FEBRUARY 4,
2019 2019
ROCKWiRED READER'S POLL AWARD WiNNERS!!!
he
awards season for the 2019 ROCKWIRED READER'S POLL AWARDS provided
ROCKWIRED.COM with a steady stream of traffic and a great deal of
voter excitement throughout social media. Lacking this year was the
promised awards show which was cancelled due to budget problems. "It
was
too bad that we couldn't deliver a fun, spirited awards show this year
to bring the season to an end, but the enthusiasm of the voters this
year was celebration enough for us." says ROCKWIRED editor-in-chief
BRIAN LUSH "The awards season has to end somehow and our editorial year
must go on. In a way, the ROCKWIRED READER'S POLL AWARDS is the
official close of 2018 for us as a publication. It's important for us
to
celebrate the talent that made the previous year extraordinary and now
that the winners are being announced we can explore all that will be
possible in 2019."
FEBRUARY 3,
2019 ROCKWiRED.COM's
ACiD FLASHBACK:THE DOORS
he
opening song "BREAK ON THROUGH" gives the album a powerful start to a
psychedelic trip that leads you to "THE END" with so many less
regarded gems outside of the big three such as 20TH CENTURY FOX,
CRYSTAL SHIP, SOUL KITCHEN, THE ALABAMA SONG. If you were to
silence the vocal track on the album, the instruments would still stand
out and be distinct, especially RAY MANZAREK playing on the keys.
Often, JIM MORRISON is the most cited member of THE DOORS because he
was just so charismatic that he stood out and I feel gave rock the
larger than life image that it carried for years but he isn't without
help. You had RAY MANZAREK on keys of course, ROBERT KRIEGER on guitar,
and JOHN DENSMORE on drums. As talented as they all are, I don't think
they would have made it anywhere without JIM MORRISON and JIM MORRISON
wouldn't have made it anywhere without them.
FEBRUARY 2,
2019 ROCKWiRED
NOTES:THE SPEAR SHAKERS
x woman
KELLY RICHEY has led a
charmed life as an independent music maker, living her creative life on
her own terms. After launching her own record label SWEET LUCY RECORDS,
she has cut over 16 albums and has made a name for herself as a one of
kind live performer with a sound rooted in the blues. Now, she is
shaking things up a bit with her latest musical project THE SPEAR
SHAKERS, where she has taken notes from JACK WHITE of THE WHITE STRIPES
and has teamed up with a drummer and eschewed the role of a bass
player. Said drummer is percussionist SHERRI McGEE and she and RICHEY
are one hell of a spirited rock duo, bringing some-much needed revelry
and recklessness to what we call blues rock. 2019 is shaping up to be a
big year for THE SPEAR SHAKERS. This month, the duo is releasing three
new singles - I WENT DOWN EASY, LEAVING IT ALL BEHIND and SOMETHINGS
GOING ON. ROCKWIRED had a chance to speak with KELLY RICHEY of THE
SPEAR SHAKERS regarding their new music. Here is how the interview
went.
hrough
the eyes of our quaint little publication, 2019 isn't quite feeling
like it's own year yet. 2018 is still pretty much on our mind, given
the frenzy over our current awards season, but the year has to progress
and things have to get better. The upside to our award season is that
submissions go through the roof. The downside, is that there is so much
to go through. Where do you find the time to take it all in? One
submission that stood out simply because it was a band that hails form
my home State. In the past, ROCKWIRED has given it up for such
Maryland-based rockers such as SILVERTUNG, BLACK ANGEL DOWN and the
more regional band SEPIA. VEER is the latest offering to the world of
active rock from the Old Line State and they've demonstrated that
they've got a one, mean, knock out rock n roll punch with their new
album APOCALYPTIC, BABY. Powered by brothers RONALD (vocals) and JON
MALFI (drums), RYAN FOWLER on lead guitar and CHRISTIAN MATHIS on bass,
VEER issues the kind of rock that is as heavy on guitar as it is on
hooks. Throughout 2018, they had released a series of singles that had
reached respectable chartings on the 365 RADIO NETWORK and Australia's
89.5 THE VOICE OF THE VALLEY. With the release of APOCALYPTIC, BABY,
hopefully it won't be long before VEER make a good impression
Stateside. Due to a snowstorm that had blon in through Maryland,
ROCKWIRED conducted an email interview with the members of VEER
regarding their new album. Here is how the interview went.
ome bands
get started when one
runs an ad in some city paper or Craigslist, asking for players to help
realize their musical ambitions. And in the case of a band like MESSER,
all that was needed was good old fashioned serendipity. All of the
players were right where they needed to be according to front man and
band namesake DEREAK MESSER. Some members were spotted where the front
man got his hair or his tattoos done, and before he knew it, the band
MESSER was on their way to active rock glory. With the help of producer
CHAD GENDASON, MESSER has an album that anyone worth their salt in the
current hard rock set can be proud of. This self titled debut came off
the assembly line and onto a #3 placing on the SOUNDSCAN NEW ARTIST
CHART while it's lead single MAKE THIS LIFE peaked at #25 on the ACTIVE
ROCK RADIO. As songwriters, MESSER prove their hearts are in the the
right place with gritty material that speaks to the toxicity in
relationships (their latest single SAVE MYSELF) and the inner turmoils
that go unnoticed due to sunny surroundings with the song EVERYTHING
BEAUTIFUL - a semi-tribute to the CHRIS CORNELL and CHESTER BENNINGTON.
ROCKWIRED had a cahnce to speak with DEREAK MESSER regarding the band's
music. Here is how the interview went.
n the weeks
before being
introduced to BEXLEY, I had been thinking that there has a tremendous
dearth in the number of solo female artists specializing in rock n roll
lately. These days, it seems like a woman's place in music is limited
to lilting indie folk, being an over-eager, over-emoting contestant on
THE VOICE or being a garden variety pop tart. I miss the days
when
women like PAT BENATAR where issuing bombastic rock n roll that was
celebratory and confident and didn't resort to victimhood. Now, I can
thankfully count the Seattle-born rocker BEXLEY as a female artist
going against the grain of what is expected of women with a microphone
and - god forbid - an electric guitar! The young lady is no stranger to
a live stage, and has made her presence known since she was ten years
old performing at talent shows. Nurtured by the grunge capital of the
world, BEXLEY found her voice and her purr instantaneously and there
was
no looking back. Her latest single is the headbanging RUN RABBIT RUN
and all we cane say is we're in this woman's corner. The single
precedes the release of her forthcoming EP LOST IN THE MOMENT
which is
due out January 18, 2019. ROCKWIRED had a chance to speak with BEXLEY
regarding the new single and forthcoming EP. Here is how the interview
went.
JANUARY 7,
2019 ROCKWiRED
PRESS RELEASE: 2019 RRPA AWARD
SHOW
OCKWIRED.COM's
award season will be coming to a glorious finale with the two hour
presentation of the 2019
ROCKWIRED READER'S POLL AWARDS SHOW which will
air on the online radio station RADIOKSCR.COM
on Sunday, February 3,
2019. Here, the winners will be announced ina program that
is sure to
entertain. Hosting the proceedings will be ROCKWIRED.COM's founder and
editor BRIAN LUSH along with some special guests. "With our awards
season, it is like the Holidays have been extended. It's always
exciting
to see to fans voting for their favorite artists and the traffic
spiking for this event. " says LUSH " It lets me know that
we're doing
something right as a publication that has now been around for fourteen
years. We live in a time when music is taken for granted as this free
commodity that anyone can listen to and download for nothing, but the
response to the ROCKWIRED READER'S POLL AWARDS proves to me that music
is more than this free commodity. IT is something that people are truly
passionate about, and that is why we are still in the game as an online
publication despite some changes that have happened along the way."
JANUARY 2,
2019 ROCKWiRED
NOTES:ALASTAiR
GREENE TRiO
or years,
blues rock guitarist
ALASTAIR GREENE has proven that one can find their passion in life,
travel the world and make a decent coin. So what if you're not a
household name? ROCKWIRED first became acquainted with the
guy when he
released his 2009 album WALKING IN CIRCLES. Ten years later, his
reputation has gone beyond the Los Angeles Music scene with a
series
of releases that have demonstrated his passion for the blues and roots
music while never failing to "rock the house". The most recent of his
studio output is the 2017 album DREAM TRAIN where GREENE worked with
producer DAVID Z and the man and his band's distinctive brand of blues
rock was served up with some delectable seventies hard rock flourishes.
Touring for the album has kept GREENE and his band busy, so it's no
surprise that a live album was released on the heels of DREAM TRAIN.
LIVE FROM THE 805 captures a band at the top of their game with
electrifying performances from GREENE's formidable catalog and some
choice covers thrown in to remind you that he's all about the
blues.
ROCKWIRED had a chance to catch up with ALASTAIR GREENE regarding his
trio's latest live album. Here is how the interview went.
ere I am
attempting to cash in on the hype of the NETFLIX original film BIRD BOX
starring SANDRA BULLOCK and honestly it was a let down.
BIRD
BOX was massively over hyped and turned into a somewhat goldmine for
memes. The best maybe being SANDRA BULLOCKS character and her kids
wearing blindfolds crossing by a SALVATION ARMY bucket.
It
wasn't a terrible movie but felt like a lesser M NIGHT SHYMALAN film
which the obvious comparison is his film THE HAPPENNING and ultimately
it is the love child of THE HAPPENNING and the film A QUIET PLACE. M.
NIGHT SHYMALAN is probably somewhere masturbating to the twist at the
end of the film honestly. The king of twists is twisting his knob for
sure.
DECEMBER
13,
2018 ROCKWiRED'S
ANNUAL READER'S POLL BALLOT
ward
season is upon us here at ROCKWIRED.COM and today we are pleased to
announce the nominees for the upcoming 2018 ROCKWIRED READERS POLL
AWARDS. Our award season has always been a huge to do but
this time
around we will be doing it bigger than we've ever done before. This
year the voting will begin on Today,
December 13, 2018 here at ROCKWIRED.COM with
polling provided by MICROPOLL. Polls will close January 25, 2019. On
February 3, 2019,
winners of the 2019 ROCKWIRED RADIO MUSIC AWARDS will be
announced on a two-hour presentation which will be featured on the
online radio station RADIOKSCR.COM. This marks the twelfth
annual awards season for ROCKWIRED and this
year's top nominees include STATiON, TO WHOM iT MAY, HYDROGYN and
CORNERS OF SANCTUARY. This
year we have come to a concensus on an impressive list of nominees.
Please take a good look at who we have selected and cast your
vote with care.
This
official ballot page has been set up with
polling services provided by MICROPOLL. Voters are welcome to
vote as many times as they wish although it may involve clearing
your cache and cookies to do so.
DECEMBER
10,
2018 ROCKWiRED
SPECiAL FEATURE:XMAS CHEER
n
my last trip to the grocery store, I made a point of asking the cashier
how he was holding up with the constant bombardment of Christmas music.
He said he was fine. He pointed out to me that this year, management
made a point of piping the music down to where it was no longer
intrusive. From a retail perspective, that made all of the sense in the
world to me. Come Holiday Season, all I've ever wanted for Christmas
was for Mariah Carey to pipe it down a few thousand fucking notches.
DECEMBER 9,
2018 ROCKWiRED
NOTES:BLUE
MOViE / BLACK FiLM
hey always
say that persistence
pays off. No one needs to remind a band like BLUE MOVIE of the rewards
that go with sticking to one's guns. Of course, the reward for this
band has been a dedicated following and not the kind of public embrace
that greets a competitor from THE VOICE. Early on, we saw the the
musical and aesthetic charms of the band when they released their album
DELUSIONS IN TECHNICOLOR back in 2012 - a mixture of DARK HORSE
COMICS-styled imagery with the very progressive metal flourishes that
have made DREAM THEATER a big deal. With two albums behind
them, the
line up for the band changed drastically with the departure of
their
bassist and lead singer, leaving guitarist TONY PARIS and drummer LISA
FOERDERER to fend for themselves. In the midst of putting together
their 2014 release SYNTHETIC III, they found vocalist ANTHONY NOTO. It
was one this release that BLUE MOVIE adopted their second moniker BLACK
MOVIE - a band alter ego that has stayed with them ever since.
ong
referred to as JONATHON "BOOGIE" LONG within blues circles, it
has been brought to my attenton that the middle name "BOOGIE" has been
dropped. I can't believe I didn't get round to asking this Baton
Rouge-based singer-songwriter why. For years, the guitarist
and singer
has been a progenitor of the blues sound that his immediate
surroundings are famous for. Now, LONG has taken off in a slightly
different musical direction with the release of his new, self-titled
album on WILD HEART RECORDS - the label founded by blues artist and
guitarist SAMANTHA FISH. Not only had FISH given LONG a home with her
fledgling label, she had assumed the seat behind the recording console
and allowed LONG to cut loose. This self-titled release showcases a
blues troubadour at an excitng crossroads. LONG breaks free of the
restrictions of the blues and steps into rockier, edgier
Americana-styled territory with the kind of songwriting approach that
can be heard by the likes of contemporaries such as MIKE ZITO or JOHN
HIATT.
The first single BURY ME sounds heavy at first, but the moody slow
burner is a celebration of a life that was lived joyously and honestly.
ROCKWIRED had a chance to speak with JONATHAN LONG
regarding his new album shorlty after it's release. Here is how the
interview went.
ineties
nostalgia is all of the rage these days and I can't figure out why. The
eighties were so much more awesome and I can only imagine that a land
mass such as Australia was even more awesome. CROCODILE DUNDEE put the
curious continent on the map in a pop cultural sense for us yanks , but
the the land down underhad it's own party
going on in
the age of REAGAN. Almost thirty years after the bnd disbanded, we are
just getting to know that band DE-ARROW who have just released a
collection of demos that were cut between 1983 to 1989 through the
label 20th CENTURY. If these were just demos, I'm curious to hear how
the the proper releases sounded. In a time of mascara and big hair,
DE-ARROW came to the fore armed with the sort of musicianship that was
more typical of progressive rock bands - which were out of of vogue for
the the time, but not so much these days. Keyboardist NOEL HART and
guitarist DRAGAN STANIC have gone through the past brightly and
assembled a collection of music that represents all that was possible
in the decade of excess, but also gives a look at what American rock
radio missed out on. This collection may not convert a non-fan but it
will definitely make you curious to hear the band's proper output.
ROCKWIRED had a chance to speak to keyboardist NOEL HART regarding the
collection. Here is how the interview went.
DECEMBER 2,
2018 THE
ROCKWiRED ARTiST OF THE
MONTH NOMiNEES:
OCKWIRED.COM
is pleased to announce the nominees for our latest ARTIST OF
THE MONTH COMPETITION. We have just announced that BELOW 7
are ROCKWIRED.COM's ARTISTS OF THE MONTH for the month December.
Now we are getting things
set for the month of November and we've got an amazing group of artists
for you to pick from. This official ballot page has been set up with
polling services provided by MICROPOLL. Voters are welcome to
vote as many times as they wish although it may involve clearing
your cache and cookies to do so.
DECEMBER
1,
2018 - You voted,
the polls have closed and the winner of the 91rst ROCKWIRED ARTIST OF
THE MONTH title is BELOW 7 on
the strength of
their
new LP CRASHING DOWN. nwinding
and sharing a love of
music is what the band BELOW 7 credits their formation to. Sure,
it's not the most earth shaking beginning for a hard rock band
from
Bristol, Tennessee, but BELOW 7's commitment to issuing rock n roll
in the vein of GODSMACK, ALICE IN CHAINS and ROB ZOMBIE has remained
strong from them ever since their first meeting of the minds. It is a
commitment that
has seen them through their initial days as a cover band up until now
as they've been signed to the PAVEMENT ENTERTAINMENT label and have
introduced themselves to a wider audience with their new album CRASHING
DOWN. It's no wonder that such music making that is rooted in a
straight forward love of music has yielded some rather pleasing results
such as the punchy first single MILLENNIAL - less of a takedown and
more
of a portraiture of a generation with no get-up-and-go.
NOVEMBER
28,
2018 ROCKWiRED
SPECiAL FEATURE:2018 EDiTOR'S CHOiCE
t
was the year that wasn't supposed to look like much. In late 2017,
ROCKWIRED made the decision to cease publication of our monthly
magazine and simply focus on beefing up
our website with articles that would've ended up on the magazine
anyway.
Within the first few weeks of the year 2018, we noticed a huge change
in ROCKWIRED. Our traffic started to go through the roof. This year
proved to us that pulling back and keeping things simple is the way to
go. While we miss the look and feel of ROCKWIRED MAGAZINE, we love the
sight of readers from throughout the continent and beyond visiting our
website to catch up on what's exciting in the world of independent rock
n roll.
NOVEMBER
26,
2018 ROCKWiRED
SPECiAL FEATURE:TiNA
TURNER
eary
are we as a
publication in bringing up the dearth of female voices in rock these
days.
We could say that what we need is another rock n roll hero like the
woman born ANNA MAE BULLOCK in an unincorpated township in Tennessee
called Nutbush, but you'd roll your eyes at the pun, as you are
probably doing now, and thinking "There isn't gonna be another TINA
TURNER." Who needs another TINA TURNER when we've still got the
real thing walking this green earth? Retired,
happily
married and living in Switzerland, TURNER has boasted one of those few
musical careers that have reached legendary proportions and had the
sort of biblical backstory worthy of CECIL B. DEMILLE's TEN
COMMANDMENTS.
NOVEMBER
16,
2018 ROCKWiRED
PRESS RELEASE:ROCKWiRED PULLS ROCK
SHOW
t's the end
of an era for ROCKWIRED.COM! Due to a busy schedule,
a change in the times, and perhaps that natural evolution of
an online
music publication, ROCKWIRED is stepping out of the podcasting arena
that it has been engaged in since 2010 and has officially pulled the
plug on it's weekly music program ROCK SHOW. "It really boiled down to
not having time to produce a two hour weekly show." Says ROCKWIRED
founder BRIAN LUSH, who hosted the show with RITA LOUISE. "The initial
response was amazing but finding the time while you've got an online
magazine to run was very difficult and becasue of that, the show
suffered in terms of output and response. ROCKWIRED is a very serious
thing for us and for me. The writing has proven to be more effective
than any podcasting that we've been doing. It's something that flies in
the face of what everyone tells you about podcasting - that it's more
effective than writing or blogging or whatever. Clearly for people that
come to ROCKWIRED, what we write is more important and it's been
reflected in the traffic that we receive. So, for the foreseeable
future, there will be no more podcasting from ROCKWIRED."
nwinding
and sharing a love of
music is what the band BELOW 7 credits their formation to. Sure,
it's not the most earth shaking beginning for a hard rock band
from
Bristol, Tennessee, but BELOW 7's commitment to issuing rock n roll
in the vein of GODSMACK, ALICE IN CHAINS and ROB ZOMBIE has remained
strong from them ever since their first meeting of the minds. It is a
commitment that
has seen them through their initial days as a cover band up until now
as they've been signed to the PAVEMENT ENTERTAINMENT label and have
introduced themselves to a wider audience with their new album CRASHING
DOWN. It's no wonder that such music making that is rooted in a
straight forward love of music has yielded some rather pleasing results
such as the punchy first single MILLENNIAL - less of a takedown and
more
of a portraiture of a generation with no get-up-and-go. ROCKWIRED had a
chance to speak to BELOW 7's front man JARROD EVANS regarding the
band's
new album and some exciting new developments on the horizon. Here is
how the interview went.
n
his pursuit to put together a band capable of issuing a
boisterous celtic punk sound, BRENDAN SHEEHY left his native land of
Ireland, packed his bags and settled in Koping, Sweden in 2002. I'm not
quite sure that is the textbook instruction for doing so, but it's
managed to work out for SHEEHY and his band SIR REG. We're also not
sure how this band stands out in their Scandinavian surroundings, but
their approach seems to help their cause and not hurt it. Five albums
into their career, the band has released THE UNDERDOGS. Despite the "us
versus them" that can be implied from the title, the album is a
collection of
songs that speak to the daily struggles of love and life.
"An underdog represents everyone who's trying to reach the top of their
game but is met with next to impossible odds," says SHEEHY "These odds
only exist because you let them. Put your head dow, work hard and you
can achieve your goals. It's all about believing in yourself. I think
we an allrelate to that in one way or another." This
"pick
yourself up" message is something new for the band who were never
afraid to get a little political in the past, but in these times marked
by right versus left, we could all do with a little less politics and a
little more uplift. Due to scheduling conflicts, ROCKWIRED was only
able to secure an email interview with BRENDAN SHEEHY regarding SIR
REG'S new album. Here is what he had to say.
NOVEMBER 8,
2018 DAMNiT
GiLLEY:FREDDiE
MERCURY SOLO ALBUMS
am
riding the QUEEN wave for attention by giving my take on the two solo
albums that were released by FREDDIE MERCURY. The first being MR. BAD
GUY released on APRIL 29th, 1985, the second being BARCELONA which was
released OCTOBER 10th, 1988. I don't know if BARCELONA counts since it
was technically recorded with MONSTERRAT CABALLE. MONSTERRAT CABALLE
was
a Spanish Operatic Soprano who passed away on OCTOBER 6th of this year.
Which I have just learned from googling her.
NOVEMBER 6,
2018 THE
ROCKWiRED ARTiST OF THE
MONTH NOMiNEES:
OCKWIRED.COM
is pleased to announce the nominees for our latest ARTIST OF
THE MONTH COMPETITION. We have just announced that CORNERS
OF SANCTUARY are ROCKWIRED.COM's ARTISTS OF THE MONTH for the month
November.
Now we are getting things
set for the month of November and we've got an amazing group of artists
for you to pick from. This official ballot page has been set up with
polling services provided by MICROPOLL. Voters are welcome to
vote as many times as they wish although it may involve clearing
your cache and cookies to do so.
NOVEMBER 5,
2018 ROCKWiRED
REViEWS:BOHEMIAN
RHAPSODY t
press time, it's been announced that BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY has
made
some serious bank, grossing $72 million in the International
box
office, and having just come out of the movie theater, I'm not at all
surprised. The QUEEN biopic did what it was supposed to do in ensuring
that the legendary band's brand prospers and that we as the audience
rush home and start blasting WE WILL ROCK YOU / WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS on
PANDORA or SPOTIFY. Should you wish to write this off as cynicism on my
part, just
remember that guitarist BRIAN MAY and drummer ROGER TAYLOR are both
credited as executive producers of the film which had a rocky
production
history in front of and behind the camera. SASHA BARON COHEN was
initially tagged with playing the role of FREDDIE MERCURY to the
eventual
dismay of the surviving band members, which resulted in COHEN leaving
the project due to
creative differences. While director BRYAN SINGER was fired from the
project and replaced by DEXTER FLETCHER, it is SINGER who maintains the
director credit.
FOR
iMMEDiATE RELEASE: NOVEMBER 3,
2018 - You voted,
the polls have closed and the winner of the 90th ROCKWIRED ARTIST OF
THE MONTH title is CORNERS OF SANCTUARY on
the strength of
their
new LP THE GALLOPING HORDES. There
is
something to be said
for the drive of a band like CORNERS OF SANCTUARY and their mission to
bring traditional metal back to the forefront. Nothing has stood in
their way. Not even a significant line up change. In 2016, the band had
wrapped up the recording of their album THE GALLOPING HORDES but at the
finish line, lead singer FRANKIE CROSS chose to walk away from the
band. Due to the shake up, the band put the release of the album on
hold and began the search for a new lead singer. They ended up
with a
female lead singer named TREESE LOGAN and the band had decreed that
LOGAN would dub her own pyrotechnic voice over what had been laid down
by FRANKIE. Things were looking up. CORNERS OF SANCTUARY was headed in
a new direction with a female lead singer and all was going to be right
with the world. At the beginning of this year. LOGAN stepped down as
lead singer and when the band knocked on FRANKIE CROSS's door to ask if
he would fill in for some scheduled dates, the only question CROSS had
was "when?". Ever since, CROSS has remained with the band. The band's
latest album THE GALLOPING HORDES was finally released and one can hear
a band that has been rejuvenated in the tracks of this latest album. Oh
and to top it off, the band just got done with a tour of Europe.
OCTOBER 30,
2018 ROCKWiRED
NOTES:S.K.o.R. UBUS
TELLUS is just the kind of rock album that we need right
now. For those of you who came of age in the nineties, there was a time
when rock n roll was loud and synonymous with the word 'fun', before it
became a platform for rage and flannel shirts. The embrace of rock's
more joyous qualities is hopefully a sign of the times. ROCKWIRED has
seen it embraced by bands like STATION and BOBAFLEX and doesn't GRETA
VAN FLEET have the number one album on the BILLBOARD charts this week?
Yes, RUBUS TELLUS is an old fashioned melodic rock party, but what's
interesting is the fact that the Scandinavian band S.K.o.R. (an acronym
for SOME KIND OF RUBUS) was once a band that embraced a more folk rock
approach to their sound that they put to fine use on a bunch of EPs and
one LP called SMORGASBORD. Their folky approach did yield one Swedish
radio hit with CHOP SONG in 2011, but the goal of band founder EMIL
GAMMELTOFT was to make a bigger bang and in 2015, he and the band
decided to go guns blazing with a bombastic rock sound reminiscent of
the days of NAZARETH, SWEET and SLADE. ROCKWIRED had a chance to speak
with EMIL GAMMELTOFT regarding the new album from S.K.o.R. Here is how
the interview went.
OCTOBER 26,
2018 ROCKWiRED
ViDEO BLAST:BLUE MOViE BLACK FiLM
ver
the years, I've made no secret of how attractive I find the members of
BLUE MOVIE/BLACK FILM. Lean, mean and gorgeous, they've got a look that
lends itself well to music video. For BLUE MOVIE/BLACK FILM, it's
all about forging an uncommon sound - one marked by progressive metal,
dance and goth flourishes. It's a sound that they've been mining
successfully since I've known this New York City-based band and that
was when they were simply called BLUE MOVIE. In that time, guitarist
TONY PARIS and drummer LISA FOERDERER have been the constants. Current
vocalist ANTHONY NOTO has been with the band for a few years now and
has given the band's DARK HORSE COMICS feel a rock n roll spit shine.
The creative triumvirate is back with their new album BROKEN MACHINES
and the single THE COLD SONG is getting it's official premiere here at
ROCKWIRED.COM.
ock n roll
is all about resilience. Even in a time when it's
visceral sound seems to be upstaged by something that is going to get
the judges on THE VOICE going, it's sound can blast through
the
speakers and let you know that this is a music that isn't going quietly
into that good night. Resilience is something that a band like LIVESAY
knows all about. Formed in 1991 by guitarist and namesake GREGG
LIVESAY, the band proudly boasted a glorious melodic rock sound in a
time where rock music was getting a severe make under thanks to
Seattle's grunge scene which ended up setting the tone for the decade
to come. Despite such a shake up, LIVESAY stayed on track with a guitar
heavy rock sound that boasted melody and even some more progressive
rock flourishes in later releases. Despite numerous lineup changes
throughout the years, LIVESAY's mission has continued undeterred. Now,
LIVESAY has signed to the fledgling RFL RECORDS label and is kicking
off the singing with the release of their career spanning
retrospective
compilation CHRONICLES. In addition to select cuts from the band's
catalog, CHRONICLES also features three unreleased demo tracks and the
new single INTERNATIONAL MAN featuring new lead singer MIKE GILL.
ROCKWIRED had a chance to speak with guitarist GREGG LIVESAY regarding
the new release and their plans for a new, forthcoming album with all
new material. Here is how the interview went.
OCTOBER 22,
2018 ROCKWiRED
NOTES:SCREW
THE HOLiDAYS VOLUME THREE
ith the
midterm elections looming closer, you can be assured that
no matter what the result is, this great nation of ours will only
become further divided and the toxicity of our current affairs is only
going to make this year's Holiday Season that much more unbearable. Who
the hell wants to sit around a family dinner table and get into a
heated debate over possible Russian collusion and TRUMP's pick for a
Supreme Court Justice? Personally, I'd rather cuddle up with a
significant other by a fireplace with a glass of red wine and some
music in the background and thankfully RADIO KSCR has that very same
thing in mind for this Holiday Season with their latest Holiday-themed
music compilation. For the past few years, the online radio station has
reached out to the segment of the population that wants to snap every
time they hear Christmas music being played through the overhead
speakers of this or that retail store as early as Halloween. This most
welome compilation has been dubbed SCREW THE HOLIDAYS and for two
volumes, artists and bands from numerous genres have contributed songs
that celebrate the yuletide season without all of the cloying,
saccharine sweetness one has come to equate with Holiday music. Now,
after a two year hiatus, RADIO KSCR is due to release SCREW THE HOLIDAY
VOLUME THREE and producer and RADIO KSCR founder JOWANNA LEWIS promises
a collection of Holiday themed songs from various genres that will
speak to the adult in you that doesn't want any grief this Holiday
Season. At press time,
RADIO KSCR is still accepting submissions for this compilation up until
October 31, 2018. ROCKWIRED
had a chance to speak with JOWANNA LEWIS of RADIO KSCAR regarding the
plans and the forthcoming release of SCREW THE HOLIDAYS - VOLUME THREE.
Here is how the inerview went.
xperimentation
is nothing new for the alt-metal band THE CLAY
PEOPLE. Over the years, the Albany, New York-based band has brandished
a lethal sound that has incorporated punk, gothic, industrial, metal
and even dance influences. Throughout the nineties, the band, then
known as CLAY PEOPLE released a steady stream of material that
showcased the band's adventurous musical spirit culminating in the 1998
album THE CLAY PEOPLE, where the band had shed the use of sampling and
had become a full on, durable live band with the muscle to bring their
glorious noise to the live stage in the most organic way possible. The
change in approach was so profound the band chose to add a "THE" to
their moniker. After the turn of the century, the band's output had
diminished due to a hiatus brought on by other musical commitments and
solo projects. In the past two decades, there have been two
releases -
THE HEADHUNTER DEMOS (2001) and WAKING THE DEAD (2007). Now, THE CLAY
PEOPLE have come back to order with a new album that marks a "creative
peak" according to the band's front man and founder DAN NEET. The new
album is called DEMON HERO AND OTHER EXTRAORDINARY PHANTASMAGORIC
ANOMALIES AND FABLES, and if you haven't guessed by the title, this is
an album with something to say on life and all of the highs and lows
that come with it. ROCKWIRED had a chance to speak with drummer DAN
DINSMORE of THE CLAY PEOPLE regarding the new album. Here is how the
interview went.
was
invited to see the band INNASTATE's CD release party for their new
album VERDE at SISTERS BAR here in Albuquerque and I didn't go. Work
kept me away, but seeing as how my work involves interviewing and
transcribing interviews, it's an excuse that doesn't really have legs.
When I caught up with INNASTATE front man ADRIAN WALL and bass player
RYLAN KABOTIE at MARBLE BREWERY an hour-and-a-half before their latest
gig was to start, one could see that the INNASTATE freight train was
already in motion. A band has to move fast in order to build momentum
and an album like VERDE is worth the extra steps. American Indians
making contemporary music may be viewed as exotic in a time of
sound-a-like pop tarts and celebrity worship gone mad, but INNASTATE
has upped the ante with a reggae sound that hails from the desert of
the American Southwest. Outside of his reputation as a world class
sculptor, WALL has been instrumental in pioneering a reggae/ska sound
that is rooted in indigenous
culture. He and his former band RED EARTH first issued this vibrant,
punchy sound twenty some years ago and now his latest band INNASTATE
continues that fine musical tradition, but this time the music
is
marked by maturity and the spirit of collaboration. ROCKWIRED had a
chance to speak with ADRIAN WALL and RYLAN KABOTIE of INNASTATE
regarding their new album. Here is how the interview went.
ock n
roll's connection
to the blues is strong one. It's so strong that no white, English
rocker is going to let you forget it. They were raised on this shit,
and because of that, we have a visceral music that has withstood a lot
of changes and fragmentation. Maybe a little too much fragmentation. So
much so that rock's connection to the blues gets overlooked these days
with this and that subgenre. That's why an ax-man and troubadour like
ERIC McFADDEN is so important. In a time when grit is cast side in
favor of clean precision, McFADDEN goes for the heart with his raw
delivery and the impassioned approach to guitar playing. His musicality
has been embraced by the likes of GEORGE CLINTON and ERIC BURDON and
now, that musicality is put proudly on display on his new
album PAIN BY NUMBERS. With backing from TERRENCE HIGGINS (ANI
DiFRANCO) on drums and DOUG WIMBISH (LIVING COLOUR) on bass, and
production and keyboards by TAB BENOIT, PAIN BY NUMBERS is a collection
of reckless tunes inspired by the darker side of love and
life that take the high road with some electrifying devil-may-care
performances from McFADDEN and his fellow aces. ROCKWIRED had the
chance to speak with ERIC McFADDEN regarding his latest release. Here
is how the interview went.
OCTOBER 10,
2018 ROCKWiRED
PRESS RELEASE: 2019 RRPA AWARD
SEASON
or over a
decade, ROCKWIRED.COM
has celebrated the artistry, industriousness and the independent spirit
of today's independent rock bands and artists through their one-of-a
kind musical reportage and also through their annual ROCKWIRED READER'S
POLL AWARDS. This year they are getting the ball rolling on
their
upcoming award season a little early with news of an increase in award
categories, the publication of an official guide and an exciting awards
show to be aired on the online radio station RADIOKSCR.COM.
Their is
also an unprecedented push to get independent artists to have their
work considered for nomination by getting themselves and their music
featured on the pages of ROCKWIRED.COM. According to ROCKWIRED's
editor-in-chief BRIAN LUSH, the 2019 ROCKWIRED READER'S POLL AWARDS
will be the most ambitious to date. "We've been doing this for a very
long time." says LUSH "And after hosting this online event for twelve
years, I feel it's time to do things in a bigger way. The independent
music industry deserves it!"
usically,
the year 1983 belonged to MICHAEL JACKSON and it was all thanks to his
THRILLER album, which was released in the Fall of 1982.
Despite
only having nine songs, seven of them became top ten singles and their
releases ended up sustaining his notoriety throughout 1983.
These were the days when he was simply MICHAEL JACKSON, and no
such moniker as the KING OF POP had been bestowed upon him just yet.
JACKSON was a one man juggernaut who earned his place in the pop
stratosphere despite formidable opposition from a sea of tried and true
white rockers and new Bristish invaders such as DURAN DURAN, ADAM ANT
and the playful dress up of BOY GEORGE of CULTURE CLUB. When I was a
boy on break from elementary school, the album THRILLER was getting
played to death, but showed no signs of wearing on anyone's nerves. Despite
having been in the business for much of his then-25 years, JACKSON was
armed with a full package that seemed tailor-made for the MTV
era.
n
2018, the film BLACK PANTHER
became the second top grossing film of the year and the ninth
top
grossing film of all time. Helmed by a black director (RYAN COOGLER)
and
featuring a largely black cast, the taboo that a black film would never
crossover to white moviegoers was shattered. Even critics were on board
with this epic film set in the ever profitable MARVEL COMIC UNIVERSE.
The critical consensus on ROTTEN TOMATOES was a love letter, reading:
"BLACK PANTHER elevates superhero cinema to thrilling new heights while
telling one of the MCU's most absorbing stories—and introducing some of
it's most fully realized characters." The
success of BLACK PANTHER is an anomaly in cinema. Black heroes doing
extraordinary things in the most extraordinary circumstances was often
limited to guys like WILL SMITH. The world of super heroes, science
fiction and fantasy has historically been a white neighborhood where a
select few friends of color could come over and play. The idea of
filling a magical, fantastical world with black actors and talent
wasn't something that historically made Hollywood executives see dollar
signs. But in the late seventies, it did.
OCTOBER 1,
2018 THE
ROCKWiRED ARTiST OF THE
MONTH NOMiNEES:
OCKWIRED.COM
is pleased to announce the nominees for our latest ARTIST OF
THE MONTH COMPETITION. We have just announced that LORD
NELSON and SEB-L are ROCKWIRED.COM's ARTISTS OF THE MONTH for the month
October.
Now we are getting things
set for the month of November and we've got an amazing group of artists
for you to pick from. This official ballot page has been set up with
polling services provided by MICROPOLL. Voters are welcome to
vote as many times as they wish although it may involve clearing
your cache and cookies to do so.
SEPTEMBER
29,
2018 - You voted,
the polls have closed and the winner of the 89th ROCKWIRED ARTIST OF
THE MONTH title is LORD NELSON and guitarist SEB-L on
the strength of
their
new LP BACK ON THE ROAD. he
influence of STUCK MOJO over rap and metal can't be denied but they've
been unjustly eclipsed by that FRED DURST and that whole LIMP BIZKIT
thing that came to define that cruddy late-nineties to early-2000s rock
landscape. The goal of combining rap and hip hop with the more visceral
sensibility of hard rock and metal has always been an honorable one and
STUCK MOJO deserved a fucking Congressional Medal. In recent
years, ROCKWIRED has become acquainted with STUCK MOJO's original front
man BONZ and his electrifying, self-titled post-MOJO band. We also
became familiar with some of the friction between him and his former
band and the shake up that led to his departure. Now, I have become
familiar with the fellow who stepped into the STUCK MOJO juggernaut
after BONZ left the fold.
SEPTEMBER
26,
2018 ROCKWiRED
ViDEO BLAST - NEW MUSiC ViDEOS FROM THE CLAY PEOPLE, BOBAFLEX, KRASHKARMA, TO WHOM iT MAY, KORE ROZZiK AND GUNSHiP!!!
his
is something new. For over a decade now, FACEBOOK has stood in the way
of
me getting my work done for ROCKWIRED
MAGAZINE, and after all of these years I've come to the conclusion that
if I can't lick my FACEBOOK addiction, I might as well use it for the
good of our publication. This is a feature that we'd like to feature
every week and we'd like to move it beyond simply posting our favorite
new music videos. We want trailers, classic videos and whatever oddity
or trend we can find on YOUTUBE. Think of it as an aggregartor that you
didn't know that you needed. For our first posting, We we are keeping
it simple with six new - or fairly new - music videos from THE CLAY
PEOPLE, BOBAFLEX, KRASHKARMA, TO WHOM IT MAY, KORE ROZZIK and GUNSHIP.
SEPTEMBER
24,
2018 ROCKWiRED
NOTES:CORNERS
OF SANCTUARY
here
is
something to be said
for the drive of a band like CORNERS OF SANCTUARY and their mission to
bring traditional metal back to the forefront. Nothing has stood in
their way. Not even a significant line up change. In 2016, the band had
wrapped up the recording of their album THE GALLOPING HORDES but at the
finish line, lead singer FRANKIE CROSS chose to walk away from the
band. Due to the shake up, the band put the release of the album on
hold and began the search for a new lead singer. They ended up
with a
female lead singer named TREESE LOGAN and the band had decreed that
LOGAN would dub her own pyrotechnic voice over what had been laid down
by FRANKIE. Things were looking up. CORNERS OF SANCTUARY was headed in
a new direction with a female lead singer and all was going to be right
with the world. At the beginning of this year. LOGAN stepped down as
lead singer and when the band knocked on FRANKIE CROSS's door to ask if
he would fill in for some scheduled dates, the only question CROSS had
was "when?". Ever since, CROSS has remained with the band. The band's
latest album THE GALLOPING HORDES was finally released and one can hear
a band that has been rejuvenated in the tracks of this latest album. Oh
and to top it off, the band just got done with a tour of Europe.
ROCKWIRED had a chance to speak with CORNERS OF SANCTUARY guitarist
MICK MICHAELS regarding the band's recent European tour and their new
album. Here is how the interview went.
TO
READ MORE AND LiSTEN TO THE PODCAST CLiCK HERE!!!
SEPTEMBER
22,
2018 ROCKWiRED
NOTES:
JiM SANTORA, JR.-
UNDERRATED ROCK BOOK
he
"underrated rock album" is on the verge of becoming extinct in
an age where we download a particular song that we want to hear as
opposed to an entire album. And usually, for free. The LP, in general,
is a lost art when things like SPOTIFY, AMAZON and iTUNES have turned
music shopping into a buffet of sorts instead of the tactile shopping
experience that myself and author JIM SANTORA, JR. remember. With all
of that being said, SANTORA's new publication THE UNDERRATED ROCK BOOK
is not just a curious read. It is a read with a sense of cultural
urgency working in it's favor. In this book, SANTORA picks two hundred
underrated albums from the period of 1970 to 2015 and examines each
one's worth carefully, using simple, "everyman" language without all of
the dismissiveness of a ROBERT CHRISTGAU review. This list of two
hundred albums is commendable even though we're left scratching our
heads over why an album is considered underrated. SAP by ALICE
IN
CHAINS, CHECK YOUR HEAD by THE BEASTIE BOYS and PANORAMA by THE CARS
all made the cut yet those albums went gold and platinum respectively.
Why are they underrated?Who
cares? Going through the list and pointing things out like this is half
the fun of the UNDERRATED ROCK BOOK. SANTORA may want to consider
publishing multiple volumes. ROCKWIRED had a chance to speak with JIM
SANTORA, JR. regarding the new book. Here is how the interview went.
TO
READ MORE AND LiSTEN TO THE PODCAST CLiCK HERE!!!
SEPTEMBER
20,
2018 ROCKWiRED
NOTES:LORD
NELSON
he
influence of STUCK MOJO over rap and metal can't be denied but they've
been unjustly eclipsed by that FRED DURST and that whole LIMP BIZKIT
thing that came to define that cruddy late-nineties to early-2000s rock
landscape. The goal of combining rap and hip hop with the more visceral
sensibility of hard rock and metal has always been an honorable one and
STUCK MOJO deserved a fucking Congressional Medal. In recent
years, ROCKWIRED has become acquainted with STUCK MOJO's original front
man BONZ and his electrifying, self-titled post-MOJO band. We also
became familiar with some of the friction between him and his former
band and the shake up that led to his departure. Now, I have become
familiar with the fellow who stepped into the STUCK MOJO juggernaut
after BONZ left the fold. LORD NELSON is a different kind of energy -
imposing, yet more mellifluous than the erratic live wire approach I've
come to expect from BONZ. It was LORD NELSON's rhymes and presence that
helped guide STUCK MOJO through their albums SOUTHERN BORN KILLERS
(2007) and THE GREAT REVIVAL (2008). Following his departure from the
band, NELSON took a four year absence before returning to music making
with the solo album FIGHT - MY STRUGGLE BETWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL with a
little help from the french rock band LIES. Now, LORD NELSON
has
stepped into the ring again with the release of his self-released
concept album BACK ON THE ROAD, sharing billing with SEB L -
his collaborator and guitarist from the band LIES. ROCKWIRED
had a chance to speak with LORD NELSON regarding the new album and his
collaboration with SEB L. Here is how the interview went.
SEPTEMBER
14,
2018 ROCKWiRED
NOTES:ASLEEP
iN THE WAKE
he decision
to leave a
successful rock band to satisfy an artistic itch sounds like an
unenviable decision to have to make. For almost twenty years, PAUL
CROSBY served as the drummer for the GRAMMY nominated hard rock band
SALIVA and was there to experience first-hand the band's ascent to the
top of the Modern Rock and Active Rock charts with such hits as the
GRAMMY nominated single YOU'RE DISEASE, ALWAYS, SURVIVAL OF THE SICKEST
and LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. The accolades and the chart action would be
enough for most, but CROSBY craved more of a hands-on, collaborative
songwriting process. Earlier this year, CROSBY stepped away
from the
SALIVA juggernaut and sought artistic satisfaction in his own backyard
of Houston, Texas with former members of the bands SATURATE and
MELLOVINE. Together, they have created the band ASLEEP IN THE WAKE who
are on the verge of issuing a new album sometime in November. To get
the fires stoked, the fledgling band has released their first single in
the slow burning rocker LIKE YOU. ROCKWIRED had a chance to speak with
CROSBY regarding his decision to leave SALIVA and the formation of his
new band ASLEEP IN THE WAKE. Here is how the interview went.
SEPTEMBER
10,
2018 ROCK SHOW #11 | FREE FORM MUSiC AND iNTERViEWS
OCK SHOW is back!!! Again!!!
ROCKWIRED MAGAZINE's official weekly podcast is back after a long
hiatus and while it would have been great to have RITA LOUISE in the
co-host chair, ROCKWIRED editor and founder BRIAN LUSH picks up the mic
and discusses the music that has been coming ROCKWIRED's way for the
past few months. Along with spinning new tunes, LUSH will be presenting
some exclusive audio clips of some of the interviews that ROCKWIRED has
conducted inthe past few months. The artists featured on today's show
include TO WHOM IT MAY, HAMMER DOWN HARD, MIKE BERN, ENUFF Z'NUFF,
KRASHKARMA, TIM CAPPELLO, STATION, KORE ROZZIK, NEVERWONDER, BOBAFLEX,
BROKEN TESTIMONY and LORD NELSON. Check out the playlist below,
featuring the start times for these artists.
ock bands
that eschew the role of the bass player have been a
thing since THE WHITE STRIPES came and shook things up in the early
aughts. The impression that that pastey brother - sister team made can
still be felt today with a band like KRASHKARMA who have been dubbed as
(or did they dub themselves?) THE WHITE STRIPES OF METAL. However, in
speaking with the band's guitarist RALF DIETEL, the bass sound that
holds everything together in a band, has not been foresaken at all.
When KRASHKARMA went from a four piece band to the dynamic duo of
DIETEL
and drummer NIKI SKISTIMAS, DIETEL
noticed the absense of the bass immediately and did something about it.
He created the Frankenstein guitar which included a bass pickup
designed to sense only the low strings and a guitar pickup that senses
all six strings. Thanks to DIETEL's ingenuity, the
dynamic duo can hit the stage and the studio and sound like the full
band experience despite their lean, mean setup.
SEPTEMBER
6,
2018 THE
ROCKWiRED ARTiST OF THE
MONTH NOMiNEES:
OCKWIRED.COM
is pleased to announce the nominees for our latest ARTIST OF
THE MONTH COMPETITION. We have just announced that HAMMER
DOWN HARD is ROCKWIRED.COM's ARTIST OF THE MONTH for the month
September.
Now we are getting things
set for the month of October and we've got an amazing group of artists
for you to pick from. This official ballot page has been set up with
polling services provided by MICROPOLL. Voters are welcome to
vote as many times as they wish although it may involve clearing
your cache and cookies to do so.
SEPTEMBER
3,
2018 ROCKWiRED
NOTES:MiKE
TiRELLi OF
RiSiNG FiVE
t takes a
special set of pipes to front such metal bands as RIOT,
MESSIAH'S KISS and HOLY MOTHER, but over the years, MIKE TIRELLI has
proven that he is a man up for the challenge. Clearly not a man to rest
on his laurels, the pyrotechnic singer is now stepping into the light
in a bigger way with his new band RISING FIVE and their new EP NO DEATH
REBORN. Here, TIRELLI collaborates with MESSIAH'S KISS bassist WAYNE
BANKS and delivers a sound that embraces a modern, nu-metal sensibility
as opposed to the more traditional metal approach of his other bands.
With a little help from producer KANE CHURKO (PAPA ROACH, IN THIS
MOMENT, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH) RISING FIVE's new EP is bound to
capture a few ears and notices in the fickle world active rock and the
title song - a cautionary tale on the opioid epidemic - will no doubt
keep a listener engrossed. ROCKWIRED had a chance to speak with MIKE
TIRELLI regarding the new band and the EP. Here is how the interview
went.
AUGUST 29,
2018 ROCKWiRED
NOTES:CHiP
Z'NUFF OF ENUFF
Z'NUFF
first
saw ENUFF Z'NUFF at a club called HAMMERJACKS in Baltimore
back in 1989. I was fourteen years old and more or less immersed in
much of what would become known as hair metal. I tagged along with two
older friends, not knowing what I was in for. I had read the
positive
notices that the band was getting for their 1989 self-titled album
which featured the singles FLY HIGH MICHELLE and NEW THING. In a rock n
roll climate that was filled with such bands as GUNS N ROSES, DEF
LEPPARD and POISON to a lesser degree, ENUFF Z'NUFF stood out from the
crowd with a sound that owed a heavy debt to such seventies rock acts
as MOT THE HOOPLE, CHEAP TRICK and DAVID BOWIE and their willingness to
go against the grain earned them something that was seldom doled out to
any band who teased their hair up in those times - critical acclaim.
AUGUST 27,
2018 ROCKWiRED
NOTES:KAREN
LAWRENCE OF
BLUE BY NATURE
can't say
that I've ever been the biggest fan of BARBRA STREISAND, but
forty years ago, she released the moody slow burner PRISONER from the
soundtrack to the IRVIN KIRSHNER suspense thriller EYES OF LAURA MARS
starring FAYE DUNAWAY and TOMMY LEE JONES. Over the years, the
film has become a favorite of mine and the moody theme song
is a
standout out musical moment that resonates with me whenever I think of
the film. Little did I know that I would would be speaking with the
woman who penned the song. KAREN LAWRENCE is a brassy singer and
songwriter with an uncanny ability to make every song she sings a
moment to be treasured. Throughout
her rocky music career, she has run
the gamut of pop and rock but it's the blues where the woman's voice is
most at home. LAWRENCE got her start
fronting the band L.A. JETS, who were signed to RCA back in 1976. When
the band was dropped, she became the lead singer for the band 1994
under the tutelage of producer JACK DOUGLAS who secured them a deal
with A&M RECORDS which lasted for two albums.
AUGUST 22,
2018 ROCKWiRED
DOSSiER:MARKUS
MULLER-STACH OF
G4L RECORDS
espite
being an industry that has made a reported 43 billion
dollars last year, we always hear that there is no money to be made in
the music business. The big boys like UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP, SONY,
WARNER and EMI are responsible for the large chunks missing from that
mighty pie in the sky. Anything smaller, and more independent than
them, gets a mere fraction of the returns that the majors make.
Entrepreneur MARKUS MULLER-STACH is the last fellow one would ever
expect of jumping into the business of rock n roll. The former
stockbroker found little fullfillment in the world of finance and
sales. He tapped into his long neglected well of creativity at the end
of 2004
when he launched his marketing firm SYNCHRONICITY MARKETING, INC. After
nine years of specializing in branding, advertising and digital
services, MULLER-STACH set his sights on the music industry and
launched the label G4L RECORDS.
A few months ago, the label issued the album THE
GREAT FILTER from the hard rock/progressive band TO WHOM IT MAY and is
currently in the process of seeking out new talent to add to the
roster.
AUGUST 16,
2018 ROCKWiRED
REMEMBERS:ARETHA
FRANKLiN
hroughout
her six decades in
show business, ARETHA FRANKLIN had been given many titles. She was
labeled a "diva", a "legend", a "national treasure" and more
importantly, the "Queen of Soul". Given her one-of-a-kind musicality,
vocal prowess and intuitive interpretive sense, FRANKLIN was a force to
be reckoned with. If you don't believe us, who else could've taken OTIS
REDDING's RESPECT - a stomping plea for a little nookie at the end of
the day and turn it into a freaking National Anthem? (YOU
MAKE ME
FEEL) LIKE A NATURAL WOMAN, is a gentle, almost bluesy ballad written
by CAROLE KING about a woman grateful for the man she has at her side.
But when ARETHA gets a hold of the pleasant tune, she does more than
sweetly thank her man. She testifies before the entire world and we are
all drawn into the frenzy.
ack in
early 2017, the Canadian First-Nations rock band DISTRICT
AVENUE was on the road to active rock glory with the release of their
glorious LP EPOCH. The effort was rolled out with some rather fine
album artwork and the thunderous single REVIVAL accompanied by an epic
CGI music video from director JAY MARKS. Just as the accolades were
coming in and as the band had won the INDIGENOUS MUSIC AWARD for BEST
MUSIC VIDEO, DISTRICT AVENUE quietly called it quits, leaving lead
singer MIKE BERN to cut his losses and etch out a solo career for
himself. According to BERN, the sound that will set him apart from the
more high octane approach of his former band will be more
"acoustic-driven". With the soft release of his haunting first single
FIRST MOTHER, one can hear that a acoustic guitars are ruling the day
but the singer songwriter has not entirely abandoned his innate rock n
roll instincts, as a full band can be heard, which includes
MIKE
ARCHIBALD of RELIC KINGS on lead guitar. FIRST MOTHER is the first
single from an as-yet-untitled LP due out before the end of the year.
ROCKWIRED had a chance to speak with MIKE BERN regarding his new single
and future LP. Here is how the interview went.
hree
years ago, the Colorado-based rock band VERMILLION ROAD released their
debut album PALACES - a collection of songs that boasted the
time-honored 'post-grunge' aesthetic that has been a the norm since
the "alternative" label became a thing. We admired
the DIY
approach of the band and their willingness to take their humble sound
beyond the boundaries of the Centennial State and the Greater Southwest
region of the country. It is now three years later and VERMILLION
ROAD have eschewed their traditional rock band approach in favor for
the punchy electronic stylings of indie pop artists such as
WALK THE
MOON and IMAGINE DRAGONS. Their new EP ESCAPE is a step in
the right
direction if the band wants to make a dent in any substantial airplay,
and the singles ONLY ONE and GASOLINE are confident stompers that will
leave a melody in one's head and a hankering for more. ROCKWIRED had a
chance to speak with WILL ROBISON of VERMILLION ROAD. Here is how the
interview went.
he
day before I spoke to LOU GRAMM - the legendary lead singer of the
equally legendary English-American rock band FOREIGNER - I was out
running errands and heard the band's music through the overhead
speakers of two different
stores and one bank. There is no way to escape the band's classic
catalog whether it be through the airwaves, television or film, and why
the hell not? The band's monumental brand of pop rock spoke to
the joys and the frustrations that go with the territory of love and
life and driving the music home was the impassioned delivery of LOU
GRAMM and guitarist MICK JONES providing the riffage and the leads that
were going to send the blistering material into the stratosphere. Where
would classic rock radio be without such standards as HOT BLOODED,
FEELS LIKE THE FIRST TIME, URGENT, COLD AS ICE and JUKEBOX HERO?
n rock n
roll, having a sound is
important, but so is having a look. For decades, saxophonist and singer
TIM CAPPELLO has carved out an image for himself as the sweaty sax man
from the 1987 cult film THE LOST BOYS. With his ponytail and mighty,
glistening upper body, CAPPELLO ripped into the song
I STILL BELIEVE and proved how handy he was with a saxophone. Of
course, I remember his handiwork in TINA TURNER's band. You can hear
him issuing that iconic saxophone riff on TURNER's messiah
complex-shaming hit WE DON'T NEED ANOTHER HERO and adding
some fine, sultry flourishes to the apocalyptic strutter
ONE OF THE LIVING. The man's pelvic thrust may have resonated with
folks more than the sax playing but trust us when we say the man is no
gimmick.
JULY 29,
2018 THE
ROCKWiRED ARTiST OF THE
MONTH NOMiNEES:
OCKWIRED.COM
is pleased to announce the nominees for our latest ARTIST OF
THE MONTH COMPETITION. We have just announced that BROKEN
TESTIMONY is ROCKWIRED.COM's ARTIST OF THE MONTH for the month August.
Now we are getting things
set for the month of August and we've got an amazing group of artists
for you to pick from. This official ballot page has been set up with
polling services provided by MICROPOLL. Voters are welcome to
vote as many times as they wish although it may involve clearing
your cache and cookies to do so.
JULY 28,
2018 - You voted,
the polls have closed and the winner of the 86th ROCKWIRED ARTIST OF
THE MONTH title is the rock band BROKEN TESTIMONY on the strength of
their
new LP HOLD ONTO NOTHING. he first
step in a journey is
always the most exciting but it's a great deal more exciting when you
are eighteen years old. That is the case with three-quarters of the
South Carolina-based band BROKEN TESTIMONY. Founders BRYCE
CHISM
(drums) and JUDGE PAGE (vocals and guitars) along with lead
guitarist
NIC DELVAUX are in that enviable position of releasing their
debut
album HOLD ONTO NOTHING at such a ripe young age, unburdened by
cynicism or all that could go wrong in a life lived in rock n roll.
Making the ride all the more exciting is the push that these young men
are getting from THERMAL ENTERTAINMENT - the very company behind the
push of some of active rock's hottest acts such as BOBAFLEX, WAYLAND
and SHALLOW SIDE. BROKEN TESTIMONY's debut album HOLDING ONTO
NOTHING was released JUNE 23rd and boasts the piss and
vinegar that
typifies
what one would expect coming from active rock these days, but there are
some prog elements that come into the framework of their songs as on
the glimmering track VITALITY.
igning the
dotted line of a record company contract has become
synonymous with signing your soul over to the devil himself. We've all
heard this rock n roll cautionary tale before, but those were the days
of yore, when record companies had a little more push and pull than
they seem to have now in the era of the .99 cent download. After years
of struggle and a few lineup changes in his band, KORE ROZZIK, the New
York City-based rocker hellbent on stepping into the very shock rock
territory that has been mined successfully by the likes of ALICE
COOPER, ROB ZOMBIE and MARILYN MANSON - has signed with CLEOPATRA
RECORDS and has released his debut album VENGEANCE OVERDRIVE.
Flying in the face of popular convention, VENGEANCE OVERDRIVE is a
concept album where KORE is the rock star on a Homeric odyssey for his
place in the heights of rock n roll's stratosphere, no matter what the
cost may be. With a record label backing him up, it will be interesting
to see KORE's rock n roll vision take shape. ROCKWIRED had a chance to
speak with KORE ROZZIK regarding the new album. Here is how the
interview went.
he future
of humanity is something that looms largely in the
collective minds of our society today. Just by looking at the news,
it's easy to have our doubts as to how much further we can go as a
species before something cataclysmic happens. It's a pity we have no
other "intelligent" species out there that we can look to, but
according to a theory called "The Great Filter", the reason we haven't
made contact with another alien civilization is because they have
crossed a threshold that enabled their extinction. What is this
threshold? Have we,
as a species, crossed it ourselves? This sort of existentialism is way
too much to think about, especially for a rock music publication like
ourselves, but for the Galveston, Texas-based band TO WHOM IT MAY, the
theory has provided them a great deal of inspiration for their new LP
THE GREAT FILTER. This stunning collection may the first offering from
TO WHOM IT MAY, but these guys know all about what it takes to stay in
the game. Band members JONATHAN JOURDAN, ROBB MARS and DEXAS VILLARREAL
have cut their teeth in the same band for nine years before they made
the decision to form TO WHOM IT MAY. With THE GREAT FILTER, TO WHOM IT
MAY is indeed crossing a threshold - one that will lead to serious
recognition in the world of active rock. ROCKWIRED had a chance to
speak with JONATHAN JOURDAN of the band regarding their new LP. Here
is how the interview went.
here is
this old joke about drummers and songwriting that goes: "What will you never hear a
drummer say?" The answer is: "Guys, I've got a song!" The
author of that joke didn't have a guy like DON HENLEY in mind who has
written enough songs to fill an entire seventies rock song book. In the
very recent past, I've had the pleasure of interviewing quite a few
drummers with considerable songwriting chops. Most recently, in-demand
metal drummer LONNIE HAMMER has stepped from behind the kit and has
taken center stage with his aptly named band HAMMER DOWN HARD. The
musical pedigree is strong with HAMMER who has banged the drums for the
likes of JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE, EVERY MOTHER'S NIGHTMARE and most
recently with
BLACK OAK ARKANSAS, and now the world will see and hear what he is made
of as a front man and songwriter with the forthcoming release of his
band's new album TOTAL ANNIHILATION - a collection of songs that speak
to the struggles of a everyday life. Adding a little heavy metal
thunder to the proceedings are performances from the likes of ZACH
MYERS from SHINEDOWN, BRIAN QUINN from CANDLEBOX , JUSTIN RIMER from 12
STONES and LOU KOUVARIS from RIOT. ROCKWIRED got the chance to
speak with LONNIE HAMMER while he was on the road for Cadott, Wisconsin
for the 2018 ROCK FEST. Here is how the interview went.
his isn't
the first time that we are telling you that the music
of the New York City-based hard rock band STATION is more that mere
nostalgia, but with the release of their new album MORE THAN THE MOON,
it may be the last time we have to tell you. With one EP and
a
self-titled LP behind them, STATION have stood out from the active rock
crowd with a sound that tips it's hat to the halcyon days of melodic
hard rock, before grunge came along and uglied it up. The
songs on MORE THAN THE MOON do the exact same thing, but rather than
taking the tongue-in-cheek STEEL PANTHER approach, it's the heart on
the short sleeves of these guys that truly shine through, especially on
the album's glorious, VAN HALEN-esque first single I WON'T BREAK YOUR
HEART. Lead singer PATRICK KEARNEY walks the line between DAVID LEE
ROTH-styled stage presence and HAGAR-styled vocal prowess. Guitarist
and chief songwriter CHRIS LANE continues issue the riffage
and the leads that can only elevate such delectable pop rock fare.
ROCKWIRED had a chance to speak with CHRIS LANE regarding the new
album. Here is how the interview went.
hen the
Southern California-based rock band NEVERWONDER first made it
onto ROCKWIRED's radar in early 2006, it was love at first sight and
sound. It was also a very different world. Hard rock and the
alternative rock of the decade previous were just on their way to
becoming the much scoffed at 'dad rock'. MTV and VH1 were no
longer as
music oriented and were setting their sights on the burgeoning reality
television phenomenon. The only road to pop glory was AMERICAN IDOL and
LADY GAGA wasn't a thing yet. It was an age typified by the likes of
CHRISTINA AGUILERA and BRITNEY SPEARS and those of us who thought we
were better than deciding which was better were holding out for a new
direction in rock music. It neve quite materialized but NEVERWONDER was
something special to myself and to this then fledgling publication.
JULY 3,
2018 THE
ROCKWiRED ARTiST OF THE
MONTH NOMiNEES:
OCKWIRED.COM
is pleased to announce the nominees for our latest ARTIST OF
THE MONTH COMPETITION. Due to ditorial changes that had us
distracted, we overlooked coming up with a listof nominees in the month
of June. As a result there is no Artist of the Month this July.
ROCKWIRED.COM is expanding it's coverage and there has never been a
more exciting time for our publication with the exapnsion in our
editorial and our podcast production. Now we are getting things
set for the month of August and we've got an amazing group of artists
for you to pick from. This official ballot page has been set up with
polling services provided by MICROPOLL. Voters are welcome to
vote as many times as they wish although it may involve clearing
your cache and cookies to do so.
JULY
2,
2018
2 FRiCKiN' CENTS:WON'T YOU BE MY
NEIGHBOR?
he general
consensus from critics regarding the release of WON'T YOU BE MY
NEIGHBOR, is that we, the audience, are in for a tender hearted
experience that we haven't seen on a big screen in many moons and that
we should have a kleenex ready. Having just seen the film, I'm going to
have to agree that the documentary on the life and work of FRED ROGERS,
the creator and host of the PBS classic children's show MR. ROGER'S
NEIGHBORHOOD, tugs at the heartstrings in a time when society is more
divided than ever. The ordained Presbyterian minister saw the potential
good in television in a time when BUFFALO BOB SMITH and CLARABELLE were
taking pies to the face. His vision was for television that spoke to
children in an honest way, while addressing heavy subjects such as a
war, assasination, racism and death. As society has grown more cynical,
the documentary points out that there is no MR. ROGERS anymore to help
break down the walls that separate us. It also shows how the man's
simple message was lost on some who believe that ROGERS was responsible
for the entitlement of a generation where everyone gets a trophy. Hell,
even the WESTBORO BAPTIST assholes showed up to picket the man's
funeral. Filmmaker MORGAN NEVILLE artfully shows the
complicated man behind the smile and the cardigan and presents you with
an appreciation for the man's unique legacy. Listen to the podcast for
something a little less eloquent.
JULY
2,
2018
ROCK SHOW #10: KiM
WILDE, BOBAFLEX,
STATiON AND
MORE!!!
can't
believe that we actually got a new edition of ROCK SHOW up and running
one week after our last edition but we did. As we've mentioned ad
nauseum, we had fallen behind on the output of what is supposed to be
out flagship podcast. this week, I'm in the hosting chair all by
myself, bringing you brand spanking new tunes formt he likes of KIM
WILDE, BOBAFLEX and STATION along with some new songs that we
introduced to you last week form NEVERWONDER, BROKEN TESTIMONY and
BOARDING SCHOOL DROPOUTS. You will be hearing more about these bands in
some upcoming profiles that will be coming to ROCKWIRED.COM very soon.
In addition to some new songs, I've started digging into my pop culture
memory banks and have been blasting the GIORGIO MORODER produced 1984
soundtrack tot he 1927 FRITZ LANG film METROPOLIS. So why not dedicate
a block of today's show to that film. And while her birthday was
yesterday, punk legend and pop icon DEBORAH HARRY is now in her 73rd
year, and dedicate a block of music to her as well.
JULY 1,
2018 ROCKWiRED
SPECiAL FEATURE:BLONDIE
AND DEBORAH
HARRY
e couldn't
think of a better time than the release of our A FEW GOOD WOMEN issue
to give it up for one of pop music's great architects. The band BLONDIE
and it's front woman DEBORAH HARRY have made a name for themselves by
being at the forefront of pop music and culture. Armed with the barest
of a equipment and a surplus of style and attitude, the band set
the standard for the pop aesthetic that many artists today to still
cling to. From the power pop of songs like X-OFFENDER,
DREAMING
and I AM TOUCHED BY YOUR PRESENCE DEAR to the dance rock if HEART OF
GLASS and CALL ME to the reggae of TIDE IS HIGH and the hip hop sounds
of songs like RAPTURE, the band proved themselves to be an
interchangeable beast in the way of sound and style and in this issue
we take you through that incredible musical journey by reviewing every
BLONDIE and DEBORAH HARRY album.
JUNE
30,
2018
2 FRiCKiN' CENTS:THE RETURN OF PiCARD?
hroughout
this decade, science fiction fandom has become a toxic place with
fanboys demanding the universe they grew up admiring on the small
screen or the big screen. On the other end is normal folk like myself,
who are happy to have a new STAR WARS flick or a brand new STAR TREK TV
series with a chick in the lead. Am I crazy about having to pay CBS ALL
ACCESS to watch it? Of course not, but I do it anyway. I love the
franchise in a time when the term has become another f-word. "Why can't
STAR TREK just go the fuck away?" They whine. I say let 'em whine. With
DISNEY pulling back on their STAR WARS output because of fanboy
indifference (and possibly audience fatigue), I was delighted to hear
of PARAMOUNT's plans to go big with with some STAR TREK plans in
development. One of them involves a series sequel to STAR TREK THE NEXT
GENERATION. There is talk of PATRICK STEWART being close to signing a
deal to come back as JEAN LUC PICARD, but STAR TREK has had it's share
of development hell in the past. Today's show is a quick rant on the
matter along with new music from the band BROKEN TESTIMONY.
JUNE
27,
2018
2 FRiCKiN' CENTS:BUSY BODIES PERMIT PATTY AND BBQ BECKY
usy bodies
have been with us since the dawn of time, I'm sure, but only recently
are they getting called out for their behavior through social media and
just plain media in general. The most recent casualty is a woman known
throughout Twitterdom as PERMIT PATTY who was caught on camera calling
the police on an eight year old black girl selling bottled water
without a permit. Really? PERMIT PATTY's real name is ALISON ETTEL and
she is the CEO of a cannabis tincture company. On micro-level, one who
think she should've taken some her own product and chilled. On a macro
level, cannabis is still illegal on a Federal level and the act of this
woman calling the police over such something as silly as a permit fot
selling bottled water brings up issues of gentrification and class and
of course race. it's probably no coincidence that this
happened inthe same city as the whole BBQ BECKY debacle which also
resulted in an intense social media backlash. Before I knew it, that
bitch's picture was everywhere. I look at these two women and
see so many parallels - their size, their righteousness when
it comes to matters of ordinances and their need to play victim when it
all blows up in their face. In this latest edition of 2
FRICKIN CENTS I discuss this phenomenon in my own relaxed and spin a
new song from the band NEVERWONDER who will be featured in an exclusive
interview on ROCKWIRED.COM very soon.
JUNE 24,
2018 ROCK SHOW #9 - FEATURING
MUSiC FROM NEVERWONDER,
BROKEN TESTiMONY,
BOARDiNG SCHOOL DROPOUTS
AND MORE!!!
he latest
edition of ROCK SHOW is our first in a quite a while and we sincerely
apologize for that. In the past several months, ROCKWIRED.COM has found
itself branching out into other areas. At the end of 2017, It was our
goal to change the focus of our publication to a more pop culture
realm. It was our goal to make ROCKWIRED.COM that place on the internet
where the heavier side of rock and pop culture collide. That didn't
happen until a couple of months ago when we started including reviews
of film and television and getting some tremendous responses. The new
direction took time away form us doing out podcast, but now your hosts
BRIAN LUSH and RITA LOUISE are committed to bringing ROCK SHOW back on
a
weekly basis. This latest edition features new music from the bands
NEVERWONDER, BROKEN TESTIMONY and BOARDING SCHOOL DROPOUTS.
t
was about a quarter after one in the
afternoon yesterday, June 23rd when I got the
news. A
friend of mine had texted me a few hours earlier, the message read
simply, "Vinnie Paul? Fuck." I knew exactly what it meant, and it
was too much for me to handle. I ignored all the other notifications
on my phone, sat it back on the nightstand and rolled over and went
back to sleep. I didn't want to be awake that day. I hoped that
going back to sleep would mean that I could wake up from the
nightmare. Several hours later I awoke to find it was all true. The
outpouring of tributes on social media proved it. No one had a cause,
not that it mattered. A huge part of rock and roll is gone, and it
doesn't matter why or how.
JUNE 20,
2018 2 FRiCKiN' CENTS:THE
PREMiERE EPiSODE
he times
are definitely interesting and we here at ROCKWIRED feel the need to
say something about them, but in a way that doesn't beat people over
the head with a bunch of platitudinous virtue signalling have us coming
off like blowhards. Our newest podcast 2 FRICKIN CENTS, comes from a
column that used to run in our monthly publication of ROCKWIRED
MAGAZINE. It was our signature look at what was going on in the news
and pop culture and giving our one-of-a-kind spin on it. It was our
chance to show the world that they should sleep welling knowing that we
aren't the ones doing the nightly news. It was big hit in our
publication, and now that we no longer produce the monthly, we figured
we'd give it a show as a podcast series, one that we can put together
quickly and easily during the time in between the posting of
articles.
he first
step in a journey is
always the most exciting but it's a great deal more exciting when you
are eighteen years old. That is the case with three-quarters of the
South Carolina-based band BROKEN TESTIMONY. Founders BRYCE
CHISM
(drums) and JUDGE PAGE (vocals and guitars) along with lead
guitarist
NIC DELVAUX are in that enviable position of releasing their
debut
album HOLD ONTO NOTHING at such a ripe young age, unburdened by
cynicism or all that could go wrong in a life lived in rock n roll.
Making the ride all the more exciting is the push that these young men
are getting from THERMAL ENTERTAINMENT - the very company behind the
push of some of active rock's hottest acts such as BOBAFLEX, WAYLAND
and SHALLOW SIDE. BROKEN TESTIMONY's debut album HOLDING ONTO
NOTHING
is due out JUNE 23rd and will boast the piss and vinegar that
typifies
what one would expect coming from active rock these days, but there are
some prog elements that come into the framework of their songs as on
the glimmering track VITALITY. ROCKWIRED had a chance to speak with
drummer and band founder BRYCE CHISM regarding the band and their new
album. Here is how the interview went.
TV series
based on the life of a trailblazing, Satan-worshipping rocket
scientist who corresponded with ALEISTER CROWLEY and inspired the
craziness of L. RON HUBBARD? Count me in! That was my response to the
trailer for this new series available exclusively through CBS ALL
ACCESS. After watching the series premiere episode AUGURS OF SPRING,
I'm happy to report that I'm still onboard with this series created by
MARK HEYMAN (BLACK SWAN, THE SKELETON TWINS), but I've got more
of a taste for the lamb's blood and what looked like the
beginning of a human sacrifice in one scene. I'm not so much onboard
with all the rocket propulsion stuff. The life of JACK
PARSONS
isn't the kind of life story you hear about from men of science. He was
one of the founders of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Aerojet
Engineering Corporation and was famous for his advancements in the
liquid fuel and solid fuel rocketry that got NASA off the ground.
JUNE 12,
2018 ROCKWiRED
REWiND:PAT
BENATAR - GRAViTY'S RAiNBOW (1993)
h,
the nineties was a confusing time! When the decade was in full swing,
grunge rock had made feathered hair, leather and acid washed a jeans a
thing of the past. Yes, rock n roll got a tremendous dressing down in
the CLINTON era where any rough and tumble dude or dudette could pick
up a guitar and be a "somebody" in music. Apathy ruled the day and it
was
best you kept your head down and not make a spectacle of yourself, even
though you probably had piercings on your nose and tongue and sported
one
of the first tramp stamps or tribal looking tats. The only people doing
reality TV at the time was MTV with their REAL WORLD series as well as
their subversive cartoon hit BEAVIS AND BUTTHEAD, but they were also
still playing music videos back then. Gangsta rap gave white folks
something new to be afraid of. Maybe the white suburban angst that
found a voice in the grunge rock that was coming out of Seattle wasn't
anything to be afraid of in comparison.
IVESAY,
the
Melodic,
Power Rock band from New York, NY, has signed a worldwide record deal
with Pittsburgh based, RFL RECORDS. A longtime staple of the
Neo-Classical regime, LIVESAY are about to unleash a new album to the
masses that will embrace the bands past and throttle in a new and
exciting future. LIVESAY
is a
prime example
of a band that has flown under the proverbial radar and has
self-sustained 4 incredible albums - LIVESAY - S/T (1996),
DARKEST HOUR (2000), AWAKEN THE GIANT (2010) and FROZEN HELL (2016).
LIVESAY is not a novice to the big stage and has opened for a
multitude of hard rocks premier acts such as RONNIE JAMES DIO,
Y&T,
DOKKEN, LYNCH MOB, RATT, THIN LIZZY, VINCE NEILL, SEBASTIAN BACH,
QUIET RIOT, MICHAEL SCHENKER, UFO, FATES WARNING and many others. In
addition to appearing at the ROCK N' SKULL FESTIVAL 2 years in a
row, they have headlined many times as well. With very little major
backing, it's been a willingness and belief that has driven this
band. GREGG LIVESAY had this to say, "It has always been about all
of the members of this band, not just me. I would have nothing
without them and their dedication to delivering a top-notch product
to the fans."
JUNE 3,
2018 ROCKWiRED
REViEWS:SOLO:
A STAR WARS STORY
OLO: A STAR
WARS STORY is
being released in a time when ROSEANNE BARR loses her TV show over a
racist tweet and conservatives are demanding SAMANTHA BEE's head on a
platter for dropping the C-word in regard to the first daughter.
TWITTER wars are more explosive than anything that is happening in a
galaxy far, far away, even in this latest offering from DISNEY's STAR
WARS. News outlets everywhere are predicting that the brand is in
trouble given SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY's less than spectacular box
office and the residual fanboy condemnation of last
Christmas' THE LAST JEDI.
Maybe rolling out a STAR WARS movie every year
ain't the way to keep the excitement going, but I will stick my neck
out and say that
I've enjoyed what DISNEY has done for the franchise thus far. On a
cinematic level, KATHLEEN KENNEDY hasn't turned the water into wine,
but her instincts have worked in moving the franchise from
the shiny,
CGI-kiddie fare of the prequels back to the lived-in, space
western-feel of the original trilogy. That was all I was asking for
back in 1999. I've got the STAR WARS universe I want, and now it's time
for prequel fans to hate the new direction of the franchise.
With that
being said, SOLO is the STAR WARS movie I always wanted to see. The
problem is, I can barely see it.
THE
ARTiCLE WiLL CONTiNUE FOLLOWiNG
THE ADVERTiSEMENT BELOW
FOR
iMMEDiATE RELEASE:
June
2,
2018 - You voted,
the polls have closed and the winner of the 86th ROCKWIRED ARTIST OF
THE MONTH title is the rock band KNEE HIGH FOX on the strength of their
new LP JAW BREAKER. Frontwoman
KRSY FOX, of the the alt-rock/electronica band KNEE
HIGH FOX, is determined to take listeners on a roller coaster ride with
the release of their new album JAWBREAKER. In looking at the title of
the album, I was immediately reminded of the 1999 black comedy cult
film JAWBREAKER starring ROSE McGOWAN as the villain in a tale of high
school bitchery that escalates to murderous proportions. It turns out I
wasn't too far off the mark, as FOX cites the film as an inspiration
for this new album. In fact, cult 90's films such as THE CRAFT,
FOXFIRE, GIRL INTERRUPTED and even more high brow films as AMERICAN
BEAUTY have and continue to inspire FOX's music making giving the woman
and her band's blistering, primal sound a bit of cinematic intrigue.
When you're a band with an appreciation for high drama and moving
images, you can only imagine how that makes any live performance all
the more exciting.
MAY 30,
2018 ROCKWiRED
REViEWS:THE
HANDMAiD'S TALE
binge-watched
the first fourteen episodes of HULU's THE HANDMAID'S
TALE and that was a huge mistake. Not to say that HULU's take on
MARGARET ATWOOD's classic, dystopian novel is a waste of time. I say
this because the series is a tense, unrelenting, nightmarish drama that
will leave you wondering if a fringe element of
fundamentalist brown
shirts really have what it takes to turn our democracy into
totalitarian theocracy.
MAY 24,
2018 ROCKWiRED
SPECiAL FEATURE:KENNETH JOHNSON
n
the spring of 1983, there were two things that I was looking forward to
- the end of the school year and the release of RETURN OF THE JEDI, the
final chapter in the STAR WARS saga! (Please don't laugh!) I was eight
years old and who the hell my age age didn't want to see how this STAR
WARS business was going to pan out? Could DARTH VADER have been
bluffing about being LUKE's dad? Was HAN SOLO going to be freed from
the carbonite or was this going to be the end of the road? Did any of
this mean wedding bells for LUKE and LEIA? (Seriously, don't laugh!) We
could certainly count on the fact that the EMPIRE was going to get it's
due and LUKE was going to have learned a thing or two about wielding a
lightsaber. This was the age before moral ambiguity reared it's head in
space opera. The good guys always won in those days.
hen I was a
boy, heavy metal music was an escape from the math
and science that was being forced on me by school. Heavy metal was that
never-never land where schoolyard bullies and school didn't exist.
There was no way in hell that headbanging and the scientific/mathematic
mind were going to occupy the same space, but along comes LINNEA
VIKSTROM who has made the curious decision to make math and
physics
the theme of the debut album LIVE IN SPACE from her new band QFT. By
the
way, QFT stands for Quantum Field Theory. Clearly my ninth grade
science teacher was right when she said I would encounter this later in
life. QFT is LINNEA VIKSTROM's first bold step outside of the
band
THERION - a band that she has fronted vocally ever since graduating
high school. LIVE IN SPACE is a big album with a big sound and even
bigger ideas. In a time when garden variety rage is informing much of
what gets called metal these days, LIVE IN SPACE is a breath of fresh
air. Or in this case, a breath of empty vacuum. ROCKWIRED had the
chance to speak with LINNEA VIKSTROM regarding QFT and their debut
release. Here is how the interview went.
MAY 19,
2018 THE
ROCKWiRED ARTiST OF THE
MONTH NOMiNEES:
OCKWIRED.COM
is pleased to announce the nominees for our latest ARTIST OF
THE MONTH COMPETITION. The current artist of the
month winner is the band DYNAMOS. Now we are getting things
set for the month of April and we've got an amazing group of artists
for you to pick from. This official ballot page has been set up with
polling services provided by MICROPOLL. Voters are welcome to
vote as many times as they wish although it may involve clearing
your cache and cookies to do so.
he band
ALLMAN GOLDFLIES may
only be a little more than a couple of years old, but it's two founders
have stories to tell and rather large ambitions for their soulful brand
of southern rock. There isn't a band alive that doesn't want their
music to connect to a listener, but this band, started by
singer-songwriter and guitarist GARY ALLMAN and bassist and producer
DAVID GOLDFLIES have bigger ambitions - ones that will take their music
all the way to the Great American Songbook. Evidently,
in a time where music has been reduced to $0.99 downloads or less,
songcraft is very important to these two. GOLDFLIES cut his teeth
musically working with the likes of BILL BARTLETT of STAR
STRUCK and RAM JAM and THE ALLMAN BROTHERS before getting into
orchestral work. GARY ALLMAN is the cousin of the late-GREG and DUANE
ALLMAN and was under the tutelage of TOY CALDWELL of THE MARSHALL
TUCKER BAND. These two men shared the stage together for the first time
in the late-nineties doing shows with guitarist LUTHER WOMBLE (CLARENCE
"GATEMOUTH" BROWN). Two years ago, the two rekindled their friendship
and recorded their debut album SECOND CHANCE - a catalog of ten songs
that are cut
from all of lifes highs and lows. ROCKWIRED had a chance to speak with
GARY ALLMAN and DAVID GOLDFLIES regarding their new album. Here is how
the interview went.
eing a
child of the eighties, I often overlooked the connection
between heavy metal and horror films. I simply took the two things for
granted. At the time, it was important to engulf myself in a
music
that had my parents on edge thinking that I was a Satan worshipper. The
motif worked, and the imagery that decorated my walls from bands such
as IRON MAIDEN and MEGADETH proved to be effective in keeping my
parents
and siblings at a distance. And how many horror films of that era
contained heavy metal on their soundtracks? The Swedish thrash band
F.K.U. emerged from this time in the year 1987 as a chance for it's
founders
- guitarist PETE STOOAAHL and bassist PAT SPLAT- to indulge
themselves in the shock of horror and the visceral assault of metal,
however the band didn't take off until the late-nineties when they
recruited front man and producer LARRY LETHAL. Now, the band has
released their newest album 1981 - a tribute to the year when horror
films reached critical mass in terms of box office appeal with such
films a FRIDAY THE 13th PART 2 (there is ven a track named after this
film), EVIL DEAD, THE HOWLING, HALLOWEEN II
and others. ROCKWIRED had a chance to speak with lead singer
LARRY LETHAL regarding the band and their new album. Here is how the
interview went.
MAY 9,
2018 ROCKWiRED
NiTE OUT:ROCK
N ROLL HALL OF FAME CEREMONY
he 33rd
class was made up of BON JOVI, THE CARS, DIRE STRAITS, THE MOODY BLUES,
NINA SIMONE, and SISTER ROSETTA THARPE. Now you're probably thinking
one of three things: like me, you might be thinking, "Really, they
weren't already in?" or your blood pressure might be steadily going up
as you're thinking "Why them and not___?" fill in the blank as you see
fit, or possibly you're thinking "Well that's exactly who I would've
picked." Although, I'm betting few of you are saying the latter.
he
death of rock n roll is another thing that we can blame millennials
for.
EDM and anything by DRAKE may be making the world spin for anyone who
grew up playing with MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGER action figures and
POKEMON pogs, but now we've got the band DYNAMOS to remind people of
the primal, devil-may-care energy of rock in a time where DJs are
considered akin to rock stars. Don't expect any of us here at ROCKWIRED
to understand that shit. Thank God for DYNAMOS! When it comes to rock n
roll, the band takes the direct approach and because of that, they
stand out from the minions of angsty post-grunge active rock or the
passive lilt of "indie" music. DYNAMOS packs a mean
punch with their primary weapon - front woman NADIA E. The classically
trained NADIA has vocal range to spare, a sense of storytelling and an
interpretive sense that has the potential to connect her to millions.
The band's EP COLD COMFORT is the first step in what we predict will be
a long musical journey and we're already believers with such songs as
the BO DIDLEY-esque KNOWLEDGE or the Tex-Mex rabble rouser STAINLESS. ROCKWIRED
had a chance to speak with front woman NADIA E. regarding the band and
their new EP. Here is how the interview went.
OUTUBE RED
has been a thing
since 2014 and yet, it's only selling point has been a commercial-free
viewing experience on YOUTUBE. The original
programming that it comes with has left much to be desired and seems to
be on a production level not far above the likes of PEWDIEPIE or
GLOZELL. For the kind of entertainment that sucks you
in and keeps
you from doing work around the house, people have historically gone to
either NETFLIX or HULU for their binging. $10.99 a month is just too
much for a paltry listing of programming that looks like it came from
DISNEY CHANNEL's rejection bin, but with the May 2nd release of the
original series COBRA KAI - the latest entry in the shaky KARATE KID
franchise -YOUTUBE RED may have taken that first step into being a
formidable paid streaming subscription service.
MAY
3,
2018 ROCK SHOW #8:FEATURiNG LEGENDARY TV PRODUCER KENNETH JOHNSON
AND NEW MUSiC AND iNTERVIEWS WITH CiTY
OF THE WEAK, KNEE
HiGH FOX, iRON TUSK,
F.K.U., and QFT!!!
or almost a
month now, our podcast ROCK SHOW has been on an unintended hiatus due
to some changes that are continuing to unfold with ROCKWIRED MAGAZINE.
In case anyone is unaware, the name ROCKWIRED and it's official website
is now in it's teens. For thirteen years, the website and all of the
online podcast programing and the publications that have come with it
have kept the brand going for thirteen years. Personally, I remember
being a thirteen year old kid nd all of the ugliness of growing up that
came a long with it. ROCKWIRED is weathering those same changes today,
but we are confidant that the brand will re-emerge as a strong force in
rock music and popular culture, and our weekly podcast ROCK SHOW will
play a huge part in that. Wrods can't describe how great it feels to be
in front of the mic again with my co-host RITA LOUISE and spinning some
new music that has come ROCKWIRED's way as well as some interview
excerpts with the likes of CITY OF THE WEAK, KNEE HIGH FOX, IRON TUSK,
Swedish horror meltal band F.K.U. and QFT - the latest musical outing
from the led singer of THERION, LINNEA VIKSTROM. In addition to all of
this is a sneak peak into astory that ROCKWIRED has cooking involving
legendary television writer and producer KENNETH JOHNSON ( THE
INCREDIBLE HULK and V) regarding his plans to bring V to the big screen
with a little help from the newly revamped DESILU PRODUCTIONS.
MAY
1,
2018 - You voted,
the polls have closed and the winner of the 85th ROCKWIRED ARTIST OF
THE MONTH title is the rock band DYNAMOS on the strength of their new
EP COLD COMFORT and their raucous singles KNOWLEDGE and STAINLESS. The
death of rock n roll is another thing that we can blame millenials for.
EDM and anything by DRAKE may be making the world spin for anyone who
grew up playing with MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGER action figures and
POKEMON pogs, but now we've got the band DYNAMOS to remind people of
the primal, devil-may-care energy of rock in a time where DJs are
considered akin to rock stars. Don't expect any of us here at ROCKWIRED
to understand that shit. Thank God for DYNAMOS! When it comes to rock n
roll, the band takes the direct approach and because of that, they
stand out from the minions of angsty post-grunge active rock or the
passive lilt of "indie" music. DYNAMOS packs a mean
punch with their primary weapon - front woman NADIA E. The classicially
trained NADIA has vocal range to spare, a sense of storytelling and an
interpretive sense that has the potential to connect her to millions.
The band's EP COLD COMFORT is the first step in what we predict will be
a long musical journey and we're already believers with such songs as
the BO DIDLEY-esque KNOWLEDGE or the Tex-Mex rabble rouser
STAINLESS.
rontwoman
KRSY FOX, of the the alt-rock/electronica band KNEE
HIGH FOX, is determined to take listeners on a roller coaster ride with
the release of their new album JAWBREAKER. In looking at the title of
the album, I was immediately reminded of the 1999 black comedy cult
film JAWBREAKER starring ROSE McGOWAN as the villain in a tale of high
school bitchery that escalates to murderous proportions. It turns out I
wasn't too far off the mark, as FOX cites the film as an inspiration
for this new album. In fact, cult 90's films such as THE CRAFT,
FOXFIRE, GIRL INTERRUPTED and even more high brow films as AMERICAN
BEAUTY have and continue to inspire FOX's music making giving the woman
and her band's blistering, primal sound a bit of cinematic intrigue.
When you're a band with an appreciation for high drama and moving
images, you can only imagine how that makes any live performance all
the more exciting. ROCKWIRED had a chance to speak with KRSY FOX
regarding the bands new album. Here is how the interview
went.
hen I first
interviewed drummer CARLIN BLACKRABBIT back in early
2017 it was for his Calgary-based punk band NO MORE MOMENTS and their
INDIGENOUS MUSIC AWARD nominated EP STILL GOING. The band embodied the
very D.I.Y. spirit necessary for that coveted punk rock cred that isn't
going to get you laughed out of the the room. Why the hell wouldn't
ROCKWIRED have been on board with these guys. Unbeknownst to me at the
the time, BLACKRABBIT was pulling double duty as he was also in
another band called IRON TUSK which he has formed with the
original
members of NO MORE MOMENTS. Yes, the rock n roll life is all about
ending relationships and started them up all over again and with a 2016
EP behind them, IRON TUSK has now issued a soft release of their newest
EP BAD SPIRIT. Accompanied by less than a handful of gigs thus far
and pressings on both vinyl and cassette, this band hailing
from the Siksika Nation are determined to toss their hat into
the ever-shrinking ring of punk rock and make a little noise. ROCKWIRED
had a chance to get reacquainted with CARLIN BLACKRABBIT regarding IRON
TUSK and their new release. Here is how the interview went.
or us,
CITY OF THE WEAK
represents something that has been lacking severely in the world of
rock for a long time - artistry. So few have had that artistry that
goes
along with being a rock n roll band down to a science and this band -
fronted by the irrepressible front woman STEF W/ AN F - has always had
the musicality and the visual smarts to stand out of the active rock
crowd. You could hear it in their punchy, pop rock delivery and you
could see it in all of their music videos to date and we have the
photogenaeity of STEF and the vision of bass player and filmmaker CODY
EVAN HOFFMAN (the guy directs their videos) to thank for that. In a
time when musicmakers
simply make music on their laptops and post it to whatever
musical
platform is out there, it's quite refreshing to see a band that has the
complete package and knows the value of a little visual flash and
style. For years, CITY OF THE WEAK has released a steady stream of EPs
and
singles to reasonable chart action and radio play on all of the right
markets, but now the band is gearing up with the release of their first
ever LP PULLING TEETH. The title represents the struggles the band has
faced by simply making the music they want to make. Not only is the
album a milestone for the band, it's a middle finger to the haters and
the naysayers. When we spoke with STEF W/AN F it was the
weekend before the the commencement of a new tour promoting the
forthcoming release of PULLING TEETH. Here is
how the interview went.
he
artist known in certain circles as ANIMAL TEEF is something of a first
in the eyes of our publication. Blame it on our lack of knowledge when
it comes to the world of hip hop - as we are a rock publication - but
the
Oglala Lakota rapper may
very well be the genre's first real vgabond. Since 2013, we have
seen his solo career take off from the fields of the Oglala Sioux
Indian Reservation with the single AIN'T NOBODY'S BIDNESS and the LP
PINK
TRASH. The man's brand of socially conscious hip hop came with a jagged
edge and not a word or beat went to waste, even on the 14-song
collection THE SHAKE BAG or the EP SAY LA VIE. In an a genre of music
that is all about representing a certain locale, TEEF is a vagabond who
has taken his music North by Northwest to such cities at Seattle and
Eugene. For the past couple of years he has contributed rhymes to this
and that project, but now he is one half of a new project called
LONESOME GEORGE. The other half is comprised of beat maker and producer
ENDOR and their message of Indigenous pride and decolonization can be
heard loud and clear on their new album BURT BACHAPACK- a play on the
name of a legendary songwriter and a hat tip to what TEEF refers to as
"back pack" rapper. Us "dad rockers" learn something new every day!
ROCKWIRED had the chance to speak with ANIMAL TEEF and ENDOR of
LONESOME GEORGE regarding their new album. Here is how the interview
went.
n speaking
with Canadian glam/punk rock veteran TED AXE, you get
the sense that the Great White North is just a little too quiet for the
guy. In the late seventies, it was he and his band THE ACTION that got
the punk music movement going in Canada with some rather sensational
headlines in the Ottawa newspapers and the release a balls-to-the-wall
EP which contained their clarion single TV's ON THE BLINK. Yes sir,
"Canada's First Punk Rock Band" knew how to get the press going and the
band quickly found themselves touring their homeland and the States
alongside such punk rock legends as THE STRANGLERS and THE RAMONES.
When all of this was going down, rock n roll was only twenty something
years old so no one was thinking about maintaining a legacy or even
working their way into some "hall of fame" nonsense. THE ACTION became
inactive after one year but AXE took his razor tongued antics
elsewhere. He's stalked the stage of London and Los Angeles and then
formed the band SISTER HYDE in Seattle. Now, he has just released his
new solo album SEX HORROR VIOLENCE - a twelve-song opus that celebrates
the man's punk rock spirit and thse glam flourishes of his
that he
hasn't been able to shake since he first heard ZIGGY STARDUST in a
record store years and years ago.
APRIL 6,
2018 THE
ROCKWiRED ARTiST OF THE
MONTH NOMiNEES:
OCKWIRED.COM
is pleased to annuonce the nominees for our latest ARTIST OF
THE MONTH COMPETITION. The current artist of the
month winner is the band WE ARE BAND NERDS who secured
their victory with over six thousand voters. Now we are getting things
set for the month of April and we've got an amazing group of artists
for you to pick from. This official ballot page has been set up with
polling services provided by MICROPOLL.
wenty-four
years after making the
big leap to living life in the western part of the United States, it's
hard for me to believe that I had ever lived in the congestion of the
D.C. Metropolitan area. Sure, I'm cut off from some big city refinement
in my middle age and living in a town that no one can spell. Everyone
knows my immediate surroundings for the exploits BREAKING BAD's WALTER
WHITE and slimy but likable SAUL GOODMAN on BETTER CALL SAUL, but I'm
away from the "political intrigue" that defines the D.C. metro area -
intrigue which never intrigued me in my formative years. To be more
specific, I grew up in Silver Spring, a Maryland town on the
border of
D.C. where drummer DEREK FALZOI currently resides. One day we struck up
a conversation on FACEBOOK for the first time and we got to talking
about his band SEPIA which was a few days away from releasing their
newest album DROP DEAD GORGEOUS. Who was I to dismiss a "homey" and not
give his band a chance? After all, a magazine
favorite like SILVERTUNG
also hails from the "Old Line State". Maryland is a million miles away
from rock n roll abandon but SEPIA have a knack for it and you can hear
it loud and clear on their new, relatively self-produced new album.
Post-grunge is most definitely alive with these guys and while that may
cost them radioplay in any significant pop market it'll be a breath of
fresh air for listeners who recall a time when music making was a band
effort as opposed to simply pressing a button. The album's first single
MARIONETTE - an
assured piece
of pop rock on being a slave to love - is a fine single indeed but the
song HOME is the one that really catches our ear with a spirited,
rambunctious chorus sung in a round and singer RYAN BECKELMEN taking
command of the proceedings with refreshingly understated vocals that
recall ANTHONY KEIDIS and BRANDON BOYD of INCUBUS. ROCKWIRED had a
chance to speak with singer RYAN BECKELMEN and drummer DEREK FALZOI of
SEPIA regarding their latest album. Here is how the interview went.
APRIL
2,
2018 - You voted,
the polls have closed and the winners of the 84th ROCKWIRED ARTISTS OF
THE MONTH winners is the hiphop metal band WE ARE BAND NERDS. The
combining of hip-hop with the raucous
stylings of heavy metal is a an old recipe that goes back to the days
when rap was something you only heard on the streets as opposed to
every facet of American life. This hybridization first became popular
when RUN DMC teamed up with AEROSMITH for the hip-hop retelling of the
latter's freak flag classic rock staple WALK THIS WAY and reached it's
zenith in the late nineties/early 2000s with bands such as LIMP BIZKIT
and LINKIN PARK. Despite the fact that this type of fusion is absent
from the charts these days, WE ARE BAND NERDS has no probablem dusting
the genre off for their new album FORGET-ME-NOTS (PAVEMENT
ENTERTAINMENT) but what makes this new release so exciting is that the
...NERDS' approach isn't the same ole' same ole'. Their musical arsenal
is a considerable one with jazz and electronic elements and lyrics and
rhymes that examine middle class minority life and the highs, lows, and
hopes and dreams that go with it.
et me tell
you what sucks about getting old. You find yourself
not wanting to go out as much and that puts you in a strange place as a
music journalist. Sure, my area of expertise is recorded music, but
rock n roll is all about the live performance. I've let age get the
better of me and after checking the all female prog metal band FLIGHT
OF FIRE from Boston, I've learned that I'm missing out on a lot.
According to some favorable press and some footage that can
be found
on YOUTUBE, FLIGHT OF FIRE has something - that over-the-top live
sensibility that has been missing from rock since the eighties. What
good is rock n roll without showmanship? Outside of the pomp and
circumstance that goes along with the band's live set, FLIGHT OF FIRE
has musicality to spare. You can attribute that to either their
ingrained sense of rock n roll with ambition (we did mention they are
on the prog-y side of metal right?) or the years spent studying music
at Berklee School of Music. Either way, the band's artistry and
musicality can be heard loud and clear on their 2017 album PATH OF THE
PHOENIX. We are given assurances by the band that a new album is on the
way but inthe meantime, the band has released the playful single SICK
IN LOVE and are gearing up for a tour of Europe that is set for Summer
of this year. ROCKWIRED had the chance to speak with the band's front
woman MAVERICK and twins TANYA VENOM (lead guitar) and TIA MAYHEM
(bass) regarding the band and their music making. Here is how the
interview went.
APRIL
2,
2018 - You voted,
the polls have closed and the winners of the 84th ROCKWIRED ARTISTS OF
THE MONTH winners is the hiphop metal band WE ARE BAND NERDS. The
combining of hip-hop with the raucous
stylings of heavy metal is a an old recipe that goes back to the days
when rap was something you only heard on the streets as opposed to
every facet of American life. This hybridization first became popular
when RUN DMC teamed up with AEROSMITH for the hip-hop retelling of the
latter's freak flag classic rock staple WALK THIS WAY and reached it's
zenith in the late nineties/early 2000s with bands such as LIMP BIZKIT
and LINKIN PARK. Despite the fact that this type of fusion is absent
from the charts these days, WE ARE BAND NERDS has no probablem dusting
the genre off for their new album FORGET-ME-NOTS (PAVEMENT
ENTERTAINMENT) but what makes this new release so exciting is that the
...NERDS' approach isn't the same ole' same ole'. Their musical arsenal
is a considerable one with jazz and electronic elements and lyrics and
rhymes that examine middle class minority life and the highs, lows, and
hopes and dreams that go with it.
ROCKWiRED
NEWS BLAST:THE WiNNERS OF THE 2018
LA MUSiC ViDEO AWARDS
n March 24, 2018, the
winners in the first ever LA
MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS were announced during a lively and
intimate awards ceremony hosted at UNFRIENDLY
STUDIOS in Vernon. California. The director of the event -
JOWANNA LEWIS
of RADIO KSCR
- served as the hostess of the event. After months of planning,
selecting the nominees and facilitiating the voting, we can only
imagine that the stress of pulling off an evening to remembers was
high, but knowing LEWIS like ROCKWIRED does, we were not the least bit
surprised to see this entrepreneur pull of this event with her usual
grace and panache. "It was a
pleasure and a challenge to do the LA Music Video Awards." says
LEWIS. "There were some great videos that were
submitted. I am looking forward to putting this event on next
year."
MARCH
26,
2018
ROCK SHOW #7:FEATURiNG NEW MUSiC FROM KiM WILDE, NENA, DALi VAN GOGH, G TOM MAC, FATHER JUPiTER AND MORE!!!
he latest
editon of ROCK SHOW is the product of a truly lazy Sunday afternoon.
This edition doesn't feature any interviews. It's simply your host host
BRIAN LUSH and co-host RITA LOUISE spinning some tunes and talking in
between the songs, and we've got some brand spaking new ones this week.
This show is kind of an unofficial eighties reunion as it features new
music from the likes of KIM WILDE and NENA. WILDE is back with her new
album HERE COME THE ALIENS and it is a brash return to the woman's new
wave rock beginnings. The delectable electropunk rocker KANDY KRUSH
recalls a bit of the fiestiness that could be heard on her 1980 hit
KIDS IN AMERICA. NENA made an impression in the early days of MTV with
the teutonic bop of 99 LUFTBALLOONS. Now she is back with the slinky
electro-glam stomper BE MY REBEL where she gets a little help from
producer and ex-EURYTHMICDAVE
STEWART. Rocker G TOM MAC has become synonymous for his song CRY LITTLE
SISTER from the soundtrack for the eighties vampire flick THE LOST BOYS
and now he has created a musical adaptation of the LOST BOYS called A
LOST BOY'S STORY - THE MUSICAL. In this show we spin the opening number
of MAC's mighty opus. That about does it for representation from the
REAGAN era. All of our other new songs this week come from such artists
as DALI VAN GOGH, SAYERS, DYNAMOS and FATHER JUPITER.
he
first time I spoke with singer-songwriter MICK McMAINS, it was the year
2006 and he was one part of the trip-hopped, politically charged
musical hodge podge known as DJ MONKEY. It was the last two years of
the BUSH-CHENEY years and who didn't want some sort of political
resistance in their music? DJ MONEY had a sound that encompassed spoken
word, hip hop, punk rock, jazz and passion for social justice a whole
decade and a half before this SJW thing became a thing. It was five men
in a recording studio but noticeable from a distance was the truth
creative nucleus of the of the band - McMAINS and songwriter JOEY ALKES
(famed for his work on THE PLIMSOULS' 1983 power pop hit A MILLION
MILES AWAY).
he
combining of hip-hop with the raucous
stylings of heavy metal is a an old recipe that goes back to the days
when rap was something you only heard on the streets as opposed to
every facet of American life. This hybridization first became popular
when RUN DMC teamed up with AEROSMITH for the hip-hop retelling of the
latter's freak flag classic rock staple WALK THIS WAY and reached it's
zenith in the late nineties/early 2000s with bands such as LIMP BIZKIT
and LINKIN PARK. Despite the fact that this type of fusion is absent
from the charts these days, WE ARE BAND NERDS has no probablem dusting
the genre off for their new album FORGET-ME-NOTS (PAVEMENT
ENTERTAINMENT) but what makes this new release so exciting is that the
...NERDS' approach isn't the same ole' same ole'. Their musical arsenal
is a considerable one with jazz and electronic elements and lyrics and
rhymes that examine middle class minority life and the highs, lows, and
hopes and dreams that go with it. ROCKWIRED had a chance to speak with
rapper/vocalist TONY LUCAS regarding the band's new release. Here is
how the interview went.
MARCH 19,
2018 ROCK SHOW #6:FEATURiNG MUSiC FROM THE NOMiNEES OF THE LA MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS
AND iNTERViEWS WiTH MiCK McMAINS
AND LONESOME GEORGE!!!
t's been
over a week since
we've had a new edition of ROCK SHOW but now we're back with new music
and some new interviews. This edition comes just days before the first
annual LA MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS which will be held on Friday, March 24,
2018 at UNFRIENDLY STUDIOS in Vernon, CA. ROCKWIRED
MAGAZINE has
published the official guide for the LA MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS and the
122-page publication has been received ecstatically by readers both
domestic and abroad. We put a lot of work in the writing and the layout
of the guide and with all ofthe work behind us, we are using this show
as an opportunity to share with the listeners some of our favorites
videos from this year's impressive list of nominees. In addition, this
edition of ROCK SHOW will also feature music and exclusive
interviews
with singer-songwriter MICK McMAINS regarding his new album AMERICAN
SOUL and ANIMAL TEEF and ENDOR of LONSEOME GEORGE regarding
their debut release BURT BACHAPACK. Sandwiched in within all of this is the
usual banter between hosts BRIAN LUSH and RITA LOUISE.
n
a musical career, all one needs is that one signature tune that
resonates with listeners so that when they hear you're name, they are
going to connect it with that song that brought a smile to their face
or got their head banging or in the case of NDN
KARS by
KEITH SECOLA, the hairs on the back of their neck to stand up. No one
needs to be reminded the dearth of Native American artistry
on the pop music landscape unless some pop tart or hip hop
guys
wants to don a headdress. At least we've got REDBONE's pop classic COME
AND GET YOUR LOVE still popping up in this
commercial or that movie.
Despite the lack of representation on the upper echelons of popdom,
KEITH SECOLA (Anishinabe) has been a rock n roll troubadour who has
entertained and moved audiences from throughout Indian Country and
beyond with a patchwork sound that combines reggae, folk music and rock
n roll. He committed this sound to tape in 1992 with his album CIRCLE
with a little help from the SAND CREEK BAND and a rumbling rock anthem
called NDN KARS.
THE
ARTiCLE WiLL CONTiNUE FOLLOWiNG
THE ADVERTiSEMENT BELOW
MARCH 14,
2018 ROCKWiRED
DOSSiER:JON MARCHEWKA OF RFL RECORDS
or the
past decade and a half there has been talk of how there is no
gold in them there hills when it comes to the music industry and
how
easy it is to make music and make it available online for people to
download without paying. It all sounds hopeless. With an environment
like this, why the hell get into the industry? For that matter, why
even start a record label if music has become this taken-for-granted
commodity as opposed to being a precious one? Those are the questions
anyone entering this "crazy" business should be asking themselves, but
ROCKWIRED is leveling these questions to JON MARCHEWKA, the
owner and
founder of the small, independent record label RFL RECORDS.
In
speaking with MARCHEWKA, we've learned that it is simply a love for the
heavier side of rock n roll that fuels MARCHEWKA's passion
for his
fledgling label and the artists on his roster which include
the heavy
metal thunder of bands such as HYDROGYN and SILK 9 to the gritty punk
rock assault of BLACK KNOTS. This
baby-faced, mild mannered entrepreneur isn't letting any music industry
cynicism get in his way and is looking forward to adding new bands and
artists to RFL RECORDS' already impressive roster.
THE
ARTiCLE WiLL CONTiNUE FOLLOWiNG
THE ADVERTiSEMENT BELOW
MARCH 5,
2018
ROCK SHOW #5:WE ANNOUNCE THE WINNER OF
ROCKWIRED'S ARTIST OF THE MONTH AWARD AND
FEATURE MUSIC AND EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS WITH SEPIA, FLIGHT OF FIRE AND WE ARE BAND NERDS!!!
eing away
for a week was a huge mistake but what choice do you have when you host
a podcast and you get struck with laryngitis and it hurts like hell to
talk. Some of the rasp is still with me, but ROCK SHOW is back, as is
or co-host RITA LOUISE for two hours of music, interviews with some
bands that have come ROCKWIRED MAGAZINE's way and banter
between the hosts on their current living conditions in the Duke City
and shady neighbors that are across from them. Neighbors that can't be
stopped by ATF raids, forced evictions or the love of Christ for that
matter and we've got a sneaking suspicion that meth making is in the
picture. Thanks alot BETTER CALL BREAKING BAD for making this shit
chic. Oh there is so much to discuss on this fine show but we are
kicking everything off by announcing the winner of the ROCKWIRED ARTIST
OF THE MONTH. To find out who it is you're going ot have to listen to
the show until we fire off the press release. Also included in this
edition of ROCK SHOW is music and exclusive interviews with
Maryland-based rockers SEPIA, the all-female metal band FLIGHT OF FIRE
and the rap metal band WE ARE BAND NERDS.
THE
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FEBRUARY
22,
2018 ROCKWiRED
NOTES:THE
OUTFiT
rothers
MARK and MATT NAWARA are veterans of the Chicago rock scene
having recorded and written endless hours of original music over the
years with this band and that band. Their latest venture - THE OUTFIT -
is one that plays to their strengths as music makers. Straight ahead
rock n roll with clever hooks marks the band's sound on their
self-titled debut LP with such tracks as LIAR, SOLDIER BOY and LUCKY
ONE providing the rah rah rah on this raucous debut. Of course, the
band's flawless rock n roll execution - done with the assist of
producer MATT MERCADO - was never in question given the resumes of the
men who round out the line up of THE OUTFIT. MIKE GORMAN hails from the
legendary Chicago bands PEZBAND and OFFBROADWAY and front mand and
rhythm guitarist ANDY MITCHELL whose past bands include
DISH, VERONA
and 9 VOLT. ROCKWIRED had a chance to speak with ANDY MITCHELL
regarding THE OUTFIT's self-titled release. Here is how the interview
went.
he
restlessness for a new sound either allows a band to grow or drives
nail into their coffin. The southern metal band ANTI-MORTEM
made a
name for themselves with bottom heavy, groove laden heavy rock anthems
just like your dad used to listen to but with the band's creative
nucleus LARADO and NEVADA ROMO giving the proceedings a youthful,
angsty vigor. There was certainly no reason to beleive that this little
enterprise couldn't have gone the distance but the brothers ROMO
detected a widening chasm between the music they were listening to and
the music they were sharing with the masses. Because of that chasm,
ANTI-MORTEM is no more and the band COSMIC WOOLhas
emerged with a wider musical palette complete with experimental guitar
riffs and dance breaks and a "sky's the limit" attitude to their
ambitious musical direction. The ROMO brothers are still calling the
shots creatively but a new lease on life has led to the creation of
their self-titled LP and an electrifying live set. ROCKWIRED
had a
chance to speak with guitarist NEVADA ROMO of COSMIC WOOL regarding the
new album. Here is how the interview went.
ROCK SHOW #4 | FEATURiNG
MUSiC AND iNTERViEWS WiTH LA
MUSiC ViDEO AWARDS AND iT'S
DiRECTOR JOWANNA LEWiS OF RADiO KSCR TED AXE, AND MANHIGH!!!
e are going
to try not to have an edition of ROCK SHOW go by
without our co-host RITA LOUISE. The addition of her to the ROCKWIRED
family has been invaluable and her presence in front of the
mic is
really something special. Her being away for one show was way too long
and we're grateful to have her back. In the latest edition of ROCK
SHOW, we kick things off with news of the upcoming LA MUSIC
VIDEO
AWARDS which ROCKWIRED MAGAZINE will be publishing an official guide
for. We'll be interviewing the director of the LA MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS
JOWANNA LEWIS (CEO of RADIO KSCR) and spin some tunes from some of the
nominees like RAYMOND LEVIER, MILITIA VOX and B OF DAKOTA SOUTH
RECORDS. We will also be spinning some tunes and presenting exlcusive
interviews with the likes of Canadian punk/glam rocker TED AXE, the New
Mexico-based rockers MANHIGHand the
adventurous musical stylings of RAUSCH. There is also some new music
from ROCKWIRED newcomers such as MAGNETIC NORTH, SHINOBI
NINJA, SIDE CHAIN and WE ARE BAND NERDS.
FEBRUARY
17,
2018 ROCKWiRED
NEWS BLAST:LA MUSiC ViDEO AWARDSNOMiNEES AND THE COVER FOR
THE OFFICIAL GUiDE
n March 2, 2018 ROCKWIRED MAGAZINE
will be releasing the official guide for the 2018 LA MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS
taking place in Vernon,
California on March 24, 2018 at UNFRIENDLY STUDIOS.
This guide will feature an indepth look at the all of the music videos
that have been nominated for this exciting awards program and
give
readers and music fans a taste of what the world of
independent music
has to offer in the way of visuals. It is a mission that has ROCKWIRED
publisher BRIAN LUSH "completely excited" to say the least.
"I'm all
too anxious to get this immense project off the ground!" says BRIAN
LUSH. "These days, it's not just the song that gets an artist noticed.
It's the vision that a band brings to the table. This is nothing new.
MTV got the ball rolling decades ago but with services like YOUTUBE and
other social media, a music video is more important than ever to have
but the problem is that there is so much out there and an awards
program like the LA MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS will give people a taste of
everything that is out there. The number of categories is truly
intimidating but ROCKWIRED MAGAZINE's guide to this year's program is
going to cover all of it with style and charm."
ack when I
was a kid, you had these groups of guys called rock bands
who played music and obsessed about fame and that often times elusive
recording contract. Nowadays, it's all about the DIY and making things
happen on your own with a steady stream of live gigs, music that is
available on all of the right platforms and a strong social media
presence. And of course, a music video wouldn't hurt. Yes, it's all at
a band's fingertips these daysand as a
result you hear less and less about that aforementioned recording
contract. Breaking
with this rather recent tradition is the Pennsylvania-based metal band
SILK9 who have signed that dotted line with the fledgling label RFL
RECORDS. Their raucous 5-song EP RETRIBUTION is a gritty look
at life
and all of the ups and downs that go along with it and the struggle
depicted is not only real, it's engaging as hell. ROCKWIRED
had the chance to speak with the band's guitarist and founding member
ANTHONY LEONE. Here is how the interview went.
ROCK SHOW #3 | FEATURiNG
MUSiC AND iNTERViEWS WiTH KEiTH
SECOLA, THE OUTFiT,
COSMiC WOOL
AND SiLK9!!!
he
latest edition of ROCK SHOW has host BRIAN LUSH flying alone but there
is still some great music to be played and some interview excerpts to
be heard. ROCKWIRED MAGAZINE is committed to keeping
this new show going for the ling haul and we look forward to having our
co-host return next week. We are continuing to refine this show week by
week until a formula sticks and are constantly on the look out for new
music and talent to feature on the show. This week, ROCK SHOW presents
music and interviews with pow wow rocker KEITH SECOLA, Chicago-based
band THE OUTFIT, the Texas-based COSMIC WOOL which features former
members of ANTI-MORTEM as well as current members of TEXAS HIPPIE
COALITION and Pennsylvania-based metal band SILK 9. Check out
our playlist for todays show below. THe songs will appear in exactly
that order.
kay so I didn't go
back as far as I could've for the first ever presentation of ROCKWIRED
REWIND, but I picked a good one. It was the summer of 2016
and CANDLEBOX had just released their glorious album DISAPPEARING IN
AIRPORTS. I had already been acquainted with the band's lead singer
KEVIN MARTIN through another musical project he had been involved with
called LE PROJET and had a good working relationship with the band's
publicist DENISE. VEXATIOUS was a punchy single and the album was just
the kind of rock album that I'm programmed to fall in love with - the
kind that has something to say. This was the 642nd edition of our now
defunct podcast series ROCKWIRED RADIO PROFILES and it was one of my
favorites. KEVIN MARTIN is always a great interview. Please enjoy this
podcast in it's entirety with three cuts from the album included.
THE
POSTS WiLL CONTiNUE FOLLOWiNG
THE ADVERTiSEMENT BELOW
FEBRUARY 9,
2018 THE
ROCKWiRED ARTiST OF THE
MONTHRADIO
SHOWCASE
he
ROCKWIRED ARTIST OF THE MONTH competition is making it's
grand return to ROCKWIRED.COM. The last artist of the
month was the band
BOBAFLEX in October of 2017 who had won onthe strength of thousands of
voters and their 2018 ROCKWIRED READER'S POLL AWARD winning album
ELOQUENT DEMONS. In the months following their victory ROCKWIRED
MAGAZINE had undergone some editorial changes and so far, 2018 is
shaping up to be our most exciting year yet in our entire thirteen year
history. Along with the establishment of our exciting new weekly
podcast ROCK SHOW and expanded reportage on the website, what better
time to augment our ARTIST OF THE MONTH campaign?
THE
POSTS WiLL CONTiNUE FOLLOWiNG
THE ADVERTiSEMENT BELOW
FEBRUARY 6,
2018 THE
ROCKWiRED ARTiST OF THE
MONTH NOMiNEES:
he
ROCKWIRED ARTIST OF THE MONTH competition is making it's
grand return to ROCKWIRED.COM. The last artist of the
month was the bnd
BOBAFLEX in October of 2017 who had won onthe strength of thousands of
voters and their 2018 ROCKWIRED READER'S POLL AWARD winning album
ELOQUENT DEMONS. In the months following their victory ROCKWIRED
MAGAZINE had undergone some editorial changes and so far, 2018 is
shaping up to be our most exciting year yet in our entire thirteen year
history. Along with the establishment of our exciting new weekly
podcast ROCK SHOW and expanded reportage on the website, what better
time to augment our ARTIST OF THE MONTH campaign?
FEBRUARY 5,
2018 ROCK SHOW #2 | FEATURiNG
NEW CO-HOST RiTA LOUiSE
AND MUSiC FROM BOBAFLEX,
SiLVERTUNG, MiLiTiA VOX, JACOB CADE AND MORE!!!
he
reason for ROCKWIRED MAGAZINE taking it's time in getting
it's
official weekly podcast off the ground has had a lot to do with my own
insecurities about getting in front of the mic and doing a show.
Strange, for a guy who has produced and hosted over 900 hours of
podcasting and before that was host of an actual radio show
for
five years. I always knew that I was going to need a co-host to bounce
ideas around with. In the last year of my weekly radio show, I
benefitted greatly from the radio presence of my then host SINE
DOHERTY. That final year of ROCKWIRED LIVE in Southern California
proved to be the most satisfying. In trying to build a new life in New
Mexico for myself and the ROCKWIRED brand, I stepped away from
broadcasting and slowly turned to podcasting with the seven year run of
ROCKWIRED RADIO PROFILES from 2010 to 2017.
ROCK SHOW
was the show I always wanted to do - a weekly show where music gets
spun and discussed with a co-host. It's all about capturing magic and
now, I've found the perfect co-host - my sister RITA LOUISE. TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!
FEBRUARY
1, 2018
his is a
re-posting
of the premiere of ROCKWIRED.COM's new podcast series ROCK
SHOW back in AUGUST
28,
2017 - Well
kiddies, here you have it! This is the very
first edition of our
brand new weekly show ROCKWIRED MAGAZINE'S ROCK SHOW. We admit it's not
the most inspired title but it gives you an idea of what to
expect
with this new weekly program. This latest endeavor by ROCKWIRED
MAGAZINE is not much of a new endeavor. It's more of a rebranding of
our previous podcast series ROCKWIRED RADIO PROFILES. We feel a title
like . Since 2010,
ROCKWIRED RADIO PROFILES lasted for over 700 editions and featured
music and interviews with various active rock artists such
as WAYLAND,
BOBAFLEX, ADELITA'S WAY, EDGE OF PARADISE, ANOTHER LOST YEAR, SAINT
MOTEL, SHALLOW SIDE, BONZ, ADLER, STAR OFF MACHINE, ZEROKING, A.D.D.,
EMPERORS AND ELEPHANTS, STATION, ELISIUM, RED TIDE RISING, SILVERTUNG,
MAXXXWELL CARLISLE, CITY OF THE WEAK, VAJRA, ELISIUM, MILITIA VOX
and
DIAMOND LANE. Now, ROCKWIRED MAGAZINE has decided to scale back with a
weekly podcast that still delivers on the music and exclusive
interviews but also seeks to entertain it's audience. Isn't rock n roll
all about keeping folks entertained? TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!
JANUARY 30,
2018 THE
2018 ROCKWiRED READER'S POLL AWARD WiNNERS!!!
he eleventh
annual awards season for the ROCKWIRED READER'S POLL AWARDS has come to
a close and all of the votes have been tallied. There were so many
artists and bands who made the year 2017 a remarkable year here at
ROCKWIRED.COM despite the challenges our publication faced that year
and the loss of our flipbook magazine. But that
was 2017. 2018 is shaping up to be a much more prosperous year with
traffic reaching an all time high since we made the decision to post
articles directly to the website. Helping in the upswing in
vistors to the site was the voting for the 2018 ROCKWIRED READER'S POLL
AWARDS. This year, BOBAFLEX was the big winner with 4 READER'S POLL
AWARDS for BEST BAND, BEST LP for the their album ELOQUENT DEMONS, and
BEST SONG and BEST MUSIC VIDEO for the single LONG TIME COMING.
Rounding out the winners of the 2018 ROCKWIRED READER'S POLL AWARDS are
MILITIA VOX who won BEST FEMALE ARTIST o the strength of her single
NYCTOPHILIA and SILVERTUNG who won BEST RECORDING (EP) for their live
acoustic EP LIGHTEN UP. Also, rocker JACOB CADE walked away with BEST
MALE ARTIST on the strenght of his single WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM. Votes
came from all over the Continental U.S. and North America. ROCKWIRED
MAGAZINE would like to congratulate the winners and thank everyone who
took the time to vote. TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!
JANUARY 29,
2018 DAMNiT GILLEY PRESENTS:BOBAFLEX
LiVE
efore I get
started, I want to clear up a handful of things, all of the bands that
played were all wonderful, the show featured SCARS REMAIN, FALLING
THROUGH APRIL, and ASIDE OCEANS. Great bands, I definitely recommend
that you the reader check them out. Also want
to give a shout out to ALEXANDRIA SNYDER, I know you really wanted to
make it out to the show but life happens. A shout out to BLAKE WEBB as
well for pulling through on a ride situation. Lastly TRAVIS SCHINKE,
your words of encouragement mean the absolutely world to me, you don't
understand how much I needed to hear that after the past few months,
let alone 3 weeks that I've had. Thank you! TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!
JANUARY 29,
2018 ROCKWiRED
SPECiAL FEATURE:LA MUSiC ViDEO AWARDSGUiDE
n March 2, 2018 ROCKWIRED MAGAZINE
will be releasing the official guide for the 2018 LA MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS
taking place in Vernon,
California on March 28, 2018 at UNFRIENDLY STUDIOS.
This guide will feature an indepth look at the all of the music videos
that have been nominated for this exciting awards program and
give
readers and music fans a taste of what the world of
independent music
has to offer in the way of visuals. It is a mission that has ROCKWIRED
publisher BRIAN LUSH "completely excited" to say the least.
"I'm all
too anxious to get this immense project off the ground!" says BRIAN
LUSH. "These days, it's not just the song that gets an artist noticed.
It's the vision that a band brings to the table. This is nothing new.
MTV got the ball rolling decades ago but with services like YOUTUBE and
other social media, a music video is more important than ever to have
but the problem is that there is so much out there and an awards
program like the LA MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS will give people a taste of
everything that is out there. The number of categories is truly
intimidating but ROCKWIRED MAGAZINE's guide to this year's program is
going to cover all of it with style and charm."
TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!
JANUARY
28,
2018 DAMNiT GILLEY PRESENTS:REASON
DEFiNE
EASON
DEFINE, originally your name was THE REASON YOU STAYED if I'm not
mistaken, how come the name change and what made you decide on the
current name? Does it have anything to do with being a HOOBASTANK cover
band and trying to move on?
For the
record, we have never played a HOOBASTANK song! We changed our name to
REASON|DEFINE because we thought that it was time for a change from our
name that we came up with when we were really young. It was time to
grow up and move forward with our debut album with a name that more
accurately described our music and our commitment to each other. TO
READ MORE CLICK HERE!!!
JANUARY 24,
2018 DAMNiT GILLEY PRESENTS:FOZMO
OZ MOUSE, what brought all of you
together and what do each of you bring to the band? Heyo! JORDAN
here! We decided to condense the band name to FOZMO because so
many people couldn't find us. That's what we go by now. Originally the
band started as a two piece folk punk(ish) duo. We met in college and
began writing, recording, and playing shows. That other guy has since
left the band but before he did he transferred to UNCG. His suite mate,
CHRISTIAN happened to become our drummer. We were a 3 piece for some
time until Aaron joined on bass. I knew Aaron from high school and had
been in several bands with him. When the other original member left
Aaron switched to guitar. CHRISTIAN introduced us to one of his
coworkers DEXTER who jumped in on bass. We met our lead guitarist
DALLAS from playing shows with his old band. As for what we bring:
CHRISTIAN brings the most gear. AARON brings his guitars and
accidentally breaks them. DEXTER brings his bass, but not much else.
DALLAS brings his fiance. JORDAN brings crippling anxiety, horrible
stage banter, and his acoustic. TO READ
MORE CLiCK HERE!!!
JANUARY
22,
2018 ROCKWiRED
NOTES:HYDROGYN
he lead
singer of a band is so integral to the identity of that band
that losing them could be harmful or - at the very least - force the
remaining band to go for a serious musical overhaul. Even
legendary
bands have come to the fork in the road. Some, like VAN HALEN, have
been successful in brandishing two legendary front men with two
distinct followings. What was left of GUNS AND ROSES ditched AXL for
the late SCOTT WEILAND and formed VELVET REVOLVER. HYDROGYN is a band
based out of Ashland, Kentucky that has made some noise as
well some
BILLBOARD charting with a series of albums released on this label and
that label since 2004. A good chunk of the band's notoriety stemmed
from the band's former front woman JULIE WESTLAKE - whose country and
western roots couldn't be denied in her tackling of the more
hard rock
metal leanings of HYDROGYN. Following the 2014 EP BREAK THE CHAINS,
JULIE stepped away from the band leaving HYDROGYN with a musical ideas
and not much else. In steps ERICA PARROTT, the kind of pyrotechnic
vocalist that a metal band of this caliber requries and according to
founder and guitarist JEFF WESTLAKE, PARROT has got attitude to spare.
We hear it loud and clear on the band's latest album REDEMPTION, where
PARROTT not only commands the vocals but the lyrics as well.
JANUARY 17,
2018 ROCKWiRED
NOTES:A
VERY LOUD DEATH
ith
the release of a single and an EP behind them, the Atlanta,
Georgia-based trio A VERY LOUD DEATH have stepped up their game
artistically with the release of their debut LP LANTERNS. The
album is
a dark, moody listen that combines primal punk energy with a
more
nuanced, progressive rock aesthetic. It's a sound that is sure to take
the band beyond their stomping grounds and into that cherished glow of
indie rock recognition, and dare we say 'fame'? ROCKWIRED had a chance
to speak tot he band's guitarist and front man CHRIS EDGE regarding the
band's new album. Here is how the interview went.
LANTERNS
is an amazing album and it's been out since September. In the months
since the album's release how do you feel about the finished work? I
feel that we did the best that we could do with what little that we
had. It was all done live essentially with a few layers over
it.
I think the reception to it hs been pretty good but we're trying to get
this thing pushed out more. It's always very crowded when you're trying
ot get your music out there. We feel good about it.
JANUARY
9,
2018 ROCKWiRED
SPECiAL FEATURE:LA MUSiC ViDEO AWARDS
TV changed
the musical landscape tremendously by making music a
visual experience and turned recording artists into superstars in some
cases. In an time when the M in MTV has become obsolete due to the
network no longer spinning music videos, there are more music videos
than ever thanks to YOUTUBE. Visuals are still the most powerful way to
sell a band no matter the genre. With the flux of music videos coming
from this or that independent recording artist, where does the artist
go to get recognition for their work if MTV's VMAs are all about
celebrity and wardrobe malfunctions and KANYE WEST outbursts? JOWANNA
LEWIS - the founder of the online radio station RADIO KSCR - is an
entrepreneur who saw a need for this need for recognition and began
hosting music video festivals involving screenings of music videos at
vintage movie theaters. In 2016, LEWIS upped her game by hosting RADIO
KSCR's MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS which celebrated the visual work of an
intimidating number of bands and artists from around the world. Just as
intimidating as the number of artists nominated were the categories
themselves which included BEST HORROR MUSIC VIDEO and MOST LIKELY TO BE
AN INDIE FILM. To check
out the winners that year click here.
A year and a half later, LEWIS has rebranded
her ceremony the LA MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS. Bands and artists are able to
enter their music video for consideration up until regular deadline of January 20, 2018
or the late deadline of January
31, 2018. Nominees
will be announced on February
4, 2018 and the ceremony will be taking place at UNFRIENDLY STUDIOS
on March 24, 2018.
To promote the event, ROCKWIRED.COM will publish the official guide for
the program featuring write ups on the nominees.
JANUARY 8,
2018 DAMNiT GILLEY PRESENTS:MESSENGER
DOWN
ESSENGER
DOWN, how long have you been together and who makes up the band
currently?
My name
is GARRETT FOSTER and I released my first song as MESSENGER DOWN in
2012. I have a few friends who come help out when I play shows, but I'm
a solo artist so there's not really members of MESSENGER DOWN. It's my
stage name.
If I'm
not mistaken, you have been through quite a few line up changes, in
what ways do you feel as though you have adapted to survive through
them rather than fall apart?
It's
partially true and partially not, MD's had a weird history. In the
beginning I wanted to do MESSENGER DOWN as a solo artist in part to
avoid the drama and distraction of member changes. These days it's a
rare thing to find a band who hasn't had a member change or two, and
when you're on a smaller local scale that can seriously get in the way
of building up momentum and progressing. I have always loved writing
music on my own, so after being in a few bands I decided this time I
was just gonna do this on my own. After about a year and a half there
were a few guys who had been playing shows consistently and really dug
the music I was writing so we decided to try it as a band, but that
eventually became the revolving door of member changes we all wanted to
avoid in the first place. We were burnt out and that lead to a lot of
tension among us so it was just best for us all to go off and do our
own things. As of 2015 MESSENGER DOWN has just been me again, and those
dudes all have their own things going on now that I'm super supportive
of and into.
JANUARY 7,
2018 ROCKWiRED
NOTES:FAiTH
iN THE FALLEN
or years,
we have become acquainted with many a rock band that
was young and eager and willing to do what it took to beat that
ever-elusive rock n roll dream into submission. Doing so often means
living on the road for months at a time going from one gig to another
with barely enough money in the bank and putting all of your effort
into
recording music that gets shared as opposed to purchased. And the
merchandising. We can't forget the merchandising. Despite all that you
have to do these days to sell your band's brand these days,
you've got
bands that have mde it work. But in the case of the Chi-town based
metal band FAITH IN THE FALLEN, brand recognition and the quest for
fame don't figure into the band's modus operandi. FAITH IN THE FALLEN
are just folks - working class guys with families and mortgages to pay
off and day jobs, but the demands of work and family life in now way
prevent these guys from writing songs and rocking out. In fact, their
working class status informs much of the material on their latest EP
GRAVITY. The band's high-octane metal sound has made them a hit in
their native Chicago and we'll be hearing more from the band by the end
of January 2018 with the release of two brand new singles.
JANUARY 5,
2018 ROCKWiRED
NOTES:CORNERS
OF SANCTUARY
he
mission
for a band like CORNERS OF SANCTUARY has always been a
consistent one - to keep that classic heavy metal sound within reach of
the populace. In a time when rock n roll is increasingly becoming your
grandpa's music, CORNERS OF SANCTUARY has found a niche for themselves
as a bombastic touring band that has reliably turned out one
electrifying album after another. Since the band formed in 2011, their
momentum seemed unstoppable until their lead singer FRANKIE CROSS
decided to step back. Losing a lead singer is a big deal for a band and
finding the right replacement can be a daunting task but the
fellas
from CORNERS OF SANCTUARY made the finding of a vocalist with serious
range their mission and their search resulted in the finding of
pyrotechnic vocalist TREESE LOGAN. Since the band's announcement of
their new lead singer, CORNERS OF SANCTUARY and LOGAN have made a
positive impression on fans
with the band's electrifying live set but listeners can get a taste of
the all new CORNERS OF SANCTUARY on their new single BURN which comes
months before the upcoming LP THE GALLOPING HORDES.
he
release of JAY KATANA's humorously titled LP BRIGHTER THAN YOUR FUTURE
actually dropped at the tail end of 2017 but since we're looking to the
future with the arrival of 2018, why not give the man his due at the
start of this brand spanking new year. When we spoke with KATANA in
2016, he had released an ambitious sounding EP BLEEDING
BOYFRIEND PART 1 which demonstrated the young artists virtuosity on the
six string and his wide music reach melding SATRIANI-esque guitar work
with current electronic beats. Giving the music and the artist some
extra varnish was the artwork that highlighted the
music videos for that EP's roll out. Romantic disillusionment ruled the
day with that release and there was nothing more pwoerful than guitar
virtuosity mixed with electronic dance music to drive the point home.
Now, KATANA continues his rock guitar-meets-EDM alchemy with his new
album BRIGHTER THAN YOUR FUTURE but the motivation is different this
time. Following a serious hand injury in which had KATANA fearing he
would never play guitar again, the Russian-born ax-man found himself
re-invigorated when the blood-spurting injury was fixed with surgery
and a new lease on life was discovered. Accompanying this new lease on
life is another artfully released album complete with all of the flare
that we've come to know KATANA for. It's even coming with an action
figure!
DECEMBER
25,
2017 ROCKWiRED'S
ANNUAL READER'S POLL BALLOT!!!
ward
season is upon us here at ROCKWIRED.COM and today we are pleased to
announce the nominees for the upcoming 2018 ROCKWIRED READERS POLL
AWARDS. Our award season has always been a huge to do but
this time
around we will be doing it bigger than we've ever done before. This
year the voting will begin on Today,
December 25, 2017 here at ROCKWIRED.COM with
polling provided by MICROPOLL. Polls will close January 26, 2018. On
February 4, 2018,
winners of the 2018 ROCKWIRED RADIO MUSIC AWARDS will be
announced on a two-hour presentation which will be featured on the
online radio station RADIOKSCR.COM. This marks the eleventh
annual awards season for ROCKWIRED and this
year's top nominees include BOBAFLEX, EDGE OF PARADISE, WAYLAND and
VAJRA. This
year we have come to a concensus on an impressive list of nominees.
Please take a good look at who we have selected and cast your
vote with care.
DECEMBER
21,
2017 ROCKWiRED
SPECiAL FEATURE:EDiTOR'S CHOiCE 2017 istorically,
at
year-end, I've always made a point of expressing what a great year the
previous twelve months were. And why
not? You have to
build up the anticipation for the EDITOR'S CHOICE list that I was about
to roll out for our readers. At the close of 2017, we've got another
amazing list of artists who made 2017 so damned memorable. Some of the
names are familiar, some are not, but everyone of them left a strong
impression on us visually and musically. As far as
the year 2017 itself - eh, it's been difficult! Our monthly publication
ROCKWIRED MAGAZINE has ceased, but there is hope that it maybe
returning in the Spring of 2018. This has forced us to beef up the
editorial for ROCKWIRED.COM and so far the results have been
promishing. 2017 may not have been the best year for us, but it's one more
year behind us and If we've got twenty five favorite bands and artists
to share with you at the end of the year, that works for us.
DECEMBER
18,
2017 ROCKWiRED
NOTES:KRASHKARMA ver since
THE
WHITE STRIPES came up with the idea of cutting out the bass player,
rock n roll seemed to have stumbled on a primal urgency that had been
lacking in the years prior to their debut. The duo KRASHKARMA has the
same kind of line up consisting of a male guitarist and a singing
female drummer but KRASHKARMA boasts a punchy, theatrical heavy metal
sound that electrifies on recordings and a live stage. Plus, guitarist
RALF DIETEL and NIKI SKISTIMAS look so fucking adorable together.
ROCKWIRED MAGAZINE reported on a show featuring these guys and the band
VAJRA in our April 2017 issue. I can't quite remember what my reason
for not being able to make it to their show at BURT'S TIKI LOUNGE was,
but
trust me when I say that I'm kicking myself for it now. It's
been a
couple of years since the band released their blistering LP PAINT THE
DEVIL featuring such mesmerizing singles as GHOST IN THE MACHINE,
VOODOO
DOLLS and SAVE ME, but it's been enough to fuel anticipation and
excitement for their recent Winter tour whose promotion boasted some
clever, classic STAR WARS imagery. ROCKWIRED got a hold of
these two
over the phone as they were on the road heading to a gig in Sioux
Falls, South Dakota. We talked about the current tour nd their plans to
release a new album in the coming year. Here is how the interview
went.
DECEMBER
16,
2017 ROCKWiRED
NOTES:SiLVERTUNG he
blistering hard rock sensibility of SILVERTUNG earned them a dedicated
following and some serious traction on what's left of active rock radio
with such singles as NEVER TO LATE, FACE THE MUSIC and YOU &
ME.
Truth be told, the steady progress of this band has filled me with
pride given the fact that SILVERTUNG hails from my home state of
Maryland. We've been with these guys from the beginning and have seen
their evolution through such releases as the LP DEVIL'S IN THE DETAILS
to the EP FACE THE MUSIC. Now, SILVERTUNG has turned the volume way
down for their latest EP LIGHTEN UP, a live acoustic recording that
doesn't simply strip some of their big hits down to a bare, heartfelt
minimum - it reimagines them.The
new lease on these songs results in a band enjoying themselves on the
stage and an already enthusiastic audience becoming all the more
enthused. ROCKWIRED
had a
chance to catch up with SILVERTUNG's front man SPEED regarding the new
EP, the band's current tour and their plans to hit the studio for a
follow up EP in the coming year. Here is how the interview went.
DECEMBER 8,
2017 kay, we're at
it
again! With the absence of ROCKWIRED MAGAZINE, we here at ROCKWIRED.COM
are filling that void by re-launching our podcast series ROCK SHOW.
Back in late-August, the show was launched as a means of complimenting
our monthly magazine by featuring music and interview
excerpts from the bands who have been featured on the site
and the magazine. With ROCKWIRED MAGAZINE on an indefinite hiatus we
felt it important to bring back ROCK SHOW as a weekly show featuring
all new music and interview excerpts with the bands and artists behind
the music. On the latest edition of ROCK SHOW, we feature music from
SILVERTUNG, RED VELVET CRUSH, MANHIGH, JANGLING SPARROWS and JACOB CADE.
DECEMBER 6,
2017 ROCKWiRED
NOTES:MANHiGH got GABRIEL
GAMBINO going in a recent phone conversation when I described the sound
of his new band MANHIGH as QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE on peyote.
The man
knows me well enough to know that such a comparison from me comes from
the heart. For the past seven years, I've come to know GAMBINO as the
front man of the alt-rock band THROW THE TEMPLE and have seen the
band's evolution from demo makers into a serious touring band (one of
the few out of Albuquerque these days) with an LP (ANYWAY BUT DOWN from
2015) that had the potential to go the distance. This was a band that
seemed determined to break out of the Duke City and make a dent in the
world of active rock sharing the touring stage with bands like ACIDIC.
Mysteriously, the band ceased operations and despite my
prying GAMBINO has
been tight-lipped as to the reasons for the demise.
is
that rare artist in the realm of electronic music that boasts the very
earnestness and spark of artists such as KATE BUSH, MADONNA
and SINEAD O'CONNOR. On eM's official facebook page she lists these
artists as influences and you can hear it in her signature hypnotic
style. Having sung since the age of six, this chanteuse from Melbourne
Australia has applied her voice to such musical endeavors as choirs,
rock bands, acoustic duos and working with djs. Her voice can do
anything but int he past few years, the pulsating sounds of electronica
are where she is most comfortable these days. Already, she has given us
something to look forward to in the coming year with her forthcoming EP
SOMEBODY SOMETIMES. The roll out is planned for January 11th and eM is
confident in the material she will be presenting. "I feel I am a unique
artist and with each release I evolve, better and
bolder." says eM "I love getting feedback good or bad. I'm not out to
please
people but if they love a track, I am happy! This EP flows really well
from start to finish, I am hoping people pick up on that." Preceding
the release is the haunting A WORLD OF POSSIBLE and it's
simple-yet-striking video.
itting
the road with a band like BOBAFLEX is a big deal in the active rock
world. In fact it's one hell of a glory gig, especially for a lean mean
19 year old kid who knows a thing or two about looking good wielding an
ax and playing the shit out of it. Young men getting swept up in the
rock n roll lifestyle has historically made for some exciting ,
salacious adventures filled with women, adulation and drugs. Somewhere
in that mess is rock n roll. The temptations are many in that lifestyle
but we've got every confidence that JACOB CADE can resist the excesses
and temptations and maintain the upward trajectory that he is on. At
19, CADE is already an artist with past. He has two albums behind him
and is now on the verge of releasing his latest EP HUNGER in
the coming
year. This forthcoming release marks a shift in creative approach as
CADE gets a little help in the songwriting department from the likes of
RACHEL BOLAN of SKID ROW and LZZY HALE of HALESTORM along with producer
MICHAEL WAGENER behind the recording console. Preceding the release of
the EP is the punchy first single WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM?
NOVEMBER
29,
2017 MUSiC
ViDEO BLAST:RED VELVET CRUSH
ehind
the band RED VELVET CRUSH is the steely determination of it's
frontwoman JILLIAN RISCOE. Nothing has
been able to deter
this young
woman from living the rock n roll dream. We first became acquainted
with
her back in 2009 when she was a solo artist plugging her self titled
solo album. Many spend their lives in rock band after rock band and
eventually find their voice as a solo artist, but RISCOE felt that
having a band was the way to go. Along with guitarist and co-songwriter
DANIEL MENDALA, she formed RED VELVET CRUSH and let the world in on
their dynamic approach to music. Is it rock with a pop sensibility or
is it pop with a rock n roll attitude? It's hard to care about what
order it goes in when you've got something this catchy. RED VELVET
CRUSH released their debut EP SMOKE AND MIRRORS in 2013 and are now
knee deep in the promotion of their follow up EP CRYSTAL CLEAR which
takes their hard driving pop rock sensibilities a giant step forward as
evidenced by their latest single and music video STATE OF EMERGENCY.
HE CHROMA DIVIDE,
how did you come up with the bands name and how long have you been
together?
NICK: We came up
with the name amongst a few others. This one just kind of felt right.
We like to blend different genres, kind of like colors in a painting.
Each individual part stands on its own, but together it comes together
as one. And that's what we are trying to accomplish. Establishing our
own sound, but doing it our own way.
Tell me a bit
about yourselves, how did all of you meet and group together to form
the band?
CAMERON: We're from
small town CHINA GROVE, NC. We've all played together in some capacity.
This is the first time we've all been together in the same project
though. We just got tired of trying to fit a certain genre. We wanted
to make our music, and create our own sound. We've been overwhelmed by
the support we've gotten. It's really motivating us to push our own
limits and create something spectacular.
NOVEMBER
28,
2017 ROCKWiRED
REViEW:RUMBLE
- THE iNDiANS WHO ROCKED THE WORLD he
roll out and subsequent universal acclaim for the documentary film
RUMBLE - THE INDIANS WHO ROCKED THE WORLD couldn't have come at a worse
time for me.
ROCKWIRED's supplemental publication ROCK IS
RED MAGAZINE
- which covered American Indian and first Nations contemporary music -
was going under and seemed to signal the demise of our monthly
publication ROCKWIRED MAGAZINE. News of this brand new documentary
seemed like a ray of hope for me as an American Indian music
journalist. I wanted to reach out to REZOLUTION PRODUCTIONS - the team
behind the documentary film - and get their story on the pages of
ROCKWIRED. Numerous interview requests were sent to REZOLUTION and the
film's directors CATHERINE BAINBRIDGE and ALFONSO MAIORANA, only to be
greeted by radio silence. Was this any way to treat the first
American Indian-owned rock music publication?
NOVEMBER
26,
2017 ROCKWiRED
SPECiAL FEATURE:TiNA
TURNER
eary
are we as a
publication in bringing up the dearth of female voices in rock these
days.
We could say that what we need is another rock n roll hero like the
woman born ANNA MAE BULLOCK in an unincorpated township in Tennessee
called Nutbush, but you'd roll your eyes at the pun, as you are
probably doing now, and thinking "There isn't gonna be another TINA
TURNER." Who needs another TINA TURNER when we've still got the
real thing walking this green earth? Retired,
happily
married and living in Switzerland, TURNER has boasted one of those few
musical careers that have reached legendary proportions and had the
sort of biblical backstory worthy of CECIL B. DEMILLE's TEN
COMMANDMENTS. Forget the Old Testament stuff. The unwanted
sharecroppers daughter from the backwoods of Tennessee made her way to
St. Louis where she became enthralled with local music star IKE TURNER
and his KINGS OF RHYTHM. It turned out the little girl from Nutbush had
one hell of a RAY CHARLES growl and soon found herself at the
center of the action. With that voice, BULLOCK cut the single A FOOL IN
LOVE and the TINA TURNER (a name inspired by the amazonian heroine
SHEENA QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE) persona was born. As a duo, IKE AND TINA
TURNER enjoyed sporadic success on the charts with such classics as
their high octane rendition of PROUD MARY to the all out ruckus of
NUTBUSH CITY LIMITS, but it was their blistering live set that put them
in a class all by themselves. And of course there is the dark
matter of the violent marriage that TINA found herself in with IKE.
Years of
abuse came to an end of July 4, 1976 when following a bloody brawl with
IKE, TINA walked away with 36 cents to her name and a resolve to take
on the world on her own terms. Years of financial and professional
struggle
followed but the world would soon find out that TINA TURNER was a
fighter. That fighting spirit proved useful when putting together a
solo music career that would defy the odds of race and age. The often
times elusive second act proved to more successful than the first go
around and came complete with multi-platinum albums, record-breaking
sell out tours, eight GRAMMY wins and a movie about the woman's life in
which the actress playing her (ANGELA BASSETT) was nominated
for
an OSCAR. Now there is talk about a musical coming to the WEST END
stage.
NOVEMBER
20,
2017 ROCKWiRED
NOTES:JANGLiNG
SPARROWS
ith
the release of 140 NICKELS by the roots americana band
JANGLING SPARROWS, front man and songwriter PAUL EDELMAN has found
himself in an exciting place creatively. Music making, even in these
lean musical times, is a painstaking art that comes with an equally
painstaking process. With all of the work that goes into creating
songs, it's easy to forget that one needs to make some money and more
importantly - connect with an audience. On 140 NICKELS, we
don't feel that EDELEMAN and the JANGLING SPARROWS will have any
trouble connecting with an audience that is hungry for music that
speaks to the good, bad and ugly that goes with the dodgy territory of
love and life. EDELMAN is a committed pro both vocally and on the lead
sheets and proves, even in a time when music is a taken-for-granted
commodity, that there are troubadours out there that are worth the time
and attention given to such dearly departed rockers as TOM PETTY.
File the album 140 NICKELS somewhere in between PETTY'S
WILDFLOWERS and JOHN HIATT's BRING THE FAMILY.
e
have to admire the creative gumption of ELANTRIS. The Lisbon,
Ohio-based band, formerly known as BLACKTHORNE, boast a sound that is
described as 'symphonic' metal powered by the high octane vocal
perofrmances of front man THOMAS ULLOM and front woman
LINDSAY
VICTORIA KETCHUM. Giving the band it's symphonic flourish is
keyboardist MARK LIBER, who put down the guitar when the band band
changed it's name and got lost in the endless sounds and textures that
were available to him through the keys. Yes, these guys got a whole lot
more ambitious with their heavy metal, but according to MARK LIBER
finding the audience proved challenging until the band did what ever
band does to survive in these lean musical times - hit the road. At the
time of this interview, ELANTRIS was on the road, performing their
ambitious musical set before audiences who like their metal to be more
theatrical and sonically nuanced. This live set is largely
informed by the reformed/retooled band's debut album THIS SACRIFICE.
The self-produced catalog of epic heavy metal mastery isn't for casual
listening. This opus is a musical journey worthy of HOMER featuring
such standout performances as CAPTIVATE and SEAS OF TORMENT.
NOVEMBER 9,
2017
ROCKWiRED
SPECiAL FEATURE: FRONT
& CENTER 2017
he Autumn season has
always been an important one for ROCKWIRED MAGAZINE. Not
only is it the time of year that we roll out our KICKING AX list. We
also roll out our FRONT & CENTER list which highlights
our publication's favorite front men in rock. For the better part of
rock n roll's illustrious history, the music has always benefited from
the kinetic energy created between a lead singer and a guitar player.
Look at MICK JAGGER and KEITH RICHARDS. Consider ROBERT PLANT and JIMMY
PAGE. Or how about ANN and NANCY WILSON? We could go on and on. This
year's FRONT & CENTER list heavily compliments the list of
guitarists in the KICKING AX feature and according to editor-in-chief
BRIAN LUSH, it's one of life's happy little accidents. " There is a lot
of cross-pollination between the two lists. " says LUSH "But that
speaks to the chemistry generated by these bands. It's that very
chemistry that keeps rock n roll going despite all the times that
someone like GENE SIMMONS has declared it dead."
NOVEMBER 8,
2017 ROCKWiRED
NOTES:ALARM
FOR WAR hen
I spoke with BUGGY, the thirteen year old rapper fronting the band
ALARM FOR WAR, it was the 16th anniversary of 9/11. I have gotten used
to feeling old when I speak with some of these bands and artists that
have been profiled on ROCKWIRED throughout the years, but there was
something that unsettled me about this young subject. BUGGY, a kid from
Crystal, Minnesota, never lived in a world before 9/11 so the chaos and
the dysfunction that he addresses on his rambunctious debut EP ENEMIES
OF THE STATE is coming from a very real place. What better
way
for a young man to vent his frustrations and deliver a
message of
"hope and truth" than the blistering sound of rapcore metal? Is this
beyond his years? Could be, but in an age when many believe that the
youth of American grow up too damn fast, maybe an EP like ENEMIES OF
THE STATE has dropped at just the right time. Engineered by BRIAN BART
(LOGIC RECORDINGS), edited and mixed by GRAMMY winner JR. McNEELY and
mastered by BRAD BLACKWOOD, ENEMIES OF THE STATE showcases the band's
potent musical chops and BUGGY's lethal sense of rhyme and vocal
prowess. With a starting point like this, BUGGY's career could go
anywhere. Let's just hop that the young man's idealism stays intact.
here is a new name
about to burst on the rock scene, that mixes the styles of LED ZEPPELIN
and GUNS N' ROSES - and that name is JACOB CADE. :Energetic rock n'
roll with a modern twist" is how this singer/guitarist/band leader from
Colorado likes to describe his music. And from late November through
early December, rock fans in the northeast will be able to get a
glimpse of this talented performer, as he will be opening shows for
BOBAFLEX.
"I
am so stoked to be going on the road with BOBAFLEX," says CADE. "This
will be the first experience for me being out and playing every night.
I can't imagine how much fun I will have. Sort of a mini-dream come
true! I'm jumping in circles right now. Fans should expect the band and
I to come out and give it all we've got. It's going to be an energy
filled, in your face, kick ass piece of entertainment. I guarantee
whoever comes to see us will be mind blown."
hings have been
very eventful for POLARITY with the release of ACTION POTENTIAL not too
long ago, how would you describe your emotions both going into the
album and it's release?
It's certainly
been one hell of a roller coaster ride. Overall a great learning and
memorable experience. Initially starting off with feeling excited and
hopeful to finally just a feeling of satisfaction and relief. It did
take alot longer than we expected it to with regards to production
time. Fortunately we feel it was definitely worth the long wait!
OCTOBER 30,
2017 DAMNiT
GiLLEY:HORROR FiLM DiRECTOR
SHANT HAMASSiAN
IGHT OF THE
SLASHER was released to a lot of critical acclaim, where does it stand
now a year later in 2017?
At this point,
NIGHT OF THE SLASHER has been selected in over 185 festivals, has won
over 50 awards, and has become OSCAR eligible. The short film premiered
as a VIMEO STAFF PICK (the first horror film to do so on that site),
and featured as SHORT OF THE WEEK, and FILMSHORTAGE. The short film
online is still growing and slowly reaching half a million views
cumulatively across all platforms including VIMEO, FACEBOOK, and
YOUTUBE. I still receive emails from festivals and events to showcase
screenings of it!
Since NIGHT OF THE
SLASHER, do you have any other projects that you have been working on
or are you working to piece together a feature length film?
NIGHT
OF THE SLASHER was always a proof-of-concept for a feature film, but
right now, the developments on that are under wraps.
OCTOBER 30,
2017 ROCKWiRED.COM'S
ROCK SHOW:ROGER
CAPPS
t
the core of a every kick ass rock band is a strong, sturdy bass player
and they don't get stronger and sturdier than ROGER CAPPS. For ten
years, he laid down one mean four string in support of that
GRAMMY-winning rock n roll coloratura PAT BENATAR. This guy goes all
the way back that woman's cabaret singing days as part of the jazz
quartet COXON'S ARMY in Richmond, Virginia. When BENATAR was getting
too big for RICHMOND she moved to New York City to pursue that often
times elusive rock n roll dream, and invited CAPPS with her to help
develop a sound that was going to capture the ears of a record company
and get this woman's career to the next level. CAPPS and BENATAR
developed an electrifying night club act at the comedy club CATCH A
RISING STAR and caught the ears of the big boys at CHRYSALIS RECORDS.
Before anyone could blink, BENATAR was signed and the woman's rock n
roll vision came to fruition thanks to NEIL GIRALDO - a young hot shot
guitar player fresh off of a recording and touring gig with RICK
DERRINGER. As the bass player in BENATAR's band, CAPPS traveled the
world, co-wrote such tracks as HELL IS FOR CHILDREN and played on all
of BENATAR's platinum albums IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT (1979), CRIMES OF
PASSION (1980), PRECIOUS TIME (1981), GET NERVOUS (1982), LIVE FROM
EARTH (1983) and TROPICO (1984).
OCTOBER 29,
2017 DAMNiT
GiLLEY:HORROR FiLM DiRECTOR
TYLER HALL
YLER HALL start
off by telling me about yourself. What made you want to get into the
movie industry?
My upbringing was
fairly normal other than the amount of horror films my parents allowed
me to watch and what age I watched them at. The earliest memory I have
watching a horror film was when I was 5 years old sitting on my
Father's lap. I remember a dark endless tunnel, sounds of the undead
echoing about and a cold loud shatter of a firearm. You guessed it, my
first horror movie I ever watched was GEORGE A. ROMERO'S "DAY OF THE
DEAD". After that first encounter with a true horror film, I was
completely hooked. Like most kids, I loved HALLOWEEN and truly
anticipated the holiday each year. I remember my mom always helping me
piece together my costumes instead of buying them at the store because
store bought costumes weren't creative enough for me. I always wanted
to be something completely different then all my other friends and to
be quite honest, I was very competitive. During my Highschool years the
faculty would hold a homecoming week costume contest each year and I
would be brainstorming ideas for my costume weeks in advance. I needed
to entertain and I wanted my costumes to be good and better than the
ones I had created in the past. I won every year. I guess that's where
a lot of my creative side comes from though, I guess it all comes from
my mom. Her and I would stay up for hours making different Halloween
props and costumes. I really think my adolescence and love for the
holiday really sparked my interest in becoming a filmmaker. I just
couldn't imagine a better and more unique childhood.
OCTOBER 24,
2017 ROCKWiRED
NOTES:FELiX
Y LOS GATOS
n recent
years, Albuquerque, New Mexico has become the land of BREAKING BAD and
BETTER CALL SAUL. As one who lives in the "Duke City",I feel
it's better to be known for two bad-ass televsions shows than it is the
place where BUGS BUNNY forgot to make a left turn. This dry,
arid, mountainous setting is on the map in a big way when it comes to
televsion production, but I always felt that the music scene here
deserved just as much attention. Maybe the lack of exposure speaks to
the fact that there are no music scenes in the age of the internet and
social media, but that hasn't stopped FELIX PERALTA from
making a
decent penny making and performing music here and throughout the
country. He and accordion player D.B. GOMEZ form the creative core of
FELIX Y LOS GATOS - a musical act with a sound as wide and expansive as
the American Southwest. Covering a wide range of sound from blues,
bluegrass and zydeco, FELIX Y LOS GATOS have been an in-demand live act
in the Land of Entrapment and beyond. In the coming year,
the band is set to release their forthcoming album which
they've recorded at the legendary BLUE CAT STUDIOS in San Antonio (days
before Hurricane Harvey struck the region). The new album will mark the
band's evolution from troubadours-for-hire to full fleged recording
artists with an enviable sense of musicality and a mission to
bring their distinctive Southwest sound to a much broader listening
public.
OCTOBER
23,
2017 ROCKWiRED'S
30 MOMENTS: PAT BENATAR n
an era filled with the so-pop-it-ain't-country glamour of TAYLOR SWIFT
and the quirky, cheeky stylings of KATY PERRY, it's hard to believe
that there was a time when women who sang hard rock once topped the
charts. Acts like the female-fronted HEART, the playful, powerchord
approach of JOAN JETT and the ethereal STEVIE NICKS have had their day
in the upper reaches of the charts and all of those women have made it
into the ROCK N ROLL HALL OF FAME. (NICKS was inducted as a member of
FLEETWOOD MAC) The one woman who hasn't even made it onto the "to be
considered" list is a four-time GRAMMY winner with seven platinum
albums to her credit. And she was the first female artist on MTV. Yes,
PAT BENATAR, the woman with a four-octave range, stuck it to the rock n
roll boy's club with a sound that was forceful and feminine and
evidence of her infleunce on the firmament of hard rock is felt today
with such standards as HEARTBREAKER, HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT, HELL
IS FOR CHILDREN, FIRE AND ICE, LOVE IS A BATTLEFIELD and WE BELONG
still permeating the airwaves through classic rock radio. With a track
record like this, it's a surprise to us that this dame didn't make it
into the HALL OF FAME ten years ago. But with some of the decidedly
non-rock n roll entrants of recent years, it has us wondering if that
HALL OF FAME racket even deserves the name "rock n roll".
ESTAROSSA, you
were formerly known as GRACEFUL REGRET. What brought about the name
change?
We had a slight
personnel change as well as a slight change in vision for the band.
Things have gotten so heavy and uptight in both the world and and the
music scene lately, we decided we wanted to create music and a vibe to
combat that. We are a brazen, unashamed, simplistic, rock-n-roll party
band. We want people to have a good time at our shows, not hear us sing
songs about how bad our home life is and how our parents are making us
get jobs. The TESTAROSSA is one of the sexiest cars made during the
decadent 80's. That's the vibe we are going for, sexy and decadent.
It's ironically very new and refreshing in today's scene. Funny thing
is, FACEBOOK wouldn't let us change our band name for over a month
because they claimed we were misleading people (whatever that means).
It was a major ordeal.
OCTOBER
18,
2017 ROCKWiRED
NiTE OUT - SOCiAL DiSTORTiON FEW MONTHS
SHY OF THEIR 40TH ANNIVERSARY, FULLERTON PUNKERS SOCIAL DISTORTION COME
THROUGH ABQ. ON THEIR SUMMER 2017 TOUR. It had been a long time since
SOCIAL DISTORTION had come through Albuquerque. Long enough that I had
pretty much thought that short of my going to some 3-day festival in
Milwaukee or some damn place to catch a 30-minute set, my hope of
seeing the legendary punkers was out of the question, forever to be put
in that category of acts I never got to see. Fortunately for myself and
many others like me, I was wrong, and on September 6th I finally had my
chance.
OCTOBER 16,
2017 ROCKWiRED
SPECiAL FEATURE: KiCKiNG AX 2017 very
October, for five years now, ROCKWIRED.COM has given props to the
seminal instrument in rock n roll and to the men and women who pick one
up and play the hell out of it. This year, ROCKWIRED has picked twenty
such ax-wielders who are doing their duty in keeping rock n roll alive
and kicking. This annual list never comes easily and ROCKWIRED's
editor-in-chief BRIAN LUSH is pleased with this year's list and the
wide range of sounds, textures and tones from each of these most valued
players. "Every year is different" says LUSH "Some names are very
familiar to thsi list and some are brand spanking new. Not only does
this list celebrate all of the pomp and theatricality that comes with
being a guitarist in a rock band, but speaks to the musicality and the
determination of each of these players. I'm super excited by this list
of musicians that we have come up with for 2017."
OCTOBER 11,
2017 ROCKWiRED
Q&A:MiLiTiA
VOX et's face
it. THe LP is a dying art in an age where attention spans are limited
to memes, tweets and two-minute STAR WARS trailers. And lets not even
bring up the roll out for an LP. These days, you've got to make a
massive impression with a single and a music video and goth rock siren
MILITIA VOX has done so with her latest offering NYCTOPHILIA, a dark
exploration into the human psyche and it's ability to haunt the streets
late at night. Thematically, the moody single recalls the creepy,
crawly theatricality of ALICE COOPER's WELCOME TO MY NIGHTMARE and the
showmanship and hellbent delivery of SIOUXSIE SIOUX of SIOUXSIE AND THE
BANSHEES. Both the single and video have earned the woman raves from
such sites as AFROPUNK.COM and have proven that the singer - famed for
her vocal prowess for the JUDAS PRIEST tribute band JUDAS PRIEST - has
a delivery and an artistry that is all her own.
OCTOBER 10,
2017 ROCKWiRED
Q&A:BOBAFLEX nyone
who says that rock n roll is dead ain't listening to the right bands.
In a time when everyone is watching what they say in fear of
retaliation
from folks who spend way too much time on social media, you've got rock
bands out there that are letting it all hang out in a way that's gonna
get them some backlash from this group of people or that group of
people, and a band like BOBAFLEX is leading the pack. Truth be told,
these guys have been in the game since the turn of the century, so
we're
talking over seventeen years-plus of sex, drugs and the very music
everyone claims is dead. There is is no posing here. The rabble-rousing
is genetic. The band's founders - the brothers McCOY (lead singer MARTY
and guitarist SHAUN) are direct descendants of the McCOY family famed
for their epic feud with the HATFIELDS back in the 19th century. Family
history aside, the band BOBAFLEX have proven time and time again that
they are survivors in a music business that's been pumping everything
it's got into pop tarts and pretty boys instead of anything with balls
attached to it. A testimonial to the band's fighting spirit is their
latest album ELOQUENT DEMONS.
OCTOBER 9,
2017 ROCKWiRED
SPECiAL FEATURE: With
a movie like PUMPING IRON, the GEORGE BUTLER documentary that broke
bodybuilding and ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER into the mainstream, you
see some heart on display, but you also see unbridled
ambition. The film was released in 1977 and focused on the
1975 IFBB MR. UNIVERSE and the 1975 IFBB MR. OLYMPIA
championships. 1977's STAR WARS may be the film remembered
most
for it's epic battle but PUMPING IRON had an epic battle of
it's
own. In one corner, you had the ultimate alpha male. A 6'2", 235 pound
Austrian guy with mighty arms, shoulders and pecs. Just as broad as the
man's shoulders was his smile which brandished a gap in his teeth. And
that voice, high and gentle, ran contrary to his herculean physique
and pronounces v-sounds like f-sounds and r-sounds
like ah
sounds. At the time of the filming, SHWARZENEGGER was a four time MR.
OLYMPIA winner.
In my adult
life, the
whole notion of being a gentlemen is one that I have clung to and
still do today. If, for no other reason than to hear compliments for
my chivalry. And domestic violence? The notion of a man hitting a
woman to exert some sort of power and control is one that sickens me.
But what if the woman hits first? What if the gentler sex is the
aggressor?
In the past few years,
moments have been caught on video and shared on social media showing
some rather thuggish behavior on the part of women. In one video, that
had made the rounds on social media, a black mother got in the face of
a mall security guard who yelled at her kids to keep quiet. The further
the woman got into the security guard's face, he warned her, "you
better back up!" As this was going on, her children, toddlers at the
most, taunted the guard with "That's why you gay!" Eventually the woman
resorted to hitting him, leading the security guard to shoot her with a
taser gun, sending the belligerent woman into shock and a comical
tumble
sideways, bringing to mind the fall of a redwood tree. As a result, the
woman's children were left screaming, crying and jumping up and down as
onlookers started questioning the guard for his course of action. When
the
story blew up on social media, there were those that questioned the
man's need to use a taser on the woman in front of her children, but
there were many
who came out in support of the guard.