by Meredith Schneider | Nov 28, 2017 | 5 to 7
Winston-Salem-bred indie rock/alternative collective Foxture – comprised of Marlon Blackmon (Piano/Keyboard, Vocals), Eddie J Reynolds (Guitar), Andrew Irving (Drums), and Ross Barnes (Bass) – is showing us some pretty incredible chops with the release of their E D E N EP, a sparkling, six track collection that seems to bounce right out of the speakers with its energy. From the very beginning, there is no other way to describe what E D E N does better than to call it “groove-inducing,” as your hips are immediately swaying from the time you push “play.” Smooth percussion blends perfectly with Marlon’s ethereal vocals, and you’re transported to another place entirely.
In honor of the release of E D E N, we got a few words with Marlon, and a couple with Eddie. Check it out below, and let us know what you think of the EP!
What is the first song or album you ever remember hearing, and who introduced it to you?
Marlon: The first album I remember hearing was a Greatest hits compilation by the Temptations. I was very very very young, but they were my dad’s favorite artists collectively. I have always lived at least 25 to 30 minutes away from.
I guess there wasn’t really a striking moment beyond the first impression but after listening to those songs over and over, I began to learn the lyrics and their song “My girl” was the first song I learned lyrics to. From that point on I realized that I liked music, and became curious of what else was out there.
Eddie: Outkast’s song “Roses” from their The Love Below album was the first song I remember hearing. I heard that piano drop and 3 stacks yell out “CAROLINE” , and it changed my view on music with how it’s made and how versatile and unique it can be. My brother actually introduced be to it when I was nothing but a few years old. He pulled out a book of CDs, his full collection and asked me to select one of them, and that album stuck out to me. The second I heard it, my eyes lit up.
What is the Foxture origin story like? Was it a meet-cute?
Marlon: Well, Ross (bass) Eddie (guitar) and Andrew (drums) had already known each other from being in a band called Oceans Apart. I (Marlon, vocals and keyboard/synth) had been posting songs that I had recorded in my bedroom on bandcamp and Soundcloud, and people started contacting me for shows. I was just not interested due to stage fright and more specifically, the fear of not being able to replicate the layering of various parts and sounds from the recordings to a live setting influenced my interest on playing shows. So a few days after I released a solo version of our song “Surrealism” a friend of mine, who had been keeping up with what I had been working on, asked if I would be interested in playing her benefit concert for Louder Than Words, which is a benefit to help kids follow their music related dreams no matter their financial status. I thought about it, said yes, and took to a Facebook group for musicians in the area, and made a post asking if anyone wanted to help me out with full versions of songs that I already have (about 4 or 5 songs at this point). Eddie immediately responded and said, “Yo I have a bassist and a drummer” and we met up for practice and have been a band ever since.
Fast forwarding through the month that we had to prepare and learn all 5 songs, the show itself was the most awkward I have ever felt LOL. It was in this gorgeous concert hall at UNCG, under bright, bright, bright fluorescent lights. This was my first ever show, so I was super awkward and uncomfortable and we messed up pretty bad. But I remember walking fast backstage after that performance, sitting on the floor, and saying, “We need to book more shows.” I refused to let THAT performance define us and wanted to overshadow it so badly.
Your EP Eden dropped recently. If this collection of songs were a Thanksgiving meal item – whether it be an app like fancy cheese, the stuffing or cranberry sauce or turkey, or dessert – what would it be and why?
Marlon: Hmmm, I would have to say, red velvet cake. The icing would be reminiscent to the effects that we put into the album, and when you cut into the, soft, fluffy textures that seemingly melt in your mouth, its very satisfying.
Eddie: Mac & Cheese. Get lost in the gooey and cheesy goodness.
The music you make has always had a lightweight feel to it, but Eden has this almost translucent, otherworldly feel to it. Was this a noticeable and purposeful step in your sound, or did it just kind of happen organically?
Marlon: So, this is the sound that we have been trying to hone in on from the beginning. Emotions and feeling can be very abstract things, therefore we want our music to be as dreamlike as possible. We want people to have no choice but to fall into a lucid, hypnotic sense of thinking, and experiencing our music in general.
Any fun anecdotes from the recording process?
Marlon: We often laugh at the fact that I wrote “Understanding pt. 2” before I met the guys, and way before I wrote “understanding pt. 1”. Before I decided to change the name to Foxture, I recorded solo projects under the name “Lock & Key” and after realizing that a million bands and artists had that same name, I wanted something that was my own, that didn’t exist anywhere else. I liked the way foxes carry themselves in the wilderness, so because “Fox posture” didn’t roll off the tongue how I wanted it to, I merged the 2 words into “Foxture”, and “understanding pt. 2” was the first thing that I posted under that name.
What are you most looking forward to about this release?
Marlon: I felt like whatever the understanding series was going to be, THAT would be the second part of it. There was also a creative challenge of looking back at previous instances that inspired “understanding pt. 2” and trying to connect them for my own development as a person. We tend to understand (HAH) things better in hindsight anyway and, at that time, I was experiencing some serious writer’s block and that was a perfect way to open up and articulate the series more accurately.
With this release, we are looking forward to being able to communicate our vision more effectively and accurately. We are more than happy with this record and we had a lot of fun making it as well. I would say this ep is a perfect setup for a full length album, which we are currently working on.
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And we can’t wait to hear it! E D E N is available now. Keep up with Foxture here.
by Meredith Schneider | Nov 27, 2017 | wolf tracks
Hernando, Mississippi native Matt Hectorne continues to make us swoon with his new single, the toe-tapping “Only Way Into Your Heart”. Replete with heartbreaking lyrics, Matt leads us on an emotional journey as he sings to a significant other about how his love is strong enough to wait for them. With lines like “Don’t let Fear come take over your mind” and “My love is stronger than you think” sung with an alt-Americana tinge over beautiful guitar chords, we aren’t sure how the object of his affection wouldn’t be completely overwhelmed and work with him through things.
But who are we?
Keep up with Matt Hectorne here.
by Meredith Schneider | Nov 27, 2017 | wolf tracks
In The City of Angels, one often finds themselves in taxicabs with strangers. One such chance encounter led to the conception of pop duo Thunder Jackson. And we’re in luck, as their debut single “Guilty Party” – which has already hit #1 on the main chart on Hype Machine – now has its own official music video.
Made of what seems to be random, old, pieced together clips, we get to witness a lot of people dancing and rocking out from past years. In fact, it seems to be made exclusively of those scenes from 80s movies where the protagonist has to “dance it out” and, quite surprisingly, we adore the energy it brings to the table. Set with the backdrop of the smooth sounds of “Guilty Party” – which, even at such a sassy mid-tempo, still makes you want to get up and dance – these are some dance moves you’ll want to emulate very soon.
Keep up with Thunder Jackson here.
by Meredith Schneider | Nov 27, 2017 | wolf tracks
Enchanting, intense, and primal. These are just three of the descriptors that come to mind when one experiences the latest single from Montreal-based trio CHANCES, comprised of Chloé Lacasse, Geneviève Toupin, and Vincent Carré. And it turns out that all three apply to any one of the three tracks they’ve premiered since the beginning of 2017. This time, they abandoned the tribal percussion sounds of “Shine” and the more theatrical soundscape of “Leave the Light On” to bring us a glistening, Eastern-inspired gem with synths that just don’t quit.
Check it out below, and let us know what you think in the comments!
Keep up with CHANCES here.
by Meredith Schneider | Nov 25, 2017 | wolf tracks
It may have taken about 6 months to edit together, but multi-talented Lower East Side musician Jordan Jordan Galland (Sean Lennon, Ava’s Possession) recently released the official music video for his single “Manhattan”, which is featured on the new EP of the same name. The video may have taken 6 months because of the fact that Galland took various home videos from the past and cut them together, so the video allows us a glance into his life with a more candid, behind-the-scenes feel to it all. We can only imagine that – when he reaches a certain level of notoriety with the feel-good charm and almost serenity found in his music – many of these clips will be featured in his artist documentary one day.
But until then, we’ve got your front row seat to a sneak peek.
Manhattan is out now via Slush Puppy Music.
by Meredith Schneider | Nov 24, 2017 | 5 to 7
This September americana collective JD & The Straight Shot – comprised of vocalist/guitarist Jim Dolan, guitarist Marc Copely, bassist Byron House, violinist/fiddler Erin Slaver, and drummer/percussionist Shawn Pelton – released their sixth studio album, a ten track full-length titled Good Luck And Good Night. From easy listening guided by intense lyrics, to beautiful choral pieces, to simplistic compositions, this album covers its bases, blessing us with some incredible music to play during the holiday season especially.
We got a few minutes with lead guitarist Marc Copely to get a little background regarding his involvement with the band, and takes us inside the recording circle.
What is the first song or album you ever remember hearing, and who introduced it to you?
My babysitter put on Led Zeppelin IV and that was it for me! I was stunned and have never looked back.
Was there a moment that it struck you and you realized you were going to pursue music, or did it kind of slowly evolve?
It was fast. I started late, around 13 years old, but picked it up quickly. I did my first gig a year later and haven’t stopped.
You are the lead guitarist and musical director of JD & The Straight Shot and you also produced the band’s new album Good Luck And Good Night. How did you become a member of the band?
My friend Charley Drayton called me to be in the band. He was the band’s musical director then, so he initially hired me. I started MD’ing the band about five years ago and we’ve grown and changed quite a bit since then – from an electric blues based band to the form we’re in now, which is mostly acoustic, and roots-based.
Good Luck And Good Night is such a fun, driven album. Are there any overarching inspirations that contributed to the work itself?
Thank you! We’re always listening and always talking about what to do next. I think the fact that the band you hear on the record is the band you hear on tour is important. We each brought our own musical personalities to the recording, so it’s imperative that those are the musicians that you hear on stage.
Do you have any fun anecdotes from the recording process?
Well, we tend to sit in a circle and play through the song we’ll be recording and sometimes before you know it, we’ve been jamming for an hour and forget that we’re in there making a record! We get carried away with the fun, but I guess thats the point, right?
The band recently released a music video for your track “Run For Me”, a warm, live performance for your fans to enjoy, woven with old race horse footage. What inspired the video’s concept, and what was it like to shoot?
The shoot was easy. It features us playing a gig and was shot all in one take. No acting chops needed! Our frontman Jim had the horse racing idea since he wrote the song lyrics and had the concept for the song. I love all the old racing footage in the video. Amazingly cool.
Here’s the video to check out:
What is the band most excited about with your new album?
We love the fact that it sounds like us. It’s purely what we all sound like with no trickery at all. That record is us in a room playing music, so we’re really proud of the honesty of the album.
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Good Luck And Good Night is available now. Keep up with JD & The Straight Shot here.
by Meredith Schneider | Nov 23, 2017 | wolf tracks
Just last month, Wilmington, Delaware’s Impetus Records released a three track EP on behalf of now-defunct band The Subterraneans. Active from 2015 to 2016, the highly talented members of The Subterraneans – Seb Roat, Peter Furman, Gavin Powers, and Sam Greaves – recorded their self-titled EP during their sophomore year of high school. Replete with intense guitar licks, the EP begins with “Earl and Everette’s Day Out”, which feels like it single-handedly fills the room with smoke as you enjoy the lazy, beautiful, 70s-influenced sound. “Tercel” brings out more of a garage/punk feel with its increase in pace and the fact that it’s driven instead by percussion where its predecessor was driven by guitar chords, though it never quite meanders out of the warmth of nostalgic psych rock. “Hey Man” eases us out of the insanity, allowing the quartet to show off their innate ability to cover a variety of sounds as though they’re old pros. (In other words, they could never have been considered a one note song.)
Good luck scraping your jaw off the ground while listening to it.
The Subterraneans is available now. Get the best from Impetus Records here.
by Meredith Schneider | Nov 22, 2017 | wolf tracks
Los Angeles-based surf rock quartet Kat Myers & The Buzzards – comprised of namesake Kat Myers, Elliott Beenk, Johnny Elkins, and Jeff McElroy – recently dropped debut five track EP Owe Everybody Money. Riddled with music that was conceptualized after a sharp turn in her career path, Owe Everybody Money grants us a peek inside the mind of someone who grabbed life by the reigns when she realized it wasn’t going the way her heart wanted. Kat has developed a sound with her band that feels rugged, at times twangy – “Reluctant Love”, for instance, boasts more of an americana feel to it -, and pure rock at its core. (I mean, have you HEARD “Under The Rug” yet?) But it’s a completely genre-bending project, as her vocals do house a bit of a country vibe to them, but also feel similar to the crooning abilities of Mary Ramsey.
Third track “The Things I Love” begins with Myers capturing the listener’s attention by singing slightly off-key, giving the song a real kick of that independent, badass feeling that Myers looks to be establishing with the development of her sound. What is particularly curious is that the track was written as a commentary on Myers’ own religious upbringing, and is actually quite introspective if you slow down a bit to listen to the lyrical content. While “So Kind” has the lines that house the title of the EP, it is also a love letter of sorts, a country ballad at its finest. The band rounds out the EP with a slightly slower track, “Another Town Live At KCSN”, allowing the guitars to drive it in a way that is 70s psychedelia at its core. It’s a beautiful, enchanting way to end the work, and we can’t wait to show this one off to the family all weekend.
Owe Everybody Money is out now. Keep up with Kat Myers & The Buzzards here.
by Meredith Schneider | Nov 22, 2017 | wolf tracks
Meric Long of the Dodo’s isn’t really taking time to sit around right now, garnering attention left and right with his new music project FAN. Its second single “Disappear” premiered on Billboard this month, directly followed by its release on 7 inch vinyl with a simplistic – yet striking – cover design. Included on side A of the release is debut single “Fire”, which could have set off the fire alarms with its frenzied, fun vibe.
“Disappear” proves – as though it were ever necessary – that Long’s ability as an artist lies in his wide array of capabilities. His second single houses an incredibly different sound than its predecessor, more of a vintage, Beatles sound as it reverberates over rougher, contrasting instrumentals. The song swirls into a dark sound space, as we feel thrown into a dark science fiction scene, Long’s vocals gliding over the soundscape as though they are losing steam and – eventually – lost. But there’s a rare, ethereal beauty in his vocals that never escapes us and keeps our heads above ground with this wildly theatrical release.
“FAN b/w Disappear” is available now.
