by Madison Blom | Apr 6, 2018 | singles, wolf tracks
In the world of alternative rock and upcoming young artists, Ward has sprinted up the ladder, gathering a large fan following and quickly making his name known throughout the country. Most recently, Ward has unveiled his newest single, “Crush,” which is both hypnotic and full of vibrant soundscapes which show his knack for skillfully arranging beats and lyrics in a harmonious work of art. Since the beginning of his career in the music industry, Ward has found more success and fulfillment than at any other time in his life. In 2016, it was clear to him that the life he was living was lack luster and far beneath his talent and skill. Since then, he has put all of his efforts into developing and maturing his unique sound, performing on stages throughout the country and spending all of his time offstage in the recording studio.
Not only does Ward come with copious amount of skill and talent, but his team has also been known to propel artists into a perpetual line of success. Producer Chris Keup and Darrell Thorpe have taken the raw aptitude and turned it into a alt rock masterpiece. Over the past few years, Ward has been able to maintain his catchy 90’s rock feel and the fans are eating it up.
Keep up with Ward here.
by Abby Trapp | Apr 6, 2018 | albums, review, wolf tracks
Honey and Salt just released their self titled LP. The grunge/rock/punk band has a variety of ten tracks on the LP starting with “A Nihilist Takes Up Knitting” and ending with “Cascade.”
The band is described as sociopolitical or as I like to call it “music with a purpose.” Honey and Salt has good reason though. Wade Allen, on main vocals, is a philosophy teacher which definitely influences the bands lyrics. On “A Nihilist Takes Up Knitting” Wade pleads “Right or wrong is not subjective.” “Blame game” is an anthem of “who and what is blame?”
My favorite, though, is “Bowling Green Memorial.” “Bowling Green Memorial” rounds out at a whooping eight minutes and nine seconds. What most impressive though, is that the majority of that is a drum/guitar solo that will take you be surprise. Just when you think the solo is over, Honey and Salt will bring you back into the music. Honey and Salt is definitely worth the listen. The LP is more than just an album—it is truly one big box of sociopolitical prompts, wrapped carefully and neatly to give to any listener so that they can ask themselves “How and why are we here now?”
Keep up with Honey and Salt here.
by Veronica DeFeo | Apr 6, 2018 | singles, wolf tracks
Full of emotion and fantastic beats, Mikky Ekko has dropped a brand new single, “What’s It Like Now”. Ekko also recently released a new EP, Advance Copy. His recent releases follow his time travelling all over the world and coming back home to Nashville. “What’s It Like Now” combines an infectious beat with synthy-electronic vocals that still have a natural edge to them. With a perfect chorus, “What’s It Like Now” brings a smooth, rock-tinged side to a modern electronic sound. His balance of old and new, while maintaining a unique sound is certainly a feat. Mikky Ekko certainly knows how to captivate the listener, and “What’s It Like Now” is no exception.
Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
by Jai'Tyria Hatton | Apr 6, 2018 | albums, review, wolf tracks
Sarah Shook & the Disarmers are back again after their debut album Sidelong. This year Sarah Shook and the Disarmers are back again with their follow Years. This album shows the groups growth from their previous album and shows the fearless and powerful stance that the group has taken on. Years has an even greater impact than the previous album.
In Years, Sarah Shook shows off her strong vocal delivery. Shook’s powerful vocals match the lyrics that are from her songwriting.
In “Heartache in Hell” Shook’s vocals display the sense of hurt that reflect the emotion of the lyrics in the song. The song has a country tone to it along with “The Bottle Never Lets Me Down”. “The Bottle Never Lets Me Down” shows submerging your emotions in alcohol.
Years takes you through several different emotions. The album tells a story of challenges. Years shows the struggle of having to pick yourself back up after going through challenges. The album is well worth the listen and shows a new transformation of Sarah Shook and the Disarmers.
Keep up with Sarah Shook & The Disarmers here.
by Veronica DeFeo | Apr 6, 2018 | videos, wolf tracks
Maryland-based Gallant is back and better than ever with the release of new single, “Gentleman”, along with accompanying music video for the track. As evidenced when he was was nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 2016 Grammys, Gallant has what it takes to make it big as an R&B artist. A visually stunning video directed by Sasha Samsonova, “Gentleman” also showcases Gallant’s exceptional vocals. Slow motion, aqua lighting, and a shirtless Gallant makes for a minimalistic yet superb video. A seductive and irresistible song, Gallant brings listeners into the track with his falsetto and velvety vocals. The video seals the deal on this slinky track.
Since the release of his 2015 debut Ology, Gallant clearly has come into his own, and continues to impress listeners with his incredible talent, and we can’t wait to see what he puts out next.
Listen to “Gentleman” HERE
Stay connected with Gallant
Instagram – Twitter – Facebook
by Jai'Tyria Hatton | Apr 6, 2018 | singles, wolf tracks
Hailing from a musical family, Stine Kinck was made well aware of her musical talents at an early age. After getting serious with her career in 2003, it was from there where Kinck established herself in the Neo Soul scene, and from there developed herself even more in music.
Kinck is back with her new single “Blind Spot”, which takes a fresh new approach to music with the unique sound it has to offer. “Blind Spot” is addicting with a brand new approach to music. The song is great from start to finish, leaving you yearning for more by its end.
Keep up with Kinck here.
by Jai'Tyria Hatton | Apr 6, 2018 | singles, wolf tracks
Luke Burr found his love of music through his father’s old soul records. Burr was inspired by several R&B artists which later encouraged him to begin singing and playing the piano. From there, the soul singer began to make his mark in music. This time, he enthralls with his new single “Lights On”.
The track is full of R&B and soulful sounds, which encapsulate Burr’s signature sound. The singer uses his soulful voice to sing about a woman that is very special to him, and how she looks good just the way she is without trying. “Lights On” is full of lifting women up and appreciating them just the way they are no matter how they look. His lyrics are inspiring and empowering. One can only anticipate what the singer has in store in the near future.
Keep up with Luke Burr here.
by Abby Trapp | Apr 6, 2018 | videos, wolf tracks
The 19 year old artist Yellow Days is blowing up. Haslemere based Yellow Days was recently featured on Donald Glover’s trailer of “Atlanta” and just released the single “The Way Things Change.” The single is jazzy, sultry, and even throws in a bit of the organ for us.
I enjoy this track not only because it is inherently a good song, but it shows maturity for a young artist. For example, Yellow Days tackles lyrics like “My friends think my soul is dead, but I’m just trapped in my own head,” “I cry, you cry” and the impressive “You have to keep going, you have to keep going.” The lyrics are executed by Yellow Days smooth vocals. I am looking forward to what Yellow Days has in store for the future.
Keep up with Yellow Days here.
by Veronica DeFeo | Apr 5, 2018 | show review, snapshot, visual
Following a gloomy week in Kansas City, April 4 brought crisp and clear weather – and a sold-out show by L.A.’s Billie Eilish at recordBar in support of her Where’s My Mind tour. Some of her fans waited for hours in the cold for a chance to be close to their favorite artist. Imperfect Fifth writer Veronica DeFeo and photographer Michael Porter were there to capture the one-of-a-kind evening. Killer performances from openers Reo Cragun and DJ Kiero got the night off to a great start. Reo busted his lip open a few songs in, but he didn’t let that stop him from delivering a fantastic set, much to the delight of the energetic crowd.
Following Reo and Kiero’s set, anticipation was evident as the concert-goers started chanting Billie’s name. In a moment of electric delirium only found at the best of shows, the lights went down and drummer Andrew Marshall and Billie’s brother, Finneas O’Connell, came onstage to an electronic sample of “my boy”, dressed in white coveralls and Billie Eilish kerchiefs. The crowd went insane when Billie came on seconds later, starting off the night with her acclaimed single, “bellyache”. Every voice knew every word, evidencing Billie’s deep connection with her fans. Not skipping a beat, Billie led the crowd into her hauntingly beautiful “idontwannabeyouanymore”, showcasing her velvety vocals. Next up was “watch”, immediately followed by “&burn”, which features Vince Staples on her record, dont smile at me. Billie not only flawlessly sang “watch”, but also took on Vince Staples’ verse from “&burn”.
Billie gave the crowd a chance to fill in some vocals on the next song, “Bored” (which was anything but boring). Fans were eager to give Billie their gifts throughout the set, and Billie expressed her love and gratitude for everyone who came multiple times, letting them know that she would not be where she is without them. Taking a more serious and mature tone, Billie performed an older track, “Six Feet Under”, which displayed not only her vocal talent, but also her lyrical skills. Billie introduced her drummer and brother to the crowd before inviting Finneas to perform his slinky, moody track, “New Girl”. As her producer, co-writer, backing vocalist and guitarist, but most importantly, brother, Finneas is always supportive of Billie, as well as having his own career as lead singer of The Slightlys and starring as Alistair on Glee.
Billie took the stage once again, enthralling the crowd with a unique cover of Drake’s hit song, “Hotline Bling” – on ukulele. In her next song, “party favor”, Billie showcased more of her ukulele skills during the fun track, which also features hitting lyrics. Billie next treated the crowd to an unreleased song, asking them all to be in the moment with her. The track that got Billie discovered, “Ocean Eyes”, was up next, and the crowd got a unique, lighthearted rendition as Billie accidentally bumped a fan with her mic; following this, Billie closed out the song on a stunning note. An electric, flawless performance of fan favorite “my boy” finished her regular set, but Billie wasn’t done yet. After raucous shouts for an encore brought her back onstage, Billie delivered with “hostage” before taking a selfie with the crowd and hugging fans. Billie closed out her show with a rocking performance of “COPYCAT” that did not disappoint. After commanding her fans to get low during the bridge, the crowd went wild with the signal word “sike!”, and the last seconds of the song were unforgettable.
At just sixteen years old, Billie Eilish has accomplished more than many artists dream to at a young age. When she makes up her mind, she gets the job done; despite her youth, Billie knows her craft and how to work a crowd. Her March 4 performance is not one that will be forgotten. Kansas City can’t wait for Billie to come back.
Listen to Billie Eilish
YouTube – Spotify – iTunes
Stay connected with Billie Eilish
Facebook – Website – Instagram – Twitter
**photos by Michael Porter
