Day: March 29, 2021

Ervin Stellar’s new EP Nothing to Prove out now

Ervin Stellar’s feel-good Americana EP, Nothing to Prove. Photo: google

Ervin Stellar channels the energy and integrity of American roots music with his new EP, Nothing to Prove. Using the name Ervin Stellar as his public persona, Nashville musician Andrew Jordan self-produced and mixed the five-song project and released it independently. During his 12 years living in Brooklyn, New York, Jordan discovered a community of session players who were as comfortable with country as they were with jazz. By blending those styles into his own music—from banjo and pedal steel to drums and electric guitar—Ervin Stellar brings a compelling perspective to Americana music. (IV-PR, 2021)

“I left New York City with a gold nugget in my pocket,” sings Ervin Stellar in the opening line of the opening song on his new EP Nothing to Prove. A dancing, melodic bassline and tastefully twangy guitar flourishes could slip in unnoticed on Dylan’s Blood On The Tracks were it not for Stellar’s smooth, intimate vocal delivery. An album that will certainly warrant more than one listen to catch each impeccably crafted line, Nothing to Prove is a shining example of how Stellar pulls off a balancing act of being earnest, lighthearted, and virtuous—one song at a time. Fans can now hear Nothing to Prove in its entirety at this link.

Ervin Stellar is the public persona of Andrew Jordan, who moved from New York to Nashville following his 2018 album, The Moment. That relocation is referenced in the first line of Nothing to Prove’s title track, setting up a series of musical snapshots that encompasses three original songs and two well-chosen covers—all of which are executed in a hard-to-pin-down mix of organic tones and greasy grooves. His sound reflects his youth in Southern Michigan, where his mother preferred country on the radio while his dad enjoyed playing jazz records at home.

In addition to his three outstanding originals on Nothing To Prove, Jordan included covers of Jonathan Edwards’ “Shanty” and John Fogerty’s “Who’ll Stop the Rain.” Jordan recalls hearing “Shanty” every Friday afternoon on the radio in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and decided to work it up after realizing it fit the lockdown vibe. As for “Who’ll Stop the Rain,” Jordan slows down the tempo of the Creedence Clearwater Revival original, though the message resonates as much as ever.

Nothing To Prove Track listing:
Nothing To Prove
Love Is Love
Who’ll Stop The Rain
S.O.S.
Shanty

Rapper and producer W Corona releases new album

W Corona’s new album is Rancho Gang. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Rapper and producer W. Corona continues his journey through the Regional Mexican landscape with the release of his latest album ‘Rancho Gang.’ Showcasing a creative fusion of acoustic and electronic sounds, the new album was co-written and produced by the Monterrey-based rapper himself and reflects his relentless search for new rhythms and melodies. (Vesper Public Relations, 2021)

‘Rancho Gang’ features 13 songs infused with hip hop, sierreño, and norteño influences, taking listeners on an audible trip through the genres that have formed a principal part of W. Corona’s childhood experiences in his home city of Monterrey, Mexico. It also includes Reggaeton and Cumbia rhythms, creating a multicultural album nourished by Latin American and Mexican sounds.

W. Corona is well known for the diversity of his music. Thanks to his honesty, listeners are consistently offered tales of his experiences, triumphs, romances, heart breaks, celebrations, nostalgias, and failures. While in the studio, he always follows his heart and uses fear as an incentive to work harder and to take risks to achieve his goals: to grow as an artist and evolve, have fun with friends and enjoy the journey without “taking it too serious.”

One year and eleven months have passed since W. Corona began this new era in his career with the single “Cuadro Chico” ft. El Chino Del Rancho, which he followed up with “Bendecido” and more recently with “Sed De La Mala”. The young producer and MC has found a new path by mixing modern hip hop styles with organic Regional Mexican sounds while melodically telling poignant stories with colloquial lyrics.

The two bonus songs included on the album are “Duro” ft. Zkylz García & Fatboi and “El Clavo.” Both singles and their music videos showcase the wide range of influences that W. Corona brings to the plate. ‘Rancho Gang’ is a map that reflects the experiences of W’s life, with each of the thirteen songs taking listeners on a journey filled with many wild twists and turns.

Track list:

  1. California High Ft. El Chino Del Rancho
  2. Bendecido
  3. Duro Ft. Zkylz García, Fatboi
  4. El Clavo
  5. Cuadro Chico Ft. El Chino Del Rancho
  6. Abusando #1
  7. Agítalo Ft. Mad Fuentes
  8. Sed De La Mala
  9. Hong Kong Ft. Los Del Nido
  10. Mal De Amor
  11. Route 66 Ft. El Chino Del Rancho
  12. La Carga Pesada
  13. La Mejor Del Condado Ft. Zkylz García

Book review: ‘I Can See Clearly’ by James A. Cusumano

‘I Can See Clearly’ by James A. Cusumano is Book One in the Luc Ponti Series. Photo: google

James A. Cusumano is an accomplished leader with successful careers as an entertainer, scientist, corporate executive, and entrepreneur. An inspiring speaker and entertainer, he is the author of “Cosmic Consciousness: A Journey to Well-being, Happiness and Success,” “Balance: The Business-Life Connection,” “Life is Beautiful: 12 Universal Rules,” and co-author of “Freedom from Mid-East Oil.” His new book, “I Can See Clearly: Rise of a Supernatural Hero (Luc Ponti Series)” combines the journey of a metaphysical superhero with the excitement of a fast-paced spy thriller.

“I Can See Clearly” begins with an Author’s Note where James A. Cusumano explains his goal in writing this book: to provide “useful knowledge and a valuable perspective in addition to entertainment.” The Prologue takes place on December 24, 2017 in Lhasa, Tibet where a teenager named Ananda has a conversation with a wise spiritual guide name Dawa in the hopes of gaining insight to help him decide if he should proceed with his path to becoming a Buddhist Monk. Dawa assures him that the world is changing and inching towards Unity consciousness and that he, as a monk, will have an opportunity to contribute to this change. He also tells Ananda of an upcoming third Avatar, a spiritual-human entity, who will help in the evolution of the Unity Consciousness of the universe; that the first two have been Buddha and Jesus of Nazareth and that the third is about to rise in Palo Alto, California.

The Prologue sets up the story of Luc Ponti, a 16-year-od basketball player at Silicon Valley’s Palo Alto High School, whose future goal is to play for a top university and maybe even go pro. His plans are put on hold when he survives a near-death experience (NDE) which gives him the ability to travel through space and time, read minds, and retain enormous amounts of information. At first he is excited about his new abilities, but eventually they become too much to handle and they make him a target of those who want to exploit him. When he attracts the attention of the government, the CIA blackmails him into using his remote viewing ability to spy on the Chinese. Together with his friends Isabella and Eric, who also develop supernatural abilities after suffering medical emergencies; and Thay, a Buddhist monk who is also his spiritual adviser, Luc uses his abilities to guide him to an enlightened path that will change his life forever. Luc speaks Italian, especially when he curses, and there is a Glossary in the back that explains what each terms and phrases mean. The Supplements section provides more information about the concepts discussed throughout the novel and further explains the meaning and implications of each.

This is the first in the exciting new series about Luc Ponti, who has supernatural abilities, and contains fascinating insights from the fields of quantum and spiritual physics. It can be considered a follow-up to “Life is Beautiful: 12 Universal Rules” because not only does he expand on the subjects he covers on that book but he combines them with a story to reach a wider audience and it works perfectly.  The language is easy to understand and he keeps the science to a minimum in the story but if readers want more information, it is available in the Supplement section.  The character development makes them likeable and relatable but the only far out concept is that everyone who has a near death experience develops their own supernatural abilities. This does not take away from the genius of this series because there is something for everyone; the story of a young man trying to make his own way in this world appeals to young readers and the science/spiritual teachings appeal to a wider general audience. “I Can See Clearly” by James A Cusumano is an exciting must-read novel full of positive and encouraging messages that readers of all ages can enjoy. It is recommended for readers who appreciate science, Eastern philosophy, and coming of age stories. Hopefully, there will be more in the series.

“The Meaning of Life is to look inside and find those special gifts you came into this world. The Purpose of Life is to find a way to share those gifts with others in ways that makes this a better world….”

*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.