NOVEMBER 24, 2008
HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM ROCKWIRED.COM
There were so many ups and downs this year, but you know something? It was all great. On a personal level, THANKSGIVING has always been our favorite holiday and this year, ROCKWIRED has a great deal to be thankful for, due in no small part to artists that come to us with wonderful music and to our readers who keep coming back for more. There are so many people to thank so forgive us if we've left any one out. (READ MORE)

NOVEMBER 20, 2008
SHINE A LIGHT ON ME
SAMANTHA GIBB RELEASES THE DOCUMENTARY FILM
'A NASHVILLE STATE OF MIND'
EXPOSING THE COUNTRY MUSIC CAPITOL'S
ALTERNATIVE MUSIC SCENE: A ROCKWIRED EXCLUSIVE

There are a lot of reasons for people to damn the music industry. You can turn on the radio or maybe  catch a music video at six in the morning on VH-1 (the only time they ever play music videos) and come to the conclusion that it's all cookie-cutter music with tunes that sound vaguely similar to each other with a few sexy pouts thrown in for good measure. As a matter fact when anything music-related is newsworthy, it has something to do with MADONNA's divorce or BRITNEY shaving her head.  Singer SAMANTHA GIBB ( daughter of the late MAURICE GIBB of THE BEE GEES) had reason to believe that all music was created equal by that same cynical, chain-smoking music executive, rendering the whole creative process behind music making obsolete. However it was a fateful venture to Nashville, TN - a city exalted by red states everywhere as the home of country music - where GIBB and her band M.E.G. got the shot in the arm that they needed and from there on began churning out song after song. After meeting numerous fellow songwriters, GIBB called up some friends, got  a camera crew set up, and started filming everything that they saw. The end result is a documentary film entitled A NASHVILLE STATE OF MIND which shines a light on an exciting alternative music scene from a town that is better known for it's twang. (READ MORE)

NOVEMBER 19, 2008
NEO-SOULSTRESS
FEMI TALKS TO ROCKWIRED
ABOUT HER DEBUT CD 'SWEET WATER SOUL'
WORKING WITH P.C. MUNOZ
AND MOVING ON TO THE NEXT THING

Oakland-based singer-songwriter FEMI has spent the past five years refining her sound before enthusiastic live audiences in the Bay Area. With all of the momentum that she has been building up slowly and surely, you'd think think that her debut E.P. 'SWEET WATER SOUL' (TALKING HOUSE RECORDS) would've been released years ago. This was not the case. With 'SWEET...', the honey-voiced songstress has finally committed her lovely compositions to an official release. Produced by P.C. MUNOZ, this debut E.P.  is indeed a sweet escape, showcasing stand out tracks such as 'CRUSH', the contemplative 'PAGES', and the jazz funk fusion of 'I WANT YOU'. While the brevity of it may leave a listener wanting more, you can be assured that neo-soul has found another tremendous talent in the vein of INDIA.ARIE or DES'REE. (READ MORE)

NOVEMBER 18, 2008
SECOND TIME'S THE CHARM
ARDEN KAYWIN TALKS TO ROCKWIRED
ABOUT HER LATEST RELEASE 'THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM'
COLLABORATING WITH OTHERS
AND MESSING AROUND WITH SOUND

For many recording artists, it is the first album that defines them  and everything afterwards is simply building on to the identity that has already been established. However, there have been instances (a'la PINK) where one's artistry doesn't quite manifest until the second release and by then, you hope that people are still interested. Singer/songwriter ARDEN KAYWIN is a textbook example of the latter. In 2006, KAYWIN released her debut CD 'QUARTER LIFE CRISIS' to reasonable acclaim and industry accolades, but while the songwriting and the delivery were earnest, one cold see these musical tales of growing up on one's own terms  fated as the background music for some LIFETIME movie starring what's-her-name. Three years later, ARDEN KAYWIN - the songwriter - let's her artistry shine through  on her sophomore release 'THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM' - an immaculately produced pop record filled with irresistible moments such as the FEIST-like march of the first single, 'LET IT GO', the early BEATLES-styled romp of 'LIGHTS OUT' and the yearning ballad, 'GALILEO'. This time around, KAYWIN was in the producer's chair and writing with songwriters ZIV and EVE NELSON. "If anything, I hope that I can continue to work with them on future projects because working with them was the best part of the whole process and now that it's over, It's like I'm going through postpartum depression because I miss being in the studio and I miss having that interaction." confesses KAYWIN. "It's something that I really want to do again." (READ MORE)

NOVEMBER 17, 2008
GROOVE IS IN THE HEART
ELLEE VEN TALKS TO ROCKWIRED
ABOUT HER LATEST CD 'DANGEROUS DIVERSIONS'
WORKING WITH PRODEJE
AND KEEPING THE MUSIC COMING

ELLEE VEN's 2007 release 'YOUCANBUYME' was my first introduction to a style of music that Ms. VEN has dubbed 'GROOVETONICS'. Sounding like something that one would wash their hair with, GROOVETONICS was described by VEN (JESSICA KUNIN) in a previous interview with ROCKWIRED as a brand of music that "..is supposed to make you move and make you feel better and provide some sort of relief." While any kind of dance music can fit that bill, ELLEE VEN's brand runs the whole gamut from techno to rock to hip hop and everything in between and it's all topped off with her MADONNA-esque coo. GROOVETONICS is in full force on her latest CD 'DANGEROUS DIVERSION' (HOT SAUCE RECORDS) with energetic tracks such as the rocking opener 'HERE', the positively thumping 'SORRY'S NOT ENOUGH' and the slow burning 'HOLD ON TO ME' featuring rapper PRODEJE, but it is the track 'WHAT AM I RUNNING FROM' where VEN gets her DEBORAH HARRY on and truly shines through on it's ethereal chorus. (READ MORE)

NOVEMBER 6, 2008
THIS IS NOT THE END
J.T. CURTIS AND STEPHEN QUADROS OF 7TH SUN
TALK TO ROCKWIRED
ABOUT THEIR DEBUT CD 'FROM THE BEGINNING',
GOING BEYOND TWO MINUTES AND FIFTY SECONDS
AND PENETRATING THE MIND AND BODY

It is easy to hear 7TH SUN's debut release 'FROM THE BEGINNING' as some sort of nostalgic romp with some ERIC CLAPTON styled picking, STEVE WINWOOD ivory tickling and GINGER BAKER's four-to-the-floor assault on the drums. While the bands core members (J.T. CURTIS - vocals/guitars, ADAM KURY - bass, and STEPHEN QUADROS - drums) moonlight as the CREAM tribute band WHIPPED CREAM, they have taken your dad's late-sixties English rock with 7TH SUN and made it relevant to the social and political climate of today - a world just as manic and chaotic as any that CREAM's music tried rising above. 'FROM THE BEGINNING' is an album that takes you some where. While I was never one of those kids that listened to PINK FLOYD or any thing like that (I was more into New Wave), in listening to '...BEGINNING', I get it. The band goes from jazzy instrumentals to strutting rockers, funky breakdowns, almost reggae-styled grooves and anthemic guitar solos, all in a moments notice. Nowhere does this bands sound come together more perfectly than on the sizzling track 'BIG MAN'. Unlike the current crop of "alternative" rockers (if they even call them that anymore), 7TH SUN gives you reason to believe that rock n roll doesn't have to be all pop psychological heartache, false earnestness, and empty posturing. It can be a hell of a ride. (READ MORE)

NOVEMBER 4, 2008
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
EARL R. JOHNSON JR. TALKS TO ROCKWIRED
ABOUT HIS DEBUT CD 'JUICY',
WORKING WITH JUST ABOUT EVERYONE IN MUSIC
AND REVEALING A COMPLEX MOTHER AND AND MAKING A CONNECTION WITH THE AUDIENCE

Pianist and composer EARL R. JOHNSON JR. has travelled the world and the seven seas and has built a name for himself as 'the' keyboardist to work with. His resume has certainly been enhanced by the marquis value of industry luminaries such as BRIAN MCKNIGHT, CHAKA KHAN, GLADYS KNIGHT, KENNY LATTIMORE, and BEYONCE, however being the supporting player wasn't exactly what JOHNSON had set out to do. Ever since he earned his degree from the BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC in Film Scoring, the phone has not stopped ringing with people wanting him to work with them. Needless to say, the dream of scoring that great, big, Hollywood blockbuster has eluded him so far. His self-produced and self-financed debut CD 'JUICY' is more than just a calling card for JOHNSON's immense artistry and talent. It is also an introduction to a man whose talents have not yet been realized by folks outside of the music industry. "It took a lot of saving and planning and begging and crying, but that is why I'm so proud of it now." says JOHNSON in regard to recording 'JUICY'. "I'm pleased that I actually finished it. I wanted a GRAMMY-level project that was independently produced and I wanted it to be able to sit up on the self beside any other project. I wanted it to look and sound like a major label release with the only difference being that I paid for it myself." (READ MORE)

OCTOBER 29, 2008
IT'S A NEW DAY...IT'S A NEW DAWN
SIMONE TALKS TO ROCKWIRED
ABOUT HER DEBUT CD 'SIMONE ON SIMONE',
PAYING HOMAGE TO HER MOTHER - NINA SIMONE
AND REVEALING A COMPLEX MOTHER AND DAUGHTER RELATIONSHIP THROUGH MUSIC

Whenever a son or daughter of a successful recording artist releases their own music, you often hear remarks such as "They wouldn't have made with out their parents." Fame by association comes more easily in the acting world as opposed to music, and the long, winding road to her first ever CD was certainly not an easy one for singer LISA CELESTE KELLY who has taken on the stage name SIMONE in honor of her mother, the High Priestess of Soul - NINA SIMONE. The pursuit of a music career wasn't the route that was expected of KELLY. While the inclination may have always been there to lift up her voice and sing, LISA instead joined the military. Following the first Gulf War, KELLY left the service and chased that often elusive dream of super stardom to the dismay of her parents. "Oh man! I didn't really share my decision with my parents." confesses KELLY. "My mother was especially concerned because of a  lot of the experiences that she had had. I decided to do it anyway. It was the first time in my life where I felt in my bones that this was what I was supposed to be doing." (READ MORE)

OCTOBER 24, 2008
JUST PRETENDING
SUSANNAH BLINKOFF TALKS TO ROCKWIRED
ABOUT HER LATEST CD 'LET'S PRETEND',
WORKING WITH PRODUCER RICH JACQUES
AND COMING INTO HER OWN

The album 'LET'S PRETEND' is a debut of sorts for singer songwriter SUSANNAH BLINKOFF. Within the past ten years, she has released two EPs and and a full length LP (2005's 'HAPPY TODAY') under the band moniker CAMP SUSANNAH. Working with producer and songwriter RICH JACQUES, SUSANNAH and her earnest pop sensibiliities shine brightest on the pleasantly rocking 'MY TIME NOW', the subtle groove of 'GOOD TO BE HERE', and the plucky 'I GOT LUCKY'. BLINKOFF's songwriting chops seem practically effortless on  'LET'S PRETEND'. One would assume that her confessional brand of pop craftsmanship owes to the likes of CARLY SIMON or CAROLE KING, however the inspiration is a little closer to home. "I was sort of born into it." confesses BLINKOFF "My mother is a songwriter and in the seventies she was a singer-songwriter who was signed to ELECTRA"

While the transition from being the child of singer-songwriter to being a singer-songwritertook a little longer than one might expect, the results are solid. 'LET'S PRETEND' is worth a few spins. (READ MORE)

OCTOBER 15, 2008
SPACE PUNK STARDOM
BRETT MOSES AND MARSHALL GALACTIC
OF THE FRONTIER BROTHERS
TALK TO ROCKWIRED
ABOUT THEIR DEBUT LP 'SPACE PUNK STARLET',
LIFE ON THE ROAD, AND BRINGING LIGHT INTO A CYNICAL ALTERNATIVE MARKET

For those of you who are not in the know, THE FRONTIER BROTHERS have a yarn they like to spin about themselves. They say that they come from outer space and that they are on a mission to change the face of rock music as we know it. This messianic mission statement might get a few laughs or it might get them laid , but THE FRONTIER BROTHERS are definitely not of this world. The pop world, that is. In an indie music stratosphere filled with prescribed anger, misplaced aggression, and facelessness - all done with a sexy pout - , THE FRONTIER BROTHERS are mesmerizing live audiences with their primal beats, electronic CASIO symphonics and punk styled war whoops. All of these aspects are on full display on the bands first ever LP 'SPACE PUNK STARLET'. After years of releasing excellent albeit brief EPs (2007's SOLAR POWER STRUGGLE was a revelation!), the band has clearly revelled in their studio time and have released a superior effort in the vein of an early - less anoying - FLAMING LIPS. (READ MORE)

OCTOBER 14, 2008
COMING TO AMERICA
U.K. ARTIST ED VALLANCE TALKS TO ROCKWIRED
ABOUT HIS DEBUT CD 'THE MODERN LIFE'
HIS LOVE AFFAIR WITH THE STATES
AND GROWING AS A SONGWRITER

America isn't the place to be right now. With our economy on the fritz, a presidential office up for grabs, and wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan, the land of the free is on dangerously shaky ground. Of course, none of this has swayed U.K. born singer-songwriter ED VALLANCE from crossing the great Atlantic and setting up shop in Southern California in pursuit of that often times elusive dream of  pop significance. It's hard for me to imagine the dream eluding VALLANCE for too long. He is dropping his debut CD (an 8-song mini-album) THE MODERN LIFE (REBEL GROUP) on November 4, 2008 - Election Day. Filled with songs that speak to the chaotic times that we're living in, THE MODERN LIFE couldn't have been released at a better time; the end of the BUSH years and the beginning of an uncertain future. All politics aside, one should not overlook the fact that ED VALLANCE has honest and urgent album that is easy on the ears and heavy on the mind. (READ MORE)

OCTOBER 10, 2008
NOT JUST ANY WHITE GUY
WITH A GUITAR
ANDY GRAMMER TALKS TO ROCKWIRED
ABOUT LIFE ON THE LIBERTY LIVE 2008 TOUR
WORKING ON A NEW ALBUM
AND BREAKING FREE OF THE SOLO ACOUSTIC MOLD

When singer songwriter ANDY GRAMMER is asked who he is most often compared to musically, he brings up the obvious comparison to JOHN MAYER, JACK JOHNSON, and - probably not as obvious - the lead singer of SWITCHFOOT. He is also quick to mention that such comparisons extend to just about "...any white guy with a guitar." GRAMMER released his E.P. 'THE WORLD IS YOURS' to wide acclaim and enthusiastic live audiences who are just as taken with smoldering good looks as they are his warm delivery. This intimate, earnest, acoustic recording has been hailed by EARBUZZ.COM as "...uncompromisingly beautiful", however GRAMMER is eager to forge a broader, band-based sound with his next release. "I see my sound really going in a band direction." says GRAMMER "I don't want to be limited to an acoustic guitar. I feel like my sound is a little bit bigger." (READ MORE)

OCTOBER 8, 2008
BEATING THE CURSE
CHRIS BAIRD AND NICK CLOUTMAN OF LUSTRA
TALK TO ROCKWIRED
ABOUT THEIR FORTHCOMING CD
'WHAT YOU NEED AND WHAT YOU GET',
BEATING THE "BOSTON CURSE"
AND SUPPORTING THE TROOPS

At the turn of the millenia, rock music had morphed from the melodic crunch of post-grunge into the aggressive and confrontational sounds of rap metal, and nu metal. Atthe time, the transition seemed hurried and unnatural, but condsidering the tumultuous decade ahead of us, these sounds of prescribed rage and alienation seemed to be the best that we could expect out of the GEORGE W. BUSH-era. The band LUSTRA - formed in Boston and now based in Los Angeles - is a refreshing reminder of post-grunge's glory days with their raw rock approach, but don't mistake this band as some sort of late-nineties nostalgia act.

LUSTRA is on the verge of releasing 'WHAT YOU NEED AND WHAT YOU GET', the follow up to their 2006 debut LEFT FOR DEAD, and this sophomore effort is far from beinga slump. CHRIS BAIRD (bass/vocals) and NICK CLOUTMAN (guitars/vocals) have proven themselves as pop rock scribers in the vein of JAGGER and RICHARDS with the anthems such as the strutting WHITE POWDER, the raucous BARNBURNER, and the reflective, driving first single 'IT'S A SHAME ABOUT BOSTON'. However, no pop rock album is complete without a relationship being dissected and analyzed to death as it is on the track DINOSAUR. This gritty rock n roll gem is the perfect panacea to the over-produced, over-sequenced self-pity and adolescent rage that has made rock rado of late so indigestable. (READ MORE)

SEPTEMBER 30, 2008
THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST
SINGER SONGWRITER AMY KUNEY
TALKS TO ROCKWIRED
ABOUT HER DEBUT CD BIRD'S EYE VIEW,
SNEAKING FIONA APPLE INTO THE HOUSE, AND KEEPING HER PANTS ON

AMY KUNEY's debut CD 'BIRD'S EYE VIEW' is just the sort of pop debut that dreams are made of, with absolutely no filler in between KUNEY's densely crafted odes to whimsey and a life less perfect.  Immediately following the album's release, AMY has garnered critical acclaim and the admiration of music's top-scriber ANN POWERS of THE L.A. TIMES, who calls AMY's smoky alto "...especially lovely." Fellow singer-songwriter KATE VOEGELE stated in PEOPLE MAGAZINE that KUNEY is "an amazing artist" and went on with the usual comparisons to FIONA APPLE and SARAH MCLACHLAN.

In speaking with AMY KUNEY, being compared to another artist is something she can do without. "I don't hate it but I don't get the point of it." says KUNEY. "I could see where I could remind someone of another artist but that's not my goal to sound like so and so. When people start comparing you to another artist, you are automatically put in a box and I think it can kill your career.  There are artists that I'm honored to be compared to like FIONA APPLE. She's a genius and that's a huge compliment for me, but for the most part, I'm trying to not get myself compared to another artist." (READ MORE)

SEPTEMBER 19, 2008
BURN THIS!
STAR OFF MACHINE TALKS TO ROCKWIRED
TALKS TO ROCKWIRED
ABOUT THEIR DEBUT CD 'BURN THIS'
AND THE CHEMISTRY THAT KEEPS THEM TOGETHER

It's difficult to understand what one has to be angry about in sunny Orange County, California - No parking? You got a single latte instead of a double? You're the only Democrat? Hailing from said County is the OCMA award-winning hard rock band STAR OFF MACHINE, whose urgent lyrics, grinding guitars and thunderous rhythm section put them at odds with the power pop, tribute bands, and emo sounds that their particular zip code is known for. They have just released their debut CD 'BURN THIS' (STOFMA/INGROOVES) and according to lead singer ERICK HOLLOWAY, it's something of a concept record. "It's a looser concept." says HOLLOWAY. "It's not a precise story like a rock opera or anything like that, but the story does have it's ups and downs and I think that we're all very happy with the production of it" (READ MORE)

SEPTEMBER 12, 2008
SWEET EX-SIXTEENER
REALITY TV STAR MARISSA MISHELLE TALKS TO ROCKWIRED
ABOUT HER E.P. 'ONE FROM THE HEART'
LIFE ON THE VANS WARPED TOUR
AND BEING EXILED IN INDIA

Music is filled with little princesses stepping up to the rock plate for the purpose of  either wanting to be taken seriouusly as an artist (PINK, ALANIS MORISSETTE), or simply getting some cutesy, vanity project out there for people to scoff at (BIJOU PHILLIPS, KELLY OSBOURNE). At the moment, it's difficult for me to tell what category the former 'MY SUPER SWEET 16' - star MARISSA MISHELLE falls into, but after listeners to a few cuts off of her debut E.P. 'ONE FROM THE HEART', it is clear that this petite collection of pop rock kiss offs to asshole boyfriends, comes straight from the the CD's titular heart.  Coinciding with the E.P.'s release and MARISSA's new found musical direction (she released a pop single in 2007 called 'JUST SO ABLE') is MARISSA's appearance on the spin-off to the MTV reality series 'MY SUPER SWEET 16' - 'EXILED', which finds the "ex-sixteener" shipped off to India without a toilet or shower in sight. Recently, she's been seen cutting her eye teeth in front of that often hard-to-please rock crowd for this past summer's VANS WARPED TOUR. Clearly this is a princess that doesn't mind getting dirty.  (READ MORE)

SEPTEMBER 5, 2008
THE MOUSE THAT ROCKED
TONY LUCCA TALKS TO ROCKWIRED
ABOUT HIS LATEST CD 'COME AROUND AGAIN'
HIS DAYS AS A MOUSEKETEER
AND ROCKING OUT THIS TIME AROUND

Singer-songwriter TONY LUCCA is on the verge of releasing his sixth album 'COME AROUND AGAIN' independently, and this time, finds himself shrugging off the folk leanings of his earlier work  in favor of a leaner, heavier, rock sound. This is not the artistic path that one expects from a former Mouseketeer. Everyone knows how the story goes; you get a good looking, wholesome kid with a little talent and you put him in MICKEY MOUSE ears for a few seasons. When he outgrows the mouse ears, he gets signed to a boy band and sells millions to the delight of teenaged girls and the ire of self-respecting music critics. Eventually, catastrophe happens and he ends up in the tabloids or he tries to save face by making an appearance on a reality show.

Needless to say, TONY LUCCA didn't do the expected. Unlike his fellow Mouseketeers, BRITNEY SPEARS, CHRISTINA AGUILERA, and JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, TONY eschewed the bubblegum that got these now hardened music icons their start, and took the acoustic route. Sure it was a career path that kept him slighty under the radar and out of the tabloids, but LUCCA has managed to carve out a niche for himself as an acclaimed singer-songwriter with five albums behind him. While his own personal "dramas" were put to song, the personal and professional struggles of other MICKEY MOUSE CLUB alumni have made for interesting check out aisle reading. This is a theme that is addressed in his latest CD. "...there are a couple of tunes that reflect my observations on the Hollywood scene and my horrible affliction for reading the covers of tabloid magazines." confesses LUCCA. "I've had so many friends that have been through the tabloid mill and it's personal for me. It's close to home so I feel entitled to have a definitive opinion about it, so there are a couple of songs on the matter."  (READ MORE)


SEPTEMBER 2, 2008
WHICH ONE IS SARAH?
ABISHA UHL OF SICK OF SARAH TALKS TO ROCKWIRED
ABOUT THEIR DEBUT CD, GETTING STUCK IN METROPOLIS
AND SURVIVING ON THE ROAD

Hailing from the Midwest (Minneapolis, specifically), which seems to be the last refuge for rock n roll on the United States, the all-girl rock band SICK OF SARAH has just released their self-titled debut CD on ADAMANT RECORDS.  Lead singer and guitarist ABISHA UHL's enthusiastic vocals recalls ARI UP of THE SLITS on the more raucous tracks, yet brings it down to a FEIST-like purr on the gentler tracks. Guitarists KATIE MURPHY and JESSIE FARMER are equally willing to crank it up or tone it down to wherever UHL's whimsical songwriting decides to go. The bands rhythm section is comprised of a reliable JAMIE HOLM on bass and a meticulous BROOKE SVANES on drums. With influences that range from JOAN JETT, SLEATER-KINNEY, and the unlikely JOHN FOGERTY, 'SICK OF SARAH' is an intriguing rock roll package that demonstrates a little more quirk than the best of THE GO-GOs, and a little more bite than anything THE BANGLES have ever released. While the CD is filled with the frantic, melodic rockers such as 'HARDEST PART' and 'NOT LISTENING', the band allows it's VANESSA CARLTON-like singer-songwriter inclinations to shine through on the tracks, 'COMMON MISTAKE', 'BITTERSWEET', and 'PAINT LIKE THAT'. (READ MORE)

ONLY THE BEGINNING
KAITLYN ANDERSON TALKS TO ROCKWIRED
ABOUT HER DEBUT E.P. 'A NEW WORD FOR OVER'
NOT GIVING UP, AND DOING WHAT MAKES HER HAPPY

KAITLYN ANDERSON has released her debut E.P. 'A NEW WORD FOR OVER' in a pop music environment where it's princesses are voted in by the American public. In recent years, despite protests by AMERICAN IDOL's resident curmudgeon, young women are entering the pop stratosphere with the sole intention of rocking out. This is KAITLYN ANDERSON's intention as well. Sure, comparisons to KELLY CLARKSON, CARRIE UNDERWOOD, and MANDY MOORE are inevitable, but ANDERSON's sound echoes the sentiments of rock's female veterans PAT BENATAR and 80's-era HEART. Her debut E.P. is all sweetness and slick power chords; a winning combination for any girl that wants to rock. Packed with earnest pop rock compositions such as the breezy UNHAPPY, the frantic and insistent PRESSURE and the pleading 'I DON'T KNOW HOW', - 'A NEW WORD FOR OVER' is only the beginning for KAITLYN. However, nowhere on this CD does ANDERSON's pop smarts and guitarist GUILLERMO GUERRERO's dexterity come together as flawlessly as they do on the track WALK AWAY; a thin slice of power-ballad heaven that will have those who are old enough recalling a time where the idea of voting for a pop star seemed ridiculous. (READ MORE)

AUGUST 26, 2008
SEE WHAT IT BRINGS
ACOUSTIC SOUL TROUBADOUR MUTLU TALKS TO ROCKWIRED
ABOUT HIS NEW ALBUM 'LIVIN' IT'
WORKING WITH DARYL HALL, G. LOVE & AMOS LEE
AND THE THRILL OF COLLABORATION

Produced by T-BONE WOLK (HALL & OATES, CARLY SIMON, and ELVIS COSTELLO), 'LIVIN IT' boasts collaborations with such stimulating company as music legend DARYL HALL on the slow burning 'SEE WHAT IT BRINGS', G. LOVE on the reggae-fied soul of SHAKY GROUND (PART 2), and AMOS LEE on the plaintive 'MAKE IT THERE'. While the roster is impressive, one needs to be reminded that "LIVIN IT', is very much a solo album which displays MUTLU's penchant for that feel good seventies soul sound that filled his ears as a youth. "For me, what resonated the most was people like STEVIE WONDER, BILL WITHERS, MARVIN GAYE, and HALL & OATES." confesses ONARAL. "They (HALL & OATES) were definitely a huge influence. That was why it was such a thrilling experience to work with DARYL. Getting to collaborate and do some shows with someone that has influenced you is rewarding. That seventies soul sound is what inspires me the most." (READ MORE)

THIS IS HER, THIS IS NOW!

With her latest CD 'MOVING ON',  EILEEN CAREY does just that. While she is labeled a country artist, she always seemed as if she wanted to crank up the volume a little, and let her CHRISSIE HYNDE tendencies shine through. This was the case with her previous release. This time around, CAREY adopts a more bluesier sound which she attributes to her songwriting collaboration with L.A. based songwriter KATHERINE GRIMM on the tracks 'OUT WITH THE GIRLS', 'FAITH', 'NEWSFLASH', and 'STAND'. However, it is the KEITH URBAN penned lead single 'THAT WAS HER, THIS IS NOW' that is garnering the most attention. "My producer used to work for WARNER CHAPPELL in Nashville. He had given me a CD with all of these songs on it, so I listened to it and the one song that stuck out for me was this song that I thought sounded like a KEITH URBAN song, and sure enough it was written by KEITH URBAN." says CAREY. "It was a demo that he had recorded with one of his writing partners a long time ago. I don't think that he had even cut the song. I just happened to fall in love with it".  (READ MORE)

AUGUST 13, 2008
IT'S ALL ABOUT CHEMISTRY
Z02 TALKS TO ROCKWIRED
ABOUT THEIR NEW ALBUM 'AIN'T IT BEAUTIFUL'
THEIR UPCOMING IFC TV SHOW 'Z ROCK'
AND THE CHEMISTRY THAT KEEPS THEM TOGETHER

Truth is about as strange as fiction. No wonder they ain't scripting TV shows anymore! The story of a band that plays birthday parties for kids by day, and gets lost in New York City's rock circuit by night, with all of its dope and ass, sounds like the brainchild of a television writer in desperation, however it's actually the true story of New York rockers ZO2 who have released their latest CD 'AIN'T IT BEAUTIFUL' and are the subjects of a forthcoming television series Z ROCK (a semi-reality show which also stars JOAN RIVERS, GILBERT GOTTFRIED, and JOHN POPPER of BLUES TRAVELER) set to air on IFC (INDEPENDENT FILM CHANNEL) on August 24, 2008. It's all to easy to dismiss the whole project as simply a grittier, more testosterone-fueled version of THE MONKEES, but after viewing the pilot episode of Z ROCK, I must declare that the show is funnier than shit! While press is eager to describe the show as CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM for the rock set, I can't help but make the inevitable comparison to THIS IS SPINAL TAP! - had that movie been stretched out into a ten episode series. Given the knack that the band has for improv (the show is unscripted), I had to ask myself if these were actors or if they were a band. "The thing is that a lot of people are saying that this whole thing is just like THE MONKEES but the truth of it is that we are a band first." reassures vocalist/guitarist PAULIE Z. "We've never acted before and never wanted to act. This is going to be the first show ever where there was a real band and then it became a show. THE MONKEES were obviously put together for the show. They didn't even know each other before the show. So we're very happy to say that we are the first to do something." (READ MORE)

WHO LOVES THE SUN?

SUNNY DAY THEORY highlights LISA HILTON's dexterity on the piano with inspired originals (HEATWAVE and AFTER THE FIRE) and surprising takes on familiar compositions such as HOAGY CARMICHAEL's 'SKYLARK' and JONI MITCHELL's 'LADIES OF THE CANYON'. Backed by ace musicianship from the likes of LEWIS NASH (drums), LARRY GRENADIER bass), and BRICE WINSTON (tenor sax), SUNNY DAY THEORY is an engaging listen where HILTON's artistry rings loud and true. (READ MORE)

AUGUST 6, 2008
THE SWEETEST THING
ROBERT HOPE OF SENECA TALKS TO ROCKWIRED
ABOUT THE BAND'S DEBUT CD
'SWEETER THAN BOURBON'
THE STUMBLING BLOCKS ALONG THE WAY
AND HOPES OF BREAKING THROUGH IN THE STATES

Irish rock band SENECA have released their debut CD 'SWEETER THAN BOURBON' to enthusiastic audiences and an even more enthusiastic press. Many, such as HOT PRESS MAGAZINE and THE LIMERICK INDEPENDENT are eager to put money on the hope that SENECA will be the next band to take off from Emerald Isle much like their elders, THE CRANBERRIES did fifteen years ago. In all honesty, 'SWEETER THAN BOURBON' is a sweet surprise! The album, written by lead vocalist/guitarist ROBERT HOPE, is a catalog of disillusionment and disappointment; the cornerstones of anything that is going to be considered "alternative rock". However, SENECA transcends that label with topnotch musicianship  and songwriting that knows the difference between desperation and sounding desperate. It will be very interesting to see what happens when these guys and their music hit the airwaves stateside. Disenchantment has never sounded so enchanting! (READ MORE)

THICK AS THIEVES
SCOTT WEDDLE OF AMELIA TALKS TO ROCKWIRED
ABOUT THE BAND'S NEW CD
'A LONG LOVELY LIST OF REPAIRS'
WORKING WITH PRODUCER MARK ORTON
AND BEING AT PEACE WITH THE WHOLE RECORD

'A LONG LOVELY LIST OF REPAIRS' is AMELIA's third release and with a little help from producer MARK ORTON, the band has released some of the moodiest roots music since the COWBOY JUNKIES released THE TRINITY SESSION twenty years ago. Lead vocalist and percussionist, TEISHA HELGERSON breathes an irresistibly soulful whisper into the band's melancholic prose, while band mates SCOTT WEDDLE and JESSE EMERSON provide a sparse yet compelling soundscape. (READ MORE)

JULY 29, 2008
SUPER-OVA!
EX-ROCK STAR SUPERNOVA FRONTMAN
LUKAS ROSSI TALKS TO ROCKWIRED
ABOUT HIS LATEST BAND STARS DOWN
THE ANTICIPATION FOR THE NEW CD
AND NOT DWELLING ON NEGATIVE SHIT

Since the advent of reality television and the establishment of programs like AMERICAN IDOL, pop music is full of Cinderella stories. Lead singers are no longer auditioning for bands in a garage, but on a Hollywood soundstage. Such was the case for Canadian rocker LUKAS ROSSI, who was a contestant in the controversial ROCK STAR: SUPERNOVA, showing off his chops before a panel of his future bandmates: TOMMY LEE (MOTLEY CRUE), JASON NEWSTED (METALLICA), and GILBY CLARKE (GUN AND ROSES). "Being judged by them on the show was a little weird." confesses ROSSI.  "I don't know how these people who aren't singers can judge singers, but they picked me to sing for the band and I was never really felt intimidated at all. Me and TOMMY always felt like brothers. It's kind of weird. Ever since I met the guy, he was like my big brother. These guys chose me because they knew I had what it took to be that front guy and the front guy is essentially the leader. I've learned a lot from them, but I'm sure they knew that I knew what I was doing beforehand." (READ MORE)

MOVED AND AMUSED
GUY BLACKMAN TALKS TO ROCKWIRED
ABOUT HIS DEBUT CD 'ADULT BABY'
THE BALANCING THE MUSIC BUSINESS WITH HIS CREATIVE SELF
AND WORKING WITH A LABEL OTHER THAN HIS OWN

'ADULT BABY' is an album three years in the making and although GUY BLACKMAN has been making music for years, 'ADULT BABY' is his first solo album. Complete with a cast of dynamic musicians, plush string arrangements and moody compositions brought to you by BLACKMAN himself, 'ADULT BABY' is a classic pop album in a world that has forgotten how cool a pop album can be. (READ MORE)

JULY 28, 2008
A BIT OF TITILLATION
SCI-FI VIXEN AND AUSSIE SOCIETY WOMAN
JANE BADLER TALKS TO ROCKWIRED
ABOUT HER DEBUT CD 'THE DEVIL HAS MY DOUBLE'
FINDING HER VOICE AND DOING SOMETHING ORIGINAL

JANE BADLER's 'THE DEVIL HAS MY DOUBLE' is a surprisingly dark and edgy listen in the vein of JULEE CRUISE or PORTISHEAD. The opening track 'WHEN WE GOT HIGH' brings to mind the urgency of MARIANNE FAITHFULL's 'TIMES SQUARE'  and JANE teams up vocally with JESSE JACKSON SHEPHERD on the playful 'I LOVE EVERYTHING',  where the results mirror the teaming of NANCY SINATRA and the late-LEE HAZELWOOD (had HAZELWOOD been a robot). With solid backing from the SHEPHERD fronted band SIR, 'THE DEVIL...' is a deliciously crafted concept album exploring themes such as fame ('EVERYBODY KNOWS MY SECRETS'), sex ('SINGLE TONIGHT') and loneliness ('THE DOLL THAT CRIES REAL TEARS'). The female psyche hasn't been put on display this artfully since EURYTHMIC's 1987 album 'SAVAGE'. (READ MORE)

NOT JUST A VOICE
NIKITA GERMAINE TALKS TO ROCKWIRED
ABOUT HER LATEST CD 'JUST KITA'
WORKING WITH KEVIN 'DARKSIDE' SMITH
AND FINALLY BEING ABLE TO EXPRESS HERSELF

NIKITA GERMAINE has released her second LP 'JUST KITA' fifteen years following her 1993 NARADA MICHAEL WALDEN-produced debut 'AS SWEET AS IT COMES'. GERMAINE has spent the time in between, doing exactly what she is was supposed to be doing; singing. This NARADA MICHAEL WALDEN protegee has been busy in the studio and on stage with various WALDEN projects all the while waiting for the right time and the right producer to work with."I had met people but the timing was never right and when I finally met up with KEVIN 'DARKSIDE' SMITH, who produced the CD, it was like magic!" says GERMAINE. "Everything clicked and it felt like it was right . Sometimes it takes a while for something good to happen. That's how I look at it." (READ MORE)

JULY 23, 2008
DON'T BORE US! GET TO THE CHORUS!
CURTIS PEOPLES TALKS TO ROCKWIRED
ABOUT HIS SELF-TITLED DEBUT CD
HIS BIG CHORUS MENTALITY
AND GIVING OUT SOMETHING GOOD

While twenty five year-old CURTIS PEOPLES is on the verge of releasing his self-titled debut CD, he's not exactly going out as a novice. At the age of eleven, CURTIS picked up the guitar and joined his first band; a project that lasted up until five years ago. Perhaps that explains why the songs on 'CURTIS PEOPLES'(THE CONTROL GROUP) sound like the offering of world-worn artist with a few extra years on him and not like some twenty-something whipper-snapper with an acoustic guitar, bleeding with overwrought JOHN MAYER-styled sensitivity. As a matter of fact, CURTIS is just the sort of chap solo artist the music industry needs at the moment, simply because he rocks! "...the thing with me is that alot of that singer-songwriter stuff is like really tender and sensitive." says PEOPLES.  "I've got a little of that in me but only so much." (READ MORE)

JULY 22, 2008
UNDER THE LIGHT
CAMERON WEST AND J.W. BROOKS OF THE GRUMPY
TALK TO ROCKWIRED ABOUT THEIR E.P.
'THROES OF CONTEMPLATION',SUFFERING A WHOLE BUNCH AND WRITING ABOUT IT

The Sacramento-based power-trio THE GRUMPY have released their E.P. 'THROES OF CONTEMPLATION', and after years of gigging around and releasing three prior recordings, it feels like things are finally begining to cement for the band. "We've done a lot of E.P.'s and have done a bunch of live things but this is the first CD where we went all the way through with the whole production value of it all and making sure that the mastering was done by a very reputable fella. We spent way too much time in the studio making sure that everything went the way we wanted it." says lead singer/guitarist CAMERON WEST of the band's more meticulous approach to recording this time around. (READ MORE)

JULY 10, 2008
GO
LUKE MULHOLLAND TALKS TO ROCKWIRED
ABOUT MULHOLLAND DRIVE'S LATEST CD 'FURTHER'
THE CHALLENGES OF BEING AN UNDERAGED ROCKER
AND LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

At the age of eighteen, LUKE  MULHOLLAND has released his fourth album 'FURTHER'. Four albums at eighteen! I'm still scratching my head over what it was that MULHOLLAND had to write about when he released his debut CD 'ROAD HOME' back in 2004 at the age of fourteen. When I was fourteen, I had braces, acne, and no visible means of attracting someone for some good old-fashioned necking, yet MULHOLLAND has a career that is four albums strong with guitar and vocal chops that make you think you're listening to a fifty-year-old, blues-influenced English rocker in the vein of ERIC CLAPTON, ERIC BOURDON, or PAUL RODGERS. (READ MORE)