by Meredith Schneider | Jan 10, 2020 | albums, review
Today is incredible. We made it to Friday, it’s the second weekend of the new year. Whatever trials and tribulations we have experienced in the last few days, we made it through the week and things are looking up! So now it’s time to celebrate, and we see no better way than with the transfixing sounds of Joshua Tree-based The Adobe Collective‘s new album All The Space That There Is.
“Carousel” reels you into the tranquil sounds of the band, while “Blind” begins a bit more frantically, and carries more energy with it. It is here that we realize the album is largely going to be a love piece, with relatable twists and turns and a reliable smooth as honey soundscape, regardless of how much the tempo and instrumentals vary. “To Ourselves” further proves this point, occurring at the pace of a 60s rock track. And that guitar? It melts our souls. But then when “You’ll Never Tell” sets in, it brings with it more of an old western vibe instrumentally, confrontational and beautiful in its message.
“Warm To Me” feels like a beach in the summertime, and we’re pretty sure that was on purpose so we’ll just leave it at that. (Ok we lied. Listen to it if you want to bring that chin up a bit, truly.) “All I Know” follows with more of a quick country clip, a simple and fun song you could certainly dance to. “Sky Starts At The Ground” leads with whirring guitars, and is perhaps the song most likely to be placed in a successful romantic comedy. (So do that.)
“Shine On” is a heavy song lyrically. As positive as it can be in its chorus’ message, the verses take shots at discussing life’s pitfalls. It’s bittersweet in its existence, highly relatable, but perhaps not the song to play at a party. “Taking Time” brings your heart rate back down, well-harmonized and beautifully framing the album, prepping you for the final track “So Happy That It Hurts.” The song’s title is endlessly uplifting. The song is slow, concerted, with very little melodically spoken words, blending into the instrumentals as though all are one, largely. Fragmented in its disposition, it is the perfect way to wind down from something so tragic, beautiful, and inspiring. In that way, it gives us time to reflect on the fragments that make up the whole.
Keep up with The Adobe Collective here.
by Meredith Schneider | Dec 16, 2019 | albums, review
On December 13th, Irish-Canadian collective The Orange Kyte unveiled their latest offering, Carousel. Resplendent in nature, the album is a well-rounded ball of energy, bringing the band’s specific brand of psych to the masses without missing a (literal) beat. Impressive reverb, charming percussion, and a rock mentality drive this album from the start with upbeat tracks “Masquerade!”, “The Modern Dar Saints”, easing into the more moderately paced “Distractions”. The song itself feels like a mild distraction, melancholic in sound, but is just as gorgeous as its predecessors.
“C.O.P.” picks it back up, injecting a certain amount of surf rock influence into the guitar. “Little Death Balloon” also operates quickly, though you almost expect it to come in with more of a My Chemical Romance-leaning rock ballad sound. Nope, it’s very 60’s and very alluring. “Demonstration Garden” is the leisurely track to follow, a song best suited for the background of your next dinner party. “Sea of Love/Ocean of Hate” comes in frantically, a true toe-tapper if ever there was one.
If the saxophone intro in “Infinity Rope” were any indication that the gorgeous climax of an 80s rom com were about to take place, we wouldn’t be surprised. The song itself is one of our favorites on the album, so definitely take a moment to appreciate its layers. Though “Downfall” has a very heavy title, the soundscape is light, experimental almost in nature. The opening sounds very other-worldly, and constant whirring in the background makes it all feel very technical and almost futuristic as well.
“Captain Ron” keeps the party going, slowing the pace a bit in the middle of the track, so that your heart rate can revert to its normal pace in time. So much excitement in one album is a lot to handle, but is an absolute pleasure to experience.
Keep up with The Orange Kyte here.
by Meredith Schneider | Dec 6, 2019 | videos, wolf tracks
Eyedress‘ new video for “Jealous” visually matches its audio counterpart, as it is equal parts west coast surf/skate rock and 60s-inspired psych, all culminated in a video that brings with it a very specific vintage appeal. It looks like a Nirvana throwback, 90s MTV vibes and all. As Eyedress plays guitar up and down the coast, we also witness some rad boarding skills, brah. 😉
We’re fans. Even the jackets make it feel a bit less wintry around here.
Keep up with Eyedress here.
by Meredith Schneider | Nov 19, 2019 | premieres, singles, wolf tracks
San Francisco-based indie rock outfit Bells Rang is ramping up to release their new single “Tone Poem” on November 22nd. But we’re jumping the gun (so to say) to bring you the exclusive premiere first! Smooth, assertive, bluesy. This is a soundscape we can get on board with, and we’re certain you’ll get lost in the whirring guitar and reverb the way we have. Check it out below, and let us know your thoughts on Facebook!
Upcoming Shows
- November 22nd // San Francisco, CA // Amnesia
- December 7th // Oakland, CA // Elbo Room
- January 17th // Santa Cruz, CA // Blue Lagoon
- February 7th // San Francisco, CA // Amado’s
Keep up with Bells Rang here.
by Erin P.S. Zimmerman | Nov 4, 2019 | show review, snapshot
The end of October brought with it more than just a weather cool-down. As we started to bundle up for the winter ahead, we took time to pause on a breezy Autumn evening to celebrate the last 2 years of accomplishments with Imperfect Fifth. We were lucky enough to partner with Do Good Co., an incredible company on 38th Street in Kansas City, MO, who was also celebrating their 2nd birthday that evening. Together, we brought in vendors (Sugar Buffet KC, Scorpio Rising Botanicals, Crystal Ramirez Jewelry) and unique shopping opportunities with an evening of music and fun. Guitarist James Schneider opened the evening, followed by the talents of Danza Special and Fathers. We captured some photographs, caught up with friends, and were able to celebrate some incredible people locally, to boost our change globally.
Check our merch shop all week for discounts! Sales end at midnight, 11.11!
**photos by Erin P.S. Zimmerman, Elizabeth Schneider, and Meredith Schneider
by Meredith Schneider | Oct 29, 2019 | premieres, singles
For Denver-based garage rockers Danny (vocals, guitar), David (bass, vocals), Chris (drums), and Zach (keys, vocals), running a punk-tinged collective named …And The Black Feathers seems strangely easy. Their new song “Scandalous” brings the kind of high octane energy that this autumn so desperately craved, and the soulful, edgy guitar drives us right into a new troublemaker mindset.
Try to stop us.
Keep up with …And The Black Feathers here.
by Kira Cappello | Oct 21, 2019 | singles, wolf tracks
California indie-pop duo Ruby Red have dropped a sultry smooth single that can be described as deeeply vibey. New track “Superbloom” is boiling over with chunky beats and thick bass, suavely melded with nostalgic synth that invites a contemporary indie spin.
Like waking up to an electro-pop disco dream, the first few seconds of “Superbloom” are washed out, before bursting forth into stunning clarity. Wavy, texturizing synths envelop echoing vocals into a hazy vacuum, their syncopation weaving as glittery guitar riffs pepper the remaining space. For all its pleasantries, the song is also lyrically hyperconscious, featuring lines like “I can’t help but feel the heat of the moment controls me / I can’t help but feel like my shoulders are weighed down by truth.”
Not to submit to cliché, but “Superbloom” truly does deftly blend many current musical styles; including chillwave, electro-pop, indie rock, hip hop, and disco. This track is what happens when Toro Y Moi meets Tame Impala – with just a dash of Post Malone-reminiscent vocals – yet it still feels innovative and brand new.
Multi-instrumentalists Daniel Laner and Fernando Fine of Ruby Red have been longtime friends since elementary school, officially forming the band in early 2018. The group released a 5-track EP in 2018 titled “LOVELOCK”, with “Superbloom” as their second single of 2019 following previous release “How It Should Feel”.
Keep up with Ruby Red here.
by Meredith Schneider | Oct 18, 2019 | albums, review
Rock collective Teleportal – comprised of Johnny Rossa (Vocals), Beth Liebling (Vocals and Bass), James Bourland (Guitar), and Ric Peterson (Drums) – just released a theatrical, 11-track album titled Devour that does – if not specifically that – really provide an attitude all its own. While the instrumentals of “Space Bone” introduce the collection with a dark soundscape, it lightens with the layering of new instrumentals and lighter vocals. Eventually a wailing note makes this song into what it is, and we’re transported back in time while also being pushed significantly into the future. “The Plague” has an undeniably frantic feel to its sound, energizing in its disposition, while “Disaster” evens out the tempo a bit for a more traditional rock sound. “Mansions” slows it down to that psych rock soundscape, giving us whirring guitar parts we didn’t even realize we were craving until now.
“The Organizer” dips back into classic rock, a little more of a ballad. We’re pleased with the way it pulls Rossa’s vocals to the forefront, providing this heartbreaking feeling we wouldn’t otherwise get from a different set of pipes. “Slither on the Ceiling” brings with it a funky feeling, the vocals rough and enticing. “Velvet Math” definitely feels more technical, with computerized sounds throughout and an otherworldly vocal presentation. While “Pull the Trigger” has a title that might feel a little more morbid than its predecessors, the crashing cymbals and punk rock feel make it fit right on in with several genres, including garage, punk, and classic rock.
“Ruins” slows everything down as an instrumental track driven by a classic drumbeat, while “Eel” does seem to exist in a watery, psychedelic soundscape. (The intentionality behind the undertones of the songs and their title pairings is almost poetic in itself, don’t get us started here.) “Gamma Dust” is quite possibly the perfect ending to this collection, as from beginning to end you feel an eery connectedness to the scattered percussion, haunting vocals, and layers of sound. Soothing, chaotic, intense.
Keep up with Teleportal here.
by Kira Cappello | Oct 7, 2019 | singles, wolf tracks
Berlin indie rock group The Usual Boys have released what will be a bar venue classic: The meandering bassline of “I’m Not the Asshole” stumbles through the back of dive bars, down drunken alleyways, and around the street corners of a chaotic night out. Though The Usual Boys supply influences of established Britpop, the sarcastic tone of this track is peppered with garage grit and topped off with a smoky-cool smoothness that goes down like one last shot – maintaining its freshness even after many listens.
“I’m Note the Asshole” paints a muddled scene of friendly banter between friends gone sour, giving way to drunken conflict and frustrated dialogue. Vocals from Aleksi Oksanen wind, warble and drag in all the right ways; slurring slightly at the end of each note for a healthy dose of theatricality. With dusty snares and sweeping cymbals, drummer Patrick Pevsner pulls The Usual Boys behind a curtain of cool, filling the room with smoke that contrasts the gritty forwardness of lead and rhythm guitar trills from Ethan Dalziel and Oksanen, respectively. The resounding bass, via Rasmus Schmidt, drives this track the whole way, temporally unwinding any starting point of logic and illustrating the narrator’s descent into resentment.
The Usual Boys formed in Berlin in 2017 and have been haunting the scene since, wielding a fervent mania into the fabric of their punk-spirited shows. They’ve just finished a tour through their native Germany preceding the release of anticipated single “I’m Not the Asshole”, released October 4, 2019.
Follow The Usual Boys here.
