David Rosales brings Hope and Love to feed your Soul with Smile.

SMILE by David Rosales.

Music that brings Hope and Love to feed your soul and make you Smile. That is how I can describe the romantic and beautiful debut record, “Smile” by David Rosales. David brings together a well crafted arrangement of songs that highlights love, loss and life after.

“Key to My Heart” is the first song I got to hear from the record and if ever there was a song where the vocals could touch your soul and bring the emotion of love to life, it is that of "Key to My Heart”. David’s vocals are like a safe haven for a warm heart and Olivia May’s vocals are the sweet touch of innocence wrapped in your arms.

David expresses himself eloquently through his deep vocals and his storytelling as heard in ‘Wedding Day” or “All that you Love”. In "Wedding Day" , we are given a glimpse into the special day with his captivating lyrics such as “pedal covered soft parade”. The romance of true love dance through the lyrics and sweep you off your feet. In “All that you Love”, they lyrics “I will see you all again, I won't leave you all alone, I'll be watching, I'll be there” gives a promise of peaceful comfort .

My personal favorite on this record is “Ponderosa Pine” which is a touching sentimental song that reminds us how quickly and fleeting time is and again David feeds your soul with his awakening lyrics of “Well, I've missed so much, please forgive me, Father Time won't take such pity”.

David is quoted as saying, ““Everything had to be completely genuine -- the lyrics, the sound, the vibe.” Well, he truly exemplifies this as all the songs bring raw honesty and heartfelt emotions to life. None more so than “Kiss Me”, a tale of love lost in an instant and the yearning to feel their touch and wonder if you can ever go on after the loss. The heartache and pain that one feels is insurmountable after such a loss and his tender vocals embrace your heart.

As David said, “I wrote this record without reservation and in the process a very personal story began to surface.” Listening to this record reminded me of my own personal journey of love and loss and led to quite a discovery of emotions and soul searching which revitalized my faith.

It truly is a work of art that provides a peaceful solace in a time when we are all hoping for brighter days. It will be hard to find another record this year that can match or challenge the passion that David Rosales gives us with “Smile”.

To find out more about David Rosales and his debut record visit:

BandCamp: http://www.DavidRosales.bandcamp.com

CDBaby: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/davidrosales

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DavidRosalesMusic

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Drosales

Official Website: http://www.DavidRosalesMusic.com

SMILE by David Rosales.

ALBUM/COVER (Photo) Dori Savino Lawrence

(Art Direction and Design) Chris Nagle.

Produced by Mark Renk

All Songs written by David Rosales.

David Rosales (Vocals + Guitar)

Olivia May (Vocals)

Zac Rae (Organ)

Vern Monnett (Dobro, Pedal Steel)

Mark Renk (Percussion & Piano)

Steve Abel (Bass Guitar)

Phillip Peterson (Cello)

Jeff Kollman (Nylon String Guitar)

Kevin Chown (Upright Bass)

Vinyls are back and I don't mean your couch!

I remember years ago when my oldest son Ryan was going through our CD collection and came across our box of Vinyl Records. I think it was maybe 4 or 5 years and he might have been 9 or so. He loved the big pictures and thought they were so "Cool" to hang on the walls of "his" garage. He was getting into Rock and Roll Music and had reclaimed our family garage as "Rockin' Ryan's Garage". His musical Man cave, cross that out, BOY CAVE. It had guitars on the wall, a seven piece Pearl drum set that he got from his cousin Elyse and stacks and stacks of CDs and music magazines on the shelves. The little Rocker was born.

He would listen to our Motley Crue, Poison, Ratt CDs but when he found this big box with these big pictures on it and we tried to tell him that is what we used to listen to for music, he thought the photos were so cool. We had organized lots of our CDs into these nice big black leather binders sorted alphabetically with the CD covers in front of the pockets. But here were these big record cases ranging from the 1970's to the 1990s. His favorites he picked out were Led Zeppelin; "In through the Out Door", Quiet Riot; "Metal Health", Guns 'n Roses; "Appetite for Destruction", Nirvana; "Nevermind" and Sonic Youth. These he took out and hung proudly on the garage walls. They would sit there for years and travel throughout the house moves, never to be opened and discover the LP inside.

Fast forward to November 2011, Ryan now 13, pulls out my old LPs and finds our old turntable that I have sitting around. He plays Guns n Roses and sits back and listens to the whole album. He then proceeds to pull out all the LPs and randomly plays songs from them. He has this look like he has discovered something special. He cranks up the speakers, he listens carefully and he then comes inside as if to tell us he has some very important news. He then sits down to ask what happened to Records? Why do we not listen to them if the sound quality is so much better and crisper. He goes on to tell us how he discovered new music on so many songs that he had heard hundreds of timees before. Stephen and I looked at each other and smiled, a big Cheshire cat smile. "Our son is a true music aficionado", we exclaimed! We knew long ago the difference of the sound quality and how as soon as CDs and Ipods were the norm, people had settled by replacing "quality" with "convenience".

Ryan had then demanded to replace his 1000+ CD collection with the Vinyl LPs. Of course after we told him how that might be impossible since many CDs do not come on LP version, we decided to take him to all of our favorite used record stores. These are the same stores he would go to in search of used CDs of 80's Rock, Glam, Heavy Metal Bands. Now he was in search of Vinyl and he was hooked. He first bought up all the "Motley Crue" section at Vinyl Solutions, our favorite home town record store. He now has a 200+ long list of his "Wanted" LPs and takes it with him whenever we shop in the city at Rasputin, Amoeba Records, The Last Record Store and of course online via ebay and craigslist.

For his 14th birthday in December, he didn't ask for a new guitar, or a new bass drum for his set, or a jacket from Forgotten Saints (that he asked for Xmas!) this time he wanted his own Record Player, not a USB turntable. His own Record Player with Speakers. The special thing was that my Mom gave Ryan my father's Record Player that he had in his house for many years playing his Bobby Darrin, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin Records. My father passed away in September 2011 and Ryan was very close to my father so when he got the record player he was doubly excited. To have a piece of his grandfather's history and be able to create his own history playing his favorite Vinyls, that was a dream come true. He has made us proud. So now, when one of his favorite bands comes out with a new CD, he checks their website to see if they have an LP of it. If not, he has begun emailing them with requests. The other day, we caught him doing a blind sound test with his friends playing Motley Crue's "Shout at the Devil" on his record player versus his Ipod. Afterwards, his friend came in to tell us that he is going to ask his parents for one of those record player things.... Ahhh... so maybe all things do come back into style. Ryan now has over 150 LPs and is growing that collection strong. Now let me see if I can find my roller skates and pull out some Xanadu... well maybe not. Hope he never finds my brother's 8 tracks.

~Marisol

I couldn't finish this without listing my top 5 Records that Ryan found of mine:

5. Gary Wright "Dream Weaver" I think I stole this one from one of my older sisters. I loved the title song!

4. Def Leopard "Pyromania" - This whole album reminds me of my times cruising the El Camino in high school. Those were the days back in San Mateo.

3. Andy Gibb - "Shadow Dancing" - Still inside to this day is my handwritten note to Andy Gibb asking him to go to the Winter Formal with me. I never finished. I reread it and decided, I was such a dork!!

2. The Rolling Stones "Sticky Fingers" I think this was one of my brothers, I think I almost felt like I owned "pornography" when I had this one hidden under my bed for years!

1. Eddie Money "No Control" This was my old life history rapped up on a record.

BlackBox 13 is hitting heavy with it's Rock

Several of you have asked for more information on a couple of the bands from my Top Ten Bands of 2011 List. I wanted to formally introduce to a Kick Ass Rockin' Band that hails from the city lights of Las Vegas.

As you know the saying, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas". Well if you get to see Black Box 13 you better not keep it a secret. This band is making headway fast in the hard rock scene even though they only formed in September of 2011. BlackBox 13 is Cory Kay, Joe Nassar, Joe Wiehl and Todd Turgeon. Talk about a perfect fit and jumping right into the fire. These guys definitely deliver. You have Joe Wiehl delivering powerful guitar riffs, Cory Kay with his pounding basslines, heavy hitting drumming by Todd Turgeon and top it off with the deep yet smooth vocals by Joe Nassar.

These four guys came together and immediately began writing their own songs. It is a collaboration that has quickly paid off since they were soon booked at several spots on the Strip shortly after their formation. So many bands struggle right out of the gate and it takes months to get a booking. Well, these guys made their presence known on the Vegas scene and word is quickly spreading about them.

It is refreshing to see a new band come out with a wealth of talent and energy that is easy displayed through their 3 song EP. I was excited to hear that they will be playing at The Whiskey in Hollywood on January 20th. This is right in the middle of the NAMM show that I will be attending and it will be quite a thrill. To be playing at The Whiskey during NAMM week is quite an honor. Last year, during the NAMM show, Steven Adler with Adler's Appetite played at the Whiskey. It is not only a time where other musicians go to enjoy and hang after long days at the Convention. If you are planning on going to NAMM, make sure to mark your calenders and be sure to get tickets early. I have a feeling these are going to go quick.

For more information on tickets for BlackBox 13 show at The Whiskey; click here.

So now that you know them, go get your fix of some good true rock and crank up some BlackBox 13.

~ Marisol

Additional information on BlackBox 13 can be found on the following sites:

http://Youtube.com/BlackBox13Band

http://reverbnation.com/BlackBox13

http://BlackBox13Band

http://facebook.com/BlackBox13

Photograph courtesy of Karen Mandell Photography

Top Ten Bands from 2011 that I want you to know!

So, here we are at the end of another year. For me personally, it was a host of many challenges and struggles. In other words, 2011 you KICKED MY ASS! But for my appreciation of music, it could not have been a better year. Music helped me through my most difficult times and I got to experience some incredible concerts! But as we leave 2011, there are so many bands that I hope you have heard this year and if not, you can start the year off with cranking them up LOUD!

So Let's Count them Down...

Before I get to the top ten, I will start with my Honorable Mention which goes to a band that I got to know a little late in the year but instantly fell in love with them....

Luvplanet - This Northern California band brings melodic rock to a whole new level. They have meaningful songs that can touch you whether it be remembering the person who ripped your heart or the person who you can't live without. They are strong emotional songs that are powerfully sung by Nicole Sutton one of the founding members. She founded Luvplanet along with Mark McGee who many of you know from Vicious Rumors or Gregg Allman brings his incredible guitar playing to a passionate level. The two of them onstage create an intensity that brings you into deeper emotional depth. Tommy Sisco brings it all on the bass and we can now welcome their new drummer Cedric Wilmott. My personal song fave is "All for You". Check them out at www.luvplanet.net or on facebook at facebook link. Make sure to listen to them, I think they will be topping next year's list.

Now for the top ten...

10. New Politics - This trio knows how to kick up the music and let your energy just go. I got to see them three times this past year and their shows had pure energy, handstands, and a channeling of old Nirvana. These guys have such incredible stage presence that you sometimes think you are watching a Nirvana reunion. Lead singer David Boyd takes over the stage from headstands to breakdancing! Soren Hansen on guitars gives every bit of energy to his performances and he is incredible to watch. Round the trio off with the slamming drumming of Louis Vecchio and there you go! My personal song fave is "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah" with a close second being "Dignity". Make sure to check them out. Website: www.newpoliticsrock.com Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/newpolitics

9. Taking Dawn - This Rock band from Las Vegas blew me away when I saw them open up for Murderdolls at the Ace of Spades in Sacramento. They can ROCK like an '80s KICK ASS BAND! If these guys were around at the height of the '80s ROCK, they would have been bigger than Van Halen, in my opinion. One of my highlights was when the lead singer and guitarist Chris jumped off the stage into the crowd with his guitar and kept playing. Here is a link to that show, (keep in mind the audio is horrible from an old camera) http://youtu.be/jhgDe9srYJ8?t=4m. My personal song fave is "Take me Away". Check them out www.roadrunnerrecords.com/artists/takingdawn/ and their facebook page is www.facebook.com/Takingdawn

8. Lotus Crush - Earlier this year, I went to see my favorite band from the '90s Candlebox and was treated to a double dose with Lotus Crush opening. Lotus Crush is the creation of lead Candlebox guitarist Peter Klett and Drivebland vocalist Terry McDermott. Also from Candlebox is Scott Mercado on drums. and rounding out the band with John Luzzi. These guys put on a great show as we got to enjoy their acoustic set. My personal song fave is "In My Veins". Check them out at www.lotuscrush.com and facebook page is ww.facebook.com/lotuscrushmusic

7. Rains - These guys came from Indiana and their latest single, "Look in My Eyes" is quickly climbing the charts. I saw Rains open up for Five Finger Death Punch and it was great to discover them. They have an incredible sound and a commanding performance that just brings the life to the audience. My personal song fave is "Look in My Eyes" with a very close second of "Pressure". Check them out at www.rainsmusic.com and on facebook www.facebook.com/rainsmusic

6. Royal Bliss - This rock brand brings passion to their songs that can just dip into your soul. These guys sing from the heart and have had their times of troubles in their life. Their music brings me to life and has helped get me through some very difficult times. Love this band! I saw them twice in 2011 and can't wait for their quick return! My personal song fave is tied with "Save Me" and "Devils and Angels". Check them out at www.royalbliss.com, facebook page of facebook.com/royalbliss.

5. Silent Treatment - Where Rock meets Groove, that is Silent Treatment. I saw them open up for Candlebox in Reno and they put on quite a show and even channeled some Jim Morrison. It was an experience to watch their guitar driven songs that keep you wanting for more. My personal song fave is "Sins of Yesterday". Check them out at www.silenttreatment.net and on facebook at www.facebook.com/silenttreatmentofficial.

4. Red Line Chemistry - I was able to see Red Line Chemistry three times in 2011 and each time was an incredible fist pumping, energy elevating concert! Their style of grunge and metal come together with vocals reminiscent of Jerry Cantrell/Alice in Chains. Lead singer Brett Ditgen's stage presence is intense! Love it! Their whole album 'Dying for a Living" is worth a listen! My personal song fave is "Ultragigantor" with a close second of "Dumb Luck". Check them out at www.redlinechemistry.com and on facebook at www.facebook.com/redlinechemistry

Now, for the top 3.... here we go.....

3. BlackBox 13 - This modern hard rock band is a new band from Las Vegas that you are going to be hearing a lot about! They are the answer to what us rockers have been waiting for. They currently have a 3 song EP out that delivers true rock, old style. I have not been able to see them live but will in January when they are playing at the Whiskey in Hollywood, January 20th during the NAMM show week. Get tickets here. My personal song fave is "Rise" which delivers dramatic pauses, heavy guitar riffs, and dark edgy vocals. Check them out at www.blackbox13band.com or on facebook at facebook.com/blackbox13.

2. Against all Will - This is a band that when you I first hear them with their song "All about You" I was instantly hooked. This band had it all. Formed by Jimmy Allen, original Puddle of Mudd member and fronted with it's powerful vocals of Jeff Current (Seven Story Drop), hard drumming by Phil Gonyea ( drummer from Instinct of Aggression) and sweet bad ass bass by Cello Dia (Soulfly). These four came together and rock you hard. They bring it all to the table and make you want more, no!, CRAVE more!! My personal song fave is hard to say because there are so many. There are three tied for the top spot: 'Nothing good Anymore", "Swept Away" and "Discard You". Check them out and you will not be disappointed. Website: www.againstallwill.com on facebook at www.facebook.com/againstallwill .

and now for the number one spot.... I think you might already know them but if you don't you better start now!

1. Art of Dying - This band tops the list for various reasons but I think lead singer Jonny Hetherington's quote says it all. "Most of our songs speak of hope and perseverance. There's an element of honesty and strength in our music that really comes through." Their songs bring out positive energy with a great alternative rock sound. My personal song fave is of course, "Get Thru This" which I first heard as I was sitting in the parking lot of the hospital getting ready to go in and see my father who was very sick and just learned he was terminally ill. I cried and that song helped me so much. It touched my soul and let me know that I can get through this, even if the outcome isn't what I wanted, I could still survive it and not give up. "Die Trying" is my next fave! Check them out at www.artofdyingmusic.com or on facebook at facebook.com/artofdying .

Well, that was it for the year. Now let's get ready to find some more great bands to love in 2012.

Keep it loud and keep on Rockin'

~Marisol

Been away but coming back!

So I have been away for quite a while. A lot of my previous reviews were under contract and I am now free to return to Music Junkie Press. Bringing you the true review of Music! Stay tuned because in January we are launching our video website.... So Keep it Loud and Keep Rockin!