Rockwired Radio Profiles #634 - Conquest

It's always great to welcome back a band that has been featured on the pages and the sound waves of ROCKWIRED and to see and hear what changes (if any) have taken place since the last time we got them on the phone. In the Spring of 2014 CONQUEST has just released their album THE WAR WE RAGE and had shown that after twenty six years of rocking out the band fronted by DERRICK BRUMLEY, the band showed no signs of middling or slowing down. Once rock n roll gets into the bloodstream it apparently sticks around. Two years later, the band is back with a brand new album but this time original compositions are put aside in favor of covers and do these guys have some covers for you! The aptly dubbed new album UNDER THE INFLUENCE is a band giving it up for the heavy metal architects that  gave DERRICK and the gang a baseline to work with back when CONQUEST was forming in 1988 and while the interpretations of anthems from the likes of JUDAS PRIEST, IRON MAIDEN, MOTORHEAD and BON JOVI (Yes, BON JOVI with a smoldering rendition of WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE) are performed with due reverence don't expect the proceedings to be all stuffy as it's only rock n roll. UNDER THE INFLUENCE is an unrelenting party to be turned up at full blast. In a time when rockers past a certain age look to the American Songbook for inspiration, it's great to see a band opening peoples eyes and ears to metal music's own deep well of classic performances. Nothing more inspired than that.

CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:
http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles634.mp3

Rockwired Radio Profiles #633 - Stewart Franke

I will first address the fact that BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN himself makes an appearance on the opening track of STEWART FRANCKE's self-titled EP. The song is SUMMER SOLDIER (HOLLER IF YOU HEAR ME) and if no one could imagine THE BOSS himself making some magic out of this gloriously stomping rocker on life on the pointlessness of war than I don't know what I can say to convince you but SPRINGSTEEN isn't the point. It's STEWART FRANCKE's lyrical narrative and parched delivery that anchor this SPRINGSTEEN-esque tale.  FRANCKE's self-titled EP is an eight song collection that truly tells a story of the Detroit singer songwriters own musical journey over the years. An informal greatest hits if you will where the FRANCKE and company sway with balladry, stomp with rockers such as KISS KISS BANG BANG and rolling to an R&B groove like he does on the HALL AND OATES-ish splendor of SAM COOKE'S ON THE RADIO.

CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:
http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles633.mp3

Rockwired Radio Profiles #633 - Stewart Francke

I will first address the fact that BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN himself makes an appearance on the opening track of STEWART FRANCKE's self-titled EP. The song is SUMMER SOLDIER (HOLLER IF YOU HEAR ME) and if no one could imagine THE BOSS himself making some magic out of this gloriously stomping rocker on life on the pointlessness of war than I don't know what I can say to convince you but SPRINGSTEEN isn't the point. It's STEWART FRANCKE's lyrical narrative and parched delivery that anchor this SPRINGSTEEN-esque tale.  FRANCKE's self-titled EP is an eight song collection that truly tells a story of the Detroit singer songwriters own musical journey over the years. An informal greatest hits if you will where the FRANCKE and company sway with balladry, stomp with rockers such as KISS KISS BANG BANG and rolling to an R&B groove like he does on the HALL AND OATES-ish splendor of SAM COOKE'S ON THE RADIO. 

CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:
http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles633.mp3

 

Rockwired Radio Profiles #632 - The Refusers

Oh the delicate and desperate situation that America has found herself in! On one end you have a maniacal supposed billionaire with  woman, Arab and a Mexican problem making a mockery of the Grand Ol' Party and on the other side you have an elderly socialist crying revolution versus the embodiment of a career politician linked to this word "Benghazi" that gets bandied about by people who hate the woman. And while all of this is going on that fat guy in North Korea is positioning his nukes just so, Brussels has been attacked and we're all like "When can we get to Mars?" Everyone's got an opinion and they're willing to throw down for it and I find it strange that none of this kind of thinking ever finds it's way into our music. In comes THE REFUSERS fronted by former Wall Street wizard-turned-whistleblower on American greed  MICHAEL BELKIN with a punchy, guitar-driven punk rock sound that calls out the crooks and calls for the heads of the infidels and two-bit bandits who call themselves bankers. Does the song HANG THE BANKERS need any explanation? In an age where music moves products in order to move units we've gotta give it up for THE REFUSERS whose heart and balls are in the right place. BORN TO ROCK indeed.

CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:
http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles632.mp3

Rockwired Radio Profiles #631 - Through Fire

Guitarist JUSTIN McCAIN knows all about seeing the rock n roll dream through. Throughout his ten year tenure with the EMPHATIC he had paid the price for a life in rock n roll with blood sweat and tears and the struggles had paid off with some chart action and one hell of a loyal following. While that bands self-titled album and two follow up EPs GOOD BYE GIRL and RIOT 10 didn't make too much of a dent it was their 2011 album DAMAGE that put EMPHATIC on the map with it's two singles BOUNCE and GET PAID. They followed this up with ANOTHER LIFE in 2013 which boasted the single REMEMBER ME. Despite these brushes with success it's important to remember that ten years is a long time and in a time when most marriages don't last ten years it's silly to think that a band could but EMPHATIC put on a brave front despite a revolving door of members. JUSTIN McCAIN proved to be the only constant. In 2015 McCAIN realized that something had to give without dismissing the fan base that had been accrued over the years so he locked himself in the studio, wrote some songs, got a band together and EMPHATIC was re-nicked THROUGH FIRE and the moniker sums up his sense of survival. At the moment it feels like more that a reboot and less than a debut for THROUGH FIRE. According to McCAIN the new album is in the can and will be released in the Summer of 2016 but it's been preceded by the single STRONGER which demonstrates that despite mostly new members that primal instinct for issuing a not-so-subtle rock n roll punch and this time it's served up with an electrifying vocal performance by new front man GRANT KENDRICK. 

CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:
http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles631.mp3

Rock Is Red #20 - Arigon Starr - Creator of Super Indian Comics

Super heroes are a bigger business than they have ever been thanks to DC COMICS and MARVEL having set their sights on the silver screen but they all got their start in comic books. I'll have to admit I'm a little out of my area of expertise when it come to the world of comic books but in doing research on Native American superheroes I see that the list is surprisingly long. The only one that I was familiar with was APACHE CHIEF from SUPER FRIENDS. However finding out all of this information doesn't take anything away from ARIGON STARR's (Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma) comic book creation SUPER INDIAN. In fact of all of the Indian super heroes out there SUPER INDIAN might be the only one created by a Native person. STARR began her career  producing cartoons, drawings and artwork for many organizations including NATIVE VOICES AT THE AUTRY, NATIVE VOICE ONE RADIO SERVICE, the legendary rock band QUEEN, WALT DISNEY and the NATIONAL PARK SERVICE. She also boasts a background in theater and playwriting. The initial idea for SUPER INDIAN came when STARR was on a train ride in Australia on her way to an Indigenous Theater workshop. “I’ve always thought our Native community didn’t have enough comic book heroes and most of the ones that were already out there weren’t created or drawn by Native artists or writers” says STARR. SUPER INDIAN first came to national attention when it was turned into a 10 part radio series on NPR. Fueled by the positive reception to the radio series SUPER INDIAN has continued as a weekly webcomic but now STARR has joined forces with WACKY PRODUCTION UNLIMITED's CEO JANET MINER and has formed REZIUM PRODUCTIONS in an effort to bring SUPER INDIAN back to radio and whatever media there is to take advantage of. 

CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:

http://www.rockwired.com/rockisred/rockisred20.mp3

Rock Is Red #19 - B. of Dakota South Records

When we first met B. OF DAKOTA SOUTH RECORDS two years ago he had just released his twenty song, self titled debut album and what blew our minds about the Yankton Sioux hip hop artist was his knack for thinking big. But then again in the hip hop world thinking big is the only way to be. B is not only an artist but  the CEO of his company DAKOTA SOUTH RECORDS which is home to such artists as TREY DEMI, juQ, BERT MALCOLM, RICO DA DRAMA CITY KID, AVENUE DA STREETZ and NAE NAE. While Rapid City, South Dakota may be the last place that anyone would think of as a hot spot for rap and hip hop, B has managed to make it a domicile to take seriously for future consideration on the strength of his artistry and entrepreneurial acumen. Now said artistry and entrepreneurial spirit have come together on B's eagerly awaited follow up album OHHH! B. Once again B issues a twenty-song compilation featuring state-of-the-art production, guest spots by folks on DAKOTA SOUTH RECORDS' roster and most importantly rhymes that speak to the highs and lows of life. B has his sights firmly set for going straight to the top and if there are any doubts about that they will squashed after hearing the album's first single COME AND GET YOUR LOVE. The homage to the RED BONE classic has "smash" written all over it it's a wonder that no other Native hip hop artist has sampled the tune. We are clearly at the beginning of B's ascent to the hip hop glory and it should be interesting to see where all of this goes a year form now.

CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:

http://www.rockwired.com/rockisred/rockisred19.mp3