DB Media has announced their top five bands under consideration for the 2011 DB Media Entertainment “Band of The Year Award.”  Winners will receive a trophy and other prizes.

“There have been a number of bands we’ve seen this year,” Production Assistant Kathleen Hartman said recently. “But these bands are the ones that have stood out this year.  We are happy to be able to showcase these bands and hope their fans will participate in the contest.

The contest winner will be the band that receives the most votes beginning today, Friday December 9th thru Friday December 23rd.

The bands under consideration are:

One-Eyed Doll – The dynamic duo of Jason Rufus Sewell and Kimberly Freeman have been away from their home state of Texas for most of the year working with Producer Sylvia Massy, (Tool, System of a Down, Johnny Cash) on a new full-length album to be released next year. Freeman, who was named the 2011 Hottest Chick in Hard Rock in Revolver Magazine, recently announced a Winter Tour with Mushroomhead. Kimberly Freeman is one of the most dynamic front women in Rock music today.  Freeman is sponsored by Tregan Guitars and has her own Signature Guitar.

A Good Rogering – Also sponsored by Tregan Guitars, A Good Rogering (AGR) have been touring off their latest release “Long Overdue” and working in the studio on their next release for the past few months.  The team of Skunk Manhattan and Chef Bull RD have now incorporated a full time drummer, Rex into the fold for a powerful trio that will shake the very foundations of your rock and roll soul.

JJ Henson & Snakebite Ridge – San Antonian JJ Henson began singing at Bluegrass Festivals when he was 11 years old with his granddad Dub Grissom.  After serving in the Military, JJ came back to music and found himself at the Colgate Country Music Showdown and in deep competition with Nashville Recording Artist Buddy Jewell, making it as far as the semi-finals. Henson came back to Texas and formed Snakebite Ridge and began touring around the state.  It wasn’t long before he was asked to represent the State of Texas in the Grand Ole Opry’s “Sing Against The Stars” contest where he placed 14th out of 58 contestants.  This year, Henson made it to the Semi-Finals of the hit NBC Show “The Voice.”

Devil’s Hollow – A true Texas Jam Band reminiscent of The Allman Brothers, San Marcos, Texas based Devil’s Hollow have all the elements of a great band, musicality, great writing, charisma, and raw talent that make this South Texas five piece one of the most exciting bands to listen to and better yet, see live.

Say Revenge! – This band has so much upside you cannot help but be excited about their prospects.  Say Revenge! released their debut CD “Rough Night, Sugar?” in November to rave reviews.  The band consists of Christina Rodriguez (aka Gigi Rodden), Maria Benevides (aka Mari Mayham), Ed Gutierrez (aka Franken-Eddie) and Chris Compean (aka Chris Crash).  “Rough Night, Sugar?” is what a debut album should be; full of talent, lust, love and of course, zombies!

Vote for your favorite band via the attached poll.

New Album Cover

There are no political statements; no screams for reform and no message other than The Krayolas have arrived…yet again. With the release of the bands newest output, “Tipsy, Tovy, Turvy,” The Krayolas are mastering the art of conquering past success by turning it on its head, getting back to basics and producing the kind of straight ahead Rock and Roll that made their name synonymous with the San Antonio music scene.

“I’m very proud of the album. It’s pure Krayolas rock ‘n’ roll,” Krayolas front man Hector Saldana said recently. “No bullshit. No Augie or Flaco or Tex-Mex hype. We recorded it when we got back from NYC this summer. The inspiration was just that raw feel of “1070,” which we cut right before the NY/East Coast tour. It’s definitely not an album for just an album’s sake.”

The title track for the record, “Tipsy, Tovy, Turvy” was born out of a bout of insomnia where Hector found himself watching old black and whites in the early morning hours. “”Tipsy Topsy Turvy” is a song that came out of my chronic insomnia. It was inspired by the 1931 film “Little Caesar.” I couldn’t sleep one night and started watching this old black and white gangster film where the bad guy gets shot and dies behind the billboard sign advertising Tipsy Topsy Turvy. So I turned him into a chick and wrote it as a rock ‘n’ roll song.”

That’s nothing new in the strategy of the bands songwriting history. They see something that sparks their interest and what doesn’t make it into Hector’s (the bands chief songwriter) San Antonio Express-News column comes out in other ways, namely the lyrics. “The bottom line: The Krayolas recorded two great albums in 2010 — “Americano” and “Tipsy Topsy Turvy.” That’s quite a creative output in context of “La Conquistadora,” “Long Leaf Pine,” “Americano” and “Tipsy Topsy Turvy.” I think you have to go back to early ’70s classic Elton John for that sort of one-after-another spurt,” Saldana said.

You too can catch Krayolas fever when they perform at the biggest media festival in the United States, South by Southwest. The Krayolas have two showcases at SXSW 2011. On Saturday, March 19 they will play Alejandro Escovedo’s annual SXSW Day Party at Maria’s Taco Xpress and a little later at Ten Oak (formerly Alamo Drafthouse). Both are official SXSW sanctioned. On Sunday, March 20, Hector will be a guest on Dave Marsh’s SIRIUS XM “Kick Out the Jams!” SXSW edition.

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Additional Information:

Album: Tipsy, Tovy, Turvy

Artist: The Krayolas – Hector Saldana, David Saldana, Van Baines, J.R. Jasso

Special Guest: Bennie Harp, Luvine Elias Jr., The Westside Horns

Album Available at: www.thekrayolas.com, Amazon, I Tunes, Waterloo Records, Hogwild Records

The Krayolas in March:

March 18, 2011 – At the Pan American Festival, Emma Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Arts Center, Austin, Tx. With Ozomatli, Kumbia Kings and Latin Breed. Show starts at 4:15 p.m.

March 19, 2011 – Alejandro Escovedo’s Annual SXSW Day Party – Maria’s Taco Xpress, Austin, TX. 3 p.m.

March 19, 2011 – Ten Oak (formerly Alamo Drafthouse), Austin, TX 11 p.m.

March 20, 2011 – The official SXSW edition of SIRUS XM’s Kick out the Jams with host Dave Marsh, Live from KUT 90.5 FM, Austin, TX 9-11 a.m.

March 25, 2011 – With The Texas Tornados at Gruene Hall, New Braunfels, TX 8:30 p.m.

 Insurance is a necessity and in this day and age everyday folks are struggling to keep everything they need protected.  Whether it’s your health, your car or your home, insurance costs are skyrocketing across the board.  Here are a few tips from Belinda Dukes, a Territory Manager with Liberty Mutual Insurance.

 Communication is the key to saving money.  Make sure you have a great relationship with your agent and not the couple of times a year conversations that most people have.  Here are some tips for your auto insurance:

•    Show Report Cards – Yup, show off your kid’s report card.  If you have a Youth Driver in the household that also makes good grades, make sure your agent gets a copy of his or her report card.  Most insurance companies participate in a Good Grades Program.
• l Auto and Home on One – Combine your both auto and home insurance (and any other toys you may have – bike, boat etc) for an added benefit that helps to lower the bottom line.
•   Safe Driver Discount – Haven’t had a ticket or accident in a while?  Make sure your talk with your agent annually to see if you qualify for better discount.
•  Take Defensive Driving – That’s right.  Even if you haven’t received a ticket, (and especially if you have) take Defensive Driving for an added savings on your policy.
•   Student At Collage – If your kid is away at school, go ahead and drop them off of your policy until they return.  Then add them back on.
•  New Car – When buying a new car, make sure you speak to your agent about the limits and liabilities need to cover your vehicle and work that into your car payment.  A lot of people go home with a new car just to find that their insurance payment is nearly the same as the car payment.
•  Free Title – Is your loan paid off?  Most people forget that you can drop to just liability insurance after your vehicle is one hundred percent yours. 

 Ms. Dukes also had some tips for saving money on your Homeowners Insurance:

•   Sound Off – Make sure you install an Alarm System into your home with active monitoring for an added discount.
•  Good Credit – If you have high credit ratings, make sure your insurance agent, both home and auto, are notified.  Good credit scores help to lower your rates.
•  Deductible – Make sure you opt for highest deductible you can afford.  This move will help your bottom line.  If you can afford to pay for 1% of your home’s value, you’ll save money.
•  Newer homes equal lower premiums.
•  Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff – Take care of your small claims yourself and you’ll save money.
• Use electronic payments to save on fees.

 While it would be great to qualify for all of these discounts, and some of you can, not everyone will.  The key to saving money on your insurance is communication.  Having a great relationship with your agent can save you money and help keep your family and possessions safe.

Jamming At The SDQ Tribute Show

Shawn Sahm receives award on dad Doug’s birthday

Fans of Doug Sahm, the Texas Tornados or The Sir Douglas Quintet came out and packed Antone’s to capacity Friday night.  A number of prominent Texas musicians joined them under the stars of Austin to celebrate the love, music, life and general groovyness of the one and only Douglas Wayne Sahm, Sir Doug for short. 

 They also came to help raise funds for a monument that will be placed on Doug Sahm Hill, a park in heart of Austin.  The show list certainly proves that Sir Doug made an impact on many musicians, and could have been a headliner from many different eras in Texas music.  The Sir Douglas Quintet II (featuring Shawn Sahm and Augie Meyers), The Texas Tornados, Jimmy Vaughn, Joe King Carrasco, Tortilla Flats, The Krayolas, Paul Ray Cobras, Greezy Wheel, Ponty Bone and Lucky Tomblin.

 What the fans received was a high octane rock show that covered the gamut of Doug’s repertoire delivered by some of Doug’s closest friends and family.  “We’re all a family up here,” Shawn Sahm said after Groover’s Paradise, one of his pop’s signature songs. 

 Opening the show was Jimmy Vaughn, brother of another Texas music legend, Stevie Ray.  Jimmy also had Louann Barton on vocals to help showcase his phenomenal band that included original SDQ drummer George Rains and Mark “Kaz” Kazanoff on saxophone. 

 after Vaughn’s set, the crowd grew antsy as the remnants of the Sir Douglas Quintet began taking the stage. As Augie Meyers took his seat behind his organ, some in the crowd began yelling his name.  Shawn then led his band which featured Speedy Sparks on bass, Louie Ortega (from Louie and the Lovers, SDQ) on  guitar, Ernie Durawa on drums, Michael Guerra on accordion, and Sahm on lead guitar and vocals.  The hour long set included a little bit of each of his dad’s musical incarnations. 

 One by one, Shawn, who is a spitting image of his dad, brought out guest musicians from different points of the musical map for renditions of some of Doug’s greatest hits.  Joe King Carrasco hit the stage for  “Adios Mexico” and got into such a groove, he jammed with the band the entire set.

 In between songs, Sahm spoke to the revved up crowd “I want to thank you for helping to keep dad’s spirit alive,” he said.  “I also want to say thank you for my brother Shandon who couldn’t be here.  He’s on tour with his band The Meat Puppets.”  He then invited his sister Dawn on stage who also thanked the crowd to thunderous applause.

 Micheal Guerra, who filled in for the famous accordion master Flaco Jimenez, sounded like a younger version of the superstar.  To the amazement of the 28-year old Los Angles born Texas resident, young fans knew exactly who’s shoes he was filling in for.  After the show, as I interviewed the multi-talented musician/producer, fan after fan came up to him and sang his praises.  Three such fans, who couldn’t have been older then 25, stopped and said “just wanted to say you filled in perfectly for Flaco Jimenez.”

 ”That just amazes me,” Guerra said.  “They are younger then me and they know this music from the 70′s and 80′s.  It just blows me away the reach that the musicians Doug Sahm put together still has on real music fans.”

 And what he said has some merit.  The crowd was a good mix of age groups as young and old enjoyed the music that formed the definition of Texas music almost forty years ago.

 The highlight of the evening was the presentation of a Gold Record for the 2008 release of The Sir Douglas Quintet, The Scandinavian Years, which sold over 500,000 copies.  The Doug Sahm Fan President, Oyvind, handed out Gold Records to Augie Meyers, Ernie Durawa, Speedy Sparks, Louie Ortega and, accepting for Doug, Shawn Sahm.

It was a perfect night for a Tornados show, with a high sitting smack dab over Texas, it was cool and breezy.  As we plopped into Sir Doug’s Caddy for the short ride to the show, chills shot a quick’hello down my back.  I hadn’t been to a tornados show since it was my dad’s Texas Tornados and I was excited about it.

 We pulled out of the drive and soon were on IH 10 and heading towards town when the second of what I now see as signs showed itself as a blues rift echoed off the KSYM studio walls and then there was Doug, belting out the blues as only Doug could, on a song called “Too Late”.  My roommate and I looked at each other and nodded our heads.  We would later hear that the song was on an album called Deja Blue on another artists record Sir Doug took part of.

 Walking into the venue, the buzz became a little louder as we made our way to the area the musicians and guests were munching on some Texas Barbecue.  Most of the group were off to the side talking as I walked up and said “How ya doing Augie?”

 Of course I’ve met these guys before; Flaco played at a festival we held last year, and I consider Shawn Sham a friend and he is about the coolest musician I’ve ever met, but this was my first time meeting them as Tornados.  There was something electric about it.

 I could go on but see for yourself.  The crowd was hot, the beer was flowing and the Texas Tornados were swirling up their pioneering brand of Tex-Mex Rock n Roll, just like Sir Doug and Freddy would have played.  I’m sure they enjoyed the show just as much as I did.

 Enjoy the New Texas Tornados.

Check out the Video HERE

2009/10 NBA Season

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Starting Lineup (probable)   Backup (probable)     Third Option (probable)

C          Tim Duncan               Theo Ratliff                       Ian Mahinmi

PF         Matt Bonner             Antonio McDyess               DeJuan Blair

SF        Richard Jefferson      Michael Finley                     Marcus Haislip

SG        Roger Mason              Manu Ginobili                    Keith Bogans

PG        Tony Parker                 George Hill                        Curtis Jerrells

 The Insider

 The 2009/10 San Antonio Spurs will mark the beginning of a new era for Spurs fans around the world.  Long gone are the components that made last year’s squad the league’s oldest team (Bowen, Oberto, Thomas) and replaced with eight new players on the Spurs roster (Jefferson, Haislip, Hairston, Jerrells, Ratliff, McDyess, Blair and Keith Bogans).  With folks around the league marveling at what every other team in the NBA considered an unworthy pick, PF/C DeJuan Blair has stated publically that he will make every team who passed on him pay, which is, every team in the NBA. They should worry.  In just four preseason games, Blair is averaging 16.0 PPG, (shooting 58%), 9.3 RPG, 1.5 APG and 1.5 SPG while playing an average of 20.8 minutes a contest.

 With veterans Ginobili, Duncan and Parker fully rested from an offseason of little to no activity (Parker played for the French League in the summer) and the addition of new and improved firepower, look for the Spurs to be contending with the LA Lakers for the Western Conference Crown.

 History

The San Antonio Spurs are one of only four teams from the American Basketball Association to merge with the National Basketball Association back in 1976.  The other franchises that joined them were the Denver Nuggets, the New Jersey Nets, the Indiana Pacers and the Denver Nuggets.

 The first stars for the Spurs Franchise were George Gervin, Gene Banks, Antoine Carr, TC Terry Cummings, the A-Train Artis Gilmore among others and while the early Spurs teams carried a medium of success, it wouldn’t be until the addition of The Admiral, David Robinson in 1989 that the fortunes would change for one of the smallest markets in the league.  The Spurs immediately became a yearly contender in the playoffs and have been ever since but it was another number one draft pick that would put the Spurs Franchise into elite status. 

 In the 1997 draft, the Spurs chose Wake Forest forward Tim Duncan with the first pick.  Duncan would make an immediate impact on the team and the league as he would take home the Rookie of the Year award  while averaging 21.1 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 2.7 APG and 2.5 BPG.  Two seasons later the “Twin Towers” of Robinson and Duncan would lead the team and the franchise to the pinnacle of the NBA as they won the 1999 NBA Finals against the New York Knicks (who were the first 8^th seed in the finals) in four games. The feat would be repeated three years later as Duncan and Robinson again led the Spurs to the promise land in Robinson’s final year.  They would face the New Jersey Nets (also the first time two former ABA teams met in the NBA Finals) and would eliminate the Eastern Conference Champion in six games taking the series 4-2.

 In the 2005 season, with a lineup of Duncan, Bowen, Ginobili, Parker, Horry, Brent Barry, Glenn “Big Dog” Robinson and Nazr Mohammed, the Spurs again rolled 59-23 record and would blitz through the Sonics, the Suns and the Eastern Conference Champion Detroit Pistons.

 The team would again have a celebratory River Parade down the San Antonio River in 2007 as the team would finish the season with a 58-24 record (25-6 in the final 31 games) and blast through the Nuggets in five games, the Warriors in six games and the Suns in six games to play for their 4^th NBA Title in nine years.  They would meet the LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers (who most considered Spurs East Coast) and take them out in a sweep of four games.  Tony Parker won the Finals MVP Award making him the first European to win the prize.

Despite missing being knocked out of the playoffs the last two seasons, Spurs fans have reason to rejoice as the team gears up to take on the league with a renewed sense of purpose and self.  With names like Jefferson, Blair alongside Parker, Duncan and Ginobili, the Spurs fortunes are again on the rise and Spurs fans will expect nothing but another championship.

 “The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 is to be awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples… Obama has as President created a new climate in international politics. Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play. Dialogue and negotiations are preferred as instruments for resolving even the most difficult international conflicts.”

“Dialogue and negotiations are preferred as instruments for resolving even the most difficult international conflicts” as opposed to the isolationist position the former regime put us in. 

Reason #2

“Thanks to Obama’s initiative, the USA is now playing a more constructive role in meeting the great climatic challenges the world is confronting. Democracy and human rights are to be strengthened.”

The former regime’s view on climate control was abysmal at best.  Examples:

“We expect … the United States to cooperate closer and not to continue having a negative attitude in international negotiations,” EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas told delegates at a United Nations-sponsored meeting to review a report on the regional effects of rising global temperatures “The United States’ emissions were currently 16 percent above 1990 levels, while emissions from the 15 EU nations that joined the bloc before 2004 were down 1.6 percent in 2005, he said. (Apr. 2007)

AND FINALLY FROM THE COMMISSION:

“For 108 years, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has sought to stimulate precisely that international policy and those attitudes for which Obama is now the world’s leading spokesman. The Committee endorses Obama’s appeal that “Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges.”

Any more questions?

About three months ago, I decided I wanted to grow my hair out long, something I had never really had the opportunity to do.   Here are some thoughts on the matter.

As some of you may know, I was in the military for a number of years and had a penchant for keeping my hair short.  A girlfriend or two ago I began growing out my goatee but kept my hair short and neat.  Then recently, three months ago, I decided to try and grow it out.  Three months later and I am getting varied reactions and thoughts to them, here are some:

The Roommate:  Is he tired of me tripping on my long hair or what?  Easy for him to say, he’s had and has long hair for so long  it’s the norm for him…he doesn’t remember when he first grew his out but I try to remind him daily.  And, I promise to stop twirling it in your presence!

The Lady a couple of blocks away:  A lot of you don’t know that I take the bus to work.   It is the most convenient way for me to get there and it’s less than a mile from my house. Plus I feel like I’m doing my part to go “green”.  It also keeps me exercised during the week and allows my brain to work out whatever story I’m working on during that short jaunt to the stop.  Anyway, there is this sweet elderly lady who I pass every day (for every day she is working in her yard).   After a month or so, we began being cordial and more recently I even stop and chat with her on occasion.  Now, dressed in jeans, a concert tee and sneakers, a full beard, long hair and mean looking glasses and this lady is just the sweetest to me.  Her neighbor though, (who is very much younger—possibly my age) has looked at me like I’m going to steal everything she has if she speaks to me but grandma is always as cordial as can be.

The girls at work:  All love it though they say “no ponytail!”

The cleaning lady at work, who speaks no English, made it point to say she really liked my hair long.

The ex-wife:  “Don’t cut it!”

According to the Fashion E-zine, long hair is indeed back in fashion.  Here is an excerpt from a recent article:  

“Thanks to Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, Tom Cruise, Antonio Banderas and Viggo Mortensen, long hair is back in fashion! Across North America and beyond, men are starting to grow their hair long again, something which hasn’t happened in abundance since the 60′s and 70′s. There was a brief bout of long hair popularity during the 1980s and 90s, but it was washed out with “anti-hippie” sentiment from conservative squares…”

So, my friends and readers, my question is this.  Is long hair back in style?  Ladies:  would you allow your significant other to grow their locks out?   Be sure to answer the poll question.  Thanks and have a great hair day!

 Take Our Poll

In the age of making the quick buck with inferior bands and even more inferior music, the Godfathers of Heavy Metal have announced their return to the metal realm.

2007′s “Angel of Retribution” marked the return of lead vocalist Rob Halford back to the JP fold. His break from the band stemming from musical differences which forced the band to amicably part ways.

Halford would go on to a series of successful groups, (Fight, Halford) and his fan base continued to grow as he kept to his metal roots while the Priest struggled. After hiring a spot on mimic to take Halford’s place, Judas Priest continued on to a dwindling fan base but the soul of the music was gone (as was the songwriting).

Fast forward five years since his return and Judas Priest is once again at the forefront of not only heavy metal but the Music Industry. “Nostradamus” is epic undertaking and one that was years in the making. “Our rich history with metal has covered many of the elements and messages that are both the backbone of his (Nostradamus) life and what we compose; overcoming difficulties; standing up against those that misunderstand what we believe in and many other virtues that attest to what we do with our music,” claims the inside cover of the Double CD. “Five hundred years after his passing, Judas Priest undertake what is considered to be our most ambitious musical adventure to date.”

Ambitious just scratches the surface. When the first notes rang out from “Dawn Of Prophecy” I knew I was in store for something special. Not since “Sad Wings of Destiny” have I heard the classic JP piano that, thank the rock gods, abounds throughout the album as does the fantastic twin guitar work of Downing and Tipton. With Scott Travis and Ian Hill laying down a solid backbone, Halford’s screech “I am the darkness…” begins an epic journey into the life and death of the future prophet and seer to Kings.

The band sounds as tight as it ever has, reaching back to “Sad Wings” and further for sounds that revolutionized music and metal in general. The purveyors of the “double-lead” guitar attack (aka Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing) blaze throughout the album and show even more depth through their use of synthesized guitars. Young Metal and Hard Rock bands should take note of the feast the Godfathers of Metal have wrought.

In short, if you are or ever have been a Judas Priest fan, it is your duty to the Metal Gods to go out and purchase this album. Be prepared for over 90 minutes of metal mayhem and take part in the next evolution of Judas Priest.