by Meredith Schneider | May 7, 2021 | singles, soundtrack
The outside world is getting more vivid, as more people get vaccinated and the days get longer, summer quickly approaching. Take this time to get outside, get grounded, and love on yourself a little bit. But in the in-between, feel free to play our May soundtrack in the background of whateverthehell you’re spending your time on and with these days. We promise you’ll find some gems to add to your personal collection, and there might be some fun ones built-in for your next vacation playlist! đ
by Meredith Schneider | Apr 30, 2021 | albums, review, wolf tracks
One of our favorite singer/songwriter extraordinaires – alt-folk artist EVVAN – has released a dreamy new 5-track EP, Home, and we’re certain it warrants a listen from music lovers of all genres. Never have we felt so much attitude without a hard blues influence in a folk track as we did with the initial track “Wolf.” (Wolf tracks are our favorite though. ;))
Second track “I’m Not Done Yet” is delivered with the fervor you expect from someone who is fully prepared for the next chapter of their lives. âSo many times in my life Iâve heard the exact phrases I wrote in the song from friends whoâve experienced the same, from people who I thought were friends and didnât accept me, from absolute strangers on the street who noticed I was different,” says EVVAN. “It is exhausting, and while there are times I feel beaten down and without hope, I remember this is who I am, and I should be proud of that.”
A track born from the emotions around wanting to come out, Evvan carries intense emotion with each word delivered, creating a beautiful ballad that feels like a torch held by and for all of those who feel other at times. If nothing else, this track is a testament to the artful soul of its creator.
“Hurricane” comes at a more steady clip, as EVVAN details a tumultuous relationship situation. “Falling Over You” speaks to a similar relationship, as the thoughts early in a relationship take over and confuse the hell out of our protagonist. Undoubtedly, this is a highly relatable track for the listeners. It’s also got a beautiful cadence that is absolutely captivating.
The title track rounds out this new release, more simplistic instrumentally than its predecessors, just as impactful. It really is the most freeing way to end the collection. If you have the opportunity, we highly suggest listening to the work in its entirety – as a full and honest adventure – below.
by Erin P.S. Zimmerman | Apr 29, 2021 | perspective, review
âAh, another virtual event that I will RSVP to and not at ALL want to attend most of,â I thought, as the first electronic communications regarding SXSW 2021 came through to my device.
And, as we got closer to the start date, I thought more and more about the piles of work and other obligations that I could not take a vacation from in order to attend â like I would in a non-pandemic year where I would be physically changing locations and turning on my out-of-office messages.
But, of all the virtual events Iâve attended â and chosen not to attend â during the COVID-19 pandemic, this one was by far the most beneficial for me to attend.
And, itâs not because there were speakers/talent who looked/were like me (a white, cishet, straight female), but because there were speakers/talent who looked
NOTHING. LIKE. ME.
Sure, there were some missteps. Namely:
1.     Mark Cuban â not only is he the whitest dude, but he offers no additional perspective he hasnât already spewed across all digital/media channels
2.     MOST of the speakers were pre-recorded â so, couldnât you pre-screen some of the talks to ensure that those catchy titles that were submitted in the panel picker process actually lived up to their name? (i.e. â anything that started with âHow Toâ should have been some sort of how toâŠnot just âI am so successful, here is how I am so successfulâ. See: Every white man â including Mark Cuban).
3.     Allowing ANY talks with a white man â or a group of white men â by himself. Panels, groups discussions, or fireside chats with all types of people that include a white man? SURE! But our lives have been so saturated with mediocre white dudes on a podium talking down to us for LITERALLY OUR ENTIRE LIVES that we just donât need one more talk by a solo white guy.Â
And, Iâm not saying that was all that was there â but, constructive criticism is important. Weâve all got to keep organizers on their toes. Because, yes, there were plenty of talks that were out-of-the-box and from traditionally marginalized speakers. There were tracks on cannabis and living outside of the gender binary and women in [insert career here]. This was, in fact, the event with the widest array of representation I have attended yet.
AND it canât stop here.
This canât be the âdiversity yearâ â one and done.Â
I hope this yearâs SXSW sets the tone for pushing boundaries and innovating and leading the charge in representation across ALL events, multimedia, etc.
I hope it continues into the next in-person conference â and I am not left sitting in a cold conference room staring 10 feet up at a million Seth Rogens all week. (As delightful as one Seth Rogen can be).Â
I am delighted that I âleftâ SXSW having heard about subjects that move me from the people who are on the ground, doing the work.Â
Feeling full.Â
Feeling rejuvenated.Â
Feeling hopeful about things to come.
I didnât leave thinking: so what?
I left thinking: what now?
by Meredith Schneider | Apr 13, 2021 | singles, soundtrack, wolf tracks
April is normally one of our favorite months of the year. Springtime is really kicking into high gear, it’s kitten season, it’s my birthday… This year is truly no exception, however obstacle after obstacle has been throwing itself into our realm. So, let’s take some time to relax with new releases from April 2021. Featuring music from REI AMI, Last Minte, Zuli Jr., and more, we will be adding new artists on a daily basis throughout the rest of the month. Check back frequently, and let us know what artists YOU love!
by Meredith Schneider | Mar 26, 2021 | albums, review
Sweetlove’s origin story isn’t anything reminiscent of a meet-cute. The work that seems to burst and pour from the seams of this artist has resulted from a long road littered with several intense personal battles. 6 magical tracks come at us today with the release of her EP Goodnight, Lover.
Goodnight, Lover is packed with the self-discovery that comes along with growing into your skin. “Devil on Your Shoulder” should be more sinister, but as Sweetlove implores that it “feels good when you’re living free,” there’s less of a negative connotation to the aforementioned idea of anyone playing devil’s advocate in your court. The title track slows the pace of the project down a bit, a twangy love ballad that will bring you right back to your boots. (Er, roots.) It throws feelings of all-encompassing passion out into the ether, preparing you for the slow, sincere beauty of third track “The House.”
“Did You Even Know” comes rolling in with Garth Brooks-esque momentum, a song that calls for appreciation in the now. Circling back to the theme of devils, “Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead” comes in with the soft, assuring instrumentals of a light, summer song from our youth. The soundscape is simplified, a sense of loss, a beautiful song that allows you to mourn as you sing “it will get better.” “Things I Didn’t Say” perfectly rounds out the established feelings of loss through a lens nothing short of bittersweet. It’s the perfect testament to a love experienced to the fullest.
We highly encourage a glass of whiskey or wine and a night on the patio under the stars with this new collection from Sweetlove. It will help you tap into feelings you won’t recognize, and many you simply haven’t felt for a hot minute. Check it out in its entirety below.
photo by Anna Azarov
by Meredith Schneider | Mar 25, 2021 | albums, review
For a rip-roarin’ good time, country singer/songwriter Charlie Treat’s new album is the perfect answer to your prayers. Beginning with the amped-up energy of “I Ain’t Gonna Be The One To Do It,” he finds a way to lure the audience in with wit and a bite of nostalgia in the instrumentals. Even the slow down of pace with the second track “Drink With Me” holds lengthy, rhythmic lines, with (what appears to me to be) clear nods to The Black Crowes. (“Hard To Handle,” specifically, for those of you asking. And yes, it did take me calling the insanely talented music journalist Elizabeth Schneider to pinpoint the exact sound. Kudos to her.) Just those two tracks will have your mind spinning, but there are ten more inspired songs left to enjoy past that with this new release.
“The Two Best People” really brings the energy down, while singing of “bringing each other down.” Bluesy, beautiful energy to launch you into a light, airy “Tune As Pretty As You.” “Steamshovel Blues” brings the pace up again, but “So Much Better” lulls us back into that slow, glittering, 70’s sound. “Rain Again” comes at you with an edge off the bat, with some quick bongos and even quicker lyrics.
“Drive My Blues Away” is the most melancholic track we have yet to experience on this collection. The vocals seem very inspired, at times Springsteen, and at others Steven Tyler. The piano and whirring guitar solo make the whole thing feel like it could have been recorded in the 90s.
Thank goodness “Dollar For Dollar” brings the pace back up, as the subject matter isn’t entirely something to celebrate. However, the idea of rallying for the working man is something we can all relate to, especially after the trials the last year has presented us with. “Dancing At The Bar (The Quarantine Song)” starts out with glittering synth, and honestly we could see this track being performed alongside anything by ABBA. (Can you hear it?) “Candi” plays with dissonance before the first vocals hit, making it feel almost calmer as the lyrics set in. The whole album is rounded out quite well with “Biggest Fool,” which somehow blendsseveral of the aforementioned genres into one song. (Is that sitar? Are we in a 70’s music video? Where did that trumpet come from?)
One thing is for certain. Charlie Treat has chops. His ability to write lyrics that somehow perfectly complement each instrumental, creating new sounds that simultaneously pay homage to genre-spanning predecessors, is actually quite unique and very appreciated. The Comet should be approached as an adventure and a very appreciated leap into nostalgia.
The Comet is out on March 26.
by Meredith Schneider | Mar 19, 2021 | albums, review
Athens, GA based collective Lo Talker has our wheels spinning as we head into the weekend with their debut album A Comedy of Errors. An album that takes a look at modern times through a humorous, and often biting, sarcastic lens. Through twelve genre-bending tracks, this quintet boasts influence and talent that makes this feel like their fifth album together, not their first. And perhaps that’s where the magic lies here.
As much personality as they’ve injected into the lyrics themselves, there is so much more to this layered work of art. For example, the meandering tone to tracks like “Heaven In Drag”, “Unkown Transmission Arrives”, and “Sift” brags on the delicacy these incredible musicians are capable of, while instrumentals in songs like “Don’t Hide That Light Pt. II” and “Two Ghosts” play with dissonance and give us more of that noisy, grunge influence despite the soft, mellifluous vocals. They even bring some 80s influence to it with “Silvery – Shadow Or Shadow”, which is dusted with glittering synth for effect.
Rhythmically, our favorite is “Nero In The News,” but “Automatic Love” could just be our new favorite (at home) karaoke banger, if not solely for the fact that you can’t help but smile while listening to it. (Nostalgia pop at its finest, my friends.)
Comedy of Errors is out now. Keep up with Lo Talker here.
by Meredith Schneider | Mar 16, 2021 | singles, wolf tracks
From the first, bluesy lines, you can tell this song is about to hit you in your feels. 18-year-old Zola captures the modern teenage social landscape perfectly, as it is rife with backstabbing “frenemies” and the like. (But we aren’t speaking from experience or anything like that.) Explains Zola:
â[‘Not Like Other Girls’ is about] finding the courage to stand up for oneâs self in the face of a bullying or gaslighting âfriend.â The phrase is inherently misogynistic, labeling other girls as inferior. The irony is that this girl who thinks herself superior is actually the opposite.”
What a deeply layered and gorgeous song. But it is the rhythm and standout vocals that really tell the story here, and we are stoked to see what direction Zola takes us in 2021. Allow yourself to melt into the music below.
by Meredith Schneider | Mar 10, 2021 | Uncategorized
Jazz folk artist Queen Bonobo is releasing her new single “Throw Me In” this Friday. A song that teeters a line between theatrical and folk music, the lead single from her forthcoming EP draws obvious inspiration from the Irish countryside she resided in while studying the music of her ancestors. This song was born from her time abroad while feeling disconnected and lonely on her new journey. The lyrics hold a powerful message, something to enjoy as we head into the tail end of the week.
Leading up to the release, we actually have your very first listen below. Check it out, and let us know what you think over on Facebook!
