by Kendal Chandler | Feb 27, 2020 | singles, wolf tracks
Danish retro indie pop artist Favor releases new single “Soda”, which is a look at addiction through the eyes of the child. Under the name Favor, Jeppe Gande, shows off how he can create very own lyrical universe through his writing.
By addiction, Gande is referring to obsessions, like relationships, nights out, social media and work. “Soda” is his look back to the times of being a naive child – when the world was your playground and your life was not cluttered with responsibilities and commitments. Gande views childhood as a time ruled by innocence, and adulthood ruled with obsession.
“Soda” is off Favor’s upcoming album Crush out March 27.
by Meredith Schneider | Feb 26, 2020 | singles, wolf tracks
Have you ever been so thrilled with the way a song makes you FEEL THE EMOTIONS that you just want to shout it from the rooftops? With dark, brooding vocals, an incredible amount of dismal attitude, and whirring guitars, The Great Dictators bring us new track “Play Dead Together”, which is sonically just as morbid as its title suggests. Past the initial impression, it is a love song at its core, and sweet in a sinister and beautiful way.
To truly understand what any of this means, of course, you have to take a listen for yourself. So check it out, and check back in with us over on Facebook with your thoughts!
Keep up with The Great Dictators here.
by Kendal Chandler | Feb 26, 2020 | singles, wolf tracks
Los Angeles based artist Suzy & the Lifeguard released their newest single “Take it Slow” off upcoming EP ANIMA out May 1. “Take it Slow” is a look at the dichotomy between longing for love and falling to lust. This contrast of love and lust is shown within the vocals and the musical arrangement. The vocals are sultry and flirty teasing at the dark corners of this split. The horns used in the composition bring visions of forbidden romance, something that is both infatuating and dangerous.
“Take it Slow” is composed of lyrics of seduction and regret. With words that emanate a desire for love, our hearts break. “We both we’ll take it slow / As I am taking you back home,” is soon followed by feelings of remorse, “Nobody wins when we play games.” This back and forth creates a look at that rocky line between love and lust, when it turns, and what happens because of it.
Keep up with Suzy & The Lifeguard here.
by Kendal Chandler | Feb 25, 2020 | singles, wolf tracks
El-Paso based outfit Sparta release their newest single “Empty Houses” off their upcoming album Trust the River set to drop April 10. This is Sparta’s release since their 2006 album Three’s.
This electrified post-hardcore track is accompanied with an animation music video. The track centers around the lasting effects of the market crash, playing with the emotions of fear and anxiety of that time.
The video depicts a body with a house as a head running through destruction, trying to find solace while the house is also on fire. The idea of “Empty Houses” looks out how those affected coped with the upheaval and what became of those houses that were left vacant because of it.
Keep up with Sparta here.
by Kendal Chandler | Feb 25, 2020 | singles, wolf tracks
22-year-old LA native Jensen McRae releases first single and announces debut project. McRae truly dives into sensitive topics in her music, such as love, race, and the adversities of being a woman. We are huge fans of her new track, and not just because it is named for this section of the site. (Wink wink!)
“Wolves” is a deep emotional track, a look at getting forced into negative encounters with men. Referring to men as wolves and dangers they can hold, and the lasting effects these encounters have.
McRae’s powerful and emotional vocals carry the song, accompanied by a steady guitar pattern. These guitar notes never change, all build up and power in this song is left to McRae’s vocals. Having just the vocals carry the track gives more weight and emotion to the lyrics themselves, with McRae giving her voice all the power can be seen a metaphorical choice as her songwriting allows her to speak for those with similar stories who may not be able to speak for themselves.
Keep up with McRae here.
by Kendal Chandler | Feb 24, 2020 | videos, wolf tracks
French-Israeli singer-songwriter Yael Naim returns with a mystical new single and video for “Shine” off her upcoming album NightSongs, out March 20th. The video showcases Naim moving on a BOSU ball in a striking ballet-like style. Choreographed by performance artist and acrobat Yoann Bourgeois, Naim’s movements make her look as if she is defying gravity. This movement is accompanied by the use of shadows and sporadic lighting, created by Director of Photography Martim Vian.
The upcoming album centers around acceptance – of circumstance, self, relationships, and life. Naim process for writing the album was a look inward and writing at night – “when no one sees you, you can do things that aren’t allowed. I had what I called ‘night feelings’, and songs that I eventually called NightSongs.”
Keep up with Yael Naim here.
by Madi Toman | Feb 24, 2020 | singles, wolf tracks
The Holdup is the solo project of San Jose-based artist Mike Garmany, and his new single “Cool Spot” drops this Friday. The Holdup fuses modern pop and R&B while spicing things up with a dash of reggae. Garmany approaches his music with honesty, which has proven to be an outlet in his day to day life as well as a universal consistency that draws in fans from all over the world. With streams totaling a cool 60 million and a sold-out show at iconic Los Angeles venue The Roxy in 2019, Garmany is yet another example for independent artists to look up to, with his approach allowing him to write and produce music from his bedroom while also consistently touring the U.S.
“Cool Spot” falls right into his sweet spot, with bright island sounds accenting his catchy hooks, which feel like they could be ripped straight off of the radio. Reggae instrumentation and a hip-hop beat neatly compliment each other, proving that Garmany is just as skilled at production as he is at songwriting and performing.
Germany’s personal brand of groovy, melody driven pop gives him a unique flavor that has resulted in his cult-like following. While many of those fans might mistake The Holdup for a group, Garmany carries the project all on his own, writing, producing, performing and engineering all of the material on his albums.
Keep up with The Holdup here.
by Madi Toman | Feb 21, 2020 | albums, review
San Diego blues belter Whitney Shay will soon be releasing her new album, Stand Up!. An album for “dancing, drinking, and dreaming”, the flaming haired songstress brings old soul to the modern age with her high energy rhythm n’ blues, which is sure to have you crying over lost loves that never even happened. Yeah, she’s that good.
More and more artists are getting their start online these days, but Shay came up the old fashioned way, with word of mouth spreading her impressive reputation far and wide. While many modern artists have nothing to show for their work other than their streaming stats, Shay is a four-time winner at the San Diego Music awards, recipient of a nomination at 2019’s prestigious Blues Music Awards, and has been called a “future blues icon” by Blues Matters magazine.
The songs range from personal to socio-political in theme. “Being a strong, independent woman, raised by a single mother and grandmother, many of the songs on the album deal with themes of equality and female empowerment,” Shay says. Shay and her band are taking the album on the road for Ruf Records’ 2020 Blues Caravan showcase, and, not shockingly for someone that puts so much feeling into her work, a lot of the music is about the live performance experience. “When I perform I want people to dance and be engaged. To me, music has always been about catharsis, the purging of sad experiences. If I can make the audience leave smiling and feeling like they’ve forgotten about the trouble of their day, I’ve done my job.” Shay says.
And her opening track certainly does its job, setting both tone and theme for the album quickly and cooly. “Change With the Times” immediately lets listeners know not only that Whitney Shay is here and in charge, but also that she’s going to talk about some real shit. Shay’s studio band quickly proves that they’re just as top-notch as their vocalist, with the wailing organ on the track rivaled only by the saxophone solo. This super upbeat opener must be one of those drinking and dancing songs Shay told us all about.
“I Thought We Were Through” is a special moment on the album, with Shay’s level of control and expertise quickly becoming crystal clear here. She carries herself vocally with class as she attacks the number with impressive restraint and control, managing to paint the track with just the right amount of strength without overdoing it. This one is elegance in blues.
“Boy Sit Down” shows off a more playful side, although Shay loses none of her commanding power or grit. Her band really shows up on this one, utilizing horns, a particularly sick blues guitar solo, call and response vocal, and piano that sounds straight out of an old-time saloon to get her point across, which is all about equal rights for women.
Horn-heavy “Tell the Truth” is gritty and commanding while tracks like “Getting In My Way” showcase Shay’s more bluesy, sulty side. “P.S. It’s Not About You” somehow manages to skillfully combine a funk track with elements of rock n’ roll, intriguingly making me want to both head-bang and dance, while “Equal Ground” is tinged with country instrumentation. Shay and her band are not shy of dipping their toes in more than one musical pond, and they do it with skill and ease.
“I Never Meant to Love Him” is the real standout on the album. Shay’s rich voice navigates the deep waters of the Sam Cooke-esque tune, swimming in the depths of her range one second and soaring into the sky with angelic falsetto the next. But don’t let words like angel fool you; this woman is a powerhouse, a freight-train, a force of nature, and just about any other metaphor for strength that you could dream up. Shay’s soul doesn’t just shine through; it sparkles.
Stand Up! is out today via Ruf Records and will be played via Shay and her band in Ruf Records 2020 Blues Caravan showcase.
by Meredith Schneider | Feb 20, 2020 | albums, review
Southern California singer-songwriter Pi Jacobs is set to release her newest album Two Truths and a Lie on Feb. 21. This album is one about strength, struggle, romance, and the resilience of everyday women.
Jacobs unique style combines electrified rock and rootsy Americana, created by incorporating staple bluegrass and standard rock & roll instruments. These instruments accompany Jacobs’ bluesy, unforced vocals as effortlessly as though everything came together at the same time.
Most of Jacob’s music reflects on the broad perspective of travel, Two Truths and a Lie, is an outward and inward look at women, including herself. In songs like “First Thing Tomorrow”, she rocks the blues, admitting struggling with thoughts of freedom and putting off plans to “put this bottle down, wake up and take a stand.” This is relatable, because we all struggle wanting to change the world around us, while simultaneously trying to distract ourselves from it. “Party Girl” is a vulnerable track, allowing her to admit that she — as most others — has worked hard to fit in with people in her life, perhaps not always turning to the right decisions for it.
One of our absolute favorite tracks? Eleventh and final track “Slow On Down”, because of its relaxing nature, and its clear departure from its predecessors to bring you back to a peaceful state of mind, amidst all of the heavy topics covered throughout the album. It’s almost comforting to be in the presence of this track, and that’s everything we could wish from the end of a blues album.
Check out the latest video for “Rearview Mirror” below, and take your full listen to this album this Friday!
Keep up with Pi Jacobs here.
