by Kira Cappello | Jun 27, 2019 | albums, review
For fans of Hayley Kiyoko, Sia, Carly Rae Jepsen, Dua Lipa, Charli XCX
Punchy, deliberate, and honest: On 6-track EP Uni-Fi, we meet many sides of X. ARI. Never holding back from her truth, X. ARI tells stories of her most confident and vulnerable moments alike over glittery soundscapes full of synth, undulating basslines and pounding club beats. The work covers a handful of essential topics for young people today: mental health, gender and sexuality, and of course, heartache.
Early on in the EP, X. ARI characterizes her “I don’t give a f—“ attitude that many, many artists have learned to embody over the years as a means of making a name in pop. This declaration, paired with a glicthy chorus peppered with onomatopoeic vocals, blast X. ARI through her own video-game-sounding world on track two titled La La La
ARI is well known as a fierce advocate for mental health, and this EP addresses her daily battles directly; specifically on tracksBreak-Point, Uni-Fi (ft. IRA X.), and Yin Yang (ft. IRA X.) The first track, Break-Point, is an effective invitation for listeners to dive into an alt-pop experience that could be characterized as an interpretive dancer’s dream come true.
Title track Uni-Fi feels wistful and hopeful, both sonically and lyrically. X. ARI explains her feelings of displacement, confessing, “I’m a little bit damaged…I’m together in fragments, a mosaic I’m trapped in”; but the tone of this song is optimistic, especially through the resounding chorus. While IRA X.’s contributions on the EP aren’t necessarily overwhelming, they complement X. ARI’s vocals nicely; adding dimension and even more synth, as well as highlighting notions of living in a gendered world. She divulges, “I’ll tell you a story of a girl and a boy trapped in the same body, just fighting for some space”.
The most telling narrative of X. ARI’s personal journey with mental health has got to be Yin Yang, also featuring IRA X. Considering how sensitive and emotional of a topic this must have been for X. ARI to write, one is almost left wishing that the song’s dynamic conveyed just a little bit more of those extremes than it does. That said, sometimes the pen is mightier than the- well, synth, and X. ARI scores a 10 for the vulnerability of Yin-Yang’s lyrics.
Perhaps one of the most enticing melodies on the EP lie in the token heartbreak track of the work, titled Everywhere. Contrasting the thrust of her alt-pop anthems, X. ARI uses a slightly softer vocal inflection and a floaty, oscillating hook that mates perfectly with the twinkly, echoing backdrop. The track is punctuated by muted, reverberating beats that could be a slowing heartbeat, or an explosion off in the distance. The most expressive song by far, it seems that on Everywhere, X. ARI is experiencing the feeling of both.
You can keep up with X. ARI on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram below.
http://www.xariofficial.com/
www.facebook.com/xariofficial
www.instagram.com/xariofficial
www.twitter.com/xariofficial
by Meredith Schneider | Jun 24, 2019 | singles, videos, wolf tracks
Last week, indie musician Skela released a music video alongside her track titled “Elvis”. With soft light and a gorgeous color palette, the video leads us on a journey with the singer, through sprawling landscapes and simple, natural backdrops. Her dusty, captivating vocals lead the track, allowing a visual moment for the viewer/listener to breathe deeply, and truly enjoy the coming of summer.
Check it out below.
Keep up with Skela here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jun 24, 2019 | snapshot, visual
Saturday afternoon. Your phone has rarely been touched since your time on the farm began. It’s sweltering, and it’s just past 2pm on Saturday, which means there is still plenty of daylight left to mess something up. It’s a series of texts and a missed call by bands you’re scheduled to photograph soon. They’re both finished with previous engagements early, and both ready to take some quick photos.
Liily — an intriguing Los Angeles-based alternative quartet comprised of Maxx Morando – (drums), Sam De La Torre (guitar), Charlie Anastasis (bass), Dylan Nash (vocals) — has found one of the coolest areas on the farm, both in temperature and in vibe. It made it easy for us to round out some incredibly cool, relaxed photos.
Keep up with Liily here.
by Kira Cappello | Jun 21, 2019 | singles, wolf tracks
For fans of: Young the Giant, COIN, St. Motel, Phoenix, The Wombats
On their newest single “Rhythm & Gold”, Paper Lions shows off some of their finest indie-pop skills: that ability to implant a radiant summer’s day right into your speakers. With a thumping bass line that’s sure to increase your heart rate, the Canadian four-piece tell a tale of the electricity of falling in love with playing music – as well as dealing with the trials and tribulations that come with life as a touring band. The song’s unblemished cheeriness never falters, as call-and-response vocals and upbeat hand-claps encourage the listener to join in with every beat of the chorus.
“Rhythm & Gold” not only supplies the glitteriest aspects of indie pop sweetness, it also gives some insight to the group’s journey in working together to make it in the music world. Vocalist John MacPhee reaches out to his bandmates with reassurance in the resounding chorus: “This is where I wanna stay, where we started loving rock and roll,” referencing their roots that trace back to the early 2000’s. Originally formed in 2004 under the Chucky Danger Band, the quartet (brothers John MacPhee and Rob MacPhee, Colin Buchanan and David Cyrus MacDonald) began going as Paper Lions officially in 2008. They have since been nominated for 8 music awards, and won an Independent Music Award for their 2012 EP At Long Creek. Aside from a Christmas tune titled “Where Is My Love For Christmas”, this new track is the band’s first release since their most recently debuted album, titled At Long Creek II (2018). Here’s to a summer full of “Rhythm & Gold”!
Keep up with Paper Lions here.
by Kira Cappello | Jun 18, 2019 | singles, wolf tracks
For fans of: Post Malone, Khalid, Russ
Holdan’s newest single “Bright Red” is a perfect addition to your “nighttime driving” playlist: The blend of dreamy Khalid-esque vocals and pop lyric motifs encapsulate the notion of gliding only on the surface; perhaps in a superficial conversation at a party like the ones in the first few seconds of the track, or while coasting along familiar highways. A punk kid at heart but no stranger to experimentation,
Holdan implements features of hip hop and pop alike, drawing influence from smooth Atlanta trap beats alongside lyrical themes of feeling like an outsider from an “in-crowd”. These feelings, shown in the setup to the chorus, are confidently declared: “People take issue…with the things that I say…they all say ‘stop’.” This track is an example of
Holdan’s ability to assert his unique perspective and withdraw from a scene he does not find compatibility with, all while never disrupting the track’s mellow vibe. Shortly before releasing “Bright Red”,
Holdan dropped another single “Foggy Lake”. Both are available to stream now!
Keep up with Holdan
here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jun 18, 2019 | premieres, singles, wolf tracks
Portland-based three piece Rum River Cult – comprised of Sarah Parson, Jed Overly, and Colin Ringkamp – is giving us a run for our money with their new single “Strangers Now”. We’ve got the exclusive premiere, and this smoky, fun, gorgeous sonic landscape is something you do not want to pass up on. As an edgy guitar riff sets in, Parson’s reverb-filled vocals make an impact. The song explodes into a beautiful, psychedelic journey that will almost intrinsically force you to dance. So get those moves ready, and check it out now!
Rum River Cult will play the Davis Music Festival this weekend. “Strangers Now” will hit all streaming platforms June 19th. Keep up with Rum River Cult here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jun 14, 2019 | premieres, videos
Paulo Fassoli just directed one of the most exquisite music videos we have seen in a while. Softly, Angela Kinczly serenades us with her haunting vocals, closeups of different angles of her face featured prominently throughout the duration of the visual. Natural patterns are layered in, and color is utilized toward the end to create an even more intense visual experience.
Attention to detail makes this an absolute masterpiece.
Keep up with Angela Kinczly here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jun 10, 2019 | singles, wolf tracks
“Wine & Roses” might be alt-pop musician Viana‘s debut single, but that fact isn’t something you could tell from the production quality of the song. The carefully woven lyrics over beds of instrumentals and a hard bass line make you want to dance and slow things down all at once.
Viana’s vocals bring out an edge that make us feel even more powerful as the song goes on. We’re big fans, and cannot wait to see how her career unfolds in the coming months and years!
Keep up with Viana here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jun 7, 2019 | albums, premieres
Multi-talented arts collective 2012 Bid Adieu is coming in HOT with their new nine track album We Died in 2012: This is Hell. Both the collective’s name and the album name originated with their claim that the world actually ended in 2012 and we might just be living in “a hell masquerading as normality.” We can’t necessarily argue that on a day-to-day basis, but we can say that the unique sounds and beautiful vocals captured within this work are at least a temporary escape from said hell. There is a groove-worthy undertone to the majority of the tracks, and they seem to capture an emotion more than anything as the instrumentals weave in and out.
After listening to this release, you’ll fall in love with 2012 Bid Adieu, as they have created a sonic landscape that is truly genre-less, something people of their generation can lean into. The openness and fluidity of the group itself – with their non-exclusive list of contributors and art forms – is an exquisite thing to witness. Take a listen below.
TRACKLISTING
01. Weird Place
02. Laced With Love For My Girl
03. Friends
04. Out The Window
05. Alot2unpack.zip
06. y2k12
07. D’angelo Type beat
08. Calours
09. Something To Tell You
Keep up with 2012 Bid Adieu here.
