by Madi Toman | Jan 30, 2020 | singles, wolf tracks
Singer-songwriter Cayley Thomas has just released “Blue Jean Baby”, the newest single from her upcoming album How Else Can I Tell You?, a “collection of songs that reflect upon a period of subconscious overwhelm and the subsequent shift into conscious thought and awareness”.
Before any lyrics are even heard, the track feels romantic. The guitars are hopeful and the drums seem as though they could be keeping time to a heartbeat, and that’s all before Thomas even opens her mouth. As soon as she does, the transportation to another time is inevitable; you’re wrapped up in her world in the first thirty seconds.
Echoing harmonies and dreamy bass pull the listener into the warm and hazy fever dream of the land that Thomas’ music lives in, a land almost as enticing as her purely enchanting vocals themselves. Despite the simplicity of it all, Thomas quickly and smoothly draws her audience in with ringing guitars and hypnotic production from another time and traps them in her honey-drenched web, and she doesn’t release her grip until it’s all over. The instrumentation takes its time for the first two-and-a-half minutes of the track, but perfection cannot be rushed, and the build is slow and sweet. It’s impossible to hear Thomas and not think of Lana del Ray, and not just because of their similar affinity for men in blue jeans; the singers share that sweetly monotonous quality in their voice that’s just so damn charming in a cool, detached sort of way.
How Else Can I Tell You? premiers November 21st, 2020. Keep up with Cayley here.
by Kendal Chandler | Jan 28, 2020 | singles, wolf tracks
Emerging singer-songwriter Mae Muller releases her newest track “Therapist”. Muller says the song comes from her inner feelings of what is means to be a ‘good’ girlfriend. Specifically emphasizing the notion that “We are not here to teach men how to behave, we are not their mothers, or their therapists, and we shouldn’t have to take on that pressure! Especially when we receive nothing in return.”
She continues by talking about the song specifically saying, “In this particular song, it was about a situation where I really wanted to make it work but realized that this person did not need a relationship, and I couldn’t give him what he needed no matter how hard I tried.”
Muller’s sound is influenced by artists like H.E.R and Julia Michaels. She considers her songs are “emotion-based,” a concept she believes people have a hard time understanding. Muller’s music talks about what people are actually thinking or feeling, not metaphorically covering the topic. “Therapist” is no stranger to this style, pulling in listeners emotionally into a topic many can connect with.
Keep up with Mae Muller here.
by Kendal Chandler | Jan 27, 2020 | singles, wolf tracks
Brighton, UK act CIEL released the lead single “The Shore” off their upcoming album Movement, set to be released this Spring. “The Shore” gives the first glimpse of their dreamy alt-pop world with interwoven guitars, pulsing bass-lines, and intriguing vocal harmonies.
Lead singer Michelle Hindriks describes the song as “feeling stuck in your life and waiting for it to ‘really’ begin; yet at the same time, your realize it’s just an illusion and your life has already begun and you’re living it right now”. Continuing “losing the connection with that essence can feel extremely frustrating”.
Overall, CIEL’s sound is one that feels nostalgic while also being innovative. Bringing both these things together only adds to their mystique.
Keep up with CIEL here.
by Madi Toman | Jan 27, 2020 | singles, wolf tracks
Psychedelic rock outfit The Lazy Eyes have just released the lead single from their debut EP. While it’s entitled “Cheesy Love Song,” it feels like anything but.
The four-piece Sydney-based group are just 18 and 19 years old but met at a young age at their performing arts high school and have already been playing together for 4 years. The group gained national buzz after coming onto Australia’s scene at the 2019 Bigsound festival. They present themselves as part of the “the second generation of Australia’s burgeoning psych-rock scene” and they left Bigsound as one of the breakout acts of the festival.
>While admittedly cleverly named, “Cheesy Love Song” feels like anything but. Gentle piano melodies dance around Beatles-esque guitar riffs and sighing harmonies before exploding into a warmly-textured pedal and synth-filled trip. It is psychedelic rock in its tenderest and purest form, but it still harnesses unpredictability and skillful execution and leaves the listener wondering what The Lazy Eyes will do next.
The Lazy Eyes are set to perform at Laneway Festival next month and plan to announce 2020 U.S. dates soon.
by Madi Toman | Jan 24, 2020 | singles, wolf tracks
Saturn alarms are ringing out, but don’t be alarmed; it’s not time for the alien takeover quite yet. It is, however, time to take a deep dive into outer space, courtesy of Tom McConnell, mastermind behind a little project called Novelty Island. The new single entitled (yep, you guessed it) “Saturn Alarms” dropped January 24th and is the follow-up to the group’s debut track, “Magdapio Falls”.
In an intergalactic pop-epic of a track, mind-bending synths and ethereal harmonies accompany coded imagery of the destruction of our apparently ever-so-delicate solar system. “The cuts are causing cracks around the galaxy / they’re jeopardizing our solar security / and I find myself eternally orbiting / the stars are melting down and I can see the strings.” The song was apparently inspired by some random graffiti that McConnell’s saw on the back of his mom’s house, but he chose to accept his mission as much more and took it upon himself to craft a grand and sky-scraping track that is also notably catchy. Bowie would be proud.
Novelty Island will be at The Social in London on March 19th and Shipping Forecast in Liverpool on March 26th. Their debut EP, Welcome to Novelty Island…., will be released March of 2020 via Ditto Music. Keep up with the project here.
by Kendal Chandler | Jan 23, 2020 | singles, wolf tracks
Post-punk group Wire release second single “Primed & Ready” from upcoming album Mind Hive, set to be released January 24th through the band’s own label pinkflag.
In the band’s 40-year career, they have continued to grow and release a steady stream of music to keep their name on the map. Mind Hive will be the band’s seventh studio album, and continues to prove the influence and dominance of Wire.
The band’s music has always stretched the confines of the rock format while also showcases the genre’s essence. That again is proven with the newest track “Primed & Ready”. Lead vocalist Colin Newman notes the simplicity of the song’s structure. Stating that the song was easy to write and that the chord sequence and structure is relatively basic, with only 3 chords used throughout the whole song.
Mind Hive follows the band’s 2017 release Silver/Lead, which career sales and amazing reviews for the band. From just this first look, its seems Mind Hive easily reaches the high bar set from previous releases.
Keep up with Wire here.
by Madi Toman | Jan 22, 2020 | singles, wolf tracks
Bending both genres and cultures alike, San Francisco-based artist Renay offers a refreshingly unique perspective on electronic and pop music. For her newest single, “Inspire Me”, Renay is doing just that by releasing a thrilling new music video along with her single that highlights interpretive dance. Of the new track, Renay says “This song is about how the muse inspires, paradoxically propelling you to create (birth), yet through the intense obsession it devours you (death). An intensely positive rendition of the infinite connection between life and death.”
The track explores themes of love and its correlation to destruction and creation and how that intensity can simultaneously “inspire and tear down an artist”. The multi-talented singer/songwriter and producer/engineer’s music pairs deep and thought-provoking themes with dance-fueled production, which proves to be an incredibly satisfying combination.
The music video itself is an absolute treat for both the auditory and visual senses. Intensely emotional and shrouded in mystery, the powerful dance and vivid colors featured makes the whole thing feel like a hallucinogen-fueled lucid dream. The dance is deeply beautiful and seems to effectively convey the passionate message that Renay is sending, and the production of both the video and music alike is fantastical and intriguing.
Keep up with Renay here.
by Kendal Chandler | Jan 22, 2020 | singles, wolf tracks
California duo Best Coast are set to drop their newest record Always Tomorrow on February 21, 2020. The album will be released through Concord Records and was produced Carlos de la Garza, with additional production from Justin Meldal Johnsen. This will be the band’s newest release since their 2015 record California Nights.
The first track to be released from the album was “For the First Time” back in the fall. Now they are dropping their next track, “Everything Has Changed”. The new track was shared through a music video, directed by Ryan Baxely. The video features characters from lead singer Bethany Cosentino’s favorite show, Vanderpump Rules.
Always Tomorrow is a look back on the past 10 years of Cosentino’s life. Through the emotions of personal discovery, newfound sobriety, touring, and heartbreak, listeners witness Cosentino close one chapter of her life and the beginnings of her new one. Leaving behind all the bad and focusing on and moving forward with the good. The main theme and biggest take away of Always Tomorrow is acceptance.
This album is influenced by the sounds of those found in The Go-Go’s, The B-52’s, Fleetwood Mac, and Talking Heads. With sonic sounds and the feel of woozy pop, Best Coast continue to make a name for themselves in the independent music scene.
This winter, Best Coast are out on a full North American tour with support from Mannequin Pussy. All dates can be found below:
Tour Dates:
2/27 – Palm Springs, CA – The Alibi (with Lunch Lady)
2/28 – Los Angeles, CA – The Novo*
2/29 – San Francisco, CA – Regency Ballroom*
3/2 – Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom*
3/3 – Vancouver, BC – VENUE *
3/4 – Seattle, WA – The Showbox*
3/6 – Salt Lake City, UT – Metro Music Hall*
3/7 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre*
3/9 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue*
3/10 – Evanston, IL @ SPACE*
3/11 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall*
3/13 – Detroit, MI – El Club*
3/14 – Toronto, ON – Phoenix Concert Theatre*
3/15 – Montreal, QC – Corona Theatre*
3/16 – Boston, MA – Royale*
3/18 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Steel*
3/19 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club*
3/20 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer*
3/21 – Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle*
3/23 – Nashville, TN – The Basement East*
3/24 – Atlanta, GA – Terminal West*
3/25 – New Orleans, LA – The Joy Theater*
3/27 – San Antonio, TX – Paper Tiger*
3/28 – Austin, TX – The Mohawk*
3/29 – Dallas, TX – Granada Theater*
3/31 – Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom*
4/1 – San Diego, CA – The Observatory North Park*
4/2 – Santa Ana, CA – The Observatory (w/ FEELS)
*w/ Mannequin Pussy
by Madi Toman | Jan 21, 2020 | singles, wolf tracks
At just eighteen years old, Norwegian pop artist Hannah Emilie Grung, better known as
Halie, is making waves in the Nordic pop scene, and now her music is here for your enjoyment as well.
Halie has just dropped an infectious new track entitled “New Fears”, following up her recent release of another catchy tune, “Circles”. Halie’s smooth and sultry voice paired with bold lyricism makes for a song that feels well-crafted in the verses and free-spirited in the chorus. This combined with the dance-evoking beat makes this earworm of a tune feel radio-ready and is sure to keep you moving throughout the week.
“Don’t ever ask me to slow down my pace / fucking leave me, there is no disgrace” Halie sings. While the production on the track is very pop, the lyricism feels almost rebellious in a way that’s fresh and unfamiliar. Halie sings of not letting fear get in the way of, well, anything, and celebrates embracing intimidating factors instead of letting them control you, resulting in a song that feels empowered and daring.The song builds into a powerful bridge, with ethereal background vocals transitioning into a powerful final pre-chorus. The emotion in Halie’s voice really shines through here before dropping us back off into that catchy dance chorus one last time.
