by Meredith Schneider | May 15, 2019 | soundtrack
With May 2019 comes the true beginning of busy season. More live shows to attend – Is anyone concerned that too many are cropping up absolutely everywhere? No? Just me? Cool. -, wedding season is officially upon us – Goodbye, weekends! -, and some of us are still trying to arrange some type of getaway at any point over the course of the rest of the year. It’s safe to say things are heating up, and so is the bevy of new music that’s cropping up this month! Below, find our favorite new releases of May 2019, with new tracks added throughout the month!
by Michael Arnold Porter Jr. | May 14, 2019 | snapshot, visual
On May 8th, The Unlikely Candidates performed to a wild crowd at recordBar in Kansas City, MO. Photographer Michael Porter landed an in-person interview with access to the show, which we are so excited to see soon. To tie us over, here are some highlight photos from the event!
Keep up with The Unlikely Candidates here.
by Karina Marquez | May 14, 2019 | albums, review
Ohio-based band The Shootouts’ debut album Quick Draw is the ultimate throwback to the age of honky-tonk in America. Every detail, from the lyrics to the vocals to the instruments to the album cover art, hearkens back to the good old days of classic country music. The band, consisting of Ryan Humbert (lead vocals, acoustic guitar), Brian Poston (electric & acoustic guitar), Ryan McDermott (bass), Dylan Gomez (drums, percussion) and Emily Bates (harmony vocals), create a wholesome album with heart that is sure to make their listeners feel as if they have travelled back to a much simpler time.
With the first track, “Cleaning House” jumps right in with a toe-tapping ditty that’s as fun as it is metaphorical. Other tracks like “Who Needs Rock & Roll” and “Reckless Abandon” have the same carefree, catchy vibe that almost guarantees its ability to get stuck in your head. They’re short, sweet, and incredibly charming. Even a song called “Alimony” is full of charm and humorous lyrics:
Alimony, oh alimony,
I thought I bought steak and it was old bologna.
Me oh my, oh goodness sake,
I’m paying for my mistake.
There’s a fair share of the album’s softer side with songs such as “California to Ohio,” “If We Quit Now, “Lonely Never Lets Me Down,” and “Losing Faith in Being Faithful.” These songs are pretty and emotional, bringing us back to traditional country ballads that are often hard to find in the current age of pop-country.
At first glance, Quick Draw may seem like just another country album, but it is entirely its own entity. The lyrics are sharp and well-written, the instrumentals are skillful, and even if this isn’t your kind of music, it’s quite an enjoyable listening experience.
Be sure to check out Quick Draw, which is out now, and keep up with The Shootouts here.
by Meredith Schneider | May 13, 2019 | singles, wolf tracks
Birmingham-based rock musician Alabama Rose just released a song that was basically made for your next great adventure. “Come With Me” boasts ethereal reverb for days, and robust vocals that weave gracefully in and out of guitar-heavy instrumentals. We’re hearing hints of Zooey Deschanel and Joan Jett coming through, a sound that is enigmatic and timeless all its own. As Alabama Rose urges you to “Come With Me”, the urge to move energizes you. This song is perfect for road trip weather and lazy, beautiful days in the grass.
Keep up with Alabama Rose here.
by Ian Schneider | May 10, 2019 | albums, review
Punk in every sense of the word, the Zig Zags’ new album They’ll Never Take Us Alive rings out loud and proud with electric guitars and metal riffs. From its lead off track “Punk Fucking Metal”, the Zig Zags let it be known that they are not messing around with their fourth album.
You can physically feel the metal influences in every single note and lyric sung. This listener appreciates the constant appearance of the galloping electric guitar, accompanied by fast kick pedals. Like something straight out of a Guitar Hero video game, the ever present guitar solo will have you wanting to do anything requiring physical energy, let’s just say, I don’t know, run head first into a roaring mosh pit. With all this speed metal talk, it is hard to look pastZig Zag’s ability to also slow it down, in a very punk rock way. Their track “Fallout” brings the tempo down just a hair, almost reminiscent of Dio’s “Holy Diver”. But, the consistent theme across the board is the methodical gallop of the electric guitar that will be ringing in your ears for days to come after listening to this album.
Zig Zags have been an ever evolving force in the punk rock landscape for years now, and their fourth album really puts on display their growth, in the most punk way possible. They’ll Never Take Us Alive is available now, and make sure to keep up with ZigZags here.
by Karina Marquez | May 10, 2019 | albums, review
Acclaimed artist Allman Brown captures intimate love and all its facets in his sophomore album Darling, It’ll Be Alright. Brown has created an album that is so smooth and captivating in both vocals and lyrics that you find yourself easily slipping into a constant loop of his music for hours.
The album opens up with the effortless soft pop of “Home,” a heartfelt track that is as catchy as it is uplifting. The title track, along with “Dust & Heat” and “Bury My Heart” have a similar positivity to them that feels genuine and sounds like summertime. On the flip side, songs like “Crazy Love” and “Shapes in the Sun” delve deeper into the sultrier aspects of Brown’s music. It is reminiscent of fellow British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran’s many hits in the unique vocal melodies and edgy, sharp guitar riffs.
Brown also delves into more somber ballads with “Hurting,” “Waiting for Something to Believe In,” and “Lonely Hearts, Los Angeles.” In particular, “Lonely Hearts, Los Angeles” stands out as a track that discusses the solitude of being in a big city, but still manages to be romantic in its depiction of something as gloomy as being alone – a difficult feat. Another standout was the final track, “Natasha,” which is a perfect example of Brown’s ability to emphasize the details of a loving relationship as well as highlight the beautiful simplicity of the song itself:
I bought you a Neil Young CD,
You made me try different food,
Showed me that being angry is not the same as being strong,
My darling, my darling one,
This is you love song.
Much like how Brown comes across in his music, Darling, It’ll Be Alright wears its heart on its sleeve. It is deeply romantic, heartbreaking, optimistic, and incredibly honest. To put it simply, this is what passionate music sounds like.
Be sure to check out the album, and keep up with Allman Brown here.
by Meredith Schneider | May 10, 2019 | premieres, videos, wolf tracks
Indie-soul musician Oliver Kennan releases the music video for his single “The Tinkerer” today, and we’ve got the exclusive premiere. Slightly muted colors give a vintage tinge to the visual that allows it to match its soundscape a little more. A complicated relationship, lots of curls, and some quick choreography make for a stellar visual experience. Explains Oliver:
The music video for ‘The Tinkerer’ is a surreal comedy about a young girl and the chaos of growing up. It re-contextualizes the lyrics of the song which read like the wild inner dialogue of a troubled soul. Everyone knows that adolescence can be just as complicated as adulthood and the contrast of the image of a child and the thoughts of an adult lets us explore that idea and laugh about it at the same time.
Tour Dates
- 05/14/2019: Boston, MA @ Haymarket Lounge at City Winery
- 05/15/2019: Burlington, VT @ Nectar’s
- 05/16/2019: Syracuse, NY @ Funk N’ Waffles
- 05/19/2019: Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Tavern
- 05/21/2019: Chicago, IL @ Schubas
- 05/24/2019: Louisville, KY @ Jimmy Can’t Dance
- 05/25/2019: Nashville, TN @ The Basement
Check out a live version of the song at SXSW 2019 here. Keep up with him here.
by Meredith Schneider | May 9, 2019 | singles, wolf tracks
This month, epic rock band Shinedown released the piano version of their track “Get Up”. The original version of the song was featured on their 2019 album Attention Attention, and was quite remarkable already. The piano version, however, allows the audience the space to truly bask in the lyrics and their meaning. So often we layer intrinsically gorgeous lyrics with heavy instrumentals or a pop beat to mask the reality of the words. Luckily, Shinedown’s original version was done in such a truly beautiful way, that taking out some of the instrumental section hasn’t done any negative to the structure of the track.
If you were ever in doubt
Don’t sell yourself short, you might be bulletproof
Hard to move mountains when you’re paralyzed
But you gotta try
And I’m calling out
Get up, get up
Get a move on
Get up, get up
What’s taking so long
The piano version feels raw, and we’re all the way in.
Keep up with Shinedown here.
by Meredith Schneider | May 9, 2019 | 5 to 7
Today, we sit down with Nate Sirotta. He is the founder of – and digital publicist at – Impulse Artists, a boutique digital marketing and publicity agency based in Portland and Los Angeles. Since he lives in the Pacific Northwest, I tried to talk Sasquatch. But it was more fun catching up and delving into his work, to be honest.
0:00 Intro
0:11 EZVisibility.com
0:22 Dbl-take.com
0:33 imperfectfifth.com/merch
1:10 Nate Sirotta intro – Impulse Artists
1:49 Kid Bloom
2:15 The Dumes
2:39 Yip Deceiver
4:12 Huey Lewis & The News
5:36 Warped Tour
12:14 Portland
23:25 Sasquatch
26:02 Flying saucers
