by Meredith Schneider | Aug 21, 2019 | albums, premieres
On Friday, lo-fi garage pop musician Balue is set to release his new album Suburban Bliss. We’re lucky enough to have your first listen to the release in its entirety, starting with the sound bites that intro the title track. Jam packed with leisurely tunes perfect for your next road trip, Suburban Bliss leads you on a sonic journey that both urges you to open your mind and keeps a moderate tempo that tends to keep your emotions at bay. Moments of 70’s-inspired, glittery soundscapes are nestled amongst futuristic chord progressions and reverb for miles. It’s beautiful and fun and quirky, all wrapped into one wonderful collection that will easily make the “summer to autumn” transition with you.
Get your first listen below, and keep your eyes peeled for that album release on the 23rd!
Keep up with Balue here.
by ImperfectFifth | Jul 22, 2019 | soundtrack
We all like so many different kinds of music, but this playlist is made up of songs that have influenced us as we grew up and became musicians so you will notice it’s from a general time period, the 90’s. We would’ve loved this playlist as kids, yet we still flip our wigs to every song on it now.
Keep up with Big Cheese here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jun 3, 2019 | albums, review
As you woke this morning and slowly blinked your eyes, I bet you were wondering just as much as we were. “Is it Sunday morning? Wait, is this the weekend that I’m blessed with or the dreaded Monday morning that my Sunday scaries highlight every week?” And here we are, surviving another solidly difficult and also incredibly wonderful Monday!
But if you truly want to celebrate in style, I’d consider checking out Sara Lew‘s new full-length, Sunday Morning. Comprised of nine tracks that pack a punch, she begins bass-heavy with “Does Anybody Listen” (No, they do not), which segues quite nicely into the deep sounds of the title track. “Same Old People” slows it down, beautiful percussion slowly building on top of the electric guitar chords. “Every Moment” has an almost haunting sound to it, while “Leave the Shed” gives more of a slow burn to its sound, and reminds the listener – as if they could forget – of Lew’s deep vocal range.
“Deep End” feels poetic in its existence, drawing a feeling of melancholy with it, while you get the distinct notion that the instrumentals are trying to lift you out of the melancholy. It’s distractingly beautiful, though the same can be said – perhaps, to a different degree – about the album in its entirety. While “The Balcony” is soft and plays a little more with dissonance than its predecessors, “You Said” picks up the pace and is perhaps the track we can see ourselves dancing most wildly to by an outdoor stage this summer, though each track on Sunday Morning is equally vibe-able. The “Sunday Morning” radio edit rounds it out, and leaves a taste so sweet that we can’t wait for more.
Keep up with Sara Lew here.
by Meredith Schneider | Apr 16, 2019 | 5 to 7, Featured
Today, we get the unique pleasure of sitting down with Arleigh Kincheloe, the brainchild of Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds. We talk her latest solo album GOLD, growing up in a musical home, and family. She was so much fun to speak with! Trust me, you don’t want to miss this one.
0:00 Intro
0:11 EZVisibility.com
0:22 Dbl-take.com
0:33 imperfectfifth.com/merch
1:02 Arleigh Kincheloe Intro
2:14 Emmy Lou Harris | Bonnie Raitt
5:04 Growing up in a musical home
6:31 Tour life
8:27 Pre show rituals
12:13 GOLD recording process
16:31 “You’re My Party”
17:51 “Ghost”
19:48 Superpowers
23:04 Spring Tour
Keep up with Sister Sparrow here.
by Meredith Schneider | Mar 13, 2019 | show review
If you haven’t witnessed UPSAHL live, now is the perfect time. This female act is about to be major, and if her recorded music is not already any indication of that, then her live performance is absolute proof. And we couldn’t have thought of anyone better to open Max Frost’s show at The Riot Room on Monday, March 11th.
Rolling through . And during “All My Friends Are Rich”, you could tell the entire crowd was identifying with the lyrics in some way or another. (Hi. Yes. “Now where in the hell is my money?”) In fact, we were thrilled to see her perform any of the tracks off of her new Hindsight 20/20 EP, as it is such a vulnerable and theatrical work of art. Lucky us, UPSAHL’s vocals are just as raspy and enticing in real life as they are recorded, so her entire performance felt as though we were inside the EP itself. Not to mention, “Drugs” gave us all the confidence.
We walked away from that set to the bar like the badasses we had always dreamt of being, and we owe it all to an evening of fun with UPSAHL.
Keep up with the artist here.
by Meredith Schneider | Feb 13, 2019 | soundtrack, wolf tracks
While half the country is being pummeled by snow, w’ve been searching far and wide for the best new tracks of February 2019. Most of this is because we were originally supposed to go on a weekend getaway to Seattle this past weekend, and since that was canceled (HELLO, SNOW!), we have had a little more time on our hands. So, this month’s soundtrack is stacked already. And it’s only heading toward more greatness because – as you know – we continually update this sucker all month. So check below for newbies from Hugh Marsh, Gold Connections, Emarosa, Cheat Codes, Celeste, and more below!
Come back for more additions to the playlist throughout the month of February!
by ImperfectFifth | Nov 19, 2018 | perspective
One part June Carter sassing Johnny Cash along with two dashes of Itzhak Perlman on a midnight hayride, Mad Crush’s songs contain theatrical, back-and-forth performances between their singing protagonists Joanna Sattin and John Elderkin. Complete with humor and heartbreak, their songs are in fact bright little dramas about fussing, fighting, and occasionally making up—universal truths sprinkled with brand-new magic dust. Below, Elderkin discusses his first musical influences, which are readily apparent upon listening to Mad Crush’s recently-released debut LP.
I have a habit of dismissing great albums on my first listen. I had friends with an advanced copy of Nirvana’s “Nevermind” who freaked out when they heard it, but when I listened, I thought it sucked. Later, I gave it another try and realized I was way wrong. Like the rest of the world, I ate it up. I had a similar reaction to R.E.M.’s first EP, called “Chronic Town.” Friends I respected said that it sounded unlike anything they’d ever heard anywhere. I listened and shrugged. It was different, but what was it? But when I pulled the record out again a few months later, I was flabbergasted. Those guys were speaking my language!
The one time I got it right came before these albums, on my first listen to The Clash’s “London Calling.” I was a teenager but I’d never heard of The Clash, and I bought it because I liked the cover picture of the bass player smashing his guitar on stage. I turned on my record player and by the end of the first song I was jumping up and down on my bed like a maniac. When my younger brother came in to ask what the hell was going on, I pointed to the record player and sure enough, he jumped on the bed, too. The only time I got down was to turn over the sides. I didn’t own a lot of records yet, and afterward I probably assumed that most albums would knock me out this way, that life would be one “London Calling” after another. Maybe that’s why I wasn’t so impressed later with other records that were supposed to bowl me over. Or maybe it’s just that great…
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Keep up with Mad Crush here.
by Meredith Schneider | Oct 22, 2018 | premieres, singles, wolf tracks
Santa Cruz-based indie folk artist Joe Kaplow has been digging into a musician’s life on the road. His latest single – “Allison” – which finds its premiere right here, right now, was actually inspired by a woman he met on his adventures in Baltimore. Their meeting sparked a whirlwind romance, detailed in this gorgeous, delicate new track. “Allison” is introspective, allowing its listener to go on this specific audible adventure with Kaplow, as well as really giving them a post-relationship evaluation to rival their own. Driven by acoustic guitar, the percussion layers in slowly and is intricate and beautiful in its existence.
Keep up with Joe Kaplow here.
by ImperfectFifth | May 28, 2018 | soundtrack
In celebration of our new EP, “Straight to the Face,” Max Caddy has put together a playlist in honor of all the badass musical duos out there! Stay tuned for more on our latest project @maxcaddymusic.
Keep up with Max Caddy here.
