (Old School Funk) September 19th: Azucar (Latin Variety)
I have added shows to the Events page, but I have more stuff that I will put up soon. Am starting to get into a groove.
4/8/15
I have been trolling for content (not in the internet sense of the
word "troll," but rather in the fishing sense. Kind of like "dragging
bait").
Below are some comments I have gotten from local bands:
From Christopher Headcase of Epitaph Romance:
We are gearing up to release our new EP.. here is a snip it called "The Saw is Family" that we posted to our site. If you could, please share and blow that up for us.. The more likes we will post the whole damn song.. Release party is coming soon.. We have a 1000th like contest where the winner gets a chance to win a bunch of ExRx schwag! We had a winner before, then Facebook cleaned out all their old accounts and we are now back down to 951, so a new person gets a chance.
from Javier Martinez:
Last Night's Circus is seeking a drummer and writing. Meanwhile, I'm doing my folk set around town; here is my my bandcamp page.
from Collisions:
We have some shows coming up starting tomorrow. Here's the list of them
April 8th w/Boyfrndz, Future Death and Dayluta means Kindness at Lowbrow
April 20 w/Whirr, Wild Moth, Star Eater at Tricky Falls
April 24th with From Indian Lakes at Sector 7
May 8th Local showcase at Tricky Falls
May 13th w/Nothing, Cloakroom, Dubois at Tricky Falls.
after this we will be taking a break to write new material and record and stuff.
Generally, we will just post the shows on the Events page, but it's taking me some time to really get going on things.
from EP NaZca: Hey whats up charles we haven't been up to much haven't played any shows in a while. We've had a few issues just trying to find a new jam spot so we've been on hiatus, but still down for anything when it comes up. We will check out your site also to keep up with any events.
I went to see a show at Lowbrow last night (4/7). The show featured Little Child Man from Quartz Hill, CA. I didn't get to see them play, but I did talk to their singer. I got to see Javier Martinez and the band after him before having to leave. When I recover my notes from the show, I will post them tomorrow.
4/6/15
I just finished an interview with Mark Fowler, a local funk/bass specialist.
I actually did the interview in 2011 for another web site that
didn't go anywhere,
but now that I have EPMS going again, I edited it and put it up. Check it out
here.
Mark is playing currently for Mama Crystal and the Horns of Plenty, I believe. They do "funk, soul, and R&B," according to Noel Evans.
I have a number of new events to put up on the Events page, but I might not get to them until tomorrow. I am still getting in the habit of working on this site every day.
3/30/15
Today's music birthdays, from
www.onthisday.com.
1942 - Graeme Edge, England, rock drummer (Moody Blues)
1945 - Eric Clapton, Ripley England, singer/guitarist (Tears in Heaven)
1948 - Dave Ball, rocker (Procul Harum)
1948 - Jim Dandy Mangrum, vocalist (Black Oak Arkansas-Jim Dandy)
1950 - Rupert Greenall, rock keyboardist (Fixx)
1962 - M C Hammer, [Stanley Kirk Burrell], rapper (Hammer Time)
1964 - Tracy Chapman, US singer/songwriter,
1966 - Joey Castillo, American drummer (Queens of the Stone Age)
1968 - Celine Dion, Quebec Canada, singer (I'm Your Woman)
1969 - Marco Foddis, pop drummer (Pestilence)
1976 - Mark McClelland, Northern Irish musician (Degrassi)
1979 - Norah Jones, American singer and pianist
Numerous songwriter and composer guilds from around the world have joined forces in an open letter directed toward the American Music Publishing Community regarding the ongoing debate surrounding publishing rights. from hypebot.com
Amor Prohibido by Selena. Selena Quintanilla was murdered 19 years ago tomorrow (3/31/1995). I have never been so moved by somebody's death.
Iggy Azalea, Ariana Grande & More: Why Making the Leap to Arena Tours Isn't a Slam Dunk for Every Hit Act. by Billboard.com
3/20/15
Wray Mini Interview.
Attention Song Writers! Grant Collinsworth is doing his competition again!
www.epswc.com/ThisSong.html
3/19/15
2015 ACM Awards Show Performers Announced
Universal Music Settling Big Class Action Lawsuit Over Digital Royalties
Petition to Drop Kanye West From Music Festival Passes 60,000 Signatures
7 ways in which people wrongly stereotype heavy metal music by IBN Live
By the way, what I've posted the last few days isn't exactly representative of what I'm planning on doing. I'm just getting into the swing of things, etc.
A little description about what it's like to have a band in El Paso by Beapax. Interesting.
Where's the music? Lack of money, lack of promotion blamed for El Paso's limited concert choices by The El Paso Times.
3/16/15
I have a couple of items I'm putting up... has it been two years? Anyhow,
I have some notes from brief conversations with Josh and with a shoegaze
(power gaze?) band from Birmingham, AL, Wray,
who played last night at Lowbrow.
Yes, I can see I need to update the Events and the interview teaser... and figure out what's going on with the buttons.
I had a brief conversation with Joshua Blaine Simmons yesterday, whom I have known for a few years, and I needed to get some kind of content to get going again. What follows is that lame attempt. The conversation started with Josh suggesting I go see his band play this past March 14 (two days ago) at the Grynde Bar.
EPMS: Which of those bands are you in?
Joshua Blaine Simmons: I am in Beyond the Ash
EPMS: How long has this new band been going?
Joshua Blaine Simmons: Since 2010. I joined last year. Based out of Las Cruces.
EPMS: I know it's metal, but what variety?
Joshua Blaine Simmons: Melodic Death Metal /Progressive Death Metal
EPMS: Still wearing the long striped socks and the floppy cloth hat?
Joshua Blaine Simmons: Yep
EPMS: You have fancy visuals? Still with the lights in the cage on the floor?
Joshua Blaine Simmons: Yep, with a reiteration tho
EPMS: What's that? I do lights, too...
Joshua Blaine Simmons: Mine are still analog.
EPMS: Is 'reiteration' is an engineering term? Something that lets you run analog lights thru digital controller? DMX?
Joshua Blaine Simmons: No, none. It is just a tireless attempt and revision from its predecessor.
I have no idea what Josh is talking about, but hey, it's my first mini-interview in two years, so I'm going with it. It's a good thing I still know how to work the editor (vim), anyhow.
Here is something interesting: STEEL PANTHER's Tribute To KANYE WEST Compares His Music To Donkey Farts
2/19/13
Kelly Clarkson Puts Clive Davis on Blast, Says Record Exec Told Her
to 'Shut Up and Sing'
C, E-flat and G go into a bar. The Bartender says, "Sorry, but we don't serve minors." So E-flat leaves and C and G have an open fifth between them.
After a few drinks, the fifth is diminished and G is out flat. F comes in and tries to augment the situation, but is not sharp enough. D comes in and heads for the restroom saying, "Excuse me, I'll just be a second."
Then A comes in but the bartender is not convinced that this relative of C is not a minor. He then notices B-flat hiding at the end of the bar and says, "Get Out! You're the seventh minor I've found in this bar tonight!"
E-flat comes back the next night in a three-piece suit with nicely shined shoes and the bartender says, "You're looking sharp tonight. Come on in, this could be a major development." Sure enough, E-flat soon strips off his suit along with everything else and is au natural!
Eventually C sobers up and realizes in horror that he's under a rest! C is brought to trial, found guilty of diminution of a minor and is sentenced to 10 years of D.S. between bars without possibility of Coda at an upscale correctional suite...
Robert Plant hints that Led Zeppelin could tour in 2014.
2/18/13
Tony Sheridan - Beatles Collaborator Tony Sheridan Dies.
2/17/13
Keyboardist Lanier Greig died this week.
Among other things, he spent a short time in ZZ Top at the beginning
of their existence.
2/11/13
Grammys Crasher Jailed for On-Stage Adele Stunt (Video).
2/4/13
Twenty greatest supergroups of all time.
Pretty good list. I currently like Black Country Communion and Chickenfoot.
Beyonce's performance at the Super Bowl
1/25/13
Tricky Falls show. Notes in notepad.
1/22/13
Steve Perry of Journey is 64 today. He hasn't been with the band for years,
but he's the one on all their classic hits.
1/11/13
I see the Car Bombs are back. Punk band; I used to like seeing them
at Lucky Devils, when they were called The Irish Car Bombs.
House of Rock, the place on Hawkins and Viscount, just closed. They seemed to know what they were doing, except for really stupid placement of speakers, plus the snotty attitudes that most venue owners have. Oh, well. There's always new venues popping up.
12/22/12
The surprising origins of 9 favorite Christmas songs.
12/10/12
Mexican Norteña singer Jenni Rivera died yesterday in a plane crash
in Iturbide, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. I say 'Mexican,' but she was actually
an American whose career was in Mexico.
9/26/12
US disco band Generation Esmeralda, founded with ex-members of 70s band Esmeralda, kept playing after their drummer suffered a fatal heart attack.
No, they didn't know what had happened at the time.
9/25/12
Led Zeppelin gives ten reasons they won't re-unite.
Thursday, 20 September 2012
19:00 until 22:00
El Paso, Texas
Contestants will compete for "Best Song" composition in a BLUES-R& B Genre and/or EVERYTHING ELSE Genre. The winner of the BLUES-R& B competition will go on to compete against the WINNER of the EVERYTHING ELSE competition...
Preview of No Doubt's first album in 11 years.
9/3/12
Lead guitarist for Starship dies in Nebraska.
8/19/12
El Paso native Mike "August" Roberts continues to pursue his career
in the music industry recently starting his latest band August and J. August
lived in El Paso from the age of one to ten years old. His father was a football
coach at Burgess High School, and then later Eastwood High School.
August and J are excited to release their new album entitled "40." After playing together in the past and finally reuniting this duo is ready to make a comeback with a bang. The new album features unique vocals, thoughtful lyrics and is set to rock style music with hummable singer/songwriter melodies.
8/16/12
There will be a tribute to Deep Purple's 1973 album, Machine Head out 9/25.
Metallica, Iron Maiden, Chickenfoot, Steve Vai,
Carlos Santana, Joe Bonamassa, Black Label Society, The Flaming Lips and
two groups featuring Steve Vai, Chad Smith, Joe Elliott,
Steve Stevens, Duff McKagan and former Deep Purple member Glenn Hughes will
perform on the CD.
8/7/12
Pack Your Live Shows & Rock Your Local Music Scene.
7/31/12
Ten people had tickets to a show of The Who in 1979 that got
cancelled. After
it was announced that these tickets would be honored for an upcoming show
of The Who, these guys swapped their 33-year-old tickets for new ones.
.
7/26/12
We're an Indie Band. And This Is What Spotify, Deezer,
& Grooveshark Are Paying Us...
7/25/12
A Casual Scam: The Truth About Pre-Sale Tickets.
7/24/12
BandPage Expands To Become Hub For Musician Content On The Web.
7/23/12
From Hypebot.com
about SoundCloud:
Focuses On: Self-generated audio Content Best For: Public Figures/Entertainers (mostly musicians) SoundCloud is a tool for sharing audio content. It’s mostly used by musicians looking to share their own recordings with fans. SoundCloud syncs with many other music apps as well. Fans can comment on recordings and, depending on the artists security settings, embed or even share the tracks on other sites. SoundCloud is being used more frequently now for voice messages and found-sound recordings. Have something interesting to say to fans? Try recording it with SoundCloud. Some businesses have unique “sounds” that fans might be interested in, like the clamor of a restaurant kitchen on a busy night, or the excitement of a crowd heard from field level at an arena. SoundCloud is still best for musicians, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t any unique opportunities for other businesses, brands, and entertainers, too.
7/16/12
Deep Purple's Jon Lord dies at age 71
Now in its 11th year, the Mountain Stage NewSong Contest is one of North America’s premier showcases of emerging performers and songwriters. The contest spans an array of genres. Mountain Stage has debuted artists such as The Barenaked Ladies, Ryan Adams, Sheryl Crow, Norah Jones, and Alison Krauss, and is now accepting submissions from ReverbNation artists for its 2012 contest.
A fish parasite is named after Bob Marley. Wasn't meant as an insult, but his fans aren't so happy.
Green Day have finally unveiled their new single, Oh Love.
Def Leppard is re-recording their hits, to grab the digital download rights from their label. I'm 60/40 in favor of the label on this.
Paul McCartney went onstage to jam with Springsteen. However, they got cut off, due to local curfew laws. Priceless.
12/7/11
Just downloaded Dia Frampton's new album, Red. Dia is the runner-up on
The Voice last year. I do love this.
12/4/11
Saw Calabrese, Epitaph Romance, Ironside at Badlands last night.
The place needs stage lighting something awful. Snacks at the
snack bar, too. Still, they have a pretty cool stage, and the crowd
area is big, and wide-open.
I had known of Calabrese for years, but this was the first time I had seen them. Excellent showmanship, great punk band. Epitaph Romance was also pretty good, plus they had neat costumes.
12/2/11
Saw The Iron Maidens and Razer (Phoenix) at HoR last night.
I especially liked Razer. Very together. Actually, they could get
better at managing crowd energy, but the music was awesome.
11/6/11
The Lusitania Tour Kickoff w/ SoundOnSound and The Black Coats
12 November at 22:00 - 13 November at 02:00.
Black Market,
110 Robinson,
The Lusitania is going on a 3-week tour in November and December.
11/2/11
Daughtry on the Tonight Show. Excellent rock/alt-rock band.
While looking for shows to see in Dallas, I ran across Alodex's show there in Deep Ellum. I might actually be able to make that.
Dave Stewart (ex of The Eurythmics) on Jimmy Fallon: very good.
10/31/11
Pete Townshend brands iTunes a ‘digital vampire’.
10/29/11
Houston music critic in coma after heart attack on rail line.
Music critic, eh? Well, I'm sure that won't happen to me. I do sometimes
ride public transportation, though...
What TIME magazine's list of all-time 100 best songs got wrong.
9/28/11
NEW MURDER FM Video/Single "THE BR3AKING"!!.
Murder FM is fronted by long-time El Pasoan Norman Matthew.
9/27/11
Grant Collinsworth is looking for songwriting judges for a contest he
is putting together. Contact him at
his Facebook page if interested.
9/26/11
My interview with Jason Cavallaro
of Me and Heath, appearing at the Lowbrow on 9/29, is up.
The City Mishaps are looking for a bass player for more info click here www.eptmusicians.com and click on bassist...
9/25/11
Living in a van, Sly Stone happy with life on move. This
guy, of Sly and the Family Stone, was huge back in the 70s.
Randy Travis collapses onstage during concert in Fort Worth
9/24/11
Mick Jagger's SuperHeavy: A supergroup like no other
Five disparate stars from seemingly incompatible genres convene to make an album on the fly without a blueprint. What could possibly go wrong besides ego clashes, artistic gridlock, fruitless exertion and humiliating failure?
9/21/11
Rock Band R.E.M. Splits After More Than Thirty Years Together.
Barry Manilow: Today's Young Musicians Don't Write Quality Music
I can't explain it, but I love the song on the Blue Cross commercial. It's Home by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. They had another song you heard over and over on a Ford Fiesta commercial: Janglin'.
9/20/11
I listened to two road bands coming to town soon: Houston's Ume, a
female-fronted threesome, 9/27 at The Lowbrow Palace, and Heath
& Me, who will be at The Garage Tequila Bar 9/29. Ume sounds like
a pop/rock/dance band, though I also heard them play something that
reminded me of Black Sabbath, except for the haunting, wailing vocals.
They're pretty good, but Heath & Me look very, very good. Pretty good
vox, soft rock, and they don't overwhelm the music.
What was special about them, besides pretty decent vocals, is what you might call "underplaying." I know there's a better name for it; this is something that you see in all forms of art. The goal is to try to say something with the least amount of brush strokes.
If they can write some special songs, they can be something. I only heard three songs, but they sounded pretty good.
9/18/11
Austin City Limits 2011: 15 Things Seen & Heard Saturday
Coldplay Debut Another New Song At 'Austin City Limits' Taping. Ballad 'Up in Flames' is the final song the band recorded for their upcoming album, Mylo Xyloto.
9/17/11
Austin City Limits 2011:
14 Things Seen & Heard Friday.
Sir Paul McCartney named MusicCares Person of the Year.
9/16/11
Demi Lovato will have a "concert" on Good Morning America Monday.
9/12/11
Cyndi Lauper botches national anthem.
I sympathize for anybody that forgets the words to the national anthem.
I mean, you only sing it once in a great while, at least in front of a crowd.
If you're in the stands at the ball field, all you have to do is move your
lips, really. I probably know 80% of the words at this exact moment.
Aleks Syntek, Mexican Icon and coach on the Hispanic version of "The Voice," alongside another Latin Icon, Alejendro Sanz, will perform on Friday October 7 at Don Quintin. They are going to close down the parking lot outside. Doors at 7, show starts at 9pm .
They are going to have 3 areas where you can enjoy the concert: General $25, VIP Silver $35, and VIP Gold $45. Tickets are for sale at www.EpTickets.com and at Don Quintin.
9/11/11
Outspoken's Frank Lara has started an original band, named Revolt!
As Frank says,
"Revolt - a new Band with a new revolution! Coming soon...."
BTW, Frank manages the Subway store at Airway and I-10, next to the truck stop. I've been there several times.
All That Bleeds is touring Texas, hitting FORT WORTH on 9/14 (TOMCATS WEST), HOUSTON on 9/15 (WHITE SWAN), and SAN ANTONIO on 9/16 (BONDS 007).
9/10/11
Hey, on Texas Roadhouse Live, on NBC after SNL, I'm finally going
to get to hear Carolyn Wonderland! That has to be one of the
best music names, ever, btw. At least for a solo artist.
I must say, TRL might be better than Austin City Limits. ACL is more big, TRL is more edgy. I need to get on their mailing list.
El Paso's Emily Davis, in the middle of an extensive tour, had a "serious accident on the road." No serious injuries, but her car was totaled. Let's hope Emily heals ASAP!
9/7/11
alex' new band
Alex Sandoval, formerly of Inline With You, is ready to start his new band.
All he needs is a marginally obscene name.
9/3/11
Austin City Limits Music Festival, 9/16-18.
Man! This is an incredible lineup!
Stevie Wonder, Arcade Fire, Coldplay, Kanye West, My Morning Jacket, Manu Chao La Ventura, Fleet Foxes, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Nas & Damian "Jr Gong" Marley, Cee Lo, Bright Eyes, Social Distortion, Empire Of The Sun, Cut Copy, Ray LaMontagne, Santigold, Pretty Lights, TV On The Radio, Skrillex, Big Boi, Randy Newman, Iron & Wine, Ryan Bingham & The Dead Horses, Broken Social Scene, Chromeo, Death From Above 1979, Cold War Kids, The Airborne Toxic Event, Elbow, Gillian Welch, Fitz and the Tantrums, Delta Spirit, The Walkmen, Foster The People, Smith Westerns, Court Yard Hounds, Young The Giant, Alexander, Chiddy Bang, Mavis Staples, Gomez, J. Roddy Walston & the Business, Jack Ingram, James Blake, Sara Bareilles, City and Colour, Twin Shadow, AWOLNATION, Wild Beasts, Hayes Carll, Brandi Carlile, North Mississippi Allstars, The Antlers, Wanda Jackson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., The Head and the Heart, Mariachi El Bronx, Abigail Washburn, Joseph Arthur, Gary Clark Jr., The Secret Sisters, The Belle Brigade, Aloe Blacc & The Grand Scheme, Bomba Estereo, Daniel Lanois' Black Dub, Phosphorescent, Suzanna Choffel, Charles Bradley, Reptar, Fool's GoldFool's Gold, Beardyman, The Greencards, An Horse, Nick 13, Cults, Asleep at the Wheel, Futurebirds, Theophilus London, Federico Aubele, Patrice Pike, The Moondoggies, The Cave Singers, Kurt Vile and the Violators, Yellow OstrichYellow Ostrich, Telekinesis, little hurricane, We Are Augustines, WAX, Electric Touch, Ha Ha Tonka, Francisca Valenzuela, Miniature Tigers, Cowboy and Indian, Ruby Jane, Tyler Bryant, Hudson Moore, Bobby Long, The Kingston Springs, Jon Pardi, Graffiti6, Chancellor Warhol, MilkDrive, Seth Walker, Courtney Jaye, Pernikoff BrothersPernikoff Brothers, The Lee Boys, The Durdens, The Warrior Gospel BandThe Warrior Gospel Band, Endurance, The Bells Of Joy, Disciples Of Christ, Tyree Morris & The Hearts of Worship, Sara Hickman, Peter DiStefano & Tor, The School of Rock, Elizaveta, Heidi Swedberg, Mariana Iranzi, Brady Rymer, Recess Monkey, The Q Brothers, Quinn Sullivan, The Barton Hills Choir, Fresh Millions
9/2/11
ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons wil be in El Paso on 9/17 to promote Pura Vida
Tequila
at Spec's Liquor Warehouse on the West side. He will sign
autographs and give away a signed guitar.
8/31/11
Check out the web site of
Next 2 The Tracks.
8/30/11
JANE'S ADDICTION: 'Irresistible Force' Video Released.
Also, "Big Foot", the new video from CHICKENFOOT, the hard rock supergroup featuring Sammy Hagar, Joe Satriani, Michael Anthony and Chad Smith.
8/29/11
Metalsucks.net:
Are Latinos Born to Mosh?.
WARRANT Guitarist Talks About JANI LANE's Passing.
Aaliya's Top Ten Billboard Hits. Hard to believe she's been gone ten years.
Lil Wayne's 'Carter IV' May Debut at No. 1 With 700,000 Sold.
8/28/11
Beyonce Pregnant, Flaunts Baby Bump On VMA Red Carpet (PHOTOS).
Outspoken is looking for a bass player. Contact Frank Lara if interested.
8/27/11
Just posted an interview with Marisa Predisik of Paper City (Long Beach).
They will be at the Percolator on 9/12. Check the Interviews page.
8/26/11
LA Officials Deny 30-Year Sunset Junction Fest.
The Sunset Junction Fest has been going on for thirty years, but they
still owe Los Angeles a quarter-million bucks for last year, so the city
has canceled the festival.
Ticketmaster Reveals Interactive Facebook Seating Maps. Interesting app - you get to see where your friends are going to be sitting at the show, before you buy your tickets!
Garth Brooks And Alan Jackson Among Songwriter Hall Of Fame Inductees. Also being inducted into the Nashville Songwriters HOF are Allen Shamblin, John Bettis and Thom Schuyler.
Maroon 5 & Train Stage Indiana State Fair Benefit Benefit for victims of the stage collapse at the Indiana State Fair.
8/24/11
Tests show no illegal drugs in Amy Winehouse body.
8/23/11
Las Cruces' Daniel Park will be touring between 8/24 and 9/24, hitting
Utah, Colorado, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California, and Arizona,
plus Albuquerque, El Paso, and Austin.
8/22/11
I did a
short "interview" with Robert Martinez of StylaFect. I haven't seen
them play yet, but they sound interesting. Three of the members are
ex-Killing Our Own, a band that I thought could have made it.
8/21/11
Word One will have his Official Album Pre-Release Party on
Friday, September 2 at 10:00pm, at
Q-Time and Q-Time Patio, 2101 E. Amador ave., in Las Cruces.
8/20/11
On the basis of a show last night Scordatura Vita
got invited to play SXSW in 2012! Now THAT'S awesome!
I saw Sobredosis El Sabor at Al Fresco Fridays yesterday. Pretty decent salsa band. I took a bunch of pictures; I'll try and get them onto the site in a few days.
I also had a nice chat with the guy doing the sound, a fella named David. I was noticing these big graphic EQ units in the rack. Purple, and they took up 3U of space, which is unusual. I looked them up; a Klark unit like that runs about $1750. So, the next time I need an EQ and have a spare $1800... nah.
I heard The Platters "Only You" (1955) on the jukebox at Rafas. It sounds like a challenging song to sing. I'm going to have to learn it; I'm sure I'm going to want to give it a try the next time I get drunk and decide to sing karaoke.
8/19/11
KISS Booted From Jackson Tribute Concert Lineup.
On Oct. 8 in Cardiff, Wales, there is to be a big tribute concert to Michael Jackson. Kiss was supposed to be a part of that, but fans made a fuss, because Gene Simmons has made a number of comments about Michael Jackson being, in his opinion (and mine, fwiw), a pedophile. So, Kiss won't be on the show, after all. At this point, the superstars of the show are Smokey Robinson, Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green.
The country duo Sugarland probably avoided tragedy due to manager's decision this past Saturday at the Indiana State Fair. Also, they resumed their tour yesterday in Albuquerque.
Live Nation owns Ticketmaster and TicketsNow.com, a secondary resale site. One problem: Ticketmaster has been accused of taking tickets, as soon as they are available to the general public, and putting them up for sale on TicketsNow.com. Of course, this makes less tickets available at the announced price, and more at the scalping price. Not cool. Anyhow, Live Nation CEO, Nathan Hubbard, has released an open letter in a blog post. It doesn't look good. He basically wants fans to suck it up.
8/18/11
Congratulations to Billy Townes, El Paso jazz pianist, for being
featured in a
piece on Channel 9 (KTSM). I saw that this morning on
their morning show.
8/17/11
El Paso's own Cowboys from Hell Paso are doing a few Texas shows a fur
piece east of here: San Antonio August, 18th White Rabbit;
Houston August, 19th Concert Pub North; Dallas August, 20th Trees for
Ride for Dime 2011
8/16/11
Today is the 34th anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley.
Grammy flashback: When Elvis was the devil Elvis never won best record, song or album of the year. Even more outrageous: The music artist widely viewed as the devil decades ago won just three Grammys, all in gospel categories for now largely forgotten religious recordings: "He Touched Me" (1972) and two versions of "How Great Thou Art" (1967, 1974).
On September 3rd and 4th, at Cohen Stadium, SMG Events presents the Sun City Music Festival, featuring thirty electronic music artists on three stages.
When copyright law was revised in the mid-1970s, musicians... were granted "termination rights," which allow them to regain control of their work after 35 years,.. Recordings from 1978 are the first to fall under the purview of the law, but in a matter of months, hits from 1979, like The Long Run by the Eagles and Bad Girls by Donna Summer, will be in the same situation - and then, as the calendar advances, every other master recording once it reaches the 35-year mark. Here is the story.
8/15/11
For those about to quaff ... AC/DC wine is due soon.
Man, every article about AC/DC's line of wines has a different clever
headline...
I just saw a couple of local musicians bashing Speaking Rock on FB for doing free shows, and making it harder for local bands to make it. I don't get this. I have heard so many complaints over the years about how road bands keep bypassing El Paso - I have seen lots of this myself. I can't agree with anything that short-changes the public.
8/14/11
Four people were killed, and at least forty more were injured Saturday
as a sudden, massive gust of wind tore down the stage,
rigging, and speakers at the Indiana State Fair. Sarah Bareilles had
performed there, and Sugarland was about to take the stage. None
of the musicians were hurt.
Sugarland and Bareilles had been scheduled to perform Sunday Evening at the Iowa State Fair, but they cancelled.
More on the story here.
8/12/11
Jani Lane of Warrant was found dead at age 47.
This article
remembers him as a club owner in Orlando.
8/10/11
Scordatura Vita is doing a small tour in Central Texas. They will be
at:
Zombies Bar, San Antonio on 8/15; Red Eyed Fly, Austin on 8/17;
and at Headhunters, Austin, on 8/18
8/8/11
Alaska band, Portugal The Man,
had their van and trailer stolenfrom Lollapalooza in Chicago.
8/3/11
Eddie Tarin will be having a CD release party at Tortugas Lounge, 126 Shadow
Mountain on 8/12. Eddie's full-length CD is "My 2 Pesos," where he pays
tribute to our CITY OF THE SUN (EL PASO). You can check out
his press kit.
8/1/11
Bombardiers has
a Facebook page now. That's great - I had a very difficult time sending
them messages by myspace.
I get CDs from time to time, but not really from artists of any standing. I don't do much CD reviewing, because they expect you to candy-coat it, which isn't me. I guess I won't be getting any more from the publicity group that sent me the CD I've been listening to this morning.
This one is from Tyrone Vaughan, son of Jimmie Vaughan, and nephew of SRV. It's a country song, Downtime, from the CD of the same name.
What I got is not actually a CD - rather, it's a CD with one song on it. They clearly see this as single material. I'm sure it will get some airplay, and it would sound great on a CD with other songs on it, but I don't see it as a chart-topper. Tyrone Vaughan will definitely have a career of some renown, but to get to a higher level, he needs better songs. Still, I will definitely keep an eye on him. With his name and his talent, he'll be a force for a long time.
The song is very well produced, with a robust sound - the rhythm guitar is way up in the mix. I can also hear what sounds like a ukelele, but is apparently a banjo (you'd think I'd recognize that, since I just watched Deliverance), drums, some lead guitar and steel guitar. The bass is pretty much hidden in the rhythm guitar.
The video is nice; mostly just Tyrone singing and playing his guitar on some farm out in the country.
I think I'm going to put the CD Reviews button back up.
7/30/11
I got this from the booking agent for the Zoe show:
As you may already know. we have booked the international favorites. Zoe (zoetheband.com) straight from Mexico. They played 10 consecutive shows at the Teatro Metropolitan in Mexico City. Launching their Us Tour in Los Angeles today On a 25 Touring Dates 2 of those here in El Paso Tx. We had booked them first at Club 101. but after the show selling out in only 2 weeks.. we had to add another show at Nova Luna . . tickets are still available for Nova Luna which will be 18+ for this event . .via www.eptickets.com . Homme Work. LeTrendy and VIP and General through Nova Luna 915-588-8596 . Nova Luna Show is 3/4 Sold out. . El Paso is the city With the most tickets sold for this US tour thus far..
7/28/11
Emily Davis is having a CD Release/Tour Kick-off Show at
The Percolator, 217 N. Stanton, on Saturday, August 27 at 10:00pm,
Come celebrate the release of Emily Davis' new album "Dark Matter." Emily will be performing full-band style with friends Mike Minjarez and Charlie Vasquez. Additional bands/performers TBA.
I complain all the time that El Paso bands need to get out on the road if they want to be serious bands. As far as I know, only Zechs Marquise and Emily are serious about touring (correct me if I'm wrong). For that reason if no other, I encourage you folks to show some support to Emily (and Zechs Marquise).
7/24/11
Amy Winehouse was found dead yesterday, possibly from a drug overdose.
She had been battling with drug abuse for years. It's hard to keep your
feet on the ground when you're way up there. RIP, Amy.
7/23/11
I suggested this to a band I respect:
Don't stop writing songs. It needs to be a constant thing. Not all will be "hits," but the more you write, the more hits you'll have.
7/21/11
I thought my answer to a question from Yasmina might be helpful
to some readers:
I have a friend coming in October from Austin. He wants to know what the events/bands are playing in October so he can plan his trip around it.
Any place you can guide me to get him that info?
Your best bet is Tiempo magazine, put out by the El Paso Times on Thursdays, I think. You can get a copy in the Times' building, or in the stands they have all over. Also, Eventful.com is pretty good at having info on the big shows. It's too early to get listings on the club-level shows. You should also check the web sites of the individual places that do larger shows, such as Speaking Rock, Sunland Park Racetrack, maybe Club 101. In a month, hopefully my own Events page, will be as complete as what you're talking about.
I'm not into music by 13-year-olds (lot of that in Mexico, btw), though I've seen some incredible 10-year-old dancers. Still, I'm glad to see Rebecca Black is still plugging, in face of some serious abuse. Me, I would have taken my $1.5 million from Fridays and moved to South America. I seriously doubt she'll still be around in five years.
7/20/11
Just got this from John Hernandez of
ESTEP:
Hey Charles...just want to let you know that ESTEP is in the studio and will be performing later this year. We have set up a reverbnation page where anyone who "likes" www.facebook.com/esteptheband can download 10+ tracks to contaminate their iPod! Our Reverbnation band page is linked on our facebook page...thanks for your support! Cheers!
7/19/11
I'm watching a live DVD of Robert Earl Keen. The songs are nice, but the
guitar work is to die for.
This was posted on the EPMS FB page by Vib Gonzalez:
Hello, my name is ViB and I'm the owner of a new nutrition club that just opened up on the west side. We're a chill environment for people to hang out at. If there are any bands singers ect. That would be interested in having a show here let me know. I would be happy to let you use the space and bring your crew along. If you have any questions or anything my number is (575) 649-3592 or message me on fb. Thanks!
7/18/11
Jamie Hernandez, El Paso acoustic artist has recently recorded
her debut CD and it is being mastered at Sonic Ranch, out this fall 2011.
7/16/11
I got to check out Frank Lara and his band, Outspoken (plus DJ Paty Moon,
who is a fixed part of the show these days). I took a bunch of
pictures; posted twenty on the Photos page. I figured out something about
the light settings on the camera while I was there. Doh!
I was talking to Frank about a few acoustic songs he did with his bass player. He said something about playing Metallica unplugged. I told him Nick Williams used to do that. Nick has, I guess, retired from the scene. Can't blame him.
I also got to talk for a while with their drummer, Brian. He has recently come from Florida. See? They might have beaches in Florida, but do they have hot, arid sand? The whole world is moving here, I swear.
They had better sound than the last time I saw them, though they put a little more reverb on the vox than I like. I will always disagree with most vocalists on this one, anyhow.
7/13/11
I got a schedule for the Battle of the Bands at The Percolator,
Sunday, July 24 at 6:00pm:
Door is 5 bux.
7/12/11
Just saw Barry Manilow on Jay Leno, singing some new song called "Fifteen
Minutes," or something like that. Surprisingly modern - apparently looking
for new fans.
7/11/11
Lenny Kravitz still upset over robbery link
I'm a Lenny Kravitz fan, but the way I read his words, he's mostly upset that the police didn't recognize that he was somebody that didn't need to rob a bank.
7/9/11
Just saw Brandi Carlile on Austin City Limits. I hadn't heard of her before,
but she is just awesome.
7/8/11
I happened to be downtown yesterday afternoon, and caught the tail end
of King Octopus at Al Fresco Fridays. Very nice crowd. I took some picture;
hopefully they'll be up on the Photos page by the time you read this...
I usually don't get such good lighting.
7/7/11
Here's an interesting opportunity: open for
Jill Scott and Anthony Hamilton. You can sign up at
myspace.com/budweiseropeningact
I'm not sure in what city you would play, but I have seen this mentioned on sites from Detroit, St. Louis, and others. This is soul music, but I have seen different singers here that could have a shot at such a competition. Actually, you see more such singers at karaoke shows.
7/6/11
Benefit Concert for Alyiah Heredia in Need of a Heart & Liver Transplant,
Infinite Divine, Sons Of Villa, Mexicans at Night,
Saturday, July 30 at 8:00pm,
The Bayou 9300 Viscount Ste C,
MIN DONATION OF $10,
FREE RAFFLE,
4 VIP SUN CITY ROLLER BOUT SEATS,
& A FREE TATTOO BY INKLINATION TATTOOS,
ALL AGES SHOW,
PLEASE HELP SPREAD THE WORD BY INVITING FRIENDS,
AND LETS GET ALYIAH TO DALLAS!!!,
Pia Toscano signs record deal, debut single to be released. Pia Toscano was that awesome Latina that got booted from American Idol early last season.
7/5/11
I am seeing more and more ppl posting shows on the EPMS Facebook (FB) page.
Longer term, I think I will want to control this, but for now, it's cool.
Probably same rules as I've always had for FB, myspace, etc.: One post
per show (delete the earlier one if there is a change); don't try to
monopolize things in any way. El Paso, LC, Juarez shows are OK; no out-of-area
shows. We'll see how it goes. I probably need to learn the FB API before
trying to get fancy with such things.
7/3/11
Here's an interesting opportunity:
Submit your music to the Coast to Coast AM radio program, to be
heard on New Music Sunday, the first Sunday of every month. If accepted,
your music would be played as bumper music.
Check
here for details.
7/1/11
I got this as a post on the EPMS Facebook page. It is about a particular program on 88.5 FM:
The music El Paso radio has been waiting for.
The Contemporary Lounge is hosted and produced by Chris Rodriguez on KTEP El Paso 88.5 FM National Public Radio for the Southwest from the University of Texas at El Paso.
It features a modern blend of Trip-Hop, Acid Jazz, Lounge, Electronica, Smooth Jazz as well as Blues, Classic Jazz and Classic Jazz Remixes. The show airs every Sunday morning at 2AM, ideal time slot for people heading home from... a Saturday night outing.
This is the third show (technically second) that Chris Rodriguez has hosted and produced on KTEP El Paso 88.5 FM. The first show, Urban Rhythms, began airing in 2006 and is still going strong today under the production of Amparo Rodriguez who hosts the show now. The Contemporary Lounge launched in the spring of 2007 and ran until 2008. In the spring of 2011 another show was in the works and Chris Rodriguez decided to reuse the old show title but this time shift the program to a more modern and lounge like sound while still maintaining the Jazz genre that fans of NPR and KTEP have come to enjoy over the years.
6/30/11
The same site that wrote last the review of the penultimate night
of The Voice wrote
this one. Prepare yourself for some snark.
6/29/11
I found
this snarky write-up of the finals of The Voice. Disrespectful, of
course, but interesting reading.
Oh, yes, Javier Colon won.
The different judges and performers on The Voice sure do a lot of tweeting on Twitter. FWIW.
Valentin Sandoval put together an awesome music video of Radio La Chusma's Rasta Mexica, off their new album.
6/28/11
The deadline for entering the
International Songwriting Competition
is 9/21. Check out their web site for details.
6/26/11
In addition to the Tattoo Festival detailed earlier, the July 4th
weekend includes big happenings at the KLAQ Street Fest and at Speaking
Rock. The Street Fest has Bachman-Turner (derived from
Bachman-Turner-Overdrive) on Friday, and Queensryche on Saturday.
At Speaking Rock, they have Tesla on Friday, Cinderella on Saturday,
Jackyl Sunday, and Buckcherry on Monday. Awesome!!!
6/25/11
The Texas Tattoo Showdown Festival takes place July 1-3 at the County
Coliseum, and features over 30 live bands:
OVER 200 TATTOO ARTIST FROM AROUND THE GLOBE, TATTOO COMPETITIONS, BODY PIERCING, HUMAN SUSPENSIONS SHOWS,TONS OF CLOTHING & JEWELRY VENDORS OF ALL KINDS! THE HIT TV SHOW "PINT SIZE BRAWLERS" WITH THEIR MIDGET WRESTLING 3 DAYS OF OVER 30 LIVE BANDS ON OUR OUTDOOR CONCERT STAGE!
...COME MET AMY NICOLETTO FROM THE HIT TV SHOW "LA INK" AND OUR HUGE CIRCUS TENT COVERING THE MAIN CONCERT STAGE & OUR NEW FOOD & BEER GARDEN!
******THIS IS AN ALL AGE FESTIVAL******* TICKETS AT ALL TICKET MASTER LOCATIONS & COLISEUM BOX OFFICE $20 DAILY, OR $35 WEEKEND PASS. KIDS 12 & UNDER FREE! DOOR OPEN DAILY @ 12 NOON- 11PM
******THIS IS THE ONLY TATTOO & MUSIC FEST IN EL PASO,TX!***** WE WILL BE FILMING THIS EVENT FOR A TV SHOW, SO COME SHOW US YOUR INK EL PASO & MAYBE END UP IN ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S TATTOO MAGAZINES OR EVEN ON TV!
**WE ARE PART OF THE INK LIFE TOUR**
WWW.INKLIFETOUR.COM
EMAIL:TEXASTATTOOSHOWDOWN@GMAIL.COM
CONTACT GEORGE (915) 626-4799
BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE WORLD FAMOUS HOUSE OF PAIN TATTOO
Texas Tattoo Showdown Festival
Music and Band Lineup
Friday
3-330 Ancient of Days
345-415 Final Directive
415-445 Emerson Grey
5-530 Sweetest Downfall
545-615 Scream Your Outline
630-7 Aura Lynn
730-8 All that Bleeds
815-845 Straight Razor Suicide
9-? Cat as Trophy
Saturday
12-1 DJ
115-145 Avindale
2-230 Inline With You
245-315 Casual Fridays
330-4 Evil Doers
415-445 A Beautiful Mourning
5-530 The Last Internationale
545-615 Fixed Idea
630-645 Hillside Gamblers
7-730 Hotrod Boogie
845 Cheery Poppin Daddies
Sunday
12-1230 DJ music
1230-130 Oldies band
145-245 Bajo Zero
3-330 Aerial
345-415 Bash the Band
430-5 Kontra Golpe Noise Manifesto
515-545 Mexicans at Night
6-7 Frontera Bugalu
830-? Tropicalisimo Apache
6/24/11
Amy Winehouse Scraps Entire European Tour
Looks like substance abuse strikes again. She got jeered and booed
at a show in Serbia where she stumbled around the stage and forgot lyrics
to songs.
Glen Campbell Diagnosed With Alzheimer's
Campbell has sold 45 million records, including three of my favorite
all-time songs: "By the Time I Get to Phoenix", "Wichita Lineman"
and "Galveston." He also starred in the movie, True Grit - the version
with John Wayne, that is.
Apple Patents Camera Shutoff Technology
With this technology, venue owners will be able to prevent people from using
their phones to record shows. You might think that's harsh, but people
have historically not been able to record shows. This changed over the last
few years, only because technology gave show-goers the ability to record
easily, with no easy way to prevent it.
Legendary Juan Luis Guerra To Make London Debut
6/23/11
The Voice show had their semi-finals last night.
The opening set, featuring all eight semifinalists singing George Michael hits, was awesome. I had missed the Tuesday show because I had a show of my own, featuring Twitch Angry of Sacramento. In this show, each coach assigned a total of one hundred points, split however he/she wished, between their two singers.
First up were Cee Lo's two, Nakia and Vicci Martinez. Both are already professional singers, at least as far as skill goes. Cee Lo gave 51 points to Nakia, and 49 to Vicci, but the audience votes put Vicci into the finals.
After that, Cee Lo performed his new song "Bright Lights, Bigger City," I could live with the song, but the choreography, as well as his hair, were just goofy. He likes to be outrageous in his costumes. Well, he scored on that one.
Next up were Adam's two, Casey Weston versus Javier Colon. Javier is the polished singer of the two. Adam split his vote as 65/35, to make sure to push Javier into the finals.
Javier has a good bit of Christopher Cross in him. Not that they could look any different.
Seeing Blake with his two, Dia Frampton and Xenia, on stage at one of his shows, was killer. Dia is already there. Xenia can sing, and might put out an awesome CD; but she's not all there yet. I'm going to guess that she'll never reach the top, though she'll be able to make her living as a singer.
Blake judged them 50-50. I have so much respect for him. He cares much more for his people than winning the contest.
Christina Aguilera judged her two 50/50. I would have done that, too. Frenchie and Beverly are both awesome. I've been a big fan of Bev since show one. With the fan votes, Beverly moved on to the finals.
Of the eight singers in this round, I would say that six of them (all but Casey and Xenia) will be top singers, professionally. At that level, a lot of what sets them apart are things they can't easily control: how good their songs are, the arrangements, the producers, etc. All of these six should do very well.
So, we go to the finals with Vicci, Javier, Dia, and Beverly. I like them all, but the three girls better than Javier. We'll see what happens next week.
ArtistsHouseMusic: What It Takes to Be a Session Musician
Dia: The new Pia. 'Voice' standout gets buzz like 'Idol' fave.
El Paso Parks and Recreation Offers Free Concerts
EL PASO- The City of El Paso Parks and Recreation Department will be hosting the 2011 edition of the Melodies at the Park Summer Concert Series during June, July and August. The concerts are free and start at 7:00 p.m. Below is the entertainment schedule.
June 12 Azucar (Intermission – Just for Kicks)
Eastwood Park 3001 Parkwood Dr.
June 26 Just Right and Jamie Hernandez
Veterans Park 5301 Salem St.
July 10 Starliners and Fahrenheit 162
San Jacinto Plaza 111 Mills St.
July 24 Billy Townes (Intermission Kristen Moreno)
Memorial Park (Reserve Area) 3100 Copper St.
August 7 Tocanta (Intermission – Jacqueline Mata)
Marty Robbins Park 11600 Vista del Sol Dr.
August 21 Brittney Gamboa and Mariachi Cuauhtémoc
Eastwood Park 3001 Parkwood Dr.
6/21/11
Gene Simmons and Sharon Osbourne end bitter feud. Wow. Hugely
Public Figures can have their feelings hurt over little comments.
6/18/11
E Street Band sax player Clarence Clemons dies.
6/17/11
Are they really going to do
this? Put people in jail for posting lip-synching or cover song videos?
I think most people will wait and see if it really happens to somebody before
they stop, but the first move would probably be Youtube and other such
sites deleting the ones that are already there. I know it's about helping
musicians make money, which is great, but it helps the big artists at the
expense of cover bands and karaoke outfits.
Some interesting blurbs from
Rolling Stone:
Christina Aguilera Earns Far More Than Other 'Voice' Judges
Michael Jackson Movie Outtakes Disputed in Court
L.A. Reid to Become New Epic Chairman
Kid Rock Named Goodfellow of the Year
6/16/11
"American Idol" winner Scotty McCreery was on the Tonight Show last night.
He was pretty good. His song, "I love you this big," or something like that,
was also pretty good.
6/14/11
The Voice:
Team Christina and Team Blake had eliminations tonight. For Christina, the fans saved Beverly McClellan, who is one of my favorites. Of the remaining three, I really liked Raquel Castro, but I have to admit, Frenchie Davis, whom Christina picked, is already big-time.
Of Team Blake's remaining four, I thought that Dia Frampton and Patrick Thomas were the best. The fans saved Dia, and Blake picked Xenia, which was quite a surprise. When he picked her, Blake said, "I can't effect change with Patrick Thomas or Jared Blake, so I'm going to pick Xenia." My take on this is, Patrick and Jared already have what it takes to make it; advancing here isn't going to change their lives, but this can be a huge boost for Xenia. Now, that was gutsy - it hurts his team to go with the newb, but he's right - he can make a big difference for Xenia. I think this means she will get another couple of weeks before they run her off. It will be very interesting to see what she does with this.
Of the singers that are still in the last sixteen (four on each team), I'd say that more than half are close to the big time. By "big time" I mean, they could get onto one of the major, national shows soon. Seeing how Carson Daly is working on this show, I'm sure he'll be begging all of these to go on his show.
Of the other singers on this week's show, I'd say that Casey, Vicci, Nakia, Jeff Jenkins, Javier are close to the big time, especially Casey and Vicci.
I didn't think Curtis Grimes' rendition of "Addicted to Love" was hard enough, not raunch enough. He tried to finesse it.
"Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," which was sung by Tori and Taylor Thompson, was a poor choice of a song for a show that means to show off vocal chops. It was entertaining, though. I don't think these sisters are going much farther in this show, which may have been the point - might as well showcase them for the rest of their careers.
There is too much dancing on this show. I like dancing, just not here, not so much. I also can't stand how much reverb they use. Whether they have it live, it doesn't have to come through the TV. I think they are covering up a bit for some poorly sung notes.
I love this show, but I have one more complaint: the judges being so gushy is really getting old. I don't need them to keep saying how everybody on the show is so wonderful.
Radio La Chusma is embarking on a tour from 6/24-7/24, going through CA, NV, AZ, plus San Antonio and Corpus Christi.
6/9/11
The promoter of Michael Jackson's shows, spefically, the shows he missed
due to being dead, is being sued by Lloyd's of London.
The insurer
doesn't want to pay, because Jackson had not undergone a proper medical exam.
Ouch!
An Eventful CMTs, Swift Nabs Vid Of The Year.
Shania Twain to start a Las Vegas show in 2012.
Just saw British rapper, Tinie Tempah on the Tonight Show. I really liked the way, at least on the one song they played, that they mixed rap and pop. I need to hear a whole album of this.
Here is a recent article of him.
6/8/11
Need a venue for the summer? Got a cd coming out soon? Bahama Buck's is looking for some musical talent to play June 17th through July 23rd! Spread the word!
Lady Gaga CD Sales Drop 85% in Second Week.
For those of you who are country music fans, tonight is the CMT Music Awards.
6/7/11
I woke up just in time to catch Scottish band, Mogwai, at the end of Jimmy Fallon's show. I.e., it was on Monday night, but after midnight. Anyhow, I had been hearing of Mogwai for years, and had probably heard them somewhere, but this was really nice. The one song they did was an instrumental.
6/5/11
The County Line BBQ, 1222 Sunland Park Dr., has
live music every Thurday.
This is the current schedule:
June 8 - Granger Smith
June 15 - Roger Creager
June 22 - TBA
June 29 - The Greencards
July 6 - TBA
July 13 - Bri Bagwell
July 20 - Bart Crow Band
July 27 - Emory Quinn
6/3/11
Cadet sues R&B singer LaBelle over airport beating.
Houston athlete, 23, contends guards for Patti LaBelle attacked him
6/2/11
BTW, I'm still covering local bands; if you have any news, send it to
me!
I ran across an interesting site, MuleVariations.com, about music in the culture.
I haven't been posting on Twitter for a while. I was addicted to reading Twitter posts for a while, but suddenly stopped, cold turkey. One day, it'll come back to me.
Schedules for next 4 weeks for The Today Show, Good Morning America:
Today show concerts
3 New Kids on the Block/Backstreet Boys
10 The Script
17 Kenny Chesney
24 Bruno Mars
GMA
June 3: The Go-Go's
June 10: Jennifer Hudson
June 17: Selena Gomez
June 24: Florence & the Machine
Schedules for next 4 weeks for
Austin City Limits
Saturday, June 4th:
Esperanza Spalding / Madeleine Peyroux (encore)
Saturday, June 11th:
Lyle Lovett & Friends: Songwriters Special (encore)
Saturday, June 18th:
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings / Carolyn Wonderland (encore)
I always wanted to see Carolyn Wonderland; I just love that name.
5/31/11
I have removed some buttons from the left side of this page. They might
remain on the other pages, until I get around to getting them off of those.
The Forums button might return in a couple of months - probably later.
It takes some work to get a forum going.
I am trying to put more content on the EPMS Facebook page. It will take a while to really get that going. To do it right, I have to learn a whole new API, while learning Amazon Web Services at the same time.
That last part was for the computer nerds.
Jethro Tull is doing a small world-wide tour to celebrate the 40th anniversity of Aqualung. The closest they come to El Paso is a June 8 show in Morrison, CO, at the Red Rocks Amphitheater, and one on June 10 at Phoenix, AZ, at Comerica Theatre.
Live Nation reports ticket sales up 7% year-over-year. The point is, people are starting to go to live shows again. Time to get out there and tour!
Judas Priest announces farewell tour.
I have received a couple of emails from thumbtack.com. The Subject line of the emails is 'Looking for musicians.' Really, though, they want people to list their services with them, generally. If anybody here has any experience with them, good or bad, I would like to hear about it.
5/29/11
I got the following info from Ralph Siqueiros. You can email him at:
rdsiqueiros AT elp.rr DOT COM. I don't know how much of such announcements
I will put on this page, but as long as it isn't too much, I can do it
like this:
Mature guy here looking to be the lead singer in a rock band. I enjoy the 60's, 70's, and 80's music, but I am open to other material and modern music as well.
I have a good range,with a powerful voice that I can project very well. With school almost out, I will have lots of time to practice so drop me a line soon and let's get rockin'
Check out BorderCitiesHipHop dot com.
Audiciones
Wednesday, June 8 · 5:00pm - 8:00pm
Si sabes y te encanta cantar y/o tocar un instrumento, esta es la oportunidad que estabas esperando. Estamos contratando gente talentosa que le apasione el ambito musical (cantantes y musicos) para formar parte de un grupo y presentarse los fines de semana. Algunos de los requisitos son:
*Saber cantar o tocar un instrumento.
*Desenvolvimiento escenico.
*Presencia escenica.
*Talento
*Ser ciudadado o residente de los Estados Unidos.
*Mucho entusiasmo y carisma!!
Para mas requisitos, informacion y hacer cita para audicionar contactame a mi correo, mensaje por facebook o a mi celular...
amruedas@miners.utep.edu
(915) 412 70 18.
No pierdas la oportunidad y reserva tu fecha de audicion!!!
5/25/11
Hey, Rihanna will be on Today Show Friday morning. GMA has Lady Gaga. I
will publish the future summer concerts of these shows, as well as
other shows.
Problems with making American Idol relevant to young folks.
5/22/11
Joseph Brooks, Oscar-Winning Songwriter + Accused Rapist,
Dead of Apparent Suicide. He wrote "You Light Up My Life," which
was a huge hit for Debby Boone in 1977, and was turned into a movie.
Interesting way to commit suicide; I wouldn't have thought of the helium. I wonder what it's like to talk like Donald Duck while waiting to die.
5/11/11
Last night, I went into Kings X, and found Geronimo Black and his band
playing. I had never seen him before, but I only knew of a couple of guitar
players in town that play like that. Of course, he's one of the best-known
El Paso guitar players, and excellent. His tone is really nice. I have
some pictures, hopefully I can put them up soon.
I wasn't looking for music when I went in there. I know a waitress that works there, and I had seen some nice Facebook pictures of another of their waitresses. Also, Jack Lutz goes in there sometimes.
I said hello to the owner, Ted Aikman. He didn't know who I was; I told him I was an escaped convict. It sounds better than my previous story - that I was the ex-secretary of state of Molravia (a non-existent country).
5/9/11
Applications are now being accepted for booth space at the El Paso Public
Library's Teen summer reading kickoff event. TEENFEST 2011 Carnival
and Car show.
)TEEN-FEST 2011 CONCERT AND CAR SHOW
DATE: June 4th (Saturday)
TIME: 12 - 5:30 p.m.
ADDRESS Cohen Stadium home of the El Paso Diablos Baseball team!
COST: FREE and this event is suitable for the whole family!
This event is the official "kickoff" to the library’s summer reading program for teens!
Cohen Stadium will become a carnival of fun and games for teens of all ages! There will be a Car & Motorcycle show, various game booths, face painting, hot air attractions and more!
Throughout the day there will be performances by local bands with El Paso "TEENS" and surprise performances by local organizations as well as information booths on education, health and of course information on how to apply for a library card and join the El Paso Public Library Summer Reading Club! NO COST TO HAVE A BOOTH!
Deadline: June 1, 2011
Call for more information: 543-5479 or 543--5495
Thank you,
Carmen A. Hernandez
Acquisitions Manager
EL Paso Public Library
501 N. Oregon
(915) 543-5479 fax (915) 543-5407
4/29/11
Well, tomorrow is the start of the Neon Desert Music Festival.
Of course, this is a great thing for El Paso. If this were a couple of
months down the road, I would be covering it, but I am still building
the site up, and expanding it beyond the club scene.
And, the fact that I have shows on Sunday and Monday (Broken End Stereo, Midwest Dilemma) that will get no crowd because of the Festival, has nothing to do with anything...
4/28/11
So Not Psyched is having a live video recording of 6-8 bands
on 5/14 at The Percolator. You can read the details on the flyer
on the Events page. I tried to get more info, but all they would tell
me was there was a great beer selection.
4/25/11
A lost Rory Gallagher album is finally being released. I need to save
my money and get this. Gallagher is one of the all-time great guitar
players. I actually caught his show in Houston, around 1980, and bought
one of his LPs (that's like a CD to you young folks - I think they call
such a thing 12-inch vinyl nowadays).
DOUBLESCOPE FILMS RELEASE EPISODE 2 OF UNDER THE FREQUENCY WEB SERIES
DoubleScope Films is proud to announce the release of Episode 2 of the “Under the Frequency” web series. The show was released on DoubleScopeFilms.com as well through social media sites Facebook, Vimeo, and Linked In.
Episode 2 of the show was produced in Austin during SXSW. Show segments include an artist profile on recently signed Hip-Hop artist Stalley, All Together Now Showcase 2011, Behind the Scenes of Tommy Mora’s “Keep on Movin’” music video, and an interview with El Paso’s own Zechs Marquise.
Episode 2: doublescopefilms.com/underthefrequency DoubleScope Films: doublescopefilms.com, Facebook: Facebook.com/underthefrequency.
4/23/11
Double Threat is looking for a bass player. Serious inquiries only.
4/21/11
I just saw the introductory peek at The Voice, which will start Tuesday.
I'm not going to miss this. Aside from the music, it looks like a lot
of fun. The "trainers" are Christina Aguilera, Blake Shelton,
Cee Lo Green, and Adam Levine.
Pia Toscano on Dancing With The Stars.
4/18/11
I'm watching a Christina Aguilera DVD (Back to Basics). I love the throaty
voice, and she's an excellent singer, but what I find really special about
her is they way she meshes with her band and the songs.
To often, a top singer keeps their band at arm's length, almost as though they're singing karaoke, and the songs? Well, you have to have songs, right?
She's the very best female singer at putting the whole thing together. I haven't seen him in years, but I think Luis Miguel was like this the last time I saw him live.
Top Five Venues in Phoenix for Touring Bands. How to Get Your Music into Video Games. More tips on Booking Your Band.
4/15/11
I had known for a couple of years that
Kenneth Martinez, one-time singer of Ashbridge, was booking tours for
bands. I hadn't realized how reasonable his rates were. His email
is kenmartinez143 AT aol DOT com. Give him a shout if you're booking
a tour.
Miley Cyrus Not Feeling the Love From America, Won't Tour Here.
Wow. I watched Britney Spears try to destroy her career, before pulling herself back from the brink, but I never thought this would happen to Miley Cyrus, a.k.a. Hannah Montana. I mean, her dad's Billy Ray Cyrus, and she seemed to be so together up until the last year or so.
Well, the nude Miley pictures might or might not be authentic, but she has certainly turned off a lot of her young fans and their parents with other pics that we're seeing. Now, she's saying she's not going to tour America at this time:
I just think right now America has gotten to a place where I don't know if they want me to tour or not. Right now I just want to go to the places where I am getting the most love and Australia and South America have done that for me.
Hey, Miley: America doesn't need to love you. You're the one that needs US.
The reason I think this is a bonehead move on her part, both the touring plans and publicly pouting about America is this: America is the toughest nut to crack, and she's trying to throw away what so many also-ran artists can only dream of.
Sure, Miley Cyrus can make a pretty good living touring the same places that LaToya Jackson would hit. I know Deep Purple is super-successful doing exactly that these days. But this is what you do when you can't quite make it in the Big Time.
Hey, I'm happy that Conan O'Brien is happy with his new show on TBS, but really, is he as big a star as Jimmy Fallon these days? And hey, there are lots of performers that would kill to get a show on the CW Network or even TBS, but what will we be thinking of Charlie Sheen if that's where he is a year from now?
Now, I don't really care what happens to Miley Cyrus. We will have our big music stars here in the USA, whether Miley is one of them or not. But she would do well to think long and hard about what she's doing when she's playing all those shows in the Southern Hemisphere.
4/14/11
Just saw k.d.lang on Good Morning America. What a voice!
4/9/11
Pia Toscano Reportedly Inks Record Deal After Shock 'American Idol' Exit
4/8/11
Hey, I see we Texans might get the right to drive 85 MPH!
Not as big a story as it seems - we already had 80 MPH on some
stretches of I-10 in the middle of nowhere (even more nowhere than
El Paso), and it's only certain places that will get this speed limit.
Anyhow, I like those stories that show Texas to be a state that's just
going to do WHAT THE HELL it wants to. You'll never catch me with
NM plates on my car.
Got a message (I did! as well as a bunch of other people) from Roger Argenis: Hey there! My band Aerial is back.. Gonna record a new album.. add us on Facebook please!
They are actually mentioned in wikipedia (I'm curious as to how hard it is to do that), though I can't see an actual page for them. Anyhow, go here to add Aerial. I'm not sure if that link is permanent.
4/5/11
Hey, I posted a new interview with the legendary reggae star,
Pato Banton!
Pato is appearing at Six Strings, 4/19.
Banning alcohol at Chamizal National Memorial - Man, this is messed up. Whatever problems they had, somebody needs to spend some money, mostly for security, and take care of it. If they ban alcohol, it will take away a lot of the crowd. If nobody is willing to pay for the costs of doing the shows right, with alcohol, then I guess I understand. To be honest, I am not sure how hard it is to get permission to do shows at the city parks, etc., so I don't know how hard it is to do such shows elsewhere.
FWIW, the folks that have the power to ban alcohol at Chamizal are with the U.S. National Park Service.
3/23/11
Last night on Jay Leno, I saw Duran Duran and Rebecca Black, the thirteen-year-old
overnight YouTube sensation. I couldn't believe how together that girl is - much
more so than Justin Bieber, who should be an old hand at TV appearances by now.
I got a kick out of Duran Duran, though I had never been a fan of theirs. Their performance shows a very tight band, now; I appreciate that.
For those of you who don't know, Rebecca Black released a silly dance tune video called Friday about a week and a half ago on Youtube. According to the last number I saw, it has been viewed 28 million times, and she has made $1.4 million dollars off of it, mostly from paid mp3 downloads. She told Good Morning America that some of the comments about her, including that she is the worst singer ever, made her cry. Damn. If I made a sudden million-and-a-half bucks, I wouldn't be able to cry if I tried. I can imagine it would take me several hours just to stop laughing.
Simon Cowell thinks the song is "genius," and that it's hilarious that is has created such an uproar. I'm with him about that second part - it isn't worth getting upset that somebody else is much more successful than you, doing something that you consider to be beneath you. As for his other comment, I think Simon might be a genius, so I'm not going to argue with him.
Oh, I did get a benefit out of all this - I found out the name of that effect I hate so much. It's called auto-tuning.
3/10/11
25 Musical Acts You Need to See Live
Well, I can certainly agree with them that Rolling Stone is full of crap.
3/8/11
Rebirth For Music Retail? Negotiations Begin To Charge Stores
Just 80 Cents Upfront To Stock A CD
6 Easily Avoidable Mistakes for a Band to Make at a Show
How To Actually Make $50,000 a Year As a Musician
3/7/11
Here is a story about a Washington, D.C. awards show that turned into
a brawl. The show honors "local rap, hip-hop and R&B performers,"
and took place at the Crystal City Hyatt.
Rap has such a tie-in with the NBA. I wonder why no connection has developed for it with the NHL.
3/4/11
Hey, glad to hear about the King Octopus reunion! I still wear my K.O.
T-shirt!
2/22/11
How Do You Sell Your Music When You HATE Selling?
Kind of interesting. There are slightly annoying ads for his free music marketing course (which probably leads to a paid course, or a paid something), but that's how marketers are.
2/21/11
Is YouTube Destroying or Saving Music?
Sell Sheet Music Direct-To-Fan with ZMX Music
Edan On How to Improve Your Live Hip Hop Show
Lessons From Jac Holzman (or Respect Your Elders)
The Number of New Releases Is Suddenly Nosediving...
Just got a message from Theta Naught:
Charles,
just wanted to say thanks for the website with list of EP venues. It's helped us get a gig in EP.
Ryan
Theta Naught
Nice to be appreciated. I used to get stuff like this all the time. Little little, I'm getting the site built up to what it used to be, and much more. Stay tuned.
Click Here to see more news.
Alfresco Fridays: Trailer Band, Convention Center Plaza, 8/28
See the Events page for complete listings.
April 16, 2015
I asked Michael Santoscoy of Formal Intent what's up with the band; they were recently signed.
Michael Santoscoy: Just recording for now really motivated and excited for what's coming; got a couple tours planned in the future, so we'll see mate!
EPMS: How many CDs does this make?
Michael Santoscoy: First debut album.
EPMS: What tours do you have planned?
Michael Santoscoy: In-state for the first to see where we pop off being that Texas has a huge variety out of El Paso, and depending on the outcome, we'll plan the second one on the east or west coast.
EPMS: Who, what studio is doing your recording?
Michael Santoscoy: Dynamic Media. It's also our signing label.
EPMS: Recorded in El Paso?
Michael Santoscoy: Yes we're recording here in EP.
Click Here to see the rest of the interview.