by Meredith Schneider | Jan 17, 2018 | premieres, singles, wolf tracks
Los Angeles-based indie pop duo Grad Party – expertly comprised of Carlo Ladd (keys, vocals) and Ian Bowers (guitars, vocals) – are hitting 2018 hard after the success of their 2017 EP Speak. Though university brought them together – they met when they attended Brown in Rhode Island – it is clearly the music that has kept them thriving together creatively. “Pretty Boy” is calculated in its sound, timid but beautiful from the beginning. The track is vulnerable, yet quirky with its staccato instrumentals, though the message holds true, the lyrics giving light to the meaning of it all. Love who you love. “Pretty boy, don’t you care what they think.”
Be sure to give this track some love in the comments!
Keep up with Grad Party via Facebook or at gradpartyduo.com.
by Meredith Schneider | Jan 16, 2018 | singles, wolf tracks
Oakland-based indie pop collective Felsen – expertly comprised of guitarist Dylan Brock, singer/guitarist Andrew Griffin, bassist Christian Hernandez, and drummer Art McConnell – is preparing for their fifth release, a full-length titled Blood Orange Moon set to drop on January 26th. The album – comprised of eleven insanely intricate and mesmerizing tracks – was written entirely in the fall of 2014 leading into the winter of 2015, inspired by Andrew Griffin’s experiences as an 11-year-old cancer survivor. The album has a lot of heart, but the soul of the group had already spoken for itself before this one came along, to be sure.
Our first impression? Easy-going. The tempo is slow, but purposeful. The lyrics are introspective, built into the song coated in reverb. The combination of vocals and instrumentals actually makes the listener feel as though they are floating in a nostalgic kaleidoscope, with peeks into prior decades, tickled slightly by modern references. It’s beautiful, and something you can’t exactly describe. (And that heart-melting guitar toward the end. WOW!)
“Vultures On Your Bones” is available now. Keep up with Felsen here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jan 16, 2018 | albums, wolf tracks
Sheetal Singh – former bassist for San Francisco noise pop wonder The Stratford 4 – is going in a different direction with her music, revving up to release a self-titled mini-album under her moniker Forest Bees. Originally driven by her desire to incorporate her familial history into her work, Forest Bees morphed into this beautiful – punk pitchy in its presentation, but almost earthy in tone – piece that gives the listener the impression that the musician is simultaneously experiencing an awakening of sorts.
And perhaps she did. She transformed while creating this art, and you can hear it in the soundscape. “Independence Day” is a bit of a dance track, while “Hollow Bones” fills a deeper, more primal, place in your body with differing instrumentals. While “Golden Dream” is void of the vocal warmth we would otherwise deduce from the title, we’re mesmerized by how she can still evoke a beautiful instrumental section amidst the rough, almost static, sounds that overlay the entire track. “Off Color” comes in from left field, with a hard-hitting percussion section that comes off as wonderfully experimental in tone, though the song feels more mainstream-headed than its predecessors, and we do not mean that as a negative connotation. Singh expertly rounds out the album with “Dust”, perhaps the most alluring of the five tracks. Composed of several differing tempos, this song could be equally enjoyed on a long drive, sitting with friends during wine night, and dancing in a basement club in The Village at 2am.
Forest Bees’ record release show will take place The Hemlock, San Francisco on January 25th with N. Lannon and Alexsarah. Tickets are available here. Forest Bees is available for preorder now.
by Meredith Schneider | Jan 16, 2018 | videos, wolf tracks
If you’re looking to be the fan of an act that truly looks and feels 70s, something to really throw you back in time? Rock collective Lovehoney – expertly comprised of Alysia Quinones, Tommy White, Thomas Gehlhaus, and Matt Saleh – is your next muse, and we can all but guarantee that. They recently released their brand new music video for the entrancing single “Feelin’ No Way”, though the video truly gets us a glimpse inside their live performance chops.
Recorded live at Site B Studios in the epicenter of music – New York City, New York – “Feelin’ No Way” allows us a peak at how the band operates on stage, and the vocals, the hard guitars, the outfits, the tapestry, the jewel-toned lighting and shots of an old camera… everything about it just captivates us and brings us back in time. Check it out, then let us know what you think in the comments!
Keep up with Lovehoney via Facebook and at lovehoneymusic.com.
by Meredith Schneider | Jan 15, 2018 | albums, wolf tracks
The very end of 2017 brought us some stunner releases, and not enough time to get through it all. San Francisco’s rock outfit The Go Ahead – comprised of – Kyna Wise (vocals), Alex Mamelok (bass), Josh Hertz (guitar), and Chris Kelly (drums) – charmed us in December with the release of their latest, an EP titled In Harms Way. A six track EP birthed from struggle and existential questions, this work implores you to look deeper at your own life.
The Go Ahead wastes no time getting you right into the thick of it, beginning slowly with first track “Bones” and then luring the listener in with rough guitar and hard-hitting percussion. Wise’s vocals are like a siren, pulling you in despite your want to know – and to hear – more, at least for the first couple of minutes. Then, you might find yourself melting into her voice for the remainder of the work. (Warning: You will.) While “On My Side” slows things down, it bursts into this beautiful, mellifluous track, a pattern not dissimilar to next track “Bloodshot”. (If you don’t like the idea of blood coming out of your eyes, maybe skip this song.) “Coastline” has more of a pop feel to it, lyrics tinged with melancholy and a thirst for salt water. “About to Burst” feels just like the title might suggest, while final track “Fuel” almost drains you of your energy just by adequately enjoying the tempo and energy adjustments throughout the song.
It’s rare to find all of your own energy invested in a release from start to finish, but The Go Ahead has managed that feat with In Harms Way.
Keep up with The Go Ahead here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jan 15, 2018 | videos, wolf tracks
Seems particularly cruel when people release music videos full of references to warmer weather, or full of visuals of summer in the dead of winter. And yet, it happens all the time. At least, that’s how we feel in the northern hemisphere at this very moment. But the way Natali Felicia represents her surroundings in “This Summer is Cruel” is slightly cruel, in that it feels as though it’s promising this flash of warm weather and brilliant color, whereas the video was shot in black and white, and hosts visuals with soft breezes and – while you certainly get a glimpse of water – no real proof that it was even shot in the summer. The Stockholm-bred musician released her music video for “This Summer is Cruel” leading up to the release of her debut album, expected later this year. Her melancholic video is certainly enhanced to full-length picture quality with the robust and gorgeous tones to her vocals, indicating she is about to stake her claim on the music industry with full force.
Keep up with Natali Felicia here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jan 15, 2018 | singles, wolf tracks
Recently, the forces of Kid Moxie and Chrysanthe Tan teamed up to feature on ash.ØK’s latest single, “Chained Rebellion”. Los Angeles based indietronica talent Kid Moxie (Elena Charbila) led up to this release with her most recent dance track, the ethereal “No Island“, that dropped in December. “Chained Rebellion” exists in a completely different soundscape, a very robotic nature to the instrumentals. As futuristic as it all seems, the automation sounds mimic how many feel about what’s going on in today’s society as well. Since the song itself is about breaking free from societal and cultural expectations, we can see how the robotic approach to the track is so key. Not only that, but all three artists have achieved an introspective, highly danceable, track experience, and it speaks to our hearts on so many levels.
Keep up with Kid Moxie here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jan 15, 2018 | singles, wolf tracks
NYC-based Acid Dad is revving up to release their debut LP in March, so of course we’re getting bits and pieces of what to expect. We’re thrilled, to say the least. The quartet really brought their A game with “2Ci”, a hip shaker of a track that really lures you in from the very first, quick, energetic notes. With this track comes the now quintessential, reverb-filled, nostalgic Brit-pop Acid Dad sound, blended perfectly with modern elements and guitar riffs that could shatter your soul. something we honestly can’t get enough of. “2Ci” will put all the bounce in your step necessary to survive the week, and then it will get you through the weekend in fine form.
We guarantee it.
Acid Dad’s debut LP is expected March 9th via Greenway Records. Keep up with them here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jan 12, 2018 | soundtrack
Arkansas-bred and classically trained opera singer Bonnie Montgomery has mastered the country sound that so many have tried to. And though she may not have released some new tunes for a couple of years now, she’s hitting 2018 full force. Since 2014’s self-titled full-length, she has been crafting her sound and touring with some of the most prominent names in country and americana right now. And in February, the next chapter of it all begins with the release of her new album Forever.
So while we’ve got that on your radar, Bonnie has crafted a really interesting – and very fun – playlist especially for us. So check out what she has to say below, and perhaps let her control your productivity for a while.
This list a mirror of my new concept album and the things, like Willie Nelson, that inspired it. It’s meant for blasting on a drive in far west Texas, volume up and top down.
Keep up with Bonnie via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and her website.
