by Abby Trapp | Mar 6, 2018 | videos, wolf tracks
Max Frost‘s new single “Good Morning” will have you walking to a new drum. The artist had been named one of “10 Artists You Need to Know” by NPR and Rolling Stone with good reason. The track starts off as what sounds to be a gospel song. It soon turns to a hip hop beat but while integrating lyrics like “It’s a brand new day” while cues of gospel background vocals. Sunday morning or not, Frost’s new single will keep you uplifted throughout the entire week.
Keep up with Max Frost here.
by Katie Pugh | Mar 6, 2018 | albums, wolf tracks
LA-based electro-pop KAYLS inspires with her latest EP Modern Savages. The EP explores a variety of struggles Kayls has faced spanning from relationship woes to her past industry struggles. Her goal with the album is to encourage listeners and invoke strength within them.
Modern Savages perfectly demonstrates Kayls’ new-found confidence after years of feeling underestimated and mistreated throughout her career, specifically by music industry men. The EP’s second track, “Porcelain,” depicts the hardships Kayls faced. Her honesty and authenticity shine in this track as she expresses the trials and tribulations faced early in her career.
“Champagne” explores Kayls’ distaste for the expensive things in life. The soft yet intense piano ballad superbly showcases her raw yet powerful voice. The following track, “Modern Savages,” continues with a similar theme. Kayls flawlessly expresses her concern for human connection through the lyrics “what can you give me that money can’t buy.”
Both “Carousel” and “Summer” explore past relationships making the album relatable and showing listeners yet another side of such a multi-faceted and complex artist.
Kayls’ Modern Savages EP is supremely cohesive work of art that sends a musically pleasing and powerful message. With its haunting indie pop vocals and electronic, futuristic mix of musical elements, this album creates the perfect indie-pop atmosphere.
Keep up with Kayls here.
by Veronica DeFeo | Mar 6, 2018 | singles, wolf tracks
Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Monogem (aka Jen Hirsch) has released a brand new single,“Get You High”, off her new EP, following the success of her self-titled 2015 EP. Hirsch’s stage name is modelled after a Monogem Ring, the leftover sparkling bits of an exploded star. If this gives you any idea of what her music is like, Monogem will not disappoint you. A slinky, moody track, “Get You High” might just be the musical drug you’ve been looking for. With smooth vocals, Monogem creates a groovy, sensual listening experience. With a hint of nostalgia while remaining modern and fresh, “Get You High” forms a unique and enjoyable soundscape.
Co-written with Sydney Wayser and Ryan Levine, “Get You High” is truly an auditory journey.
Says Monogem of the track: “‘Get You High’ is my outlet to see through the haze, it’s a vibe filled with analog dreams and organic performance. It’s amazing how a new song can breathe life into a new creative path.”
Stay up to date with the latest from Monogem:
instagram – website – facebook
by Madison Blom | Mar 5, 2018 | singles, wolf tracks
Since returning from the international stage under the well-known moniker DJ Cobra, Andrew Grant has felt that he has truly reconnected with his passion. Although he loved his time spent with his talented colleagues, making music that mesmerizes the listener and captivates the soul. Most recently, Grant has released his newest track, “Before” that catches the listener’s ear and holds them in suspense with his blooming base lines and beautifully crafted lyrics. Not only does Andrew Grant have the unique talent of portraying a story within his music, but he also invites his listeners to follow him along a journey of self-doubt that leads into a form of rebirth and new beginnings.
From the start of his career, Andrew Grant has always been an ambitious underdog that would constantly prove his worth in the music career by stunning the community with his tracks. As a student, Grant would spend hours calling record labels in order to sell himself as the Hip-Hop music director the University of Arizona. Of course, he has come a long way since then and has had the opportunity to perform on some of the biggest stages and in front of Hollywood celebrities. Now that he has returned to his roots, dedicated fans of DJ Cobra are preparing to be blown away by future new releases.
Keep up with Andrew Grant here.
by Abby Trapp | Mar 5, 2018 | singles, wolf tracks
Parker’s new single is much deeper than the title suggests. The track starts off slow and psychedelic, but that’s just the buildup for Parker’s breathy vocals. Yes, the artist mentions talk of drinking and smoking, but she craves something deeper than that. With lyrics like “…oh I’m getting tired, oh we’re getting tired,” and “searching for a different kind of high” suggests that tangible vices will no longer do for her. Perhaps, Parker is seeking a spiritual or personal high. Either way, Parker’s yearning new single is definitely worth the listen.
by Abby Trapp | Mar 5, 2018 | singles, wolf tracks
Norwegian natives Great News, recently released their new LP Wonderfault which attributes to “the imperfect being something wonderful” say the band. Wonderfault brought us their latest single “You’re Mine.” The track starts off upbeat in an reminiscent 80’s fashion. Not only are the instrumentals amazing but the lyric “Oh I’m in your mind, controlling the way you see” had me smiling mischievously from cheek to cheek. “
You’re Mine” is tilting on the border of “oh that’s so sweet, he really likes them!” and “I have you and I want you.” The single is nothing but shy, and I definitely recommend it, especially when your latest infatuation drops into your lap.
Keep up with Great News here.
by Meredith Schneider | Mar 5, 2018 | 5 to 7
Los Angeles-based rock collective Swerve – comprised of Gregory Mahdesian, Brandon Duncan, Ryan Berti, and Mark Gardner – has blossomed into an incredibly impressive act since the days that the moniker was attached to Mahdesian’s solo career. While the band admits their chemistry is off the charts at this point, we can hear it in the music they release. In fact, with their latest single “Lose Control”, we pick up on hints of influence amidst a bed of music that sounds like they’re having a really great time.
Luckily enough, we got to chat briefly with the guys about the track itself, as well as some really important topics like supergroups and Batman. Check it out below!
What was your first musical moment (be it a song you remember, a memory with a family member, etc.)? How do you think that impacted the way you make music today?
I actually have two that I can think of. The first song I can remember is from the Traveling Wilburys- that super group with George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and Roy Orbison. They had this track called “Not Alone Anymore,” and Roy Orbison sang the lead vocal on it, and it just floored me. I think my family had just moved across the country and I was a depressed little 5 year old, and that song, and especially that vocal, really spoke to me.
The other moment was around the same time. I had this walkman that could record the radio, and the oldies station played this song by the Box Tops called “The Letter,” which is just an awesome single. I would just listen to the station until it would play again so I could record it, and it’s the first song that was ever “mine.”
These both definitely impacted how I make music. I guess even at an early age I had a tendency to look back to the past for inspiration, and these songs really solidified my appreciation for classic song structures and catchy as hell choruses.
“Lose Control” is so fun with that twinge of 90s nostalgia that seems to pop out at points. What was creating that song like?
Thanks! Creating this song with the band was really fun. I started writing it on my acoustic guitar, and I must have been listening to a lot of jangle rock at the time because the song is filled with those little moments. When I brought it to the guys it turned into this fun, upbeat electric rock song. We added some acoustic to the recording to kind of pay homage to how it began. I remember that it came together very quickly- we finished off writing it in one session and anytime we would go back to try and tweak it, it was just kind of superfluous. There are definitely 90s touches in it. We really like to reference our influences without sounding too much like them, so you can notice them if you pay attention, but might not if you’re just casually listening.
If you could collaborate with anyone besides your amazing bandmates, who would it be and why?
So many people! Paul McCartney, just because he is the all time legend and I think I would kill to have him sing or play on a song. He’s still got it too! A few years ago he released this album called New that was awesome. I think I’d really like to get the producer Stephen Street to work with us, if he would do it and we could afford him. He produced the Smiths and all the best Blur albums, and I think he would be able to make our band really push ourselves and do something great. Noel Gallagher is my favorite, so to write with him would be amazing. And to have Michael Stipe sing something for me would make my year.
This month, you headlined the What Angie Says showcase at The Mint. What was that performance like? How has your performance style developed over time?
That performance was a lot of fun. We actually booked that right at the last minute- we had all been traveling so the band hadn’t been together for a little while, and the only time we found to rehearse was right before the show. It turned out to be one of our most energetic sets. In general, we’ve just gotten a lot more comfortable over time. We play around with harmonies more, and we don’t get nervous, so we can engage with each other and with the audience rather than just looking at our instruments and trying to play the songs correctly. The more we play the better we get as performers, but I don’t ever see us busting out dance moves or anything like that!
What has been your favorite song to write thus far? What makes it so special?
We haven’t put it out yet, but there’s a song called “Kennedy.” We usually close our set with it because it’s a live favorite for our audience. I’m really happy with the lyrics of it- the main line started out as a placeholder lyric and as the song developed I realized that it was actually the linchpin of the whole song. It’s funny how things like that happen. As far as the music goes, it went through so many iterations that we considered giving up on it, but we finally landed on the right arrangement and it felt so natural that I’m glad we kept at it.
If you could be any superhero, who would you be and why?
Batman, because he gets all the best toys and chose to be a hero rather than being born with a superpower. Although his backstory is very sad, at least he has Alfred.
What’s up next?
Besides world domination? We’re going to keep putting out singles leading up to our EP. We have some music videos in the works, and shows coming up in LA- the next one is March 26th at the HiHat in Highland Park. We want to start playing outside of the city soon, and to get back into the studio to record all the new material we’ve been working on.
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Keep up with Swerve here.
by Chad Bennett | Mar 5, 2018 | snapshot, visual
Matisyahu played to a full house on Wednesday, February 28 at Wooly’s in Des Moines. The genre-bending musician and his band thrilled the crowd of over 600 as part of the Forest of Faith tour.
Keep up with Matisyahu here.
by Jai'Tyria Hatton | Mar 5, 2018 | singles, wolf tracks
Vancouver Sleep Clinic recently released a new video for their track titled “Ayahuasca”, a song whose bass and vocals give off a glowing sound that creates a wonderful masterpiece. “Ayahuasca” is a peaceful song. In the video, the singer is sitting in the back of the van as the video goes from day to night. Listening to the song, it is as if it is a poem in musical form, during which you can close your eyes and daydream.
“Ayahuasca” allows you to escape from reality and imagine yourself in your own world. The video for the song matches the song’s slow paced rhythm and dreamy tones. The song is definitely a symbol of Vancouver Sleep Clinic’s sound, and will leave you yearning for more.
Keep up with Vancouver Sleep Clinic here.
