by Meredith Schneider | Oct 25, 2017 | wolf tracks
Detroit-based pop duo JR JR – Joshua Epstein and Daniel Zott – have been releasing their first music since 2015’s self-titled full-length. Though they do hone their sound in the pop genre, their last three tracks have been noted as darker lyrically, garnering them a host of attention. We’re most ecstatic about the latest single, a track titled “Control (Secretly Sorry)”, which was released earlier this month. Influenced by the emotions directly following the last Presidential election, a warning message is delivered amidst the upbeat, dance music vibe emitted by the instrumentals. But if you look past the reverb and into the lyrics, you might find that “Control” becomes your next favorite track.
Says Josh about the track:
“Control” was written on November 10th (2 days after the election) at the Masonic Temple in Detroit, Mi. I woke up late and was driving in our van–which has no radio anymore. Suddenly the melody and the lyric was in my head, “careful of who you let control the people that you know oh oh oh”.
I raced upstairs to sing it for the guys, and found that they were starting to write a song around a riff that Bryan Pope was playing on guitar.
Somehow, the song they were playing was the exact same tempo and key as the lyrics and melody that I was singing. It’s like we were all writing the song serendipitously in separate locations at the same time. It came fast, and to this day feels like a song that we didn’t write–it wrote itself through us.
Keep up with JR JR here.
by Meredith Schneider | Oct 24, 2017 | wolf tracks
Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Sam Small is about to release his debut EP, a five track wonder titled Hazel. The entire work was recorded in one night with no overdubs, a simplified approach that ended up benefitting Small’s intricate approach to his vocals. One prime example of this is with his latest single, a song titled “How Unlikely”, which we are premiering right here, right now.
The track begins with the subtle, quick plucking of the guitar, quickly becoming the blended, simplistic backdrop for Small’s Dylanesque vocals. The lyrics detail an innocent puppy love, a no frills narrative that anyone would be happy to experience. Lines like “how funny does it seem that we once called this a fling / it was only supposed to last a summer long” make you stop and think about all the tiny moments that lead you along the course of your own life.
And that’s alright with us.
Keep up with Sam Small here.
by Meredith Schneider | Oct 24, 2017 | 5 to 7
Norwegian indie folk duo Tuvaband – comprised of Simon Would and Tuva Hellum – have been crazy busy prepping to release their debut EP, which is set to drop in November. The pair – who are incredibly socially conscious and tend to lend that activism to their art – recently released their single “Trees” to critical acclaim. The song, which touches on the importance of our natural habitat, is an ethereal taste of what’s to come.
With that in mind, we were ecstatic to catch a few moments with the band leading up to their big show at Mirrors Festival. Here is what they had to say.
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What is the first song or album you ever remember hearing, and who introduced it to you?
I can’t remember. I do remember that Aretha Franklin was one of my first favourite artists and that I had a lot of her albums. I wanted to become the new Aretha Franklin. A mix between Aretha Franklin and Gwen Stefani (when she was in No Doubt).
The first album Simon heard was Radiohead – Amnesiac. His uncle had bought it and they were listening to it in the car in Ireland. It’s still one of his favorite albums.
What is the origin story of Tuvaband? Was it impossibly amazing?
I was studying child welfare, and the girls I was living with was tired of hearing me make annoying sounds and doing my man-vocals out loud in our apartment. They told a guy in our class, to bring me to his studio to make me try to sing normal. I did, and it was the most fun I’ve had. I started singing with this guy and another musician. I thought we were a band and told my family and friends. Turned out we were just jamming. I went to my room and started making my own songs, and called myself Tuvaband as a joke. I would never sing in front of people, but gave my parents a Tuvaband CD for Christmas.
Back in Oslo after my studies, I met Simon and his friend in a bar, which were looking for a girl to sing a duet with. After three hours at an afterparty, when people had started falling asleep, I finally sang with Simon and his friend. Many months later I asked if Simon could play guitar in Tuvaband. We found out we would rather be a duo than a band and therefore could keep that name.
“Trees” is incredibly beautiful. We know production happened in two separate apartments, but what was the process like for this one? Lyrics first, melody first? Concept vs. words? Paint us a picture!
Thank you so much!
I’de written the lyrics earlier, but the melody we were just jamming, it’s the first song we had which started from a random jam. We had to structure the song together later to make it sound more like a song. There was a lot of rounds trying to record it and make it sound good. I think it took us almost a year to make it right.
What do you hope people glean from this track, specifically?
It would be nice if some people like the song so much that they will listen to the lyrics. First about the rainforest, then about our self-destructing behaviour, and then maybe produce even more thoughts about what we could do differently when it comes to the environment.
Your new EP is due in November. Can we expect other equally as socially conscious tracks on it? Is there an overarching message in its tranquility?
A lot of the songs I write has a similar message to the one in ‘Trees’, but the EP has a lot of different themes. It’s constructed in a way as a story, which evolves as the EP progresses. It goes from being about dealing with a trauma, then the aftermath of a trauma. And then when you are done dealing with this, it shifts towards the world around you, which is where ‘Trees’ and two other songs come in.
What are you most excited about with the upcoming EP release?
It’s nice to finally get something out that we’ve been working on for a long time, and to show people that we have more songs. We are close to finishing yet another EP, so it is about time to release the debut EP.
I have to say that we are both really excited about releasing a really nice music video, made by Marius Mathisrud and Oscar Juul Sørensen, for one of the tracks on the EP too!
Alright. The tough one. Cats or dogs?
It’s definitely cats for me. I’m the cat lady, but with no cats. When I’m 65, I will probably have 14 cats. If I ever start a side project as a musician, my name would be ‘The Mother of Cats’. Simon is a dog person and had a dog growing up. That says a lot about how different we are from each other.
Anything else you’d like us to know?
We are playing at Mirrors (festival) in Hackney, London, 28th of October. We hope to see you there!
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Catch up with Tuvaband during a Rough Trade In-Store gig on October 27th, and at Mirrors on the 28th. Keep up with Tuvaband here.
by Meredith Schneider | Oct 24, 2017 | wolf tracks
Nashville-based folk/Americana singer/songwriter Faith Evans Ruch released her latest – a ten track album titled Lessons in Falling – on October 13th. Her first release since 2014’s After It’s Said & Done, Ruch has chosen to incorporate more genres of music in her writing and sound, drawing influence from soul to pop to r&b and beyond. There are clear roots with the songwriting, as every song has a lot to do with love. But it’s the vulnerability in her vocals, the way she can really reach and make you feel with every note, that is of actual note in this new release.
“I’m Yours” starts the album off with a bang, as we experience a real nod to Elvis in the crooning vocals. Though she visits similar notes throughout the album, this one feels the most like it was produced by The King himself. And while “Beg for Mercy” easily could have gone that way with the title, it serves as the quintessential mid-tempo blues track. “Sugar” takes on a different type of nostalgic flare, and quite frankly we could see it placed in a remake of Grease. And “Sunny Side” takes on an even more diverse direction, as we melt into a modern spin on a 70s funk feel.
“This Cold” is the first real slow jam on Lessons in Falling, questioning the length of time she has been “wandering in this cold”, begging the question of love’s existence. Quickly, however, the tone changes with “Stupid Boy” and the subtle vocal quirks she incorporates to hook the audience into this one. The use of a choir-like backup vocals makes this one feel more robust amidst its pop-influenced sound. “Blood From a Stone” takes yet another different approach, the tempo changing a couple of times while Ruch threatens the man that tries to lie to her and “play it cool”, as she explains that she is “nobody’s fool”. We’re not ones to cross her after this track, that’s for sure.
But there are still three more tracks to delve into, and while “Rock Me Slow” is clearly the second slow track, it might place her on a different level of vulnerability as she leads us through a lonely narrative of sleeping alone and all of the tumultuous emotions that love or the lack thereof can burden a human with. We expect a lot from a song with the title “Bang Bang”, and we are pleasantly surprised with the final product. It feels like a song that came right out of the Kill Bill soundtrack, and you’ll understand what we mean from the first line to the very last chords. She rounds out her work with the aptly titled “Thank You”, which slowly careens through robust, soulful instrumentals toward her overall message of closure. Bittersweet, as now we have to wait to see the next step in Ruch’s musical progression.
Lessons in Falling is available now. Keep up with Faith Evans Ruch here.
by Meredith Schneider | Oct 24, 2017 | wolf tracks
Last week, producer and multi-instrumentalist Outsider released the music and lyric video for latest track “Míol Mór Mara”. The track – which is featured on the Fifa ’18 Soundtrack – almost glitters with energy, resplendent in that nostalgic 80’s sound that acts like Bruce and Bleachers are known for. The video details a woman’s insatiable wanderlust and want to go against the grain – something we have all experienced at some point or another and something that led to the creation of Imperfect Fifth – as the darkness and people around her almost seem to want to envelope her in that darkness.
Explains Outsider, “The song is about a child with down syndrome I worked with when I was suffering from huge heartbreak and it had a profound influence on my life. The kid was so inspiring and pulled me out of a dark place really just by spending time with him. It’s got a lot of biblical references to Jonah and The Whale, which is symbolic of diving into the sea of the unknown and becoming something far greater than yourself in a spiritual sense.”
We can definitely get on board with that.
Keep up with Outsider here.
by Meredith Schneider | Oct 23, 2017 | wolf tracks
Chicago-based indie folk musician Joe Goodkin recently released the third installment in his record trilogy, an album titled Record of Love which follows 2015’s Record of Life and early 2017’s Record of Loss. This album is a bit different, as every single sound was created (somehow) with a single guitar. Listening closely, you can slowly figure out some of the sound manipulations and how it was done, but largely this album is so well structured that it isn’t even something that necessarily occurs to you. All of that aside, Record of Love has delicately captivated us and we are beyond excited to premiere Goodkin’s latest music video because of it.
On its own, “Ashes” was made in homage to people that Goodkin loved, as the lyrics weave a tale of remembering and honoring several very specific family members. But it also comes as a voice of comfort for those who may be struggling with a death, be it spiritual or physical. As lines like “May their ghosts be together and free / This is how we say goodbye to those we love” dance in your head, elegant physical drawings of the lyrics dance on the screen. Blackbox Visual has created a watercolor life for the video, replete with visuals of each family member, each urn, the outside setting in which they celebrate the lives of those they have lost. In the visual, we find additional warmth and comfort, even as the ashes float like black lightning bugs through the sky.
Record of Love is available now, both individually, and as part of a vinyl collection containing Record of Life and Record of Loss. Keep up with Joe Goodkin here.
by Meredith Schneider | Oct 23, 2017 | Uncategorized
Chris Barron is one of the masterminds behind some of your favorite 90’s songs, as he is the lead singer of critically acclaimed four piece Spin Doctors. For years, he’s been honing his own solo sound alongside his work with the band, and has dabbled in working with other artists as well. He writes, plays, and goes about it all in a very unique, process-oriented way. In all reality, Chris Barron is the ideal musician in regards to talent, but he’s also a phenomenal and humble human being behind it all. We know, because we got the unique chance to ask him some questions in the thick of release week of his brand new album Angels And One-Armed Jugglers, which dropped on Friday.
Full to the brim of incredible artistry, Angels And One-Armed Jugglers travels into sound spaces and genres Barron isn’t necessarily known for, but pulls off entirely too well with the band he has assembled. Learn more about them – and Barron’s process – below, right after you check out the new album in its entirety!
What is the first song or album you ever remember hearing, and who introduced it to you?
I remember being very small, so small that I was about the same height as my parents stereo, holding myself up, my hand on the speaker, with Elton John’s “Crocodile Rock“ blasting out of it. I might’ve been in diapers. It made an impression on me because I still remember. It has to be one of my earliest memories.
Was there a moment that it struck you and you realized you were going to pursue music, or did it kind of slowly evolve?
When I was six years old, I saw Shirley Temple on our old Sony, black and white TV singing “The Good Ship Lollipop” and I was like, “I’m going to marry her and we are going to do that“. I didn’t know what “that” was. I didn’t know the difference between a singer, dancer, or an actor but I knew I wanted to perform. I always had a penchant for creative writing and when I learn some guitar, that evolved into song writing. I was also good at singing and my choir went to Europe to perform my sophomore year of high school. Being 16 years old, on tour in Europe just because I could sing galvanized forever my resolve to become a professional musician. I figured, if I could get myself across the ocean at 16 just because I could sing, I had a pretty good chance.
“Two Princes” was one of the first music videos I ever remember seeing, and I was ensnared by it every time it was on tv. How has your musical process changed and developed since then, both in your solo work and in collaborations? Is it much different?
I’ve always been very process oriented. When I write, I write in bulk, giving myself permission always to write the worst crap ever written. My thought is to get past the garbage and chatter to the creative part of my mind separating out the editing voice from the more instinctive creative voice. Later on in the process I rely heavily on the more analytical editing voice. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve tried to refine my process and allow myself more and more to believe in it. After having a big hit with “Two Princes”, for a long time, I was concerned with repeating the success of that song. That was a handicap. Ever since I’ve been working my way back towards writing the way I wrote when I was a kid, using the same technique I used, really, to write “Two Princes” in the first place, that is, following my nose and giving myself permission, writing tons of stuff and being willing to throw most of it away, keeping the 1 or 2% that’s good and refining that.
I realize now that “Two Princes” and “Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong” were not only two of the most integral songs in my young life – the lyricism really got me into music in the first place – but they’re also enhanced by the undeniable vocal talent. Your voice IS the 90’s to me, and many others. How does it feel, knowing you’ve kind of encapsulated an entire decade for many?
Ha. There’ll be no living with me… I just feel lucky that I wrote a couple tunes that resonated with a lot of people. I worked hard on those songs and I work hard on the skills that enabled me to write them. It’s gratifying to be a part of people’s lives just by virtue of doing what I love to do. There were a lot of great bands in the 90s so I’m glad we stand out amongst them.
That being said, we know you have struggled with vocal cord paralysis. (That had to be terrifying, and we aren’t trying to hit any nerves here.) Has that changed your creative process over the years? Do you have any advice for people who may be struggling with similar vocal issues?
Yeah. That was bad. I’m one of those people, for better or for worse, who identifies very heavily with their profession. Losing my voice was an existential crisis for me. When I first got my voice back, the first time I lost it, I was afraid, and I did some pretty lousy work afterwards, trying to write hit songs so that I would have financial security if I ever lost my voice again. Then I was like, “Screw this, I’m going to write the kooky weird stuff I’ve always written. I don’t care if it sells.” That’s when I really started to hit a stride, creatively. This latest time losing my voice really put a fire in my belly to make this new record. You never know when you’re gonna lose your voice, get hit by a bus, or be abducted by aliens.
Your new album Angels and One-Armed Jugglers is about to hit the airwaves. Tell us a little bit about the title, and what inspired you to go in what seems to be a more theatrical and robust direction with this work as a whole.
I wrote the song, “Angels And One-Armed Jugglers” On the steering wheel of my Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, doing about 60 miles an hour across the 59th St. Bridge. (Do not try this at home)(Or on the 59th St. Bridge) I was thinking about my elderly neighbor Adelaide, who lived next door to me in the late 20th century. The songs on this record are from a tremendous cachet of material. I’m pretty prolific and I always have stuff that won’t work for the Spin Doctors. Once I came up with the title, I just started picking songs that were thematic. The more theatrical production comes from Roman Kuhn who produced the record and was really the impetus behind the scope of the recordings. Initially, I wanted to make a scaled down, acoustic record. He had a much larger vision for the songs and I think he was right to frame them more expansively.
For this release, you sought out some of the best studio musicians you could find. What was that process like for you?
The first guy wanted to use was Shawn Pelton. I’ve known him a long time and work with him before. After working with Aaron Comess for such a long time, I’m a bit of a drummer snob. Then I saw Jesse Murphy the bass player doing a gig with aaron and they grooved so well together, I knew I could play with Jesse. It turns out that Roman recommended him for that gig. I’ve played with almost everybody on the record before and they really complemented my songs by bringing their best efforts to the studio. They all played so beautifully.
The title track has a melancholic feel to it and, thusly, is an interesting way to begin this body of work. But it’s got this bittersweet beauty to it when you dig into the meaning of it all. How do you imagine people enjoying this track?
Songs are funny. When you write them, they kind of get up and walk away. You don’t really get to decide how people interpret them or enjoy them. They’re kind of like kids that way.
You were quoted saying that, at least partially, “thematically, [the album] is about the cocktail party at the apocalypse, the decline of the American empire and just a bunch of lemmings in neck-ties going over the edge.” Did you find that a lot of this work may have been inspired by political events, or does it mostly evade that facet of our society?
Life and art in a democracy is inherently political. I don’t really set out to write politically, but songs like, “Still A Beautiful World” and “Raining Again” touch on a worldview. Just the act of reaching into peoples lives, seeking to make them happy, and creating freely is political.
“Darken My Door” is so intrinsically beautiful. What inspired that track, specifically?
Ha. Being mad at an ex. The old standby song theme.
The track “Still A Beautiful World” is so important. Its message, its lyrical content. It makes us wonder… do you have a favorite space that you like to retreat to to experience beauty?
Lately I’ve been practicing guitar on a stool in front of my building in New York City. It’s not a particularly beautiful place but people walking by, the dogs, the strollers, my neighbors, they all make a choreography with the light, the bricks, and the fire escapes. The experience of beauty, the experience of anything really, is internal. Who’s to say were not all just brains in vats and some mad scientist is making us see everything we see? Beautiful stuff is beautiful but ugly stuff can be beautiful too. And sad stuff…
We are under the very strong impression that each track on this album holds a lot of meaning for you. Is there a song that is a standout for you personally?
That’s true. In terms of meaning, probably “Still A Beautiful World”. That song touches on our existence as a species, religion, and I got really lucky with a couple of those lines… that’s a pretty nice riff too.
Do you find that you are drawn more to songs that mirror your previous work, or are you more into creating something completely out of the indie rock box right now?
Really, don’t think that way. For me a song is a proposition. Get to the heart of the proposition, answer all the questions in an artful way, and you’ve written the song. I try not to set out to write something specific before hand.
If you could be any superhero – previously existing or otherwise – who would you be?
I think writing songs and singing is a bit of a superpower. I don’t think I would choose to be anyone but me.
If Angels And One-Armed Jugglers was a meal, what type of food would it be comprised of?
There was this tiny Cuban restaurant on 14th St. and seventh Avenue called the Sucelt Coffee Shop. This would be a meal from there.
You have so much touring experience from over the years. Any fun memories?
Opening for the Stones was nice. That was like going to rock ‘n’ roll graduate school.
Do you have any outstanding opinions of the music industry now, as you’ve seen it pivot quite a bit during your time as a musician?
A lot of people are making records now. There’s just much more music out there. It’s so cheap to make a record that anyone can make one now. I’m not sure that’s the best thing for music.
Anything else you’d like to add?
Thanks!!!
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Angels And One-Armed Jugglers is out now via Chrysanthemum Records. Keep up with Chris Barron here and remain in touch with all things Spin Doctors here.
by Meredith Schneider | Oct 21, 2017 | wolf tracks
As if New York-based R&B musician Raveena Aurora could be any more impressive, she recently released a beautiful self-directed video for her single “Sweet Time”, simultaneously garnering an audience to the celebration of women of color. Working alongside a short list of incredible editors, stylists, and designers – as well as a cast of real life goddesses – Raveena has created an incredible, pink-tinged visual to represent the airy, fun, soulful vibe of the track. Feminine color, women of all shapes, colors, and sizes, and a carefree day full of florals is enough to make any woman feel as magical as they are inherently born.
Raveena, thanks for the reminder.
Crew
Directed by – Raveena Aurora
Director of Photography- James Ronkko
Producers – Alice Agrusa & Raveena Aurora
Editors – Alice Agrusa & James Ronkko
Set Design & Screenplay – Raveena Aurora
Colorist – James Ronnko
Additional Set Design – Bobo Matjila
Production Assistant – Nutsa Ugulava
Floral Stylist – Reena Aurora
MUA – Chelsea Chen & Tara Welsome
Goddesses
Akinkunmi Iman
April Rubi Jurado
Bobo Matjila
Bria Scott
Indira Scott
Serena Haahs
Tori Mumtaz
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Keep up with Raveena Aurora here.
by Meredith Schneider | Oct 20, 2017 | wolf tracks
Today, Bloomington-based Diane Coffee released his latest 7″ via Polyvinyl, a work titled Peel which features his two upbeat, instrumentally robust tracks “Poor Man Dan” and “Get By”. Though “Poor Man Dan” feigns an upbeat attitude, the truth is that it is based on a dark urban legend from his neighborhood growing up. But unless you hone in on the vocals, you could never tell with the heavy Motown influence. His music is driven with a large horn section and incredible backup vocal ensemble, so you’d be hard pressed to find a track that wasn’t uplifting in one of its facets. But you find that you can’t help it when Coffee’s voice takes on that nostalgic edge, and you’re immediately taken back in time with each line.
Peel is available now. Keep up with Diane Coffee here.
