Video: Hotfox “Esplanade”
Yesterday, Bloomington, IN’s Hotfox released the official video for their song “Esplanade” from the album You, Me and the Monster out last year. The video opens with shots from “The Stacks” at IU’s Herman B. Wells library, a scene that at once made me nostalgic and incredibly anxious – immediately thrown back into a caffeine-infused cram session that only college requires. The track is one of the milder efforts from Hotfox’s debut release, an acoustic slow-roll, meditating on the fear that comes with living in a world where the nutters have been given the keys to the nuthouse. “The asylum is waging war upon the streets…” Fortunately, amidst the chaos lies something pure – a phoenix, a burst of color. Heavy stuff for what is otherwise one of the lighter tracks on the album. Check out the video below, shot and edited by Kristine Morgan.
Connect with Hotfox via Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp
Written by Rob Peoni
Fresh Track + Video: Palomino “Ponte Vecchio”
The New England Patriots and their fans are set to infiltrate my turf as they have earned a trip to Indianapolis for Super Bowl XLVI. My biggest nightmare has turned into a dark reality as Billy Cundiff decided to channel his true, inner Ray Finkle. While it is yet to be seen whether or not Mr. Cundiff goes Louis Einhorn on all of us, I struggle with finding a coping mechanism during these next two weeks. While I will opt to take cover in my downtown apartment to avoid the pain, I have decided to turn to the only thing that can possibly put my soul at ease – music.
It is my best guess that a myriad of residents from this great city will show their support to the Patriots opposition. New York Giants fans will be accepted and embraced by Hoosiers abound. What better way to leverage this new partnership than by using this blog to support the great music that comes from the Big Apple. I introduce you to New York’s Palomino.
Palomino is comprised of Elijah Campbell and Mike Sweeney. The duo is set to drop their self-titled, debut EP on at Ella in NYC on February 17. Their influences consist of Built to Spill, The Clash, and the Replacements. Not a bad set of bands to look to for inspiration. I was impressed when I saw the video for their single “Ponte Vecchio” and hope it is the first of many NYC bands I choose to cover as we lead up to the moment when all eyes are on Indianapolis. I welcome all of our readers to not only listen to Palomino, but use it as an East Coast elixir during times of despair leading up to the big game.
Connect with Palomino via Facebook | Bandcamp
Written by Brett McGrath
Fresh Track + Video: Fear of Men “Doldrums”
The music video is one of the most underappreciated forms of artistry there is. Forgotten about since MTV went into the shitter 15 years ago when Carson Daly lost Jennifer Love Hewitt and sent his career from TRL to a half hour taped late night show that no one in America watches unless they are too stoned to sleep or too drunk to remember. The music video still exists today, only releases are viral via the Internet, rather than the television. The change in venue has obviously reduced the budget, but certainly not reduced the artist’s chance to express music through imagery in creative ways.
Fear of Men are quartet from London and Brighton who have only been making music together since early 2011. Their best song to date, “Doldrums”, is a relaxed lo-fi pop song with jangly guitars and somber vocals. For all you non-English majors, doldrums is defined as “low spirits; a feeling of boredom or depression; a period of inactivity or state of stagnation” and it’s music video fits this mood. Shot in black and white, it features lead singer Jessica Weiss wandering in a forest dressed in all black surrounded by visions of yesterday in the form of historical civilization statues. Figures covered in white appear towards the end, and Jessica toys with trying see what’s inside, before ultimately abandoning and moving on.
Meet me in the doldrums for a while
I’ll let it take me over
I’ll meet you in the doldrums
I’ve got to let go of everything I own
Fear of Men self-released “Doldrums” on a tape entitled Alice Munro Demos. Keep your eyes open for the band’s debut album, which is scheduled for release on April 9th of this year. If you like what you hear, be sure to visit the group’s Bandcamp page for more of their ever-growing catalog.
Connect to Fear of Men via Facebook | Twitter
Written by Greg Dahman
Thought on Tracks 