by Veronica DeFeo | Jan 30, 2018 | singles, wolf tracks
Bowie fans of the world, rejoice! Ziggy Stardust’s influences are evident on Micky James’ debut single, “Give It To Me Straight”, his first solo project after the dissolution of his previous touring band. NYC-bred Micky James pays homage to classic rock and rollers while creating his own sound suited for the 21st century, especially during the bridge. Micky offers a delightful throwback feel for those of us who are missing some good old rock and roll. With in-your-face vocals and percussion to match, Micky James provides a distinct sound with “Give It To Me Straight”. He’s got the sound down, and is always serving looks to match.
Alongside Dirty Canvas’s Shep Goodman and Aaron Accetta, Micky James lets the beat take him where it will on this single. We can’t help but think of the 70’s with lines like “I thought I had you when/We were wasted and wasting time.” Brash, unapologetic, and oozing with authenticity, we can’t wait to hear more vivaciosu songs like “Give It To Me Straight” from Micky James, carrying on the legacy of Major Tom.
Keep up with Micky James (and his fabulous style)
FACEBOOK – TWITTER – INSTAGRAM
by Kayla Hutton | Jan 30, 2018 | albums, wolf tracks
Lanterns, the full-length debut from Atlanta 3 piece
A Very Loud Death opens with “Consumer” an atmospheric stage-setter for a lucid journey into a darkness that could be the background music to any Edgar Allen Poe story. Don’t question the production of a simple 3 piece band, somehow they pull off full spectrum sound that you would expect of a 5 piece. Chris Edge’s vocals are heartful and poignant, while the slow to medium paced music confirms the emotive romanticism of nurturing a heart you yourself inflicted damage upon.
The album overall has segments of dreary alternative rock, emo but not whiny, and some metal dynamics. With a vast audience opportunity, A Very Loud Death would appeal to fans of Chevelle, HIM, Mars Volta, and artists that have that hint of saddened macabre. Animated and heartfelt A Very Loud Death offers heart on sleeve honesty that you can feel with every musical change and vocal melody. “Lanterns” has a System of a down like guitar riff that takes an entirely new meaning once the chorus kicks in and tones become more epic and the vocals more desperately dyer. Applying instrument and vocal effects that expand the tonal dreariness yet cast a spooky shadow that is as perfectly subtle as a thin cloud coverage.
The vocals return with a soothing embrace on “The Ease of Absurdity”. Lightly brushed tom rolls accommodate a strong bass line that really takes the wheel and directs this track. The build-ups ad an unexpected turn that isn’t overpowering and breaks up the predictability that typically bores listeners. “The Wild” is the album’s most fast-paced song and pulls between the low dark overtone and a slight anger that cradles the ears yet instills that same uneasy feeling you get when someone shoots you an uncertain grin that you cant tell is sincere or wicked. With music that is melodic and driven to fulfill the albums intense theme, the lyrics have an offbeat obscurity that follows a rhyming pattern that kind of hints that a progressive rock influence had been tossed into the blender of sound that A Very Loud Death has inside their already genre-bending core.
In closing, the best way to describe A Very Loud Death’s latest offering is that there is enough dramatic loudness to wake up empathy in a stone-cold psychopath.
Keep up with the band
here.
by Jai'Tyria Hatton | Jan 29, 2018 | singles, wolf tracks
The unforgettable Mt. Joy is set to release their self-titled debut album March 2nd. A reunited high school band that consists of Matt Quinn, Sam Cooper, Michael Byrnes, Sotiris Eliopoulous, Jackie Miclau, Mt. Joy’s latest single “Jenny Jenkins” is a song that has its lead vocalist singing with desire in his heart. The song talks about love but is not a rendition of the folk song that has the same name.
In “Jenny Jenkins” the lead vocalist shows his love and appreciation for whoever “Jenny Jenkins” is. The song shows the tenderness and raw emotions of love for his loved one. And it’s built to be a classic, really good down from its acoustic sound to the singer’s soulful voice. “Jenny Jenkins” shows what it is like to truly love and appreciate someone.
Mt. Joy’s album features thirteen original songs that are about many different serious topics. Mt. Joy’s self-titled debut album Mt. Joy will be available March 2nd. Keep up with the band here.
by Veronica DeFeo | Jan 29, 2018 | singles, wolf tracks
“Oh, someone took control of your world.”
Yep, thanks. did. Indie pop duo Steve Pagano and Mario Borgatta of thanks. are celebrating their signing to Highland Park Records by re-releasing their debut single, “Your World”. Psychedelic yet approachable is a succinct description of the song. If the vocals of Bad Suns and the upbeat vibes of Bakermat mashed with the psychedelic aspects of Glass Animals, it’d almost make thanks. Key word there is “almost.”
Thanks. is able to distinguish themselves from other indie artists by their flexibility within a single track. LA-based thanks. brings something new to the indie pop scene, with an accessible sound for the pop-loving people that is still alternative enough to be enjoyed by those who rebuke the mainstream. With fantastic lines like “Why sit down when you want to dance/Let’s change the way we look at the world,” Pagano and Borgatta are already impressing us, both lyrically and musically. “Your World” is the perfect windows-down, carefree tune to blast on your stereo.
Our eyes are on thanks. as they begin to bless our ears with amazing tracks like “Your World”, and all we can say is “thank you” to thanks.
Instagram: http://instagram.com/thanks.theband
Twitter: http://twitter.com/thanks_theband
by Jai'Tyria Hatton | Jan 29, 2018 | videos, wolf tracks
Indie rock band Smoke Season recently released the official video for their new single “Wolves”. From the moment ‘play’ is pressed, the song displays a deep seductive beat. “Wolves” is a catchy song, especially when it gets to the chorus portion. The beat behind the song sounds like a heartbeat that increases speed when the song gets to a certain point in the chorus. The video is just as exciting as the track, and starts off with scenes of mountains and a rose that is prominent throughout. There is a somewhat vintage/grainy filter over the scenes which makes the work look stunning.
The music video for “Wolves” then moves to a city strip for a chorus that shows the lead female vocalist Gabrielle Wortman singing along to the chorus. The video mostly takes place out in the nature and looks like fun based off of the artists’ energy and the creativity that went into its production. With mesmerizing music videos like “Wolves”, Smoke Season will continue to have a successful career in music.
Keep up with Smoke Season here.
by Veronica DeFeo | Jan 29, 2018 | singles, wolf tracks
You know those songs that make you pretend you’re in a music video and be super dramatic singing along, with accompanying interpretive dance moves? “Wolf” does just that, and more. Toronto-based singer DYLYN has just released her single “Wolf”, to be featured on her upcoming debut EP Sauvignon and a Kimono (out Feb 23rd). Teeming with angst and emotion, DYLYN packs all the frustration of a breakup with unique lyrics and strong beats in “Wolf”.
Anyone who is in need of a post-relationship anthem, look no further. Like a true punk-pop queen, DYLYN creates an atmosphere of slight insanity paired with deep feeling heartache and solid instrumentation (especially drums). “Wolf” is full of great lines like, “I eat boys like you for dinner” and “I cry wolf/I know I shouldn’t but I still do/I wanna see you run”. It’s the kind of song you didn’t know you needed to hear, but you definitely did. It’s also not post-breakup specific; anyone having a bit of a rebellious streak (or just pretending to) will vibe with this track.
Keep an eye out for DYLYN’s debut EP, Sauvignon and a Kimono, to be released February 23rd. Keep up with DYLYN here.
by Jai'Tyria Hatton | Jan 27, 2018 | albums, wolf tracks
Today, the world is finally able to hear new music from indie pop band Felsen. The album delivers a message through melody and lyrics that they created in their late-night West Oakland Studio. A highly anticipated work, Blood Orange Moon is eleven tracks of musical wonder, from first track “Vultures on Your Bones” through the title track at the end.
“Vultures on Your Bones” has many different melodies crafted together as one. The acoustic guitar blends perfectly with the rest of the instruments and the leading vocals on the track. The song seems like it is about a vulture eating at the bones of an individual and the vulture will not leave the vocalist alone. The vulture continues to come back and bother the individual.
Blood Orange Moon will definitely take the listener on an emotional rollercoaster ride. The album goes from being about wanting to be with someone in songs like “Lovecraft”, losing a loved one in songs like “You and I will Meet Again”, and desire. It addresses human emotion in a beautiful way.It tackles communication, whether it’s face to face or direct. “Blood Orange Moon” is not only amazing because of the vocals and instrumentals, but the songs are relatable and relaxing. The album is great to turn on during a late night car ride when you just want to vibe to music or when you just want to unwind for the day and relax.
Blood Orange Moon is out now.
by Kayla Hutton | Jan 27, 2018 | singles, wolf tracks
Ciaran Lavery makes me glad I’m a writer for fear that I would pronounce his name like a 1st grader attempting to read Shakespeare. You can tell by his name that he isn’t from the U.S. and with his track “To Chicago” all of you American men could learn a thing or two. With Valentine’s Day approaching my best advice is this, if you want to get some warm and tender loving, put “To Chicago” on for your girl and it’s a sure win. It’s an upbeat, simple, toe-tapping love song that is a million miles away from what has been the top 10 industry standard.
The acoustic guitar isn’t always just for those depressing cry your eyes out ballads. The guitar line in “To Chicago” is fun, and like love, it’s unconditional and without a deceptive hidden agenda.
Reminiscent of a song you would hear playing over the speaker system of your local drug store and while the line is long the ladies are sure to daydream away of a concert where they are the only audience member and Ciaran is singing solely to them.This is the kind of song that yields hope in thinking love like that does exist. It’s not generically sappy or holding hands skipping in the perfect meadow. It’s realistic. It’s a spontaneous road trip, sharing laughs when the map flies out of the window and there is no cell signal, opening a can of soda and it fizzing over and your lover giggling as she pats the couple of droplets from your shirt. All the pop song elements are there, but the lyrics are creative and uniquely written.
Overall this is a very refreshing love song that is sure to pull at the heartstrings, and possibly make a slew of listeners flock to Ireland ready to marry Mr. Lavery.
“To Chicago” is out today and the album it appears on,
Sweet Decay, will be released
April 13th. Keep up with Ciaran Lavery
here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jan 26, 2018 | premieres, videos, wolf tracks
Shot on the expansive and gorgeous Oregon coast and TIllamook State Forest – a beauty captured which the band is very proud of -, Rare Diagram brings us the exclusive premiere of the music video for their single “Keep Me”. The band is expertly comprised of Justin Chase (keys, vocals), Emma Browne (guitar, keys, vocals), Joseph Berman (guitar), Chris Marshall (bass), and Alex Radakovich (drums), and the song itself was written while Emma and Justin (who both make appearances in the video) were traveling in Argentina last year. Delivered mellifluously, “Keep Me” is a song about dealing with passivity in relationships and possesses a bittersweet feeling that only the Oregon coast could capture.
Director Hanna Hagen is the mastermind behind the video’s concept – which was inspired by the 70s vibe to the track itself – a movie-like quality to a tortured and beautiful plot line that could only be achieved by an array of vintage lenses and an incredible Director of Photography (Sean Conley). This video is also the perfect escape for those of us experiencing FOMO about not being able to go on luscious nature hikes in the dead of winter.
Let yourself get lost in this quirky, moving, and mesmerizing video.
Keep your eyes peeled for a record release in late summer 2018 via the band’s Facebook.
