by Meredith Schneider | Jan 4, 2018 | wolf tracks
Solo artist LUME doesn’t have too much of a reputation within the industry, but her second single “Tip of Your Thumb” dropped this week, and we’re projecting a long and prosperous career for this young songbird. She recently announced a debut EP with the same name, but we’re over here trying to scrape ourselves off the floor after listening to this treasure. The track is absolutely badass, referencing internet trolls like our own President and needless drama that comes from social media. But it’s the vocals that really captivate, as LUME produces a raspy beauty with every note.
Tip of Your Thumb is due out in March. Keep up with LUME here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jan 3, 2018 | albums, wolf tracks
Even if it wasn’t innately evident, 2017 gave us a lot to be grateful for. Namely, some really amazing music. It was in November that Charleston, West Virginia-based soul rock duo Farnsworth – comprised of C.W. Vance (guitar/vocals) and Jason Reese (drums/vocals) – released their latest, a robust eight track piece titled Elk City. And don’t think that the title suggests any type of back country lifestyle, though the rock roots these guys play with really give it an unmistakable edge.
The entire album will throw you through a loop of nostalgia, bringing in whirring guitars and a psychedelic feel in the majority of the tracks to really achieve that kaleidoscope effect that tantalizes the eardrums. Tracks like “American Dream” and “Free Me” make you feel like you’ve been caught in Vietnam-era America, which many of us already feel a kinship with regarding everything that’s going on in our society these days. The duo’s vested interest in vinyl is detectable, each song created to play perfectly imperfectly on a record player.
Take “Better Days” for example. As the duo croons melancholic lyrics like “Watch me as I fall / No you don’t care at all,” you can’t help but sway your hips to the innately groovy (yes, we said groovy) percussion. And that holds true with the entirety of the album, as the guys address a wide variety of topics, largely melancholic and bittersweet in their musical existence. Without perhaps meaning to, Farnsworth has created a work that can truly exist in most soundscapes, each song musically enhancing the listener as it takes them through decades of influence and insanely beautiful guitar work.
Elk City is your next jam record. We guarantee it.
Keep up with Farnsworth here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jan 3, 2018 | premieres, wolf tracks
Blues/folk/funk group Kings & Associates is starting the new year on the right foot, with a brand new video for their insanely beautiful track “Pabla’s Grace”. Filmed by David Resce, the video showcases the band’s incredible live performance aspect in a soulful, smoky setting that really allows their musicianship to take the forefront. When we got wind that “Pabla’s Grace” is song written in dedication to those suffering the often unspoken cruelty of mental illness, we were floored and inspired at the same time. Says the band, “There’s a dark world called mental illness only overshadowed by social stigmas and ignorance of its realty and effects. Living without the ability to trust your own actions is a reality many people have to bear. But we call them home.”
Let Kings & Associates take the stigma from the conversation, and let your ears become enveloped in a song that is smooth like honey, and just as comforting.
Keep up with Kings & Associates here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jan 2, 2018 | singles, wolf tracks
Before 2017 came to a close – on a pretty high note for music, if I do say so myself – London-based musician Carmody released her haunting, captivating track “The Ways of Your Love”. The instrumentals are simple, “calculated,” beautiful in their existence, perfectly supporting her robust, strong – yet somehow subtle and soft – vocals, which call for your attention with every new line of the track. The song feels incredibly sincere, perhaps the strings add a bit of that esthetic to the piece, allowing the track to balance between Lorde and Evanescence in its soundscape, two musical acts that are notable for impact.
I guess we should start getting ready for Carmody’s impact.
Keep up with Carmody here.
by Meredith Schneider | Dec 29, 2017 | wolf tracks
Earlier this year, pop duo ÆVES – comprised of long-time friends Molly O’Malley and Matthew Adam – released their smooth, beautiful track “Loaded Love”. Addressing difficulties that arise in a romantic relationship, the song itself is something everyone can relate to on some level. It’s also pure pop in the most magnificent and entrancing way, perfect for just about any time of year. (Do you hear the holidays in it? We also hear a breezy spring day or a fun summer drive in those instrumentals.)
Check it out below, and be sure to let us know what you think in the comments!
Keep up with ÆVES here.
by Meredith Schneider | Dec 28, 2017 | wolf tracks
Some of you may have recently gone out to see a little award-nominated dark comedy titled Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri during this holiday season, and we hear it’s one that will completely engulf you. Not only is the movie absolutely riveting, but the music supervision was absolutely on point, and includes this extraordinary track from songstress and photographer Amy Annelle in the final scene and credits. If ever there were a time to make an impact, it has been done with “Buckskin Stallion Blues”.
Though the song originated in 2010, it has seen a rebirth and can be found on previous releases More Townes Van Zandt by the Great Unknown and The Great Unveiling. Existing at a slow crawl, this song is absolute americana-driven beauty, replete with country twang and light as a feather instrumentals that drive it forward. It’s entrancing, almost, and we can see why it was chosen as a staple song for such a stunning full-length feature.
Keep up with Amy Annelle here.
by Meredith Schneider | Dec 28, 2017 | wolf tracks
As we slug through the final week of 2017, we might find it more fulfilling to be sitting by the fire instead of working or doing really anything productive. But it’s those cozy nights that can lead to some of the most magical ideas. So we implore you to add “Another Log On The Fire” like our good friends the Darcys, and see what comes from the warmth and fire inside you as you prep for 2018.
All metaphors aside, Canada’s pop/rock duo Darcys – comprised of Jason Couse & Wes Marskell – has been on our radar for a hot second, and we’re thrilled that they released a song to go along with our holiday mood. Bringing a crawling, beautiful, soulful vibe to the holidays, “Another Log On The Fire” just might be your new favorite wintertime track. Try it on for size. You might find it on repeat for a while…
Keep up with the Darcys here!
by Meredith Schneider | Dec 26, 2017 | wolf tracks
Earlier this month, indie pop newcomer Bülow released a visual to go with her mellow, “set him straight” single “Lines”. The video itself is mesmerizing, as it is essentially a repeating gif of the singer, blowing smoke out of her mouth and looking at vinyl on her bed. Comprised of several camera angles, the video traces her profile in dim light, as we make out a simplistic decor behind her, a big map spread out behind her headboard. The video seems to be a good little look behind the scenes into the life of the young musician, as she mellifluously sets boundaries to a steady beat.
Keep up with Bülow here.
by Meredith Schneider | Dec 26, 2017 | snapshot
On December 14th, X Ambassadors headlined The Night The Buzz Stole XXMas at the Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland in Kansas City. We got some action shots to rival your favorite comic book.
Keep your eyes peeled for new music from X Ambassadors in 2018 here.
