In our constant experimentation with podcast programming, ROCKWIRED has decided to  give people a taste of what goes on behind the  scenes of ROCKWIRED MAGAZINE and why we do the things we do.  With that, we are pleased to present to you the first ever edition of THE BRIAN AND OZ SHOW hosted by ROCKWIRED MAGAZINE's founder and editor BRIAN LUSH and  correspondent JEREMY "OZZY" GILLEY.  This premiere edition was recorded that night of that BEATLES 50th anniversary thing on CBS and BRIAN and OZZY struggled to stay on topic while veering off into such curious territory as LOSTPROPHETS lead singer turned pedophile IAN WATKINS and  AS I LAY DYING front man TIM LAMBESIS (LUSH couldn't pronounce the dude's name in the recording) getting arrested for plotting to kill his wife.  Correspondent JEREMY "OZZY" GILLEY  has plans to bring some big names to the publication such as SCORPIONS and BILLY IDOL.  It's hard to keep up with the twists and turns of the conversation but it all ended in  two very bad CHRISTIAN BALE as BATMAN impressions.  Future editions will include music and interviews and Thursday night we have a special treat for you. 

B OF DAKOTA SOUTH RECORDS was definitely one of the stand out artists in 2013 with his self-titled debut album which not only garnered notice from us but from the ABORIGINAL PEOPLE"S CHOICE MUSIC AWARDS. Now in 2014 he has walked away with two ROCKWIRED RADIO MUSIC AWARDS. One for BEST MALE ARTIST and the other for BEST RECORDING BY AN AMERICAN INDIAN/ FIRST NATIONS ARTIST OR BAND. The the wins behind him he is setting his sights on getting into the studio to record his follow up album and has a few live dates set up. When we spoke to to B in 2013, he had this to say regarding his hopes for people receiving his music. "[I'd like for people] to relate to some of it. I can't necessarily say that about every track because each song has a different sound, meaning and purpose. Some express my emotions. Some are there to create awareness of an issue and others are for getting up, dancing and having a good time. No matter who you are or whether you like hip hop music or not there is going to be at least one song on this album that you are going to love on this album."

JANUARY 30, 2014

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The release of THE THANKFUL PARADE  captures the band  KRIS N at an exciting stage  in their recording career.  After the lead singer made  a name for himself as KRIS NEISE with three albums that boasted a lo-fi acoustic sensibility,  KRIS  has broadened  his sound  with a full band featuring LINDSEY N on bass,  ANDY N on drums,  JOHNNY N on  synthesizers and  JUSTIN N on guitars.  Produced by by MICAH CARLI  (HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS) THE THANKFUL PARADE  is a captivating listen complete with  songs that thoughtfully analyze  the comings and goings of  all of the kinds of relationships people go through in life  whether they be fleeting or significant.  The standout tracks are TALLBOYS TO LINCOLN, FAREWELL 5TH STREET and PACIFIC BLUE. 

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I keep trying to tell myself that that I WAS BORN is actually a debut release from an artist who has never been in a band before let alone never released a CD. ANDY FERRELL the 21 year old singer songwriter seems to have found his voice and his songwriting chops early and the evidence is in this six-song Americana set that boasts production style not too dissimilar from that of T-BONE BURNETT. Having been born and raised in Boone North Carolina (the same hometown as bluegrass/country/folk music legend DOC WATSON,) you would think that there was some innate imperative to chase after that rootsy folk sound but music like FERRELL's is born from the kind of self-discovery and life experience that come naturally. In FERRELL's case, life's journey took him all the way to New Zealand. When it came time to get serious and think abut the future FERRELL enrolled in college only to drop out and pursue life as a musician and songwriter. You can;t put a price tag on a good education butafter listening to FERRELL's debut CD we feel that music is this young man's ticket.

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Sometimes musicality makes all of the difference. TIL THE MORNING COMES is the debut album of the Toronto-based jazz soul artist SUSIE MCLEAN  but the talented singer songwriter has an innate  ability of taking songs from other artists and putting her own soulful spin on them as well as penning shimmering compositions that can stand alongside the work of more established artists.  It was a business career that kept MCLEAN away from  music making for years until the death of her younger brother from Leukemia. The results of her musical rediscovery has resulted in the ROY OOMMEN produced TIL THE MORNING COMES. MCLEAN beautifully re-imagines two RAY LAMONTAGNE tunes that OOMMEN shared with her, SHELTER and BE HERE NOW, about being present in every moment and not letting it slip away. She also draws fresh and intimate magic from the catalogs of BRYAN ADAMS (STRAIGHT FORM THE HEART), INGRID MICHAELSON (GIVING UP), TRACY CHAPMAN (GIVE ME ONE REASON), CHRIS TOMLIN (WINTERSNOW) and Bob Dylan (MAKE YOU FEEL MY LOVE). Her heartfelt originals include the blues tinged romantic declaration SING YOUR SONG and the melancholy but ultimately cathartic ballad FALLING DOWN. Penned by a friend of MCLEAN's, the spirited acoustic guitar driven title track has a touch of classic Canadian folk and even some country leanings. Currently, MCLEAN is working on her follow up to TIL THE MORNING COMES  and yuo can hear the  first track from that album  CALLING ME HOME in this edition of JAZZED AND BLUE. 

More and more it seems like DJs are becoming the new rock stars. I've been to shows where it is in fact the DJ that is taking the place of the lead guitarist of a band. The Austin - based performer DJ and electronic artist XO understands this all too well. At the start of her music career,she was an acoustic based singer songwriter  performing in coffeehouses but  wanted to get into the groove as it were and forge a sound that could  get people  on the floor. In her experimentation with electronics XO has settled on a sound that is both pulsating and irresistably hypnotic. She has cut her teeth a series of EP releases in the past year but now XO is on the verge of releasing her LP LOVER'S BLOOD - a collection of sensuously thumping tracks created to get the party started and at times bring you down to a nice chill.

When you visit TRASH THE BRAND's FACEBOOK page the 'about' section tells you that "you need to get some SWAMP-A-BILLY in your life." Until you hear the bands self titled album,  you aren't going to realize how badly you needed it. As a matter of fact,  the punchy mixture of  swamp rock meets  rock-a-billy is just the kind of signature sound that  alternative and mainstream rock radio is sorely lacking in these stifling times.  Comprised of   SCOTTI AUSTIN on vocals and guitars, SCOTT LITTLE on bass and STEVEN PULLEY on drums, TRASH THE BRAND have served up a satisfying listen that boasts a broad range of musical styles and a knack for storytelling as opposed to a bunch of pop psychological heartache. Just give the tracks SOULS ON MY SHOES, SOCIAL CALL and TAKE IT FAST some spins.

It's only two days before Christmas and one of the hottest sounding bands is coming to us from one of the coldest places on Earth - Norway.  The band HUMBUCKER - I'm assuming that they are named after the guitar pick ups - began as a cover band playing mostly  AC/DC tunes back in 1998,. In 2001 they went  into the studio to cut their five song demo recording and hit the music scene with a vengeance but despite their loyal following, the band folded due to  all of those grown up commitments like a job got in the way. Growing up and being responsible always seems to be the nail in the coffin for any rocker. In 2010, HUMBUCKER got back together for a one-time-only performance and something strange happened. The guys realized that they never should've parted and a few months later they recorded their proper debut album R.O.C.K.S.  Now, the band has put their finishing touches on their follow album KING OF THE WORLD which is due for release on February 15, 2014. 

When a partnership in music works the results can be electrifying as they are with the duo FUTURE US. Combining the talents of guitarist and singer  MEGAN HEAVLIN OCHOA  and rock frontman turned beatmaker DANIEL DURRETT,, FUTURE US boasts an intoxicating balance of pulsating electronic thumping and OCHOA's  raw earthy delivery of songs  and arrangements that get tot eh heart of the matter of  relationships gone wrong.  Their debut EP WE ARE FUTURE US  gloriously lays down the band's musical agenda with  such  tunes as NO GOOD, the rockabilly-tinged ON MY MIND and I BELONG TO YOU.

I love stories about falling off of the horse and getting back on it.  Guitarist turned bassist JOE STABILE had given up on the rock n roll dream thanks to to a bunch of record company shenanigans and  the foreboding sense that things weren't going anywhere. It took friend and lead guitarist  DANNY THE FARROW ANNIELLO  to convince him to pick up the bas and join him in forming a balls-to-the-wall hard rock heavy metal band with all original material.  After a few false starts and line up changes the resulting project is the band LORDS OF MERCY and their DOKKEN-styled approach  has found it's way  onto plastic. Their self-titled debut CD will be released December 15th.  Featuring  BRANDON SWEENEY on lead vocals and  PETE PERRINA on drums, the thunderous sound of LORDS OF MERCY  has what it takes to fill up nightclubs throughout the country and  make people realize that rock n roll ain't as passe some wuold have you believe it is. 

Back in May of 2012 the band EDGEOF PARADISE were one of the first acts to grace the cover of ROCKWIRED MAGAZINE and not only had the band released their debut EP, they were also feeling themselves out as musicians and band mates. You, see when their songs were all written and studio time was booked the band's former singer took off to front SURVIVOR. In walked a classically trained siren by the name of MARGARITA MONET. Armed with MONET's delivery and guitarist DAVE BATES' dexterity, EDGE OF PARADISE embarked on their maiden voyage. Little did we know that ti was more like a dry run. This time around EDGE OF PARADISE is on the eve of releasing their new full length album PERFECT SHADE OF BLACK and MONET and BATES have came to the fore as a songwriting partnership crafting material that not only rocks but has the potential to reach an audience beyond the metal crowd.