by Meredith Schneider | Oct 20, 2017 | wolf tracks
Today, Bloomington-based Diane Coffee released his latest 7″ via Polyvinyl, a work titled Peel which features his two upbeat, instrumentally robust tracks “Poor Man Dan” and “Get By”. Though “Poor Man Dan” feigns an upbeat attitude, the truth is that it is based on a dark urban legend from his neighborhood growing up. But unless you hone in on the vocals, you could never tell with the heavy Motown influence. His music is driven with a large horn section and incredible backup vocal ensemble, so you’d be hard pressed to find a track that wasn’t uplifting in one of its facets. But you find that you can’t help it when Coffee’s voice takes on that nostalgic edge, and you’re immediately taken back in time with each line.
Peel is available now. Keep up with Diane Coffee here.
by Meredith Schneider | Oct 20, 2017 | wolf tracks
Today marks the release date of Brooklyn-based musician Channeling‘s (Andrew Osterhoudt) latest, an EP titled Bluffs which is comprised of his three tracks “Drift”, “Bluffs”, and “Doves”. A solid follow-up to his debut full-length Channeling, Andrew has taken the feelings of being content and of being out of control and somehow proudly made a space for them both. The piece is introspective, strangely light, and exquisite in sound.
It turns out that “Drift” and “Bluffs” were originally composed as a single musical piece, though they have been separated into two sturdy pieces. The instrumentals in “Drift” make you feel as though you are drifting in a cacophony of sound, with subtle changes in their sound as they largely exist in the same sound space throughout. Osterhoudt meant for the song to feel as though the listener were “floating somewhere unknown in a bog of electronic sounds,” and he was – not surprisingly – very successful in this. Toward minute seven, the track begins to sound less like static, and take on a more natural feel to it. It is at this point that the work transitions into second track “Bluffs”, which Osterhoudt admitted was “meant to create a sense of floating at sea, and eventually struggling against overpowering tides.” There is a nostalgic late 80s, early 90s feel to the keys, as the track is eventually drowned out by a static sound and the waves come crashing over you.
It is with “Doves” that we find our true heart. The last of the three tracks was recorded on the day of Prince’s passing, and, according to to Osterhoudt, “features the melody to ‘When Doves Cry,’ manipulated on a lo-fi sampler.” What an intense and wondrous experience, especially for fans of the late legend.
Bluffs is out now. Keep up with Channeling here.
by Meredith Schneider | Oct 19, 2017 | wolf tracks
They’ve been illuminating the crowd everywhere they go over the course of the last two years, and now UK-based alt-folk act Low Chimes – comprised of Marianne Parrish, Jack Page, Rob Pemberston, and Lachlan McLellan – is making their full length debut with recent album Illumine. The ten track release is an ethereal one, blending hard guitar riffs with light as a feather vocals, almost transforming its listener to another time, an entirely different place.
Initiating its kaleidoscope vibe with first track “Sleepwalking”, we are immediately hit with positive vibes, lines like “everything’s changing for the better” dancing around us as if floating on air. “Sulfer Silk” paints an already vivid picture in its wording, the texture of the instrumentals somehow adding a layer, as though it is the exact audio representation of the term. You won’t be able to help but to find yourself swaying your hips before the sprawling five minutes is up. “Dust Will Blow” is more of a toe-tapper than a hip-swayer, but the reverb follows the vocals around in a calm and beautiful manner, melting into the abrupt tempo change on “Away The Day”. Staccato notes and an almost glacial pace allow for the band to play with a bit of dissonance in composition, lending to Parrish’s delicate vocals in an incredibly complementary way.
It is with “Lacuna” that the instrumentals nab a little edge to them, seeming to swirl lazily out of a hard rock track into a slow buildup that hosts luxurious, rich vocals. And while “Taming Trance” is something we could see ourselves doing a nice round of restorative yoga to, “Electric Bloom” maintains an almost lazy surf vibe with its guitar parts and breezy chorus. Perhaps we’ve found the bite we need in eighth song “Blood Orange” with its jazzy melody and the way the words seem to counter the accompanying composition. When it comes to “Forget I Know”, we get lost more in Parrish’s vocal range than anything, but the album only finds its closure in fitting track “Final Farewell”, where chorus style vocals allow a build into a more alt-rock ending than its folk majority would lead you to believe. It’s as though they pass through all of the major genres represented in the album in one track, tying the entire album together with a succinct and fitting bow.
October
19th Oct – Edinburgh, Sneaky Pete’s
20th Oct – Kendal [Venue TBC]
21st Oct – Manchester, The Eagle
26th Oct – Winchester, The Railway
27th Oct – Bristol, The Malt House
28th Oct Stroud, The Goods Shed
December
5th Dec – London, Sebright Arms
6th Dec – Brighton, Hope and Ruin
Illumine is available now. Keep up with Low Chimes here.
by Meredith Schneider | Oct 19, 2017 | wolf tracks
Recently, Earth-based psych-rock collective Elephant Fire – made up of musicians Adam Wall, Steve Wall, Zac Colwell, and Dave Hellman – released their seven track full-length Natural Heart. Inspired by a six month journey into North America’s national parks, this album is a remarkable tribute to the beauty of the world around us, something that is easily noticeable from the very beginning with the first vintage punk-tinged track “Natural Heart”. “Come With Me” begins with a slower, more hard-hitting tempo, imploring you to “relax your feels and have some tea, come with me,” which sounds like a pretty neat idea to us, as we sit here writing this in the middle of the work week. (Looking around the office, completely unamused.)
Third track “Lovers In The Bike Lane” begins with that line exactly, then drags you into its groove with quirky bike bells and light, ethereal cymbals. Begging you to take him somewhere, anywhere, the track ends with a “ting” and throws you right into the keyboard-fueled intro of “Burn Me Up”. The keys end abruptly, and you’re pulled into a world of pure rock, as the sounds swirl you around through a fiery kaleidoscope of early love. And while “It’s Alright” begins with a cacophony of light instrumentals, the repetition of the line “It’s Alright” makes you realize that – even with the quirky sound effects that don’t quite seem as though they belong – everything is going to be A-OK.
“It’s Rising” has a little bit more of a dark undertone to it, though we wouldn’t necessarily call it dark. Wall’s vocals are breathy, more sultry in their conviction. There are parts of the track that make you feel like you might be losing your damn mind, but those are the pieces that make this such an incredible head banging track, so we’re all for it. And, just like that, “Karmic Siege” sieges the spotlight as the final track of Natural Heart, leading its listeners into a mid-tempo instrumental section that speaks to the hippie in all of us.
Our normally insatiable eardrums are pleased.
Natural Heart is available now. Keep up with Elephant Fire here.
by Meredith Schneider | Oct 18, 2017 | wolf tracks
Hailing from Detroit and now residing and writing in New York, musician J. Cobb recently released a little taste of his upcoming album No Filter, a single titled “Another You” featuring Bo Napoleon. This song couldn’t have been produced with more finesse, Bo Napoleon’s crooning vocals laying smoothly on top of jazzy instrumentals. A complimentary track, it is sung in first person to a love interest, asking, “Where did he find you?” almost innocently. Then he follows up by confidently stating “Cuz he gon have to find another you.” Redemption is found in J. Cobb’s rap verses, discussing how he does and can treat this woman better than her previous significant other. A love note and a proposal all in one, though it’s just the beginning of our love story with J. Cobb.
“Another You” is available now. Keep up with J. Cobb here.
by Meredith Schneider | Oct 18, 2017 | wolf tracks
New Jersey’s 8-piece self-proclaimed “power mariachi” band Amigos, Amigos! – expertly comprised of Chuck Salamone, Nick Evans, Tina Aragona, Jarrett Walser, Mario Correa, Joe Christianson, Dave DeMair, and Billy Hughes – recently released their latest track “Birds” off their upcoming Music Box EP. A slow instrumental build reminiscent of early 2000s pop/punk, the track takes on an almost sultry feel to it when the vocals are introduced. It is in this sound space where the magic happens, and lyrics like “we could light a room without a single spark” paint a vivid picture for listeners. With subtle tempo changes, beautiful horns, and almost disruptive instrumental solos, “Birds” is a thrilling break from the every day.
Keep up with Amigos, Amigos! here.
by Meredith Schneider | Oct 18, 2017 | wolf tracks
Recently, UK electro pop/rock quintet The Ramona Flowers – comprised of Dave Betts, Steve Bird, Ed Gallimore, Sam James, and Wayne Jones – released not only their phenomenally upbeat single “Strangers”, but its accompanying official lyric video as well. A track about meeting a stranger and enjoying their company for a night or so, “Strangers” is a true “live while you can”, “feel alive and be free”-type of club anthem. Admits Bird, “It’s about when you meet somebody and that first sort of whirlwind of how great it is. It’s wanting to repeat it all again.” On the flip side, we can imagine a long-term and well-versed couple utilizing this song to spice up their love life. (But, really, who are we?)
The lyric video takes on the same mood as the song, the funk-tinged music and warmly backlit, white text make the entire situation feel like a disco. We’re ready to put on our (platform) dancing shoes and boogie into the night with this fresh track.
Keep up with The Ramona Flowers here.
by Meredith Schneider | Oct 18, 2017 | wolf tracks
In the midst of the lead up to Holy Wars‘ full-length Mother Father, a new track titled “Cruel World” has emerged from the production process to tease us even further into a tailspin. Kat Leon’s vocals – alluring as always – ensnare you as they walk a fine line between intensely dark and multifaceted, as she repeats “Oh, it’s a cruel world, it’s a cruel world” over crashing drums and heavy, layered guitars. The track feels like the living representation of heavy chains, the message dragging you down slightly while simultaneously challenging you to make the most of this “Cruel World”.
“Cruel World” is available now. Keep up with Holy Wars here.
by Meredith Schneider | Oct 17, 2017 | wolf tracks
New York’s collective The Howlin’ Souls – comprised of Pete Smith, Scott Sepe, Robbie Sokolowsky, and Nate Lang – may find their inspiration in the likes of blues greats and legends like Petty and Dylan, but their sound is truly their own when you boil it all down. In their latest track “Viva La Revolucion (again)”, the hard hitting drums and sharp, whirring electric guitar serve as evidence of this, as Smith’s vocals almost strain to be heard over the blaring instrumentals. While they call for a revolution politically and socially – as a large majority of us are at this point – The Howlin’ Souls simultaneously beg for your energy, without ever having to beg at all.
Go forth, and spread the revolution.
“Viva La Revolucion (again)” is available now. Keep up with The Howlin’ Souls here.
