luke wilmoth, we’re the lucky ones after all

luke wilmoth, we’re the lucky ones after all

Recently, Lakeland, Florida alternative musician Luke Wilmoth released a four track EP that is absolutely blissful to listen to. First track “Slow Dance” makes us feel ready for late spring nights, early summer evenings with the light glow of the sun on our shoulders as we bathe ourselves in rose colored glasses. In fact, it’s that easy-going feeling of summertime outdoors in the heat that this EP evokes for us. Which, honestly, as misplaced as that may seem in the midst of the crazy weather we’ve been having, it actually provides a soundscape escape that really adds color to those gray, dreary days that have been flooding our collective existence lately.

“San Pellegrino” feels like turn of the century indie to us, the most positive sounds to a song that has many more layers than you could realize with just one listen. “I Took Your Picture Off the Wall” resembles that same time period, and that isn’t just because of the novel-like title of the track. Light as a feather rock really keeps our hips swaying, and once again we can’t do anything but imagine ourselves singing along to this at an outdoor venue with Wilmoth himself leading us on vocals. Fourth track “Pinwheel” rounds it all out very nicely, a slight amount of additional edge to it with deeper guitar riffs and harder hitting percussion. Don’t get us wrong, the song still belongs at the ending of your next blockbuster romantic comedy, but it’s beautiful and endearing in its sound, enough to make us look forward to celebrating life and love this year.

Keep Luke Wilmoth on your radar by following him here.

lake jons, “lake family”

lake jons, “lake family”

Helsinki-based lo-fi psych pop trio Lake Jons is about to release their self-titled debut. But before that, they gave us the last taste of it all with their track “Lake Family”, a light and airy experience that gives us just a hint of that particular brand of nostalgia Lake Jons has become known for. (Any song with clapping or snapping in it feels intrinsically positive, no matter the topic. Am I right?) The vocals hit you raspy, beautiful and intense, while the percussion gives you an insatiable desire to dance.

Let us know how much Lake Jons makes you want to dance in the comments below!

Their self-titled debut is out January 19th via AntiFragle Music. It is available for pre-order here. Keep up with Lake Jons here.

soccer mommy, “your dog”

soccer mommy, “your dog”

This week, indie rock/bedroom pop musician Soccer Mommy announced that her debut album – titled Clean – is expected to drop on March 2nd. While we wait ever-so-patiently for what is to be one of this year’s most spectacular releases, here’s a fun addition to her catalog… the official music video for her track “Your Dog”. Feisty and in-your-face, the first line of the song is “I don’t want to be your fucking dog.” While we watch a series of sensitive, beautifully portrayed, and oftentimes comical scenes involving twenty-year-old Sophie Allison herself, we’re distracted enough to forget that this song is about freedom.

Admits Sophie about the track:

The song comes from a feeling of being paralyzed in a relationship to the point where you feel like you are a pawn in someone else’s world. The song and the video are meant to show someone breaking away and taking action, but at the same time, it’s only a quick burst of motivation. It’s a moment of strength amidst a long period of weakness.

Keep up with Soccer Mommy here.

natalie shay, “this feeling”

natalie shay, “this feeling”

London-based indie pop artist Natalie Shay is truly making her mark across the pond, having won multiple awards for her musical ambitions, and having sold out crowds at some of the city’s most well-known venues. Her signature blend is one of upbeat intensity, the vocals hitting points of twang every so often. This, in itself, adds a layer to the sound, setting her apart from other mainstream pop artists of the day. “This Feeling” is a definitive hip-shaker, brilliantly created to energize and excite its audience.

Check out this impossibly positive new track below, and perhaps make it your anthem of 2018 and new beginnings!

Keep up with Natalie Shay here.

dream wife, “hey heartbreaker”

dream wife, “hey heartbreaker”

On January 26th, we will have the pleasure of enjoying Dream Wife‘s debut album in its entirety, but until then we’ve got another fun surprise for you. The trio recently released the music video for their track “Hey Heartbreaker”, and we’ve got it for you to enjoy. Directed and animated (Beautifully, might we add?) by Mason London, the video is alluring in its ability to capture your attention utilizing robot cartoons. Somehow, we feel like we’re getting a little taste of the band’s actual performance chops in the video, even though their characters are animated robots. The video has the unmistakable feel of a Gorillaz classic in the way its presented, with a slightly more punk and empowered tilt to it all.

Keep up with Dream Wife here.

kahiem rivera, “throat” {premiere}

kahiem rivera, “throat” {premiere}

East coast rap artist Kahiem Rivera is coming at us today with the premiere of his brand new video for “Throat”. Directed by Benjamin Garst and produced by Gabriel Gomez, the video is a beautiful and rough introspective piece that goes along perfectly with the single’s lyrics. Delivered with clean, artful shots, he sits in a dark room, draped in chains and looking into mirrors requesting that someone tell him how he’s “supposed” to be, as a single lightbulb sways overhead. It feels more like an interrogation, as he seems to be facing his demons alone.

As we all learn to be more introspective and guided in the new year, let this song and this video be a staple to go back to when we are feeling alone and questioning our purpose in life.

Keep up with Kahiem here.

spelles, “light me on fire”

spelles, “light me on fire”

Los Angeles-based self-proclaimed “spooky/tribal/blues” artist SPELLES released her first track of 2018 mere hours ago, and we’re big, big fans already. “Light Me On Fire” feels just the way you’d expect, like an old western meets the deepest, darkest emotions you could feel, all wrapped together with these gorgeous, deep, vocals that – at times – are reminiscent of Christina Aguilera.

Like her pseudonym, SPELLES captures you with an almost magical intuition for what will work and make the listener feel like they can absolutely destroy the world. We can’t wait to hear what’s next from this up-and-comer, and what feelings we have yet to experience with her.

SPELLES EP is out now. Keep up with SPELLES here.

lume, “tip of your thumb”

lume, “tip of your thumb”

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.

farnsworth, elk city

farnsworth, elk city

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.