by Meredith Schneider | Jul 5, 2018 | singles, wolf tracks
Looking for that bright pop of summer fun to inject into your latest playlist? Rumor has it that XYLØ‘s new track “Don’t Panic” is making the rounds, so we had to give it a spin ourselves. And, to be honest, the soundscape is just as juicy and alluring as the cover photo. It’s about a casual romance, where the girl is just trying to live an uncomplicated life. She’s essentially instructing herself not to panic as she notes how close this guy is trying to get to her, as he embeds himself into her life. It’s relatable, to say the least, and we’re impressed with how she expresses the issue of boundaries in a fun, sticky sweet way.
“Don’t Panic” is out now. Keep up with XYLØ here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jul 3, 2018 | 5 to 7
Punk folk outfit Mike Llerena & The Nerve recently released an album titled Old Haunts & New Horizons, and we haven’t been this thrilled in a hot second. First of all, the unique blend of genres is incredibly striking. Second of all, the journey they take you on over the length of ten tracks is indescribable, and absolutely perfect for a summertime release. Take a listen to it below, then read on for our short, fun interview with Mr. Llerena himself!
What was your first musical memory, or the first album or song you heard? Do you think that has any bearing on who you are as an artist now?
I think my first musical memory would be hearing The Beatles in my house as a little kid. My first concert was actually seeing Paul McCartney solo when I was about 10 (setting the bar high!), but before then I had been hearing those songs for as long as I can remember. Like a lot of musicians, The Beatles have remained a fixture in my music library and their influence permeates my approach to songwriting and arrangement, even if I don’t always realize it.
I know you’re from Gainesville… do you think being from Florida has helped shape your sound, or do you think you’d be playing the same type of music had you originated elsewhere?
While I certainly have a lot of influences that aren’t specific to Florida, growing up here certainly played a role in me discovering and embracing certain bands. If I hadn’t moved to Gainesville and played music for years here, I would probably still like Against Me!, Hot Water Music and Tom Petty, but living here definitely makes you feel more of a kinship with those bands and artists.
Your upbeat single “Crossfire” was a great intro to the new album. What inspired it, specifically?
“Crossfire” had actually started off as a slower, acoustic song (with harmonica parts on it nonetheless) before I adapted it to the faster, louder full band version that we play now. The lyrics of the song deal with the anxiety of feeling caught between two opposing sides in an argument, going through various stages of identifying with one side’s argument over another and trying to find your own place in that conversation. Whether you’re dealing with this on a more personal level or observing it in the current state of political discourse in the U.S., the lyrics of the song can apply to different situations.
What was the production process like on Old Haunts & New Horizons? Any fun anecdotes?
We spent about a year recording the album. During that time, we formed the band, played shows in and out of Gainesville, kept recording in the studio, and lived our day to day lives outside of the band. Our engineer Jared Pennock (Z-Chord Studios) co-produced the album with me. He also co-produced and engineered my last two solo EPs as well. Working with him a third time was great because we have a sort of established shorthand with each other after recording together for so long. A lot of cool things can come out of working with someone you’re comfortable with in the studio: the spoken word intro on “Last Words”, the tape machine intro on “The Catharsis”, ideas like that are facilitated in that type of environment and it makes for great moments on the record.
How do you want fans to feel after listening to the album in its entirety?
Above all else, I just hope people like the album. Being on the other side of the process, I feel like each listener can and probably will feel different things after listening to it. The album may mean one thing to me, but it may mean something else entirely to a listener. I wrote the album and sequenced it in a way so that the songs tell somewhat of a story from start to finish. It’s a loose narrative, but at its core, I think it’s about a young adult reflecting on where they’ve been been, where they are now, where they’re going, and how all three of those things are connected. The bittersweet nature of nostalgia is a prevalent theme on the album as well.
On a broader spectrum, what drives your passion to create music?
I’m always writing songs. In some ways, writing songs on a regular basis has helped me document the last few years of my life. A lot of musicians say this, but songs and albums are like snapshots in a way, windows into significant moments in your life that you can reflect on long after they’ve passed. For me, writing songs is like a necessity that needs to be fulfilled, like having enough oxygen. Whether I become successful playing music or not, I’ll always write songs in some capacity. It’s something that I love doing.
If you could be any superhero – “existing” or made up – who would you be and why?
While Batman is my favorite superhero, I would have to pick Spider-Man just so that I could experience swinging from building to building several stories above the ground. Exercise is important and web-swinging sounds a lot more fun than running on a treadmill.
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Keep up with Mike Llerena & The Nerve here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jul 3, 2018 | singles, wolf tracks
Ambient duo Fye & Fennek have created a soundscape just as exciting and sultry as this summer has been calling for. “Clouds” dances along at an almost graceful pace, vocals ethereal and vibrant at times, raw and raspy at others, while the electronic instrumentals interchange behind them. The song boasts intricate pop undertones, making it impossible to get out of your head. And we’re definitely OK with that.
Keep up with Fye & Fennek here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jul 3, 2018 | videos, wolf tracks
Brooklyn-based alt-dance/pop duo Glassio – comprised of Sam R. and Charles Pinel – recently unleashed the music video for their latest single “New York, New York II” unto the world, and we’re floored by how visually attractive it is. Hard angles, color blocks, insane contract, a technical yet natural flow to how everything fits together. A projector plays video of New Yorkers singing pieces of the track on the streets of the phenomenal city that they live in. The striking visuals match the lyrical content for impressiveness, and there’s a cool as a cucumber vibe emanating from it all that makes “New York, New York II” perfect as the backdrop to your next summer party.
Keep up with Glassio here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jul 2, 2018 | singles, wolf tracks
Nashville-based dream pop singer/songwriter Athena released a brand new single titled “Human” on Friday, and we are absolutely smitten. Her sultry vocals hit home from the very beginning, opening the song with a soft hum before developing into a layered gem of a track. As she begs you to let her underneath your skin, you begin to feel the rhythm pick up, as you get lost in dreamlike trance.
If you need a break from the stress of your Monday – or everyday – it’s time to breathe through this song.
Keep up with Athena here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jul 2, 2018 | videos, wolf tracks
Nashville-based rock outfit Creamer – led by brainchild/soloist Philip Creamer – has really been making the rounds in the short time they’ve been making music. Though he is a veteran in the music industry itself, he’s really been enhancing the Nashville music scene, especially since his North American tour spot opening for Wilco.
Creamer’s new video for “Drugs No More” is the perfect way to experience the band’s life performance tactics, though in an enhanced kaleidoscope way that ran rampant in decades passed. The mid-tempo tune is absolutely invigorating to enjoy solo, but the video adds that visual aspect that really puts you in a relaxing mood, the message of the song just as nurturing as Creamer croons, “I don’t believe in drugs no more.” The song is solace for people suffering from the effects of substance abuse in some aspect of life, whether it’s a personal struggle or as an observer. It’s an important conversation to have, delivered in a vivid, stimulating way.
Keep up with Creamer here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jul 2, 2018 | singles, wolf tracks
Though Matthew DeMello has been sharing his music with a growing audience on the east coast for several years in several different forms, it seems that his project Matt DeMello & Significant The Looks has some lasting power behind it. With their latest single having just been released, we’re excited to bring the excitement and intensity they provide to an even wider audience. The lyrics themselves hold a pretty absurd story, so “…Don’t Mind If I Do!” really takes you on a journey. With the inclusion of the Anti-Matter Horns, the sound is taken to another dimension and the energy is popped into several different directions.
If you’re looking for something to rev you up, this is it.
Keep up with Matt DeMello & The Significant Looks here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jun 29, 2018 | singles, wolf tracks
Have you ever been through a breakup, riddled with fresh feelings and not wanting the relationship to end, necessarily? Ambient indie trio Lydia – comprised of Leighton Antelman, Matt Keller, and Shawn Strader – and rock ‘n’ roll musician Lauren Ruth Ward have teamed up to create a soundscape filled with both parties’ tumultuous thoughts from a last night together. Is it the right thing to do? Are the emotions raw enough to make you want to keep that person with you? Was it all bad?
Relationships are complicated, and Lydia and Lauren Ruth Ward address that fact in a seemingly upbeat, but equally tortured, single filled with hope and anticipation for the future. It will be available on Lydia’s upcoming album Liquor.
Liquor will be available July 13th. Keep up with Lydia here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jun 29, 2018 | albums, review
Today, Louisville, KY-based musician Jim James releases his new 11-track stunner of an album titled Uniform Distortion. From the very first guitar riff of “Just A Fool”, you get a sense that this man has put every ounce of emotion he has into this work of art. Excuse us if we’re wrong, but to start with a riff so energy-infusing and raw is something that doesn’t happen often enough. And while he sings about being “just a fool getting by,” we’re certain that’s a bit of an understatement.
If you don’t see what we mean with the initial track, try the nasty guitar lick that introduces “You Get To Rome”, or the riff that underlies “Out Of Time”. It is only with fourth track “Throwback” that the pace slows for a more intimate and introspective five minutes and nineteen seconds of nostalgia. (Though we have found that James’ lyricism doesn’t lack an introspective quality, something we yearn for when seeking out new music to enjoy.) And while “No Secrets” keeps to a slower pace – and properly displays a little more of James’ vocal range – “Yes To Everything” might be one of our favorites on the album. His laughter, his sense of self, the upbeat way with which he addresses change. We’re here for it.
If you don’t realize by seventh track “No Use Waiting” that this man is – at his core – probably a rock god, “All In Your Head” will serve to prove you wrong. It is with the last three tracks – “Better Late Than Never”, “Over and Over”, and “Too Good to Be True” – that slight bouts of that truly upbeat Partridge Family feel hit you unexpectedly. It blends perfectly with the era his music seems to come from, an era more lush and filled with warmth.
And that’s how you’ll feel after encountering Uniform Distortion. It brings you to that warm, comfortable happy place while introducing more and more insightful lyricism with each track. So hit play, and see what this new release evokes for you!
Keep up with Jim James here.
