Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Signals of Bedlam - Rockwired Radio Profiles #697

With rock n roll already on shaky ground in terms of it's public acceptance, it is strange to see bands such as SIGNALS OF BEDLAM embracing a high-end progressive metal sound. Historically it has always bands that took the direct and in-your-face approach that got people talking about rock n roll again but we at ROCKWIRED have embraced this band's adventurous, musical spirit which is in full force on their brand new release ESCAPING VELOCITY. CHIKA OBIORA on bass and RICH ABIDOR on drums lay down an intoxicating rhythm section while TOM HOY's virtuosity on the six strings elevates the proceedings to dizzying heights. On top of all of the musical know how is vocalist CERO CARTERA whose innate ability to go from bombastic to plaintive can only be attributed to his significant classical training. Just give the haunting vocal track PIECE OF US a listen and you will hear what an arsenal that band has in the way of a vocalist. But let's not put one man above everyone else. SIGNALS OF BEDLAM is a band with some serious musical ambition and in an age where GENE SIMMONS has declared the genre dead, that is really saying something.

Sunday, April 23, 2017

Kristi Lane Sinclair - Rock Is Red #30

Back in 2014 when  ROCKWIRED first became acquainted with Haida/Cree songwriter KRISTI LANE SINCLAIR, she had just been nominated for what was called the ABORIGINAL PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD for BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE for her album THE SEA ALONE - a moody collections of songs that showcased SINCLAIR's considerable Classical music training and her fondness for the maudlin rock lyric worthy of BILLY CORGAN at his best. It's no accident that we mention the name CORGAN. It was the SMASHING PUMPKINS that got SINCLAIR excited about the six-string and music making in the first place. From there SINCLAIR went on to study classical music but eventually found her own sound and voice and has released a a catalog of music marked by classical flourishes and rock n roll angst. On her latest INDIGENOUS MUSIC AWARD nominated album DARK MATTER, SINCLAIR embraces the punk and grunge sounds that got her going artistically in the first place and as a result we are taken on a dark and moody journey that most certainly exhilarates.

CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:
http://www.rockwired.com/rockisred/rockisred30.mp3

Saturday, April 22, 2017

No More Moments - Rock Is Red #29

In all of the time that we've been doing ROCK IS RED we have feature a punk band here and a punk band there but we've never had anything as hard, heavy and fast as the band NO MORE MOMENTS. Hailing from the Siksika Nation in Alberta, Canada, NO MORE MOMENTS epitomize the D.I.Y. philosophy of punk. Formed in 2009, the band have shown what they are made of on the Calgary music scene and throughout the provinces. Their hardcore punk sound has proven to be a relentless as the band who have given their public something to bang their heads to in the form of two EPs MOMENTS REBORN and MOMENTS NEVER SAY DIE and now the band is riding the wave of their new release STILL GOING. After eight years of being together, the title of their latest EP sums up the band's solidarity and we've gotta give a shout out to the STAR WARS-themed CD cover. Short, blistering sets rules the day on this recording with the stand outs being CALLIN' IN, RETIREMENT PARTY and HANGOVER BLUES. In a time where what's left of rock n roll has become slick and refined, it's nice to hear a band like this keeping it raw. 

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Blameshift - Rockwired Radio Profiles #696

Rock n roll survival is all about endurance and BLAMESHIFT's ability to survive for well over ten years is truly a testament to the band's creative core of vocalist JENNY MANN and guitarist TIM BARBOUR. Back when ROCKWIRED did a radio show for the rinky dink radio station KTSTFM.COM in Anaheim, California, BLAMESHIFT made a stop at the station on THE JAKE LARSEN show. It was a show that I personally sat in on. At the time, the Long Island-based band had just received an endorsement from TACO BELL and were in the midst of a nationwide tour. Ten years later, the band still make their living on the road and are releasing one album or EP after another one and while the band isn't as TACO BELL fueled as they used to be, they are most certainly living that rock n roll dream that has eluded many. BLAMESHIFT has just released their new EP HEART OF STONE featuring the single MONSTER and the proceedings demonstrate a band that knows who they are and appreciates all that it took to get where they are now. Rock n roll could use more survival stories like this one.

CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:
http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles696.mp3