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ROCKWiRED MAGAZiNENOVEMBER 6, 2009
"We cannot describe sound, but we cannot forget it either" - IGOR STRAVINSKY
A NEW LiFE
ART ALEXAKiS OF EVERCLEAR
TALKS TO ROCKWiRED
ABOUT THEiR NEW CD iN A DiFFERENT LiGHT
THE NEW LiNE UP
AND GROWiNG WiSER AS A ROCKER
It seems like it was only yesterday when EVERCLEAR had established itself as America’s top post-grunge act. Twelve years ago, the band’s third album ‘SO MUCH FOR THE AFTERGLOW’ became the template for punk guitar rock with a pop sensibility. The images of the platinum cropped ART ALEXAKIS and his band mates jumping up and down to their electrifying punk pop indictments against absentee fathers (‘FATHER OF MINE’) and conformity (‘EVERYTHING TO EVERYONE’) were mainstays on MTV and that college music channel that my University subscribed to. While billed as ‘alternative’ it was not easy to find what the band’s melodic crunch was running contrary to. For all intents and purposes, EVERCLEAR were mainstream and ART ALEXAKIS was eager to use the fame as a pulpit for political activism – namely his support of the COMPASSION FOR CHILDREN AND CHILD SUPPORT ACT. Even when teen pop and rap-metal started oozing out of the woodwork, EVERCLEAR got into concept album mode with ‘SONGS FROM AN AMERICAN MOVIE VOL. I: LEARNING HOW TO SMILE’ which yielded their biggest hit ‘WONDERFUL’. By the time the band released ‘…VOL. II: GOOD TIME FOR A BAD ATTITUDE’, the bands momentum had fallen and the glory days were over and replaced with a nu-metal dirge - a fitting soundtrack to the instability of the aughties. (READ MORE)
NOVEMBER 4, 2009
LiVE iT AND BREATHE iT
JOHNNY GOLTZ OF RiSE FOR ORDER
ABOUT THE BAND'S FORTHCOMiNG DEBUT LP
BREAKiNG iNTO THE STATES
AND LiViNG LiFE TO THE FULLEST
AND CAPTURiNG MOMENTS THROUGH SONGWRiTiNG
You don’t see a lot of dedication in rock n roll these days. Now, all one has to do in the age of reality television is audition before a celebrity panel of judges before millions of viewers while living it up in some swank pad in Hollywood. The evolution of Toronto-based RISE FOR ORDER is a completely different story. The foursome lived and breathed rock n roll by cutting their teeth at the famed REHEARSAL FACTORY in Toronto. News of the band reached the ears of famed producer STEVE THOMPSON (METALLICA, GUNS AND ROSES and KORN) who got the boys into the studio for their forthcoming debut LP. Rock n roll is never a sound career but lead singer and songwriter JOHNNY GOLTZ has found something amidst the bands slick power chords, propulsive drumming and thunderous bass lines. He has found a sense of purpose. "We were very serious about this band and looked at this as our last chance." says GOLTZ "I think that it’s one of the greatest things that I’ve ever done. JORGE, CHAD, TREVOR and I have lost everything. We’ve lost friends and girlfriends but our number one love is this band." (READ MORE)
NOVEMBER 4, 2009
A BEAUTiFUL NOiSE
GRANT VALDES OF THE EMPTY MiRROR
TALKS TO ROCKWiRED
ABOUT THEiR LATEST CD ABSTRACTED CATHOLiC
THE POSSiBiLiTiES OF MUSiC
AND WRiTiNG FROM A PRiVATE PLACE
GRANT VALDES may be out to make music for himself in the same way that DAVE THOMAS of PERE UBU has claimed to do for the past thirty-five years but VALDES’ THE EMPTY MIROR has an advantage over the other noise rockers that they have been compared to – melody. Far from coming across as discordant, THE EMPTY MIRROR’s sound – cleverly dubbed ‘Nightmericana’ – reels the listener in with sheer musicality on their latest release ABSTRACTED CATHOLIC – a five song collection that defies genre and goes for the gut . Musicianship rules the day with ANTE RUICH’s assault on the bass, BILL KIM’s frenzied drumming and VALDES’ innate ability to let feelings of isolation and tension ring out of just six strings as his voice – at times a gentle SYD BARRETT-like purr and at others a feral scream – careening above the madness. (READ MORE)
NOVEMBER 3, 2009
LET THE DiCE ROLL
JOHN LEFEBVRE TALKS TO ROCKWiRED
ABOUT HiS 29-SONG DEBUT ALBUM PSALNGS
FACiNG A POTENTiAL JAiL SENTENCE
AND CAPTURiNG MOMENTS THROUGH SONGWRiTiNG
ELVIS COSTELLO once said that you have your whole life to prepare for your first album, but I don’t think that even COSTELLO – thirty years ago – could’ve imagined someone like Canadian-born troubadour JOHN LEFEBVRE. LEFEBVRE’s debut PSALNGS is no mere album but a twenty-nine song opus. Perhaps this is to be expected when one has their whole life to prepare for their first album. In LEFEBVRE’s case, that would be fifty-seven years – and what a fifty seven years it has been. The rough and tumbled rock n roller started as a choir boy in Calgary who grew to study piano and learned the guitar after being exposed to the music of the sixties. A drug arrest at seventeen for selling acid to an undercover cop earned him an eight month stay at BOWDEN INSTITUTION. After a series of odd jobs, LEFEBVRE had a daughter and went to law school and embarked on a successful law career until he chose to walk away from it at age forty-five to pursue music. (READ MORE)
NOVEMBER 2, 2009
THiS TiME WiTH FEELiNG
AMANDA MORRA TALKS TO ROCKWiRED
ABOUT HER SELF-TiTLED DEBUT CD
STRiPPiNG THE MUSiC DOWN (ON OCCASiON)
AND PUTTiNG HERSELF iN THE MUSiC
The debut album is the album that one has their entire life to prepare for and Toronto-based pop singer AMANDA MORRA is no exception to this rule. Raised on both music and dance since the age of five, MORRA’s future was never in question or doubt and eventually honed her craft as a performer at both the CANADIAN VOCAL ACADEMY OF MUSIC and the prestigious CARDINAL CARTER SCHOOL OF THE ARTS. The glorious results of MORRA’s dedication are boasted on her self-titled debut CD where she shows tremendous versatility as a vocalist and a promising start as a songwriter. She is certainly not shy to point out that half of the album is co-written by her. “I really think that you need to write what you know otherwise, it’s not going to come across as authentic or genuine.” says MORRA “I try to write as much as possible. I co-wrote six of the songs on the album so hopefully I will be doing more of that. It is a great way to put all of your thoughts and feelings onto paper. For me, songwriting is an important aspect that you need to have. It’s not just about singing a great song anymore. It’s about being able to put yourself into the music and being genuine with it.” (READ MORE)
NOVEMBER 2, 2009
DARKLY ROMANTiC
JiLLiAN RiSCOE TALKS TO ROCKWiRED
ABOUT HER CD ELEVEN:ELEVEN
WRiTiNG ABOUT DARKER EMOTiONS
AND GETTiNG ALL DRAMATiC
The Kansas City-based pop rock siren JILLIAN RISCOE is on the verge of getting too big for Kansas City with the release of her electrifying debut CD ELEVEN:ELEVEN. Produced by music industry veteran DAVID PERCEFULL (DAVID COOK, PHIL MARSHAL and BOWLING FOR SOUP) ELEVEN:ELEVEN is a testament to a young singer songwriter finding both her voice and sound. Unafraid of wearing her heart on her sleeve and going for those big dramatic moments in a way that we haven’t seen since BELLA DONNA-era STEVIE NICKS, RISCOE corners a soon-to-be ex-boyfriend on LIE THE TRUTH, brings romantic disillusionment down to a steady rock groove on STUCK and positively burns on ALL FALL DOWN. It was RISCOE’s intention from round one to embrace a definitive sound – one that she has dubbed ‘dark romanticism’. “Typically, my songs are about love.” says RISCOE “One way or another, they all end up being about heartbreak or a relationship or an ex-boyfriend. I typically write with that template in mind as a songwriter. I like to think of my music as ‘dark romantic’ and that is something that I want to get across to everyone that listens to my music.” (READ MORE)
OCTOBER 30, 2009
SULTANS OF STOMP
JJ AND DAN OF MOJORiSiNG
TALK TO ROCKWiRED
ABOUT THEiR DEBUT EP FEEL WHAT YOU FEEL
COMiNG TO AMERiCA
AND NOT CHANGiNG THE WORLD THROUGH MUSiC
It seems silly to me that the FARRIS brothers of INXS went to all the trouble to come to the States to do a silly reality contest show to find a chap to fill the shoes of the late MICHAEL HUTCHENCE when the ideal replacement was down under as well. JJ (JOZSEPH JAMES) – the front man of the pop-rock duo MOJORISING - has got the HUTCHENCE thing down cold in terms of delivery and songwriting so INXS’s loss is our gain as MOJORISING show those old sultans of stomping dance-rock how it’s done with the release of their debut EP ‘FEEL WHAT YOU FEEL’. Adding to the excitement of this dynamic duo’s release is a recent move from Melbourne, Australia to Los Angeles where they hope to lay down the foundation for America’s embrace of all that is MOJORISING. “[People] like to remind you that you are one in a sea of a million bands.” Says lead singer JJ “So we mentally prepared ourselves in coming to the States for a long time. Right now, I think that we’re feeling a sense of pride for all of the work that we’ve done in getting to LA because we worked our butts off. We’re pretty excited because we just played the WHISKY and that was something that I always wanted to do ever since I was a kid. To sing at JIM MORRISON’s old haunt was just unreal. It’s a mixture of pride, excitement and knowing that we’ve got a lot of work to do.” (READ MORE)
OCTOBER 29, 2009
WE'RE AN AMERiCAN BAND
TRENT RiLEY OF SEXSTONE
TALKS TO ROCKWiRED
ABOUT THEiR DEBUT LP THE PAiNFUL SiDE OF TRUE
FiNDiNG THE iDEAL FRONT MAN
AND TAKiNG THAT NEXT STEP
Nothing is more exciting than a rock n roll dream that is on the verge of coming true, especially in these frightening economic times. Established in 2004, the Kentucky-based SEXSTONE started out with a dark, moody sound reminiscent of THE DOORS. For whatever reason members left but the heart of the band –guitarist STEVE WHEELER and bassist TRENT RILEY – decided to forge on as an eighties cover band in pursuit of a sultry, female singer. What they got instead was a young, dashing front man and prolific songwriter named STEVE BAUER who introduced a more tempered alternative rock sensibility to the band. Having established a devoted following throughout the southeastern states and favorable press, SEXSTONE have released their eagerly awaited debut LP THE PAINFUL SIDE OF TRUE – a rocking catalog of life’s highs, lows and second chances. (READ MORE)
OCTOBER 28, 2009
GO WEST
DUB OF TONiGHT WE RiDE
TALKS TO ROCKWiRED
ABOUT THEiR DEBUT CD OF THE WEST
THE PUNK SCENE iN MONTANA
AND FORGiNG A MORE SOULFUL SOUND
Growing up, punk music conjured up images of graffiti and brownstone, safety-pins in earlobes, torn tee-shirts and mohawks (not faux-hawks). Nowadays, punk stylings have branched off into retail outlets (HOT TOPIC) and rock operas (GREEN DAY’s ‘AMERICAN IDIOT’). Purists may reject such indulgences but to me, that’s just rock n roll. While its initial defiance may be long forgotten, punk music never, ever brought to mind images of the state of Montana but it’s home to the punk rock trio TONIGHT WE RIDE. Having played in bands since high school, the thought of lead singer and guitarist DUB, bassist GREG and drummer BOMB just seemed like the right thing to do. The Helena-based band’s debut CD ‘OF THE WEST’ boasts punk rock with a decidedly country and western twist recalling early X and walks that delicate line between partying hard (DRINK MYSELF INTO OBLIVION) and the apocalypse (OTHER SIDE OF THE WALL PART II). Despite the humor, ‘…WEST’ has its deep moments. The song CAIN STATION is sung from the point of view of a person with a brother in Iraq. (READ MORE)
OCTOBER 27, 2009
SHAKY AND SWEATY
A.J. JACKSON OF SAiNT MOTEL
TALKS TO ROCKWiRED
ABOUT THEiR DEBUT EP FOR PLAY
THEiR KNACK FOR ViSUALS
AND GiViNG FOLKS A SHOW
Sometimes, a rock band’s visual sense is just as important as what they offer musically. Having grown up in the 1980s MTV era, I was never of the opinion that visuals take something away from the music. With the MTV era finished thanks to YOUTUBE, it brings a huge smile to my face to see a band like SAINT MOTEL embracing the art form of music video as they have on their first two singles DEAR DICTATOR and BUTCH. It’s no accident that the boys from SAINT MOTEL met at CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY’s prestigious film and media arts program. Visuals aside, the Los Angeles-based foursome deliver a knock out rock n roll punch with the release of their debut EP ‘FOR PLAY’ and are determined to reel folks in with their stunning live shows. “We try to make our shows over the top fun.” says lead singer A.J. JACKSON. “We try to make each show unique and we want everyone to have a really good time. We have been doing that by making every show an event.” (READ MORE)
OCTOBER 26, 2009
ROCKWiRED's ViDEO TO WATCH FOR:
SAiNT MOTEL - 'DEAR DiCTATOR'
SAINT MOTEL has got film school written all over themselves and that’s perfectly all right. The So-Cal-based band has released their debut EP ‘FOR PLAY’ and are making their presence known visually. “It’s an element that all of us have.” says lead singer AJ JACKSON of the band’s penchant for visual expression. “We all met in film school and we wee all into the visual arts as well but I think that has a lot to do with time we live in. One of the first things I do when I hear a band’s name is look them up on YOUTUBE. I’m a very visual person. I think we all are and it’s something that compliments the music if it’s done right. It’s another dimension of creative expression. We would never want the visuals to detract from the music itself. It is always about music first.”
OCTOBER 26, 2009
PAiNTED DESERT
BRAY TALKS TO ROCKWiRED
ABOUT HiS LATEST CD @MPHiBiAN
BEiNG iSOLATED iN THE MOJAVE DESERT
AND WORKiNG WiTH PRODUCER GARY ST. CLAiR
Some people are born to be rock stars. Before he could strum actual strings on an actual guitar (a telecaster by the looks of his CD's inner sleeve photography), San Francisco-based rocker BRAY (BRAYDEN GURNARI) started out by picking up a “guitar” cut from a cardboard box and would lip synch to some of his favorite songs of the time in front of neighbors. Aware of the performer that was inside of him, the young BRAYDEN learned a thing or two about a real six string, shortened his name to BRAY and got a job. After releasing two albums (excluding a live set recorded in Germany) BRAY took off to the Mojave Desert for some solitude and to work with producer GARY ST. CLAIR for his latest album. The ecstasy and the isolation of those sessions resulted in something powerful within the young singer-songwriter and those results are captured on BRAY’s latest CD @MPHIBIAN. “I wanted to explore subjects that I wouldn’t have explored before because I do want to make sure that I do have a positive message in the work that I do but I did want to embrace some of the darker sides of life on this record so that we could view the positive side in stark contrast.” says BRAY “You can’t see the light without comparing it to the dark – jealousy, insecurity, loss and things like that.” (READ MORE)
OCTOBER 26, 2009
A LiTTLE BiT MORE ORiGiNAL
CRAiG HANDLEY AND RAMONE JONES
OF CR GRUVE
TALK TO ROCKWiRED
ABOUT THEiR DEBUT EP THE NAUGHTY & THE NiCE
AND TACKLiNG THE SUBJECT OF ADULT RELATiONSHiPS
A divorced millionaire with a penchant for music and fella who used to open for SNOOP DOG and DIGABLE PLANETS join forces to create a hip-hop act that strikes the fancy of VIRGIN CEO SIR RICHARD BRANSON. It all sounds like the plot for an upcoming JUDD APATOW film starring SETH ROGAN, but in fact it is the real life story of CR GRUVE. Entrepreneur CRAIG HANDLEY’s marriage was coming to an end and found that the best way to not “go crazy” from the experience was to get lost in something that he had put aside in favor of a stable (and obviously lucrative) career in marketing – music. He found the perfect partner in RAMONE JONES – a former member of the neo-soul hip-hop act ILL NATURAL. Together, they spilled the trials and tribulations of their personal lives on top of some beats and the result is the dynamic duo’s debut EP ‘THE NAUGHTY & THE NICE’ – a collection of songs that speak to the ups and downs of adult relationships. “There are a lot of great rap artists out there and sometimes what they are talking about doesn’t necessarily make a ton of sense.” says CRAIG HANDLEY “There is so much out there where they’ve got the money and they’ve got the girls and they’ve got the car and everybody loves them and that is what the relationship is and that’s great, but that’s not always real.” (READ MORE)
OCTOBER 26, 2009
TERMS OF ENRiCHMENT
iHSAAN KHATiM TALKS TO ROCKWiRED
ABOUT HiS SELF-TiTLED DEBUT E.P.
ESCHEWiNG LABELS
AND MAKiNG MUSiC FOR EVERYBODY
R&B crooner IHSAAN KHATIM’s music is a reminder of what much of today’s R&B has lost sight of – sense of melody and lyrics that thoughtfully analyze the dynamics of relationships and the ways of the world. Taking his queue from such legendary performers as STEVIE WONDER and AL GREEN and mixing it with the sensibilities of GARTH BROOKS and ERIC CLAPTON, KHATIM is on a mission to make music for everyone on the planet. His self-titled debut EP is set for a December release with the promise of a full length LP expected to hit stores sometime in 2010. With all of the hustle and bustle in getting the music out there, KHATIM never loses sight of all the people and loved ones who got him to this crucial point in his career. This gratitude is reflected by his use of the word ‘we’ instead of ‘I’. “[T]he word ‘we’ is in observance of everyone who has contributed to our lives to have us where we are and where we are going.” says KHATIM. “We wouldn’t dare stand in a space and go “I did this!” or “I did that!” We are a combination of all individuals, loved ones and souls that continue to enrich us. We say “we” because that is our standpoint.” (READ MORE)
OCTOBER 26, 2009
EVERYTHiNG'S iN A NAME
LOU BARLOW (NOT THAT LOU BARLOW)
OF TRUE NATURE TALKS TO ROCKWiRED
ABOUT HiS THRiLLiNG EP FEELS LiKE CENTURiES
STEPPiNG UP WiTH A POSiTiVE MESSAGE
AND STANDiNG APART FROM THAT OTHER GUY
While he didn’t have the misfortune of being given the surname LUSH, the voice and songwriter behind TRUE NATURE was dealt an equally troublesome fate – being named LOU BARLOW. Being confused for the founder of the late-nineties lo-fi rock band DINOSAUR JR. has been an issue of concern for BARLOW given the disparate sound textures and messages between both men. The moniker TRUE NATURE was established to allow the music to shine through and end such confusion. In listening to TRUE NATURE’s sophomore EP ‘FEEL’S LIKE CENTURIES’ – names become less important and BARLOW’s hope of letting his music’s ENO-esque scope and BONO-esque ideals gleam brightly comes to fruition. With a little help from studio aces TONY LEVIN (JOHN LENNON and KING CRIMSON), AARON COMESS (THE SPIN DOCTORS) and GERRY LEONARD (DAVID BOWIE and RUFUS WAINWRIGHT) FEELS LIKE CENTURIES is a varied set of ambitious rockers (FREEDOM BEHIND THE SUN), smart, contemplative power pop (COLOR OF DAYLIGHT) and plaintive balladry (TRUTH I HAVE TO STEEL). For those who may feel let down by the brevity of ‘…CENTURIES’, they can be comforted by the fact that TRUE NATURE is putting the finishing touches on their as-of-yet-untitled debut LP, due in early 2010. (READ MORE)
OCTOBER 23, 2009
ROCKWiRED's ViDEO TO WATCH FOR:
JANUS - 'EYESORE'
ROCKWIRED became acquainted with JANUS (guitarist MIKE TYRANSKI actually) near the end of last year after they had released their glorious concept album RED RIGHT RETURN. Now, the Chicago-based rockers have released an equally glorious video for the single EYESORE. “That song is definitely unique.” says TYRANSKI of the band’s epic single. “We found a lot of ways to pull in a lot of different instrumentation and sounds that we had never worked with before. It's got a lot of great parts to it and a lot of originality yet it's very heavy at the same time. Part of our sound is to have these really heavy songs that are bordering on metal but also have these great melodies in there too that are almost like a pop song. I think the combination of the two is very powerful.”
READ THE PREViOUS ROCKWiRED ON-LiNE EXCLUSiVE iNTERViEW WiTH JANUS HERE
OCTOBER 22, 2009
iMMiGRANT SONG
ANNA MADORSKY TALKS TO ROCKWiRED
ABOUT HER CD iNCANTATiON
TREATiNG HER SONGS AS CHARACTERS >
AND APPROACHiNG LiFE ON HER TERMS
The Russian-born, Texas and Tennessee-raised singer-songwriter ANNA MADORSKY thinks about things too much and that is a sweet relief. Her dissections of human behavior and human existence make for exhilarating coffee talk that’ll leave you feeling dizzy and it is those very observations that MADORSKY’s album INCANTATION so engaging. Any female singer with a penchant for the abstract is going to get lumped into that TORI AMOS pile but MADORSKY is an artist that stands alone. Her ethereal coo floats effortlessly over the FEIST-like march of the opener BLOOM, the steady groove of BROKEN ARTIFACTS and the breezy, wistful CHANGE. “I just get the feeling that I’ve kind of hit on the tip of an iceberg creatively.” says MADORSKY of her songwriting process. “I start having this feeling that there is something much bigger underneath so I keep going until it feels complete. As I’m writing it, it is a revelation to me. I start to recognize these certain themes and I realize early on that each song is a character.” (READ MORE)
OCTOBER 21, 2009
iN A FUNK
MiKE GOETZ OF THE QUiCK AND EASY BOYS
TALKS TO ROCKWiRED
ABOUT THEiR CD BAD DECiSiONS WITH GOOD PEOPLE
TOURiNG THE EAST AND WEST COASTS
AND GETTiNG PEOPLE OUT TO THEiR SHOWS
Just when you thought that Portland’s music scene was littered with autumnal, introspective, singer-songwriter-type bands such as THE DECEMBERISTS or AMELIA, along come THE QUICK AND EASY BOYS. Just as comfortable showing off their WILLIE NELSON and JOHNNY CASH influences as they are their love for PARLIAMENT and THE FUNKADELICS, this sturdy power trio is wired to get you ass on the floor dancing. At press time, THE QUICK AND EASY BOYS were wrapping up their successful tour of both coasts in support of their album BAD DECISIONS WITH GOOD PEOPLE an drummer MIKE GOETZ couldn’t have imagined a better place to be. “It’s wonderful actually.” says GOETZ of touring with his band mates. “You get an opportunity to move around the country and meet new people every night and hang out in cities that you’ve never been to. The three of us get along really, really well.” (READ MORE)
OCTOBER 20, 2009
DANCiNG ANGEL
ALEXANDRA CELANO TALKS TO ROCKWiRED
ABOUT HER DEBUT CD i'M OVERCOME
STEPPiNG iNTO THE LiGHT
AND BEiNG HER TRUE, AUTHENTiC SELF
The life and music of Christian singer-songwriter ALEXANDRA CELANO is a study in contrasts. While the back and forth between Christianity and bluegrass music is no real surprise to anyone, it is indeed rare to hear such music from a decidedly Catholic perspective. CELANO’s brand of bluegrass is heartfelt and doesn’t come across as if it were the result of years of study which is strange when you consider that she is based in Orange County, California. Produced by Americana veteran ED TREE (SPENCER DAVIS, RITA COOLIDGE, AL STEWART), CELANO’s debut CD ‘I’M OVERCOME’ is a revelation. CELANO wears her faith on her sleeve with songs such as LET THE RIVER FLOW, MY FATHER’S HANDS and IN THIS PLACE and demonstrates an unabashed earnestness on the title track where the comparison to DOLLY PARTON is simply to glaring to be ignored. (READ MORE)
OCTOBER 19, 2009
ELECTRONiC REVERiE
JARED SHELDON OF TiRRA LiRRA
TALKS TO ROCKWiRED
ABOUT THEiR DEBUT LP PiNK LiVE FOREVER
CONSTRUCTiNG AN ENERGiZED SOUND
AND GOOD,OLD-FASHiONED SYNERGiSM
The Chicago-based TIRRA LIRRA are not the first to marry garage rock tendencies with ethereal electronics but the band’s approach puts melody ahead of anything else. TIRRA LIRRA’s sound has been tested in front of audiences at such Windy City haunts as THE EMPTY BOTTLE, THE WHISTLER BAR and THE SUBTERRANEAN and was given it’s first pressing with the 2006 EP ‘BREATHE BODIES’. Three years later, the band has released their debut LP ‘PINK LIVE FOREVER’ and the results are sonically arresting. Despite BRIAN ‘HANK’ HENRY’s persistent electronic flourishes, JARED SHELDON’s tribal drumming and CHRIS MATHIS’ understated guitar work, there is a certain accessibility to TIRRA LIRRA’s sound which recalls early-CURE or THE COCTEAU TWINS. Where would today’s electronic acts be without such eighties influences? (READ MORE)
OCTOBER 16, 2009
ROCKWiRED's ViDEO TO WATCH FOR:
ASTRONAUTS OF ANTiQUiTY - 'EVERYWHERE'
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ROCKWiRED MAGAZiNE posted a new blog entry: ROCKWiRED iNTERViEWS ART ALEXAKiS OF EVERCLEAR
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- Nov 7, 2009 3:55 AM ROCKWiRED iNTERViEWS ART ALEXAKiS OF EVERCLEAR
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Blurbs
About me:
As a youngster, BRIAN LUSH had no idea what kind of seed was being planted by reading magazines such as HIT PARADE, HIGH TIMES, SPIN, REQUEST (remember that one?) and even ROLLINGSTONE (but to a significantly lesser degree). “Those were the days before the internet and being a rock journalist looked like the coolest job imaginable.” Says LUSH “But reading these magazines had me imagining that one day I’d be the artist giving all of the clever answers to some poor guy with a tape recorder. Well, life has a way of surprising you. Now, I’m the poor guy with the tape recorder and asking all of the questions.”
ROCKWIRED.COM was launched on New Years Eve of 2004 as a means of promoting the weekly internet radio show ROCKWIRED LIVE (which LUSH produced and hosted from January 2005 to April 2009). As a means of attracting listeners, LUSH turned the website into a forum where artists could discuss their life and work. This forum became known as the ROCKWIRED ON-LINE EXCLUSIVE and after being billed as such, LUSH noticed something curious. “The number of people who came to ROCKWIRED.COM for the printed interviews was exponentially larger than the number of people that tuned in for the weekly broadcast.” says LUSH. “The website was launched as a satellite for the radio show and eventually the show became the satellite for the website. I never saw that coming.”
Despite a Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing and not Journalism, LUSH still had a wealth of journalistic understanding to make something like ROCKWIRED happen. He credits music journalists such as VICTOR BOCKRIS and LIZ DERRINGER as inspirations. “It was those two that made the job look cool.” says LUSH. “Those guys interviewed the artists that I grew up idolizing and they did it by simply talking to them like they were people. That always seemed like such an interesting approach to me.”
For the past five years, ROCKWIRED.COM has boasted a one-of-a-kind, online musical reportage. Not only has the independently published venture gained international notoriety, but it has also given LUSH some of the best conversation of his life. “I guess that is why anyone would really want to do something like this. No one really thinks about how hard a good conversation is to come by and with ROCKWIRED I feel blessed.”
BRIAN LUSH presenting the band NEVERWONDER (clockwise, FLINT MAVIS, JOY PEARSON, VINCENT RAMOS, and ANDRES RAMOS) with the 2007 ROCKWIRED AWARDS for BEST BAND and BEST ALBUM.In April of 2007, ROCKWIRED.COM held its first ever awards program - THE 2007 ROCKWIRED AWARDS, which not only celebrated the top artists to be featured on ROCKWIRED.COM and ROCKWIRED LIVE in the previous calendar year, but also increased the visibility of ROCKWIRED as well as the membership of ROCKWIRED's OFFICIAL MESSAGE BOARD through voter participation. " It was a lot of fun and I can't wait to to do it again!"
KING KARMA members TODD RONNING (left) and MARKUS WOLFE (right) are presented with the 2008 ROCKWIRED AWARD for BEST ALBUM.
LUSH didn't have to wait for too long. Due to the enormous response the first time around, ROCKWIRED chose to make the ROCKWIRED AWARDS an annual event. "It's kind of like Christmas for me." says LUSH "For a moment, ROCKWIRED gets to step out of it's bubble and do something fun, and it's always a blast to see listeners and fans participate."
Free of any limits that would be put on him by Top Forty Radio or covering what a conventional magazines would ask him to cover, BRIAN LUSH feels "tremendously rewarded" by the experience and has no plans of stopping anytime soon.
What keeps him going? The artists themselves.
"Every artist that comes to ROCKWIRED comes from a different place, not just in terms of genre but in terms of who they are as people - real individuals. You never know what's going to happen next."Who I'd like to meet:
.. .. .. .... .. ..
THE ROCKWiRED ON-LiNE EXCLUSiVE
While the radio show is important, THE ROCKWIRED ON-LINE EXCLUSIVE is the cornerstone of what we do at ROCKWIRED. It is a chance for artists to talk openly, candidly, and honestly about their life and work. THE ROCKWIRED ON-LINE EXCLUSIVE is a print-only interview that is available exclusively through ROCKWIRED.COM. This is no mere twenty question, but an open and honest discussion and readers and artists have consistently come back for more.
In our history, ROCKWIRED has done countless interviews with countless artists. below are a few standout moments for ROCKWIRED. To read them, click on the respective photo.
For a more comprehensive listing of our reportage, please click HERE.
SUBMiSSiON GUiDELiNES:
If you are interested in sending material for ROCKWIRED to consider, please send two (2) CDs, a press release, and any other promotional materials to:
ROCKWiRED MEDiA LLC
C/O ROCKWIRED.COM
624 ADAMS STREET N.E.
ALBUQUERQUE, NM 87110
Feel free to correspond with BRIAN LUSH at:
(505)255-1468 or at djlush@rockwired.com
NEED PUBLiCiTY?
If you are a solo artist or band and have a forthcoming release, ROCKWIRED can help by putting together a one of a kind electronic campaigne aimed at national and international exposure. To see how ROCKWIRED can help, please contact BRIAN LUSH at 505-255-1468 or at djlush@rockwired.com. .. .. ..
Online Now!
Comments
Nov 7 2009 6:54 AM
Hello from Germany.
Oct 30 2009 8:49 PM
3RD WORLD WAR – The dj monkey Halloween Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_BCuw70AOs
"DJ Monkey …soul-stirring, excitingly edgy music…just disturbing (read ‘mind-f**king’) enough to demand attention. There is a whole spice rack of auditory flavors here, served up like fractured poetry on a collection of intensely listenable Hallmark cards from Hell." Bill Margold, Cinema Seen, L.A. X..Press
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/djmonkey http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/djmonkey2
Oct 29 2009 11:06 PM
Thanks for the friendship and love your space....wicked!!!
have an awesome day and Rock as you do.....
hugs Shaz xox
Oct 29 2009 10:37 PM
You Rock...
Sexstone
Jul 30 2009 9:09 PM
joey
Jul 30 2009 5:22 PM
I understand that today is your birthday. Happy Birthday, man. If you listen to my show live on www.KTSTFM.com, I'll be doing a birthday shout out for you at 5:00 PM your time. If you can't listen live, go to my page after Saturday. Have a great birthday and be safe.
Drew
Jul 28 2009 4:15 PM
Jun 28 2009 6:47 AM
rescued from the eighties!!!
alkes-fradkin, co-authors of
the Plimsouls and goo goo dolls'
"million miles away." With their own
“girls in this town” and “Missing In Action.”
Sunday at Noon (Eastern)
on ScrubRadio.com
May 31 2009 1:37 AM
May 29 2009 6:39 PM
JOEY
May 28 2009 8:05 PM
May 10 2009 3:15 AM
May 2 2009 10:28 PM
Apr 14 2009 1:56 PM
Hi,
We've released a new video clip for 'Talentless', our 2nd single. The video consists of pictures of the group's energetic performances over the past 3 years. Do take a few minutes and watch, this will kick your ass!!!
Mens Rea - Talentless
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=51481268
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95_ZN55qjCw
Thanks, and "Stick to Rock n' Roll",
Mens Rea
www.myspace.com/guiltymind
Mar 13 2009 4:41 PM
Guitar Player Magazin: Michael Jost Venice, CA "Ganja" This is a fabulous celebration of acoustic and electric tones, arrangement shifts, and cagey signal processing- all lightly kissed with elements of flamenco, world beat, rock, blues, psychedelia, folk, and jazz. Its marvelous, almost textbook music production, but Jost has the chops to make this party all about guitar.
On You License you can purchase & or license his entire catalog of instrumental music!
thanks for supporting independent music....
Feb 27 2009 1:50 PM
Hey there, Thanks for the add!
Mens Rea is an Israeli Hard Rock group. Old-School Rock n Roll is a way of living for us, and what we do best. Feel free to check out our Myspace page, and don't miss out on the new video clip for 'Talentless', also available here:
Mens Rea - Talentless
And here:
http://www. youtube. com/watch?v=95_ZN55qjCw
היי, תודה על האד!
מנס ריי-הארד רוק ישראלי. לכל מי שהתגעגע לאולדסקול רוק נ רול...
הופעות קרובות:
18/3, רביעי, 22:00 – ג'ופלין בר, גליס 1 (ליד צומת סגולה), פתח תקווה
4/7, שלישי (ערב לפני ליל הסדר), 21:30 – תיאטרון תמונע, שונצינו 8, תל אביב – הופעה חגיגית לציון 3 שנים להקמת הלהקה, ערב מדהים מתוכנן!
Jan 29 2009 6:02 PM
Check them out on MySpace and add them as a friend too! www. myspace. com/thesweetband
They will be playing all the classic Sweet tunes you know like: Fox On the Run, Ballroom Blitz, Set Me Free, Action, & tons more!
Tickets are just $20 at each show too!:
Thursday January 29th they will be at:
The Coach House
33157 Camino Capistrano
San Juan Capistrano CA 92675
Ticket Line 949-496-8930
TheCoachHouse. com
Doors are at 6:00 PM for dinner and the music will start at 8:00
Saturday January 31st they will be at:
The Brixton
100 “J” W Torrance Blvd.
Redondo Beach CA 90277
Ticket Line 310-406-1931
BrixtonSouthBay. com
Doors are at 6:00 PM and the music starts at 6:45
Both of these venues are intimate and a great place to see a great rock and roll band! Thanks for all of your support as always!
Jan 25 2009 6:56 PM
BTW, where can I find the interview with Steve Priest?
Jan 17 2009 11:02 AM
Please come back often, to read some of my sexy, sensual stories and to find out about the book release, book signings and whatever else is going on with me.
"Intense Encounters" in stores by Feb 2009!!!!!
Much Luv
TT
Jan 7 2009 8:47 PM
adding me
to your
friends....
Dec 28 2008 4:13 AM
Dec 27 2008 1:53 AM
Dec 11 2008 9:49 PM
We really do appreciate it!
Cheers and rock on!
Nov 29 2008 12:16 AM
http://wicahpi. mosaicglobe. com/
Nov 26 2008 1:41 AM