by ImperfectFifth | Jun 11, 2018 | albums, wolf tracks
Based with roots all the way in Hong Kong, multi-talented music group Blood Wine or Honey are currently celebrating their new album Fear & Celebration released on June 8th, by playing shows in Hong Kong. Consisting of members Shane Aspegren, Joseph von Hess, and James Banbury, this act ties in aspects of electronic, African, and dance style instrumentals. Blood Wine or Honey uses African drums, a wide variety of additional instruments, and trendsetting electronic vocals that will make you want to get up and dance to the music. When comparing the band to other musicians, there is no talent quite the same, so I suggest that if you ever find yourself in Hong Kong while they are on tour, you make your way to one of their shows to experience an electro-based sensation.
Keep up with Blood Wine or Honey here.
**Words by Aubrey Hanson
by ImperfectFifth | Jun 11, 2018 | soundtrack
While Colorado-based indie/blues rock group Dream Feed – comprised of Miguel Dakota (Lead Vocals, Guitar), Ryan Wagner (Lead Guitar, Vocals), Will Gaines (Bass), and Brian Nolan (Drums) – is busy crushing it, they’ve somehow found time to create a playlist just for Imperfect Fifth. We’re digging the vibes, and hope you integrate this one into your “must listen” list.
“These are songs that inspire us to be more creative writers, performers, and musicians. And they‘re just straight up jams!” – Miguel Dakota
Keep up with Dream Feed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and at their website.
by ImperfectFifth | Jun 11, 2018 | perspective
I think it was 93 or 94, I must have been seven, we lived in an old mill town on the Willamette River, outside of Portland, Ore. It rained a lot. It was melancholic and beautiful.
I had my own CD player, I loved it, I painted it with glitter nail polish. I had two CD’s only at first. One of which deserves no mention (some Disney movie BS) and the other, Magical Mystery Tour by The Beatles. I remember buying them at the mall.
Listening and playing music inside while it rained outside was a big part of my childhood. I remember feeling like my CD player and my CD’s were gold. They were sacred. I would save up my allowance and go to the Mall and buy CD’s. My brother was always trying to sell me things. Once he sold me a nearly dead Lizard, it died within hours of me buying it. But when I could dodge his tempting sales pitches, I bought CD’s.
My Dad was a classic rock guy all the way. He was an elementary school music teacher, and mostly a pianist. When my brother and I were young though, I remember him listening to music more than playing. He would spend weekends rearranging the garage or the living room in our old farmhouse, listening to Fleetwood Mac or The Band or The Beatles or something at top volume. Our house was always uncluttered and I was exposed to a constant stream of really killer music.
I was taught to worship the Beatles at an early age, but my choice to go with Magical Mystery Tour over another record was partly the influence of a friend, and the fact that it was probably the only album my Dad didn’t have. Surely he had every other Beatles Record.
I can’t remember the name of this said friend, but my memory of her is like something out of a David Lynch film – but a kid-friendly non-violent David Lynch film. Play dates at her house were always unsupervised and bizarre. We would sit in her basement listening to her copy of Magical Mystery Tour. I think it was a tape. She was the only other 8-year old around who also dug the Beatles. I remember The Hanson’s and The Spice Girls being all the rage amongst my friends. I only knew her for that year, was it second or third grade? I can’t remember. She claimed to see ghosts and wore a lot of black for a seven or eight year old. I thought she was the coolest, jamming out to the Beatles in her basement, hoping for the ghosts to come.
My Dad (Like so many others) regarded the Beatles as the best band EVER; Of course I was massively influenced by them, I think it’s hard to find someone who hasn’t been influenced by the Beatles. I think it’s important to mention how into black music they were – John Lennon was the one who named Chuck Berry “King of Rocknroll”. Was it appropriative? Sure. Rocknroll was, as we all know now, created by black people. Some of their songs feature some sexist language. You have to see them in their context, growing up in post-War England. But what they did with it all – using the Indian music and western classical, all woven together with the power and magic of this Black American idiom. With acid! So in 2018 I could look at some lyrics and think they are less cool… But their musical genius is undeniable, and their work is canon.
Keep up with Heart Hunters here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jun 8, 2018 | premieres, videos, wolf tracks
Self-proclaimed “electroexotica” duo Stronger Sex – comprised of Johnny Fantastic and Leah Gage – is bringing their vivid personalities to the world in an exciting new visual for single “Dead Women”, Directed and Edited by Mark Williams Hoelscher. At the center of the experience is a stuffed monkey, and other versions of what look to be childhood toys. But it’s what happens with those toys that will really put you into a tailspin. (Could they come alive, a la Toy Story? Is it OK to think they’re still cute and not creepy?) The main focus, however, is the protagonist, who is depicted experiencing the emotional turmoil that aligns with the lyrics in the song. Confirms Leah Gage of the track:
“Dead Women” is a song about feeling the weight of a legacy of important matriarchs, and the pressure to live up to their expectations. My mom and my grandmother were both extremely smart (and troubled) women who placed a lot of emphasis on prestige and renown, and expected me to achieve both, almost on their behalf. Since they’ve both died, I struggle a lot with knowing whether I’ll ever live up to their expectations. I used to keep their photos all over my room, as a kind of inspiration, but after a while I realized it was just making me anxious and sad, and I needed to figure things out for myself. So, this video is inspired by that idea. There’s a girl, who lives in a fantasy world with her “friends” who are clearly all toys, and she lives with an overbearing woman who wants her to get rid of her friends and join reality. Eventually, the woman goes behind the girl’s back, throws the friends in the trash, and goes back to her life. The girl is utterly distraught, but eventually uses her anger and frustration to channel herself out of the house, and she runs away, with her friends. Both the woman and the girl are flawed – these aren’t of course her friends, they’re toys. And the woman, well, she probably has her reasons for wanting the girl to join reality, even if she’s going about it in a mean way.
This video brings light to a struggle many women face, and we are pleased to host the exclusive premiere.
Keep up with Stronger Sex via Bandcamp and Facebook.
by ImperfectFifth | Jun 8, 2018 | perspective
The first album I purchased was ESC4P3 by Journey (1981).
I wasn’t familiar with their music, I just liked the album cover (I should mention that it was a cassette..I had just gotten my first “boom-box”). King Tut had toured through Chicago a couple of years before, and the Scarab meant a lot to me. So did the “1337 sp34k”–Google it if you aren’t familiar–on the cover. I spent much of late 1981 reproducing that cover in my school notebooks. I liked the imagery so much that I bought a baseball tee bearing the same imagery at the record store along with the album, still not having heard any of their tunes.
I had been brought up on The Clancy Brothers and Dean Martin and really didn’t care much for rock music, however I was determined to start “fitting in”. After all, I was 13 and I was tired of telling my schoolmates that rock wasn’t really music. Anyway, Journey is what I got. I told the other kids they were my favorite band, and I hadn’t really listened to another so I suppose it was true. I was informed pretty quickly that Journey was “a band girls liked” which I thought was just about as stupid as everything else. Within a year I had moved on to Motorhead and was in a whole other world of stupid. Before that, however, I stuck to my guns and picked up all of Journey’s cassettes through the Columbia Record and Tape Club. ESC4P3 remained my favorite and I continued to draw that album cover over and over.
It’s kinda funny, but listening to that album startles me to this day. It still has that 90s Platinum feel that simply is what it is…mostly due to Steve Perry being the Streisand of pop-metal. “Don’t Stop Believin'” is the highest-selling digital single of the 20th Century. I did think at the time that “streetlights…people…” was nicely abstract and potent. I can’t honestly say that I like the song. The feeling is more like love; the kind of love you feel when you’re thirteen and simply don’t know any better. It was also one of the first albums I listened to with headphones. Listening in my bottom bunk on my boom-box scared me sometimes. I had to take off the ‘phones and look around the room because it was so “real”. It was real. It was my first album. That’s all there is to it.
Keep up with Charlie Smyth here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jun 8, 2018 | videos, wolf tracks
With a slight pixelated – yet ethereal – feel to it all, Los Angeles-based alternative act XYLØ released her latest music video for “Heaven Only Knows” this month. With cat eyes and a mysterious glow, she sings seductively over simple, gorgeous instrumentals that will have you wanting to waft into a summertime haze for hours. We’re completely jazzed about the ambiance created by this track, and now it’s time for you to feel that way too.
Keep up with XYLØ here.
by Kayla Hutton | Jun 7, 2018 | albums, review
Lolaa, consisting of Toronto-based sisters Lex Valentine & Nadia Valerie King will release a Spanish version of their debut EP on June 8th. The musical project allows the sisters to explore their Mexican heritage, taking inspiration from Latin American 80’s pop music. The EP is a soulful approach with Latin-inspired instrumentation. Similar to that of Gloria Estefan minus the pop American influence and hiding the cultural percussion in the background. Lolaa puts them in the forefront and the result is a feel good, twilight, dancing in the streets fiesta.
“Lola” – the song bearing the proper spelling of the band’s namesake, meaning “Lady of Sorrows” – sways slowly in a gentle breeze accompanied by impactful and heartfelt vocals. While the verses are sung solo and with minimal instrumentation the chorus is filled out by an overlay of vocals giving it a thicker, meatier, stronger delivery. “Cancion 6” has a passionate vibe and produces a lot of warmth. Taking some influence from a 70’s disco ballad with a swaggering groove, intense pre-chorus vocal melody that leads the way for a full-on Pop anthem chorus. I have no clue what they are saying, but I feel the need to sing along. Maybe I will make up my own words. Could be fun.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bepmx9t4-CA]
Thus far Lolaa is bringing the synth-pop and danceable rhythms even during the slower paced songs. Embracing all the emotions in life and creating a sound that despite the mood or event, you can dance. “Barricada” demonstrates an almost haunting calling. While the beat boasts a Casio powered hi-hat and a simplistic stock snare kick combination the vocals definitely take the bull by the horns. I think this track could easily be even more dramatic and impactful a cappella aside from the ending with the comforting sound of an old music box. While none of the tracks are high energy they maintain a joggers pace and are in the key of motivation and are cinematically dramatic, the key of each song designed to appeal directly to the heart of your emotions.
Lolaa has a unique sound as you can definitely and obviously pick up on the Latin influence, as these tracks are En Espanol, but the music itself has a fusion of American pop, latin and old-school instruments, Canadian imagination and an immense of amount of passion. Don’t let the language barrier stop you from checking them out. You don’t need words to express an exact message. Tone and delivery will impact you just the same. A video premiere for the single “Espiritu” has been released via Nylon Espanol to hold you over until the E.P. is released.
Tour Dates
July 12th Coney Island Baby at 8 pm New York, NY
August 4th Handlebar’s at 8 pm Toronto, ON
Keep up with Lolaa here.
by Gemma Harewood | Jun 7, 2018 | singles, wolf tracks
Picked up for release by Danish label Disco:Wax and available to buy now is Royale’s debut single, “The Rhythm Is You.” The French trio writes and produces their own music and layer live instrumentation with digital production, capturing a uniquely pop sound with a familiar electro feel. Musically, it’s driving and uptempo with signature synths on the hook while the vocals add a snap of soul to proceedings.
Royale will undoubtedly pick up pace over the course of the year and will be one to watch in future if “The Rhythm Is You” is the benchmark these guys are setting for their music. Make sure you check out the single here.
Keep up with Royale here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jun 7, 2018 | snapshot, visual
When you’re new to a specific music festival, the landscape can be a little bit difficult to navigate. And though music festivals have gotten a reputation for being places that young people go exclusively to party their faces off, it can be a daunting task to party that much when you’re trying to navigate that landscape and those stages and that schedule.
Cut to: Sasquatch! Music Festival 2018.
In the midwest, Sasquatch! is something you hear mumblings of every so often. I don’t hang out with a lot of people who enjoy live music or go to festivals, so it’s not uncommon to have never heard of this one. But Sasquatch! is an entire experience that I will (now, though I did before) urge anyone to attend at some point.
Started in 2002, the festival has been held at The Gorge Amphitheatre in Quincy, WA, overlooking the stunning views of Washington’s great outdoors. Hosting (at present) four stages – Yeti, Bigfoot, Sasquatch, and El Chupacabra, hilariously – The Gorge itself is something of a wonder, housing many mysteries and a history of land battles with Native Americans, stories told to me by a Washington resident while on a party deck at the festival, of course. The venue is located a bit off the beaten path, among grape vines and farmland, so it feels like its own private piece of the planet, which isn’t a horrible thing for concert-goers to experience as they watch the sun set behind their favorite performers.
And that’s just what we did. As we got there on Thursday, checking in took a hot second – camping is offered close by, with scenic views of The Gorge and venue – but we got a prime spot in the camping area, surrounded by happy northerners and a really intense party crowd. People quickly became friends in this camping space, trading stories of their festival experiences, making food vendor suggestions, and explaining the lay of the land to us newbies. But that first sunset over The Gorge trumped everything, and the colors only got more vivid as the backdrop to acts like David Byrne, Ray Lamontagne, Spoon, Modest Mouse, and more. In fact, it was almost thrilling to run over and see whoever was playing during the hours when the sky changed, if not only to catch that breathtaking view one. More. Time.
But the lineup was phenomenal as well – as I’m sure you’ve seen as snippets of photos have been published over the last few days – and we’re willing to bet that this particular blend of voices in the industry could have existed on any site, at any festival, but would never have been as fantastical as this.
So – while it’s still fresh in our minds – we want to share with you some of our favorite crowd shots and scenery photos from the three day weekend. Sunsets, every food option you could think of, the rare child in the crowd (with proper ear protection)… Washington, you made us damn proud Memorial Day Weekend. Can’t wait to see what’s in store for your future, but for now we might just be singing your praises to everyone we meet.
**Photos by Parker Pennybaker, words by Meredith Schneider
