by Karina Marquez | Aug 1, 2018 | singles, wolf tracks
Portland band The Stubborn Lovers are here for a good time with their latest single “Drivin’ 22.” Their country-rock vibe shines in this track with an authenticity that only that kind of music can bring. The electric guitar riffs and upbeat vocals make for an extremely catchy tune. The lyrics relate to the child in all of us. They are bursting with nostalgia, with vivid opening imagery of a family making their way down Route 22:
Daddy’s at the wheel of a Ford Country Squire,
Mama’s putting makeup on down to the wire,
Sister’s in the back spilling Goldfish on the floor,
Shepherd’s in the way back scratching at the door.
The track is reminiscent of a simpler time by embodying the ambiance of an American summer. It’s the kind of music that makes you want to go back to the land of family road trips, fast food stops, and even the backseat fights with your siblings.
Be sure to check out their upcoming album Mother Road, out August 17. Keep up with the band here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jul 31, 2018 | soundtrack, videos
Well, we’re over the hump of mid-year now, and most of us are probably sweating up a storm in our respective cities and homes. But we’ve been absolutely enamored by an outpouring of new music video material from some really incredible artists over the past month, so we thought we’d share some of our favorites. There’s really no reason or rhyme to it all. Some of these videos even make us yearn for colder weather and ice capped mountains. (But who are we to get ahead of ourselves here on this sweltering day?) So sit back, find a little something to try out, and enjoy!
Eric Hutchinson, “Hands”
Silent Revival, “Just One Voice”
King Princess, “Holy”
Jessie Reyez, “Apple Juice”
The Little Miss, “American Dream”
alt-j, “in cold blood” (ft. pusha t) by twin shadow
Bourgeois Mystics, “Jaan Pehechan Ho”
Dan Koshute, “All the Way Always”
Farao, “Lula Loves You”
Blood Orange, “Charcoal Baby”
Chantitown, “Mother of Sun”
Doe, “Heated”
Louis Cole, “Things”
Object as Subject, “Removal”
Tiny Eyes, “Just Saying”
Seasaw, “Big Dogs”
The Living End, “Don’t Lose It”
Miles Kane, “Cry On My Guitar”
Sofia Reyes, “1, 2, 3 (Official Solo Acoustic)”
Hannah Grace, “Oh River”
Kelsy Karter, “Sad Sad Summer”
Wild Rivers, “I Won’t Be Back”
Erik Deutsch, “Falling Flowers”
Billie Eilish, “You Should See Me in a Crown”
Ace of Wands, “10,000 Feet”
Whyte Horses, “Never Took the Time”
by ImperfectFifth | Jul 27, 2018 | perspective
It starts with a simple song and summertime in Michigan. The Apple TV is a brand new invention, and Dad is experimenting with playing music through his newest gadget from Best Buy. After several minutes of futzing, the silhouette of a giant mango tree against a backdrop of mustard yellow appears on the screen. The descending bass line of “Better Together” invites me to take a deep breath. I do. I sink deeper into the cushions of the living room couch and unwind for the first time Jack Johnson serves me a little slice of life. I stole the entirety of In Between Dreams from my dad’s computer. This was pre- streaming. Buying entire albums used up Grandma’s gift cards pretty quickly, so you learned how to be handy with other peoples libraries and the “Burn to CD” function in iTunes. Soon after I downloaded the album, it became the soundtrack of my life. Even when I wasn’t really listening, I’d just have it playing somewhere in the background. I’d find new music and start listening to some other stuff, but eventually find myself putting it on again and again. Every few months or so I’d claim a new favorite song, discovering something I hadn’t noticed before.
Jack Johnson was one of the first songwriters I heard that tackled abstract concepts in a way that really resonated with me. The songs everyone knows him by – “Better Together” and “Banana Pancakes” – were definitely the gateway drugs. But as I listened more, things started to change. Songs like “Never Know,” “Breakdown,” or “If I Could” introduced some really rich lyrical content and difficult life questions that I’d yet to be exposed to. For example, “If I Could” starts with the verse, “A brand new baby was born yesterday just in time / Papa cried, baby cried, said ‘Your tears are like mine’ / I heard some words from a friend on the phone that didn’t sound so good / The doctor gave him two weeks to live / I’d give him more if I could”. He unpacks messy aspects of life like death, love or even mundanity with such gentleness and keen observation – it really sets the stage for listeners to empathize, which I love. Beyond that, the succinct storytelling in songs like “Do You Remember” or “Constellations” inspired me to capture that same kind specificity of imagery in my own writing.
I must’ve been around fourteen when I’d listened to the record for the first time. I grew up listening to mainstream pop, The Beatles, and a whole lotta country radio, mostly because it was easy access. In Between Dreams was the first record I digested as a whole. The first record I felt I could claim as my own. It became part of my identity, in a way. Whenever I come back to his music, it brings back all these different versions of myself – almost like a musical reminder of who I am and where I came from.
I grew up in a small town surrounded by a lot of green open space. Living in LA – getting used to a desert climate and the over-development of land – has been a somewhat difficult adjustment for me. Jack Johnson’s music and especially In Between Dreams utilize a lot
of nature imagery and metaphor in the lyric. I listen to his songs, and I feel the way being in nature makes me feel – centered and more myself. I can always count on a little Jack Johnson to bring me back to Earth, both literally and figuratively. It’s my own little musical state park, so to speak – no matter where I am.
I’ve heard a lot of people refer to Jack Johnson as being “easy listening,” usually with a certain amount of disdain in their voices. Honestly, I get it. For the average touch-and-go listener, he’s this soft-spoken, happy-go-lucky dude from Hawaii who plays acoustic guitar and sings about banana pancakes. But for me, he’s a modest voice, pioneer of asking difficult questions, and vigilant observer of the most important simple things. Like Papa’s translations of the stories across the sky. Or sepia-tone lovin. Or resolve is just a concept that’s as dead as the leaves. I could go on for days. He’s the most underrated lyricist of our time (in my own very humble opinion, of course). And that’s my first record story.
Keep up with Loren Cole here.
by Christie McMenamin | Jul 27, 2018 | show review, snapshot, visual
On July 11th, TOMI rocked The Mercury Lounge.
Filing in through the front door, the immediate rush of air conditioning was a relief on such a muggy summer evening. Fans made their way first to the bar, then into the stage area, filling the room. As TOMI walked through the crowd, cheers rippled through the audience, making their way from back to front. A magnetic performer, TOMI took possession of the room from the very first note, packing an almost unprecedented power into her wide-ranging vocals. Her music provides the perfect combination of rock and pop: some songs led the audience to dance, others to head-banging. The joy and abandon in the air was just as palpable as the outside heat, and radiated off the talkative TOMI, who spent time in-between songs sharing the stories behind them. Some of these were heartbreaking; she spoke of crying in a locker room at a yoga studio after a breakup, and a former friend suffering from addiction (she doesn’t think he ever heard the song she wrote about him, but she hopes he does at some point and recognizes it). Then, of course, there were some funnier ones, such as working a day job as a secretary in which she had to smile all the time. For her very last song, she delighted the crowd by debuting a new, sparkly guitar named Pam.
It’s clear that for TOMI, the Mercury Lounge and her latest EP, What Kind of Love, is only the beginning.
by Meredith Schneider | Jul 20, 2018 | albums, wolf tracks
Cinematic synth rock trio Von Grey – comprised of Atlanta-based sisters Kathryn (Cello, Moog bass pedals, Mandolin), Annika (Lead Vocals, Violin, Synth, Banjo), and Fiona (Lead Vocals, Guitar, Violin, Synth, Percussion) – has graced our ears with the release of their brand new EP In Bloom. We’re incredibly smitten – and how can you not be with this musicianship? – so we had to get these six tracks in your ears before we signed off for the weekend. Drench your environment in the ethereal, laid back vibes induced by first track “Plans”, through the acoustic beauty of “6AM”, all the way through the last chords of “Dawn”.
If you’re traditionally not into family bands, don’t let the fact that they’re (SUCH TALENTED!) sisters throw you off. Their style, grace, and musicianship truly precede them, and we’re going to keep In Bloom on repeat for a while.
Keep up with Von Grey here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jul 13, 2018 | albums, review
Cincinnati-bred indie pop collective The Ophelias – comprised of Spencer Peppet (vox, guitar), Grace Weir (bass), Micaela Adams (drums), and Andrea Gutmann Fuentes (violin) – drops their latest masterpiece today, and we’re so jazzed about it, we almost can’t explain it in words. Delicate vocals, overlaid with (largely) light percussion and mellifluous strings make this album what it is, and largely describe the band’s soundscape. Not only is there a delicacy in the vocals, but there are quirks that make the effect much more striking than the word “delicate” would lead you to believe.
From the elegant beginning of first track “Fog”, through the equally leisurely pace of “General Electric”, into “Lover’s Creep”, you come to find the entire album feels ethereal and intense in a very unique way. “Night Signs” slows the pace down exponentially, the instrumentals slightly lower, and paints a darker-feeling audio feed. “O Command” is different, in that the vocals rise to a higher octave, the instrumentals maintaining a low, luscious feeling. “Lunar Rover” and “Bird” continue into an increasingly experimental place, picking the pace back up again with eighth track “House”.
While you can’t expect the pace to pick back up again over the last two tracks of Almost – “Zero” and “Moon Like Sour Candy” -, you can expect to nab deep, meaningful vocals that make for an introspective night on your back patio, music playing softly over the sound of the trees rustling above you.
Get started below.
Keep up with The Ophelias here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jul 13, 2018 | videos, wolf tracks
In May, indie pop act The Ramona Flowers – comprised of Dave Betts (keys/guitar), Steve Bird (singer), Ed Gallimore (drummer), Sam James (guitar), and Wayne Jones (bass) – released their third full-length album, 11-track stunner Strangers. And, though we are impressed by each track and the way it tells a story as a whole, we are even more impressed by the new visual representation that goes along with single “Ghost”.
The video takes place in a large, modern home nestled amongst the trees. If you’ve ever seen the Twilight series on the big screen, then imagine the band performing in the dark, uninhabited halls of Edward’s family home. Voyeuristic frames of a woman, with more artistic, visceral shots thrown in as well to keep the entire 3:44 captivating.
Keep up with The Ramona Flowers here.
by Christie McMenamin | Jul 12, 2018 | show review, snapshot, visual
Ciaran Lavery, an Irish singer/songwriter, performed an intimate solo set at New York City’s Rockwood Music Hall on June 22nd.
Playing to a small, darkened room, a reverent silence took hold of the audience the moment Lavery began his first song. Switching back and forth between acoustic guitar and piano, his sparse accompaniments allowed his gentle, hushed voice to soar. With introspective, narrative lyrics, Lavery is a poetic storyteller. His ballads pull at your heartstrings, his words run the gamut of emotional experience. As a performer, he makes meaningful eye contact with each member of his audience, drawing his listeners further into his world.
In-between songs, Lavery continued his stories, revealing his sense of humor. Speaking of nervousness on an airplane, he once tried to relax by watching, as a dog lover, Marley and Me. He wasn’t, however, aware of the ending. Lavery also had a revelation while listening to the radio on a long drive, attempting to figure out the meaning of the genre “soft rock.” With a creeping sense of dread, he put it together: he is soft rock. Lavery easily pulled laughs from his listeners’ throats as he framed simple, universal experiences as ones of casual mirth.
More info about Lavery can be found here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jul 11, 2018 | 5 to 7
Johnson City, Tennessee-based self-proclaimed “giggle-pop” trio Achy – comprised of Achy (Samuel B.) (songwriter, composer) and his cohorts Mahto Bowder (bass), and Sam Love (drums) – just unleashed their seven track stunner Friendly Animals unto the world. Laced with a psychedelic, garage rock feel, the trio somehow pulls off a brit-pop soundscape above it all. Each track is refreshing, and honestly something we would enjoy at an outdoor barbecue. (You know… IF the heat ever dies down anywhere close by!)
Feel free to check out Friendly Animals below, and then check out our quick interview with the trio, where we get deep into their production process and – of course – superheroes.
What was your first musical memory, or the first album or song you heard? Do you think that has any bearing on who you are as an artist now?
Samuel: My absolute first musical memory is sitting in the living room of my folks old apartment, and my dad had this little record player set up and was playing Money by Pink Floyd on it. And that memory has always stuck with me super strong. My dad and my mom showing me their music growing up definitely impacted the way I make music though.
Sam Love: My first musical memory that really really made me love music was Pink Floyd. Particularly the Syd Barrett era, which was a more spastic and creative-sounding time for Pink Floyd in my opinion. However Lonesome Crowded West by Modest Mouse was the most influential album on my drum playing.
Mahto: There was always stuff like the Grateful Dead, Augustus Pablo, Bad Brains, Neil Young playing at the house. My folks had a fairly wide taste. My first cd was Help by the Beatles. I feel like the set me up pretty well. I do remember going to see a stage production of beauty and the beast and suddenly being much more interested in the piano at the the house. All that said I’m sure it must be why I act in the way I do now.
What is this self-proclaimed “giggle-pop” genre you’ve come up with on Facebook? Where did that term come from? Don’t necessarily disagree — just SUPER curious.
Samuel: It’s to describe that lil giggle you let out when a pop hook sounds real good. And we found it just online I can’t remember where or who but some beautiful stranger described us with the perfect genre! We also crack a lot of jokes at the live gigs.
Sam Love: Our term “giggle pop” comes from how much fun we having playing and learning music together; I think Samuel and Mahto have great senses of humor and we always make each other laugh in between songs! Although we take the music we make seriously I think it’s important to also have fun with it and they are great fellas to have around for that!
Mahto: I think someone else called us that in a Facebook event. It’s pretty accurate though. We get pretty giggly pretty often.
Friendly Animals is so refreshing and upbeat. We hear it all happened in 2 days. (AMAZING!) Any fun anecdotes?
Samuel: Thank you! It was the most exhausting two days I’ve ever had, we as a group literally rehearsed the songs one day before recording them and a lot of the parts were actually written as we recorded. By the end of recording I couldn’t even redo guitar takes cause my fingers hurt so bad!
Sam Love: The recording process for our EP Friendly Animals was a blast! It’s was a lot of work, but working with Henry of Taped Records in Knoxville was absolutely amazing. He has done a great job setting up an environment where work and productivity explode like a volcano, but in a way that doesn’t stifle the creative process. I feel like it was refreshing for all of us.
Mahto: It was very hot. And very hard on the hands. I thought the improv jam was the most fun though. After spending all day trying to get the songs right, after learning them the day before, it was really nice to be able to turn the brain off and slip into the rhythm off this new thing.
Do any of you have a favorite track from the album, or perhaps a song you prefer to perform live? Why? What makes it something to look forward to for you?
Samuel: Mine would have to be “Breakfast w/ You”, seeing people smile and get excited that we’re playing it just makes me so happy. That or “Telephone P’lease”!
Sam Love: My personal favorite song from Friendly Animals is “Summer Sweater” because I really like how the grooves kind of take on a funkier sound. I always look forward to playing it live!
Mahto: I rather like playing “Telephone P’lease”. It makes me feel like a rockstar.
How do you want fans to feel after listening to the album in its entirety?
Samuel: That they feel like they know us! By the end of the record I’d love it if people felt a little closer to what we’re doing and like they could come up after a show and talk like old friends.
Sam Love: Ideally, after listening to Friendly Animals for the first time, I would like the listeners to feel like they just heard something different in an interesting “fresh” way.
Mahto: I want listeners to feel like Samuel for a minute.
On a broader spectrum, what drives your passion to create music?
Samuel: The people and connections I make everyday doing it, the strongest and funnest connections you can make are when you become besties with another band or artist, that’s true love right there.
Sam Love: I always find myself in and around musical environments, and being able to play music with good friends and musicians like Samuel Bowman and Mahto Browder really helps drive my passion to create music. I also love how music can bring so many different people together, and even serve as a sort-of medicine.
Mahto: It just something I have to do. I think there is something primal that makes people want music.
If you could be any superhero – “existing” or made up – who would you be and why?
Samuel: Definitely Hellboy, coolest hero ever! Also the best graphic novel hands down.
Sam Love: If I could be any superhero, pre-existing or otherwise, I firmly believe I would be Father Captain Doctor Love. The man who, of course, had humble roots in a church eventually becoming a Priest. After seeing the ugly underbelly of religion and understanding religion’s sinister and corrupt nature in his town he quit the church to join the army. He quickly became a Captain, but after seeing the unjust conflicts and unspeakable horrors of war he left to further his academic career and reflect on his experiences. He decided to become a heart surgeon, and graduated at the top of his class successfully becoming a doctor. It was then he learned he could just also read minds and become temporarily invisible for 10-15 minute intervals on Thursdays.
Mahto: Batman. He just does what he wants. No powers or anything.
___
Keep up with Achy here.
