Los Hijos De Ismael On WMNF

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“Quiet on the set, we’re live in 5-4-3-2….”, said the DJ Franco Silva of Latino 54 as the theme music started to play. It was a special night for WMNF and Los Hijos De Ismael because it was the very first show of “Latino 54 In Session”, which features a live band throughout the 54 minute show. It was an inauguration if you will, and Los Hijos De Ismael was the first band chosen to be featured on the show.

That night was special for me too, as they gave me a personal invite to see the show as it was being taped.  The band opened my eyes to a wonderful island sound, native to their homes in Cuba and Costa Rica, that I truly fell in love with.  Being American and not leaving the homeland, it’s not always easy to hear music from other countries.  These guys showed me what I was missing all these years and exposed me to a whole new world of music.

Throughout the night, I was serenaded by wonderful vocals and melodies.  Their band includes instruments such as percussion (Bongos & Chimes), bass and acoustic guitars, drums and a saxophone.  The blend of instruments gives a soothing sound that is fresh and enjoyable, mixed with the great vocals of Alejandro and you have a complete package of great music.

Los Hijos De Ismael, translated into “The Sons of Ismael” are brothers who have an alter ego music personality.  The boys love rock, typical of what you and I are more accustomed to, but they take their rock and still throw in their beloved home music sound to it.  That band is called Triptico, their “ROCK” alter ego.  Then they have Los Hijos De Ismael which is their true personality and is what they focus more on because it is the music they grew up loving. When I see these guys, I truly get the feeling that if music was not a part of their lives, they would be lost without an identity.  Their music keeps them close to home, it defines who they are, and you can see how much their music affects their soul.  They are doing something right because it also captured my soul, opened my eyes to something new; not only a music genre but a new culture.

In December they are expected to have their first ever CD released, with their complete band.  We are featuring this band in December which covers the band in more detail.  I am very honored to have been a part of this momentous night, a night of firsts and got to watch this fantastic band be taped for the radio.  I made a podcast of the show which can be downloaded via our iTunes link in the multimedia link and it is also available on WMNF’s radio station www.wmnf.org.  Regardless of where you pick up the Podcast, it’s the full show… the complete interview and about 5 of their hits.  You’ll even hear me give a testimonial to the band.  Don’t miss downloading this piece of history in the Tampa Bay area.

Health Beyond Medicine

With all the hype over malpractice suits, and the dangers of taking harsh drugs that tend to worsen effects than reduce them, I have seen a trend of Eastern medicine start to become a popular solution here in America.  This trend is not only successful in achieving true health, but its healthier!

Dr. Scott Paton of Paton Chiropractic and Sports Medicine in Lutz, FL has recently released a book called “Health Beyond Medicine.”  In this book, Dr. Paton explains the importance of a perfect flowing body for health, which starts with the spine.  The spine is the highway to the brain, should something become jammed up if you wish, the brain can not function properly to fix the problem, thus health problems arise.  Having a good inlined and healthy spine may be the key to a productive healthy life.  Best of all, chiropractic means are safe and recommended for infants to the seasoned adults.

Health Beyond Medicine describes for example, that if you simply make an adjustment at the C2 vertebra, it can reduce and eliminate sinus problems over time.  The book tells you about certain shoes and how they can affect the body if they are not properly fitting, or the right shoe for you.  It goes into great detail about our everyday lives and how it can adversely hurt our body,  but through alternative solutions without costly drugs a change of life habits, chiropractic medicine can vastly improve our lives.

The book is full of  success stories and interviews from his actual cases.  On case happened to be my wife and Dr. Patton discovered that she had a serious case of Osteoporosis  through an X-Ray he performed to help her ACL tear.  At 30 this was unheard of, and most doctors would not take her seriously.  Dr. Patton informed her not to take a no for an answer and she convinced her primary care physician to do the bone density test.  To their surprise, she was off the charts, in dangerous waters so to speak with the condition that shocked the doctors.  Had it not been for Dr. Paton she never would have known her bones were like paper, and now she is getting proper treatment.

Dr. Paton is not just your ordinary chiropractic doctor.  Most people don’t take them seriously but this guy you should.  He worked with the Atlanta Hawks, the NBA team and was on the sports medicine team of the 2000 Olympics in Greece.  Dr. Paton teaches other chiropractors in conventions around the USA, sharing his vast knowledge.

This book is a must for anyone that wants to have a better life and not pay high pharmaceutical prices.  There is never a guarantee, and its not suggested by this magazine to give up what you are doing or stop what your doctors are telling you, but in combination with Chiropractic medicines and alternative solutions you may achieve a better result faster.  The goal of every American is to be drug free and living a healthy lifestyle, so why not try something that can help get to that goal.

We highly suggest reading this book, and talking with Dr. Paton himself as he will guide you in the right path.  There is no medication, no pain and is quick and easy.  I been using him for years and I never felt better, when I was told only surgery would fix my problem. 

His book is $19.99 and can be purchased at his web site http://www.patonchiropractic.com/index.php?p=24657

Angel Blue And The Prophets - Review

Angel Blue And The Prophets’s album “Bottom Of The Bottle Blues” is a great album. I love it.  The album is filled with Angels smooth, powerful yet sultry voice that is so enticing.  Its filled with those great blues sounds similar to the ones that started right out of the deep southern state of Louisana years ago; while bringing an upbeat get on the floor and dance tone to many of her songs.  Throughout the CD I heard many sounds from Country, Jazz, Blues, Pop and even the good ole Rock N Roll.  For me the album covers every aspect of music I like, and its something I feel everyone can listen to and enjoy.  I would certainly recommend this album to anyone.

Angel makes this album special with her many ranges and sounds of her vocals.  She can incorporate a female version of a Jerry Lee Lewis, to a Stevie Ray Vaughn style.  Then she can even go to the very hard voice of Janis Joplin that is legendary throughout the country which truly shows her vocal talents.  I am not saying she sounds exactly like them, she has her own unique sound and style similar to these outstanding greats, which gives the album a great mixture of sounds.

I don’t normally do this with reviews, I usually do the entire album or just a song;  but on this CD they have a song that I just absolutely fell in love with and want to explain why.  That song is called “Shimmy Shaken Low Down Blues.” 

This song has a piano player that can give Jerry Lee Lewis a run for his money.  It almost reminds of the great rock song he made famous in the 1950s like: “Great Balls of Fire.”  If you love Jerry Lee Lewis and the fast pace, great voice, great guitar with piano mix you are sure to love this song. Angel blasts the vocals like a master with great confidence and you can tell she is totally into the song from start to finish! ”Shimmy Shaken Low Down Blues” will make you dance while sending you back in time to the innocent music that we can all love.  Extremely well done!!!! My favorite song of theirs by far. I am a Jerry Lee Lewis fan and it was great to hear someone bring his style of music back to life again!

To buy her CD, see her upcoming shows or just meet the band, check out http://WWW.ANGELBLUEBAND.COM

Yoush Jones - Acrylic Artist

Having years of art behind me, I know that acrylic paints are one of the hardest paints to work with.  They don’t layer as oils do, they can become muddy faster than oils, but on the bright side clean up is easy! Yoush Jones is an acrylic artist that makes the hard task of acrylic painting into a masterpiece.

I looked at his entire collection, carefully studying each piece. I find his work stunning, and found some of the strong points of his talent shown throughout each piece.  Those traits are:

Yoush’s style is one of the things I admire most.   It’s similar to the ancient Japanese style of art found usually on bamboo or rice paper. Closer to home, his work is very consistent to the early Americana style of art.  Coming from New England, I grew up admiring that style of work which is a huge part of my heritage. If you don’t know what I am talking about, think of a painting of a town all lined up, nothing 3D just very simple. Sometimes you find a 3D picture from an early American type painting, but the 2D is just so much more beautiful and profound.

When Yoush paints, he not only creates a beautiful picture but each one tells a story.  In many ways the story overtakes the painting, making it seem life like, you can almost hear it speak.  You may be able to relate to the story it tells or you may get a totally different understanding from someone else.  Telling a story through art is not an easy thing to do, yet Youshm does it so boldly.

I also admire Yoush’s  ability to make the art look aged.  This is something painters and artists struggle to do, they usually don’t want to make it look brand new.  His ability to successfully accomplish this, shows he has a talent that is very valuable in the art field.

Check out his collection online at www.artwanted.com/yosuh.  Also keep an eye out for him in local art galleries around the Tampa Bay area.

Bourbon Street Back To School Bash - Holes And Hearts

Wednesday night at the Bourbon Street Nightclub in New Port Richey, 6 bands were to play at their “Rocker Your Way To School show.” One of the bands on the line-up for the night was our August feature artist, Holes And Hearts. We were there to watch the kids perform and cheer them on.

This was more than just a performance for the band, they were also auditioning to be a regular band at the club, so the performance was extra important. Their dad said before the show to his boys “It’s a Wednesday night show, it will probably be rough, not many people… but you go out there and perform your best like there was 20,000 people watching you and do your best.” They took that advice and did exactly that, and put on a performance that I am still blown away over.

I can sum up their entire performance with just 4 words: brilliant, exciting, amazing, and intense. If Bourbon Street Nightclub does not bring them in as a regular performing band, then they don’t know talent if it was at the end of their nose.

They start out the show with a mix of some 70s rock songs, and on the stage was a box with Holes and Hearts written on the front. Then, blaring out of the speakers comes the song, “Take Another Piece Of My Heart.” by the legendary Janis Joplin. Within a few seconds, the lights drop, the stage lights turn on and young Casey comes on the stage jamming on his guitar. Alone on the stage for about a minuet, his brother Riley busts through the box and starts singing their first song. That caught everyones interest and from that moment they had the crowd.

I stood at the front railing next to the stage and saw the other bands start to come closer to watch these two marvels, following them was the intrigued audience. I tend to observe my surroundings to get a feeling of what’s going on around me, and what I saw was jaws dropping, smiles that went from ear to ear and a crowd that was in awe over the talent and intensity of their show.

I can’t stress intensity enough, I could write it a million times and it won’t convey to you the effect I am trying to imply. Casey and Riley are so intense they make you feel every emotion. They dance, they jam, they jump, their faces will capture the moment and make you live the emotion of the story they are telling. What’s even more amazing about these two boys is their age. At 12 and 13, they perform on stage as if they were seasoned rock veterans, they write songs like they are adults, and they believe in themselves and their songs so much their confidence wins the audience over.

They ended to a standing ovation, and some one in the crowd screamed, “The Jonas Brothers have nothing on you guys, YOU ROCK.” I even over heard the crowd talking as they were breaking the stage down, and one comment I thought was interesting was this, “Those boys are decades beyond their age, their stage presence gave me chills - simply amazing.” I concur, a very entertaining and intense show, a true talent if I ever saw one. I can’t wait for when they get older to see what their music and performance will evolve into. I know it can only get better.

Holes and Hearts are on the verge of becoming a house hold name, give them just a few months or maybe a year or two.

To me, they outshined the other bands that night and gave a stellar performance. If you have the chance to see them live, do so, it will be a performance you never forget. ROCK ON LITTLE DUDES! I think Janis Joplin would be proud to know her song is what you take the stage to.

Triptico - Rock With A Spanish Twist

I love a good rock band. Triptico is not only good, but they put a fresh twist on rock music by adding Spanish influence to it. Their music still contains all the typical elements we know and love from our American rock bands, but it has an island-Spanish feel to it that really make Triptico fun to listen to. It’s a genius blend of two cultures to make for a great sound. Some of their songs are in their native Spanish tongue, but some of them are in English. Honestly, when they sang in Spanish I didn’t notice or care that I couldn’t understand the lyrics, I was enjoying the sound too much to worry about it.

Their stage performance is amazing, adding to their great songs. When they played at Bourbon Street Nightclub, the bassist played on the same guitar as the guitarist creating a jaw dropping spectacle the crowd.

Triptico can really jam out. They are very capable musicians with crystal clear vocals, who are at the start of something big. If you like the magic of Santana, this band is for you. Check them out on their MySpace page for upcoming shows and to hear some of their work,
www.myspace.com/tripticoband

Still Life - Bourbon Street Nightclub Review

Still Life is an interesting young female band fresh out of Venezuela, ready to live the American dream.  I got the pleasure to watch them live at the Bourbon Street Nightclub Sunday night and I must say I was quite intrigued with their music.

Still Life delivers a psychedelic alternative rock sound, their music is something you can drift away with.  It’s hard to put into words what they sound like unless you hear it for yourself. They are that unique, which is a welcome addition to our local music scene. I would attempt to sum it up as a mix between Enya and the Cranberries mixed with their native Spanish tongue.  When thrown all together it’s an “En-berry Margarita” that compliments anyones appetite of those alternative rock dishes!

The vocals are strong and beautifully executed, a charismic chant that will rock and soothe you at the same time, while capturing your soul.  I can say they have a very unique sound that captivated me the instant I heard it.  Their music is something I could listen to for hours and get lost in my own little world.  I love it!

Still Life will be performing at the Bourbon Street Nightclub again September 11, 2008.  If you missed them Sunday night, don’t miss them when they come back.  Until then, you can hear their music and check out their photos at www.myspace.com/stillliferockmusic

Her Revenge - Album Review

When I first saw their MySpace page, I expected something completely different from what I heard.  I was expecting head thrashing, paint your nails black death metal.  What I got was a pleasant surprise, an alternative sound with a hint of today’s modern grunge. It goes to show you, don’t judge a book (or MySpace) by its cover. 

Her Revenge will appeal to those into everything from grunge to metal to pop.  I love their sound, they don’t incorporate that “breathy” sound many grunge singers like American Idol winner, David Cook brings.  Instead Her Revenge has more of a Bo Bice sound that is energetic, poetic and raw. They will persuade you to stomp your feet rocking out with them, chill with their poetic ballads that will take you back to the 80’s, and get you up and dancing with their song Super Star.  Her Revenge successfully combines these very different genres into one album without loosing their own identity for one second.

Their singer has a great voice; powerful, soothing and crisp all at the same time. Most importantly he demonstrates excellent vocal control, which is key to leading a good rock band.  The songs have upbeat guitar riffs that will send engergy staight through your spine.

I would definately add this CD to my collection, or if you are “hip” you will get the album on MP3.   Check Her Revenge out on their MySpace page at www.myspace.com/herrevengeband

Criss Angel Clearwater Hotel Review

I personally am a fan of Criss Angel, but this stunt left me with mixed emotions; not the way I saw him ending his career.  I was not impressed with this stunt at all, although the drama was there all the way through, the ending was weak and did not live up to the hype.

The act started with Criss outside handcuffed to the balcony railing on the second floor of the hotel. The clock started at 10:50 P.M. and Criss easily escaped from the Smith-Wesson police-issued handcuffs.  He then had to pick the door lock to enter the hotel room.  He failed, and shattered the hotel room window to avoid wasting too much time.

Its here my doubts about the act started, because within 2 to 4 seconds he managed to run through the hotel room, out the room door, run down the hall, open the first door to the stairway, and run up to the first flight of stairs to the second lock to pick?  Come on even the “Flash” would’ve had trouble pulling that off.

At the second door, he picked it without any complications, and ran up the next flight of stairs till he hit the roof.  At this point he is at about 1:30 seconds before implosion.  Criss then attempts to pick the final lock that will lead him to the roof and safety.  Unfortunately, he had the hardest time picking this lock, a lock he must pick to get out of the building alive.  The clock ticked down to 30 seconds, and the helicopter by law had to leave, so even if Criss managed to pick the lock he was stranded on the roof top.  Technically the act failed, and he was about to meet his demise.

The clock struck 0:00 and Criss still had not picked the lock.  The cameras go dead before you hear any blasting, which seemed a bit funny to me, and in seconds a magnificent display of pyrotechnics took down the Clearwater hotel, with Criss Angel inside. Certainly the most awesome part of the whole act.

At 10:58 P.M. Criss emerged from the scene, shocking the audience, but you didn’t see him fight his way out of the rubble, instead you see him crossing the street to get to the beach, this part to me, destroyed the act proving it was rigged. They could have made it look more believable. First of all, it’s impossible to survive 4500 tons of concrete falling down on ones body.  If Criss went down with the hotel and survived, he would have been buried in the ruble like the World Trade Center victims. None of them came walking out, they were dug out by rescue workers. The same would be true in this case as well. Even if Criss was on the roof when it imploded he still would have been buried alive. Upon walking across the street, Criss not only had no cuts or blood, odd for someone who just experienced sharp shards of concrete and steel falling all around him. His acting was terrible. He tried to look dazed and confused while walking a straight line with vigor. The concrete dust on him looked like one of those old Rice Crispy Treat commercials, where the mother throws flour in her face, to give the effect that she slaved over these treats all day, when really she was in the kitchen reading; it looked like someone threw concrete dust on him right in his face, because the rest of his body from the waste down was clean. Nobody would act or look as clean as he did if they went down with a building.  They should have brought him out with glory, clean as a whistle, like he magically “poofed” himself out at the last minute.  That would have been more amazing.

Overall, the master escape artist could not pick 2 of the 3 locks; not like Criss at all.  The act totally failed and it was so rigged at the end, that for me, this act was a complete disappointment. I’ll say it again, what a lame way to end your escape career. They said if he pulls this off he would earn his spot with the masters like Houdini and Copperfield, now we all know that it’s an illusion, but at least Copperfield and Houdini made it look real at the end.  Criss did not earn his place with those guys off this act.

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** I used the instance of the World Trade Center to convey a point that I hope everyone could understand what it takes to survive a building that collapsed; you can’t just crawl out of it like Angel did.  I hate that I had to use this example, but its the only example I know that publicly showed on TV that someone could relate to.  Every time something like this happens its a tragedy. I never meant any disrespect or to make fun of the tragic event.  I respect all that died and died trying to save the entrapped.  The World Trade Center, and the families of the 9-11 event will always be high in my heart full of my respect and forever on my mind!  They will never be forgotten!  Their lives will never be lost in vain!

Journey Won’t Stop Believing

This morning I crawled out of bed to my alarm, which had been ringing in my ear for about eight minutes. Stumbled to the closet to get dressed (in clothes that I realized hours later did not match), brushed my teeth and rushed to work. It wasn’t until I said ‘good morning’ to a co-worker passing by my office that I realized I had seriously lost my voice. She was also kind enough to point out that my hair was a mess. After fixing my hair in the bathroom, I smiled and re-assured myself that these are signs indicating last night was a good night. I couldn’t help but write this review of the Journey show I attended last night at the Ford Amphitheatre!

Back to yesterday: I’m at my desk staring down the clock with an hour until I leave straight to the concert. The Weather Channel indicates that there is a 90% chance of rain. Did I mention that we had lawn tickets, which have nothing covering you overhead? Even if it didn’t pour the whole night, I’d never sat in the lawn section and was not looking forward to being so far from the stage and speakers. I have to admit I was doubtful at best that I would have a good time at this show. To make matters worse, I had just found out that Steve Perry, Journey’s original singer and songwriter, is no longer touring and that a new guy had replaced him.

My wife and I met up with two of our friends to drive together (although the parking ended up being free), and picked up our tickets pretty quickly. We all met up with the other couple joining us and found the closest open patch of grass to the stage we could. Luckily we all got there early enough to get a spot that wasn’t right in front of a giant pillar. We laid down our blankets and chairs, sat for a while, then I decided to buy a $13 cup of rum and Coke-I was ready for some 80’s pop/rock.

Natives to the Tampa area, Cheap Trick, opened the show as we were walking in. It sounded like they were a cheap opening act. I have to say I was really looking forward to hearing them almost as much as Journey, and that they have written a few of my favorite songs, but Cheap Trick was the biggest disaster I have ever heard. Granted part of it was that their sound guy had such a noisy, unclear mix you could only hear half of what was going on. The half that I could hear was sloppy and lackluster, almost like they had been playing the same songs for the last 25 years. At this point I was becoming very concerned that our lawn seats simply weren’t close enough to the speakers, and the whole show would be ruined by not being able to hear. I was amused with how they “finished” their set, received no encore, then proceeded to play more songs anyway. Big let down.

Next to take the stage was Heart. I had no expectations for them and could only have named two of their songs. I figured as long as they were better than Cheap Trick I would be happy. The moment they played their first riff I could tell that the sound was going to be pristine and clear. It was also starting to get dark, so the stage lights got cranked up which made it much easier to see the band. Things were starting to look up. Heart was excellent, almost as entertaining as the inebriated 40-year-old women who were attempting to dance to them. One of my favorite parts of their set was when they masterfully performed a Led Zeppelin song. I would say that I am now a fan. It wasn’t until Heart had finished their set that I noticed we had not had a single raindrop fall on us yet, amazingly. The weather was almost like a misty haze that kept the temperature comfortable. Everything was falling in place.

After a short wait, the stage went pitch black and crazy noises started blaring through the speakers. Everyone new that it was Journey, and when the lights came up the whole crowd went nuts. They came roaring out of the gate playing four consecutive songs without stopping. The first thing I noticed was that the new singer was about twenty years younger than the rest of the band, but actually looked similar to Steve Perry. It was clear that he sounded astonishingly like the voice of Journey we’ve always known and loved. The guitar solos were top notch, the synthesizer was full and huge, the drums were thunderous. Did I mention that the singer was blow-you-away-incredible? The whole show was awesome. The weather stayed favorable. I have to admit, unlike Cheap Trick, Journey sounds fresh as ever. They could have easily kept up with any group of 25 year olds. I can’t say that I had the privilege of seeing them in the 80’s, but Journey put on an incredible show that made for a late, but special night.

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