DECEMBER 11, 2021 ROCKWiRED
SPECiAL
FEATURE: ALLAN
HOLZMAN
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.
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APRIL
18, 2021
ROCKWiRED
REWiND:
EURYTHMiCS
-
REVENGE (1986)
n
June of 1986 I
was enrolled
in summer
school and
licking my
wounds after
my first full
academic year
of Catholic
school. My
fifth grade
year marked a
drastic change
in scenery
with stark
concrete
school grounds
surrounded by
a twenty foot
high chain
link fence. In
retrospect you
would think
the school was
designed by
the architect
who designed
the Attica
Correctional
Facility. I
also had to
wear a uniform
– a first for
me. It
consisted of a
light blue
dress shirt
and navy blue
slacks and
matching tie.
Mine was a
clip on. No
tennis shoes
here. Just
loafers and
black socks.
My class
attended a
mass every
Tuesday
morning
performed by a
drunken
Monsignor. Yes,
St. Michael's
Elementary
School was a
madhouse out
of KEN KESEY's
imagination
with a
monstrous nun,
the principal,
ringing a bell
to signal the
change in
classes. The
teachers. Dear
God! The
teachers. You
never met an
unhappier set
of hens
hellbent on
making matters
of reading,
writing and
arithmetic a
strained
and
unpleasant
affair. And
let's not
forget the
Catholicism
itself.
Learning about
a religion
that wasn't
mine was
especially
daunting.
Terms like
“original
sin,”
“chastity,”
and
“fidelity,”
meant
absolutely
nothing to a
touch and go
Episcopal like
myself. Even
if I was only
ten going on
eleven.
Needless to
say, the grim
surroundings
and
indifference
led to poor
academic
performance.
And I don't
have time to
bring up the
bullying that
often went
unchecked and
I'm just
taking about
the teachers.
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APRIL
11, 2021ROCKWiRED
NOTES:
ARENA
he
good times
don't roll in
an age of
masks, social
distancing and
voter
suppression.
Even with a
glimmer of
hope offered
by the roll
out of
vaccines, news
of a rise in
cases and the
variants are
there to
remind you the
nightmare
ain't over
yet. There
hasn't been
much out there
in the way of
escape so when
a synthwave
artist known
as ARENA
released a
rather
exciting cover
of the 1986
VAN HALEN song
DREAMS, our
curiosity
about this
mysterious
artist was
piqued. ARENA
is JOEY ARENA
, the front
man for the
rock band
OVTLIER, a
band that
caught our
attention
as a
publication a
couple of
years back
with the
release of
their rather
fine EP WHAT
DOESN'T KILL
YOU. The angst
often
associated
with the
active rock
set seems to
tailor made
for the
chaotic times
that we are
living in now,
but JOEY
ARENA, the
charismatic
front man,
felt something
different.
With the
pandemic
slowing what
was left of
the music
industry,
ARENA turned
to the radiant
sound of
synthwave and
nicked the new
project after
himself.
Launching this
new sound with
a VAN HALEN
cover is a
curious move
indeed but it
is one that
has paid off.
Hell, ARENA's
glorious
interpretation
of DREAMS has
earned the
highest praise
possible from
SAMMY HAGAR
himself.
TO
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APRIL
6, 2021
ROCKWiRED
NOTES:
CASEY
HENSLEY
hat
moment when an
artist finds
their voice
and starts
sharing it
with the world
is the stuff
of dreams.
Rock n roll
dreams anyway.
Blues rock
artist CASE
HENSLEY's own
rock n roll
dreams were
about to
become a
reality with
the release of
her first
studio album
GOOD AS GONE
on March 13,
2020. Armed
with first
rate blues
rock gems
penned by
HENSLEY and
guitarist and
collaborator
LAURA CHAVEZ,
GOOD AS GONE
should've
brought the
whole blues
rock world
into a frenzy.
Unfortunately,
GOOD AS GONE's
release
coincided with
the date that
the country
and the rest
of the world
officially
shut down due
to the
Coronavirus.
There was not
a whole lot to
celebrate in
the year 2020
but GOOD AS
GONE was one
hell of a ride
with its hard
rocking first
single IF I
PRAY, its
uplifting
title track
and the
absolutely
smoking
BREAKING YOUR
HEART. I get
the feeling
that an
electrifying
live show
could've taken
this album and
the artist to
some exciting
places but 13
months in the
pandemic,
society is
starting to
see glimmers
of hope with
the roll out
of vaccines.
Perhaps live
shows will be
coming back
into the
picture and
HENSLEY can
seize the rock
n roll moment
and glory that
she so richly
deserves.
TO
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MARCH
5, 2021
ROCKWiRED
NOTES:
CARY
MORiN AND
GHOST DOG
y
the time this
pandemic is
over,
everybody is
going to have
an album!”
Those were the
words of
singer
songwriter
guitarist CARY
MORIN's
publicist in
regard to his
latest album
DOCKSIDE
SAINTS, an
homage to the
blues and
zydeco sounds
of the New
Orleans area,
which was
recorded in
2020 just a
heartbeat
before the
global
pandemic
brought the
world to a
standstill.
Evidently
there was some
question about
what to do
with the
mastered
recordings
when it was
announced that
the good
people of the
world needed
to mask up,
stay six feet
apart from one
another and
stop going to
live shows.
Thankfully Mr.
MORIN realized
that the world
needed
something to
listen to in a
time marked by
lock downs and
just plain old
isolation.
JANUARY
31, 2021
ROCKWiRED
NOTES:
BRAD
HELLER
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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DECEMBER 27, 2020 ROCKWiRED
NOTES:
BiLL
CHAMPLiN
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. TO
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DECEMBER 6, 2020 ROCKWiRED
NOTES:
AS
STRANGE AS
ANGELS
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. TO
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NOVEMBER 22, 2020 ROCKWiRED
REWiND:
PAT
BENATAR -
GET
NERVOUS (1982)
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. TO
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NOVEMBER 15, 2020 ROCKWiRED
NOTES:
BLACK
MANSiONS
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 18th & 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. TO
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NOVEMBER 12, 2020 ROCKWiRED
NOTES:
MARLON
MONTGOMERY
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.
TO
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SEPTEMBER 23, 2020 ROCKWiRED
REWiND:
AiMEE
MANN -
BACHELOR
NO. 2
(2000)
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 20th 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. TO
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SEPTEMBER 6, 2020 ROCKWiRED
REWiND:
JOAN
ARMATRADiNG -
THE
KEY
(1983)
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. TO
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SEPTEMBER 5, 2020 ROCKWiRED
REWiND:
PAT
BENATAR
- GO
(2003)
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. TO
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AUGUST 30, 2020 ROCKWiRED
REWiND:
EURYTHMiCS
- WE
TOO ARE ONE
(1989)
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. TO
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AUGUST 27, 2020 ROCKWiRED
REWiND:
TiNA
TURNER
- BREAK
EVERY RULE
(1986)
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. TO
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AUGUST 23, 2020 ROCKWiRED
REWiND:
BiLLY
OCEAN
- SUDDENLY
(1984)
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. TO
READ
MORE CLiCK HERE!!!
AUGUST 19, 2020 ROCKWiRED
REWiND:
THE
SMiTHEREENS
- 11
(1989)
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.
TO
READ
MORE CLiCK HERE!!!
AUGUST 16, 2020 ROCKWiRED
REWiND:
URGE
OVERKiLL
- SATURATiON
(1993)
'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. TO
READ
MORE CLiCK HERE!!!
AUGUST 9, 2020 ROCKWiRED
REWiND:
PAT
BENATAR'S 1980
ALBUM
CRiMES OF
PASSiON
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. TO
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AUGUST 8, 2020 ROCKWiRED
NOTES:
SPLiT
SECOND
MELTDOWN
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.
TO
READ MORE
CLiCK HERE!!!
AUGUST 3, 2020 ROCKWiRED
NOTES:
LUKAS
ROSSi
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.
TO
READ MORE
CLiCK HERE!!!
JULY 30, 2020 ROCKWiRED
SOUND BiTE:
THE
PRETENDERS
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!
TO
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JULY 30, 2020 ROCKWiRED
NOTES:
JAMES
PACE BAND
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.
TO
READ MORE
CLiCK HERE!!!
JULY 28, 2020 ROCKWiRED
NOTES:
THE
LONELY ONES
"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?
TO
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JULY 25, 2020 ROCKWiRED
SOUND
BiTE:
THE LONELY
ONES -
FLASH/THE HERO
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. TO
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APRIL 30, 2020 ROCKWiRED
REWiND:
EURYTHMiCS'
1985 ALBUM BE
YOURSELF
TONiGHT
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.
TO
READ MORE
CLiCK HERE!!!
APRIL 5, 2020 ROCKWiRED NOTES: ZOMBiEKiNG
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.
TO
READ MORE
CLiCK HERE!!!
APRIL 3, 2020 ROCKWiRED NOTES: A LOST ASYLUM
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.
TO
READ MORE
CLiCK HERE!!!
APRIL 3, 2020 ROCKWiRED NOTES: DELTAPHONiC
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."
TO
READ MORE
CLiCK HERE!!!
MARCH 28, 2020 ROCKWiRED NOTES: RELiC KiNGS
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.
TO
READ MORE
CLiCK HERE!!!
MARCH 25, 2020 ROCKWiRED NOTES: NEVERWAKE
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.
TO
READ MORE
CLiCK HERE!!!
MARCH 9, 2020 ROCKWiRED ARTiST OF THE MONTH NOMiNEES: ZOMBiEKiNG, A LOST ASYLUM, RELiC KiNGS, NEVERWAKE, ALL SOULS, JANGLiNG SPARROWS AND JEFF CARLSON BAND!!!
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!!!
MARCH 9, 2020 ROCKWiRED NOTES: JEFF CARLSON BAND
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!!!
FEBRUARY 22, 2020 ROCKWiRED NOTES: JANGLiNG SPARROWS 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.
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.
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.
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".
TO
READ
MORE CLiCK HERE!!!
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.
TO
READ
MORE CLiCK HERE!!!
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.
TO
READ
MORE CLiCK HERE!!!
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.
FOR
iMMEDiATE
RELEASE:
TO
CAST YOUR VOTE
CLiCK HERE!!!
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.
TO
READ
MORE CLiCK HERE!!!
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 TO
READ
MORE CLiCK HERE!!!
FOR
iMMEDiATE
RELEASE:
TO
READ
MORE CLiCK HERE!!!
OCTOBER
30, 2018 TO
READ
MORE CLiCK HERE!!!
OCTOBER
26, 2018 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.
FOR
iMMEDiATE
RELEASE:
TO
CAST
YOUR VOTE
CLiCK HERE!!!
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.
TO
READ
MORE CLiCK HERE!!!
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.
TO
READ
MORE CLiCK HERE!!!
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.
TO
READ
MORE CLiCK HERE!!!
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.
TO
READ
MORE CLiCK HERE!!!
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.
TO
READ MORE
CLiCK HERE!!!
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.
TO
READ MORE
CLiCK HERE!!!
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?
TO
READ
MORE CLiCK HERE!!!
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.
TO
READ MORE
CLiCK HERE!!!
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.
FOR
iMMEDiATE
RELEASE:
TO
CAST YOU VOTE
CLiCK HERE!!!
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.
TO
READ
MORE CLiCK HERE!!!
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.
TO
READ
MORE CLiCK HERE!!!
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.
TO
READ MORE
CLiCK HERE!!!
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.
TO
LiSTEN
TO THE SHOW
CLiCK HERE!!!
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 23rd
when I got the
news. A friend
of mine had
texted me a
few hours
earlier, the
message read
simply,
"Vinnie Paul?
Fuck." I knew
exactly what
it meant, and
it was too
much for me to
handle. I
ignored all
the other
notifications
on my phone,
sat it back on
the nightstand
and rolled
over and went
back to sleep.
I didn't want
to be awake
that day. I
hoped that
going back to
sleep would
mean that I
could wake up
from the
nightmare.
Several hours
later I awoke
to find it was
all true. The
outpouring of
tributes on
social media
proved it. No
one had a
cause, not
that it
mattered. A
huge part of
rock and roll
is gone, and
it doesn't
matter why or
how. 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.
JUNE
20, 2018TO
LiSTEN
TO THE PODCAST
CLiCK HERE!!!
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 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.
FOR
iMMEDiATE
RELEASE:
TO
READ MORE
CLICK HERE!!!
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 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).
TO
READ
MORE CLiCK HERE!!!
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.
TO
READ
MORE CLiCK HERE!!!
THE
ARTiCLE
WiLL
CONTiNUE
FOLLOWiNG THE ADVERTiSEMENT BELOW MARCH 14, 2018 ROCKWiRED DOSSiER: JON MARCHEWKA OF RFL RECORDS or
the past
decade and a
half there has
been talk of
how there is
no gold in
them there
hills when it
comes to the
music industry
and how
easy it is to
make music and
make it
available
online for
people to
download
without
paying. It all
sounds
hopeless. With
an environment
like this, why
the hell get
into the
industry? For
that matter,
why even start
a record label
if music has
become this
taken-for-granted
commodity as
opposed to
being a
precious one?
Those are the
questions
anyone
entering this
"crazy"
business
should be
asking
themselves,
but ROCKWIRED
is leveling
these
questions to
JON MARCHEWKA,
the owner and
founder of the
small,
independent
record label
RFL
RECORDS. In
speaking with
MARCHEWKA,
we've learned
that it is
simply a love
for the
heavier side
of rock n roll
that fuels
MARCHEWKA's
passion
for his
fledgling
label and the
artists
on his
roster which
include the
heavy metal
thunder of
bands such as
HYDROGYN and
SILK 9 to the
gritty punk
rock assault
of BLACK
KNOTS. This
baby-faced,
mild mannered
entrepreneur
isn't letting
any music
industry
cynicism get
in his way and
is looking
forward to
adding new
bands and
artists to RFL
RECORDS'
already
impressive
roster.
TO
READ
MORE CLiCK HERE!!!
THE
ARTiCLE
WiLL
CONTiNUE
FOLLOWiNG THE ADVERTiSEMENT BELOW MARCH 5, 2018 ROCK SHOW #5: WE ANNOUNCE THE WINNER OF ROCKWIRED'S ARTIST OF THE MONTH AWARD AND FEATURE MUSIC AND EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS WITH SEPIA, FLIGHT OF FIRE AND WE ARE BAND NERDS!!! eing
away for a
week was a
huge mistake
but what
choice do you
have when you
host a podcast
and you get
struck with
laryngitis and
it hurts like
hell to talk.
Some of the
rasp is still
with me, but
ROCK SHOW is
back, as is or
co-host RITA
LOUISE for two
hours of
music,
interviews
with some
bands that
have come
ROCKWIRED
MAGAZINE's way
and banter
between
the hosts on
their current
living
conditions in
the Duke City
and shady
neighbors that
are across
from them.
Neighbors that
can't be
stopped by ATF
raids, forced
evictions or
the love of
Christ for
that matter
and we've got
a sneaking
suspicion that
meth making is
in the
picture.
Thanks alot
BETTER CALL
BREAKING BAD
for making
this shit
chic. Oh there
is so much to
discuss on
this fine show
but we are
kicking
everything off
by announcing
the winner of
the ROCKWIRED
ARTIST OF THE
MONTH. To find
out who it is
you're going
ot have to
listen to the
show until we
fire off the
press release.
Also included
in this
edition of
ROCK SHOW is
music and
exclusive
interviews
with
Maryland-based
rockers SEPIA,
the all-female
metal band
FLIGHT OF FIRE
and the rap
metal band WE
ARE BAND
NERDS.
TO
READ
MORE CLiCK HERE!!!
THE
ARTiCLE
WiLL
CONTiNUE
FOLLOWiNG THE ADVERTiSEMENT BELOW 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.
TO
READ
MORE CLiCK HERE!!!
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.
FEBRUARY
9, 2018TO
READ
MORE CLiCK HERE!!!
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.
TO
READ
MORE CLiCK HERE!!!
THE
POSTS
WiLL
CONTiNUE
FOLLOWiNG THE ADVERTiSEMENT BELOW 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!!!
THE
POSTS
WiLL
CONTiNUE
FOLLOWiNG THE ADVERTiSEMENT BELOW FEBRUARY 6, 2018 THE ROCKWiRED ARTiST OF THE MONTH NOMiNEES: he
ROCKWIRED
ARTIST OF THE
MONTH
competition
is making it's
grand return
to
ROCKWIRED.COM.
The last
artist of the
month was the
bnd BOBAFLEX
in October of
2017 who had
won onthe
strength of
thousands of
voters and
their 2018
ROCKWIRED
READER'S POLL
AWARD winning
album ELOQUENT
DEMONS. In the
months
following
their victory
ROCKWIRED
MAGAZINE had
undergone some
editorial
changes and so
far, 2018 is
shaping up to
be our most
exciting year
yet in our
entire
thirteen year
history. Along
with the
establishment
of our
exciting new
weekly podcast
ROCK SHOW and
expanded
reportage on
the website,
what better
time to
augment our
ARTIST OF THE
MONTH
campaign?
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.
TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!! FEBRUARY 1, 2018
JANUARY 30, 2018 THE 2018 ROCKWiRED READER'S POLL AWARD WiNNERS!!!
he
eleventh
annual awards
season for the
ROCKWIRED
READER'S POLL
AWARDS has
come to a
close and all
of the votes
have been
tallied. There
were so many
artists and
bands who made
the year 2017
a remarkable
year here at
ROCKWIRED.COM
despite the
challenges our
publication
faced that
year and the
loss of our
flipbook
magazine. But
that was 2017.
2018 is
shaping up to
be a much more
prosperous
year with
traffic
reaching an
all time high
since we made
the decision
to post
articles
directly
to the
website.
Helping in the
upswing in
vistors to the
site was the
voting for the
2018 ROCKWIRED
READER'S POLL
AWARDS. This
year, BOBAFLEX
was the big
winner with 4
READER'S POLL
AWARDS for
BEST BAND,
BEST LP for
the their
album ELOQUENT
DEMONS, and
BEST SONG and
BEST MUSIC
VIDEO for the
single LONG
TIME COMING.
Rounding out
the winners of
the 2018
ROCKWIRED
READER'S POLL
AWARDS are
MILITIA VOX
who won BEST
FEMALE ARTIST
o the strength
of her single
NYCTOPHILIA
and SILVERTUNG
who won BEST
RECORDING (EP)
for their live
acoustic EP
LIGHTEN UP.
Also, rocker
JACOB CADE
walked away
with BEST MALE
ARTIST on the
strenght of
his single
WHAT'S YOUR
PROBLEM. Votes
came from all
over the
Continental
U.S. and North
America.
ROCKWIRED
MAGAZINE would
like to
congratulate
the winners
and thank
everyone who
took the time
to vote.
TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!! JANUARY 29, 2018 DAMNiT GILLEY PRESENTS: BOBAFLEX LiVE efore
I get started,
I want to
clear up a
handful of
things, all of
the bands that
played were
all wonderful,
the show
featured SCARS
REMAIN,
FALLING
THROUGH APRIL,
and ASIDE
OCEANS. Great
bands, I
definitely
recommend that
you the reader
check them
out. Also
want to give a
shout out to
ALEXANDRIA
SNYDER, I know
you really
wanted to make
it out to the
show but life
happens. A
shout out to
BLAKE WEBB as
well for
pulling
through on a
ride
situation.
Lastly TRAVIS
SCHINKE, your
words of
encouragement
mean the
absolutely
world to me,
you don't
understand how
much I needed
to hear that
after the past
few months,
let alone 3
weeks that
I've had.
Thank you!
TO READ MORE CLiCK HERE!!! JANUARY 29, 2018 ROCKWiRED SPECiAL FEATURE: LA MUSiC ViDEO 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. TO READ MORE CLICK HERE!!! JANUARY 24, 2018 DAMNiT GILLEY PRESENTS: FOZMO
OZ MOUSE, what
brought all of
you together
and what do
each of you
bring to the
band?
JANUARY
22, 2018 |