by Meredith Schneider | Aug 13, 2018 | albums, premieres
San Francisco experimental collective Sis has some major news for your ears this week, and we’ve got the exclusive. The band – comprised of Jenny Gillespie Mason (voice, synth, guitar, piano), Rob Shelton (synth, programming, piano), Carly Bond (electric guitar, synth, vocals,) Joseph Adamik (drums, bass clarinet, marimba,) Andrew Maguire (drums, marimba,) Jamie Riotto (bass, synth), and many contributors to the horns section – is bringing us their debut full-length on the 17th. Euphorbia – which boasts thirteen incredibly composed tracks – provides a kaleidoscope soundscape that makes it perfect for this time of year, as the time seems to slow down and the leaves start to change. But the most magnificent aspect of what Sis has to deliver, perhaps, is the sublime lyricism and attention to detail that the band has been able to cultivate for this, their first full-length. To the untrained ear, this band feels as though they have been together for decades, with a fresh take on some impelling sounds.
Get your first listen to the album in its entirety below, and be sure to grab a copy for yourself when it drops on Friday!
Catch Sis on the road!
Keep up with Sis here.
by Meredith Schneider | Aug 10, 2018 | singles, wolf tracks
Party rock collective Party Hardly – comprised of Tom Barr, Lachlan Banner, Matt Pownall, and Stanley Braddock – seems to be taking a more leisurely pace with latest track “Terry Shure” and we’re totally in love with its low key vibe. While the mood is blissfully casual, the lyrics themselves are something we can get behind – and 110% something we could cause mischief around if need be. So sit back and enjoy the latest from Party Hardly, because we know it’s about to be a staple on your newest playlist.
Pre Order / download ‘Cycle of Life’ EP here:
Spotify | Apple Music
Keep up with Party Hardly here.
by ImperfectFifth | Aug 10, 2018 | soundtrack
Over the last 3 years I’ve been writing and working on my debut album SARRA. It’s a 14 track concept album and the first single “Kerosene” drops this Friday. I’ve consumed and have been influenced by a massive amount of music since the beginning of this process, and so much of this journey was spent trying to pinpoint my sound. My love of music spans from Pop, Electronic, to R&B so it was a really fun experience getting to pull from those genres and create the right sound that represents SARRA. This is a playlist of songs that have influenced me as an artist throughout the process of making this record. There’s so much good music being made right now and one of the best things about this process was discovering new artists!
- RKCB – Comatose
- Alina Baraz – Show Me
- John Splithoff – What if She Wants You
- Anne-Marie – Do It Right
- Dua Lipa – Last Dance
- SARRA – Kerosene
- Stalking Gia – Second Nature
- Hannah Lucia – Don’t Hold Out
- Charlotte OC – Darkest Hour
- Jarryd James – Sure
- RKCB – Elision
- Malinchak, MAX – Dragonfly
- Sinead Harnett – Rather Be With You
- James Arthur – You Deserve Better
- Moss Kena, Jay Prince – 48
- Sabrina Claudio – Orion’s Belt
- Ray BLK, Courage – 2am
- Louis Futon, RKCB – Surreal
- JOHN.k – Wrong
- Mac Ayres – Easy
- Ravyn Lenae, Appleby – Free Room
- Sabrina Claudio – Unravel Me
- Daniel Caesar, Kali Uchis – Get You
- Amber Mark – Lose My Cool
- Draper, Alby Hobbs – On You
- Charlotte OC – Cut the Rope
- Jahkoy – Still in Love
- Astr – Operate
- Banks – This is What it Feels Like
- SZA – Green Mile
Keep up with SARRA here.
by Karina Marquez | Aug 10, 2018 | albums, review
Canadian artist Taylor Janzen gets as real as she can get with her new EP. Interpersonal is thoughtful and smart, as if written by a seasoned professional; at only 19-years-old, she has an acute sense of empathy and self-awareness that makes this EP incredibly special. Her vocals are heartbreakingly beautiful, drawing strong comparisons to Paramore’s Hayley Williams. But that’s as far as the comparisons go – in every way, Janzen is entirely her own artist.
As you listen, each song bares a bit more of Janzen’s soul. Her honesty makes her relatable, which is the epitome of why we love sad songs. “Stations” delves into the reality of emotional abuse in a relationship. “The Waiting Room” is a standout track due to its raw and honest discussion of her struggles with mental health through the imagery of a waiting room. The lyrics show how, sometimes, the mental health system can be challenging and lonely. Janzen sings with pain in her voice, lamenting about her experience: “Spitting out my demons to someone I just met … the only one who listens is the person I pay.” “Colourblind” and “Better Now” round out the EP, leaving you with that feeling – not sadness, not anger, not happiness. The best way to describe Janzen’s music is hopeful. She delves deep into heartbreak and depression, but her voice assures us that not all is lost. In fact, these are the kind of sad songs that you want to listen over and over again, even if it makes you want to sob into a glass of red wine.
Keep up with Taylor Janzen here.
by Meredith Schneider | Aug 9, 2018 | snapshot, visual
On August 3rd, Israel Nash regaled a sunset soaked audience as the opening act for Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats at CrossroadsKC. We got more than a handful of photos to give you a glimpse into the beauty.
by Karina Marquez | Aug 9, 2018 | singles, wolf tracks
Houston band
Jody Seabody and the Whirls take it back to old school punk rock with their latest single, which is off their upcoming third album Hawksamillion. “
Grenade Green” is a long track, tapering off at six and a half minutes. And majority of it is high intensity — it’s loud and jarring and absolutely mind-boggling. The lyrics are screamed rather than sung, giving it the true angry garage rock feel. This is the kind of music that is easily forgotten in this day and age, but JS&TW manages to embody the genre and turn it into a stand-out track.
At around the 4 minute mark, the song does a complete 180. The rock vibe is still there, but it’s slower and more mysterious. There are no lyrics, no screaming. Just the instrumental. The shift is surprising, yet welcome. It allows the anger from before to dissipate and turn into Led Zeppelin-esque classic rock and roll. This song seems to capture the ever-changing emotions of rock music in such a way that shows how this is a band that does not stay in one place.
Be sure to listen to their newest album, due out on
August 24, and check them out on their upcoming tour. Keep up with the band
here. by Meredith Schneider | Aug 9, 2018 | albums, review
With attention to minute detail given by its creators, enticing track “Run Wild” was the perfect lead-in to the brand new 6 track EP, Run Wild. Thutmose – a Nigerian-born, Brooklyn-based hip hop artist – and NoMBe – the German-born, Los Angeles-based musical project by Noah McBeth – had already proven they could create luscious soundscapes, paired with lyrics that are descriptive and feel-good in nature.
The rest of the EP is no different, as you can witness below. At times, the duo slows it down to a amore mellow pace – as with tracks “Young & Reckless”, “Soft Top”, and “Summer’s Gone” -, highlighting the soulful aspects of their musical talents. And though we tend to glean positive vibes from the majority of the release, songs like “Summer’s Gone” – despite its hopeful, beautiful message of love – leave a melancholic feeling deep in your bones, foreshadowing that end of warmer months in the northern hemisphere in the coming months.
If you’re ready to be enveloped in a sound that is a buttery smooth version of Drake-meets-Kid Cudi-meets Shop Boyz, Run Wild is calling for you to fall in mutual love.
Keep up with Thutmose here and NoMBe here.
by ImperfectFifth | Aug 9, 2018 | soundtrack
Over the last year my tastes in music have changed pretty dramatically, and with it how I’m moving forward with my writing and creative process. This playlist is a combination of new styles for me that influenced the creation of “We Should Both Be Here” and the rest of my current original set with a genre range from r&b, neo-soul, chill wave, and funk to soul pop.
Keep up with Sheridan Reed here.
by ImperfectFifth | Aug 8, 2018 | soundtrack
It’s a playlist of all our influences & our favorite artists that inspire us. All these artists have contributed to our sound in some way, and each song is on this playlist is very important to us. These are artists and songs that molded Black And Blue as a group and our sound.
