Twisted South Radio

In a time where everybody has to put a label on a band to try and separate or distinguish what kind of music they play, Amplified Heat adopts Lemmy from Motorhead's philosophy....ROCK AND ROLL! Not "rock", "indie" or "alternative" but rock 'n roll in the most raw and dirty sense of the term. The trio consists of brothers Jim, Chris & Gian Ortiz, who have been playing music together since they were kids. Two thirds of the band were born in Cali, Colombia and the other in New Jersey. They spent their young lives in La Puente, California, a racially mixed community but predominantly hispanic. They bounced around between Colombia and California a few times before finally settling in Texas.  If Billie Holiday had a love child with Joe Cocker, and Fiona Apple had a love child with BeBe Winons, and those two kids grew up and had a baby, that child would be me. Some people say this, I did not make this up.-Hope Waits “Hope Waits is the new 'Lady Day'. Somewhere between Janis Joplin and Billie Holiday is an incredible voice and feeling that generates electricity. A new voice of patience, meaning and an unbelievable sense of style that has a proven way of transcending all the female vocal music that means the important message of art to our generation.” Gary Miller -BluesSource.com   

Wayne Baker Brooks serves notice of a new powerful force at play in the music world. Combining outstanding song craft, passionate vocals, and a liquid fire guitar style, this talented artist manages to honor his rich blues heritage while effortlessly expanding the boundaries of the genre. Born and raised in Chicago, IL amongst the most prolific blues legends and blues masters in the world, Wayne Baker Brooks blues roots may run deeper and wider than the Great Lake Michigan itself, but this truly innovating artist knows no creative boundaries. Chicago Blues laid the foundation to Wayne's innovative style. A regular visitor (as a child) at places such as Chess Studios, Checkerboard Lounge, Wisefools, and many other blues landmarks as well as witnessing many live performances by blues masters like Buddy Guy, Jr. Wells, Luther Allsion, KoKo Taylor, the great Muddy Waters, & his father. The youngest son of blues master Lonnie Brooks was born with the blues, for real! There was or is still no way getting around the fate that was appointed to him. The Wood Brothers,Oliver and Chris Wood grew up in Boulder, Colorado. Sons of a Poet and a Microbiologist, they both took up music. Oliver moved to Atlanta and became a southerner. Chris moved to New York City and became a Yankee. Now, after years of musical and geographical separation they have reunited. While in Atlanta, Oliver soaked up the roots of blues, the soul of the south, and found he had a talent for writing and singing songs. His band, King Johnson (named after Freddy King and Robert Johnson) toured mostly in the southern states. Meanwhile, Chris was living in Manhattan playing everything from free jazz to rock and roll. This is where he met his band mates to form Medeski Martin & Wood.

JP Soars and the Red Hots, the 2009 International Blues Challenge winner, is a trio of talented musicians that each brings something special to the band. JP Soars, the guitarist and vocalist for the band is a musical melting pot, with influences form just about all genres of music, including heavy metal, which is where his professional career as a musician got it’s start.  Brian Mikasa's motto is short and sweet. "Dear fellow Earthlings, My name is Brian Mikasa and I'm from the rather average city of Ventura, CA. I spend my days writing, recording, mixing, practicing and reading about how to get better at all of these things".  Brian Mikasa is a singer songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Ventura, California. His styles range from classic rock influenced guitar jams to hip hop and r&b flavor. Since 2003, Brian has been performing in and around Ventura County in a few different bands; Aejis, Siren, and the B Mikasa band aka The Anunnaki. Shout outs to Zeta Recticuli. Brian has recently been recording in his home studio recording himself and other bands, audio engineering is his latest passion. Now trying to find members of a new band, Brian is a craigslist lurker creeping upon any unsuspecting musician to try and coax them into playing in his band. He loves Mexican food and dime pieces (that's hip hop slang for a good looking female.)

Special hosts this week are Michael Buffalo Smith and Miss Vivienne Vermuth! Ruben Dobbs of Swamp Candy grew up on a farm in Maryland where he was exposed to blues, country and classic rock by his uncles and grandfather. He's been writing his own music since age 15 and has played in and/or fronted several original bands that have performed genres including progg rock/metal, reggae, old time, and a comedic skit rock band that went so far as to produce a full blown rock opera. After a brief stint in a pop new metal band, that left a bad taste in his mouth, he came to the realization that the forms of music he first came to know best complimented his creative ability; however the vast pallet he has acquired from delving into so many styles give his more current songs a unique edge that makes them memorable, thoughtful, and free from the cookie cutter sound of an artist strictly tied to one genre.  Late 2002 saw Oli Brown pick up a guitar for the first time and just 2 ½ years later, at 15, he was invited to America, as the guest of American Blues band Blinddog Smokin’, this first trip saw Oli play for Buddy Guy and Taj Mahal. 2008 and Oli was signed to the German Blues label, Ruf Records, Thomas Ruf actually flew into the UK to see Oli perform and signed him there and then. Oli Brown's debut album, OPEN ROAD, was recorded and released in 2008 and received great reviews from both the UK and Europe and was voted the Number 2 Blues album of 2008, by readers of Blues Matters! magazine and, two years on, is still high in the Blues Charts.

The Big Damn Band is very much a family affair, with the good reverend on finger-style resonator guitar and lead vocals, his wife “Washboard” Breezy Peyton on washboard and vocals, and distant cousin Aaron “Cuz” Persinger on drums and bucket. The band’s home base is deep in the hills of Southern Indiana’s Brown County, which boasts a population of 14,957. (Or 14,954 when the band’s out on the road playing close to 250 gigs a year, including appearances at the Austin City Limits festival and tours with Flogging Molly, Derek Trucks, and Clutch.) Conjuring visions of fast cars, black leather, sweat and sin, The Green Lady Killers (GLK) unleash electric charged garage rock that delivers a loud, fast and sexy ride. 

Twisted South Radio welcome blues guitar wizard Danny B. Harvey and the Legendary Queen of Rock and First Lady of Rockabilly, Miss Wanda Jackson on Jan. 12, 2011. Danny B. Harvey has a relationship with his guitar and shares that with the world, from producing Wanda Jackson music to playing with the Headact, the world’s only rockabilly supergroup with Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead and Slim Jim Phantom of the Stray Cats. He is currently on tour and also plays in a group called the Lonesome Spurs with Lynda Kay Parker. When Wanda Jackson, the justly crowned Queen of Rockabilly, recorded “Let’s Have A Party,” a tune she made into a hit of her own in 1958 even after one-time boyfriend Elvis Presley had released a version of it, her delivery of the chorus wasn’t so much a suggestion as a command. As the title – and, more importantly, the contents -- of her latest album, The Party Ain’t Over, indicates, this feisty septuagenarian artist is as galvanizing as ever. Jackson was recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, honored with a long-time-coming, Early Influence accolade for her pivotal role in the evolution of popular music, especially where female artists were concerned. As a teenager in the mid-50s, the diminutive Jackson was the first woman to perform unadulterated rock and roll – and she one-upped the boys defining this new genre, Presley included, with her exhilaratingly forthright approach. The young Jackson, an Oklahoma native, came across as both gritty and glamorous; a playfully suggestive growl to her voice matched the daring, handmade outfits she wore, short skirts and fringed dresses that have inspired would-be bad girls for decades to come. A tireless touring artist for more than 50 years, Jackson continues to win over new, young fans, including guitarist-vocalist-White Stripes founder Jack White. courtesy of http://www.wandajackson.com

Tonight it is going to be Mars and Zeke LIVE form the headquarters of Twisted South Magazine. Mars has been down at headquarters the last few weeks and this will be the last show before she heads on back to Yankeelnad. Come join them both, shoot the bull, and listen to hand-picked music from both of Twisted South Magazine's favorite playlist. Call 917-388-4498 oto join in the fun.

Every so often a truly explosive, blues-steeped star comes slamming down the pike. Think of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Robert Cray, Susan Tedeschi, Warren Haynes and Kenny Wayne Shepherd.Now think of Davy Knowles. Think long and hard and toast a bright future. Fronting his band Back Door Slam, the 22-year-old British phenomenon with an encyclopedic grasp of blues-rock draws on influences from Robert Johnson to Rory Gallagher, gives it a fresh Celtic feel along the way. As a songwriter, Knowles puts the muscle back into the blues but also offers a progressive, folk-bluesy slant in the brilliant new album, Coming Up for Air. And it doesn’t hurt that the Grammy-winning Peter Frampton produced it.Taddy Porter is 4 young men, southern by birth, with a habit of rocking outright. The brothers Jones command a rhythmic Abrahams, devastating all in its path, steady on its brooding course, leaving a wrecked wake where the war was waged. All the while, Brewer and Selby man the cannons hurling shell after screeching shell of audio assault. Brewer howls familiar with all the pains and medals that lie typically in the tones of men with triple his years. His words describe scenes you’ve known before in ways which still ring fresh. Selby invades every earhole in the room with a brute force and welcomed trauma that stays with a crowd well after he’s done with them. This is Taddy Porter.Davin McCoy is a genuine artist in every sense of the word. He is a wordsmith and musician with an insatiable appetite for insightful songwriting. He has a talent for telling the tale, commenting on the human condition from a different perspective, one that is fresh and intelligent and occasionally wicked.

Maurice Bourassa has created a viral sensation in his plea to thieves to return his sotlen music gear. "My 1953 Gibson Les Paul was stolen from our private music studio in Ladner, BC., on June 5, 2011. What you may not know is that, in fact, that precious guitar was only a part of the theft... In total, about $50,000 of gear was taken." Brian Strange (a.k.a. Big B) started playing guitar and writing songs at the ripe old age of 26 after his sweet wife encouraged him to find another passion other than golf that would better suit raising a young family and the long hours of the family catering business (www.donstrange.com). So he purchased a guitar and Mel Bay lesson book and headed down a road that would prove far more rewarding, family friendly and just good clean fun. Victor Wainwright and his Power-house blues, Memphis soul, and roots rock’n’roll. Featuring the high-octane boogie piano and big soul sounds of vocalist and blues man Victor Wainwright, backed by one of the tightest smokin’ bands on the scene; the WildRoots.  

Various Artists Paint It Black: An Alt Country Tribute to the Rolling Stones (Reimagine Music) The idea of low-gazing roots rock combos revisiting classic tracks from the Rolling Stones catalog may seem like an unlikely pairing, but credit rookie label Reimagine Music for pulling it together seamlessly. Following a similar tribute to Bob Dylan offered up last year, the company has upped the ante in terms of name-value and gathered some of alt-country’s more impressive – if consistently hushed – voices -- among them, Matthew Ryan, the Great Lake Swimmers, Cowboy Junkies, Hem, Blue Mountain, Giant Sand and the Handsome Family, making this a collection of considerable merit. Still, the transposition would seem befuddling were it not for the excellent choices made by the participants. Although a handful of better known tracks are included (“Wild Horses,” “Paint It Black,” “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”), it’s quite the stroke of genius to emphasize more obscure entries like “Streets of Love,” “Before They Make Me Run” and “Coming Down Again,” all of which seem open to rediscovery. Likewise, the Stones’ flirtation with Americana, transposed via songs such as “Moonlight Mile,” “Sweet Virginia,” “Wild Horses” and “Faraway Eyes” find an ideal connection with the downcast delivery so prevalent here. An excellent compendium, this is one tribute that’s absolutely essential. www.reimaginemusic.com courtesy of http://www.nodepression.com/profiles/blogs/lees-listening-stack-alt

Girl in a Coma’s Both Before I’m Gone cd on Blackheart Records has debuted on the Billboard Heatseekers chart at #23. In addition, the disc recently debuted on Itunes at #21, selling more copies than Sara Bareilles, Black Keys, Gnarls Barkley and Vampire Weekend. Both Before I’m Gone also landed at #6 on Itunes rock chart. Girl in a Coma hail from San Antonio, Texas ¬ land of puffy tacos, lone star beer, and the place where Ozzy pissed on the Alamo. Nina Diaz, who was 12 when the band formed, is often referred to as ³the female version of Morrissey and has been compared to artists as diverse as Bjork and Patsy Cline. Her powerful, expressive voice ¬ mature beyond its years, is unforgettable to anyone who hears her sing. with Jenn Alva on bass and Phanie D on drums, this band has been likened to The Smiths, The Pixies, and the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs. They all love tattoos. Vivienne Vermuth is a Burlesque performer is the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas in the troupe called "Broads and Panites" and will be joining Twisted South Radio to tell our listeners all about modern day burlesque shows , what you can expect at one and why some of today's premier celebrities are getting into burlesque.

Angie & the Car Wrecks are comprised of two brothers, Shawn and Dale Ball, on the upright bass and guitar, respectively, with their good friends Calvin Jernberg on the drums and Garrett Pessin on Harmonica, and Dale's wife Angie Ball leading the pack and taking on vocals. They are based in a small town in the Pacific Northwest, where they hone their craft on many rainy days stuck inside. Neal Travis is a country singer/songwriter living in San Antonia, Texas. Neal has the smooth voice of a warm crooner and a prolific storyteller. James Leg, growler, shouter, composer, and Fender Rhodes finger-f*cker, of the Black Diamond Heavies, steps out with some friends for more songs of hedonistic excess, crazy ass women, and southern salvation on his new record "Solitary Pleasure". Heavy conditions give birth to heavy records. Rock and Soul all night long,

Thomas Wynn, 26, (Thomas Wynn & The Believers) a stellar singer/songwriter, brings a heady brew of uplifting rock w/gospel soul, sprinkled with some southern R&B. Spirit-moving vocals, lyrics and guitar work, Wynn's brutal honesty is felt by all within range. The themes go beyond years of drugs, heartbreaks and hypocrisy to deliver a message of hope. Thomas is uniquely supported by sister Olivia Wynn’s (23) engaging and captivating voice and presence. Olivia and Thomas stand side by side on stage. Her strong vocal harmonies and response makes the perfect companion to his yearning banshee cries. Influenced by their father, the original drummer for Capricorn Studios 1970s legendary band Cowboy, as well as leading worship in their home church, there is much conviction from and beyond the stage.  Mix swinging grooves, thrilling riffs, sweet and hot vocals, acoustic western sensibilities and tons of fun and you have only begun to describe Cow Bop. Formed in 2003 by internationally-acclaimed guitarist Bruce Forman, this western bebop band has toured extensively throughout the country, exciting audiences with their unique brand of American music. In 2004, Cow Bop won the Route 66 Challenge, traveling the length of the storied road having departed with a mere $100 and no scheduled gigs. Rockabilly Queen, Rosie Flores, joins the show tonight to talk about her kickstarter project to honor Janis Martin( The Female Elvis) dying wish to have her final recording released. Janis was a huge inspiration to Rosie and shaped her career making music today.

When you add the ingredients of women, whiskey, 4 wheel drives, a twist of Johnny Cash meets the Beastie Boys, shake well & pour over ice - you get the Moonshine Bandits. California's favorite blue collar outlaws, known as the Moonshine Bandits, have taken their somewhat obscure music genre of Outlaw Country Rock/Rap to all types of new audiences. The Bandits' song writing reflects a backstage pass into their "Shiner" lifestyle on the road and their "let's raise some hell" attitude. Southbound formed in 2009 with members of Sixth Floor, Southern Thunder, Snake Creek and Hardlife.Seasoned musicians with one common goal, to do what we want when we want!The debut cd entitled "Dry County Blues" is due for release in early spring and is sure to make some noise!With everything from rowdy,dirt road racin' songs like "Southern Livin'" to the soulful southern anthem "Outlaw" this album has something for everyone.  Rott ‘N’ Roll. The title originated with Grayson Capps’ fans in New Orleans as an explanation of his music. Prostitutes, alcoholics, vagrants and drifters often inhabit the southern troubadour’s songs, while his live performances are ignited by sanctified Southern soul, howling back-country stomp and raucous roadhouse blues.. Slowly, but surely, the phrase spread from one city to the next as the definition of the Grayson Capps experience. For Grayson himself, Rott ‘N’ Roll has come to represent the state of mind needed to play uncompromising roots music as a means for survival in the Dirty South; the yin and yang between the debauchery of life on the road and the come down upon returning home..   

  Boasting of influences that run the gamut of musical genres, SwampDaWamp, a band of southern-born and raised, country fried rockers have created a distinctive sound truly their own. Infused with everything from rock to country to blues, when you hear that fun-loving sound, you know without a doubt it is SwampDaWamp.   Slithering Beast is an American roots band from the fair region of Clark Co., Indiana.Kentucky-based musician and songwriter Nick Dittmeier. Fatigued after fronting several punk bands, the project was an outlet to simplify things and explore the American roots music that birthed rock n roll.