by Kayla Hutton | Feb 6, 2018 | singles, wolf tracks
Formerly known as The Reign of
Kindo,
Kindo has resurfaced after 4 years with a new single “Return to me” from their latest album “Happy However After” set to be released in April of 2018.
This 6 piece from New York has shown that you don’t need a major label and their money to gain an audience.
Giving the fans a new spin of alternative jazz that is fused with R & B, pop and soul shows that just like topping off your drink, combining old and new, can create something truly refreshing. Not only have they innovated a successful sound, Kindo has also proudly been at the helm of all their recordings.
“Return to me” begins with a rainy day stay in bed piano line. The vocals give a strange appeal to the jazz-ish backing music. Imagine Lenny Kravitz being backed by a piano at a dim lit jazz club applying his pop-rock vocal style and later adding a high gain guitar riff. I am amazed at how Kindoimplements all these musical elements and how they compliment each other. “Return to me” at first listen is calming. Once it sinks in what the lyrics are about it is hard to believe this song is depicting heartbreak. Especially when some of the rhythmic grooves wake you up and influence your body to take the hand of the beat and swing. The atmosphere of musical freedom and exploration is definitely a spark lighting a flame rich with creativity.
Kindo will be touring the Eastern U.S. in March and is surely not a band you want to miss. If they aren’t hitting up your hometown be sure to head over and check out their prior albums which should tide you over until “Happy However After” is released in April.
by Meredith Schneider | Jan 17, 2018 | 5 to 7
**Originally published Oct 22, 2016. Reposted with permission from the author.
Yesterday, the Dean Ween Group unleashed their debut album under the direction of founding member and frontman Dean Ween (Mickey Melchiondo). Formerly of the notorious American alternative rock band Ween (begun in 1984) – and still pulling inspiration from past work – Dean Ween has brought a new flare and energy to his catalogue with this new work. A rotating cast of incredible musicians finds their home with the musical project, various talents displayed on the recordings that were created in the incredible new(er) space that Dean Ween built from the ground up.
Shortly before the release of The Deaner Album, we got to sit down and speak with Dean Ween himself. Here’s a little bit from one of the most influential alternative musicians of our time.
Tell me about the studio you’re working from today.
Sure. I’ve ran it – and no exaggeration – over 25 buildings since when we started. It’s very hard to find a place where sound is not an issue, you know, privacy, security, neighbors, all that. So finally after being at this for 32 years, my friend’s father owns 200 acres and offered to work with me on my own spot. He’s a younger father, like only in his 50s. I’m 46 as of today. Yesterday was my birthday actually.
Oh wow, happy birthday!
Thank you. So, he said if you build a nice place you can have it. So I did, and sunk about $150,000 into it. Borrowed and built this beautiful place that I call my forever studio. It’s in the woods, I’m here all day everyday and all night every night. Every instrument, cable, amplifier I’ve ever owned is all here, it’s all set up. It’s very hard to force a studio into a vintage house. You know, we’ve had to do that – use the living room as a recording room, control room. So, I have everything perfect. It’s a gigantic live room for a band to play in, everything is mic’d up. Then there’s a giant control room with monitors, talk back, kitchens and showers and bathrooms. Musicians can stay here. You could blow up a bomb in here and you wouldn’t hear it outside since its soundproof.
We built it with being a studio in mind. We made it totally perfect and right. It’s so relaxing when you come here. It’s like a second home. We’re so respectful of it. I do not- a lot of time over the years, studios were too close to the bar, and the place turned into a hang, after hours. So it was very important to me that never happen here. So the couple years I’ve been here I respect it, and we keep it very clean. It’s very relaxing when you walk in. It’s all esthetically fun to look at and play with. I tell people don’t bring your junk here. I’ll put it outside if you do. I don’t want your broken amps or guitars. No I don’t want that poster. Take it with you when you leave.
Every time we move out of a place we end up throwing out half the shit- it’s like stuff that doesn’t work or will never get used. Some junk someone left while crashing there.
Well it’s cool to have your own space and establish your own rules.
Yeah. It’s really gorgeous.
Before all this happened, Ween, The Dean Ween Group… what’s the first album or song you remember listening to, and who introduced it to you?
Wow. That’s going back too far- I can remember pivotal things. Radio was a huge thing for me. Just seeing that radio isn’t as important as it used to be. That’s where you went. Even MTV doesn’t show videos anymore – it’s like reality shows. The local station would play the top 5 at 5 every night. The 5 most requested songs. So the fans were actually choosing them. I remember buying the 45s and taped the songs at 5, and would use my tape decks to edit out the announcer talking. Which was really hard.
I remember watching Teen Tot with my babysitter on Saturday Night Live – Steve Martin doing it – and she worked at like Gimbles the old department store. She bought it for me and the next time she babysat me she brought it and I was so happy. I listened to them and I still have it actually.
Musically, my babysitter had a bad brother. He was a bad kid, same age, and had his older brother’s record collection and A-tracks. I remember going over there and hearing Sleeper and Ziggy Stardust. The first *record* record I got on my own that I really coveted and wore out was the Beatles Red Album 1962 – 1966. Then they put out The Blue Record, 1966 – 1970. They had the lyrics with them. That was the thing that changed it with me. Reading the lyrics you know, “Yellow Matter Custard”, “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”, all that. Just the visuals that went along with the lyrics are just so freaking great. I wore that record out until the needle went out the other side of the record.
Was that around the time that you decided you were going to pursue music?
I didn’t really know that until later. My father owned a car lot. There was a music store across the street. And I’ve learned this as a father, I don’t want to buy expensive stuff if I think it’s going to be a passing thing. And I want to be there to support him, but want him to appreciate it. So, my father bought me this guitar, it was probably unplayable. But I made it playable, made it look cool with stickers, painted it. Kinda sounded like a chord when you belted all six strings. I would play it with myself. Which meant I couldn’t play minor chords or you know, too much with it, but I was off to a start.
Then I really wanted a drum set after that. I had two cassette decks, so I would record the drums first, the foundation, I was like 11. And then I’d put the guitar on it. Of course I needed a bass but it was all cheap stuff. And then my father realized that I was really, really into this. And I started taking lessons, and at Christmas one year, I was like 13, he got me a real guitar, a Fender, and I started taking lessons, learning how to play without just that one chord. I was recording every day, starting to see concerts. I wanted to be that guy really badly. Not a singer, but a guitar player.
Yeah, my drumming was really good, still is. I played drums on the Ween records, people don’t realize that. You know I remember an interview once where Kurt Cobain said he wanted to be as big as Sonic Youth. That was his goal. And that really stuck with me. Because, it was the same thing with us, except, we wanted to be the Butthole Surfers. As big as the Butthole Surfers. I mean, that was my goal. I thought if we could get to that point, then we were really famous and really good.
I didn’t think about what I was going to do after high school. I wasn’t going to college, I knew Aaron wasn’t going to college, we figured we were just going to work. We wanted to get an apartment together, so we did the day we graduated high school. We made music there pretty much 24/7. We had been doing that in my parent’s bedroom for like 6 years already. So we had a lot of experience recording ourselves. We got a multi-track recorder, a 4 track, instead of just dubbing two tapes back and forth. I knew we weren’t going to go to college, I didn’t know where Ween was going to go, but as it turns out, we had put all our energy in the right places, and we got signed that summer.
So there was never really any guesswork to it. So that was in 1989, and our debut record came in 1990. It was a double record. It was almost to me like a greatest hit, of like 7 years of Ween. We had that much experience. So we got that one out of the way, the second and third ones were almost done already. The second one came out and we got signed. Then we were on Warner Brothers all of the sudden. So I never really had to think about it much. Like I said, we put our energy in the right places. We worked really, really, really hard on being good.
You know, it seems like a whirlwind thing, but it’s not. When Ween started out, it was very experimental and noisy. And it sounded like two twelve year olds, you know. But within a few years, we were happening. We were writing really clean songs. Choruses that you could remember, that were catchy, my parents were hearing it, they loved it. You know, I was still doing the same exact thing, it’s incredible. Really nothing has changed on the front end. I still work exactly the same way I did back then, you know, but with better music.
I heard there was about a year after Ween where you didn’t work with your guitar, really?
It was more like 6 or 7 months, I don’t really think that much about that. I’ve suffered from anxiety my entire life. Depression is something that was never in my vocabulary. I’ve never been depressed but when Ween split up, I lost everything. All I’d ever done was that. I mean, I’ve told you how long I’ve been at it, I just knew I couldn’t get out of bed, eat, shower, go out. The guitar was just another thing that got ignored during that 8 months. I didn’t mow the lawn either. I just didn’t do anything, just ran up debt. Only battle with depression I ever had. I was stuck. I really empathize with people who have it now.
If it weren’t for my friends, my friends saved my life, they were like, “You have to start playing again. You have to force yourself, even if you’re not into it. Go out. You don’t realize how much you miss it.” So I started and it didn’t feel right. But it took, and they were right. I got a band together, called it the Dean Ween Group, said “fuck it I’m still Dean Ween.” And when does Johnny Ramone cease to be Johnny Ramone? He dies, that’s the answer. Even when the Ramones broke up he was still Johnny Ramone. And with Ween being a duo and all that, I didn’t know who I was. Hard to explain, I lost my confidence, my career, my identity, sense of worth. Love. Hobby. Passion. I’ll never make that mistake again.
You’ve been working on The Deaner Album for a hot second. Any fun anecdotes from the recording process?
Yeah, it took a while to make, and then it happened like a tornado. When I got it going I really got it going. Up until that point, I had like two songs from like a year before and then it just like caught. I ended up replacing those songs with newer ones, when I was like totally back, when the group was happening and touring. People were commenting and fans wouldn’t go away, and good stuff like that. So the anecdotes have more to do with building the studio, and watching it go up, and really just visualizing it. Fantasizing about how long I was going to be in the studio. I swore I would come here every day, and do a song a day. All day, every day, all night. And I have for a couple years now. So I have this enormous catalog, just ready to go. The second Dean Ween record is done. It’s ready to go. It’s better than the first one, and I can’t wait to get it out there.
But for the touring, we’re playing everything. I don’t have to play Ween songs unless I feel like it. Which, I do, they’re mine too.
“Exercise Man” is pretty witty. What inspired that song?
I sang it to my son when he was like 2 or 3 in the car every time we saw some idiot jogging or riding his bike in the snow at 6 am. i would make up lyrics to songs and we’d sing them. Ironically enough I’ve recorded a few of them, he’s 15 now, they were just funny ideas. A lotta people say ween makes children’s music and I guess that’s partially true. evidenced by how many kid’s shows we’ve been involved in—especially spongebob.
Do you have a favorite song off of this album, by chance?
YES. “Bundle of Joy” is my hands down favorite. It was one of the last songs I wrote for the album too.
You have a pretty extensive tour coming up.
Yeah, that’s the first leg of it. We’re going to be out all of next year. We might even go overseas.
What are you most looking forward to about getting out on the road?
The food. I eat much better on the road because normal people need to eat a few times a day. The restaurants where I live totally suck. Honestly, the music and the camaraderie, read the lyrics to Willie Nelson’s “On the Road again”, Willie has a way of summing things up perfectly and that song is about touring. traveling will always represent the epitome of the American dream, especially for a young man. Getting to meet people and play music for them, the road is where u get all the love back from the people you’re hoping to reach with your music.
You have a fishing charter business? HOW do you find time to do all of these things?
I am very busy, just leave at that. even having a few spare hours feels like a victory. I took some time off to go fishing two nights ago and I enjoyed every second of it.
The Deaner Album is out now.
**Originally published Oct 22, 2016. Reposted with permission from the author.
by Meredith Schneider | Dec 20, 2017 | wolf tracks
Nina Lee is clearly not just your average 17 year old. The New Yorker is a talented singer/songwriter who belts out lyrics with so much soul that she belongs along the ranks of Amy Winehouse, Adele, et al. If you don’t trust us, take a listen to her latest, a five track EP titled Snapshots. Curiously enigmatic – though she does a really amazing job at explaining the intent and direction of the work -, the EP does nothing if not floor you with her incredible talent.
As someone who seems to have been born with music coming out of her, Nina Lee is an impressive, well-spoken, vibrant human being. And we know all of this because we got a moment to ask her a few questions leading up to the holidays. So here she is, unfiltered and incredible as ever.
What was the first album or song you remember ever listening to, and who introduced it to you?
Growing up I remember listening to Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons among others from that generation all the time in the car with my grandpa. My sister and I were the only little girls who knew every word to “Big Girls Don’t Cry”, and “Sherry”. Some of my fondest childhood memories are driving in the car with him and belting out “Oh What a Night”. I am the first grandchild, so the two of us have a very special bond, and he is such a huge supporter of my passion. Having such a strong family unit helped me to be the person that I am today. Music during my grandpa’s era seems like it was more authentic than what we now hear every day on the radio. There was just a voice and instruments, which made me appreciate it even more. That’s why in my own music I like to focus on having as much authenticity and rawness as I can.
Was there a moment that you realized you had the talent and the drive to pursue music?
I was always told from a young age that I was a very musical person, and I was not afraid of being in the spotlight . . . in fact, I thrived on the spotlight. My parents saw that performing was when I was my best self. When I used to get overwhelmed as a little girl the one thing that always calmed me down was the ocean. My mom would sometimes just pack the car up and drive to the beach when I needed it because the cold rush of water was exhilarating for me. When I was in the water I would float looking up at the sky, humming melodies and feeling peaceful. I knew that singing gave me that same adrenaline rush, but a million times better.
So, the way I think of it is that the ocean calmed me down, but the music drove me. My music has pushed me through every difficulty in my life because, like my family, it is a constant. I know it sounds like I am personifying music but really, even though it is intangible, it is something you feel all around you. As I have grown older, my hunger and drive has just increased. That’s how I know that it is what I am meant to do with my life.
Your voice is absolutely stunning. Did you have professional training at all?
Thank you! I guess I was born with a natural ability to sing, which I am so grateful for. But I’ve also worked really hard to condition it and make it even better. When I was younger, and even now, when I feel insecure or unsure of myself I know I have my secret weapon up my sleeve. No person sings exactly the same, so when I surprise people with my voice it makes me feel more confident of myself. Since I was a toddler, I had taken music classes and performance classes and started vocal lessons at the age of 5. I currently have a great music coach, Kate Baker, who helps me to use my voice in a healthy way, and maintain my sound. She was with me through the whole process of recording “Snapshots,” which was so beneficial for me. I just have a really strong support system that is encouraging me, which makes me even more excited for what’s to come.
Your latest EP “Snapshots” follows in the same footsteps of your previous releases, leading us on a narrative about your family members. What made you choose that theme for your EP? Was it a concerted effort?
Yes, “Snapshots” is a series of pieces of my life and my family history all entwined in an EP. I am beyond proud of this work of art and I had amazing people to work with to make my vision a reality. “Snapshots” stems from my incredibly strong bond with my family. I am so lucky to have parents who are always supporting what I do, and a little sister who could not be more reassuring and encouraging. My sister made the painting that is the cover of the EP. The single from the EP is called “Airborne”, which is about my late great grandfather and my great grandmother who is now 94. He was a paratrooper in WWII in the 101st Airborne, while she always held him up at home. When he passed away, I didn’t know how to convey my feelings to my great grandma, and how to tell her how much I admired her and how heroic she was. I think that from that idea of family and love, I was able to make all the songs have that sentiment within it. I had so much help from my vocal teacher, musicians, and my producer Steve Greenwell. It takes a village, and it really took a lot of people to create what you can listen to now. I am so grateful for everyone who has taken part in making “Snapshots” and everyone who has listened!
What is your writing process like? Do you start with a melody, start with concept, brain dump lyrics? Take us inside it all!
Writing is never the same for me. I don’t sit down at a set time and force myself to do it. It is really an organic thing, sometimes I have a melody with nonsense words that I will switch out later, and sometimes I have a chord progression I want to put lyrics to. Sometimes I work with co-writers and sometimes it’s all me. When I was younger, I would just make up melodies with words that did not fit together but it is just what came out, so I went with it. Now I am more precise on the message that I am trying to get across. Lyrics usually come with a melody or after the melody, not by itself because I like to have the idea in my head first. Also, it depends what instrument I am writing on because the baritone uke gives a different vibe then the tenor uke, and definitely gives a different vibe than the piano. The instrumentals usually start out pretty simple as a skeleton for me to expand on and get more intricate as the process moves forward. A lot of the time I will write part of a verse or the chorus and sit with it for a while to make sure that I really like it. I want each line to mean something and not overall just have a loose meaning, because it doesn’t sound as important to me. Everything in my life, I like to be planned out in advance, and I am not a fan of being spontaneous because the unknowns are scary, but with music I am the exact opposite. I tune into everything with no predetermined method, which allows me to make even better music when I don’t overthink it and question the process.
How did you choose which family members to write about?
It is all organic, because some songs don’t even start out about someone, but then I realize when it’s finished that it does represent someone in my family. For example, in “I Got This Light,” I wrote it not having any particular person in mind. When I sang it full through and was able to hear every word I realized that it was my interpretation of my mom. I subconsciously explained everything that my mom is to me; she is my rock, support, and go to person. I also write about friends and the way I feel about them. Sometimes people can be disappointments and not only positive which also makes for very good song ideas. I heard someone say once, “That you shouldn’t date a songwriter, because you know when you break up you will have a pretty bad song written about you.” I think that’s true! I have so many songs in progress about members of my family including my mom and dad and how they met, my sister, etc. I think that with family you never can run out of stories to write, so I have an unlimited supply.
What was studio life like for this one? Did you have go-to snacks, a strict schedule, brainstorming time? Immerse us in the experience!
I don’t eat right before I sing, so I eat breakfast and then sing until we are finished. When instrumentals are being done though my go-to is always sushi. I had an amazing studio experience with my producer Steve Greenwell and great musicians including Aaron Comess on drums, Nadia DiGiallonardo on piano, Richard Hammond on bass, and my dad on guitar. My favorite part was when we did the backup vocals because it was just me and Steve and we found a groove and went with it. For me, making music is the magic of it all so whatever way works is what I go with. Whenever I am recording, I always tend to have a cup of hot water and honey to coat my voice and try not to speak so much in between takes. I usually feel like I sound different at different times of the day so in the morning is when I hit the low notes, and throughout the afternoon I can get to the higher ones. It’s just something I love to do and it’s fun for me to be able to experience it in all different ways, with all different people.
How do you imagine people listening to this album?
I imagine people listening to my album in any way they want. Everyone can interpret this EP differently and that is the beauty of it. When I wrote each song, it connected with me in a specific way, but the connection someone else feels may be totally different than mine, which is what I was hoping for. I want people to connect to my songs on all different levels. I would love people to be able to jam out at the top of their lungs on a long road trip, or listen while decorating the house for the holidays with my songs playing in the background. I only imagine this because these are the times that are most memorable for me when I listen to music. The beauty of music and art is that everyone can see things differently, which is something that is really beautiful. If I can reach people through my music, however they listen to it will make me happy.
We get the impression that you might be more of an old soul, especially considering the grace with which you conduct yourself and the music you write. Would you agree with that?
Thank you, that’s so nice of you to say! I guess that’s true in the sense that I do not act like a normal 17 year old. I am not caught up in the petty things of high school even though they can be tough waters to navigate. I connect with people who are more mature and relate with them. A lot of people I’ve met have told me they think I’m an old soul because of the way I write my music and how I sing. It makes me think of this time when I was younger and my parents found an old Renoir painting that looked exactly like me. It was from the late 1800’s, and it was a dead ringer for me, so I can’t help wonder if I have had past experiences and past lives which make me an old soul! I like to connect with people not only on a surface level, but I invest a lot into making a strong relationship. That is why when I love, I love so deeply and fiercely and when I hurt I feel the pain so much more because of the love I once felt.
You sing about a lot of very strong women in your life. Why do you think it’s important that their stories, in particular, be told?
For me, I write about strong female role models that I believe have shaped me into the person that I am. My family has always been such a strong outlet for me, and my mom especially has played a very important role in my life. She is the person I always look up to, and my best friend. When I was little, I wanted to grow up to be my mom. Everyone in my opinion should have the opportunity to thrive and be their best self and no matter what have support to do it. My goal is to be that person for others who feel as if they don’t have that support, and through my music hopefully there can be some comfort for them.
Who is your favorite superhero? Substantiate your claim.
I don’t know if I have a favorite super hero but I definitely have a favorite Disney Princess. As a little girl, they were the superheroes that I watched on television. I connected most with Ariel. I love The Little Mermaid and knew it back to front. When I was little, I had bright red hair like Ariel and I loved that she sang all the time, just like me. I also to this day have always loved the ocean, and the idea of living in the ocean seemed magical to me. Whenever my sister and I dressed up as princesses I always insisted on being Ariel. Then, I saw it on Broadway and I was blown away. I thought all of the theatrics were amazing and I loved every part of it. I saw the set afterwards and I was in awe of how they made this movie come to life. I always thought I was a princess like Ariel and wanted to be a singing mermaid when I grew up. I guess I fulfilled the singing part, but I’m pretty sure I will never be a mermaid!
What is the best piece of advice you have ever gotten?
The best advice I have even gotten was from my mom. She always told me, “There is no need to push people down because they will fall down on their own.” That actually is a line in one of my upcoming songs. This advice allowed me to see that mean people will destroy themselves on their own. There is no need for me to point it out. Eventually what goes around comes around and it catches up with you. That’s why I always try to be nice to everyone so no one ever thinks of me in that way.
The holidays are coming up… any special traditions you’d like to share with us?
My mom is Jewish, and my dad is Italian Catholic so we celebrate both Hanukah and Christmas. Every year my grandma (my dad’s mom) sends us zucchini bread, which is a family recipe and something I always look forward. When I think of the holidays, that is one of the things that always comes up. Also, for as long as I can remember, my family has always gone on a horse and buggy rides through Central Park during the holidays. The whole city is full of lights and the holiday spirit is in the air.
Doing anything fun this year for the holidays?
This year will be spent with family. Wherever we go for the holidays my mom and dad always make sure that we have family close. That is one of the best lessons and values that I think a parent can instill in a child. Understanding and not taking for granted the family that you have no matter what the situation may be. I am lucky enough to spend it with a very loving and supportive bunch that I wouldn’t trade for anything.
If you could perform with any artist, who would you perform with and what would you perform?
Hands down Billy Joel. He is my favorite storyteller of all. All his songs resonate with me for one reason or another and singing with him would be singing with my idol. I would sing any song with him because I believe he makes each song so powerful. My family and I went to see him perform at Madison Square Garden and I turned to my mom and was like, “Imagine what it would be like to sing with him.” One of my favorite songs of his is “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” so I think that would be a really fun song to sing with him because we could make some really cool harmonies!
What is your favorite word?
I like the word “humuhumunukunukuapua’a,” which is a type of reef triggerfish. I just think its fun to say and fun to spell. The name originates from Hawaii and I think that it sounds very tropical!
Anything else you’d like to add?
I am just so glad I was able to share this stuff with you guys, and hopefully I can come back soon and talk about more upcoming projects that are in the works. Thanks so much for taking the time to talk with me!
___
Keep up with Nina Lee here.
by Meredith Schneider | Dec 8, 2017 | wolf tracks
Garage rock/power pop collective The Hell Yeah Babies – comprised of Mike Pfeiffer, Julian Ames, Dylan Roth, and Sam Paxton – might call Astoria, New York home, but we’re thinking that just might change if they continue in the direction they’ve been going. Their first release was just last year, and they’ve already developed
We always talk about how songs make us feel like we’re a part of New York City nightlife, but “Grenadine Nosebleeds” was actually written about New York City nightlife. While the band croons “I don’t wanna go home,” we get lost in surf-like guitar riffs that somehow – mysteriously – make us feel like we’re dancing around the city in the summertime. Which is quite a departure from the cold, winter vibes we’ve been tripping all over as of late. It’s got this anthemic feel to it, and by the end of it you feel like you’re claiming your own dance territory in the face of opposition.
Aggressive, beautiful, fun.
“Grenadine Nosebleeds” is out now. Keep up with The Hell Yeah Babies here.
by Meredith Schneider | Nov 20, 2017 | wolf tracks
As if they’re not already beginning the narrative with a pretty intense band name, Sweden-based psych garage rock collective Baby Jesus – comprised of Fredrik Kristoffersson (guitar/vox), Elis Jäghammar (bass/vox),Svante Pålsson, and Rasmus Högdin – took it a step further earlier this year with the release of their full-length album titled Took Our Sons Away. Clearly developed with a different frame of mind than their 2015 self-titled debut, the guys of Baby Jesus have somehow managed to bottle their live show energy into their sound, something that many bands never have the knack – and perhaps not even the want- for.
Starting with “Feel For You Girl”, you’re looped into this false sense of nostalgia with the rough production and beautiful, lush ambiance to the instrumentals. It makes you just want to prep for a progressive/badass sock hop, and we’re pretty sure you’ll know what we mean when you hear those first chords. While “Over and Over Again” really goes wild, waning guitars and the mostly-yelled-but-sometimes-delivered-with-finesse-vocals that Baby Jesus has really become known for allow you to settle into the sound. “All Out” and “Down South” carry similar toe-tapping beats, while “That’s All Right” carries an album slow down that we were starting to need. Really, the track has the same freeing garage sound as its predecessors, though it feels more like a garage ballad if we were to categorize it.
But those first five tracks don’t even begin to scratch the surface of what there is to enjoy about Took Our Sons Away. A delectable collection of diverse and captivating moods, whirring instrumentals, and a pension for the spotlight drive these four men into our hearts as they take us on a fourteen-track journey through parts of the last two years of their lives. From the 50s doo-wop feels of “Hold My Hand” to the hint of 13th Floor Elevators in “Ain’t Got No Place To Go” (among others), to the eerie static sounds of “Baby Jesus – The Beat”, we’re floored by the band’s ability to keep us on our toes for this long.
But that’s not all. At the time of release, the masters for Baby Jesus’ 3rd full-length were being prepped, and we’re expecting new music in early 2018 already. So consider yourselves spoiled. We know we do.
Took Our Sons Away is out now on Yippee Ki Yay Records. Keep up with Baby Jesus here.
by Meredith Schneider | Nov 6, 2017 | wolf tracks
In September, Boston’s folk/indie rock talent Griffin Robillard released his 9 track, full-length album titled Cracks in the Ceiling. Flooded in a sharply nostalgic feeling, the album itself was written while Robillard was living in Copenhagen. You can almost feel the growth he was experiencing while writing the piece, as his vocals are flooded with emotion as he brings you into his world with the mid-tempo, almost anthemic, title track, bouncing into the more upbeat and soulful vibes of “Ghost” before getting slightly more twangy, then bluesy/jazzy, in his instrumentals with third track “Because I’ve Told You”.
“Reel to Reel” slows things down – has the structure of a Ben Folds-type track – weaving a narrative speaking to his significant other that is slightly specific, but still very vague, perhaps for the sake of universality. While “Artifacts” picks things back up exponentially, it is with sixth track “Faithless” that we are brought back out of our seats, encouraged by the sound to move. “In Your Own Way” houses similar surf pop vibes to the instrumentals in Gin Blossoms’ “Found Out About You“, causing us a few moments of reminiscing on our 90s selves.
It is with “Nothing to Show” that things get very serious, both lyrically and instrumentally. It’s like Robillard has decided to rip his heart wide open in this one, simplifying the instrumentals slightly to really showcase the words as he croons the track into a 70s style rock stunner. “Tired of Being Cruel” is your last taste of Cracks in the Ceiling, a lot more upbeat in its composition, though melancholic lyrically as he begins the song with the line “tired of being cruel to you.” Self reflective, honest, raw. That’s what we’ve come to love about Robillard, and – while we’re plenty happy with this release – we’re already excited to hear what comes next from this talented musician.
Cracks in the Ceiling is out now. Keep up with Griffin Robillard here.
by Meredith Schneider | Oct 30, 2017 | wolf tracks
Seattle-based shoegaze/dream pop collective Ephrata – comprised of Skadi Von Reis Crooks (guitar, vocals), Brady Hall (guitar, vocals), Jules Jones (bass, vocals), and Ben Bromage (drums, vocals) – released their self-titled 11 track album just last month. The vocal harmonies they have been honing since their conception in 2011 are buttery smooth, with almost a kaleidoscope of personalized instrumental layers that make each song feel like an entire experience. We were big fans of the release, so we thought we’d let you in on why.
“Odds” has a very “I Melt With You” feel to its initial lines – though delivered as though it were released in the 50s – bathing its listener in light, nostalgic feels right off the bat. “Tunguska” is characterized by whirring guitars, the beat setting in after a couple of lines and really kicking the energy into high gear. But the song feels upbeat and light, while the lyrics are actually quite terrifying as they repeat “Run, run, scream and cry / Run for your life.” (Comforting, we know.) “Breakers” makes us realize that we may have embedded ourselves in a deceivingly light – but innately melancholic – work, as first line “Don’t you know that things were better when they were bad?” throws us into an almost existential mindset. And while we aren’t entirely sure what it means to “die on a sea of straight faces,” “Sea Of Straight Faces” is a slow, 50’s doo-wop sounding track that mellows you out for a bit mid-album.
Fifth track “Fiend Folio” seems to play with dissonance early on, addressing perhaps the fact that your road through life is paved with temptation and intensity (“forked tongues and fangs showed me the way”). We might be misinterpreting the lyrics, though they are – as their predecessors – seemingly bittersweet in their delivery and intention. “1000 Things” begins with a grunge/surf bass guitar, exploding into a beachy track that hits Beach Boys status pretty quickly and effectively. And while “What Is Mine” is indie rock at its core – it feels as though it could have easily been included on the Juno soundtrack – “Consequence” rolls right back into some hard beachy nostalgia for us all.
“Pharaoh” is light and upbeat in delivery. In fact, deceivingly so, as they’re singing about being shot and “entombed,” though the overarching theme might just be found in the line “pot meet kettle,” something we have been examining intensely recently, especially regarding people in power. (But I digress.) “Evil Twin” is a track that really makes you think. Clearly, the person whose perspective we’re examining is in denial about a seemingly abusive relationship, as she is convinced she met her significant other’s “evil twin” because of the way he treats her. “But when he appears you’re always gone…” How sullen and beautiful, this perspective on unhealthy relationships. Ephrata ties their 11 track release together with “Sun Scenario”, keeping with the devastating, lugubrious theme by instructing “fill your head full of dread ’til you’re dead,” which – to their credit – when examined has the opposite effect. It’s as though they’re encouraging you to embark upon this dark path, hoping you might take it as a challenge and move, instead, into the light.
But however you tend to interpret the lyrics, move forward. Examine your world through the lens of Ephrata’s music and use it as a learning tool. It will come in handy.
Ephrata is available now. Keep up with the band here.
by Meredith Schneider | Oct 30, 2017 | wolf tracks
New York-based progressive/cinematic rock project Orissa – spearheaded by David Dodini, who arranged and wrote the entire album and received help on the recording from Jason Gianni (drums), Gary Pickard (flute, saxophone), and Raquy Danziger (dumbek) – recently released its single “Verse V” as one of the last pieces in the lead up to the release of debut album Resurrection, due out next month. The track – which is characterized heavily by its whirring electric guitars – is introduced slowly, each instrumental having its own sound space as we lead into the heavy bass of the track. It is within one minute of “Verse V” that a new listener realizes Orissa really is fully encapsulating that cinematic, almost rock opera feel in their work. With Dodini’s vocals comes a heavy, emotional introduction to a man who will not falter in his ideals. The guitar solo late in the game is absolutely off the charts, encouraging us to seek out Orissa live in concert to see how this immensely energetic track – that sits at just under eight minutes – is received. Because we’re enthralled.
Resurrection is out November 3rd and is available for preorder now. Orissa will celebrate their album release show on Friday, November 10th at Arlene’s Grocery. Tickets are available now.
by Meredith Schneider | Oct 19, 2017 | wolf tracks
They’ve been illuminating the crowd everywhere they go over the course of the last two years, and now UK-based alt-folk act Low Chimes – comprised of Marianne Parrish, Jack Page, Rob Pemberston, and Lachlan McLellan – is making their full length debut with recent album Illumine. The ten track release is an ethereal one, blending hard guitar riffs with light as a feather vocals, almost transforming its listener to another time, an entirely different place.
Initiating its kaleidoscope vibe with first track “Sleepwalking”, we are immediately hit with positive vibes, lines like “everything’s changing for the better” dancing around us as if floating on air. “Sulfer Silk” paints an already vivid picture in its wording, the texture of the instrumentals somehow adding a layer, as though it is the exact audio representation of the term. You won’t be able to help but to find yourself swaying your hips before the sprawling five minutes is up. “Dust Will Blow” is more of a toe-tapper than a hip-swayer, but the reverb follows the vocals around in a calm and beautiful manner, melting into the abrupt tempo change on “Away The Day”. Staccato notes and an almost glacial pace allow for the band to play with a bit of dissonance in composition, lending to Parrish’s delicate vocals in an incredibly complementary way.
It is with “Lacuna” that the instrumentals nab a little edge to them, seeming to swirl lazily out of a hard rock track into a slow buildup that hosts luxurious, rich vocals. And while “Taming Trance” is something we could see ourselves doing a nice round of restorative yoga to, “Electric Bloom” maintains an almost lazy surf vibe with its guitar parts and breezy chorus. Perhaps we’ve found the bite we need in eighth song “Blood Orange” with its jazzy melody and the way the words seem to counter the accompanying composition. When it comes to “Forget I Know”, we get lost more in Parrish’s vocal range than anything, but the album only finds its closure in fitting track “Final Farewell”, where chorus style vocals allow a build into a more alt-rock ending than its folk majority would lead you to believe. It’s as though they pass through all of the major genres represented in the album in one track, tying the entire album together with a succinct and fitting bow.
October
19th Oct – Edinburgh, Sneaky Pete’s
20th Oct – Kendal [Venue TBC]
21st Oct – Manchester, The Eagle
26th Oct – Winchester, The Railway
27th Oct – Bristol, The Malt House
28th Oct Stroud, The Goods Shed
December
5th Dec – London, Sebright Arms
6th Dec – Brighton, Hope and Ruin
Illumine is available now. Keep up with Low Chimes here.
