by Meredith Schneider | Jul 17, 2018 | soundtrack, videos
July 2018 has been a thrilling month for music videos so far. Energetic, beautifully shot, intensely introspective. Our minds are still reeling from June, and yet halfway through this month we’ve already had three to four times the amount of impressive visual representations from musicians around the world. We compiled a quick list of some of our favorite music videos so far this month, and we’re sure you’ll discover a gem or two to add to your playlist for the remainder of your summer shenanigans!
(P.S. There is a video from June in this roundup. And that’s because we do what we want.)
Lyves, “Rest Your Head”
Mac Miller, “Self Care”
Campdogzz, “Run Wild”
Fime, “Hover Hand”
In The Valley Below, “Desperate Dance”
Jack Ellis, “Small Change”
Payson Lewis, “Can’t Go Back”
Vacationer, “Magnetism”
Houndmoth, “Waiting For The Night”
Spooky Cool, “Strange Rooms”
James, “Hank”
Madeline Kenney, “Cut Me Off”
by Meredith Schneider | Jul 16, 2018 | singles, wolf tracks
Alt rock princess Meg Myers hit her stride again this weekend with the release of her latest single “Tourniquet”. Soft, voluptuous vocals bring an ethereal energy to the track as it floats through your speakers, shaping your memories of the world around you. The song echoes Myers’ quintessential dark lyricism, as she sings of self mutilation, be it emotional or physical, related to love.
Get deep with the new track below.
Keep up with Meg Myers here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jul 13, 2018 | albums, review
Cincinnati-bred indie pop collective The Ophelias – comprised of Spencer Peppet (vox, guitar), Grace Weir (bass), Micaela Adams (drums), and Andrea Gutmann Fuentes (violin) – drops their latest masterpiece today, and we’re so jazzed about it, we almost can’t explain it in words. Delicate vocals, overlaid with (largely) light percussion and mellifluous strings make this album what it is, and largely describe the band’s soundscape. Not only is there a delicacy in the vocals, but there are quirks that make the effect much more striking than the word “delicate” would lead you to believe.
From the elegant beginning of first track “Fog”, through the equally leisurely pace of “General Electric”, into “Lover’s Creep”, you come to find the entire album feels ethereal and intense in a very unique way. “Night Signs” slows the pace down exponentially, the instrumentals slightly lower, and paints a darker-feeling audio feed. “O Command” is different, in that the vocals rise to a higher octave, the instrumentals maintaining a low, luscious feeling. “Lunar Rover” and “Bird” continue into an increasingly experimental place, picking the pace back up again with eighth track “House”.
While you can’t expect the pace to pick back up again over the last two tracks of Almost – “Zero” and “Moon Like Sour Candy” -, you can expect to nab deep, meaningful vocals that make for an introspective night on your back patio, music playing softly over the sound of the trees rustling above you.
Get started below.
Keep up with The Ophelias here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jul 13, 2018 | videos, wolf tracks
In May, indie pop act The Ramona Flowers – comprised of Dave Betts (keys/guitar), Steve Bird (singer), Ed Gallimore (drummer), Sam James (guitar), and Wayne Jones (bass) – released their third full-length album, 11-track stunner Strangers. And, though we are impressed by each track and the way it tells a story as a whole, we are even more impressed by the new visual representation that goes along with single “Ghost”.
The video takes place in a large, modern home nestled amongst the trees. If you’ve ever seen the Twilight series on the big screen, then imagine the band performing in the dark, uninhabited halls of Edward’s family home. Voyeuristic frames of a woman, with more artistic, visceral shots thrown in as well to keep the entire 3:44 captivating.
Keep up with The Ramona Flowers here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jul 11, 2018 | videos, wolf tracks
Australian psych collective Psychedelic Porn Crumpets really elicits a reaction with their band name alone. Then you turn on their music, and the excitement mounts. But there’s nothing like the strange, truly psychedelic energy in their new music video for “Cornflake”. Imagine some of the most kaleidoscope-like visuals you can, ripe with alien fights on hover boards, and a storyline you won’t soon forget. That’s “Cornflake” for you, animated bu Mike Wyatt (Attack Animation).
Another impressive original soundscape from this group, infinitely more mind-blowing than we expected.
Keep up with Psychedelic Porn Crumpets here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jul 10, 2018 | videos, wolf tracks
Though Adeline is known as the voice of celebrated band Escort, the work she has produced on her own is something of a dream as well. The video for her single “Emeralds” is out now, and we’ve watched it several times this morning already. Who else needs a breath of fresh air injected into their day? This is it. The video plays off contrast, dark and light emphasized with each new frame while Adeline sings soulfully into the camera. The song itself is seductive, and the way the video has been pulled off is pure art. Check it out below!
Check out Adeline at Afropunk on August 25th.
by Meredith Schneider | Jul 8, 2018 | perspective, show review
I write this, now, in the early morning, mere hours after Hayley Williams, Taylor York, Zac Farro, and their cohorts in Paramore walked off the stage at Kansas City’s picturesque Starlight Theatre. I have always – since I was blessed enough to go to my first show at age 9 – preached the importance of live music in all of our lives. I took many of my friends to their first concerts growing up, have had some stellar moments myself, and have had the joyous opportunity to experience live performance consistently in my life. I won’t go more in depth into it all, but I think you get the picture. I’ve been around this block once or twice.
I’ve even seen Paramore before. Albeit, it’s been years since I was able to introduce the magic of Hayley Williams to a handful of my friends at Warped Tour 2007. And perhaps that magic wore off a bit, as I became slightly more jaded by my experiences, and didn’t feel the need to pursue Paramore’s musicianship as they climbed in popularity. It was never out of disdain for the band, or even a dislike of the music. In fact, as singles like “The Only Exception”, “Still Into You”, “Ain’t It Fun”, and others surfaced, I found myself enjoying them insanely in rotation on the radio. Because Paramore has that pop appeal, their songs incredibly catchy and produced to perfection.
But the words are what really get me. At the core of it all, I am a big believer in lyricism. If you miss the mark instrumentally, but you have a mellifluous chorus full of double entendre, intelligent verbiage, or raw emotion, then I’m likely to listen. Hayley Williams does that.
Hayley Williams did that last night. Songs the band had written at differing points in life, songs that others have been into since the moment the album dropped in 2017, those songs reached my ears last night. Perhaps I’ve heard them once or twice, perhaps more. But last night, I was prepared. Last night, I listened.
Hayley explained that After Laughter is her favorite work of theirs to date, as long as they’ve been enchanting fans around the world. This struck me as odd, as the synthy, 80s-influenced work followed a current mainstream pattern that hit me wrong to begin with. But she explained that the album was about something deeper, their individual struggles – including her divorce and struggle with mental health – masked with this upbeat, insatiable soundscape. But she said she enjoyed that aspect, because it wasn’t fooling anyone but they could still have fun on stage during tour.
And, really, that was such an inspiring sentiment. Increasingly, people are coming out of the woodwork, detailing their struggles with their health, whatever form that may take. I, myself, have struggled immensely with diagnosed anxiety and other health issues, and find it so incredibly refreshing when an artist who has experienced success becomes vulnerable for the benefit of the world around them. If only everyone could be that courageous.
The band slowed their set down for “26”, Hayley’s ode to her 26th year that she wrote for After Laughter. I focused on the lyrics. And I identified with them. This song was me when I was 26. I was scared, I felt limited creatively and emotionally, and I felt alone. Hayley’s inability to hold it all completely together during this song increased its vulnerability, deepened her connection with the audience. Because, after all, I believe everyone can relate to that song on some level, and it made for a beautiful moment during the show.
You best believe Paramore rallied into the evening, bringing out fan favorites like “Misery Business”, “crushcrushcrush”, “Hard Times”, and “Ignorance”, and – though they chose not to regale us with my personal favorite, “For a Pessimist, I’m Pretty Optimistic” – I realized that I’m on a very similar journey in my life. If we take time to open our eyes, we really all are. We are all “fake happy” sometimes. We go out of our way to please others, allowing ourselves to stay in dark places. We fall and we want to cry and we feel unsupported. We feel like there is no space for success in our lives. We have bad days.
But it’s live music, it’s that connection we all have to one another – enjoying musicianship and life in what can only be described as a sacred space – that keeps us all floating. We’ll all hit “26”. We’ll all have that “Still Into You” love. (I’m lucky. That’s the Paramore song I have been living out lately.) We all want “Ignorance” to be our best friends. We just need to be open to being vulnerable. And – without worshipping the artist themselves – we can find inspiration in what these musicians create.
I know I did. Since last night, I can’t stop writing. I had a dance party this morning to my two new vinyls (After Laughter, Riot!) already. And I feel awake.
***
Local band YOU MONSTER YOU opened the evening around 6pm, with a performance at the Applause Club inside the venue. As Paramore fans streamed in, they welcomed them with their fun and upbeat brand of alt punk rock. “This is a song that sounds like it’s about leaving a small town behind and moving somewhere else, but really it’s about crippling depression,” frontman Trent Munsinger explained to the crowd about their track “Dodge”, which perhaps opened up the mental health theme of the evening.
The band was full of quips, quite the entertainment to get the crowd ready for an evening of Jay Som, Foster The People, and Paramore. A couple of songs into their set, You Monster You performed one of their original songs for the first time in front of a crowd, with a stand-in guitarist. They hit all the right spots with it, and at the end Trent confessed he was happy it wasn’t a train wreck, while the band noted it was “a solid B+.”
Keep up with You Monster You here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jul 6, 2018 | premieres, singles, wolf tracks
Portland-based musical project Schaus continues to bring his inventive, ambient brand of electro-pop to the world in the form of his upcoming release, an EP set for mid-month titled Quite Okay. Playing guitar, piano, bass, electronic drums, and computer, and producing and singing all of his own songs, Schaus is just the type of refreshing, well-rounded musician that we’ve been waiting for. Today, we’ve got the exclusive premiere of his new track “Choosy”.
Light electronic sounds – something along the lines of a kind robot or your favorite video game – give way to Schaus’ dark and luscious vocals, the overall mood light and fun. But his lyrics are actually something to ponder, the actuality of the track not as innocent and light as the soundscape would allude to. So make sure to focus on those words to get the full story, and keep your eyes peeled for Quite Okay next week!
Upcoming Shows:
July 10 – Portland, OR. – Holocene (EP Release Show w/ Amenta Abioto)
August 24 – Portland, OR. – Mississippi Studios (w/ Wild Ones and Blossom)
Keep up with Schaus here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jul 6, 2018 | premieres, videos, wolf tracks
Los Angeles-based alt-indie trio The Habits – comprised of Wolf Bradley, Chance Famighetti, and Andrew Macatrao – has been attracting a pretty solid fanbase since just last year, when they released their debut single “Feeling It”. Their new track – “Calling Me Up” – is just as catchy and beautiful as its predecessors, and we have the exclusive premiere of its accompanying music video, which just so happens to be their first ever as well.
Clear, precise visuals. This video encapsulates the trio’s live performances tactics, while allowing them to partake in a short film-like storyline, singing to a romantic interest over the phone. Relatable, intense emotions are thrown into a bubbly soundscape, making the true hurt delivered in the song a little less painful. The guys make sure to throw in a little humor toward the end, and now we kind of want to get sushi with them.
Explains the band:
We wanted our first music video to be simple and reminiscent of the types of videos we grew up on. It was inevitable the video would end in heart break, but the back and forth was all improvised. I’ve never had so much fun singing into a phone hanging from the ceiling or getting rejected on camera. Honestly, at some point it’s a little much to keep calling and singing to the same person. Get the hint.
Keep up with The Habits here.
