by Karina Marquez | Jul 10, 2019 | singles, wolf tracks
Nashville-based alternative rock duo CITY SILOS have harnessed an effortlessly cool vibe in their latest single “Give It To Me Straight.” Also known as Chris and Kristen Butler, they work together as husband and wife to create a track that is as catchy as it is full of vulnerability and angst. Kristen’s voice is reminiscent of Paramore’s Hayley Williams with her powerful range and ability to bring a certain raw emotion to the song. What makes this song stand out is that it is something you can dance around your room to, but also relate to it’s revelations about being in a dead-end relationship. “Give It To Me Straight” is just a sliver of what’s to come — their debut full-length album Happy Thoughts is to be released on August 30th.
Keep up with City Silos here.
by Kira Cappello | Jul 3, 2019 | singles, wolf tracks
For fans of David Guetta, Post Malone, Marshmello.
Get your “Add to Playlist” button ready: The newest summer dance anthem is found in
HighJak’s latest single “Mystical”. Thumping club beats, a heart-stopping EDM bass drop, and a chorus riddled with synth-pop fuse to form
HighJak’s tale of finding love on the dance floor.
The first few bars of “Mystical” start out modestly, with only a curt, electrifying keyboard to signal for more. The track gains traction quickly, layering in a sharp clapping beat. HighJak’s smooth, inviting vocals echo across each other, soulful harmonies repeating key phrases, all aptly filling the space like reverb in a dance hall.
Channeling his inner EDM DJ, HighJak leads us into the chorus with a classic buildup drawn from some older house favorites, not unlike David Guetta. The succeeding thud of the drum machine fill fits so naturally you might miss it the first time, as track glides seamlessly into its peak, launching into the full soundscape of the last-night-on-Earth party scene.
Thematically, this song differs from HighJak’s other work, much of which channels Post Malone and Migos and is closer to rap or hip hop. While trap is in his repertoire, HighJak nails this party favorite – here’s hoping for more like it to come.
Keep up with HighJak here:
by Caitlyn Champ | Jul 2, 2019 | singles, wolf tracks
The Fuss, an indie alt band out of Des Moines, Iowa did not disappoint with their new single “Siamese Twin”. This four-man group composed of Matt Nelson, Ben Waldschmitt, Joey Lyons and Dave Palmer is quickly making a name for themselves with their eclectic and energetic sound. Be prepared to feel as if you’re an astronaut floating through outer space with “Siamese Twin”. The eastern tones featured underneath silky smooth lyrics provide for a relaxing, slow-head nodding melody. Good for a drive with friends, chilling on the couch, or blasted over a lake, “Siamese Twin” is a must-have tune for your summer playlist.
For more great music from The Fuss make sure to check them out here.
**photo by alyssa leicht
by Meredith Schneider | Jul 1, 2019 | 5 to 7, premieres, videos
Today, indie pop songstress Marielle Kraft premieres the new music video for her enigmatic track “Better Without You”. As the viewer follows Kraft around, we see her singing next to tall windows, taking to the subway, and enjoying the sunshine. Her gorgeous vocals lead us along, as the emotion from the lyrics is palpable on her face. With each passing second, we allow ourselves to fall more deeply into this incredible soundscape.
Check out the new video below, followed by some words with Marielle, who gave us a behind the scenes look at the production process.
What songs/artists/feelings did you specifically draw from for “Better Without You”?
This song came from a place of finally wanting to move on, even when I didn’t feel ready. I had just moved back to Delaware, and was faced with so many difficult memories again from both a fully joyful and painful chapter of my life there. Instead of writing a sad or angry song about these wounds reopening, I chose to write about moving forward despite my past, and becoming a better version of myself. Instead of this being a typical breakup song, it became a self-empowering anthem for growth and independence.
In the production of the song, I drew from artists Lauv and Betty Who, both of whom write honestly but arrange their songs with hopeful pop beats. I wanted this song to be fun, even if it wasn’t fully “happy.”
You gave a TEDX talk on songwriting at Firefly Festival. Do you find that you tend to follow a pattern or specific process in your songwriting, or does it differ song to song?
Most of my songs are hashed out and finished on my bed or bedroom floor, but they all begin in different ways. Sometimes a lyric idea will hit me when I’m out with friends and I overhear an intriguing conversation, or when I’m on the road, or in the grocery store, or cooking a meal. I’ll jot it down in my phone notepad, or record a snippet of a melody as a voice note. Tons of lines and ideas are scattered throughout my phone, but only a handful end up taking shape as complete songs.
“Better Without You” was born from the simple iPhone note, “working on having more empathy” – which later became the opening line to the song once I sat down on my bed to revisit the idea a few days later.
Where did the idea for the video come from, and what was the production process like?
I worked with Mitchell Straub on this video, who is another young and driven dream-chaser in the arts industry. We wanted this video to reflect my difficult thought process of leaving behind heart-break to finding empowered independence. It would feature only me, reflecting on my past and future in different aesthetic environments: some more vacant (the empty warehouse, symbolizing the emptiness I felt leaving behind my past relationship, yet still letting hopeful light in through the windows), and some more vibrant (the green field representing growth, the city light representing new opportunities). Throughout the video, there are b-roll clips of me traveling around the city, via Subway and walking, meant to represent moving forward to something better despite the hurt. Filming lasted 2 days, and we shot in 8 different locations in and around Pittsburgh.
Any fun anecdotes from filming?
One shot we were determined to capture was the subway arriving, rushing past me as I waited to board. We waited on the platform for 15 minutes, only to miss the subway because it arrived on the opposite track. Then we waited again and other people obstructed the shot. Finally on our third attempt, we were set to nail it when the train rolled in at snail pace – the most anticlimactic arrival we could have ever imagined. It was hilariously lame. My hair didn’t whirl like we had envisioned, the sound didn’t roar, and we cracked up having tried so hard for one shot that simply wasn’t meant to be that way.
What environment can you imagine people listening to this track in?
This track is a road trip windows-down, traveling to a better place song to belt on back roads or the highway. It’s a “I need to pick myself back up from my bedroom floor” track, too, and one to share alongside friends who encourage you to be the best version of yourself. I hope that wherever people listen, it makes them feel free.
___
Keep up with Marielle here.
by Kira Cappello | Jul 1, 2019 | premieres, singles, wolf tracks
For fans of AC/DC, Shinedown, Green Day.
Get ready to have your speakers blown out – Deify’s electrifying rock ballad “Outta My League” is meant to be played at full volume, preferably while flooring it down a deserted highway. Deify, borne out of Seattle and comprised of brothers Duncan and Jared Byargeon, draw influence from 80’s stadium rock classics such as AC/DC, most notably in bluesy chord progressions and compressed drum fills. Blasting through fervent guitar solos and a snare that refuses to quit, this track is friend to headbangers and country-rockers alike.
While its gritty, boot-stomping vigor may seem well suited for your local dive, lyrically, the song is textbook pop. The chorus professes: “You’re the one…that I need, you’re the only person for me, here’s my heart, take the key”. The second half of the song brings with it a much-appreciated rattle of dynamic, as a wailing guitar solo increases in intensity before giving way into a mathy drum fill, before sending off into one final chorus.
Explains Duncan of the track:
Outta My League is a sonic mashup of our love for AC/DC and ZZ Ward. In college, I was going out with a woman that my friends dubbed way out of my league – and they liked to remind me as much as possible. As much fun as the jokes were, that’s something that really began to eat at me, and that insecurity certainly impacted the relationships for the worse.
This song explores the back-and-forth in my head, as I was head-over-heels for this woman, but “knew” deep down that I wasn’t good enough for her. Letting doubt into any relationship is the ultimate killer – and I knew once I felt this way it wasn’t going to last. However, I also couldn’t bear the thought of being the one to end it. So, this song is about the elation of the pursuit, while knowing the relationship was doomed from the start.
This single is the group’s newest work since their latest EP, five track compilation titled So Far Away. Deify will be touring through the West Coast Starting in August, beginning in Seattle.
Keep up with Deify here: https://www.deifymusic.com/ | https://www.facebook.com/deifymusic/ | https://www.instagram.com/deifymusic/ | https://twitter.com/deifymusic?s=17
by Meredith Schneider | Jun 24, 2019 | singles, videos, wolf tracks
Last week, indie musician Skela released a music video alongside her track titled “Elvis”. With soft light and a gorgeous color palette, the video leads us on a journey with the singer, through sprawling landscapes and simple, natural backdrops. Her dusty, captivating vocals lead the track, allowing a visual moment for the viewer/listener to breathe deeply, and truly enjoy the coming of summer.
Check it out below.
Keep up with Skela here.
by Kira Cappello | Jun 21, 2019 | singles, wolf tracks
For fans of: Young the Giant, COIN, St. Motel, Phoenix, The Wombats
On their newest single “Rhythm & Gold”, Paper Lions shows off some of their finest indie-pop skills: that ability to implant a radiant summer’s day right into your speakers. With a thumping bass line that’s sure to increase your heart rate, the Canadian four-piece tell a tale of the electricity of falling in love with playing music – as well as dealing with the trials and tribulations that come with life as a touring band. The song’s unblemished cheeriness never falters, as call-and-response vocals and upbeat hand-claps encourage the listener to join in with every beat of the chorus.
“Rhythm & Gold” not only supplies the glitteriest aspects of indie pop sweetness, it also gives some insight to the group’s journey in working together to make it in the music world. Vocalist John MacPhee reaches out to his bandmates with reassurance in the resounding chorus: “This is where I wanna stay, where we started loving rock and roll,” referencing their roots that trace back to the early 2000’s. Originally formed in 2004 under the Chucky Danger Band, the quartet (brothers John MacPhee and Rob MacPhee, Colin Buchanan and David Cyrus MacDonald) began going as Paper Lions officially in 2008. They have since been nominated for 8 music awards, and won an Independent Music Award for their 2012 EP At Long Creek. Aside from a Christmas tune titled “Where Is My Love For Christmas”, this new track is the band’s first release since their most recently debuted album, titled At Long Creek II (2018). Here’s to a summer full of “Rhythm & Gold”!
Keep up with Paper Lions here.
by Kira Cappello | Jun 18, 2019 | singles, wolf tracks
For fans of: Post Malone, Khalid, Russ
Holdan’s newest single “Bright Red” is a perfect addition to your “nighttime driving” playlist: The blend of dreamy Khalid-esque vocals and pop lyric motifs encapsulate the notion of gliding only on the surface; perhaps in a superficial conversation at a party like the ones in the first few seconds of the track, or while coasting along familiar highways. A punk kid at heart but no stranger to experimentation,
Holdan implements features of hip hop and pop alike, drawing influence from smooth Atlanta trap beats alongside lyrical themes of feeling like an outsider from an “in-crowd”. These feelings, shown in the setup to the chorus, are confidently declared: “People take issue…with the things that I say…they all say ‘stop’.” This track is an example of
Holdan’s ability to assert his unique perspective and withdraw from a scene he does not find compatibility with, all while never disrupting the track’s mellow vibe. Shortly before releasing “Bright Red”,
Holdan dropped another single “Foggy Lake”. Both are available to stream now!
Keep up with Holdan
here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jun 18, 2019 | premieres, singles, wolf tracks
Portland-based three piece Rum River Cult – comprised of Sarah Parson, Jed Overly, and Colin Ringkamp – is giving us a run for our money with their new single “Strangers Now”. We’ve got the exclusive premiere, and this smoky, fun, gorgeous sonic landscape is something you do not want to pass up on. As an edgy guitar riff sets in, Parson’s reverb-filled vocals make an impact. The song explodes into a beautiful, psychedelic journey that will almost intrinsically force you to dance. So get those moves ready, and check it out now!
Rum River Cult will play the Davis Music Festival this weekend. “Strangers Now” will hit all streaming platforms June 19th. Keep up with Rum River Cult here.
