by Meredith Schneider | Aug 11, 2021 | soundtrack, videos
In 2020, we all experienced a new circle of hell. In 2021, we are learning to live with that new “normal,” but we don’t have to sacrifice great art to do that. In fact, our creative endeavors are getting more exaggerated, more incredible, especially if the music video releases of August are any indication. With new videos from Seether, Shakka, Southern Avenue, Amiyelle, Neal Francis, and more, this soundtrack is absolutely going to hold a few defining 2021 tracks for you.
Peep our collection below, and check back throughout August and beyond for more additions from this month in 2021!
by Meredith Schneider | Aug 6, 2021 | albums, review, wolf tracks
From the first haunting chords of the intro track “Home” to the last, intimate notes in sixth song “Strange Fruit,” singer-songwriter and producer Naomi Westwater’s beautiful new EP Feelings delivers just that: Feelings with a level of palpability unlike other albums provide. The topic of “Home” is less relatable, as Westwater sings specifically of her personal struggles with endometriosis and its accompanying reproductive issues. And while the second song “Feeling My Feelings” began in the same realm topically, it slowly developed into an anti-violence track. “Reflecting on the song now, I think it is also a haunting mirror to gun and police violence. It’s for those of us who feel our pain and feelings are ignored by others,” she admits.
“Commune” keeps to a slow, danceable clip, while Westwater observes her own spirituality and how it is defined in her life. Her vocals are absolutely magnetic, just like the way she leans into her own spirituality. While “Strange Weather” launches into a discussion on climate change, it does so in a beautiful and poignant way, never straying from the overarchingly soulful power of the collection. Explains Westwater:
This project felt like a storybook, like a complete collection of things that I’ve been meaning to say to the world, things I need to scream out into the void, and things that I need people to hear. These songs were all written at different times: ‘Strange Fruit’ in the 1930s, ‘Americana’ in 2012, and the others in the last few years, but the stories are so relevant to now.
Keep up with Naomi Westwater here.
by Elizabeth Schneider | Aug 5, 2021 | singles, wolf tracks
Like many sidelined performers during the lockdown, Irish artist Luz flexed her creative muscles, releasing three singles in 2020 (‘we’ll be fine’; ‘I’m lonely’; and ‘the author’) and one in April of 2021 (‘counting houses’). Her most recent single ‘permanent +1’ drops on August 5 via Platoon. Luz has this to say about the new single:
’permanent +1’ is about the person in your life who is always there. Yes, they are the person you take with you to your cousin’s wedding, to a birthday party and to your family’s Sunday dinner. But they are also the person you take grocery shopping, who comes with you to a doctor’s visit and who helps you do your laundry.
Luz has employed spare instrumentals on ‘permanent +1’, relying primarily on her voice which was the perfect choice. Luz also has a skill for storytelling that belies her age of 20 years. Her lyrics in ‘permanent +1’ put you in the middle of conversations that you know you have had with that person in your life:
When you’re trying to sleep and I’ve lots on my mind,
…My over explanation is irritating and you say it’s fine, it’s always fine,
…And you want my advice on something that we’ve been through about a hundred times,
You’re overanalyzing it, it’s always fine, it’s always fine with me.
Luz is celebrating the relationships in our lives that sustain us. I love this song and the message Luz has communicated. It will definitely find a spot on my newest playlist.
by Meredith Schneider | Aug 3, 2021 | videos, wolf tracks
Louise Kahn is no stranger to the music world. Following the success of Terry Poison, the Israeli electropop trio she entered the industry with, she is now venturing out on her own. Her debut single “Water in Water” is a glittering, light-as-a-feather beauty, with a music video that mirrors that sentiment. The song itself is a tribute to Kahn’s current home of Santa Teresa in Costa Rica. Glitter, body paint, and torches light the way for the disco-tinted single. Check out the new sound – and mildly transcendental video – below!
Keep up with the artist here.
by Meredith Schneider | Aug 2, 2021 | singles, wolf tracks
Have you ever had a case of massive bitterness over love lost or heartbreak in general? Glittering synth-pop project This Coast Bias really wades through it with new track “Waste of Time.” Despite the danceable pop composition, the song itself does not waste any time in dissecting that past love. The music is like candy to your ears, almost detracting from the reality of it all. Even so, it gets to the point, expressing the worthless nature of the relationship, and then cuts out clean. Explains the artist of the new track:
The ‘Waste of Time’ chorus kinda popped into my head when I was brushing my teeth one night. I wanted a hook that was unquestionably directed at the listener; one that didn’t dance around the issue. It’s kind of a brutal verbal dagger. The instrumentation also harkens back to a more indie sound that I’m steeped in usually, with minimalistic percussion and a little lofi synth solo in there.
Keep up with This Coast Bias here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jul 30, 2021 | videos, wolf tracks
When two talented producers join forces, you’d best bet there’s some insane music coming your way. For Laurel Canyon-based duo Munnycat (K808 and Khaledzou), this couldn’t be more true. The noise-pop project created some absolute magic during their down time during lockdown, and we’re insanely impressed by the outcome. They recently shared their new music video for earworm “so fresh,” a beautifully shot visual that gives us a glimpse of a bit of Los Angeles while the pair strut around in their 70s best. Honestly? Couldn’t think of anything more fresh. On point, my friends! Explains the duo of the track:
We had a ton of big plans for doing all these ambitious and amazing things during the ‘down time’ we had last year, but we severely underestimated how hard it’d be to accomplish them during the chaos of a global pandemic. We’d have a to-do list a mile long and then we’d be like, ‘Wait a minute. Have either of us even showered in 5 days? When’s the last time we ate a healthy meal?’ We were playin’ ourselves. But addressing that irony and producing a really fun, upbeat song helped us crawl out of that headspace, for sure.
Cinematographer: Paul W. Sauline
the MUNNYCAT mixtape is due out August 25th.
