2015 Rockwired Reader's Poll Awards Special

Here it is! ROCKWIRED announces the winners of the 2015 ROCKWIRED READER'S POLL AWARDS. The categories this year included  BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN AMERICAN INDIAN/FIRST NATIONS ARTIST OR BAND, BEST MUSIC VIDEO, BEST MALE ARTIST, BEST FEMALE ARTIST, BEST BANDS, BEST RECORDING (EP), BEST RECORDING (LP) and BEST SONG. A more formal write up will be available on ROCKWIRED.COM on Monday, February 2, 2015!!! Enjoy the show!!!

CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:

http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/2015rrpa.mp3

Rockwired Radio Profiles #547 - Piqued Jacks

We first became acquainted with PIQUED JACKS in the middle of 2014 when they had released their two singles UPTURNED PERSPECTIVES and NO BAZOOKA. As you can glean from the titles of these tracks the band had a little something different to offer from the rest of the current indie rock fair. Adding to their differentiation was the fact that they were strangers in a strange land. Hailing from Tuscany, Italy the band sought out  a strange sort of haven in Austin, Texas  where the band's slightly left of center approach has earned them a nice little following in that town. So when we received news of the band's new EP CLIMB LIKE IVY DOES we were surprised tohear that they had gone back to Italy to record this album. CLIMB LIKE IVY DOES is a seven song EP with some epic and transcendant moments such as the slamming opening track REIGN OF CLOUDS, the insistent SHYEST KINDRED SPIRIT and the EP's true gem HOME IS FOREVER - a track teaming with more passion and yearning than that album U2 wanted to inflict iTUNES users with sometime last year. Tuscany Italy and Austin Texas are getting way too small for these lads.

CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:

http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles547.mp3

Rockwired Radio Profiles #546 - Jumpship Astronaut

Who would've thought that one of the finer electro indie bands out there would be coming out of FLAMING LIPS country? I sure as hell didn't but the Oklahoma City-based band JUMPSHIP ASTRONAUThave issued a winner with their new EP HUMANS - a recording that combines the warmth of  analog with the computerized chill of electronica  and  the muted lyrics and impassioned delivery of front man RYAN BRYANT. The stand out tracks on this glorious recording include ALIVE, the pulsating CHANGE and the electrifying FASCINATION. Sure the brevity of the EP release leaves you wanting more but there is enough here to keep listeners eager for whatever these chaps want to release next.

CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:
http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles546.mp3

Rockwired Radio Profiles #509 - Mongrel

The Boston-based band MONGREL  made their presence known in 2013 with the release of their album RECLAMATION. After years of weathering the comings and goings of band members, guitarist and founder ADAM SAVAGE finally settled on a group of guys and a frontwoman - JESSICA HOGAN - who could bring his venomous tunes to life on both the stage and the studio. Now MONGREL is back with their new album EVOLUTION and there isn't a title more fitting for this album.  This time around, the songwriting  has been crafted by the band as whole giving SAVAGE more electrifying material to apply his guitar playing pyrotechnics to and gives HOGAN something to sink her fangs into as one of active rocks most  charismatic front women.

CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:

http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles509.mp3

Rockwired Radio Profiles #501 - Shallow Side

I love it when I can say that I  knew them when.  SHALLOW SIDE is a band hailing from Alabama who in a fairly short amount of time have made their presence known in the active rock firmament and  have wowed audiences with an electrifying live set that  they have taken out on  the road for the past couple of years. ROCKWIRED knew these  guys were something special when they released their debut EP HOME TODAY. Now after sharing stages with the likes of THE VEER UNION and TRAPT, SHALLOW SIDE is showing the whole damn world how far they have come as songwriters with their brand new  EP STAND UP.  

CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:
http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles501.mp3

Rockwired Radio Profiles #445 - Crashdollz

According to guitarist RACHEL REKKIT, she wants people to come away from the music of CRASHDOLLZ  knowing  that rock n roll is still alive.  With a new year on the rise, it's good to know that there is  a band out there  with the same mission as ROCKWIRED.  Based in Flint,  Michigan  CRASH DOLLZ  are  adding a  little bombast to their local scene  as well as in  a few surrounding stages  with  their  full frontal rock n roll assault accentuated by NIKKI DARLING's  SUZI QUATRO-like growl and  IGGY POP-sized stage presence as well as RACHEL REKKIT's lethal  guitar licks.  This ain't girl power. This is women's rawk and CRASHDOLLZ  lays it down  on the tracks NOVOCAINE, DOLLHOUSE and  the  slamming FEMALE ANARCHY.  

CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:

http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles445.mp3

Rockwired Radio Profiles #545 - Foreshadow

FORESHADOW, a musical group that blends the core genres of death metal, black metal, old school thrash metal, to create their own, unique sound, has begun to deliver a plethora of lyrical and melodic genius to the world. Foretelling the turn of this generations appreciation of raw music and solid performances. Reigning from their infamous hometown of Tampa, Florida. FORESHADOW uses their vocal and instrumental influences to comment heavily upon the lies that have enveloped as truth amongst the general population. Influenced by such artists who include SLAYER, LAMB OF GOD, NILE, and PANTERA, FORESHADOW has completed their second release, a studio EP, THE STRANGER END OF DEATH. The album has been released to fans and fellow listeners independently, and delivers the group's ideas and collective beliefs that are saturated in a sense of self empowerment and individuality. 

CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:

http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles545.mp3

Rockwired Radio Profiles #499 - Wayland

This ain't active rock! This is rock n roll and WAYLAND's front man MITCH ARNOLD ain't gonna let you tell him different. Back in 2012 ROCKWIRED first became acquainted with the band  when they released their debut EP WELCOME TO MY HEAD. Since that time. the band has honed their act  on the road. With a live set that is both pyrotechnic and legendary in it's own time, WAYLAND are taking advantage of this momentum and looking to release a new album later this year. This forthcoming release is preceded by a rockin' new single GET A LITTLE - a thunderously stomping tune that kicks out the mother-effing jams like it's nobody's effin' business. And they say that rock n roll is dead!

CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:
http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles499.mp3

Rockwired Radio Profiles #519 - Jane Badler

JANE BADLER's place in television history is safe and secured thanks to her unforgettable role as the evil seductress who led an reptilian-alien invasion of the planet Earth in the mini-series turned-television series V back in the early eighties. The scene of her swallowing a guinea pig whole is right up there with that goblin on the wing of the airplane that a shell shocked WILLIAM SHATNER just so happened to be a passenger on in the TWILIGHT ZONE. But these days, BADLER's life isn't about getting lost in long gone sci-fi glory. Since the late aughts she has embarked on a musical career that has become known for  BOWIE-esque musical changes with every new release. And ROCKWIRED can proudly say that we were there from the beginning when the American expatriate (now based in Melbourne Australia) released her debut CD THE DEVIL HAS MY DOUBLE which boasted an eerie minimalist cabaret sound. She followed that album with TEARS AGAIN - a more exuberant release punctuated by orchestral touches and BADLER's willingness to take risks with her vocals (recalling DEBORAH HARRY of BLONDIE). Now BADLER truly comes centerstage as both a vocalist and a songwriter with her new album OPUS and the album is her most adventurous to date. From the wistful pop of VOLCANO BOY to the sensual pulse of LOSING YOU and the scratchy electro-punk of  FAME the title OPUS is truly deserved here. Way to go JANE!!!

CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:

http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles519.mp3

Rockwired Radio Profiles #522 - October Rage

You always hear about America being the land of opportunity but in the case of Aussie rockers OCTOBER RAGE this country is more than that. For the past few years since the release of their 2012 album OUTRAGE the band has honed their sound on stages throughout this great land of ours and have built a tremendous following. They've even managed to share the bill with such acts as BON JOVI and SALIVA. Now OCTOBER RAGE has released their brand new EP FALL OUT, DUST AND GUNS with the stomping new single VALKYRIE and are currently on tour with bands ROYAL BLISS and BOBAFLEX in support of this rather fine new effort from the band featuring brothers NICK and WILLIAM ROBERTS (vocals and bass respectively) and newcomers KAI CHAMBERS (drums) and JOHN MCMULLEN (guitars). With cuts such as SIGNAL FIRE and END OF DAYS we've finally got a rockin little excursion from these chaotic times marred by ebola panic and ISIS.

CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:

http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles522.mp3

Rockwired Radio Profiles #523 - Thornes

When I checked out THE LINDA PERRY PROJECT On VH1 I remember the highly sought after songwriter and producer posing the question "Aren't we tired of the girl singer with the soft whispering voice?" This was the first time I had ever heard the question posed from a music mogul and had me shouting out loud "YES!"  I first became acquainted with the New York City band THORNES and their dynamic front woman and namesake ANTOINETTE THORNES in 2012 when the band released the album ISSUES - an album which eschewed the sugar and spice approach favored by pop music these days and went guns blazing with LED ZEPPELIN-styled guitars and ANTOINETTE's own revelrous growl on such tracks as DETROIT HUSTLE and the scathing indictment on warfare and the mistreatment of young soldiers FALLING DOWN.  With strong material and an equally strong stage presence THORNES has made a a strong impression on the rock scene in New York City and are currently getting songs together for  series of single releases. In the meantime we have the song MARY - a raucous rocker showcasing guitarist ABEL GARCIA's JIMMY PAGE-styled  axmanship and ANOTOINETTE's signature wail.

CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:
http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles523.mp3

Rockwired Radio Profiles #524 - The Golden Novak Band

JESS NOVAK and BRIAN GOLDEN felt an instant connection when they first jammed together in the rock/blues outfit MASTER THIEVES in July 2013. Within weeks of meeting, the two worked together on NOVAK's solo album, BAD HABIT, and have continued their musical connection - one where passion and talent meet. The powerhouse duo brings blues, rock and singer/songwriter choice covers and soulful originals to life through guitar, percussion, violin and voice. BRIAN GOLDEN has been playing guitar for 24 years and been in bands including BAD WEATHER BLUES, THE PUB CRAWLERS, FOOLS AT PLAY, MASTER THIEVES, THE VOO DOO MYSTICS and LUNAR STEW. JESS NOVAK has been playing violin since the age of seven and performing throughout the Northeast with bands including MASTER THIEVES, SHINING STAR BAND and JESS AND THE BEARDS. As a duo and band, GOLDEN and NOVAK perform their large catalogue of original music as well as covers.

CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:

http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles524.mp3

Rockwired Radio Profiles #525 - Alogia

ALOGIA is a group that was born from an idea of brothers MIROSLAV and SRDJAN BRANKOVIC.  The first album was released in 2002 (TALES OF TIME), and the second in 2004 (STORIES OF LIFE). Both albums were sold in the circulation of 40,000 copies, and the band for a short time made ​​a milestone in the former Serbian "heavy metal" scene and launched an avalanche of new and upcoming bands who started working under the influence of ALOGIA. Still, ALOGIA remains as the highest selling Serbian metal band. ALOGIA was featured as a show bandhas performed at many major festivals (EXIT BEER FEST, HENDRIX FEST, GITARIJADA ZAJEČAR ). They have also shared stages with NINE INCH NAILS, WHITESNAKE, APOCALYPTICA and SAVATAGE. In 2014 they released a single for the their latest album ELEGIA BALCANICA featuring the title track and VREME JE as singles.  "Elegia Balcanica" has been  released under the label MINER RECORDS.

  

CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:

http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles525.mp3

Rockwired Radio Profiles #527 - Crash Midnight

The band CRASH MIDNIGHT has a curious dilemma. They happen to be an anomaly in the Boston music scene which is currently some kind of hipster-haven with all of it's indie rock bullshit. To counteract this CRASH MIDNIGHT boasts some fat ass 70's styled heavy arena rock guitar swagger and you get it by the truckload on their forthcoming album LOST IN THE CITY which is due to drop on November 18, 2014. While the odds may be stacked against them in terms of what their immediate surroundings have to offer, that certainly wasn't a reason for them to not hit the road and hit the road they did. They've shared stages with the likes of THE PRETTY WRECKLESS and ADELITA'S WAY. Audience reaction from throughout the country has been enthusiastic. Maybe GENE SIMMONS was wrong. Maybe rock n roll wasn't murdered because it  certainly ain't dead.

CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:

http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles527.mp3

Rockwired Radio Profiles #526 - Red Sky Mary

RED SKY MARY is a Rock 'N' Roll machine. Over the last five years the band has been relentless in its quest to establish itself as a New England musical powerhouse. RED SKY MARY's fire-driven brand of Rock 'N' Roll combines early 1970's high voltage swagger with grunge influenced sludgy brutality. In the last year the band has performed all throughout New England, Boston, New York City, Seattle, and Los Angeles. Recently RED SKY MARY opened for BUCKCHERRY at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom in Hampton Beach. Other big name acts RED SKY MARY has supported include LYNYRD SKYNYRD and BAD COMPANY, QUEENSRYCHE, LEOGUN, EVE TO ADAM, JONATHAN TYLER AND THE NORTHERN LIGHTS, TEXAS HIPPIE COALITION, and PARANOID SOCIAL CLUB. A heavy gigging schedule coupled with radio performances, feature articles in SPOTLIGHT MAGAZINE, and SEACOAST SPOTLIGHT awards including; Best new Act, Best Rock Act and two PEOPLE'S CHOICE awards, have propelled RED SKY MARY toward being one of the area's most exciting new groups!

CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:

http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles526.mp3

Rockwired Radio Profiles #528 - RxGF

In an indie world where most bands find their sound and stick to it without much imagination, one that can open our ears to some inspired sonic evolution is a beautiful thing. In the case of Seattle bred, internationally bound RxGF - a revamping of the group's original crafty moniker RADIOACTIVE X GIRLFRIEND, reflective of their new sound - producers and multi-instrumentalists JOHN MORGAN REILLY and JONATHAN PLUM chiseled the rock vibe out of their system on their first two popular albums. REILLY then made the discovery of a lifetime in young, multi-talented vocalist ANGELINE SCHAAF, whose mix of ethereal beauty and raw emotion (which REILLY compares to a young JIM MORRISON) adds depth and dimension to the group's new hybrid sound. Their latest project, the ambitious and texturally rich ANY OTHER WAY, blends Dark Wave with crossover elements of industrial techno, trip hop and what they dub "various transcendental impulses of the sublime."

CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:
http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles528.mp3

Rockwired Radio Profiles #529 - Blindside Thunder

BLINDSIDE THUNDER is changing the game in the genre of heavy and hard rock music. Incarnated from the ashes of past classic rock, blues and metal, BLINDSIDE THUNDER has created and established a patent on their unique style called "REBEL ROCK". Their creative hook driven songs that include heavy guitars and bombastic drums, creates stripper music for the imaginative house wife and that "smash the dashboard feeling" driving down the highway. With the core of the band arranged around a party atmosphere, BLINDSIDE THUNDER is known by their enormous fan base to be tongue-in- cheek about hot women, good friends and great parties! Even though the music may invoke a relaxed good time, the guys in BLINDSIDE THUNDER are focused and intense about ensuring their ever-growing fan base receives 110% at every show, performance and interview. Never forgetting where they have come from and always happy to help out a good cause in any way they can, the down to earth members of BLINDSIDE THUNDER, some of the most personable guys you will ever meet, go out of their way to support philanthropic endeavors. As three of the members have served in the armed forces, BLINDSIDE THUNDER feels a strong kinship with the everyday, hard-working beating heart of America, which elevates every BLINDSIDE THUNDER show to a higher level than those of their peers.

CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:

http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles529.mp3

Rockwired Radio Profiles #530 - Heart & Soul Radio

In the mid-to-late 2000s, when SCHUYLER ANKELE (vocals/bass), JIMMY BLAIR (drums/vocals) and BRIAN JOHANNSEN (guitar/vocals) were tearing things up in their native Denver in their previous incarnation as part of a popular punk band, they had the privilege of touring with New Jersey pop/punkers BOUNCING SOULS. That group's lead singer gave their fellow indie rockers some simple but timeless advice: "Don't be so obsessed with the end game, enjoy the journey, not the goal." What started out as clever lyrics to pay tribute to Bouncing has transformed into the motto of the new alt rock power trio the three formed from the ashes of their old band in 2009. Truly embodying the DIY Spirit, HEART & SOUL RADIO does everything themselves - from producing and recording to building their own web page, doing their own photography with a timer, photoshopping and shooting and editing their videos. The dynamic clip they created for AINT NO LIFE LIKE THE LOW LIFE was shot with a single camera, a tripod and no cameraman - and then edited by the band. THIEVES is filled with single after single (12 tracks) of catchy, powerful, well thought out, vocal harmony laden rock tunes that blend inward looking serious themes (what JOHANNSEN calls "our own version of therapy") with clever lyrics and crafty titles. These include THE WALKING DEAD (NOT THE AWARD WINNING TV SERIES) - about those who live their life without passion - ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES, FU GUYS, I LOVE YOU, STARVED BY STARLIGHT and I SLEPT WITH JUSTIN BIEBER AND ALL I GOT WAS THIS STUPID SONG - written defiantly after a radio station told them they needed more sonic effects to be commercially viable. The subtitle of the track the album title derives from, THIEVES OF THE NIGHT (TRUE SCARS) refers to all the negative things and struggles indie bands like theirs have to put up with as they work towards their goals.

CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:
http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles530.mp3

Rockwired Radio Profiles #531 - Random Dander

With Pat Benatar/Janis Joplinesque female vocalist JACKIE LEE stepping up to become their full time lead singer, RANDOM DANDER takes the vibe of their debut album FIRST DELIVERY (which featured a male lead singer) to an explosive new level, creating something of a religious musical experience on their new eight song collection SECOND CUMING. The title is a sly reference to their Jesus lookalike bassist LUKE KOKOSZKA (aka "FUNKY GEEZ"), whose tight and propulsive pocket groove with drummer OKE CHORNICK's drive sets the wild pace. Truly a "cuming out" party for the infectious new sound of the band, the album was produced by LA CHINGA/SPITFIRES drummer JASON SOLYUM. Key tracks include the blazingly fast, ironically titled SMOOTH MOVES, whose witty lyrics (by JACKIE) were inspired by the image of a broken wood carved SYLVESTER and TWEETY windmill, running only on one leg; the hard-chugging, distorted guitar driven MANNA STACHE, whose offbeat title comes from reading a band's name upside down; and the majestic rocker HOW YA GONNA, about people who blame everyone for their own problems while pretending to be in control of their lives.

CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:
http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles531.mp3

Rockwired Radio Profiles #533 - Tyler Gilbert

As far as accolades go, Calgary born, Saskatchewan based singer/songwriter TYLER GILBERT has been nothing short of an indie sensation since releasing his 2008 debut EP Vos and its full length follow up THE RE-SESSION (2009). He's done national tours all over his native country, from Vancouver and Edmonton to Toronto and Montreal; performed at countless major festivals, including the CANADIAN COUNTRY MUSIC AWARD FESTIVAL and CANADIAN WESTERN AGRIBITION; done national tours of the U.S. Midwest; and performed live on GLOBAL TV and CTV while his music hit the playlists of top stations all across Canada. But behind the scenes, there are always those darker challenging realities that any indie artist faces in building a great career - those moments when anything that could go wrong along the way, did. As GILBERT explains in his liner notes, the title of his latest album OK MURPHY is his way of acknowledging that there are always bumps in the road - and Murphy's Law may have prevailed in the past, but no longer. Like, "Ok Murphy, you won this round, but now you're on the sidelines." The future couldn't be more vibrant as Gilbert finds the perfect balance on the 13 track set between the acoustic folk/rock of his past and the electric-driven rock direction he continues to gravitate to.

CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:

http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles533.mp3

Rockwired Radio Profiles #534 - Karen Reed

KAREN REED burst onto the LA music scene with a fresh blend of folk-rock and blues performed with a unique guitar/ukulele-inspired flair. Playing to sold out audiences at local venues, she has cultivated an avid following of listeners who enjoy a night of fun, friends and live music with a message all can relate to. Her songs run the gamut from heartfelt to hilarious, taking audiences on a spirited lyrical journey through the technicolor landscape of life and love. Artistically, KAREN's sound is reminiscent of the warm earthiness of SUZANNE VEGA, the pop-island groove of JACK JOHNSON and the tell-it-like-it-is authenticity of MARY GAUTHIER or PATTI GRIFFIN. Her debut record, TRUE NORTH produced by singer-songwriter and guitarist JANET ROBIN (LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM, MEREDITH BROOKS, AIR SUPPLY) features 10 original songs as well as an instrumental cover of the DON MCLEAN classic, VINCENT (STARRY, STARRY NIGHT) on ukulele.

CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:
http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles534.mp3

Rockwired Radio Profiles #535 - Rhett May

The E.P. has a way of cutting to the chase and giving a listener a bite-sized taste of what an artist has to offer. The artist gets to show off what they got and listener can enjoy with a spending as much as he or she would if it were an LP.  My problem with INSATIABLE - the new EP from Australian rocker RHETT MAY is that the music is adventurous as all get out and by the conclusion you are are left wanting more.  Perhaps the broad range of MAY's musical palette stems from being born and raised in Calcutta and attending boarding school inthe Himalayan foothills at a time when rock n roll giants like THE BEATLES, THE STONES , CREAM and JIMI HENDRIX were laying down the sound for a generation.  And you can hear  that influence on such tracks as the grooving psychedelia of COCKTAILS AND CANNIBIS,  the jovial HELP-era BEATLES-styled romp JENNY and the moody acoustic ballad that serves as the title track.

CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:

http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles535.mp3

Rockwired Radio Profiles #543 - The Hellbilly Bandits

Damned if you're ever going to get me and my dad to be in a band together! For years ROCKWIRED has featured many a band that was fronted by siblings but THE HELLBILLY BANDITS marks the first time we've ever had a band with a father and son who not only seem to get along but can kick out some mother'effin jams. Son WALLY WALDEN  is the front man for this rag tag group of down and dirty swamp rockers while dad BOBBY WALDEN lays down the beat that has gotten people off their asses and moving in venues throughout their native Reno, Nevada. The music is a volatile mixture of heavy metal with some stomping blues sounds and with the release of their forthcoming album drawing nye it's only a matter of time before these fellas bust out of the confines of the 'Biggest Little City in the World.'

CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:
http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles543.mp3

Rockwired Radio Profiles #541 - Joseph Eid

JOSEPH EID released his debut full studio album HUMAN in late 2013. EID has been garnering considerable buzz with his music and recently named as one of the 100 HOTTEST LIVE UNSIGNED ARTISTS of 2012 and 2013 by MUSIC CONNECTION MAGAZINE.The album's title track displays the pastoral beauty, delicate and emotional guitar work and intricate but relatable lyrics that have become EID's trademark. HUMAN seamlessly blends sharp, melodic pop lyricism with traditional folk sensibilities evoking folk troubadours both past and present. Known as a dynamic solo performer, JOSEPH EID has brought his cathartic one-man live show to many of Los Angeles' premier music venues, including stints at ROOM 5 and EL CID. He has held residencies at the following Hollywood venues:THE STONE BAR, CRANE's HOLLYWOOD TAVERN and BAR LUBITSCH.

CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:

http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles541.mp3

Rockwired Radio Profiles #540 - Laura Cole

In a digital download world where artist photos and clever packaging are often overlooked, LAURA COLE makes us pay attention. On the front cover of her raw, gritty and wildly infectious debut full length album DIRTY CHEAT, the quickly emerging, raspy voiced Ontario based singer-songwriter smiles playfully, relaxed in a wicker chair. The back cover finds her in a sexy black dress in the remote woods of Upstate New York, aiming and shooting a friend's licensed .45 - a wild episode that had neighbors calling out the SWAT team, thinking something sinister was amiss before the situation was defused as a big misunderstanding. That's the perfect metaphor for LAURA and her deep, complex artistry: the adorable badass. A compromise free, colorfully blunt songwriter, LAURA brings her edgy, soulful and distinctively bluesy musical vision to life with the help of two GRAMMY winning producers - STEVE BIGAS, who won his GRAMMY for engineering blues legend TAJ MAHAL, and the legendary DANIEL LANOIS, an artist in his own right whose vast resume includes GRAMMY winning albums by BOB DYLAN (TIME OUT OF MIND) and U2 (THE UNFORGETTABLE FIRE, THE JOSHUA TREE) and others by WILLIE NELSON, NEIL YOUNG, EMMYLOU HARRIS and THE NEVILLE BROTHERS.

CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:
http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles540.mp3

Rockwired Radio Profiles #544 - One-Way Mirror

There is a first time for everything. ONE WAY MIRROR is the first metal band that we've ever profiled here at ROCKWIRED to hail from France. In 2008 the band issued their American debut with the assist of METAL BLADE RECORDS. Now the band is back with their new album CAPTURE on the PAVEMENT ENTERTAINMENT label  and the band's metal sound this time around is tempered by a melodic rock approach that should have no difficulty finding it's way onto active rock radio playlists.  Tracks such as STINKIN' OF GOLD, NEGLECTED SKIES and THE CLOCK IS TICKING  are further proof that this time around  ONE WAY MIRROR  is a force that will be reckoned with  for some years to come. 

CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:
http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles544.mp3

Rockwired Radio Profiles #537 - Blue Movie

Guitarist TONY PARIS and drummer LISA FOERDERER have been the only constants since the inception of the New York-based rock band BLUE  MOVIE.  Earlier this year we got a taste of the latest evolution of the band's sound which has them embracing electronics with complete abandon as evidenced by the EP's first single ELECTRIC WATER. Now the band's new EP SYNTHETIC III is here and now we get to hear the band's new lead singer ANTHONY NOTO take charge over the band's adventurous new material which includes an electrifying cover of two FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD songs PLEASURE DOME and TWO TRIBES. 

CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles537.mp3

Rockwired Radio Profiles #539 - Scarlet and the Harlots

The darling of college kids, classic and alt rock fans and excitable drag queens alike, the high energy, horn fired progressive blues rockers SCARLET AND THE HARLOTS carry on and blaze a path beyond the sacred rock and roll traditions of their home region of Northeast Ohio. Hailing from the Akron and Cleveland areas which gave us everyone from DEVO and CHRISSIE HYNDE to NINE INCH NAILS and THE BLACK KEYS, the eight piece powerhouse - led by the edgy, searing vocals of SCARLET, which have been compared to those of JANIS JOPLIN - harkens back to an amazing era in rock history (characterized by events like Woodstock and legends like JIM MORRISON) where artists were brash, no holds were barred, everyone was fun loving and the music made people feel alive. In an age where rock n roll is supposed to be dead as a door nail SCARLET AND THE HARLOTS prove that it is very much alive, kicking and (more often than not) screaming for mercy on the group's explosive new six track EP whose title echoes what their fans are feeling: WE CAN'T SEEM TO GET ENOUGH.

CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:
http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles539.mp3

Rockwired Radio Profiles #530 - Laura Cole

In a digital download world where artist photos and clever packaging are often overlooked, LAURA COLE makes us pay attention. On the front cover of her raw, gritty and wildly infectious debut full length album DIRTY CHEAT, the quickly emerging, raspy voiced Ontario based singer-songwriter smiles playfully, relaxed in a wicker chair. The back cover finds her in a sexy black dress in the remote woods of Upstate New York, aiming and shooting a friend's licensed .45 - a wild episode that had neighbors calling out the SWAT team, thinking something sinister was amiss before the situation was defused as a big misunderstanding. That's the perfect metaphor for LAURA and her deep, complex artistry: the adorable badass. A compromise free, colorfully blunt songwriter, LAURA brings her edgy, soulful and distinctively bluesy musical vision to life with the help of two GRAMMY winning producers - STEVE BIGAS, who won his GRAMMY for engineering blues legend TAJ MAHAL, and the legendary DANIEL LANOIS, an artist in his own right whose vast resume includes GRAMMY winning albums by BOB DYLAN (TIME OUT OF MIND) and U2 (THE UNFORGETTABLE FIRE, THE JOSHUA TREE) and others by WILLIE NELSON, NEIL YOUNG, EMMYLOU HARRIS and THE NEVILLE BROTHERS. 

CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:
http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles540.mp3

Rockwired Radio Profiles #538 - Crawl

When I asked guitarist STUART GREEN of the band CRAWL what he wanted people to come away with after they listened to their new EP ANTICIPATE THE FALL he told me he wanted people to know that a Canadian band can rock and that a bunch of guys in their forties can rock. Being a year away from the big 4-0 myself I definitely feel like I'm rooting for the home team by getting behind a rather fine collection of songs that boast  the kindof big melodic hard rock that has sustained me and others in my age bracket for all of these years. You see, ANTICIPATE THE FALL is more than just a mere "new release". It's a comeback. The band was formed in 1992 and earned a measure of success in Canada  with two CDs  - 300 YARDS OF FACE and FEED - both of which generated singles and music videos that earned accolades form the MUCH MUSIC ViDEO AWARDS in the mid nineties. In 2013, three quarters of the band reunited for a benefit show and the energy felt on stage has now found it's way onto this exciting new album with new front man MICHAEL DAVID WOLF and some electrifying material such as the bombastic first single RISE.

CHECK OUT OUR PODCAST AT:

http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles538.mp3

Rockwired Radio Profiles #542 - Ghosts of Eden

The first edition of ROCKWIRED RADIO PROFILES for the year 2015 features a band that we got to know back in late 2013. New York City-based rockers GHOSTS OF EDEN enthralled us with their last EP SOMETHING (KINETIC) and it's thunderous single IN MOTION. When we spoke to TOM PINO in late 2013 there were already rumblings of a brand new album on the horizon and thanks to some successful crowdfunding, the band's forthcoming album  WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY is set for release in February of 2015. The album is being preceded by the bands new single HAPPY - a punchy little punk rock number that PINO states is inspired by BAD RELIGION although we're reminded of URGE OVERKILL's SISTER HAVANA from 1993. The tune is a motherfucking headbanger until you get to the multi-layered, harmonious chorus that'll bring back a memory or two of THE BEACH BOYS. In an exclusive interview PINO and drummer BENNY ROSE have promised an anthemic rock-n-roll album brought to you by a band with a brand new trick or two up their sleeves.

CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:

http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles542.mp3