Musica, Arte, Café y... Emociones! Mi primer experiencia con La Sien @Bohemeo's

(mobil)Photo by DANGERman

La Sien es una banda relativamente nueva, pero bien completa en todos los sentidos. Mi primer experiencia viéndolos tocar en vivo tomo lugar en Bohemeo's, un pequeño café/bar situado pocas millas al Este del centro de la ciudad de Houston, donde uno puede disfrutar de musica en vivo acompañado por un cafecito casero, cerveza helada o un bocadillo con una copa de vino al gusto. Claro, no voy a listar el menú completo, pero este es sin duda el tipo de lugar donde las bandas y los clientes gozan recíprocamente la música en un ambiente intimo y agradable.

Siempre me he sentido como en casa en este lugar y esta noche no fue la excepción, la unica raridad fue que sin saberlo, esta se convertiría en una noche tumultuosa e inesperadamente emocionante, donde fuí testigo de la primer trifulca en la historia de este lugar, la cual llevaría de fondo una banda sonora cortesía de La Sien, quienes Iniciaron su set con "El desgraciado" una cancion engañosamente tranquila pero super energética que puede tomar a cualquiera por sorpresa.

La ejecución musical de esta banda es sinceramente impresionante. Dave, El bajista es energético y su habilidad musical es un agasajo. Jay, el baterista tiene el poder, exactitud y la consistencia perfectos para este proyecto musical. La voz de Fabricio Ycaza, cantante/guitarrista/compositor y fundador de la banda es inponente y su interpretación logra transmitir el sentimiento detras de cada una de sus letras; sobra decir que su habilidad en la guitarra no se queda nada atrás. En general esta es una banda que entretiene y su musica es agradable y muy atractiva, aunque en momentos senti que la voz de Mónica, corista de la banda se perdía detras de la de Fabricio, el cantante.

Fue un set breve pero emocionante, con canciónes que varían entre compases animados y baladas rítmicas con una estructura  progresiva llena de cambios que a veces eran inesperados y cuyos arreglos muestran versátilmente las influencias musicales de esta banda, las cuales sin duda provienen puramente del rock alternativo y estan mezcladas con algo de funk, hard rock y blues. Sus integrantes reúnen todos los elementos necesarios para montar exitosamente un set musical en el que todos y cada uno de ellos logran resaltar en su propio momento.

En general, La Sien es una banda muy entretenida en vivo, me dejaron con ganas de más y no puedo esperar a verlos una vez más para ver que tipo de sorpresas traen consigo. La sien se encuentra grabando su primer CD y estará haciendo algunas presentaciónes alrededor de la ciudad de Houston. Para más información, visita la página oficial de La Sien o su pagina en facebook.


Por lo mientras, aqui los dejo con "caminante" tema extraído de su primer demo promocional.

  La Sien - Caminante

"Following the Star" by Espantapájaros... What a trip!

I previously posted how "Following the star" the new EP by Espantapájaros had come into my hands and I promised to write a review about it.

The chance to sit down and finally listen to this CD kept dodging me for some time after I got it. I already knew the songs from the time when Pablo, founder and leading vocalist had given them to me in '07 so I thought there couldn't be much difference between them and this, their debut release.

I've always been fond of Espantapájaros and the original recordings are very much to my liking, but I always found their sound to be kind of bland. Such is not the case here... "Following the star" has clearly undergone a total renovation that although alluding of the songs I've become accustomed to, it has now turned into the product it was meant to be. The sound is polished with such detail that it now has an entire new aural anatomy with properties that turn it into a great piece of musical herb that you want to put in your pipe and smoke it. The flow of the songs, from Psicotrópico to Wing Sun Disc, make the entire listening experience very enjoyable and engaging from start to finish. The only downside to this magical trip is that it's too brief and it leaves you jonesing for more. Which brings me to the thought... when is the next CD coming out? That; I don't know... It took a long time for this one to become a reality, but something tells me it won't be long.

Photo by Alma Rosas

So, in the end I have to say that not only is Espantapájaros one of the best bands in Houston... without a doubt. But also that their EP, "Following the star" is definitely worth getting. If you're a fan of soulful, lyrically-rich songs to kick back to, you'll surely enjoy it! Espantapájaros is currently on tour. For a complete list of dates and other details visit their website or follow them on facebook or ReverbNation for more information.

"Following The Star" is available on iTunes

  Espantapájaros - Where Do You Go

Working hard, or hardly working... a look at PROFUGOS.

Los Prófugos, (The Fugitives) or just PROFUGOS as they call themselves nowadays, is a band from San Luis Potosí, Mexico. I first heard of them  in late '08 and back then I thought they really had a lot going for them. I received some of their demo songs from someone inside the band, I don't remember who it was... but I like them and still keep them on rotation in my iTunes library.

Today, I sit here contemplating just how much progress they have made in the amount of time I haven't heard from them and all I can say is that something must've gotten lost somewhere along the way.

It's kinda weird but I've always thought of this band as a marriage between The Rolling Stones and U2. I heard their latest tracks recently on myspace and all-in-all they're fairly easy on the ears. I had already gotten used to and enjoyed their demo material from '08, but the incorporation of electronic elements via sequencers and other devices is a welcome one. I would've probably  toned it down a bit, though. It sometimes seems like they just wanted to fill certain songs with something and the only thing around was a keyboard but they ran out of ideas pretty quick. Their lyrics are simple and easy to sing along to in most instances and that's always a good thing in my book. But one thing that's always bothered me is when bands from México (or other Latin countries) decide to write and sing in English in an effort to... I don't know... Cross over?! To what I have to say; if you don't know the language, don't Freaking do it!!

Prófugos is among those bands I'm talking about, whether it's an all-English song or a mix of both languages to gain acceptance in a broader market, as is the case of "Prismas" or "Mary Di" ...If your grammar is wrong and your pronunciation is weak, it's NOT gonna work. Which brings me to my next observation... The singer is, in my opinion, the band's weakest link. I give him some credit for at least trying to create his own style, but I think it lacks technique and the recordings suffer because of it. More effort should go into execution and not style. The quality of their new recordings is very decent and has been improving since the time I first heard of them. In think, however; that one of the best laid out and better-sounding tracks is the remix version of "Me Siento Mejor" most likely done by a DJ and not someone in the band. I bet that whoever made it had "fun" trying to make the vocals work for this track.

Overall, I think that PROFUGOS is a good band and that their shortcomings can be easily overcome with time and effort. They need to step outside themselves, see and hear what needs to be corrected and do it. But more importantly, they need to stop slacking... Other than that, they could be on their way to becoming a GREAT band. You can hear their music and more on their myspace page.

  Los Profugos - Me siento mejor

Meet Paulette, a new and refreshing set of faces in Houston's Spanish Rock scene.

This is a band I first heard of back in Mid-2010 and let's just say that I wasn't very impressed. Fortunately, they became aware that things had to change if they really wanted to succeed and took matters into their own hands.

Knowing it was going to take a huge effort and a lot of work in their part to ameliorate the situation, in early 2011 they decided to take some time off to analyze their circumstances and took the first step towards reaching their goals and under new management, performed a total overhaul of their image, refined their songs and worked on everything else that needed improvement and resurfaced in Mid-2011 as Paulette, ready to take on the challenges that await. The guys of Paulette didn't waste time, they put together a powerful set to help them conquer Houston's discerning public and jumped straight into the local Spanish Rock scene armed with a completely new strategy.

I must say, I do see a lot of improvements but I'm not yet impressed and I have yet to be blown away by them, but I get the feeling that if they keep putting this much effort in things, at this rate, it's going to happen... soon. Today, they're working on their debut album "...Ahora estoy mejor" to be released in July. You can follow Paulette on facebook or by visiting their Reverbnation page. So stop by, check out their music and if you dig what you hear, don't forget to let them know by pressing the like button on their profile.

"Monkeying" around at The 2011 Houston International Festival.

It's that time of the year again for the annual Houston International Festival and the occasion is extra special for us because we were invited to go with CHangoMan. The Houston International Festival, or "iFest" as it's known around here, is organized by the same non-profit organization that's been doing it since 1971 and supported by the city. The purpose is to celebrate our city's cultural diversity by promoting a different culture or region of the globe each year. 2011 sees the celebration of China, India and other countries of the Silk Road. There is definitely way too much to cover here, but all I can say is that if you live here or plan to visit Houston during Spring, you have to come to the iFest.

I was present during the first weekend and had a lot of fun with my kids (yes it's a family event). Sure, we were there to "work" but you can't help to have fun when you're walking around the various streets where the festival is held, going from booth to booth and from one stage to the other enjoying all the different kinds of food, drinks and music available. We had fun alright, especially when it was time for CHangoMan to get on stage and shine. And shine they did... not only once, but twice and on different stages.

This video is a sample of the show and it features CHangoMan "The Cumbia-Rock Kings" performing their rendition of the classic "We will rock you" by Queen.
Enjoy!

For more information about the Houston International Festival visit iFest's website.
And to see this and other videos or to learn more about the ACEtrax family of artists, subscribe today to our channel on YouTube. For future show dates you can visit CHangoMan's ReverbNation page or join them on facebook. And don't forget that their album "Everybody wants to go to heaven" is now available on iTunes

New album "Everybody wants to go to heaven" now available on iTunes

Heaven and Hell clash in a recording that could very well be one of the best Latin-Rock albums in Houston's music history.

Regarded in Houston as one of the most anticipated full-length albums by a local Latin Band. The third studio album by Mexican-American Latin Rock & Pop veteran Faustino "Tino" Ortega's "Everybody wants to go to heaven" marks his debut under the name of CHangoMan.
After almost three years in the making, long-awaited by fans of this show-stopping band and other local music aficionados, the record is finally here. Released under Indy label ACEtrax Music and featuring contributions by some of Houston's best musicians such as Bruce Jamison, José "Makiko" and Victor Luna (Passion D'Luna), William Cohn, Greg Haro, Evelyn Sarabia, Felipe Tristan, Miles Lott, Mark Ridell and Paul Beebe (Beetle/Thunderado), among others.

Leading man Tino Ortega manages to meet all expectations and truly delivers the goods. Co-produced by Tino Ortega and Paul Beebe, recording sessions for the album took place from 2007 to 2009 at The Beebe Gunn Studio and various other recording studios and the final mix was completed and mastered in late 2010 by DANGERman Aceves at ACEtrax audio-worx.

This album gathered some of Houston's most talented musicians, under Tino's direction, with the intention of creating a unique blend of styles and rhythms, with the promise to delight people of all backgrounds, creeds, religious beliefs and social standings with songs like "The Devil's Cumbia", "Fucked Up", "Vuelve", "The Border Song" and even a catchy tune dedicated to one of Mexico's most popular foods, the "Tamales" ..."Everybody Wants to go to Heaven" speaks of love, hate, hope, fear, sin and redemption. And it symbolizes one man's search for inner-peace and enlightenment, through music.

  CHangoMan - Tamales

  CHangoMan - Cumbia Revolution


"Everybody Wants to go to Heaven" is available on CD format at all local Houston-area record shops, live shows and via mail-order directly from ACEtrax Music. A deluxe version, containing an exclusive bonus track not included on the CD is available for digital download on iTunes and all other digital media retailers.

©&℗2011 ACEtrax Music. All Rights Reserved.

"Con luces de colores y sombras de neón" ...Ha llegado The Nephi You a Houston.

No es muy seguido que algo me inspira a escibir en Español. Pero después de haber escuchado la música de "The Nephi You" quedé super deleitado con sus canciones y el colorido relleno musical que ellas contienen. Me sentí transportado a la Plaza Zócalo, rodeado por las luces, colores y sabores de la ciudad de México.

La primera vez que ecuché a esta banda originaria de la Cuidad de México, pensé que su musica no solamente era diferente a cualquier otra cosa que había escuchado anteriormente, si no también; que su estilo musical es sin duda alguna incomparable.
Pero su originalidad vá mas alla de la música. "The Nephi You" surgió de la expresión creativa de un grupo de músicos y artistas y representantes del “street art” mexicano.

Este fenómeno musical, representado por una ardilla maníaca se dió a conocer en las calles de la ciudad de México pegando posters y repartiendo estampitas, las cuales se han vuelto tan codiciadas que hasta los famosos las desean. Pero fué en las redes sociales que se dieron a conocer con su peculiar forma de promoverse, causado una gran sensación entre jóvenes y adultos, resultando en un ascenso astronómico de popularidad dentro de los sitios y páginas más conocidas a nivel mundial como twitter, donde el perfil de la ardilla fue votado “Mr Twitter, 2009” en mas de una ocasión, en facebook donde acumularon sus primeros 3000 amigos en tiempo récord y en myspace, donde han logrado colocar su página varias veces en el “Top-ten” de popularidad de los Estados Unidos y en el segundo lugar de myspace Latino, donde llegaron a mantenerse por cuatro semanas consecutivas.

Pero The Nephi You es un proyecto que va mas allá de la mercadotécnia y la popularidad en la red. Su música les ha conseguido más de 120 menciones notables en artículos de revistas musicales nacionales de México y en blogs internacionales en España y Japón.

  The Nephi You - X-1

 Hoy en día, The Nephi You hace su debút en el mercado internacional bajo el sello independiente de ACEtrax Music y se encuentran planeando la conquista del mundo, partiendo desde Houston como base. Para mas información, visita la página de The Nephi You en ReverbNation, síguelos en facebook o visita su canal en YouTube.

This Valentine's day, Love is in the air with Déjame Soñar... A love for emulation, that is.

Déjame Soñar, which roughly translates to "Let me dream" in English, is a band from San Luis Potosí, México. They're without a doubt one of the best Spanish happy-punk bands I've heard.
And I say "one of the best" because there really aren't that many of them out there. Their sound is very pleasant and their songs are well put together, but there's a reason for that... I found a lot of similarities between their music and that of many of today's top alternative bands in the US like "Blink 182", "Boys like girls", "Cute is what we aim for", "Fallout boy", "Forever the sickest kids", "The Cab", "The Academy is" and... Well, let's just say that the list is quite extensive.

I know all musicians are somehow influenced by the music they listen to and that sometimes such influences can inadvertently find their way into their music. Some even use these influences as a starting point when starting their music project, but there HAS to be a limit to the amount of musical arrangements and overall song structure you can emulate, or downright copy from someone else.
And Déjame Soñar's debut album "No daré un paso atras" is plagued with such plagiarism.
The lyrics of their songs are decent and the album sounds great, but that's about it. The singer in particular needs a lot of improvement. I know it's not easy to sing in the tone he's chosen; I mean, he makes a good effort to reach his notes, but falls short in terms of delivery (thank goodness for auto-tune). I would've liked to have heard something with a hint of originality; anything to tell me who they really are and what their band is all about, but I didn't. I do, however; have to send props to the drummer, that kid is freaking awesome. In short, these guys are pretty good, but so are a lot of cover bands, which is what these kids sound like.

  Déjame Soñar - Hasta La Cima Del Cielo

Déjame Soñar has a lot of potential and I like them. Hopefully they'll make an effort to find themselves and actually create their own original sound for their next album and stop "borrowing" ideas from other folks. Their debut album "No daré un paso atrás..." is available from ACEtrax Music as a deluxe edition on iTunes. If you're looking for a new take on the happy-punk genre (in Spanish) pick it up today!

©&℗2011 ACEtrax Music. All Rights Reserved.

CHangoMan LIVE, through the eyes of the average concert-goer.

This is the first installment in a new video series called "A Concert-goer's Point Of View". A collection of videos created to showcase local bands on stage and "in their element". Presented from the vantage point of a person in attendance at the venue.
Sometimes, the viewer may have a front row seat, other times they might be standing in the back while drinking a cold one, but whatever the location, this series will take you to the show LIVE as if you were there yourself.

In this chapter, we are fortunate to have a side, front view of the stage, all eyes focusing on CHangoMan "The Cumbia-Rock Kings" LIVE at the Continental Club in Houston, on 1/20/2011 and performing "Come Together" the Beatles' classic we all know and love, but in their own special style.

For this and other videos of local shows featuring the best local bands performing live or to learn more about the ACEtrax family of artists, subscribe to our YouTube channel.

For future show dates you can visit CHangoMan's ReverbNation page or join them on facebook.

And don't forget that their album "Everybody wants to go to heaven" is now available on iTunes