by Meredith Schneider | Oct 16, 2018 | albums, review
Indie pop-rock collective Roaming Herds of Buffalo releases their new album Mountain Rabbit today, and we’re blown away by the way the entire collection induces an energy field no matter what setting you listen to it in. Beginning with the fast paced “Does NOT Exist”, second track “Judgment Day” brings the pace down, but not the crashing of cymbals nor the hard guitar chords that we’ve come to know and love of this band. By “Into The Void”, we’re pleased to realize the vocal nods to the 60s and 70s will be a mainstay, indulging in the soft and glittering instrumentals of the third track.
This album truly leads you on an audible journey, a storyline attached at every turn. It’s colorful and interesting, bouncing from topic to topic while treating its listener to a soundscape unlike most others. The change of tempo after the intro in “Ray Gun” is sublime, the throwback punk feels of “Brain Stem!” really rev you up, and the title track feels like its from another world. “Dressed Like Sheep” brings it to a simpler acoustic sound, allowing the album to round out in a more delicate and light-hearted way. But the subject matter is another thing altogether…
Keep up with Roaming Herds of Buffalo here.
by Meredith Schneider | Oct 5, 2018 | albums, review
After her riveting performance of “Woman” on Colbert, Cat Power releases her 11-track album, Wanderer, in its entirety today. The luscious, soft sounds of the title track lead us into the piece, slowly and confidently building up sound and backing instrumentals to provide the robust, ethereal sound that continues through second track “In Your Face”. Third track “You Get” has a bit of a punk edge to the instrumentals, while “Woman” provides a more soulful sound, reflecting the strength of an entire gender. “Horizon” stays at that level, while “Stay” slows things down a tad bit more and seems to play more with dissonance and vocal placement than its predecessors.
“Black” is hauntingly beautiful, the vocals presented akin to Imogen Heap, while “Robbin Hood” simplifies the instrumentals a little more for us. Cat Power’s raspy vocals in “Me Voy” are alluring, drawing you right into the mood and sounds of last track “Wanderer/Exit”, which provides quite the closing to the album.
The journey you go on with this album is at a manageable pace for you to slow down your thoughts and take a break from the hustle and bustle of the outside world. We advise you to take advantage of the soothing soundscape this week.
Keep up with Cat Power here.
by Meredith Schneider | Oct 4, 2018 | albums, premieres
Been noodling around the internet, looking for new tunes to tantalize your eardrums for a while on this gorgeous Thursday? Well, you can stop right here and hang out for a while because we’ve got the exclusive streaming premiere of Payson Lewis‘ new EP Take Me Apart. Lewis – a musician hailing from Philadelphia and residing in Los Angeles – brings his fresh, invigorating vocals to upbeat, pop instrumentals in six gorgeous tracks laid out before us on this EP. And though “Take Me Apart” and “Can’t Go Back” exist as slower, more practiced ballads, we see no reason for this to not be a go-to set for next year’s festival season.
Explains Lewis:
Take Me Apart is like a wild ride down my pop-nostalgia super highway. When I was writing and making this record, I loved following every stylistic twist and turn and seeing where it took me. It was so fun not to get pigeonholed into one specific sound, but instead letting the energy and authenticity be the cohesive thread that leads you through the record’s narrative. It’s definitely an EP that was meant to be played down from top to bottom. You know, just like a road-trip adventure, you just gotta fasten your seatbelt and enjoy the ride.
So, why not?
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Keep up with Payson Lewis here.
by Meredith Schneider | Oct 1, 2018 | albums, review
On September 28th, New York-based trio Isla Invisible – comprised of Rebecca Adorno, Julian Brau, and Ryan Correira – released four track collection EP1, and we’ve got some thoughts. From the first, slow, almost trepidatious lines of initial track “Pillow”, EP1 seems to glide through the atmosphere, leaving showers of slow motion glitter in its wake. Even with the deeper, surf-friendly sounds of “Outward” – check out the lyrics that match the vibes of the instrumentals perfectly – and its punk-tinged follow-up “Frail Devices”, the collection boasts an ethereal yet raw sound that will stick with you hours past listening to it. “If All Is” rounds it all out with that same soft sound provided by the vocals in “Pillow”, though there’s much more intent behind this track. It might actually throw you into a state where you’re not entirely sure which emotion you should evoke, but that’s the beauty of EP1. It brings us to a place where we can lay our emotions bare and feel what the music has to offer.
Take a listen below.
Keep up with Isla Invisible here.
by Gemma Harewood | Sep 28, 2018 | albums, wolf tracks
There is something special out for release by BLVTH right now. With his influences ranging greatly from bass to hip-hop and everything in between, the mysterious producer has just delivered his eight-track EP blut. It’s an enticing listen for many reasons, but we love the way that BLVTH refuses to stay within the constraints of one or two genres.
Standouts on the EP have to come courtesy of “Pusher” (we particularly love the version featuring vocalist Soiceytrap), and “Disney,” which really hits hard with its moments of sharp contrast.
You can now listen through each eight tracks in full, check them out right here.
by Meredith Schneider | Sep 19, 2018 | albums, review
Toronto-based trio The Trews – comprised of Colin MacDonald, John-Angus MacDonald, and Jack Syperek – continue to enthrall their fan base with a rotating bevy of new material. Their new album Civilianaires – which dropped on September 14th – hits with lighthearted energy in “Vintage Love”, throwing you into that puppy love that only this band can re-instill with every new record release. And while “Leave It Alone” is a little more hard-hitting, “The New US” continues at that pace, with a bit more of a commentary on civilization as we know it. I think we can all get on board with the sentiment in fourth track “Time’s Speeding Up”, while “Bar Star” throws itself into an introspective atmosphere, allowing the listener to question what they think about during last call.
“Harder To Love” feels incredibly primal in its disposition, “Is It Too Late” mirrors the title’s sentiment, a question plaguing anyone who isn’t sure about the choices they’ve made in life, and “Up sweet Baby” implores the object of the singer’s affection to stay awake until he gets home to be with them. The title track and its follow-up “No More Saying Goodbye” are filled to the brim with nostalgia, influences from past decades palpable. “Amen”, “Let The Great World Spin”, and “Jericho” are perhaps the best ways to round out the album, discussing forgiveness and elevating the world.
As a piece of artwork, this album really shows up for the introspective crowd. While the instrumentals stay energetic, layered, and freeing, the lyrics bounce from topic to topic, often with the melancholy glazed over by the gorgeous melodies provided. We’re big fans, and we think you will be too!
Keep up with The Trews here.
by Meredith Schneider | Sep 18, 2018 | albums, premieres
San Francisco-based dark indie pop duo New Spell – comprised of Leanne Kelly and Jacob Frautschi – dropped their 4-track EP Of Time, Part II today, and we’ve got your exclusive sneak peek at the release in its entirety. While aspects of “You Win” feel electronic – the song oozes quirky instrumentals that mirror our favorite video games – Kelly’s light as a feather vocals carry it into a more ethereal soundscape. The duo took the time to add fluid-sounding instrumentals to second track “Like Water”, and brought the entire tone of the album down for third track “Merely Mortal”. “Of Time” maintains this darker demeanor, while still leaving its listener feeling uplifted and – at times – breathless as it winds the release down.
Keep up with New Spell here.
by Meredith Schneider | Sep 14, 2018 | albums, review
Are you into quirky, emotional, indie rock music? Because Active Bird Community – and their brand new album Amends, out today – could really do the trick for you. The Brooklyn-based collective has been creating their brand of alternative music together since 2005 when the guys were in middle school, and the evolution has been impeccable, as they hone their sound into something 90’s babies will cherish, perhaps, more than anyone else. Amends is direct evidence of that.
Beginning with the title track, Amends establishes that slacker sound to a T while it meanders through with rough guitars, perfectly sometimes-whiny vocals, and a robust, head-bobbing energy. This carries well into second track “Holier”, though third track “Sweaty Lake” – as memorable as that name is – picks up the pace immensely, and understandably so. (See: the title “Sweaty Lake”.) Things slow again in “Unwind With Me”, which is, again, a direct reflection of the song title.
Once we get to “Baby It’s You”, I don’t think anyone is expecting a horns section. But there it is, an intro that wakes you back up with its differentiation from its predecessors. The pace takes that of a Weezer track, and we’re on board with the energy again. .”Virginia” feels more 90s grunge than others thus far, ragging on people for being “just a cliche” and challenging the object of their attention. “Blame” slows down to a ballad-like crawl, emotional in its disposition, while “Downstairs” adds some more quirk back into the feel of the album with light percussion and a rough, beautiful bass line.
“Metrics” starts with a toe-tapping, pop-like feel, and then delves back into the whirring guitars, hard percussion, and upbeat attitude of the majority of Amends. “Silver Screen” begins slow, simple, and then bursts into this kaleidoscope of sound that we didn’t necessarily see coming. “Lighthouse” rounds it all out quite beautifully, performed on acoustic guitar to really enhance the lovely, soft feeling of the lyrics.
You know, until it gets a little rowdy toward the end. But we really couldn’t have hoped for anything different.
Keep up with Active Bird Community here.
by Meredith Schneider | Sep 5, 2018 | albums, review
On August 31st, Dangerbird Records brought us a stunner of an EP to enjoy over the holiday weekend. Joel Jeronimo – aka Joel Jerome from the Los Angeles band DIOS and very well-known recording collaborator in the Southern California scene – and Jimi Cabeza de Vaca – aka Jimi Camaro, ex-member of DIOS – teamed up to create a three track mini album called Atlantis Airport 1982. A culmination of realism and fantasy – with a bed of synthesizers to frame it all – the album is pure otherworldly magic.
From the very first airplane-takeoff-sounding notes of “Atlantis” – which makes us feel like we are on an intergalactic spacecraft, if we’re being completely honest – to the slower, more tribal sounds of “Airport”, through to the last lines of far more experimental and jarring track “1982”, we’re smitten. In fact, we are given the impression by this album that we just went back in time to 1982, and hopped into their forward-thinking minds to their idea of the future, and then were spit back out again. It was a quick ride, but well worth it!
