BrianLushRockwired2

The first edition of ROCKWIRED MAGAZINE'S EDITOR'S CHOICE podcast series features music and interviews with SILVERTUNG, SHALLOW SIDE, ETHAN 103, BAD MARY and LOVE & A .38.To help drum up some excitement for ROCKWIRED MAGAZINE'S EDITOR'S CHOICE issue on December 16, 2016, the magazine will be getting the fun started early with the production of a five part podcast series celebrating all 27 of the bands and artists who made 2016 so damn memorable. The five part podcast series will be hosted by ROCKWIRED MAGAZINE's Editor-In-Chief BRIAN LUSH and will feature music and exclusive interview excerpts with the artists who made the year rock. The limited-run podcast special will run from December 12 - 16 and will be available exclusively through ROCKWIRED.COM and i-TUNES. What a year it's been with a crazy election and everything else that is happening in the world. It's been an eventful one for ROCKWIRED MAGAZINE as well with our recent shift from being a monthly magazine to a publication that will be released once every two months. The first  issue of this new  release cycle will be issued on December 16, 2016 and will feature our eagerly anticipated EDITOR'S CHOICE list where ROCKWIRED MAGAZINE gives it up for  27 of the bands and artists who made the 2016 editorial calendar something to experience. A lot of love and care was put into this list and - as the editor - I feel that not a space was wasted. A truly exciting year has come to a close and we here at ROCKWIRED are anxious to celebrate the close of the year with  you in what is sure to be a truly exciting issue and podcast series. CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT: http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/2016EditorsChoice1.mp3

It’s been a crazy couple years since the summer of 2014, when CORY PEARMAN (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) and GARRET ACHTEN (percussion, backing vocals) - founders and core members of Denver based rock-funk-blues-folk powerhouse FLOAT LIKE A BUTTERFLY - jammed out a few of CORY's acoustic tunes with a djembe and guitar in CORY's apartment. After countless creative differences, resulting personnel changes and stops and starts, they solidified their lineup in January 2016 with the addition of drummer PHIL PLECKHAM. This past year, they’ve become a non-stop machine, rocking their home region and beyond with the stylistic diversity of JACK WHITE and the fiery live energy of THE FOO FIGHTERS. With the release of their perfectly titled EP, the band - which also includes EVAN CRABDREE (lead guitar) and JASON CLUKIES (bass) from the band SHREDDING HEIGHTS – invites the world to follow their wild musical adventures and ENJOY THE RIDE. The band recorded the five tracks of ENJOY THE RIDE in two days at DECIBEL GARDEN STUDIOS in Denver, helped along by engineers SILAS MERA THOMASEN and EVERETT OKLAR. CORY penned the raucous title track in response to his girlfriend, who moved to Colorado from Southern California to be with him but was having second thoughts. It's crafty rhymes need a bit of clever deciphering but his core message makes for a great life philosophy: "You can let it go and enjoy the ride while there’s still time." Inspired by a botched attempt to tell her he loved her before midnight on New Year's Eve, the likewise spirited THIS MOMENT offers a similar seize the day philosophy: "When it feels just right, don’t let it slip away." Drawing on Cory’s acoustic roots, he was in full on retro MARTY ROBBINS mode when he wrote the bar-soaked singalong WHISKEY DREAM. The band's balance of harder rock edges and lush vocal harmonies is perfectly reflected on GARRETT'S jamming DR. ORDERS.  CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles675.mp3  

SCATTERED HAMLET is honky tonk metal mixed with enough octane to drive in an 18 wheeler.  Created to capture the essence of growing up in the country while giving nods to the original classic rock and outlaw country pioneers, SCATTERED HAMLET is one part LYNYRD SKYNYRD and MOLLY HATCHET and one part MOTORHEAD and DOWN, featuring a sleazy southern influence laced with heavy rock elements. SCATTERED HAMLET’s influences range from southern rock to groove metal to doom metal with the attitude of punk rock.  With humble origins all across the US and a relentless touring schedule of 100+ shows all across America, the band makes no apologies for the equal love of HARLEY DAVIDSONS, honky tonks, LES PAULS, MARSHALLS, shotguns and classic American symbolism. Their debut full length album, SKELETON DIXIE, was produced by two time Grammy nominated producer JASON DONAGHY(ROB ZOMBIE, JOHN 5, THE MURDER DOLLS) and mastered by legend HOWIE WEINBERG (PANTERA, SLAYER, WHITE ZOMBIE, DANZIG). The band has amassed a strong underground following called “Hell Riders” who maintain their own “chapters” (fan clubs) independent of the band. The band’s new album SWAMP REBEL MACHINE has been released through BUCK MOON PRODUCTIONS. The album was produced and mixed by JASON DONAGHY and JAKE RODENHOUSE and contains 11 supercharged anthems.  CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles674.mp3

Readers may not share in our nervousness and apprehension in what a TRUMP presidency has to offer and that's fine but this is where we're at as a publication right now. The number of things that have us excited these days a minimal outside of the release of ROGUE ONE - A STAR WARS STORY and new music from one of our favorite bands in the past couple of years - CITY OF THE WEAK. Fronted by the enigmatic and most-definitely-photogenic front woman STEF WITH AN F, CITY OF THE WEAK is a band that has stood out form the crowd with their not-so-subtle approach to a brand of pop rock that one finds themselves banging their heads.  The band set the public up for some pleasant surprises with the release of their 2014 EP DISCLOSURE which had yielded the singles WHITE FIRE ALARM, JUST ANOTHER EULOGY and THE BLAME GAME (all packaged lovingly with some top notch music videos proudly displaying Ms. WITH AN F's undeniable charisma and star power). In the spring of 2017 STEF and the boys will be releasing their first ever LP. Preceding this release is another anthemic stomper CENSOR THIS with a music video that winks  at the electoral process  that is coming into question. Seriously, we're not trying to make this political. 2017 is going to be huge year for CITY OF THE WEAK. All you've got to do is give CENSOR THIS a listen and realize this band has the pop smarts to make rock n roll great again. 
CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:
http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles673.mp3

On Sunday, November 20th at the Student Union Building of the University of New Mexico Campus, the university Native American student group THE KIVA CLUB presented the WATER IS LIFE BENEFIT CONCERT FOR THE STANDING ROCK LAKOTA TRIBE in an effort to raise money for the men and women protesting the DAKOTA ACCESS PIPELINE. The six hour show featured talent that has been featured here on rock is red before such as FRANK WALN, INNASTATE and RADMILLA CODY but also some new voices with some surprising messages and sounds. We were in attendance and we managed to score some interviews with the likes of FRANK WALN, the punk band WEEDRAT and Navajo hip hop artist DEF-I. You'll be hearing all of those interviews in this latest edition of ROCK IS RED. The band INNASTATE got the crowned going with their infectious live set but before they did they presented their brand new music video for the song WATER IS LIFE featuring EMMET SHKEME GARCIA of NATIVE ROOTS, rapper DEF-I and the spoken words and saxophone of JOY HARJO. 
CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:http://www.rockwired.com/rockisred/rockisred26.mp3

As a child who attended pow wows and various Indian-themed conferences thanks to my mother working for the NATIONAL CONGRESS OF AMERICAN INDIANS (NCAI), I would often retreat into fantasy and play with my STAR WARS action figures with some of the other children while the adults did their thing. Now, at the age of 41, I have attended the first ever INDIGENOUS COMIC CON at the HISPANIC CULTURAL CENTER in Albuquerque, NM and to call the experience "surreal" was an understatement. It had all of the elements of a pow-wow, an Indian art show, a conference and sci-fi convention complete with cosplayers. It was the childhood pow wow experience complete with droids, DARTH VADER and some storm troopers. No event with COMIC CON in it's title would be be complete without any of these elements, but this one was different. This event was all about Native people creating imagery and stories that define them as people. One of those people is ARIGON STARR - the creator of SUPER INDIAN - whom ROCK IS RED has profiled previously. At this event we also got to meet Mdewakanton Sioux writer Z.M. THOMAS - the owner of TREPIDATION COMICS and creator of SIOUX FALLS - a steampunk comic inspired by the DAKOTA UPRISING of 1862. Since iconography is essential in comic art the subject of mascots and taking charge of the imagery that defines us as native people made all the sense in the world to be included in this event and the presence and wisdom of SUZAN HARJO was most welcomed. Accompanying HARJO were Standing Rock Sioux filmmakers JOHN and KEN LITTLE to discuss their upcoming film MORE THAN A WORD: MASCOTS AND POP CULTURE REPRESENTATION.   CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT: http://www.rockwired.com/rockisred/rockisred25.mp3

To say that the new SEASONS AFTER record MANIFESTO is an evolution would be an understatement. The album set to release in November 11th, 2016 is a brash declaration of the policies, goals, and opinions of a band that has weathered the storm and come back with a vengeance. Building on past radio success with three Top 40 singles and over 3.5 million YOUTUBE views, the band has grown, matured, endured, and developed a chip on their shoulder that results in a blistering array of songs that will satiate the tastes of both rock and metal music fans alike. Guitarist JIMMY BEATTIE states, "This album was written with nothing but the truth in mind. It's about the unspoken realities that a lot of us live with, and some of the hard truths we all face at one time or another. The idea is to let listeners know that they are not alone, and that someone understands. We can find each other in the dark." Listeners can expect to experience a variety of emotions ranging from rage to bliss and everything in between. The band has truly arrived in thunderous fashion with this record and successfully bridged the gap and improved on their already vast catalog of songs. The desperation and longing for something more truly translates on this record. Having toured coast-to-coast multiple times, the band is primed and ready to do it again to further grow their already rabid fan-base, and showcase what their hard work and dedication have brought forth in the form of their newest release, MANIFESTO. CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT: http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles671.mp3

Given ROCKWIRED's penchant for the heavy stuff in terms of music and in light of the all that has happened with this country's electorate in the past couple of days, it feels good when we get a chance to turn down the volume and easy into something as satisfying at singer songwriter TIM HOULIHAN's newest album ANOTHER ORION. HOULIHAN's heartfelt Americana approach is given some extra gravitas thanks to KEVIN BOWE's ace production but the songs are where its at on this catalog of material that speaks eloquently on life and love and all of the whimsy that is attached to it. The opening track and first single I GET LONESOME TOO is a plucky number filled with instrumental charms here and there. It could almost be a country radio hit (not that we have a true grasp of what was popular in country today, but we'd rather hear this than anything from BLAKE SHELTON). On SOMEBODY TALK TO JESUS, HOULIHAN gets political and in this post election haze the song probably has more resonance than ever. CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT: http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles672.mp3

The best music out there is the music that tells a story. Even if there are no words involved. Russian-born guitar virtuoso JAY KATANA has a story to tell through music and images in his new EP release BLEEDING BOYFRIEND VOL.1. It's all here! The ups and downs of love on the nightclub scene gone right and completely wrong and illustrated in stark black and white and punctuated with a sound that marries electronic dance music with heavy metal guitars. BLEEDING BOYFRIEND VOL. 1 is indeed a stylish offering from a talent that will have everyone asking for KATANA's business card. A rock n roll visionary has been born and we are almost certain there will be an enthusiastic audience along for the ride.  CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles670.mp3

Rock n roll is a driving force that will not be denied. Just ask front man and guitarist DAVE NARUSZEWICZ. After making his musical presence known with the band HEART-SET SELF DESTRUCT and their two LP's, NARUSZEWICZ felt it was time to move on and chase that musical muse that could potentially lead to a wider audience and even wider appeal. After not finding what he was looking for in his native Chicago music scene he went to Los Angeles and reached out to drummer RUSSELL RAY formerly of OLD FASHIONED BEATDOWN. Along with former OLD FASHIONED BEATDOWN guitarist SHAWN PATTERSON, the three began to lay down the foundation of what would form the potent sound of VYCES. Eventually the band filled out to include MARK JAMES KLEPASKI on bass and EVAN SEIDLITZ to round out the band's hard edged sound on keyboards and synths. Tons of songs have been written by this unit which explore the darker side of human emotions and now an unsuspecting public is getting it's first taste of all that this band has to offer with the bands debut EP DEVILS. The guitar-driven, aggressive approach of the band is balanced the SEIDLITZ's nuanced approach to the keyboards making this first offering from VYCCES something to pay attention to.  CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles669.mp3