by Meredith Schneider | Jul 11, 2018 | videos, wolf tracks
Australian psych collective Psychedelic Porn Crumpets really elicits a reaction with their band name alone. Then you turn on their music, and the excitement mounts. But there’s nothing like the strange, truly psychedelic energy in their new music video for “Cornflake”. Imagine some of the most kaleidoscope-like visuals you can, ripe with alien fights on hover boards, and a storyline you won’t soon forget. That’s “Cornflake” for you, animated bu Mike Wyatt (Attack Animation).
Another impressive original soundscape from this group, infinitely more mind-blowing than we expected.
Keep up with Psychedelic Porn Crumpets here.
by Karina Marquez | Jul 11, 2018 | singles, wolf tracks
Australian artist Harp Samuels’ latest single is a stripped-down masterpiece that draws you in with beautiful vocals and a poignant piano melody. The track is reminiscent of the styles of Sufjan Stevens or Damien Rice, but it tells a story that is entirely his own. Samuels bares his soul in the haunting way that only music can do. The lyrics are few and far between, yet they manage to encapsulate the same amount of emotion, or even more, than most ballads. In this case, the story not only lies within the lyrics, but the way the lyrics are sung:
You’re my home/I am safe with you/You’re my home/You made a space, so you could hide/Locked in your hazel eyes/I feel I can climb these mountains/When I’m/in deep, dark waters/You help me breathe/I’m in the waves but I’m able to see.
The first time around, Samuels’ voice is quiet, raw, and dark. But by the second time, the song shifts – the music swells and his voice has a renewed hope to it. The song’s simple structure is emphasized by the title – it reminds us to breathe, especially at times when that’s all we can do.
Keep up with the latest on Harp Samuels here, and be sure to check out the rest of his music.
by ImperfectFifth | Jul 10, 2018 | soundtrack
Asbury Park, New Jersey-based rock trio Levy & The Oaks are revving up to release their upcoming album Sound Of The City. Their new video for “Obsessive Love” is making the rounds, and their sound is pure perfection for the summertime. Lucky for us, they created a playlist as an ode to their home, and we’ve got the exclusive streaming privileges right here! Says the band of the soundtrack:
Asbury Park is filled to the brim with amazingly talented artists. This playlist only scratches the surface and is our way of saying “Thank You” to all the friends and family we’ve made along the way. Asbury welcomed us with open arms and we hope to do the same for all upcoming inspiring artists looking to join our music community.
Keep up with Levy & The Oaks here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jul 10, 2018 | videos, wolf tracks
Though Adeline is known as the voice of celebrated band Escort, the work she has produced on her own is something of a dream as well. The video for her single “Emeralds” is out now, and we’ve watched it several times this morning already. Who else needs a breath of fresh air injected into their day? This is it. The video plays off contrast, dark and light emphasized with each new frame while Adeline sings soulfully into the camera. The song itself is seductive, and the way the video has been pulled off is pure art. Check it out below!
Check out Adeline at Afropunk on August 25th.
by Karina Marquez | Jul 9, 2018 | singles, wolf tracks
Ed the Dog’s new single from his debut album Shame is an ode to the simpler times which, in this case, is the television era. Ed Wettenhall has created a song that is reminiscent of 90s pop. Its catchy chorus paired with an upbeat guitar gives off a song-of-the-summer vibe. While “Television Era” is incredibly charming, it also references the angst of nostalgia, growing up, and living in the modern world. But despite that, it still makes you want to dance.
Be sure to check out Ed the Dog’s album, and keep up with him here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jul 8, 2018 | perspective, show review
I write this, now, in the early morning, mere hours after Hayley Williams, Taylor York, Zac Farro, and their cohorts in Paramore walked off the stage at Kansas City’s picturesque Starlight Theatre. I have always – since I was blessed enough to go to my first show at age 9 – preached the importance of live music in all of our lives. I took many of my friends to their first concerts growing up, have had some stellar moments myself, and have had the joyous opportunity to experience live performance consistently in my life. I won’t go more in depth into it all, but I think you get the picture. I’ve been around this block once or twice.
I’ve even seen Paramore before. Albeit, it’s been years since I was able to introduce the magic of Hayley Williams to a handful of my friends at Warped Tour 2007. And perhaps that magic wore off a bit, as I became slightly more jaded by my experiences, and didn’t feel the need to pursue Paramore’s musicianship as they climbed in popularity. It was never out of disdain for the band, or even a dislike of the music. In fact, as singles like “The Only Exception”, “Still Into You”, “Ain’t It Fun”, and others surfaced, I found myself enjoying them insanely in rotation on the radio. Because Paramore has that pop appeal, their songs incredibly catchy and produced to perfection.
But the words are what really get me. At the core of it all, I am a big believer in lyricism. If you miss the mark instrumentally, but you have a mellifluous chorus full of double entendre, intelligent verbiage, or raw emotion, then I’m likely to listen. Hayley Williams does that.
Hayley Williams did that last night. Songs the band had written at differing points in life, songs that others have been into since the moment the album dropped in 2017, those songs reached my ears last night. Perhaps I’ve heard them once or twice, perhaps more. But last night, I was prepared. Last night, I listened.
Hayley explained that After Laughter is her favorite work of theirs to date, as long as they’ve been enchanting fans around the world. This struck me as odd, as the synthy, 80s-influenced work followed a current mainstream pattern that hit me wrong to begin with. But she explained that the album was about something deeper, their individual struggles – including her divorce and struggle with mental health – masked with this upbeat, insatiable soundscape. But she said she enjoyed that aspect, because it wasn’t fooling anyone but they could still have fun on stage during tour.
And, really, that was such an inspiring sentiment. Increasingly, people are coming out of the woodwork, detailing their struggles with their health, whatever form that may take. I, myself, have struggled immensely with diagnosed anxiety and other health issues, and find it so incredibly refreshing when an artist who has experienced success becomes vulnerable for the benefit of the world around them. If only everyone could be that courageous.
The band slowed their set down for “26”, Hayley’s ode to her 26th year that she wrote for After Laughter. I focused on the lyrics. And I identified with them. This song was me when I was 26. I was scared, I felt limited creatively and emotionally, and I felt alone. Hayley’s inability to hold it all completely together during this song increased its vulnerability, deepened her connection with the audience. Because, after all, I believe everyone can relate to that song on some level, and it made for a beautiful moment during the show.
You best believe Paramore rallied into the evening, bringing out fan favorites like “Misery Business”, “crushcrushcrush”, “Hard Times”, and “Ignorance”, and – though they chose not to regale us with my personal favorite, “For a Pessimist, I’m Pretty Optimistic” – I realized that I’m on a very similar journey in my life. If we take time to open our eyes, we really all are. We are all “fake happy” sometimes. We go out of our way to please others, allowing ourselves to stay in dark places. We fall and we want to cry and we feel unsupported. We feel like there is no space for success in our lives. We have bad days.
But it’s live music, it’s that connection we all have to one another – enjoying musicianship and life in what can only be described as a sacred space – that keeps us all floating. We’ll all hit “26”. We’ll all have that “Still Into You” love. (I’m lucky. That’s the Paramore song I have been living out lately.) We all want “Ignorance” to be our best friends. We just need to be open to being vulnerable. And – without worshipping the artist themselves – we can find inspiration in what these musicians create.
I know I did. Since last night, I can’t stop writing. I had a dance party this morning to my two new vinyls (After Laughter, Riot!) already. And I feel awake.
***
Local band YOU MONSTER YOU opened the evening around 6pm, with a performance at the Applause Club inside the venue. As Paramore fans streamed in, they welcomed them with their fun and upbeat brand of alt punk rock. “This is a song that sounds like it’s about leaving a small town behind and moving somewhere else, but really it’s about crippling depression,” frontman Trent Munsinger explained to the crowd about their track “Dodge”, which perhaps opened up the mental health theme of the evening.
The band was full of quips, quite the entertainment to get the crowd ready for an evening of Jay Som, Foster The People, and Paramore. A couple of songs into their set, You Monster You performed one of their original songs for the first time in front of a crowd, with a stand-in guitarist. They hit all the right spots with it, and at the end Trent confessed he was happy it wasn’t a train wreck, while the band noted it was “a solid B+.”
Keep up with You Monster You here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jul 6, 2018 | premieres, singles, wolf tracks
Portland-based musical project Schaus continues to bring his inventive, ambient brand of electro-pop to the world in the form of his upcoming release, an EP set for mid-month titled Quite Okay. Playing guitar, piano, bass, electronic drums, and computer, and producing and singing all of his own songs, Schaus is just the type of refreshing, well-rounded musician that we’ve been waiting for. Today, we’ve got the exclusive premiere of his new track “Choosy”.
Light electronic sounds – something along the lines of a kind robot or your favorite video game – give way to Schaus’ dark and luscious vocals, the overall mood light and fun. But his lyrics are actually something to ponder, the actuality of the track not as innocent and light as the soundscape would allude to. So make sure to focus on those words to get the full story, and keep your eyes peeled for Quite Okay next week!
Upcoming Shows:
July 10 – Portland, OR. – Holocene (EP Release Show w/ Amenta Abioto)
August 24 – Portland, OR. – Mississippi Studios (w/ Wild Ones and Blossom)
Keep up with Schaus here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jul 6, 2018 | premieres, videos, wolf tracks
Los Angeles-based alt-indie trio The Habits – comprised of Wolf Bradley, Chance Famighetti, and Andrew Macatrao – has been attracting a pretty solid fanbase since just last year, when they released their debut single “Feeling It”. Their new track – “Calling Me Up” – is just as catchy and beautiful as its predecessors, and we have the exclusive premiere of its accompanying music video, which just so happens to be their first ever as well.
Clear, precise visuals. This video encapsulates the trio’s live performances tactics, while allowing them to partake in a short film-like storyline, singing to a romantic interest over the phone. Relatable, intense emotions are thrown into a bubbly soundscape, making the true hurt delivered in the song a little less painful. The guys make sure to throw in a little humor toward the end, and now we kind of want to get sushi with them.
Explains the band:
We wanted our first music video to be simple and reminiscent of the types of videos we grew up on. It was inevitable the video would end in heart break, but the back and forth was all improvised. I’ve never had so much fun singing into a phone hanging from the ceiling or getting rejected on camera. Honestly, at some point it’s a little much to keep calling and singing to the same person. Get the hint.
Keep up with The Habits here.
