We Speak Music

Konrad Kinard’s ‘War Is Family’ Is A Cold War Odyssey in Sound

Published

7 months ago

November 21, 2025

War Is Family situates Konrad Kinard at the intersection of memory, myth, and sonic experimentation. The Texas-born composer blends spoken word, field recordings, and layered instrumentation into a sprawling, twenty-track album that reads as both memoir and performance art. It is an audacious work, a “radio drama without the drama or the radio,” that navigates the anxieties of a generation raised under the Cold War while never losing sight of its deeply personal core.

Kinard’s collaborative approach adds rich texture to the album. BJ Cole’s pedal steel glides alongside the mournful resonance of cellists Eleonora Rosca, Emily Burridge, and Matthias Hejlik, while harmonium, contrabass, and rhythmic tap interjections create a dynamic, otherworldly soundscape. Each track feels like a miniature vignette, from the tense paranoia of “The Bomb Shelter” to the surreal whimsy of “Siddhartha Goes To Alabama”, revealing Kinard’s knack for constructing both narrative and atmosphere through sound.

What makes War Is Family compelling is its refusal to adhere to genre conventions. Kinard seamlessly blends Americana, experimental, and avant-garde textures into a cohesive whole, giving the listener a sense of immersion and introspection. The album’s emotional weight is matched by its sonic inventiveness, producing a listening experience that is as intellectually stimulating as it is viscerally affecting. Kinard’s exploration of cultural and familial anxieties is profound, resulting in one of the year’s most ambitious and haunting releases.

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We Speak Indie Artist

Rocky Kramer’s Rock & Roll Tuesdays Presents “Loud & Proud” On Tuesday, June 9th, 2026 7 PM PT on Twitch

Published

11 hours ago

June 7, 2026

Jimmy Star

Rocky Kramer will be hosting “Loud & Proud” on this week’s episode of Rocky Kramer’s Rock & Roll Tuesdays on Twitch. Tune into Twitch on Tuesday, June 9^th, 2026 at 7 PM PT for this amazing show.

Rocky Kramer is a guitar virtuoso, often being compared to the greatest guitar players in the world. Rocky has performed on shows with some of the greatest musicians on the planet including Ozzy Osbourne, John Lodge, Steve Vai, Leland Sklar, Kenny Aronoff, Tommy James, Verdeen White, Ten Years After, BuckCherry, Rick Wakeman and more.

Rocky’s first studio album, “Firestorm” is now available worldwide through Allied Artists Music Group, together with an epic music video of his #1 Global DRT Chart topper single, “Rock Star”, that also picked up a Best Rock Performance nod at the 2019 Hollywood Music In Media Awards (“HMMA”).

Rocky Kramer recently returned to the studio to record his sophomore album “Alone In The Rain” which will be released soon!!!

Rocky Kramer was recently cast in The Mutt Productions/ Allied Artists rock n’ roll time travel comedy adventure “Rockin’ In Time” where he will play the film’s lead character, Lars Olsen. The film is being directed by Aaron Lee Lopez (of the “Teenage Girl” franchise) and is being produced by multi-platinum and six-time Grammy Award winning musician turned motion picture producer, Kurt Wipfli.

Rocky Kramer is now the new lead guitarist in Prescott Niles’ new revival of the legendary band The Knack. Known worldwide for their smash hit “My Sharona,” The Knack helped define the sound of late-1970s power pop and rock. Decades later, the band’s influence continues to resonate with fans and musicians across generations. With Rocky Kramer now joining the lineup, the band is poised to introduce that legacy to a new era of audiences while honoring the spirit that made them legendary.

Watch Rocky Kramer’s “Rock Star” Music Video here: