Schaefer Llana - "Wednesday Is Green"

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Photo by Kaylee Vaughn

Artists like Schaefer Llana are teaching me that mainstream can be a good thing. Her latest single, "Wednesday Is Green," is a perfect example of mainstream folk. It's a little folk pop, but only because it's so infectious. The melody of this song is going to get stuck in your head before you memorize any of the words, and I don't believe there's anyone who likes any form of Americana that won't love "Wednesday Is Green." Llana's vocals have this simple quality that ends up being the song's secret weapon. This is the perfect song for lovers of folk artists that fill stadiums and indie folk snobs. Llana is just that great of an artist.

Schaefer Llana says her latest single “... started when I was sitting by a river out in the Mississippi country. Everything was green – the water, the weed, and the turtles. Years later, I added to the song in Texas and Florida, and it ultimately became about embracing solitude and being your own home.”

You can watch the video for "Wednesday Is Green" below. Full Circle is due out November 13 on Strolling Bones Records, and is available for pre-order here. For more on Schaefer Llana, check out the artist's website.

On Repeat...

Hiding Places - "Waiting"

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Photo by Calli Westra Brooklyn's Hiding Places are originally from North Carolina, and that sound is all over their latest single. "Waiting" has a strong alt-country meets dark indie rock sound. The song is as hypnotic as it is heartbreaking. Even if you're not paying attention to the lyrics, the vibe of the song is overwhelmingly dark and somber. There's plenty of country twang and indie rock fuzz throughout the song, with the music carrying the weight of the song as much as vocalist/guitarist Nicholas Byrne's voice does. The song is stunning, both in its beauty and mood. I feel like I've been sitting on "Waiting" for a while now until I could fully wrap my head around it. Hiding Places has something truly special here. Nicholas Byrne says of his band's latest single: "Hiding Places’ first bassist, Anthony Cozzarelli, left the band in July of 2022. I wrote the chorus the day before Anthony left the band. I recalled the slow death of my ...
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Failure - "The Air's on Fire"

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Photo by Lyndsey Byrnes With their upcoming seventh overall studio album, the highly influential band Failure will have released more albums since reuniting in 2014 than they did during their first run. The first single from that album, "The Air's on Fire," shows the band expanding their sound while still being rooted in what has always made them great. The song is a dark and moody one that is always threatening to explode but never quite does. This is an example of 90's alt-rock meets art rock at its very finest. It's the kind of song that could easily have come out thirty years ago, but that doesn't mean it sounds dated. After the first listen, "The Air's on Fire" will sound like a killer alt-rocker from a 90's band that hasn't lost a step at all. The more you listen, the more complex Failure get on the single, and the more the song reveals itself to you. Ken Andrews says of his band's latest single: “That song is directly about my ...
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Mama's Broke - "How it Ends"

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Mama's Broke, the post-folk Canadian duo of Lisa Maria and Amy Lou Keeler, have just released a break up song that might be their most accessible yet. While the previous singles from their upcoming album have a certain darkness or a sense of foreboding, "How it Ends" sounds relatively upbeat. Considering this is a song about how you never think you'll find someone as good as your ex after a break up, that's quite a feat. This is a traditional folk song with some slightly modern folk harmonies. As much heartbreak as their is in "How it Ends," there is also the warmth of remembering a recent relationship. You can listen to "How it Ends" below. Narrow Line is due out May 13 on Free Dirt Records, and can be pre-ordered here . For more on Mama's Broke, check out the artist's website .
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