have long championed the notion that Battle Beyond the Stars, B-movie mogul Roger Corman’s 1980 space opera on a shoestring, has been long overdue for a pop cultural rediscovery. It hasn’t happened yet. Strange considering that space opera these days is limited to the offerings of a galaxy far, far away and the final frontier. Thanks to streaming, we’re inundated with both Star Trek and Star Wars despite some hit or miss results. You would think that Corman’s humble space epic that got its plot points from Akira Kurosawa would spark some sort of curiosity. You mean to tell me it’s possible to keep a space western yarn limited to one movie? One clever movie? Not to say that Battle Beyond the Stars doesn’t boast any pop cultural bonus points. It was the film that got director James Cameron (The Terminator, Aliens, Titanic) his start by cutting his teeth as the film’s art director. Acclaimed screenwriter John Sayles wrote the film’s clever and exciting script. Producer Gale Anne Hurd (The Terminator, Aliens) also got her career in film going as an assistant to Roger Corman and Oscar-winning composer James Horner showed the world what he was made of. His score for the film was so out of this world that Corman’s studio used the damn thing in a couple of other unrelated movies.

o one needs to be reminded of the power of COVID-19 to knock the best laid plans to the ground. Recently, I found myself kicked to the ground by the virus with minimal symptoms and a two-week isolation period that had me questioning my life up to this point. But now the virus is behind me and back doing what feels normal. Another fellow who has come to understand the power of our current pandemic to level hopes and dreams is singer songwriter BRAD HELLER. In late 2019, HELLER had released his latest album THE SENTENCE to a string of promising reviews and an eagerness to hit the road in the Spring of 2020. Unfortunately, a mysterious virus from China began seizing the headlines and little by little the already shaky infrastructure of the independent music industry found itself paralyzed by social distancing measures to prevent the spread of Coronavirus. Oh, and let’s not forget one of the nastiest Presidential elections of all time. Despite not being able to tour, HELLER has managed to keep the album in eyes of the public through positive critical notices and a music video for the album’s single ETERNAL GARDEN.  At the end of 2020, music critics were laying the usual hossannahs on  BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN's latest offering A LETTER TO  YOU and deservedly so. However, HELLER is a singer songwriter cut from the same blue collar cloth as SPRINGSTEEN  and has tons to say about the  fragile human condition in these uncertain times.

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hristmas is over and now everyone is back to worrying about the stimulus package that has found itself in limbo. 2020 has been a battlefield year marked by a global pandemic, civil unrest, Karens, an ugly Presidential Election and death. The only thing that can be agreed upon is that this catastrophic year needs to come to an end and the end of this week, we're all going to get our wish. Singer songwriter and former CHICAGO front man BILL CHAMPLIN is especially excited for all that the promise of a new year holds. On January 1, 2021 CHAMPLIN will be ringing in the New Year with the release of his new single REASON TO BELIEVE from his forthcoming album LIVIN' FOR LOVE soon to be released digitally through IMAGEN RECORDS. Physical CDs will soon be available through CHAMPLIN's website www.billchamplin.com/shop. LIVIN' FOR LOVE will mark CHAMPLIN's first solo album in ten years. As society is in the midst of a pandemic, the release of CHAMPLIN's latest solo offering comes at an exciting time indeed. However, CHAMPLIN's musical career is one that has been marked by a series of exciting highs as both a singer and a songwriter.

hen I got on the phone with NORMAN MATTHEW of AS STRANGE AS ANGELS it was a whole hour before he and drummer MICHELLE GRAVES were going to kick off a livestream performance on YOUTUBE. The excitement was electric and tangible even over the phone, but then again, it was the eve of the release of the band's new single THE CURSE – a thunderous active rock stomper that is all about raging against the darkness and stepping into the light. The subject is not entirely unexpected coming from MATTHEW – a songwriter who has made a decent coin within the heavier side of rock – but the rah-rah-rah comes at a most frightening time for music and music makers. In the throes of a pandemic that has only worsened it is the fighting spirit of active rock that seems to be the only music addressing the crisis and AS STRANGE AS ANGELS have their work cut out for them in a grim way. Things couldn't be further away from the time I first spoke with MATTHEW five years earlier.

y 1982 PAT BENATAR, rock n roll's premiere coloratura, had become a force to be reckoned with in the world of music. The proof of this was in three platinum selling albums that boasted the woman's flare for the dramatic when it came to matters of the heart and sexual politics. Even if critics of the day weren't on board with what the diminutive siren had to offer, two consecutive GRAMMY wins in the category of BEST FEMALE ROCK VOCAL PERFORMANCE ( In 1981 for her album CRIMES OF PASSION and in 1982 for the single FIRE AND ICE) provided both vindication and validation. Fuck ROLLING STONE! While gramophone-shaped trophies and favorable chart placings on the BILLBOARD 200 gave the ex-bank teller-turned lounge singer-turned rocker some enviable notoriety, it was MTV that made BENATAR a superstar.

o one was prepared for the horrors of 2020. No one could've predicted civilization being rocked to a stand still by the prevalence of a virus that forces one to wear a mask and keep six feet away from both strangers and loved ones alike. And lets not even bring up one of the most bitter and contentious election cycles ever in this country. We may not have expected wine and roses but no one saw an ATWOOD-styled dystopia either. However, the synth duo BLACK MANSIONS may have been on the money with the release of their haunting debut EP, PART I – PRAECURSIO. Comprised of singer TOM KUNZMAN of the band 18^th & ADDISON and keyboardist SPAGS of the band END OF AN ERA, BLACK MANSIONS is a project that has allowed these two gentlemen to break free from the guitar driven rock that their respective bands are noted for and traverse the kind of synthesized musical landscape that made groups such as DEPECHE MODE and YAZOO the transistorized pioneers that they have become in the annals of pop music.

n 1975 the late rock n roll troubadour MIKE MONTGOMERY found himself at a fork in the road of a winding career that had taken him from the teen dances and honky tonks of his home state of Oklahoma to the hustle and bustle of New York City. The members of MOTT THE HOOPLE had made an offer to the singer, songwriter and keyboardist MONTGOMERY to have him replace their legendary front man IAN HUNTER. Who knows what would've been possible had MONTGOMERY filled HUNTER's shoes by becoming the front man of one rock's most celebrated bands. However, MONTGOMERY was also contacted by ex-FREE guitarist PAUL KOSSOFF who requested that he move to London so the two of them could form a band together.

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t was only the summer of 2000 and already the new millennium felt like a bust. It was my first full year out of college and my days were spent working various temp jobs and my evenings were devoted to playing in a band I had started. Starting a band was what I had wanted to do the most once I got out of college and I had already prepared myself for having to work some job I didn't like in order to help make that silly rock n roll dream a reality. I was young and I knew I could do it but eventually the band broke up after an ugly fistfight and all I was left with was strumming on an acoustic guitar, working a job I hated and drinking too much. Oh 1999 was supposed to be a launching point for me but the last notch of the 20^th century wasn't the party that PRINCE predicted. Hell, even STAR WARS came back and that sucked. I complain in retrospect but no one had any idea of the horrors that were just around the corner in terms of a terrorist attack and the shitty millennium that has ensued. At least BLONDIE got back together.

ack in 1991 I was sixteen years old and life as I knew it was falling apart due to the bitter, contentious and exhausting separation of my parents. This coincided with the year that grunge music had entered the public consciousness thanks to the blistering rage of NIRVANA and the flannel shirted cock rock raucousness of PEARL JAM. One would think that a sixteen year old like me at that time would've found common ground in this new rock n roll onslaught, but I didn't. I was a gawky, mixed race kid who had nothing in common with the white rage that was coming out of Seattle. The grunge movement to me seemed like a drab fashion movement and its puritanical ethos was at odds with the music I grew up loving in the bright, neon colored eighties. In fact, rivaling my obsession over the work of FRANK HERBERT at that time was my eagerness to immerse myself in the music that had come before me.

he post 9/11 world desperately needed the cartoon toughness of PAT BENATAR. After the collapse of the World Trade Center, American society had become stifled. It was no time for jokes and it was the beginning of much of the political divisiveness that has taken hold of our cultural landscape today and in the aftermath of the terror attacks by Al-Qaeda forces entrenched in Afghanistan, the country went to war...with Iraq. In a strange way it all sounds like a piece of cake now given the fact that we are in the rows of a global pandemic. We may not have had to wear masks and we may have been able to move freely, but culturally, the years that followed 9/11 were bereft. There was a sanitization that took place in music with artists like DIDO, NORAH JONES, JOHN MAYER and DAMIEN RICE putting out material that was heavy on wistfulness and pop psychological heartache, but nothing terribly punchy. Hell, even a punchy, alternative rock band like NO DOUBT went pop that year with that HEY BABY shit. This clean cut approach to pop was irritating. Thank god for PINK. Oh and there was that band EVANESCENCE with that breakthrough hit of theirs, but that got on my nerves quickly. The musical landscape of the time could've used BENATAR's pyrotechnic vocals and fighting spirit.

here wasn't a better time than 1989 to be a confused teenager. The REAGAN years got a little bit of an extension thanks to the election of GEORGE W. BUSH and my fourteen year old self wondered if that was a good thing. The AIDS crisis was in full swing and as a gawky, lanky, biracial kid coming to terms with the fact that I was gay, this disease was terrifying just by the stigma alone. The Berlin Wall came down and the communist threat was over, but what did that mean? My only refuge from all of the confusion was pop radio and STAR TREK THE NEXT GENERATION, but with playlists seeming finite in what they had to offer and MTV pushing the same damn thing radio was, it seemed like pop music had become the hierarchy that this high school business was. BELINDA CARLISLE had declared heaven a place on Earth back in 1987 but two years on, I was starting to know better. At least there wasn't a fucking pandemic.

n the late spring of 1984 my family had purchased a brand new station wagon. A Peugot station wagon – a now little known French vehicle that wasn't easy to buy parts for. However, this Peugot 505 was assembly line new. We didn't have a ton of money growing up so a new car felt like a big deal. It finally felt like we had finally stepped into the eighties and this was just during out initial test drive. One of the features that the Peugot brand was known for was the sound systems in their vehicles and my dad had the dial on the local R&B station 95 WPGC. I remember the day so clearly because it was a happy moment for our family and ours was a family that had known a little turbulence. I remember a lot of rain and sunshine that day and the resultant rainbow appearing which kind of seemed symbolic of our coming up in the world. It was on that drive and through the speakers of that car that I first heard the voice of TINA TURNER.

here was a time when pop music was serious business and artistry and commerce could come together and be happy. These days it's all about commerce and the offerings of today's pop tarts and bruhs seem tuneless and unmemorable, but that's a middle aged man's perspective. I grew up in a time when pop music was artful. Not only was it filled with melodies you couldn't get out of your head, it also had a look and that was due largely to MTV giving the music of the day a cinematic grandeur. The height of this grandeur was the year 1984 which boasted some rather iconic releases such as PRINCE AND THE REVOLUTION's PURPLE RAIN, MADONNA'S LIKE A VIRGIN, TINA TURNER'S PRIVATE DANCER and CYNDI LAUPER'S SHE'S SO UNUSUAL. All of the sales for these albums were powered by MTV. Hell, MICHAEL JACKSON's THRILLER was still a hit album more than a year after its release and was still setting the course for pop music to come. In fact, it was the MICHAEL JACKSON/QUINCY JONES approach to album making that would have a profound influence over a certain Trinidadian-British R&B crooner who would burst onto the U.S. pop scene with a pulsating single that would climb all the way to #1 on the U.S. HOT 100 after years of attempting to crossover to the U.S. Market.

rowing up in the Washington D.C. area in the late eighties, it seemed like the only rock music you could find on the dial was hair metal. Not that I was complaining. I was fourteen years old back in 1989 and was enthralled by everything that was being delivered by the likes of GUNS AND ROSES and DEF LEPPARD. And of course I remember feeling slightly annoyed by the offerings by bands such as POISON and WARRANT. There was a bombastic grandeur to the music back then that can be hard to imagine now in a time where there isn't much rock n roll. The hair was big, the men in these bands were pretty and the music was thunderous. But there was also an inaccessibility to it. The rock n roll lifestyle was nothing that my mixed race, gawky, FRANK HERBERT reading fourteen year old self could relate to. The men of GUNS AND ROSES and DEF LEPPARD were rock gods. Not real people.

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've said it before in other articles and I'll say it again, the nineties was a confusing time. Well, the early nineties anyway. Grunge rock was king with bands like NIRVANA, PEARL JAM and ALICE IN CHAINS securing platinum sales with music that was speaking to the angst of mostly white suburban kids (who knew?) rendering the eyeliner, hairspray and glamour typified by much of eighties hard rock and heavy metal obsolete. Despite the success of these bands and the cultural shift that came with their success, it was strange to see this indifference to the fame and notoriety it generated. It's even harder to imagine now where not even a pandemic has done much to curb this strange appetite for celebrity worship. It's fine with me as long I don't have to look at Doc Marten boots or flannel shirts en masse again. Even as an 18 year old in 1993, I found myself longing for the days when rock n roll could pretty itself up and deliver on the promise of drugs and sex. In 1993 rock n roll was all about suffering.

n a time when pop stardom is doled out on this or that televised singing contest, it may be hard to remember that there was a time when getting your name out there was a dues paying process. Such was the case for a young woman out of Long Island with a four and a half octave range and a dream. In the seven years before the release of her platinum selling debut album, PAT BENATAR, nee ANDRZEJEWSKI, got the ball rolling on her singing career as a singer in a Richmond, Virginia - based lounge quartet called COXON's ARMY. As local recognition of the young singer grew, so did BENATAR's ambitions and she set course for New York City, where the action was. Strangely, her start in New York didn't happen at TRAMPS or in the grit and grime of CBGBs, but at CATCH A RISING STAR, a comedy club famous for launching the careers of ROBIN WILLIAMS, EDDIE MURPHY and RICHARD BELZER. It was here that BENATAR began honing her sound as a pop siren with a decided rock n roll edge, even if the house band at the time didn't even have a guitarist. One Halloween night in 1977, BENATAR sported a black leotard, heavy eye make up and a toy laser gun as tribute to the 50's b-grade science fiction film CAT WOMEN OF THE MOON. Reactions to her live act in those days were strong, but with a new look, the crowd went wild and BENATAR incorporated the look thereafter. Little did she know how impactful the look would be in the years to come. Soon she was signed to CHRYSALIS RECORDS and her MIKE CHAPMAN (BLONDIE, THE KNACK) produced debut album IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT busted out of the gate with platinum sales with a little help from that joyful raucous of a first single HEARTBREAKER and nothing like THE VOICE or ADAM LEVINE hitting a buzzer and turning around in his chair was needed. Not bad for a 26 year old divorcee.

or years ROB CLORES ha made a decent coin and a reputation for himself as a go-to keyboardist. The New York City-based musician has toured and recorded with the likes of JESSE MALIN, THE BLACK CROWES, TOM JONES, COLIN HAY (of MEN AT WORK) and JOHN POPPER (of BLUES TRAVELER). Laying down the keys for said artists has made for an impressive resume but, in speaking with CLORES over the phone, it was clear that the need to step from behind the keyboard and up to the front of the stage was where the man wanted to be. Now the rock n roll journeyman has stepped into light as a recording artist with his solo project SPLIT SECOND MELTDOWN and it's self-titled debut EP. CLORES has picked a fine time to try to make a splash as a recording artist given what the COVID-19 pandemic has done to the world a more specifically the - music industry. However, with SPLIT SECOND MELTDOWN, CLORES has managed to issue music that speaks to the dystopia that we are currently living in. You can hear it on the EP's first single FLESH AND BLOOD. THE STONES' GIMME SHELTER may have painted a rockin' picture of doomsday, but FLESH AND BLOOD tells the tale in real time and the gritty rock n roll stomp never relents while the BAD RELIGION-esque NOBODY LEFT BUT ME continues the doom and gloom and establishes CLORES and SPLIT SECOND MELTDOWN as an artist with something to say. ROCKWIRED had a chance to speak with ROB CLORES regarding the new EP. Here is how the interview went.

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he first time I spoke with LUKAS ROSSI in 2008 the world was in the midst of the Great Recession. I was out of a job and doing all I could to make this ROCKWIRED thing work out. ROSSI was going through some changes in his life as well. A couple of years earlier, the ultimate rock n roll dream came true for the Canadian rocker when he competed in the reality contest series ROCKSTAR SUPERNOVA and won the prize - the lead singer spot for the titular supergroup comprised of TOMMY LEE (MOTLEY CRUE), JASON NEWSTED (METALLICA) and GILBY CLARK (GUNS N' ROSES). Following his victory, ROSSI saw the world through SUPERNOVA's tour of North America, Australia and New Zealand. For reasons that I can't quite remember, SUPERNOVA came to an end and ROSSI took the experience, ran with it and has maintained a solo career ever since. His FREDDIE MERCURY meets JEFF BUCKLEY howl has been put to fine use on his signature brand of blistering hard rock over the past decade. Now, in the throes of a global pandemic, LUKAS ROSSI has re-emerged with a sound marked by pop hooks and a sunnier outlook on life. Hey, if the guy can pull it off in times marked by political divisiveness, masks and a rising death toll, more power to him. However, ROSSI handles his shift in sound with both zeal and know-how. ROSSI's new album SUMMERTIME is a milestone in the artist's unpredictable career and could earn the season rocker even broader appeal. He is already on the right track with the titular single and its music video featuring appearances from the likes of TOMMY LEE, members of P.O.D. and TIFFANY. ROCKWIRED had a chance to catch up with LUKAS over the phone from his studio in Nashville. Here is how the interview went.

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he release of the eleventh album to bear the name PRETENDERS was preceded by the release of a series of cleverly produced music videos for each song in lieu of a tour with JOURNEY that ended being canceled because of COVID-19. So when the album was finally released last week, there was no reason for HATE FOR SALE to come off sounding like a surprise and a revelation. You see, since the release of 1994's THE LAST OF THE INDEPENDENTS and (the even better) VIVA EL AMOR in 1999, CHRISSIE HYNDE hasn't managed to keep things as raw and invigorating as anything you heard on the band's eponymously titled 1980 album with the exception of her 2014 solo album STOCKHOLM. With HATE FOR SALE, HYNDE reunites with original drummer MARTIN CHAMBERS and welcomes bassist NICK WILKINSON and guitarist JAMES WALBOURNE who shares co-writing with HYNDE on all ten tracks. The forementioned surprise is the rambunctiousness and snarl of the material which  comes out in full force on the punkish title track, the cracking rock-a-billy of I DIDN'T WANNA BE THIS LONELY, and the BLONDIE-esque bop of TURF ACCOUNTANT DADDY. Of course what good is a PRETENDERS album if HYNDE can't show off a gentle side as she does on the R&B ballad YOU CAN"T HURT FOOL but her balladry goes s step further with torchy, piano led CRYING IN PUBLIC which eschews equality between the sexes and gets lost in the hopeless emotionalism and tears that go along with being a woman. Damn, I wish I bought this thing on vinyl!

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n an age marked by doom and gloom, and I'm just talking about the active rock scene - not COVID-19, it is hard to believe that there was a time when rock n roll was rooted in the blues and had a more transcendental vibe. You could hear it in the likes of JIMI HENDRIX, CREAM and PINK FLOYD. Perhaps it was the spirit of the times that those artists inhabited but there is just as much chaos now as there was in the sixties. Hell, there might be more chaos now given the fact that we are in the rows of a global pandemic and civil unrest. There couldn't be a better time for music from the likes of THE JAMES PACE BAND. If their latest single, the rhythmic, HENDRIX-styled rocker, TOUCH THE SKY is any indication this is a band with a message of love and an electric vibe that can lift spirits and expectations for what modern rock music has to offer. TOUCH THE SKY is an anthem that will perk ears and interests and according to the band's front man and guitarist JAMES PACE, there is more waiting in the wings. Not even a global pandemic can stop the JAMES PACE BAND as they put the finishing touches on their forthcoming album THE SIERRA MADRE SESSIONS which they hope to release sometime this fall. ROCKWIRED had a chance to speak with JAMES PACE of THE JAMES PACE BAND regarding their new single and their forthcoming album. Here is how the interview went.

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"Everything has changed," exclaimed MARTY McCOY when I had mentioned the fact that the last time I had spoken to him was in October of 2017 when his then-band BOBAFLEX had just released their album ELOQUENT DEMONS. From where I stood, it seemed as if the West Virginian hard rock band reknowned for their bombastic live shows and their maudlin brand of active rock that spoke to the lows and the manic highs of life and love (if we can call it that) seemed to have reached a creative and commercial zenith with the release of what would become the band's final album. The first release off of that album, LONG TIME COMING, seemed to suggest that the band was due for a step up after standing out by a mile from other less worthy rock n roll fare. With sold out shows and reasonable returns from their album's release, it was indeed strange when the band had announced last year that co-founder SHAUN McCOY was stepping away from the band and that BOBAFLEX would now be known as THE LONELY ONES. All of those months ago when branding was considered important, one could easily question the wisdom of changing a name of such a beloved institution as BOBAFLEX. Unfortunately we are now in the grips of a worldwide pandemic and folks can overlook such a silly detail and get lost in some music that seems to fit and transcend our current dystopia. After all, what else are you going to do? Go to the store?

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As if QUEEN doesn't get enough tribute these days since the release of their biopic a couple of years ago. Sure, that sounds cranky but can you blame me given the devastation unleashed on us by COVID-19?

For the better part of 20 years BOBAFLEX was the hard rock band that should've had everyone believing that rock n roll was still alive. You couldn't even accuse these West Virginians of falling under that dreaded (by me) nu metal category. Any self respecting rock fan should've been rallying behind these guys instead of hating on GRETA VAN FLEET but with the departure of co-founder and co-vocalist/guitarist SHAUN McCOY, BOBAFLEX are now THE LONELY ONES and have done their level best to push their singles ETERNAL SADNESS and THE LONELY ONE in a time when people are advised not to gather in crowds.

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was the year that pop music grew a heart with the advent BOB GELDOLF's BAND AID initiative which had kicked off in late 1984 with the release of the now-classic Holiday pop tune DO THEY KNOW IT'S CHRISTMAS which featured vocals from just about every major recording artist popular on MTV at that time from across the Atlantic. Months later US artists, led by MICHAEL JACKSON and LIONEL RITCHIE, would pick up the slack and launch the USA FOR AFRICA initiative with the single WE ARE THE WORLD featuring just about every artist who was able to make it to the GRAMMYs that night with producer QUINCY JONES capturing the historic pop moment on reel to reel and video.

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ou never think of metal music bringing the denizens of a small town together but the music of ZOMBIEKING has managed to o just that. Robstown, Texas boasts a population of 11,487 and is just a few minutes away from Corpus Christi where ZOMBIEKING has honed their lived act for the past seven years and have brought their Robstown neighbors with them according to frontman JUAN MANUEL during a recent phone call. With a built in audience such as this one would expect one hell of a send off for the band's debut EP DEAD TO LIFE but seeing as how the release coincided with the on set of the coronavirus pandemic, we have no idea how the band's debut on the PAVEMENT ENTERTAINMENT label went. IF there was anything we were able to extrapolate from our phone conversation with  JUAN MANUEL it was how perseverance has served the band well up to this point and I can't imagine the band or their potent brand of metal backing down from any circumstance. Not even a fucking pandemic. ROCKWIRED had a chance to speak with JUAN MANUEL of ZOMBIE KING regarding the the band's debut EP DEAD TO LIFE. Here is how the interview went.

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n the eve of the great COVID-19 pandemic, the Salt Lake City-based gothcore band A LOST ASYLUM released their self-titled debut album via PAVEMENT ENTERTAINMENT. This isn't the most ideal time to go big with your debut release but front woman HOLLY WATSON and the band, GIL MENCHACA (guitars), DANTE LONG (guitars), JUSTIN BELL (drums) and JAMES ROAKE (bass), are committed pros and have been even before the founding of the band back in 2016. In the past four years A LOST ASYLUM has built up a loyal fanbase by steadily and stealthily touring the West Coast and if the the band's hard hitting, riff-driven brand of gothcore is to be believed, there is a grit and a resilience to this band that will not be denied. ROCKWIRED had a chance to speak with A LOST ASYLUM's front woman HOLLY WATSON over the phone. Here is how the interview went.

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n listening to THE FUNK, THE SOUL & THE HOLY GROOVE, the third album from the New Orleans-based band DELTAPHONIC, I would start off by stating that the third time's the charm but seeing as how the album is due to be released on April 10 when the coronavirus pandemic is set to get worse, one would think that the timing couldn't be worse. In an email interview with DELTAPHONIC's founder ANDREW T. WEEKES, the frontman acknowledges the hardship but has found support among the music community in New Orleans and their role as musicians in this crisis. "We're all working musicians so it’s difficult financially, but we have a strong community that supports us," said  WEEKES. "We'll be alright thanks to them. Sometimes it's hard to feel good about promoting our own music when we’re constantly being reminded that a lot of people's lives are in crisis. Hopefully our music helps people get through these hard times."

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hange is unavoidable and I think that point is being hammered steadily into the global psyche now that we are in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic. A band such as RELIC KINGS doesn't deserve such a grim segue but that is what this very pandemic has done to us. However, the subject was change. I first became acquainted with the First Nations rock band in 2014 when they were known as BLACK STONE and had made a name for themselves throughtout Indian Country by issuing a full throttle, riff-heavy rock n roll sound. A couple of years later, the band changed their moniker to RELIC KINGS and refined their sound to something more palatable for active rock radio on their secone EP ARMOURY which earned the band an INDIGENOUS MUSIC AWARD for BEST ROCK BAND. In the latter half of 2019 RELIC KINGS released their latest album BLINDED BY THE SUN adn had ROCKWIRED not been in the midst of a lengthy hiatus, we would've given it up for the band in a timely manner. The bash and strut of the band is  still in full force  but the approach seems to have more of a 'knowing' to it than it did before. Case in point is the piano-led ballad STAY TONIGHT. Before everything went to hell, ROCKWIRED had a chance to catch up with the band's lead singer ROB FARIES regarding the band and their latest album. Here is how the interview went.

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t's going to take a while to learn just what business as usual is going to mean when your living under a global pandemic. In trying to catch up with everything having to do with ROCKWIRED in the past couple of weeks, I've continually found myself falling off the saddle. We all want out normalcy back. However, in resisting the urge to keep up with all of the bad news, I uploaded my interview recordings to my transcription software of choice and started typing and in doing so I found comfort in my conversations with bands that had just released a new album in the days before COVID-19 was something that we were all going to have to stay indoors from. Specifically, when I spoke with lead singer JOHNNY DiCARLO of the Pittsburgh-based band NEVERWAKE, I was taken by the bands D.I.Y. spirit in producing their latest music video for their single CALL OUT MY NAME. The story of the band NEVERWAKE is one of people from different backgrounds coming together to make something great, and while everyone is encouraged to abide by the rules of social distancing, the band and their music have come to symbolize coming out on top amid struggle. In speaking with DiCARLO, he mentioned his sense of responsibility as a songwriter and how it is something that cannot be taken lightly or for granted. The following interview took place March 5, 2020.

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OCKWIRED.COM is pleased to announce the nominees for our latest ARTIST OF THE MONTH COMPETITION. Just a few days ago we announced BLAME BABY as the ROCKWIRED ARTIST OF THE MONTH winner for March of 2020. Now, we are getting things set for the month of March 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 POLL-MAKER. Voters are welcome to vote up to 5 times a day although it may involve clearing  your cache and cookies to do so.

This month's nominees include ZOMBiEKiNG, A LOST ASYLUM, RELiC KiNGS, NEVERWAKE, ALL SOULS, JANGLiNG SPARROWS and JEFF CARLSON BAND. The polls will close Friday, March 27, 2020 and the winner will be announced Monday, March 30, 2020. The winner will receive extra promotion on the pages of ROCKWIRED.COM with a free web ad  which will appear on all of the pages of the website for one month.

TO CAST YOUR VOTE CLiCK HERE!!!

n speaking with JEFF CARLSON in regard to how he happened to find himself in the world of rock n roll, I came away with a vision of him as the kid in that TWISTED SISTER video for WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT declaring that he wants to rock. And why the hell not?  "I'm the classic case of not wanting to go to school and just wanting to rock," laughed CARLSON when speaking of how rock n roll took hold of him as a youth and didn't let go. "It's not smartest outlook on life but that was where my attitude was." The fabled road to rock n roll glory has always been a rocky one but CARLSON has managed to stay the course for the past twenty years fronting such bands as ANGEL PARK and LIQUID SKYE but it is the JEFF CARLSON band that has managed to make the most noise having shared stages with such acts as LITA FORD, TESLA, FIREHOUSE and FASTER PUSSYCAT. After twenty years of rocking out consistently, CARLSON and his band are set for one hell of a year having recently been signed to RFL RECORDS and the release of their upcoming EP SECOND CHANCE which is being preceded by the single - a glorious cover of the FOREIGNER classic JUKE BOX HERO featuring FRANK HANNON of TESLA on lead guitar. ROCKWIRED had a chance to speak with JEFF CARLSON regarding the band's new single and forthcoming EP. Here is how the interview went.

TO READ MORE CLICK HERE!!!

AUL EDELMAN of JANGLING SPARROWS is on a mission to make music that saves lives! When he pointed out to me that rock n roll used to save lives when I spoke to him for an interview, I was immediately reminded of the emotional impact that this country's greatest musical invention was able to deliver. You no longer hear and feel that impact on today's pop radio or on any of those singing contests that deliver the ratings. On JANGLING SPARROW's latest album BOOTSTRAPS AN OTHER AMERICAN FABLES, EDELMEN emerges as a roots rock troubadour with an emphasis on 'rock' and a knack for telling a story - a trait that has been lacking in rock n roll since SPRINGSTEEN started getting a little too big for Asbury Park. ROCKWIRED had a chance to get re-acquainted with PAUL EDELMAN of JANGLING SPARROWS regarding their new album. Here is how the interview went.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

FEBRUARY 16, 2020
ROCKWiRED NOTES: FRAMiNG HANLEY

ever underestimate the power of rock n roll. Once it is in your system there is just no way to shake it. Singer and bandleader KENNETH NIXON found that out over a period of six years after he and his band FRAMING HANLEY chose to quietly call it quits and step out of the active rock limelight following the release of their 2014 album THE SUM OF WHO WE ARE. No one gives the rock n roll lifestyle the credit that it deserves for being a demanding profession where a good part of a calendar year is devoted to being on the road. Three years after FRAMING HANLEY's last release, KENNETH NIXON had a musical itch to scratch so he teamed up with FRAMING HANLEY guitarist RYAN BELCHER to form a new project tentatively titled SUMNER ROOTS. In forging this new sound for a new project, the two quickly realized that what they were working on was a new FRAMING HANLEY album an spent an additional three years perfecting their forthcoming album ENVY, which is due out on February 21, 2020. ROCKWIRED had a chance to speak with KENNETH NIXON on FRAMING HANLEY about the band's newest album. Here is how the interview went.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

FEBRUARY 12, 2020
ROCKWiRED NOTES: BLAME BABY

t surprises me that power pop hasn't seen much of a resurgence in an age where pop music is bigger than ever. I've always been a sucker for a three minute song with melodies executed with a full throttle, rock and roll approach and some punchy guitar riffs. It's an approach that you don't hear all at often on today's pop radio but the LA-based band BLAME BABY aren't concerning themselves with that. This new power trio is more interested in creating a pure pop rock moment which kind of explains their penchant for releasing singles as opposed to EPs or LPs. Late last year they released their debut single HEADCASE a surf rock anthem about self-realization and loss of identity. The subject matter is a little heavy for something wrapped in the in such delectable power pop. Now, the trio comprised of lead singer and guitarist JESSE JOHNSON, bassist OMAR D. BRANCATO and MATT TUCCI on drums, have released their newest single, THE FLOOR, another energetic burst of pop rock which is all about sweet surrender and keeping the dream simple - another sentiment you don't hear in a lot of what pop radio has to offer these days. ROCKWIRED had a chance to speak with front man JESS JOHNSON regarding the BLAME BABY and their new single. Here is how the interview went.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

FEBRUARY 10, 2020
ROCKWiRED NOTES: SPENCER KRASCH

f someone else makes another stupid remark about rock n roll being dead, I'm gonna shoot 'em! If anyone deserves a hyberbolic opening in their ROCKWIRED write up, it is SPENCER KRASCH. So you didn't recognize a name of one single artist at this year's GRAMMYS and the appeal of this BILLIE EILISH has you scratching your head until it bleeds. That doesn't mean that the only music out there that you can bang your head to has vanished. Although it has taken a few hits with the passing of NEIL PEART, WHITNEY HOUSTON making it into the ROCK N ROLL HALL OF FAME and not PAT BENATAR and one of my favorite bands out there, BOBAFLEX, not being a band anymore. Back to Mr. KRASCH, the former front man of DELTA ROSE. In my line of work I'm used to strapping young lads telling me that they are all about keeping rock alive, but coming from KRASCH, it sounds like more than mere lip service. I first noticed the guy's stage presence and chops when his band DELTA ROSE came to my nick of the woods along with the band DIAMOND LANE five years ago. It was a rare night out for me and I looked forward to getting in touch with the band. Regrettably it didn't happen. Five years later, KRASCH has stepped away from DELTA ROSE and has gone solo with his debut album, the curiously titled WOOLLY MAMMOTH.  Released weeks ago, KRASCH's ambitious debut release was preceded by the album's first single GOLDEN LEGS along with a music video where KRASCH proves to be both a rock n roll lothario and an equestrian. The video and the single provide a taste of the theatricality that KRASCH hopes to bring to a live stage in the months to come. ROCKWIRED had a chance to speak with SPENCER KRASCH regarding his debut album. Here is how the interview went. 

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

FEBRUARY 8, 2020
ROCKWiRED BLAST: THE LA MUSiC ViDEO AWARDS SEEKS MUSiC ViDEO SUBMiSSiONS FOR CONSiDERATiON FOR NOMiNATiON iN THEiR UPCOMiNG AWARDS SEASON!!!

he year 2020 marks the third year for the annual LA MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS which highlight and salute the artistic and technical merit of music videos by artists, bands and filmakers from around the world. In the past three years, the LA MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS have grown exponentially in both reputation and stature as a celebration of the marriage of sound and vision and last  year, the ceremony found a home at that the COVINA CENTER OF THE PERFORMING ARTS in Covina, California. This year the fledgling awards ceremony will be returning to Covina on July 11, 2020 but before that can happen, the LA MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS needs to come up with some nominations.

The LA MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS has been seeking music video submissions from bands, artists and videographers since January 13, 2020 through the website FILMFREEWAY.COM and will continue to do so until the regular deadline April 2, 2020. There is also late deadline date of May 1, 2020.  The nominations will be announced on May 18, 2020 and nominees will be featured in a special publication put out by ROCKWIRED MAGAZINE - THE OFFICIAL GUIDE TO THE 2020 LA MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS which will be released on June 1, 2020.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

FEBRUARY 2, 2020
ROCKWiRED ARTiST OF MONTH: CORNERS OF SANCTUARY

FEBRUARY 2, 2020 - You voted, the polls have closed and the winner of the 96th ROCKWIRED ARTIST OF THE MONTH title is CORNERS OF SANCTUARY on the strength of her new EP WHAT WE LEAVE BEHIND. A brand new year is upon us and it should all feel like a blank slate, but the Pennsylvania-based metal band CORNERS OF SANCTUARY are still on our radar. A few months ago, we gave the band coverage for their Yuletide release A MERRY METAL CHRISTMAS VI and gave us at ROCKWIRED something to listen to that was both headbanging and festive all in one shot as our tiny little publication returned a bit early from its 2019 hiatus.  Historically, we could always rely on CORNERS OF SANCTUARY to fill our previous editorial calendars with content whether it be a lone single, an EP or a full length album. In the week before the end of 2019, the band released their new EP WHAT WE LEAVE BEHIND, a collection of overlooked songs from the band's vault of songs that have been dusted off and and brought to life with blistering new arrangements. If that wasn't enough to kick off a new year, the band will soon be putting the finishing touches on a brand new LP titled HEROES NEVER DIE which according to guitarist MICK MICHAELS won't see the light of day until much later in 2020.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

FEBRUARY 1, 2020
ROCKWiRED NOTES: BREATHiNG THEORY

ow more than ever, a positive mindset is the sort of thing that needs to be encouraged. Maybe even celebrated. Hell, one deserves a badge for getting through times marked by political divisiveness, economic uncertainty and climate change with a big ole smile. The Florida-based band BREATHING THEORY  have made it to me when I spoke with them that their latest album BALANCE is all about embracing a more transcendental state of mind, but that doesn't mean these guys are a bunch of Pollyannas.  BREATHING THEORY has been on the scene for the better part of a decade and have toured the country and shared stages with the likes of  of 12 STONES, BOBAFLEX, SID WILSON from SLIPKNOT, SICK PUPPIES and EVANESCENCE. A more positive attitude aside, the new album BALANCE sounds like a band at its zenith. The two years it took putting the album together sound like time well spent and the first hint of these glorious results comes in the form of the album's first headbanging single THE NOTHING. ROCKWIRED had a chance to speak with front man CORY BRITT and guitarists COLLIN MORRISON and ROB MAHONEY regarding their new album. Here is how the interview went.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

JANUARY 20, 2020
ROCKWiRED NOTES: ROGER CAPPS

he news of PAT BENATAR being snubbed by the ROCK N ROLL HALL OF FAME shouldn't have been a surprise to anyone. The four-time GRAMMY winning rock coloratura has been eligible for consideration since 2004, twenty five years after the release of her debut album - the platinum certified IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT which boasted the woman's signature headbanging anthem HEARTBREAKER. That was only the beginning of the gamine rocker's influence over the charts, the airwaves and pop culture. She was the first female artist on MTV and armed with a four-octave range, she stuck it to the rock n roll boy's club with a sound that was forceful and feminine. Evidence of her influence 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. Perhaps none of this means anything to an organization that is all about serving as a pantheon for achievements in rock n roll. Fan support for BENATAR's induction came through loud and clear in the HALL OF FAME's much publicized fan ballot where BENATAR came in second place, curiously following  DAVE MATTHEWS BAND with 882,207 votes. However, the fan ballot was only worth one industry vote - one vote out of over a thousand voting members.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

JANUARY 14, 2020
ROCKWiRED NOTES: WiLDSTREET

ock n roll never gets out of your system. As a publication, we've just just returned from a lengthy hiatus that lasted for much of 2019. The band WILDSTREET endured a period of silence themselves from 2012 to 2016. Boasting a glorious sleaze metal sound, the New York City based band emerge onto the rock scene in 2006 with the release of their self-titled debut album and didn't blink in the four years that came after performing at all of the right festivals such as ROCKLAHOMA (the band has played their for five years straight), SXSW and M3 FESTIVAL and sharing stages with the likes of TWISTED SISTER, CRASH DIET, KIX and LA GUNS. In speaking with the band's front man ERIC JAYK, the reasons for WILDSTREET's two and a half year absence seems irrelevant now. WILDSTREET has been all about looking to the future since their triumphant return to rock n roll in 2016 at the GRAMERCY THEATER with a brand new line up. In December of 2017 WILDSTREET released their comeback single RAISE HELL and began working on their eagerly awaited album WILDSTREET III in earnest in 2018. That album is due to be released sometime in 2020 and to whet the appetites of their enthusiastic fan base WILDSTREET has released some rather strong singles in the past  few months such as the raucous TENNESSEE COCAINE and the driving THREE WAY RIDE. Next month the band will issue another single - BORN TO BE - while hitting the road for a tour that will take them up and down the East Cost and to Columbia and to Mexico for some dates with CRASH DIET.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

JANUARY 5, 2020
ROCKWiRED NOTES: CORNERS OF SANCTUARY

 brand new year is upon us and it should all feel like a blank slate, but the Pennsylvania-based metal band CORNERS OF SANCTUARY are still on our radar. A few weeks ago, we gave the band coverage for their Yuletide release A MERRY METAL CHRISTMAS VI and gave us at ROCKWIRED something to listen to that ws both headbanging and festive all in one shot as our tiny little publication returned a bit early from its 2019 hiatus.  Historically, we could always rely on CORNERS OF SANCTUARY to fill our previous editorial calendars with content whether it be a lone single, an EP or a full length album. In the week before the end of 2019, the band released their new EP WHAT WE LEAVE BEHIND, a collection of overlooked songs from the band's vault of songs that have been dusted off and and brought to life with blistering new arrangements. If that wasn't enough to kick off a new year, the band will soon be putting the finishing touches on a brand new LP titled HEROES NEVER DIE which according to gutiarist MICK MICHAELS won't see the light of day until much later in 2020. ROCKWIRED had the chance to speak with MICK MICHAELS regarding the release of WHAT WE LEAVE BEHIND and the band's plans for the new year. Here is how the interview went.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

DECEMBER 27, 2019
ROCKWiRED ARTiST OF THE MONTH NOMiNEES:JILLIAN RISCOE, VIOLATES/VIOLETS, CORNERS OF SANCTUARY, DARK STATION, PORN, WILDSTREET AND THE JEFF CARLSON BAND!!!

OCKWIRED.COM is pleased to announce the nominees for our latest ARTIST OF THE MONTH COMPETITION. Our monthly artist competition has been noticeably absent for months when blues rocker DIANA REIN was annouced as the winner. ROCKWIRED has been busy trying to figure out how we are going to move forward with 2020. Now, we are getting things set for the month of January 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 POLL-MAKER. Voters are welcome to vote up to 5 times a day although it may involve clearing  your cache and cookies to do so.

This month's nominees include JILLIAN RISCOE, VIOLATES/VIOLETS, CORNERS OF SANCTUARY, DARK STATION, PORN, WILDSTREET and THE JEFF CARLSON BAND. The polls will close Friday, Janaury 31, 2020 and the winner will be announced Monday, February 3, 2019. The winner will receive extra promotion on the pages of ROCKWIRED.COM with a free web ad  which will appear on all of the pages of the website for one month.

TO CAST YOUR VOTE CLiCK HERE!!!

DECEMBER 24, 2019
ROCKWiRED's 15 THiNGS: BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS

ver since DISNEY aquisitioned the STAR WARS franchise, any discussion having to do with a certain galaxy far, far away has become a contentious one. On one side you've got folks thinking that STAR WARS has faltered under the Mouse and feel that the franchise's latest offerings merely push some sort of SJW agenda ordered by KATHLEEN KENNEDY with the new film's female leads and then you've got guys like me who think you can never have too much of this operatic space yarn as long you don't bring up midichlorians or JAR JAR BINKS. Not even the presence of BABY YODA has managed to neutralize the minefield littered with a bunch fat, bearded bros and shrill  trixies with YOUTUBE channels lamenting the death of STAR WARS and their helicoptered childhoods. THE RISE OF SKYWALKER has been out for a couple days and its box office looks reasonable from here, but I can already see it causing friction on one's FACEBOOK timeline or the dinner table this Christmas. You're going to see more combativeness over STAR WARS than you will the impeachment of DONALD TRUMP.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

DECEMBER 21, 2019
ROCKWiRED ViDEO BLAST: FEATURiNG NEW MUSiC ViDEOS FROM BLUE MOViE, JEFF CARLSON BAND, KRASHKARMA, DARK STATION, MICHAEL HORNBUCKLE BAND, CHURCH OF THE COSMiC SKULL AND LORD NELSON & SEB L!!!

or the past couple of weeks ROCKWIRED has done a serviceable job in proving that it is back for the long haul. In our absence one of the editorial features that we wanted to get back to was our VIDEO BLAST feature where we search FACEBOOK for music videos by independent artists to single out for our readership. Some of the videos we picked this week are from bands that have come around ROCKWIRED's way in the past and the rest are brand spanking new to us such as CHURCH OF THE COSMIC SKULL, JEFF CARLSON BAND and DARK STATION. The familiar faces include the likes of BLUE MOVIE, KRASHKARMA, MICHAEL HORNBUCKLE BAND and LORD NELSON & SEB L. Even with MTV having morphed into god knows what, music videos are more important than ever in helping to brand a band and forge an identity outside of the music. It's been a formula that has worked for decades but in an era where artists really have to rise above a ton of white noise on the internet and social media, it's damned essential.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

DECEMBER 17, 2019
ROCKWiRED REWiND: ROXETTE'S 1989 ALBUM LOOK SHARP

few days ago, BILLBOARD announced that the music streams for ROXETTE had shot up a whopping 770% following news of the untimely death of their female singer MARIE FREDRIKSSON on December 9, 2019. Clearly I'm not the only one who likes their pop music to be over-the-top and frilly yet with a dose of wry wit and even a little sadness. Yes, the Swedish duo's playful and punchy catalog, which spanned everything from power pop to electronic dance beats to epic power ballads on a GEORGE PAL scale, was the stuff that pop dreams were made of. There was a knowing to the heartache that FREDRIKSSON put that lean mean contralto of hers into, but a bright-eyed innocence came through as well. Comparisons to ABBA were inevitable, but it was that 'knowing' that set ROXETTE apart as well as a cheekiness, especially on the more stomping pop rock tunes that were often issued by ROXETTE co-founder PER GESSLE. This was a pop package for the ages so it is no wonder people are giving the music of this  formidable duo a second listen and maybe even getting lost in some pleasant memories. Aside from being the year of her death, 2019 marks the 30th anniversary of ROXETTE's breakthrough into the US pop charts with their sophomore album LOOK SHARP and  that alone brings back memories. In 1989 I was a tall, skinny, lanky, un-athletic 14 year-old without a prayer. My only salvation was Top 40 radio which was world's away from the pop environment we have today.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

DECEMBER 15, 2019
ROCKWiRED NOTES: DARK STATiON

n a pop music culture that is all about celebrity and social media, the curious life of the rock band gets overlooked by many simply because there are no rock bands to speak of  that get put out into the public consciousness anymore. It's all country and R&B and whatever else shows like THE VOICE want you to believe is going to fly with the American public. It's a shame because the Southern California based band DARK STATION boasts a sound that we don't hear at all in the current pop firmament. It is a sound rooted in the hard rock raucous that typified post-grunge of the late nineties and early aughts with lyrics that aren't about braggadociousness or moving like JAGGER, but about life gone wrong and then horribly wrong but faced with an optimism that isn't easy to understand yet must be embraced if one is to move forward. The push and pull of life is what the music of DARK STATION is all about and they've captured it perfectly on their debut album DOWN IN THE DARK, an eleven song opus produced by AUGUSTUS CRYNS (BUTCHER BABIES, ANTHRAX, VYCES). Since the album's release in October of 2019, DARK STATION has been showing with world what they're made of and proving that rock is on the rise again with the singles HEROES, VILLAIN, NO LIFE and OBVIOUS, all of which were accompanied by some first rate music videos. ROCKWIRED had a chance to speak with DARK STATION's front man NATHAN SPADES regarding the band's debut album. Here is how the interview went.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

DECEMBER 12, 2019
ROCKWiRED PR BLAST: JEFF CARLSON BAND

as Vegas, Nevada's Scorchers Of Melodic Hard Rock, the Jeff Carlson Band, have announced they have inked a worldwide deal with RFL Records. The band delivers a high dosage of hooks with their melodic hard rock style that taps into the glory days of the late 80's and early 90's and pulls that energy into the new millenium. With heavy guitars, high energy melodies and a heart pounding backbeat, JCB blast the arena rock style into the spotlight and into the ears of today’s young listeners.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

DECEMBER 11, 2019
ROCKWiRED REMEMBERS: MARiE FREDRiKSSON

he voice of MARIE FREDRIKSSON is a hard thing to describe in the age of TV shows like THE VOICE. It was strong with a slight rasp and was capable of issuing slick pop, driving rockers and some of the most daring and sweeping power ballads to ever hit the pop stratosphere. If you listened very closely (especially on the forementioned power ballads) you could hear a sadness welling up in the woman's throat. As the female vocalist and co-founder of the Swedish pop duo ROXETTE, FREDRIKSSON covered all of the bases that I just laid out for you but it was FREDRIKSSON tearing into the duo's power ballads that set her apart from many of her late-eighties/early nineties pop contemporaries. That voice of her's soared on such material as the number one songs LISTEN TO YOUR HEART and IT MUST'VE BEEN LOVE, but there was something understated in her delivery - an intimacy that had nothing to do with being a pop diva. I'm confident that none of the judges on THE VOICE  could put their finger on it either. I feel that it was most definitely love, but it's over now with the passing of MARIE FREDRIKSSON on December 9, 2019 after a 17 year battle with cancer.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

DECEMBER 8, 2019
ROCKWiRED NOTES: CORNERS OF SANCTUARY

he Christmas season is upon us and ROCKWIRED had a feeling that we could rely on the metal band CORNERS OF SANCTUARY  to deliver the goods in terms of yuletide cheer and their own signature brand of metal guitar riffage. On the surface, a metal band doing Holiday themed music sounds tongue-in-cheek but the Holiday spirit amongst these ragscallions is most definitely for real and will not be denied. You're not a faker when you have just issued your sixth Christmas-themed album. In recent years the blasting of Christmas music through the overhead speakers of this or that retail outlet so soon after Halloween has practically been scientifically proven to bring out the inner GRINCH in people and who can blame them? There is a maddening redundancy to all of the frivolity. Who cares if it's BING CROSBY or MARIAH CAREY doing the deed?

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

DECEMBER 7, 2019
ROCKWiRED NOTES: JiLLiAN RiSCOE

 lot can happen in the space of ten years and this is most certainly true of singer JILLIAN RISCOE. When ROCKWIRED first became acquainted with RISCOE in 2009, she was an unabashed pop rock princess armed with a soulful delivery and a punchy sound that was heavy on pop psychological heartache and all of the drama that goes with the territory. Yes, her debut album ELEVEN:ELEVEN was the first hopeful sign of an artist on the rise. A star was born, yet surprisingly RISCOE defied conventional divadom and chose to share the spotlight with a band. In 2010, she formed the THE 21RST CENTURY and played stages at all of the right festivals and workshops and toured the country. In 2013, RISCOE put THE 21RST CENTURY behind her and formed RED VELVET CRUSH which continued her issuance of pop rock gems that spoke to the ups and downs of life and romance. Up until two years ago, we had every reason to believe that RED VELVET CRUSH was going to be here for the long haul with the release of two amazing EPs but 2017 saw the end of that band.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

DECEMBER 4, 2019
ROCKWiRED NOTES: ViOLATES/ViOLETS

or years, Russian-born guitarist JAY KATANA  has made it his mission to combine rip roaring electric guitar sounds with modern dance beats. While his instrumental approach wasn't likely to make a blip on pop music's radar, it was most definitely an intriguing sound that would feel right at home on this video game or that NETFLIX original. ROCKWIRED first became acquainted with KATANA in 2016 with the release of his debut EP BLEEDING BOYFRIEND VOLUME ONE where the man's musical ambitions were punctuated by a series of frantic, animated music videos. In 2018 he released the LP BRIGHTER THAN YOUR FUTURE which continued his alchemy of rock guitar and EDM beats. In September of this year, KATANA released the EP BLEEDING BOYFRIEND MIXTAPE (THE END 2012 -2019).

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

OCTOBER 14, 2019
ROCKWiRED BLAST: ROCKWiRED.COM ON HiATUS

nyone who has followed ROCKWIRED.COM closely throughout the course of 2019 could see the writing on the wall and this official announcement may come as no surprise. 2019 was not our year and in order to ensure that the website survives, ROCKWIRED MEDIA LLC - the company that powers ROCKWIRED.COM - has decided to put the website on  hiatus until the January 17, 2020. According to ROCKWIRED.COM's editor-in-chief BRIAN LUSH, this announcement probably should've been issued much earlier in the year. "Never before have I ever been faced with a dilemma like this in all of the 15 years that we have been in operation," Says LUSH. "With the downturn in advertising and feeling as if we've lost our way a bit, I think the time away is going to be the best medicine for ROCKWIRED and when we return, I've got a good feeling that our readers will truly appreciate  our little publication even more and we may even bring new readers aboard the ROCKWIRED train."

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

JULY 11, 2019
ROCKWiRED NOTES: MiKKEL CLOUD

've seen countless new acts come out of drydock confident in their musical vision and their singular sense of artistry. TRANSISTOR_1, the new EP from the recently formed electronica duo MIKKEL CLOUD, is their first official release and singer WHITTNEY MIKKEL's earthy coo and the otherworldly electronic arrangements of JAREN CLOUD are the sonic hallmarks of this new act. However, it is curious to note that the duo's first significant musical marking is a small collection of covers of RADIOHEAD songs. MIKKEL CLOUD take the songs HOW TO DISAPPEAR COMPLETELY, PYRAMID SONG and TRUE LOVE WAITS and give the music the kind of musical spin that would make THOM YORKE proud. In fact the tunes feel right at home with MIKKEL CLOUD's jazzy electronica. Unlike the countless BUSTER BROWN's I've witnessed picking up an acoustic guitar and yelping the band's 1994 hit CREEP, MIKKEL CLOUD serve up an interpretation of RADIOHEAD's music that satisfies artistically and sonically and won't cause eyes to roll. In speaking with the spritely and adorable Anaheim-based couple over the phone, the challenges of getting people to take in intertpretations of RADIOHEAD seriously was not lost on either WHITTNEY or JAREN. 

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

JUNE 21, 2019
ROCKWiRED NOTES: DiANA REiN

hen I spoke with singer songwriter and guitarist DIANA REIN in the two weeks prior to the release of her new album QUEEN OF MY CASTLE, she was kicking back in her hometown of Chicago and celebrating her parents' 50th wedding anniversary. Fifty years of wedded bliss takes a rare dedication and it is the same dedication I had recognized in REIN when I first profiled her in ROCKWIRED two years ago in regard to her 2017 album LONG ROAD. On that album, REIN embraced the blues in an earnest and sincere way tht wasn't overly studied or heavy handed - just natural.  Now, REIN proves that her embrace of the blues is still both genuine and heartfelt with QUEEN OF MY CASTLE - an album that showcases REIN's guitar chops and songcraft on such stand out tracks as HEAT, PURE SOUL and GET DOWN. Two years is a long time to get an album ship shape but when I spoke with REIN, this latest album was a true labor of love with quite an evolution.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

JUNE 20, 2019
ROCKWiRED NOTES: DELMONT

hen I got on the phone with JONAH KAZMAN, the drummer of the Philadelphia-based rock band DELMONT, it was easy to hear the buzz of activity through the speaker. One would guess that it was simply a band getting together for rehearsal. When a band issues an exciting slice of modern rock with a decidedly bluesy edge as DELMONT has with their new EP AGED, it makes sense to get the band into touring shape. However, this wasn't the case. According to KAZMAN, all of the members of DELMONT were moving into a house together. In all the years that I've been trying to get to know bands and to get a sense of what makes them tick, I've never met a band of brothers like DELMONT. I've interviewed bands with members that didn't want to be in the same room together, but a band who get a house together? It doesn't sound real but it is. In fact, if what one hears on the band's latest EP is to be believed, then the chemistry that bonds DELMONT together is indeed formidable. Who knows? They may even end up being ideal roommates.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

JUNE 7, 2019
ROCKWiRED NOTES: KELLY BELL BAND

reat music transcends genres and for twenty-four years, THE KELLY BELL BAND has been making 13 albums worth of great music. Now, the band has issued their latest album KNOW MY NAME and the borders that have traditionally separated such music as metal, blues, jazz and rock are nowhere to be found, resulting in a musical journey that is unparalleled in an age where singles are king...at least until APPLE takes i-TUNES away. If the myriad sounds collected on this one album look daunting in print, to front man KELLY BELL it's just business as usual. In fact, the music of THE KELLY BELL BAND indeed has a label and it's "Phat Blues".

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MAY 28, 2019
ROCKWiRED DOSSiER: SHONDRA JEPPERSON

aking a living out of what one loves to do is the hardest thing in the world to achieve, but songwriter and performer SHONDRA JEPPERSON makes it look easy. Based in Sedona, Arizona, SHONDRA and her husband TOM JEPPERSON run their own production company ENTERTAINMENT BY TOM AND SHONDRA  where the two produce live shows and concerts, musical murder mysteries and emcee various events.  As an entrepreneur, SHONDRA has married a love of music and performance into a comfortable living that has made her and her company a stand out in their community and the greater Southwest region, but before settling in Sedona, SHONDRA has been an award winning songwriter and a stand out actress in various comedic, dramatic and musical theatre productions.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

MAY 16, 2019
ROCKWiRED NOTES: ZFG

ou never get a second chance to make a first impression and I have the sneaking suspicion that the band ZFG had that very saying in mind when deciding what the band's first single was going to be. Their anthemic debut single SPECIAL is a thick slice of pop rock heaven that combines no nonsense metal riffs with a funky rhythm section. On top of these proceedings is the soulful wail of lead singer JULES GALLI. Pop smarts such as this don't grow on trees, especially in today's musical climate. In the case of a band like ZFG, pop smarts are simply a matter of good genetics.  The band's founders, guitarist  TREV LUKATHER and bassist SAM PORCARO, are the respective sons of STEVE LUKATHER and MIKE PORCARO of the band TOTO.  Of course, illustrious musical chops aren't limited to these two. Drummer JOSH DEVINE has worked with ONE DIRECTION and lays down one mean thunder clap while lead singer JULES GALLI's vocals give the music that R&B sheen that made ADAM LEVINE a big deal in the first place. ROCKWIRED had the chance to speak with founder and guitarist TREV LUKATHER regarding the band and their new single. Here is how the interview went.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

APRIL 16, 2019
ROCKWiRED NOTES: DALi VAN GOGH

n all the years that we've known DALI VAN GOGH, we could always rely on the Nova Scotia-based band to deliver a rocking good time with every successive release, but with their latest album UNDER HER SPELL, they really mean it. As a publication, we can't help but get all warm and sentimental when it comes to these guys. They were one of the first bands to be featured on ROCKWIRED MAGAZINE in 2012 and all those years ago, despite their relative youth, they were a band who had been through some drastic line up changes, but for guitarist and founder ISAAC KENT, it was all par for the course. The music was the mission and it seemed this grunge metal juggernaut was going to go the distance until the band broke up in 2014 and KENT shifted his attention to the entreprenuerial task of turning the DALI VAN GOGH brand into an independent record label. With a few signings, one would  have thought that KENT's future as music mogul was secure until a fire destroyed his recording studio and home. The devastating set back forced KENT to re-examine his life and his brand and from the ashes emerged a new and improved DALI VAN GOGH with a 2016 album aptly titled FROM THE ASHES, which showcased the band and KENT's unshakable spirit. Now with their new release UNDER HER SPELL, DALI VAN GOGH issues the very blistering hard rock that they have made their unmistakable trademark, but this time around, the band is more interested in serving up a good time with such tracks as the single, GET AWAY, SUPERMAN AND MacGYVER and EAST COAST WITCHES. ROCKWIRED had a chance to catch up with guitarist and founder ISAAC KENT and keyboardist RACHELLE MOREAU of DALI VAN GOGH six days before the release of their new album. Here is how the interview went.

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APRIL 10, 2019
ROCKWiRED NEWS BLAST: THE OFFiCiAL GUiDE TO THE 2019 LA MUSiC VIDEO AWARDS TO BE PUBLiSHED BY ROCKWiRED MAGAZiNE!!!

n April 22, 2018 ROCKWIRED MAGAZINE will be releasing the official guide for the 2019 LA MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS taking place in Covina, California  on May 11, 2019 at THE COVINA CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS. 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!!!

MARCH 24, 2019
ROCKWiRED REViEWS: THE DiRT

he "rock n roll biopic" is bigger than ever since the box office success of BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY and the subsequent OSCAR win for actor RAMI MALEK for his flashy portrayal of the one and only FREDDIE MERCURY. Later this year, we can expect a film based on the life SIR ELTON JOHN, nicked ROCKET MAN, to hit the silver screen. Rock n roll has always lent itself to great drama given the intensity of the music and the fabled ups and downs that usual accompany lifestories that come complete with meteoric rises, devastating crashes and burns that hopefully culminate into a newfound resilience to move forward with an audience to cheer the protagonist on. I've already betting that ROCKET MAN, like BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY, will go for hagiography at the expense of telling us something truly juicy and why the hell not? Both films are produced by the very subjects they cover. This is not quite the case for THE DIRT, a film based on the collaborative autobiography of glam metal icons MOTLEY CRUE titled THE DIRT: CONFESSIONS OF THE WORLD'S MOST NOTORIOUS ROCK BAND. The eagerly awaited film has dropped on NETFLIX at a very curious time in pop cultural zeitgeist marked by #metoo and thought of it has me in stitches.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

MARCH 19, 2019
THE ROCKWiRED ARTiST OF THE MONTH NOMiNEES:

OCKWIRED.COM is pleased to announce the nominees for our latest ARTIST OF THE MONTH COMPETITION. Our monthly artist competition has been noticeably absent since the month of February when Maryland-based rockers VEER were annouced as the winners. ROCKWIRED has been busy trying to figure out how we are going to move forward with 2019. 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.

This month's nominees include THE INFECTION, TURBO TAYLOR & THE RIFF RAFF, 9ELECTRIC, SILVERTUNG, SHALLOW SIDE, BRAVO DELTA, DALI VAN GOGH. The polls will close Friday, March 29, 2019 and the winner will be announced Saturday, March 30, 2019. The winner will be featured in a special  podcast presentation and will receive extra promotion on the pages of ROCKWIRED.COM with a free web ad  which will appear on all of the pages of the website for one month.
                                        TO CAST YOUR VOTE CLiCK HERE!!!

MARCH 19, 2019
ROCKWiRED NOTES: THE iNFECTiON

espite comprising hard rocking journeymen with over 80 collective years of musical experience between them, THE INFECTION is a brand new band that is hellbent on getting folks to feel energized and inspired by the music on their debut album TIME TO HEAL. Two years isn't exactly a hell of a long time to be together as a band, but front man RICK DUNN, bassist SANTIAGO HELMAN, drummer VINNIE LAROCCA and ax man TOMMY GUARNIERI have used the time wisely to craft a lean and mean metal sound that speaks to the highs and lows of living life in a culture where you've got a scandal here and feel outraged about over there. You can hear that very sentiment in the band's first single and music video CONSEQUENCES. Of course, all of the kinks in the songwriting were worked out before they stepped into the recording studio and got a little help in the mixing and engineering with ANTHONY ROCKY GALLO (JOHN LEGEND, JON BON JOVI, THE CULT). Rock n roll is always it's most potent when it has something to say and there is plenty the band has to say when it comes to such issues such as the scandal ridden times we're living in (CONSEQUENCES), homelessness (VAGRANT) and acknowledging the men and women who have served this country (THE BRAVE). ROCKWIRED had a chance to speak with the all of the members of the band over the phone on the very day that the album TIME TO HEAL was released. Here is how the interview went.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

FEBRUARY 28, 2019
ROCKWiRED SPECIAL FEATURE: 2019 LA MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS

ust when you thought that we saw the last of the award seasons with the recent broadcast of the 91rst annual ACADEMY AWARDS, along comes a new awards season for fans of a medium much smaller than that of the silver screen. Since it's inception last year, the LA MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS has sought to celebrate the very best in both the sound and vision that is coming out of the world of independent music. Last year over a hundred music videos were nominated in over 30 categories and this year, the submissions for the second annual LA MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS are looking to exceed those numbers. Organized by JOWANNA LEWIS - the CEO of the online radio station RADIOKSCR.COM - this annual awards celebration is quickly gaining a reputation as one of the hottest events in the music industry and LEWIS couldn't be more excited by what is in store this year. "There are a lot of things that have me excited!" said LEWIS in a recent phone conversation with ROCKWIRED. "One of the first submissions that I got was from the R&B singer INDIA.ARIE. When I saw that I was like "What?" That was pretty crazy. I also got a submission from a K-POP band from South Korea. It's a little but much to be honest. A part of me is thinking that this is going to be so much bigger than last year. We've also got a new venue this year and we're doing a whole lot of things in trying to secure sponsors.  It is definitely going to be a bigger event. We've also added some new categories this year like BEST METAL MUSIC VIDEO and BEST COVER SONG. So I'm really excited. I think that it's all kind of crazy to be honest."

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

FEBRUARY 25, 2019
ROCKWiRED NOTES: BRAVO DELTA

ry, try again can either be sage advice or an exercise in futility. I suppose it depends on whether you're one of the glass half empty or glass half full types. So far, 2019 has proven difficult for ROCKWIRED as a publication, but for the band BRAVO DELTA, the year is shaping up to be a big one. The Vegas-based hard rock band has issued their first full length album, the aptly-titled  UNBREAKABLE, after years of maintaining as a band despite health problems, setbacks and life getting in the way of that glorious music making process. Despite the obstacles, BRAVO DELTA have come out on top with a collection of songs that speak to the highs and lows of life and it can be heard and felt on the albums first single, the title-track of the album. On the heels of their previous EP releases SUNSET WASTELAND (2012) and SHUTDOWN SEQUENCE (2013), BRAVO DELTA have happened upon a sound that will perk the ears of  active rock radio programmers and get some serious momentum going. ROCKWIRED had a chance to speak with the band's front man BRANDON DAVIS regarding the band's new album. Here is how the interview went.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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."

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

 
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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

JANUARY 16, 2019
ROCKWiRED NOTES: VEER

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.

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JANUARY 9, 2019
ROCKWiRED NOTES: MESSER

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

JANUARY 7, 2019
ROCKWiRED NOTES: BEXLEY

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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."

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

DECEMBER 30, 2018
DAMNiT GiLLEY: BiRD BOX

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

TO CAST YOUR VOTE CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

DECEMBER 6, 2018
ROCKWiRED NOTES: JONATHON LONG

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

DECEMBER 4, 2018
ROCKWiRED NOTES: DE-ARROW

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 under had 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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

TO CAST YOUR VOTE CLiCK HERE!!!

FOR iMMEDiATE RELEASE:  

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.

TO READ MORE CLICK HERE!!!

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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."

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

NOVEMBER 14, 2018
ROCKWiRED NOTES: BELOW 7

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

NOVEMBER 12, 2018
ROCKWiRED NOTES: SiR REG

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.

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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.

TO READ MORE CLICK HERE!!!

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.

TO CAST YOUR VOTE CLiCK HERE!!!

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. 

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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. 

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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. 

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

OCTOBER 23, 2018
ROCKWiRED NOTES: LiVESAY

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

OCTOBER 19, 2018
ROCKWiRED NOTES: THE CLAY PEOPLE

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

OCTOBER 16, 2018
ROCKWiRED NOTES: iNNASTATE

 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. 

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

OCTOBER 12, 2018
ROCKWiRED NOTES: ERiC McFADDEN

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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!"

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

OCTOBER 7, 2018
ROCKWiRED REWiND: EURYTHMICS

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

OCTOBER 2, 2018
ROCKWiRED'S 20 THiNGS: THE WiZ

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

TO CAST YOUR VOTE CLiCK HERE!!!

FOR iMMEDiATE RELEASE:  

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

TO LiSTEN TO THE SHOW CLiCK HERE!!!

ROCKWiRED NOTES: KRASHKARMA

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.

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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.

TO CAST YOUR VOTE CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

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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.

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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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

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AUGUST 15, 2018
ROCKWiRED NOTES: MiKE BERN

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.

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AUGUST 6, 2018
ROCKWiRED NOTES: VERMiLLiON ROAD

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. 

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AUGUST 2, 2018
ROCKWiRED NOTES: FOREiGNER

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?

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AUGUST 1, 2018
ROCKWiRED NOTES: TiM CAPPELLO

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.

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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.

TO CAST YOU VOTE CLiCK HERE!!!

FOR iMMEDiATE RELEASE:  

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

JULY 21, 2018
ROCKWiRED NOTES: KORE ROZZiK

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.

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JULY 19, 2018
ROCKWiRED NOTES: TO WHOM iT MAY

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.

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JULY 17, 2018
ROCKWiRED NOTES: HAMMER DOWN HARD

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.

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JULY 11, 2018
ROCKWiRED NOTES: STATiON

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

JULY 6, 2018
ROCKWiRED NOTES: NEVERWONDER

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.  

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

TO CAST YOUR VOTE CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

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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. 

TO LiSTEN TO THE SHOW CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

TO LiSTEN TO THE SHOW CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

TO LiSTEN TO THE SHOW CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

TO LiSTEN TO THE SHOW CLiCK HERE!!!

JUNE 24, 2018
ROCKWiRED iN MEMORiAM: ViNNiE PAUL

t was about a quarter after one in the afternoon yesterday, June 23^rd 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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

TO LiSTEN TO THE PODCAST CLiCK HERE!!!

JUNE 20, 2018
ROCKWiRED NOTES: BROKEN TESTIMONY

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. 

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

JUNE 15, 2018
ROCKWiRED REViEWS: STRANGE ANGEL

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

JUNE 7, 2018
ROCKWiRED PRESS RELEASE: LiVESAY

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."

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

MAY 21, 2018
ROCKWiRED NOTES: QFT

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

TO CAST YOUR VOTE CLiCK HERE!!!

MAY 14, 2018
ROCKWiRED NOTES: ALLMAN GOLDFLiES

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

MAY 10, 2018
ROCKWiRED NOTES: F.K.U.

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. 

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

MAY 8, 2018
ROCKWiRED NOTES: DYNAMOS

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

MAY 4, 2018
ROCKWiRED REViEWS: COBRA KAi

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

FOR iMMEDiATE RELEASE:  

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. 

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

APRIL 30, 2018
ROCKWiRED NOTES: KNEE HiGH FOX

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. 

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

APRIL 25, 2018
ROCKWiRED NOTES: iRON TUSK

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

APRIL 24, 2018
ROCKWiRED NOTES: CiTY OF THE WEAK

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

APRIL 20, 2018
ROCKWiRED NOTES: LONESOME GEORGE

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

APRIL 10, 2018
ROCKWiRED NOTES: TED AXE

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

TO CAST YOUR VOTE CLiCK HERE!!!

APRIL 5, 2018
ROCKWiRED NOTES: SEPiA

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

FOR iMMEDiATE RELEASE:  

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. 

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

APRIL 2, 2018

ROCKWiRED NOTES: FLiGHT OF FiRE

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.

TO READ MORE CLICK HERE!!! 

FOR iMMEDiATE RELEASE:  

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. 

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

MARCH 28, 2018

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."

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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-EURYTHMIC DAVE 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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

MARCH 26, 2018
ROCKWiRED NOTES: MiCK McMAiNS

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).

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MARCH 21, 2018
ROCKWiRED NOTES: WE ARE BAND NERDS

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.

TO READ MORE CLICK HERE!!!

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

MARCH 16, 2018
ROCKWiRED NOTES: KEiTH SECOLA

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.

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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. 

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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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.

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FEBRUARY 19, 2018
ROCKWiRED NOTES: COSMiC WOOL

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 WOOL has 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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

FEBRUARY 19, 2018

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 MANHIGH and 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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

FEBRUARY 17, 2018
ROCKWiRED NEWS BLAST: LA MUSiC ViDEO AWARDS NOMiNEES 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."

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

FEBRUARY 14, 2018
ROCKWiRED NOTES: SiLK9

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 days and 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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

FEBRUARY 12, 2018

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

FEBRUARY 9, 2018
ROCKWiRED REWiND: CANDLEBOX

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.

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FEBRUARY 9, 2018
THE ROCKWiRED ARTiST OF THE MONTH RADIO 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?

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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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?

TO CAST YOUR VOTE CLICK HERE!!!

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.
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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?
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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.
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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 AWARDS 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 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.
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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.
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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.

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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. 

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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. 

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

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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. 

TO READ MORE CLICK HERE!!!

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

JANUARY 3, 2018
ROCKWiRED NOTES: JAY KATANA

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!

TO READ MORE CLICK HERE!!!

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.

TO CAST YOUR VOTE CLICK HERE!!!

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. 

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

TO LiSTEN TO THE SHOW CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

TO READ MORE CLICK HERE!!!

DECEMBER 5, 2017
MUSiC ViDEO BLAST: eM

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. 

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

DECEMBER 4, 2017
ROCKWiRED NOTES: JACOB CADE

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?

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

NOVEMBER 28, 2017
DAMNiT GiLLEY: THE CHROMA DiViDE

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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?

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

NOVEMBER 17, 2017
ROCKWiRED NOTES: ELANTRiS

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.

TO READ MORE CLICK HERE!!!

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."

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

NOVEMBER 3, 2017
FOR iMMEDiATE RELEASE: JACOB CADE

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." 

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

NOVEMBER 1, 2017
DAMNiT GiLLEY: POLARiTY

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!

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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.

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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).

TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!!

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. 

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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.

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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".

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OCTOBER 22, 2017
DAMNiT GiLLEY: TESTAROSSA

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.

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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.

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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."

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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.

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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.

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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.

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OCTOBER 5, 2017
ROCKWiRED SPECiAL FEATURE:

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. 

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