by Meredith Schneider | Nov 6, 2017 | wolf tracks
In September, Boston’s folk/indie rock talent Griffin Robillard released his 9 track, full-length album titled Cracks in the Ceiling. Flooded in a sharply nostalgic feeling, the album itself was written while Robillard was living in Copenhagen. You can almost feel the growth he was experiencing while writing the piece, as his vocals are flooded with emotion as he brings you into his world with the mid-tempo, almost anthemic, title track, bouncing into the more upbeat and soulful vibes of “Ghost” before getting slightly more twangy, then bluesy/jazzy, in his instrumentals with third track “Because I’ve Told You”.
“Reel to Reel” slows things down – has the structure of a Ben Folds-type track – weaving a narrative speaking to his significant other that is slightly specific, but still very vague, perhaps for the sake of universality. While “Artifacts” picks things back up exponentially, it is with sixth track “Faithless” that we are brought back out of our seats, encouraged by the sound to move. “In Your Own Way” houses similar surf pop vibes to the instrumentals in Gin Blossoms’ “Found Out About You“, causing us a few moments of reminiscing on our 90s selves.
It is with “Nothing to Show” that things get very serious, both lyrically and instrumentally. It’s like Robillard has decided to rip his heart wide open in this one, simplifying the instrumentals slightly to really showcase the words as he croons the track into a 70s style rock stunner. “Tired of Being Cruel” is your last taste of Cracks in the Ceiling, a lot more upbeat in its composition, though melancholic lyrically as he begins the song with the line “tired of being cruel to you.” Self reflective, honest, raw. That’s what we’ve come to love about Robillard, and – while we’re plenty happy with this release – we’re already excited to hear what comes next from this talented musician.
Cracks in the Ceiling is out now. Keep up with Griffin Robillard here.
by Meredith Schneider | Nov 6, 2017 | wolf tracks
Michigan-based indie folk rock trio The Accidentals – made up of Katie Larson, Savanna Buist, and Michael Dause – are heading out on the road to celebrate their summer release, an incredible thirteen track album by the name of Odyssey. By now, most of us have had the chance to listen to the album in its entirety. (If you haven’t, here it is.) But their most recent offering is a music video for the title track, and we want to make sure you get your eyes on it.
“Odyssey” as a track begins slower, with a simple acoustic guitar and soulful lyrics keeping pace and leading you through an ethereal sound space even before the additional instrumentals hit the track. The video begins with the trio in what looks like a hang space in a basement, bathed in warm colors to match the warmth of the song. They’re gathered in a circle, enjoying what seems to be a small jam session. We also get to witness them play in shallow waters under a beautiful blue sky, as well as a little glimpse into their live performance life on stage. The video is beautifully captured, with softened colors and slow motion applied in just the right places. We’re deeply moved by the track, and incredibly happy with the video.
Odyssey is available now. Keep up with The Accidentals here.
by Meredith Schneider | Nov 2, 2017 | wolf tracks
Nashville-based musician Ernest K. might be known for his silky vocals, but it’s his ability to turn an intelligent rhyme that really bowls us over. And – after killing it with Spotify plays on his new track “Bad Boy” – we’ve got his new music video to share today.
As the video begins, you’re drawn in by overlay font that’s reminiscent of the “Full House” title screen, so automatically you’re tossed into this throwback mentality. And it’s a casual video, with Ernest wearing a Looney Tunes shirt, hanging out with his friends and singing on porches and around town. There is a sense of community in the video, almost as though Ernest has drawn different aspects of his inspiration into the video itself. Plus the smooth, supportive lyrics of “Bad Boy” set a perfectly chill backdrop to it all.
Keep up with Ernest K. here.
by Meredith Schneider | Oct 31, 2017 | wolf tracks
While we wait with baited breath as progressive/alt metal project Ascending Dawn – comprised of Marlain Angelides (vocals), Mark Weatherley (drums/guitar), and Owen Rees (guitar) – prepares to release their new album Coalesce on December 1st, we’re thinking it might be a good idea to watch their new lyric video for single “Cannonball”. But on repeat. And while you might not necessarily know why, we’ve got the lyric video below for you to take a gander at so you can understand how we fell in love with the intricate natural details of it all.
Set largely with a faded black and white/sepia colored filter over landscape scenery (an ant crawling across a wooden surface, waves crashing over a beach, etc.), it is around minute three that color is allowed to shine through, as the camera then passes over the same landscapes with a soft, ethereal glow over brilliantly colored flowers, trees, bees, etc. The contrast is stunning – almost harshly so – but makes you appreciate the presence of color even more. And all the while, the crashing cymbals and fierce, all-encompassing vocals lent by Angelides make you feel – in a word – like a badass.
Coalesce is out December 1st. Keep up with Ascending Dawn here.
by Meredith Schneider | Oct 25, 2017 | wolf tracks
Recently the most upbeat alternative rock live act we know, AWOLNATION, released the official lyric video for latest track “Passion”. The track itself serves as a mellow backdrop between the bravado of the repeating chorus – allowing itself to showcase Aaron’s softer vocal abilities than, say, “Sail” – to the contrast of the simple, black and white setup for the video. Shot from the Red Bull E-Sports Studio, the video is comprised of several individuals singing into the camera, a single light shining down on them and contrasted in black and white, their décolletage exposed as though to equalize all of them. The simplicity is striking, and the lyrics will certainly stick with you.
Keep your eyes peeled for AWOLNATION’s next release – set to drop in 2018 – right here.
by Meredith Schneider | Oct 24, 2017 | wolf tracks
Last week, producer and multi-instrumentalist Outsider released the music and lyric video for latest track “Míol Mór Mara”. The track – which is featured on the Fifa ’18 Soundtrack – almost glitters with energy, resplendent in that nostalgic 80’s sound that acts like Bruce and Bleachers are known for. The video details a woman’s insatiable wanderlust and want to go against the grain – something we have all experienced at some point or another and something that led to the creation of Imperfect Fifth – as the darkness and people around her almost seem to want to envelope her in that darkness.
Explains Outsider, “The song is about a child with down syndrome I worked with when I was suffering from huge heartbreak and it had a profound influence on my life. The kid was so inspiring and pulled me out of a dark place really just by spending time with him. It’s got a lot of biblical references to Jonah and The Whale, which is symbolic of diving into the sea of the unknown and becoming something far greater than yourself in a spiritual sense.”
We can definitely get on board with that.
Keep up with Outsider here.
by Meredith Schneider | Oct 23, 2017 | wolf tracks
Chicago-based indie folk musician Joe Goodkin recently released the third installment in his record trilogy, an album titled Record of Love which follows 2015’s Record of Life and early 2017’s Record of Loss. This album is a bit different, as every single sound was created (somehow) with a single guitar. Listening closely, you can slowly figure out some of the sound manipulations and how it was done, but largely this album is so well structured that it isn’t even something that necessarily occurs to you. All of that aside, Record of Love has delicately captivated us and we are beyond excited to premiere Goodkin’s latest music video because of it.
On its own, “Ashes” was made in homage to people that Goodkin loved, as the lyrics weave a tale of remembering and honoring several very specific family members. But it also comes as a voice of comfort for those who may be struggling with a death, be it spiritual or physical. As lines like “May their ghosts be together and free / This is how we say goodbye to those we love” dance in your head, elegant physical drawings of the lyrics dance on the screen. Blackbox Visual has created a watercolor life for the video, replete with visuals of each family member, each urn, the outside setting in which they celebrate the lives of those they have lost. In the visual, we find additional warmth and comfort, even as the ashes float like black lightning bugs through the sky.
Record of Love is available now, both individually, and as part of a vinyl collection containing Record of Life and Record of Loss. Keep up with Joe Goodkin here.
by Meredith Schneider | Oct 21, 2017 | wolf tracks
As if New York-based R&B musician Raveena Aurora could be any more impressive, she recently released a beautiful self-directed video for her single “Sweet Time”, simultaneously garnering an audience to the celebration of women of color. Working alongside a short list of incredible editors, stylists, and designers – as well as a cast of real life goddesses – Raveena has created an incredible, pink-tinged visual to represent the airy, fun, soulful vibe of the track. Feminine color, women of all shapes, colors, and sizes, and a carefree day full of florals is enough to make any woman feel as magical as they are inherently born.
Raveena, thanks for the reminder.
Crew
Directed by – Raveena Aurora
Director of Photography- James Ronkko
Producers – Alice Agrusa & Raveena Aurora
Editors – Alice Agrusa & James Ronkko
Set Design & Screenplay – Raveena Aurora
Colorist – James Ronnko
Additional Set Design – Bobo Matjila
Production Assistant – Nutsa Ugulava
Floral Stylist – Reena Aurora
MUA – Chelsea Chen & Tara Welsome
Goddesses
Akinkunmi Iman
April Rubi Jurado
Bobo Matjila
Bria Scott
Indira Scott
Serena Haahs
Tori Mumtaz
___
Keep up with Raveena Aurora here.
by Meredith Schneider | Oct 12, 2017 | wolf tracks
Goth pop musician So Below has been fascinating us for over a year now, with the way her audio art and subsequent visual art never fail to impress. Directed by Sam Kristofski, her new music video for dance track “Ruin” is an absolute stunner. Focusing on minimal jewel tones in each frame, there’s a sullen feel to the buildup of the track. As it picks up, frames layer over each other quickly, swapping between three major shots to piece the story together. But, to be fair, there was a necessity to present the video in pieces, as there is a broken feeling to the song that is now echoed in its visual presence. After all, the title is “Ruin”, so you start to feel it before you even press “play”.
We must admit, Maddie (So Below) is capable of one of the most simultaneously threatening and alluring facial expressions we have seen thus far. (See: Staring at the camera in the pool.)
Keep up with So Below here.
