by Karina Marquez | Jul 30, 2018 | videos, wolf tracks
In his latest music video, Brooklyn-based artist Yoke Lore sings in the midst of the rise and fall of an LGBTQ+ love story. But before that, the video shows how the romance blossomed, with beautiful shots of cuddles, kisses, and lunch dates. Everything seems perfect for them, until it isn’t. Flash forward to the fighting and silent treatments as we watch everything go down in flames. Literally.
At the end of the video, we see them place pieces of their relationship into a box before setting it all on fire. Director Noah Galvin (Yoke Lore’s brother and an LGBTQ+ actor) explains the meaning behind that intense ending:
Too often at the end of a relationship, be it romantic or otherwise, there is no real moment of farewell. Perhaps this is due to fear. I’d like to think goodbyes would be less scary if we ritualized them in some way. “Ride” is about giving a relationship a proper burial… punctuating an ending that often goes unpunctuated.
The video shows the importance of closure in order to move on from a relationship, or to move on from anything. The It’s heartbreaking, but it’s real. Yoke Lore says it best, delving deep into the intended message behind his song and its visuals:
Our fire is this fire. It is a fire to make something new where something had grown old. It’s a controlled burn of a portion of each self. You don’t want to scorch the earth, but dead things feed the future.
Listen to Yoke Lore’s EP, and be sure to catch him on his upcoming tour.
by Ashleigh Lee | Jul 30, 2018 | snapshot, visual
On Friday, July 27, the indie rock scene descended on Providence Medical Center Amphitheater in Bonner Springs, KS yet again to celebrate 96.5 The Buzz’s annual Beach Ball. Photographer Ashleigh Lee was on site, and she nabbed some incredible photos of AWOLNATION, Portugal. The Man, lovelytheband, and Joywave for us!
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 Aubrey Hanson | Jul 27, 2018 | albums, review
Chicago-based Lo-fi rock trio Clearance – a talented band with ample amount of music experience – released their highly anticipated new album At Your Leisure on cassette, vinyl, and digital music streaming platforms everywhere today. The incredible musicianship of Mike Bellis, Kevin Fairbairn, and Arthur Velez is on full display over the duration of the eleven tracks, with melodies that feel genuine mixed in with toe-tapping beats. Not only does this album exceed all of your expectations, but it also takes you back to the 60’s and 70’s with the band’s unique style of music with a classic rock twist.
“Rumored Sequel” and “Another Arrow” are the perfect songs to listen to in order to get you exhilarated and pumped up with the exciting upbeat tempo and great vocals. In many of the album’s songs, you can sense the band’s influence with folk-styled, traditional vocals. Clearance has the perfect style of music that sounds good not only on radio, but also sounds amazing on vinyl due to the beautiful instrumental sound and notable lyrics.
TRACKLIST:
Chances Are
Destination Wedding
Frozen Orange / No Wonder
Had A Fantastic
Rumored Sequel
Haven’t You Got the Time?
Another Arrow
Days Underwater
Gallery Glare
On the Doorstep
Bird’s-Eye View (Of the Back of the Room)
Recorded by: Dave Vettraino
Mastered by: Mikey Young (Total Control, etc.)
Album art and layout: Mike Bellis
Songs written by: Mike Bellis
Video by Alexa Viscius
At Your Leisure is available now. Keep up with the band here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jul 27, 2018 | premieres, videos
Though pop musician Nicholas Schneider has been creating art for quite a while under different personas – he gained a cult following after his work as Nicky Sparkles was released – and has been doing it well. Now he’s releasing music under his given name – Nick Schneider – and we’ve got the exclusive premiere of the new music video for his synth-fueled track “That’s My Girl”. With his light, high vocal range, and an instrumental sound all-too-reminiscent of the 80’s, you knew he had to bring the same flare to the music video. And he has, in great style, adding visual effects that were used in that timeframe. The song itself is catchy and light, making it – and its accompanying visual – perfect for our end of summer evenings.
(Don’t remind us summer is almost over.)
Keep up with Nick Schneider via Soundcloud.
by ImperfectFifth | Jul 27, 2018 | soundtrack
My new record releasing everywhere July 27 is called City Living. When I wrote it last April and all through the recording the working title was Summer Somewhere. After putting out a couple of records and a bunch of EPs that were really folky and ridiculously sad I wanted to create something fun and upbeat that felt like summer in New York City. The record turned out really awesome and it has the upbeat summertime party vibe I was chasing. Funny thing though, a lot of the lyrics are still pitch dark and brokenhearted, but you can dance to them! I’ve accepted that life has ups and downs and I like to write about emotions that skew to the bummer side of existence. I think there’s freedom in honesty and reflecting the world and life without trying to sand off the rough parts. I’m happy that the music on this record is more of a party and can draw listeners who aren’t necessarily showing up just for the lyrics. This playlist is a sample of the songs and records I was listening to for the six months leading up to recording City Living as well as the four singles I put out in advance of its release.
Keep up with Rue Snider here.
by Karina Marquez | Jul 26, 2018 | singles, wolf tracks
Rising artist Raffaella is NYC born and bred, and that city girl vibe is encapsulated into a little bubble of clever pop that is her second single, “Bruce Willis.” While the badass action star is the title of the track, he is only mentioned once, giving way to Raffaella’s commentary of the “cool rich kid” mentality. Her songwriting is sharp – the chorus is made up of brutally honest lyrics that show the significance of the teen image, especially when it comes to physical wealth and appearance:
Broke into Gucci pretend that I’m bougie to fool ya,
All that AC feeds American dreams to the cool kids,
My straight jacket’s form keeps me cozy and warm till the morning,
All that AC feeds American dreams to the cool kids.
Her music runs deep. Not only is her voice beautiful, but she provides a social commentary on issues that are relevant in today’s society, which, in this case, is the upper class and the damaging image that comes with it. This makes her the farthest thing from your typical pop star. She’s smart, savvy, and here to stay.
Listen to Raffaella’s first single “Sororicide,” and keep up with her here.
by Aubrey Hanson | Jul 25, 2018 | albums, premieres
Nashville-based musician Collin Gundry, whom you may know as Tuxedo Wildlife, releases his new EP Myself Together this week, and we have the exclusive streaming premiere of this masterpiece in its entirety. Many of the songs on this EP are emotional, heartfelt songs while many of the songs also have a slower beat yet calming feel to them. Tracks “Isotopes” and “Myself Together” are a little faster compared to the rest, and the vocals are a bit reminiscent of Imagine Dragons. But his luscious, deep vocals create a unique kaleidoscope of a landscape that is established at the beginning of the EP, and doesn’t drop off until the very last lines of the sixth track.
Myself Together embodies his journey through uncertain love and emotions which I’m sure many people can relate to throughout life, which is just another one of the reasons why Tuxedo Wildlife is a perfect new artist to listen to. Not only can you check out his new music below, but you can also check out his new video for “Depths” on YouTube.
Keep up with Tuxedo Wildlife here!
**co-written by meredith schneider
