Skip to main content

Artist Feature: EXNATIONS

By

Written by Alexis Hodo
Indie/pop trio EXNATIONS released their third single, ‘Blank White’ as a final introduction to their first EP Tiny Sound in the Dark. Based out of New York, EXNATIONS have been together for a year and will welcome their first EP into the world on August 24.

I wasn’t sure what to expect with their latest single ‘Blank White’ considering I have never heard of the band before. Judging from their neon artwork, slightly reminding me of The 1975, I figured they would have an indie sound to them.

The single does well for the vibe of EXNATIONS following their other singles ‘Can’t Get Hurt’ and ‘Never About the Money’ which hold the same sound as ‘Blank White.’ They are different enough in that they showcase the band holds variety in their sound, but similar enough to tell the songs stem from the same project.

What I like about ‘Blank White’ is the fun boppy intro the song provides listeners with. After I hear “At the Blank White of the moon” I truly just want to dance in a cornfield under the stars with my friends.
This overwhelming feeling makes perfect sense when I head over to Exnations’ Twitter account and I see their bio is “we make sad songs you can dance to.”

The most unique thing about the band is not their music but the members themselves. According to their about page on Spotify, members Sal Mastrocola (vocals/guitar/synth), Dan Ciarrocchi (guitar), and Taylor Hughes (drums, synth) were never in the same place while recording their new music. I find it interesting that a band is able to put something together while being in different area codes, and have it turn out the way it did. Then again, technology has improved tremendously, making anything possible.

Although the band doesn’t necessarily record together, they will perform together after the release of their first EP. In order to hear the band live, you must live on the East Coast as they are only playing shows close to home in New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland.

As someone who rarely listens to indie music, ‘Blank White’ makes me excited to see what Exnations has up their sleeve with their EP. Mastrocola doesn’t use many varying vocals in the single and lets the beat speak for itself, but everything is balanced in a rather pleasing way.

Until EXNATIONS can make it across the US, you can listen to the band here

Comments

Post a Comment

Greatest Hits

Tyler Carter "Pressure" Single Review

By
Written by Jade Marshall  A new single “Pressure” by Tyler Carter was released on June 28th. My overall opinion of this song is that it's a really good release. The song is great and it is such a beautiful song in a strange yet wonderful way, it’s one of a kind. The beginning of the song stood out, because you hardly hear the beat in the background but you hear his voice quite strongly, it’s really beautiful. The chorus itself is prominent, as it is saying that he needs someone who will take him as him and not put all this extra pressure on him for not being who they want. “I remember when you told me/I should go back to the old me/Before the Taylor's and the tattoos/Before the Perignon and OG.” This part stands out because it opens ups the song up and tells you right off the back what he wants. “I'm frankensteinin' they wanna put me back in the lab/If I'm gonna be grinding, if I'm gonna be making this skrill/I'm gonna do it my way, bitch get out of ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Atlas Genius concert review

By
Hello! I have been gone for a while because I'm a lot busier now that I'm in school, but I have a lot of concerts coming up so I will be posting more frequently. I went back to Bottom Lounge in Chicago on October 5th to see Atlas Genius. I do like their music a lot, but I wouldn't consider myself a huge fan. I honestly wanted to go mostly because I fell in love with Bottom Lounge when I was last there to see Andrew McMahon. I always end up liking the opening acts they bring in and I love the intimate atmosphere. I hope to continue going there to discover new music. Half The Animal The first band that opened was Half The Animal. I had never even heard of them before and had no clue what they sounded like. As soon as they started I really got into them. They have an indie-pop sound, which is something I've started appreciating more recently. The lead singer, Chase Johnson, had an incredible amount of energy. He was dancing and getting into the music and the energy fr...
Post a Comment
Read more