Vassy Courtes - The Blog

Now, we are in Odysee

2026-10-11T00:13:59.598-07:00

We’ve Launched Our Official Odysee Channel for Eastern Europe

By now, we all know that traditional platforms like YouTube have chosen to shut the door on a massive part of our audience, especially in Russia and Eastern Europe. Vassy Courtes don’t make music for governments, nor do they align themselves with ideological censorship; they make music for human beings who connect through Rock.

Since Vassy Courtes refuse to sit idly by while media try to disconnect them from those who have supported Vassy Courtes for years, Messy Blues and Oly Betancourt have taken action; they have opened their official haven on Odysee.

This free, decentralized platform will be the new home for all their official music videos. If you are in Eastern Europe—or anywhere else in the world and support unfiltered culture—this space is for you. No VPNs required, and no dealing with stupid blocks.

Check out the link below. Subscribe, share, and help Vassy Courtes spread the word so the music keeps playing right where it belongs:

👉 Vassy Courtes - Official Odysee Channel

When you have to jump off the train

2026-10-10T23:45:47.234-07:00

Why Vassy Courtes left ReverbNation

A little over two weeks ago—give or take—we announced on our official blog and all our social media platforms that our digital music was no longer hosted on Reverbnation, which had been our official home base for nine years, and that we were moving to BandCamp. While the first part is true, the reality is we had already been on BandCamp since around 2019; we simply stopped using Reverbnation as our primary link.

This transition turned out to be somewhat problematic because, for nine years, we left that specific link everywhere—from videos to updates for tracks on our only album so far, Rooted Time. Many followers received that link, and many bought the full album right there. In short, we had to track down all those details and update them wherever possible. While there were a few moral complaints (fortunately, only that), there were also some implicit advantages to this decision.

With total honesty, I was the one who decided to use that platform back in 2009 (we are talking seventeen years ago) when, as a group, we published our first single (The First Time), followed by our second single ([Touch me in the] Moonlight) in 2011, all while we were processing the intellectual and creative work for Rooted Time. I did it because back then there weren't many options available, and I wanted to keep us relevant rather than focusing on profits. Eventually, it helped us release the album (Rooted Time) in 2017, and we also started publishing on CD Baby to formalize an eventual release in physical formats (Vinyl, CD, and Cassette), which ultimately didn't materialize.

Now then. In the period that followed, starting in 2018, things within the group became quite unstable—between an irresponsible member who never showed up to rehearse (let alone record) and the well-known COVID pandemic in 2020. Between those issues and some administrative complications, the only active medium keeping our sound alive out there in the world was Reverbnation. Their administrative team knew this well; all the artists hosted there relied on them to stay in touch with the world. Naturally, they wanted to exploit that beyond what was reasonable.

The first surprise came in 2022, when they banned me from mentioning anything in my editorials that showed support for the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, or any allied countries and public figures. This happened despite the fact that, for five years, the bulk of our audience had been located in these specific countries, in this exact order:

* Russia
* Italy
* Belarus
* Kazakhstan
* Uzbekistan
* Hungary
* Romania
* Ukraine
* Czech Republic
* Georgia (the country)
* United Kingdom
* China
* United States
* Brazil
* Argentina
* Chile
* Mexico

In other words, in its rush to align with anti-Russian propaganda, Reverbnation began blacklisting the audience that we artists have in Eastern Europe, and it even extended to targeting artists coming from that region. Apparently, it wasn't clear to many media outlets (like Google, YouTube, and Reverbnation) that we are not all part of the wars that WE did not provoke. Regardless, I filed a complaint with the platform which was never answered, and our audience in countries not aligned with NATO and the EU simply lost access to our music.

Later on, our earnings started taking hits from hosting tax withholdings (even though they were supposedly already charging a commission) and sales taxes for countries that do not belong to the World Bank (I mean, seriously?). Meanwhile, my follower list became cluttered with people constantly offering to place our music on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music because they claimed to be experts. We already know what they are: parasites who make a living scamming artists.

Then one day, out of nowhere, I suddenly found myself offline. I wrote to support, and they replied that they were updating the system but that I could still use the old version by adding the word legacy to our music's URL. I did so, hoping the new platform would be better. However, when the new system rolled out, it turned out that if I wanted to keep uploading and selling tracks, we would have to pay a publishing fee.

So now, on top of the stupid commissions and taxes, we had to pay fees just to publish songs—capped at no longer than five minutes (and one of our tracks is seven minutes long)—along with several additional conditions. It was clear that the WOKE agenda and its new marketing tactics had taken over Reverbnation. Unsurprisingly, we artists were being trampled over for a few coins once again.

Artists hosted on these types of platforms are not supposed to have that level of financial resources. If we did, we would pay a producer, an agent, and a manager to handle everything so we could focus purely on the music. We are people who look for accessible options for a reason, running away from scammers who might sell our music and our show while ensuring we, the artists, never see anything beyond a minimum wage, at best.

Nor are we artists supposed to pay the price for political issues. Musicians—at least Rock musicians—are PACIFISTS. We make music to BUILD and CREATE, and we do not support war in any sense. Personally, I am convinced that all these totalitarian systems (like Trump's) only seek to subjugate people. Of course, I am not going to contribute to that because I don't make music to be approved or disapproved of by idiots.

For all the reasons stated above, we decided to stick with BandCamp as our main hub for our digital music and elasticStage for our physical formats. We have declined, at least by now, the idea of being included on Spotify and similar platforms, as those types of services have allowed many others to exploit artists without us seeing any considerable benefits.

At least on BandCamp, they are completely and utterly honest with us.

That is all, and thank you for reading.

Messy Blues

From the Studio to your hands

2026-10-04T22:14:55.800-07:00

VASSY COURTES ANNOUNCES OFFICIAL VINYL & CD EDITIONS FOR "ROOTED TIME"

We are thrilled to share a massive milestone in the journey of Vassy Courtes. While the digital landscape allows us to connect globally, we have always believed that music inspired by the golden era of rock deserves to be felt, held, and experienced in the physical world.

Today, we are proud to announce that our acclaimed album, Rooted Time, is officially coming to life in two premium physical formats: High-Fidelity Vinyl and Deluxe CD.

A Premium British Pressing via elasticStage

To ensure the highest possible audio standards, we have partnered with the British audio pioneers at elasticStage. Every single copy of Rooted Time will be manufactured on-demand directly in the United Kingdom, utilizing cutting-edge manufacturing technology that preserves the raw, warm, and uncompromising analog resonance of our studio sessions.
Inside the 10-Page Collectible Booklet

This physical release is a true collector's piece. Both the Vinyl and CD editions feature a custom-designed, 10-page official booklet. Across its pages, you will discover:

• The Untold Story: Deep-dive biographies of the band, profiling the multi-instrumental chemistry of Messy Blues (Toni Hendricks) and the atmospheric depth of lyricist Oly Betancourt.

• Studio Secrets: An exclusive look into the grueling three-year recording process and the challenges of sculpting a definitive 1970s retro sound.

• Rare Instrumentation Notes: Learn how they blended classic hard rock with traditional folk textures, featuring the acoustic double bass on tracks like Sammy and the intricate dialogue between the banjo and Appalachian dulcimer on Pancha.

• Visual Journey: Six dedicated pages of exclusive artwork, conceptual imagery, and band photography.

No Overproduction, Pure Quality

By utilizing a sustainable, high-end on-demand model, your copy will be pressed specifically for you. No wasted materials, no compromised audio—just pure, timeless rock and roll shipped directly from the UK to your turntable or CD player.

The official store is now open. Don’t miss the chance to own a piece of Vassy Courtes history.

Buy "Rooted Time" here

Important update regarding our music and platforms

2026-09-28T15:11:09.372-07:00

To all who follow Vassy Courtes:

We want to share an important update with you regarding where you can officially listen to and purchase our music.

Since 2012, we maintained a presence on Reverbnation, where we released our album Rooted Time for sale back in 2017. However, due to recent changes in their policies and distribution model—which have made the platform confusing and less independent-friendly—we have decided to permanently close our profile on that site.

To keep listening to our catalogue, directly support the project, and purchase Rooted Time, we are centralizing everything on our main channels:

BandCamp: To buy the album digitally in high quality and connect directly with us.

SoundCloud: To stream our tracks and stay updated on new audio releases.

We are deeply grateful to everyone who has been part of this journey with us since 2012. Join us on BandCamp and SoundCloud to keep the music going.

Thank you for your continued support!

Oly Betancourt & Messy Blues

Vassy Courtes

Rooted Time 2026

2026-01-05T20:39:00.000-08:00

We are back, anyway

The album Rooted Time was released in July 2017 through the Reverbnation platform, five years after we released the singles The First Time and Moonlight. The album had demo quality in certain aspects and was full of grammatical errors (since English language is not my native language). There was also a technical error on my part as the producer when releasing it in quadraphonic format (optimal for both analog and digital compact disc formats but not for web digital). As a result, when playing two songs on the platforms and on YouTube, two tracks were lost, leaving a gap filled only by the rhythm section.

Specifically, it happened with Hand in Hand in the piano solo and with Behind the Storm in the second guitar solo, and it was a mistake that we carried for almost nine years, even though the album was still accepted in English-speaking countries and some Saxon and Cyrillic-speaking countries.

In Mexico, we didn't receive the same reception—though there was some, to a moderate degree—partly due to the language barrier and partly because the music had a retro feel. The fact that the so-called commercial urban style was in vogue (which I'll refrain from commenting on) also played a role. In Latin America, there was a mainstream surge of danceable and electronic rhythms that relegated rock to the underground. This included urban rock and rock in Spanish, which were supposedly the most popular with the masses.

Of course, we knew that and accepted it, and the reaction from the European, Asian, and North American public took us by surprise. Back in 2018, we were planning a tour of certain provinces in Mexico and the southern United States, with a strong possibility of traveling to Milan, Italy; and Berlin, Germany. But things went against us for several reasons.

One of my mistakes was choosing backing musicians based on my personal criteria and the friendship I had with them for years, which brought us an element that asked to share the leadership but never showed up to rehearsals and we had to do without him, with fatal administrative consequences.

When we were about to solve that problem by calling the excellent Hector Melgarejo (bassist), the global COVID-19 pandemic began and obviously we had to cancel all plans.

In 2022, we lost our manager, Lucio Usobiaga, due to respiratory failure, and the following three years were spent recovering and fighting for our survival. This further delayed our plans to return to the stage.

In other words, from 2018 when we had to stop, to 2025 when there was team coordination to plan an eventual return (seven years); trends had changed for many reasons towards even more disappointing and cheap styles that made Rock a style necessarily based on Pop songs or experimental hybrids that have little relation to real Rock.

At this point, another obstacle arises from the new generations of potential audiences: the overuse of resources derived from Artificial Intelligence, Auto-Tune, and the conversion of music to more conventional formats. At one time, rhythmic loops and background sequences flooded the market with electronic music, and it was easier and more profitable to create songs using AI applications than to record real music with real instruments.

I'd like to say it's nothing personal, but on the contrary, it's entirely personal because that market led the public to the consumer market and not the artistic market, and today a young guy prefers to listen to a song about how to get a girl (or another guy) into bed rather than a Paganini violin solo. Or, girls who look to trendy music as a way to seduce boys (or girls).

Then I faced the same old question: Why in English? The first argument from those who object to our decision to record in English brings up the issues of anti-nationalism and self-deprecation (which in means preferring foreign things) and suggests we to sing what Mexican styles are. And that's the first story. I don't know what people mean by Mexican styles, but if that's the case, we'd have to use conch shells, rattles made from seashells or nuts, flutes made from jungle wood, and other pre-Hispanic instruments.

Mariachi music is of French origin, banda music has German roots, and norteño music is related to bluegrass, which in turn shares a heritage from the Irish polka. Guitars, in any case, weren't invented in the United States but in Spain, and if there's one thing I'm certain of, it's that neither cumbia nor salsa were invented in Tepito. Both styles are of South American origin.

The basic idea behind recording in English (however badly I sing in English) is for the international market, and that's something I've maintained for forty years, not just recently. Whether we like it or not, only with that language can we achieve global recognition. Among other things, I also believe that the term Rock en Español (Rock in Spanish) is a vile marketing label because, if you'll excuse me, Rock was born in English and always will be in English.

Now that we're back in the studio reviewing the album Rooted Time to update it on the platforms (Reverbnation, Bandcamp, and SoundCloud), we realized that, despite everything, the record remains timeless and continues to be well-received across the ocean. I guess I wasn't so wrong after all.

If our audience listens to the album again, they will find some small new features after the adjustments, and new audiences will discover what is interesting about our album.

I think it's unlikely that Vassy Courtes will tour in 2026 because a tour takes a lot of time in terms of logistics and planning, but it's probable that I, as a solo artist, will make occasional appearances at concerts and recitals in some parts of the country. I'll detail that on my own blog, since it's about me as a solo artist. For now, as a group, we're still in the necessary negotiations for the next step.

In addition, there's material from Vassy Courtes that was left unfinished in the studio when we had to stay home. Enough material to consider for a second album.

Thank you for being here and thank you for eight years and months of patience that kept us in the top ten of the charts on the platforms mentioned.

Sincerely

Tony Hendricks, Messy Blues

Vassy Courtes en "Amplificando" - Programa de Radio

2019-02-20T07:14:00.001-08:00

Entrevista en "Proyecto Radio MX"

2019-01-15T11:01:00.002-08:00

El próximo 18 de febrero de 2019 Oly Betancourt y Messy Blues sostendrán una entrevista con la también cantante y, en este caso, locutora Sonia Ramírez para la estación de Web Streaming "Proyecto Radio MX" en donde hablarán de temas como Música Rock, el Movimiento de Contracultura Musical en México, el Adult Oriented Rock y desde luego sobre su larga duración "Rooted Time", puesto oficialmente a la venta el año pasado.

La entrevista podrá ser escuchada por internet a través del Sitio Oficial de Proyecto Radio FM a las 8 de la noche tiempo de la Ciudad de México.

"Rooted Time"

2017-04-20T14:12:00.003-07:00

En cuestión de días el primer larga duración de Vassy Courtes, "Rooted Time", estará finalmente publicado en línea y lanzado en versión física a través de un portal especializado acompañado de su correspondiente gira promocional, misma que será anunciada oportunamente en este espacio y en su sitio web oficial y aunque se incluirán músicos de respaldo, los elementos oficiales serán los conocidos hasta ahora: Messy Blues, Oly Betancourt y Héctor Melgarejo. El disco será también respaldado por artículos tipo "Souvenir" como playeras, tazas, botones, etc.

"Rooted Time" será el primer disco de larga duración de Vassy Courtes después de los dos sencillos lanzados en 2012 cuando se formó el grupo. Está compuesto por canciones hechas por el grupo y su formato físico incluye un interesante tema "Retro" en el diseño gráfico y entre otras novedades los elementos cambian un poco de su imagen tradicional retomando en algunas cosas el hard rock y algunos estilos más clásicos.

Será también la segunda en 9 años por parte de Oly Betancourt y Messy Blues que en 2008 lanzaron el "Blues Whisper". En 2012, Oly y Messy lanzaron un par de sencillos que hasta el día de hoy pueden escucharse (pero sin descargar) y fueron puestos como "demo" de lo que hacen.

"Rooted Time" será presentado en dos formatos, como se menciona arriba, digital y físico y ambos podrán ser adquiridos únicamente vía internet. Su ejecución "online" gratuita tendrá una grabación de fondo mencionando que se trata de promocional y tendrán un recorte de segundos al final de cada "Track". Lo anterior con la finalidad de respetar el trabajo conjunto de la gente que ha contribuído a la creación del disco, desde el grupo Vassy Courtes hasta los proveedores al público pasando por la gente de estudio y la que interviene en el proceso legal.

Vassy Courtes

2016-07-21T07:02:00.002-07:00

Vassy Courtes — Official Biography

Vassy Courtes is an overall rock band defined by creating original music with a distinct retro sound that evokes the artistic and cultural atmosphere of the 1950s through the 1970s. Every aspect of their creative process is crafted with the aesthetic standards of those three pivotal decades in mind.

Their setup mirrors the classic lineup of late-'60s and '70s pre-progressive rock groups—guitars, keyboards, bass, and drums—offering a rich, versatile sound, driven in part by a keyboardist who also doubles on piano and rhythm guitar.

The band was founded in 2012 by guitarist-keyboardist-lyricist Oly Betancourt and guitarist-vocalist-composer Messy Blues. Originally conceived as a studio project tailored for video releases on major video-sharing platforms, they developed a unique concept: capturing the finest elements—symbols, cultural icons, and vibes—from 20th-century music eras and forging their original sound around them.

To date, Vassy Courtes has released two singles and one full-length album:

"The First Time" & "(I'll See You in the) Moonlight" — Singles released in 2012
Rooted Time — Full-length album released in 2017

Technical Sheet

Band Name: Vassy Courtes
Formation Year: 2008 (studio project officially launched in 2012)
Genre/Style: Retro Rock / Overall Rock / AOR
Hometown: Mexico City, Mexico

Trivia & Facts

Prior to founding Vassy Courtes, Oly Betancourt and Messy Blues performed together in other musical projects between 2005 and 2012, including The Messy Blues Band and Tono 5.
Messy Blues was an active performer in the Mexico City underground rock scene during the 1980s before restarting his musical path in Celaya, Guanajuato, where he built strong relationships with local musicians. In the mid-1990s, he founded Crash Fuego Blanco, leading the band from 1996 through 2005.
Oly Betancourt writes most of the group's lyrics, while Messy Blues composes the music.
Despite singing and writing in English, many of their songs carry subtle thematic elements deeply rooted in Mexican culture and history.
Messy Blues is well known for his stage antics, most notably his homage to Jimi Hendrix by "playing guitar with his teeth." In reality, he deftly hides his guitar pick between his teeth to pull off the trick.
Oly Betancourt herself poses in a classic 1960s mini dress in one of the band’s iconic promotional posters.