by Tiffany Czech | Oct 15, 2020 | albums, review
It was time for the members of Old News to get more personal than they ever have before. That’s how their new album, Self-Acceptance Speech, came about. Using emo sounds hailing from the late 90s and early 2000s indie rock scene, the album tells stories of self-discovery and understanding. One of these stories can be found in the reflective rock track, “1917 Cherry St.”. Here, we find out about a significant location in the singer’s life, one that he finds himself looking back on. This leads right into “722 Harter St.”, a shorter instrumental that leaves details of the significance of this address to the listener’s imagination. The starry “Flicker” provides a similar experience. This track gives the feeling of a new beginning, perhaps following the self-reflection that takes place during the prior songs. The final track is “Sunday Suit”, a standout on the album that begins with a memorable guitar riff and is an anthem for those who feel they are hiding some part of themselves beneath, in this case, the church music.
Old News have taken the nostalgia of 90s emo rock and turned it into something of their own. Says frontman Beau Harris of the goal in creating this album: “In these very tumultuous times, I think many of us are turning inwards, and we wanted to contribute by giving people a message of healing and hope.”
by Tiffany Czech | Oct 14, 2020 | singles, wolf tracks
When renting an apartment with an ex, one may not expect to feel refreshed and optimistic about a new day. Lauren Hulbert, however, felt just that. This is when she got the inspiration for her bright new track, “Honeydew”, which is to appear on her upcoming EP, Superbloom, out Oct. 30.
Supported by gentle acoustic guitar strums and synths, the music provides a summery warm tone as Hulbert sings about her newfound joy and happiness that she finds herself experiencing at the start of every new day. Comfort radiates from the track as you hear music that might be heard on the beach. By the end of the track, you will understand the happy and free feeling Hulbert has been singing about as a feeling of weightlessness takes over. “Honeydew” is not only a song about loving someone else, it is a song about loving yourself.
Hulbert says of the inspiration for the track:
I think I was happy to be in one place, making a temporary home, in our own space, with a nice, friendly neighbor and a little bodega at the end of our alleyway. It was a really cute spot. We got to make a little life for ourselves. We had a lot of hope for our future together and I remember that feeling really good.
by Tiffany Czech | Oct 12, 2020 | albums, review
For anybody needing comfort on a dreary fall day, singer-songwriter ALIX has you covered with her new album, Feel Better. Filled with whimsical sounds splashed with springtime melodies, Feel Better is a collection of songs about feeling free despite some of the curve balls life throws at you.
“Easy Living” takes you on a trip to sunny California with a list of things that bring her the most joy. With a vibrant guitar riff, it has earned its place as the album’s opener. “Golden” is both one of the catchiest and happiest songs. It serves as a celebratory anthem that gives the green light for you to feel content about the place you have arrived at in your life. It can even be a pep talk. Just like life, Feel Better doesn’t come without its share of gripes. “Let’s Leave”, with the Los Angeles based pop group, 1323, offers the perspective of somebody begging to leave the party she is at to find something more worth her time.
ALIX has delivered an album about feeling content with love and life. Whether it is wishing a past love well like the NEZZA assisted “Good”, or finding someone who makes you happy like on “Satisfied”, Feel Better promises to be your companion through it all. ALIX says of the feel of the album: “I wanted to keep the sounds light, comforting and positive to symbolize a lifestyle I want to be dedicated to. But I wanted to include the humanity of needing to talk through feelings and turn frustration into constructive growth.”
by Tiffany Czech | Oct 12, 2020 | singles, wolf tracks
When the world went into lockdown back in March, Pauline Andrès found herself isolating in a friend’s recording studio. This is where she began and finished work on her newest release, “Til the End of the World”, from her upcoming EP “Tornado Season”, which is due out this Winter.
While Andrès started writing the song on an acoustic guitar, the final product is dominated by the sounds of 80s synth-pop. A step towards electronic music that seems effortless, it is hard to believe that she hasn’t always made music like this. The track is appropriate for the current state of the world, too. Passionately, Andrès sings about wanting to love someone despite the fact that the world seems to be ending. There is a feeling of urgency in her voice as she sings about being unsure of whether loving someone is a necessity during such trying times. This is amplified by the sounds of sirens crying in the background. Some may see this as a pessimistic point of view, but in many ways, it creatively highlights the reality the world is living in. Andrès says:
I never thought the world was ending. I know a world is ending, which is the very definition of an apocalypse. That process started years ago. It’s gonna take a few more but we are obviously in the middle of it. I don’t know how exactly this will continue to manifest. But I’ve decided to be cool with it, to keep making art, and believing in the absolute, almost absurd power of love and music.
by Sadie Battle | Oct 9, 2020 | singles, wolf tracks
Singer-songwriter Francisco Martin releases his first single “Swollen” under 19 Recordings. A multi-instrumentalist and producer, Martin’s love for music sparked at a young age. He was born and raised in San Francisco, CA and grew up amongst his musically passionate family who supported his growth every step of the way. By age nine Martin was playing drums and singing, and by freshman year of highschool he picked up guitar and piano; leading him to discover his love for producing.
This raw, heart-tugging single was created in his bedroom studio in Nevada. Artists who can write and produce their own music allow listeners to hear more than just a song. Martin allows listeners to hear his story about embracing both sides of what being in love can lead to. The emphasis on pulled guitar strings opens the way for his beautiful vocal talent to take you on a journey of vulnerable heartbreak. “I love the way you say you’re scared to hold me / I hate the way you came and left me crawling” are just the starting point of where lyrically, Martin proves he’s not leaving out any details of his feelings. It’s exciting to know what’s ahead for Martin, as “Swollen” is an incredible way to start the narrative of what’s next.
by Tiffany Czech | Oct 8, 2020 | premieres, videos
In the new music video for his song “My Mind”, Trent Toney creates an intriguing visual where he and the subject of all of his woes are replaced by two stuffed animals. This silly interpretation of the track should not take away from the heartbreaking words that he sings, however. In the simplest sense, it is a breakup song. With a dominant guitar, Toney sings about how unbearable it is to go on without his former love. At first glance, it might seem like using stuffed animals takes away from the sadness of the lyrics.
When listening and watching further, the song is loud and clear about how heartbreaking it is to go through a breakup. The video paints this picture well. From going through an old pile of photos from the relationship to trying to keep oneself busy by doing household chores or taking a long drive, Toney does an incredible job of creating imagery that the viewer can identify with. Through a blend of lighthearted storytelling and heart wrenching lyrics, this video is the perfect balance of emotions. It is also a great reminder that animals make perfect music video stars.
by Tiffany Czech | Oct 6, 2020 | albums, review
Gray may be a good way to describe 2020, or the color of the sky on a rainy fall day, but it is also the title of the new album from Byland. Led by Alie Byland, Gray gives full permission to pace around your bedroom on your first listen, unable to believe that each song blows you away as you pace your way through the 10-track release. The first of these is “Passed Me By”, which comes equipped with a gentle drum beat and chilling piano as we hear the story of a girl struggling with her newfound loneliness. “Mine” comes along later as the singer bravely admits that she is unable to give people as much as they seem to want from her. Then comes the haunting “Grow Old With Me”, which reaches its most impressive moment during the last minute as she admits that her anxiety and loneliness have taken hold of her life. The album closes out with “Did I Win When I Won”, a raw guitar track that sounds like a voice memo recorded on a cellphone. As the shortest song, it serves as a simple outro that leaves the listener wanting more.
Lyrically and sonically, every inch of this album is chilling and beautiful. By the end, you will feel invited to start listening from the top because you want to fully immerse yourself into every word and understand the emotionally complex world Byland have created. At its core, Gray is a very human album.
by Tiffany Czech | Oct 2, 2020 | albums, review
Portland, Oregon-based rock band Last Giant have just released their stunning new body of work Let the End Begin. With influences like Led Zeppelin and Thin Lizzy, the album acts as a bridge, allowing the listener to time travel back to the 1970s and 1980s rock scene. Here, we find songs like “Sunset Queen”, which relies on an infectious guitar riff to draw the listener in. The guitar paired with the catchy chorus melody and heavy drumming help make this one of the best songs on the album. The title track “Let the End Begin” ensures you don’t forget what you’re hearing by providing a memorable hook that has the potential to stay in your head for days after hearing it. It also makes clear why the album shares the same name as it defines just what it means for the end to begin. Each song has the ability to connect with the rock fan in a real way. Whether it’s the guitar solo in “Followers” or the commanding vocals in “Letters to Lennon”, there is no shortage of rocking out to be found.
Last Giant have created a modern rock and roll triumph. While many people depend on earlier decades of music to get their rock fix, they have made it clear that the current decade has more than enough to offer.
by Sadie Battle | Oct 1, 2020 | albums, review
It’s debut album time for London-based band Tempesst with their release of Must Be a Dream that was brought to life at Pony Recordings; the band’s label in Hackney, London. The ten track album is filled with generous servings of psych pop and stylistic nods to the band’s influences of Joni Mitchell, Al Green, Wings, and Electric Light Orchestra. The core of the band is made up of twin brothers, Toma and Andy Banjanin, who’s musical journey spans across the cities they lived in and life lessons they learned along the way. Rooted into a musical family and playing in a church band as teenagers, the brothers left Noosa, Australia for a short stint in Brooklyn, New York during the bustling indie scene of the late 2000s. Inspired and full of the DIY tactics and ideas they experienced, they took to London and began culminating the band, their label, and the album. Rounding out the lineup with guitarist, Swiss-American Eric Weber and old friends Kane Reynolds and Blake Misipeka, the keyboardist and bassist, Tempesst hunkered down in the studio they built while meticulously working on their sound. “These days artists are expected to do so much themselves and we have always been slight control freaks anyway”, states Andy. “DIY is part of everything that we do, so that extends to our label, the studio, the videos, all of it and really it’s just how the indie music scene has evolved.”
Must Be a Dream allows listeners to transport musically and explore dense, emotional themes, all while being comforted in the juxtaposed moments of sun-kissed melodies and angelic synths. “Better Than the Devil” stands as the opening track, where Andy on drums showcases a steady kick drum beat in the beginning before really opening up with the rest of the arrangement. The background vocals on the title track are church choir melodies that serenade the metaphorical idea of the song; that the perfect woman in front of you couldn’t possibly be real; couldn’t possibly exist in your reality. Tempesst dives into identity faceting in “High on My Own”, through judgmental lyrical undertones about other’s self-acceptance, and a contrasting upbeat feel that leaves the listener with hope of following one’s own path. Tackling the haunting struggles that love can bring, “Mushroom Cloud” dramatically lays out the spite and pain sometimes felt for the ones we fall deepest for. Toma’s simple chorus guides the listener through the struggle, and ends with a lyrical punch to the heart “When sorry’s a worn out sleight of hand / good love is a dried up wilderness / you’ll know where to find me / on the fallen horizon.”
Complete with harp instrumentation, and “oh la la la la la” vocals, “Walk on the Water” is a euphoric transitional track to different themes of the album. A mashup of vocal harmonies on top of deep instrumental reverb, “On the Run” holds stories of death, substance abuse, and the forever loss of innocence. Explains Toma:
It’s about a close friend who disappeared for a decade and returned as someone completely different, and it’s an ongoing trauma. When I connected the music to the lyrics to try and finish the song, it felt like it had a rolling rhythm, so the chorus fell into place from there. For me, this song carries a lot more emotional weight.
The final album tracks explore themes of modern day society in relation to getting older, boredom within the digital age, and the paralleling question of what life is supposed to mean through all of it. It’s the juxtaposing ideas of sound and song meaning in this debut album where Tempesst really invites the listener to their psych-rock wonderland – where storytelling and sweet melodies will meet you at every riff.
