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 1, 2017 | wolf tracks
Earlier this month, New Jersey-based alternative indie rock trio The Stewart Dolly – comprised of Bob (guitar/vocals), Paul (bass/vocals), and Johnny (drums) – released their EP, affectionately titled Ain’t No Gas Station Gon’ Sell You City Boys No Grenadine. Consisting of five tracks, this EP takes hilarious some topics and goes off the deep end with them, inviting in hilarious lyrics alongside some serious guitar chops.
“Neon Sandwich w Lots Of Pepper” seems like an off title, but the track itself is literally about a neon sandwich. And though the lyrics are simple and silly, the instrumental composition is that of a crashing rock band, slightly reminiscent of early Good Charlotte in its delivery. Second track “Drill Spice” establishes a mid-tempo beat while singing about preferences, while “Archie Get In The House” has a quieter, more ambling beginning that hits its stride pretty quickly with the first line. As the band questions “Why won’t he go in?” and continues to give this “Archie” character life advice, we are taken back in time to when more people were inserting their opinions in our own lives. This song kind of plays off of that, and the humor does not evade us.
Fourth track “Don’t Count On Me” might have the most serious title of the five, detailing an unreliability with such blatant honestly (“Cuz there is no guarantee”, “I’m only good for two out of three,” etc.) that we’re both flummoxed and wondering if we can realistically make this our new anthem. The band rounds out the EP with “Polaroid Trail”, a song that seems, at first listen, to be a slow ballad. But that’s not how The Stewart Dolly is going to go out, they’ll do it with a bang. So, of course, the song speeds up before the vocals hit. And then we realize this is a song of heartbreak, and it’s slightly painful listening to the lyrics.
But we’ll just keep “try[ing] not to think of” the band after this, because five songs is a good taste but it’s just not enough.
Ain’t No Gas Station Gon’ Sell You City Boys No Grenadine is available now. Keep up with the band here.
by Meredith Schneider | Oct 30, 2017 | wolf tracks
Seattle-based shoegaze/dream pop collective Ephrata – comprised of Skadi Von Reis Crooks (guitar, vocals), Brady Hall (guitar, vocals), Jules Jones (bass, vocals), and Ben Bromage (drums, vocals) – released their self-titled 11 track album just last month. The vocal harmonies they have been honing since their conception in 2011 are buttery smooth, with almost a kaleidoscope of personalized instrumental layers that make each song feel like an entire experience. We were big fans of the release, so we thought we’d let you in on why.
“Odds” has a very “I Melt With You” feel to its initial lines – though delivered as though it were released in the 50s – bathing its listener in light, nostalgic feels right off the bat. “Tunguska” is characterized by whirring guitars, the beat setting in after a couple of lines and really kicking the energy into high gear. But the song feels upbeat and light, while the lyrics are actually quite terrifying as they repeat “Run, run, scream and cry / Run for your life.” (Comforting, we know.) “Breakers” makes us realize that we may have embedded ourselves in a deceivingly light – but innately melancholic – work, as first line “Don’t you know that things were better when they were bad?” throws us into an almost existential mindset. And while we aren’t entirely sure what it means to “die on a sea of straight faces,” “Sea Of Straight Faces” is a slow, 50’s doo-wop sounding track that mellows you out for a bit mid-album.
Fifth track “Fiend Folio” seems to play with dissonance early on, addressing perhaps the fact that your road through life is paved with temptation and intensity (“forked tongues and fangs showed me the way”). We might be misinterpreting the lyrics, though they are – as their predecessors – seemingly bittersweet in their delivery and intention. “1000 Things” begins with a grunge/surf bass guitar, exploding into a beachy track that hits Beach Boys status pretty quickly and effectively. And while “What Is Mine” is indie rock at its core – it feels as though it could have easily been included on the Juno soundtrack – “Consequence” rolls right back into some hard beachy nostalgia for us all.
“Pharaoh” is light and upbeat in delivery. In fact, deceivingly so, as they’re singing about being shot and “entombed,” though the overarching theme might just be found in the line “pot meet kettle,” something we have been examining intensely recently, especially regarding people in power. (But I digress.) “Evil Twin” is a track that really makes you think. Clearly, the person whose perspective we’re examining is in denial about a seemingly abusive relationship, as she is convinced she met her significant other’s “evil twin” because of the way he treats her. “But when he appears you’re always gone…” How sullen and beautiful, this perspective on unhealthy relationships. Ephrata ties their 11 track release together with “Sun Scenario”, keeping with the devastating, lugubrious theme by instructing “fill your head full of dread ’til you’re dead,” which – to their credit – when examined has the opposite effect. It’s as though they’re encouraging you to embark upon this dark path, hoping you might take it as a challenge and move, instead, into the light.
But however you tend to interpret the lyrics, move forward. Examine your world through the lens of Ephrata’s music and use it as a learning tool. It will come in handy.
Ephrata is available now. Keep up with the band here.
by Meredith Schneider | Oct 27, 2017 | wolf tracks
On October 23rd, Greek electric artist May Roosevelt released an 8-track enchanter of an album titled Junea via Inner Ear Records. The album is named after a fictional character in Junea’s world who acts as a “heroine of the modern digital world, where reality meets fiction through bridges made of electronic sounds and pixels.” Junea seems to be an extension of May Roosevelt herself – an alter ego almost – but either way, she has been unleashed and is receiving an immense amount of attention. We can see why, as we’re thrown into another world within each individual track.
Beginning with the light – almost watery sounds – the track “Air” evokes a feeling of being alone right off the bat, witnessing the track build slowly around a lonely echo. The pace picks up and you are thrown into a largely instrumental dance track, exposed to the mellow yet upbeat sound space that will captivate you throughout the majority of the album. “Pa” provides more quirky instrumentals, while “Flowers” has an elegance about it that its predecessors don’t, though the larger instrumental theme holds them all together like a thread. The percussion in “Flowers” is standout, as the lyrics layer ethereally over each other and provide an earthy and tranquil sound. And while “Be” has a lightness that innately encourages you to be present in the moment, “Let’s” begins with a similar sound but travels into a darker sound space than the album has quite allowed yet.
“In Your Eyes” opens with an otherworldly – almost alien – feel to it, enticing its listeners into a hip swaying, belly dancing type of mood. It’s sultry, mirroring its title in a way that makes it entrancing. “Ta” disrupts with a more immediate electronic, computer-like feel to it, sending us back into that tranquil mindset as it explodes into a cacophony of glittery sound before slowing down and resting briefly to prepare us for the last track. “Tides” comes in slowly, somehow more delicate than she has yet introduced a song. It’s as though her whispers have become whispers of whispers, drawing you into her abundance of mellow and beautiful energy. It’s the most interesting way to bring you out of your Junea-induced trance, as it picks up immensely and you have to almost fight yourself not to dance.
Overall, we’re pleased with the way May has made her mark on the electronic sound space. Junea seems effortlessly – yet flawlessly – produced, an album that should be celebrated widely across the festival circuit next summer, if given the proper chance. With it, we have seen another facet of her work and are equally inspired and motivated from it as we are with her previous releases.
Tracklist:
01. Air
02. Pa
03. Flowers
04. Be
05. Let’s
06. In Your Eyes
07. Ta
08. Tides
Junea is available now. Keep up with May Roosevelt here.
by Meredith Schneider | Oct 19, 2017 | wolf tracks
Recently, Earth-based psych-rock collective Elephant Fire – made up of musicians Adam Wall, Steve Wall, Zac Colwell, and Dave Hellman – released their seven track full-length Natural Heart. Inspired by a six month journey into North America’s national parks, this album is a remarkable tribute to the beauty of the world around us, something that is easily noticeable from the very beginning with the first vintage punk-tinged track “Natural Heart”. “Come With Me” begins with a slower, more hard-hitting tempo, imploring you to “relax your feels and have some tea, come with me,” which sounds like a pretty neat idea to us, as we sit here writing this in the middle of the work week. (Looking around the office, completely unamused.)
Third track “Lovers In The Bike Lane” begins with that line exactly, then drags you into its groove with quirky bike bells and light, ethereal cymbals. Begging you to take him somewhere, anywhere, the track ends with a “ting” and throws you right into the keyboard-fueled intro of “Burn Me Up”. The keys end abruptly, and you’re pulled into a world of pure rock, as the sounds swirl you around through a fiery kaleidoscope of early love. And while “It’s Alright” begins with a cacophony of light instrumentals, the repetition of the line “It’s Alright” makes you realize that – even with the quirky sound effects that don’t quite seem as though they belong – everything is going to be A-OK.
“It’s Rising” has a little bit more of a dark undertone to it, though we wouldn’t necessarily call it dark. Wall’s vocals are breathy, more sultry in their conviction. There are parts of the track that make you feel like you might be losing your damn mind, but those are the pieces that make this such an incredible head banging track, so we’re all for it. And, just like that, “Karmic Siege” sieges the spotlight as the final track of Natural Heart, leading its listeners into a mid-tempo instrumental section that speaks to the hippie in all of us.
Our normally insatiable eardrums are pleased.
Natural Heart is available now. Keep up with Elephant Fire here.
by Meredith Schneider | Oct 13, 2017 | wolf tracks
Brooklyn-based indie americana musician Caleb Clardy dropped his new album today, a twelve track collection that holds an introspective coming of age narrative at its core. Having co-written and collaborated with many musicians in Brooklyn over the years, Caleb is no stranger to what works. This fact is evident in his work, and in our awe at his first full-length, titled Invincible Things.
From first track and previously released single “True Original”, which establishes a “stand up for who you are” ideology with words like “if love don’t work, maybe cynicism can” that make our ears perk up. “Keep Up” expands on that idea, almost giving permission for those who exist at a higher frequency – people who are always told to “slow down” – to keep on keepin’ on at their own pace. It also serves as a reminder that everyone goes at their own pace, and it’s important to accept and embrace them as they are.
And that’s just the first two tracks. The title track slows everything down to an almost country ballad feel, while fourth song “Stoic World” dances along a melancholic tightrope, the perfect audio representation of its title. “Found Us A Home” is a detailed account of living a blue collar life chasing your dreams, perhaps the modern genre-hopping equivalent of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car”. And while “Watch Out World” returns all of its energy into quick paced boot-scootin’, “Magic” slows the album to a glacial pace, where Clardy gets to play with beauty in dissonance.
The song we were initially most curious about would have to be “Queen Of The World”, a sweet, delicate love letter to an obvious love interest. It’s as though the composition of the instrumentals was simplified, lightened, so that the emphasis would rest solely in the complimentary and beautiful words. “Made Up Lives” saunters into the sound space, asserting that “love is a blessing and a curse” while “Sara C” feels more punk in both tempo and vocals than its predecessors. “Flags” is, perhaps, the most gloomy track in this collection, addressing the brokenness of society, of how life can be a “long road if you’re feeling alone.” Though most of the song serves as a question for disheartened humans, there is a reminder for a light at the end of it all to keep your chin up.
“Right and Wrong” was the best choice to end Invincible Things on the right note. Once again playing – this time moreso – with dissonance and open-ended questions, this track mellows out the entire piece into a sound space to ask the hard-hitting, existential questions that Clardy has been detailing throughout. One thing is for sure, this man is not about shying away from important topics, and certainly has no aversion to beautiful composition.
Invincible Things is out today. Keep up with Caleb Clardy here.
by Meredith Schneider | Oct 6, 2017 | wolf tracks
Chicago collective Mutts – comprised of Mike Maimone (keys, vocals), Bob Buckstaff (bass, guitar), and Ian Tsan (drums) – have had an incredibly busy few weeks, having just released their new EP Stick Together amongst re-released videos for included tracks “Neighbor” (ft. Jennifer Hall) and “Tin Foil Hat” while simultaneously opening for Company of Thieves on their reunion tour. Even with all the buzz around the EP itself – for which the title is a clear political (and human) statement in these times of trouble – we wanted to make sure everyone got their ears on it. Because these five tracks are certainly something special.
“I’ll Be Around” starts the EP in the most soulful and serene way, deep, raspy vocals serving as the standout aspect while Maimone lets you know “you don’t have to be alone tonight,” serving comfort in a very audible and strong way. Second track “Neighbor” – and its accompanying DIY video – is simple, a testament to the power of trusting in the people that surround you. Jennifer Hall’s vocals add a layer of beauty that makes the song feel more universal and hearty, keeping upfront honesty as soulful as its predecessor. And seeing as third track “Let’s Go” played often during the Cubs’ World Series run at Wrigley Field, this one is already an upbeat fan favorite that can honestly be played in any situation that you need a little bit of an energy boost.
By the time we get to “Tin Foil Hat”, the energy is already up and we’re properly prepared for both the track and its quirky music video, also created in its entirety by the guys in Mutts. Its fun nature almost makes you feel as though the song is a fun one, but its message is very anti-hate and incredibly important. (“Get yourself a tin foil hat and get the government out of your head.”) After such a direct and important message is delivered in such a creative and fun way, the only way to round out the EP is to bring the energy down slowly with “Don’t Touch It”, a track you can absolutely sway your hips to, but we can’t imagine for a second anyone head banging to.
If you want to prove us wrong, though, you’re welcome to post a video and let us know.
Stick Together is available now. Keep up with Mutts here.
by Meredith Schneider | Oct 4, 2017 | wolf tracks
Swedish songwriter Alice Boman recently released a limited edition 7″ of her single “Dreams”. Boman’s first release in three years, the physical copy is comprised of “Dreams” on one side, and an instrumental version of the single unavailable anywhere else on the B side.
“Dreams” lightly dances along, with melancholic lyrics and an almost eerie undertone to the vocals. Poignant in its disposition, Boman’s lyrics beg the question “Where do dreams begin?” repeatedly, opening up space for its listener to ponder. Admits Boman of the track:
I wrote “Dreams” more than 2 years ago and I can’t recall exactly what was in my mind at the time. But I do remember being in the studio later on recording the song. I had just gotten a disappointing text message and I was sad and upset, and then I had to record vocals. And I remember that it hit me, when singing the song, that although I wrote it at another time it captured just how I felt in that moment too. And it comforted me somehow, that that’s how it is. Everything is constantly changing. But some things always feels the same. Heartache is never easy. And in those moments it’s important to find something to hold on to. To keep on dreaming.
Alice Boman Live Dates:
10.11.17 – Stockholm, SE @ Pygméteatern (sold-out)
02.28.18 – London, UK @ St Pancras Old Church
by Meredith Schneider | Sep 26, 2017 | wolf tracks
On Friday, self-proclaimed “unruly vaudeville” band EGRESS – expertly comprised of “Tyrant” Taylor (Vocals, Accordion, Cello), “Saddle” Sarah (Vocals, Piano, Violin), John” Toobie Doo” Wentz (Tuba, Vocals), Jaclyn “the” Kidd (Guitar, 6 String Banjo), Joe “BONE” Lynch (Trombone, Backup Vocals), “Easy” Chet Sullivan (Trumpet, Backup Vocals), and Nick Pecca (Drums) – released their 13 track, frills-packed full-length Onward! Up A Frightening Creek. From the very beginning of “VooDoo”, there is a sense of that this band should have come from the south, as their sound is much more theatrical New Orleans than anything we’d expect from their hometown of Bethlehem, PA. But that is the quirky beauty in what they’re doing, and we’re so on board.
Second track “Whiskey on My Grave” has almost a dreamlike quality to it, which makes sense as this is the most anyone could hope for in the afterlife, if we do say so ourselves. The tempo drops slightly for “Cinematic Savior”, though the vocals feel more soulful in comparison to the punk-tinged vocals of its predecessor. “Mark Of The Beast” is resplendent in its texture, really bringing an otherworldly gypsy feel to the album. “Chopped Down” brings us back to a slightly more folk sound, though we know we’re in for more intense genre swaps before the end of Onward! Up A Frightening Creek.
“See No Evil” meanders along, the raspy vocals simply instructing us to “kill our enemies” as casually as possible, amongst other fun lines. (But no ill will, right guys?) “Rollin'” has a smoother, big band backdrop, and we can imagine a can can line and the beautiful frenzy of skirts as the track speeds up and brings us to a more anxious sound space. (And commentary on the repetitiveness of history.) Eighth track “Ode To Bukowski’s Women” is up there with “Whiskey On My Grave” as one of our favorite titles, and EGRESS swaps between the vintage tinge of their phenomenal female vocalist and a deep, almost sinister male vocalist. It makes for one of the more unique tracks we have heard as of late, and we’re intrigued to see the response to this one in particular.
“Nelly Mae” picks up the tempo, a track we can envision an entire park full of people frantically dancing to. “All We Have, We Give To You” has the most self-sacrificing title of the bunch, and we don’t disagree as the intensity of the instrumentals is proof itself. The lyrics are honest, as they sing about sleep habits, drinking, and having three heads. (Normal things, ya know?) “Southbound” and its accompanying intro clearly belong in a touring musical, and we’re slightly disappointed they aren’t yet.
Although, if we’re being honest, the majority of this work belongs in its own stage production. (So do you want to get on that, EGRESS?)
The band rounds out Onward! Up A Frightening Creek with “Going Home (Again)”, an anthem-type of track that is upbeat and details an intense journey home. But the nifty part of it is that they’ve decisively woven some very interesting social commentary into the words – though that’s hardly a surprise at this point – and have captivated their listeners with standout lines like “Bowie took our friends in his spaceship to sit this one out/They’re looking down on earth and convinced that it’s always been round.” It’s sincerely the best way we could think to round out the new release. (And if you don’t think you’ve had enough of that track, check out the music video here.)
Onward! Up A Frightening Creek is out now. Keep up with EGRESS every day right here.
