APRIL WRIGHT STUFF 2010

APRIL WRIGHT STUFF 2010

NEWS:
Lowen & Navarro, Eric Lowen & Dan Navarro, after more than 20 Years as songwriters and group have broken up. Dan Navarro, cousin to guitarist Dan Navarro, is now going solo and is working with a new back-up band too. Rumor is that Dan is now recording his first record as well. But, We Belong was a big hit for them in 1984 due to the success of it by Pat Benetar moving it up the charts. Dan in later years added a latin verse to it as well. These Los Angeles band rock-folk pop singers songwriters were signed to Mercury Records at one time. While on Mercury records they released three albums Walking On A Wire, Broken Moon and Pendulum. With the deeper emotional record of Pendulum the band went and released more studio records on smaller labels. Those albums were Scratch At The Door, All The Time In The World, Learning To Fall, Hogging The Covers and also a Christmas album At Long Last. They have been Lowen & Navarro since 1987 and just celebrated 20 years together. As well as studio albums out, Lowen & Navarro have three live CD’s recorded which are Live Wire, Live Radio and 3 For The Road. On March 17th, 2004 Eric Lowen was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Shortly after this diagnosis the band also made three live DVD’s Live At Kulak’s (available through ALS and the proceeds go to help those with ALS), Carry On Together and Pieces Of Time Spent. They were still able to tour through the end of 2008. 2009 found them doing fewer and further apart shows due to Eric’s health. At this point Dan Navarro started playing out solo. Lowen & Navarro to their credit also wrote songs that The Bangles also recorded. These guys will be missed. www.myspace.com/lownav

FILMS:
Sabrina Stevenson is finally married and has settled down. On January 16th 2010 at The Independent Theater Downtown Los Angeles was the premier of Love Songs OF A Third Grade Teacher. While keeping a diary while trying to find a husband, the movie also looks at patients and the meaning of God in a way. Sabrina, a catholic school third grade teach and a lead vocalist of an alternative garage punk pop band in her 30’s running out of time tries to balance here life while seeking to find her soul mate husband to try and have a family with. Everything seems to get pushed aside while this search keep Sabrina focused more than anything else in her life. She keeps asking God why and for hope while writing everything down in here diary about her dates and feeling on the subject. This comedy of errors keeps happening in the most peculiar ways. There are plenty of Third Grade Teachers’ songs spanning over their 5 albums in the soundtrack. The band as a whole makes it into a couple scenes as well too during this film. It’s a funny quirky pop culture indie art film. Currently the movie is playing in the festival market. But ask for it on HBO or Showtime and try and get it from your local provider of cable service. Find it on rental or buy it when it comes out.

SHOWS:
25 Years Remembering Ricky Nelson. This was done at The Canyon Club in Agura Hills California Friday March 5, 2010. The Nelson twins broke away for their usual rock and roll show to pay tribute to Dad a legend in music and show business. Even though now 25 years since the fatal plain crash losing Ricky Nelson, Gunter and Mathew have brought back that free loving nice kind soul given in Ricky Nelson music back to us. Jeff Backster was a special guest on this show playing slide guitar. Brother Ben helped sing on Garden Party and with the dark hair of his Dad it resembled Ricky’s look back in 1971 when he play Madison Square Garden and got booed off of the stage by 21,000 thousand who this Garden Party was written about. They used a full band on stage and used footage of The Ozzy And Harriot Show on screens. Some home footage was used to show to help introduce songs performed in tonight’s set. Some cool interviews of those who Ricky had influenced on spoke on film such as James Burton and Sir Paul McCartney and a host of others. This show lasted a good two hours with plenty of Ricky’s hits performed like Hello Mary Lou , Lonesome Town, Stood Up, My Bucket’s Got A Hole In It, I’m Walkin, Fools Rush In, I Believe What You Say, I Got A Feelin’, Waitin” In School and Milk Cow Blues. They introduced Travelin’ Man as being the first concept video. It was shown on The Ozzy And Harriot Show. I agree this concept video set the ways for MTV to do. Ozzy Nelson was way ahead of his time and now Ricky Nelson had the first ever music video in the 1950’s. The show ended with a new song called Just Once More. It hasn’t been produced onto a record yet. The song talks about that if you had a last fivr minutes with someone what would you tell that loved one if you got that chance again. Like Father Like Sons by Mathew Gunnar Nelson is available at www.TheNelsonBrothers.com, or possibly find it released on Stone Canyon Records. A lot of the Nelson kids were in attendance for this show.

CD:
HEXEN are from Glendale California. They perform straight hard metal rock with flashes of thrash for getting the music a little heavier and faster when they want to emphasize something. Solid hard-pounding and even great tempo’s and to this bands commercial flair. State Of Insurgency is about war and its implications. The album covers such subjects in war matters. The war songs that stick out are Mutiny And Betrayal, Desolate Horizons, Knee Deep In The Dead, Seditions In Peacetime and State Of Insurgency. The song State Of Insurgency would make a great video to support our working hard war forces. Hexen is one of Los Angeles-based quartets that was formed in 2003, with an agenda aimed at revitalizing the classic Rock of ’80s metal and thrash. Hexen are way ahead of the metal curve with production and the orchestration arrangements that are presented on this release State Of Insurgency. Hexen’s is due it’s dues with this release. The band members might have changed some but for this CD’s sake they are Andre Hartoonian (vocals/bass), Ronny Dorian (guitar), James Lopez (guitar), and Carlos Cruz (drums). They currently have found a CD home with Old School Metal Records. But, are currently looking to step up their game to pursue a bigger record label and distribution deal. They currently have enough material for two more CD’s. www.myspace.com/hexen They will be performing at The Cobalt Café in Canoga Park on May 16th 2010 all ages Metal show $8.00 per ticket.

EP:
The Wrecking Ball is a new release from The Great Valley. They write three minute pop quickies. These catchy sound punches joy right at your dancing feet. They might also be booked as a religious pop band but they have an alternative pop style. These five songs make you want to bounce around into a frenzy. The Great Valley sounds similar to All Time Low and an early version of The Starting Line. They have an anthem song on their hands that pull the audience listener closer and closer with the song Get Up. Plenty of happy thoughts will come to thought well after hearing this short quick EP. The Great Valley are from Wilmington, Delaware area.

RADIO:
Go check out Stickam.com/Breal and also check out Brealtv.com

INTRODUCING:
DEVIATION
This new band has thrash forwardness metal rawness easily right at hand. A little maturity and producing and this band is capable of metal bruit style. There young youthful anticipation and playing metal quick is interesting to hear and to watch them pull it all off live is quite something. Here is a short interview for you to get to know DEVIATION.

What’s the metal scene like in Sante Fe Springs/Norwalk CA area?

Deviation: It’s mostly hardcore, but we’re trying to keep the true metal spirit alive.

What makes your band stand out from other bands in the metal genre?

Deviation: Our songs contain a lot of melodic structure. The guitarists in our band switch off solos so you can say we have two lead guitars.

How did your band come together?

Deviation: Four born metalheads decided we wanted to bring the true sounds of metal back on the scene. With non-stop listening to Megadeth, old school Metallica, and Black Sabbath we want to reignite the flame that’s slowly burning out due to “untraditional” metal, so we picked up instruments and started playing.

Who is in your band and what ages and what instruments do they play in your band?

Deviation: There’s Christian Ordonez, 15 years old lead singer and guitarist.
Joe V., 15 years old and guitarist. Antoni Zavala, 16 years old and drummer.
Gil Valles, 15 years old and bassist.

Where did you get your name DEVIATION from and what does it mean?

Deviation: We wanted to be called “Deviants” but it sounds too punk, so we just added the suffix “ion” to make it sound more metal.

What is the meaning behind your song Rampage?

Deviation: We tried to capture the feeling of being in the front line of a war, if you listened to it you can get the feeling.

What is your meaning behind your song Spiritual Rites?

Deviation: It is about being stalked by your personal demons and being possessed by your personal desires.

When is your EP/Demo/CD due out?

Deviation: We are currently working on a sample demo just to be heard, but we’re supposed to have a full on master recorded demo by mid-june.

Deviation will be playing again at The Cobalt Café in Canoga Park CA on May 16th with HEXEN. So come check them out. You can also check out Deviation at http://www.myspace.com/deviation6/stream/atom.xml

Until next time keep the music coming.