September 8, 2022

Welcome to my first monthly newsletter regarding music activities. This will likely migrate to some mailing platform [in January, 2023, I moved this to Substack], but for now I’m keeping it direct and personal—and sans data collection. Strictly information for you, dear listener.

If you do not want to receive these mailings, please respond with something along the lines of “Please don’t send me this crazy stuff,” and I’ll be sure your email address is removed from the list. Also, let me know if you’d prefer to receive this at a different address.

Today, we have information on four projects: Mala Nota, Red and The Rebels, Channels, and a percussion-centered project led by Josh Peters. Here we go…

Mala Nota <https://malanotamusic.com/> is a nine-piece Latin rock-cumbia-funk-reggae-ska band led by Guillermo Azpeitia, and named after his world-traveled guitar dubbed "La Mala Nota." The band is currently in final production of an album, which will be out by the end of the year. Meanwhile, there are two shows in the coming weeks:

September 16
Hotel Vegas <https://texashotelvegas.com/>
1502 E 6th St.
Doors at 9:00 ($10)
Mala Nota at 10:00
Easy Compadre at 11:00
Los Alcos at midnight

September 17
Mexican American Cultural Center
600 River St
15th Annual Viva Mexico celebration
Event is free, from 6:00 - 10:00 PM
Mala Nota at 7:00, 45 minute set

Red and The Rebels <https://redandtherebels.com/> released an eponymous album in December, 2021, taking advantage of—during the height of the pandemic—remote recording methods all the cool kids were using in the 1990s. The second album is under way, with two singles already released: “Heart of Darkness,” penned by Austin artist Andrew Long, and “Texas Ruins,” an archeological dig into family history that seeks expression in our DNA today. Search for Red and The Rebels on your favorite streaming platform.

Red and The Rebels is participating in a very special event this month, the 7th Annual St. Gina Tribute Show:

September 17
Kick Butt Coffee
5775 Airport Blvd Unit 725
R&TR at 9:00, 45 minute set

I’m delighted to be participating in a community event organized by Todd Rogers, a project he calls Channels <https://wearechannels.com/>. The event will take place on October 1. In addition to being an EP release event, this event aims to create a ripple of positivity in a world that could use a wave or two. Todd writes:

Join us for a community event centered around a concert at Central Presbyterian Church in downtown Austin! The goal is to bring joy, peace and connection through music & art AND to link people to vendors and nonprofits that work towards a happier, healthier, more sustainable and more inclusive future. A wonderful group of musicians and artists has been assembled, including the sensational duo NorteSur. Nonprofits and vendors invited include: the Sustainable Food Center, YWCA Austin, Equality Texas and the Sacred Journey School of Herbalism.

Please take a moment and consider supporting the event via gofundme. We have a modest budget to pay the musicians, cover the rent for the space…. If you’d like to participate, here is the link to the gofundme page (I am working on this pro bono, so all proceeds will go to a worthy cause, and if you’ve read to here, you deserve the laugh this may have given you).

October 1
Community Channels
Central Presbyterian Church
200 East 8th Street
7:30 - 9:30 PM

Finally, and thank you for getting here, I’m playing bass in another project, one that’s percussion centered and led by Josh Peters. You may know him from his stellar oud work in Atlas Maior <https://atlasmaior.com/>. In this incarnation, Josh is playing trumpet and modular synth, and supported

by three percussionists, a guitarist, and yours truly. We’ll soon be getting out to be heard regularly, with a taste available as part of HAAM Day <https://www.myhaam.org/haam-day/>. I’ll have more to say about this next month, and maybe some snippets to hear.

September 13
HAAM Day Showcase
PNC Bank - 722 US HWY 79 Hutto TX 78364
2:00 PM, 45 minute set, free

Aside: Atlas Maior is playing The ABGB this Saturday evening:

September 10
The ABGB - 1305 W Oltorf
Atlas Maior at 9:00
Kev Bev at 10:00

Thanks again for reading. I hope to see you at a show, and look forward to whatever news I’ll have to share next month. I have a couple of other things percolating, in the charcoal filtration process, and gaining clarity by the day. Feel free to send questions or topics you might like to hear about from me. 

Peace, Love, and Art,

Ralph
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Ralph Manak
Raking Light Studio
Austin TX
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