by Meredith Schneider | Feb 25, 2019 | albums, wolf tracks
On February 15th, Kalyn Fay released her new 11-track full-length, Good Company, to a patiently waiting bevy of fans. Hailing from Claremore, OK, Kalyn Fay is a of Cherokee descent, and happened to have earned her undergraduate and master’s degrees while consuming herself in songwriting. Her work is incredible, and this new release is no different. We’re thrilled that it’s now out in the world for all of us to enjoy.
Beginning slowly, the title track carries us into a robust and wonderful soundscape, a pace that is reduced again in “Wait for Me”. “Highway Driving” gives us more of that quintessential twang and Fay’s voice gets raspier, which is the truth for “Baby Don’t You Worry” as well, a more bluesy and rich track. “Come Around” continues at this pace, but has more of a an ethereal feel to it than its predecessors, while sixth track “Long Time Coming” almost seems to play with dissonance, with its trudging and melancholic, yet wonderful, instrumentals.
“Oklahoma Hills” has a piece of home in it, “Alright in the End” feels morbid with its title but turns out to be a very comforting and warm song, and “Faint Memory” is perhaps the softest and most Lillith Fair-worthy track, a commentary on how easy it is for time to “play tricks” on you. “Fool’s Heartbreak” sounds more like the southern music that inspired the track itself, soulful in its disposition. “Dressed In White” rounds it all out nicely, alluding to marriage, of course. But we see it as infusing a sense of a freedom in a young woman, whether her father is offering her up for marriage or to live a healthy, independent lifestyle.
Either way, we feel that fullness and that freedom as the last notes hit, a faint smile left on our lips.
Keep up with Kalyn Fay here.
by Meredith Schneider | Feb 25, 2019 | singles, wolf tracks
Following Harley‘s first release “Behave”, comes thrilling, smooth new track “Backseat”. The amount of vulnerability that is displayed in the specifics as emotional vocals croon in your direction is astounding, and the song itself is bittersweet in its existence. Admits the band:
It was really cool to write a fully loaded song [emotional] with the guys like that. We based it around some slang that we feel like we coined and that is so deeply rooted in our vocabulary. There was this girl I couldn’t shake, and she was always in the backseat of my mind. We sat down as a team and immediately started to get to work on it.
Keep up with Harley here.
by Meredith Schneider | Feb 22, 2019 | albums, review
Following in our nostalgic-tinged soundscape-leaning pattern, noir pop duo 8MM – Juliette Beavan and Sean Beavan – we hear a little 90s pop woven in with their quintessential sound in “Self-Inflicted Heartache”, the first track off their new released Heart-Shaped Hell. As you may have guessed, the soundscape twists and turns after that, a bit more edge to “Supercrush” before leading into a true pop single with the title track, somehow delivered with an eery twist. “Bring It On” is the most moody of them all, the second half growing powerful with the added male vocals. The pair round it out nicely with “Move With Me” and its accompanying radio edit, slower paced, but filled with emotional range to keep you on a sort of edge regardless.
Stay on edge with Heart-Shaped Hell. It’s a wonderful experience.
Keep up with 8MM here.
by Meredith Schneider | Feb 22, 2019 | albums, review
Electro-pop stunner Host released her debut EP this week, and you’re in for a real party with Adolescent Content. And – though the lyrics sometimes take a turn for the more serious, like third track “Taste of Your Love” and the way it highlights a breakup – the entire EP is something that will get your heart pumping and leave that glittery, enticing feeling of nostalgia in your veins.
“Goodbye” is sugar sweet 80’s pop, something you immediately feel like you need to bop your head to while wearing a pastel windbreaker. Host’s vocals dim the electric energy slightly, but only to give it a moody, ethereal feel. Second track “B4me” of course follows suit, but is led by ints interesting percussive aspects. It’s one of those songs that, for half of it, you’re not really sure how to dance to it. But it’s intriguing and beautiful as well, not unlike chaotic predecessor “Taste of Your Love”. By the time we get to “Forgetting Me”, we are ready for the slight pace change, luring us into a hypnotic spell with its drawn out notes and swirling soundscape.
Keep up with Host here.
by Ian Schneider | Feb 22, 2019 | singles, wolf tracks
Alt-pop artist Ships Have Sailed have a new single “Escape”, and it will make you feel what the title suggests. The LA based duo has been diligently working since their debut EP in 2013, releasing a slew of projects over the years. Indie rock, pop, and alternative sounds ring out in all of their works, and those genres are put on full display in their new single “Escape”.
“Escape” kicks off a series of singles coming from Ships Have sailed that “promise to express a deeper level of sentiment than ever before”. The single is accompanied by a video that is all about escaping ones problems, doubts, and struggles. Sometimes all you can do is scream out and try to escape your reality through other activities, and even this new single from Ships Have Sailed can help one do this.
You can keep up with Ships Have Sailed through their socials listed below. Don’t be surprised when this alt-pop collective has a massive 2019.
Socials:
https://www.facebook.com/shipshavesailed/
http://twitter.com/shipshavesailed
http://instagram.com/shipshavesailed
by Meredith Schneider | Feb 21, 2019 | 5 to 7, Featured
We have been working quietly on a project for quite some time, and today is the day to unleash it unto the world! I’m proud to announce:
Imperfect Fifth: A Podcast
Offbeat Conversations With Our Favorite Music Industry Humans
Each week on Thursday, we will be releasing a new conversation with someone from the industry. Musicians, writers, publicists, managers… you name it, we’ve spoken with them. And, sure, we’ll get down to the nitty gritty on everything they’re promoting, but we are also over the moon thrilled to be discussing offbeat topics, like aliens, mysticism, magic, and more! This week, you get us raw and with no theme music. And our guest is the incredibly intriguing Kirsten Carey, brainchild of Throwaway. But if you listen closely, we have a special guest quietly intro into our first question. The first episode is now live, and can be heard here.
We will be up and running on all streaming platforms soon. In the meantime, feel free to download directly to your space as well here.
Throwaway also has a stunner announcement! Today, they’re releasing the new video for “The Brilliant Society of The Illustrious Mule” in tandem with our podcast release! It looks to include clips of some of our favorite Disney characters parading about the park, and is just as entertaining as the incredible woman behind it all! Check it out below!
Keep up with Throwaway here.
by Chad Bennett | Feb 20, 2019 | snapshot, visual
Bill Homans has been a truck driver, petty criminal and a watermelon farmer. He’s also a member of Mensa, made the only Vietnam War protest album to be written by a veteran during the war, and plays a mean slide guitar. The critically acclaimed Watermelon Slim, who has collected a record-setting number of blues award nominations, thrilled a crowd of fans at the Winter Blues Fest in Des Moines on February 1st.
by Ian Schneider | Feb 20, 2019 | videos, wolf tracks
Fashion-conscious artist Daniel Donskoy’s debut single “Cry by the River” is here and it is making waves. With the release of the accompanying music video, the singer/songwriter and TV star has broke through the music industry with a chart topping alternative hit.
Daniel Donskoy, artist name DONSKOY, infuses the feeling of alternative-pop with experimental sounds. He utilizes a very interesting auto-tune in portions of the track that are reminiscent of Kanye West from the “808s and Heartbreak” era, or that of Justin Vernon from Bon Iver. The song makes you want to cry and dance at the same time. Pair those feelings with a very profound and artistic music video, and you have “Cry by the River”.
You can stream or purchase the song here. Keep up with DONSKOY here.
by Chad Bennett | Feb 19, 2019 | snapshot, visual
Memphis blues rockers Southern Avenue performed at the Winter Blues Fest in Des Moines. Winners of Best Emerging Artist Album at the 2018 Blues Music Awards, Southern Avenue‘s sound is youth-infused vintage R&B soul electrified by the powerful voice and charming stage presence of front woman Tierinii Jackson.
