#wilder maker

[bestalbumtitle]

Round 1:

Which title do you like better?

Backwoods Barbie

The Streets Like Beds Still Warm

Voting ended onNov 4, 2025

Backwoods Barbie

Artist: Dolly Parton

Release: 2008

The Streets Like Beds Still Warm

Artist: Wilder Maker

Release: 2025

[dustedmagazine]

Wilder Maker — Male Models (Western Vinyl)

Wilder Maker made their intention explicit: the new album Male Models was meant to feel like a playlist. The band takes its influences from an array of places, and rather than limit themselves or make a string of genre-focused albums, they decided to just make a mix. To go the full distance with the idea, Wilder Maker brought in a number of guest singers, with front man Gabriel Birnbaum giving up lead vocals on nearly half the tracks (though Katie Von Schleicher should hardly count as a guest at this point). While the band bounces between styles and singes, they never lose control of the proceedings, and if the album sounds like an alternate universe radio station at times, it's one that you don't turn off.

The record opens with “Letter of Apology,” in which Birnbaum says sorry of a string of self-destructive actions, depression coming to the fore. The band finds a classic rock groove quickly, utilizing its need to celebrate as everything crashes down. Birnbaum sings, “See us standing on the lip of that sinking ship / Party playlist playing on forever perfect songs.” He wishes to change things – to take it back or at least help organize the lifeboats — but he doesn't know how. In the crisis, just put together some good songs and try not to go under. 

Von Schleicher plays guitar on that track, and she brings lead vocals to several others. The exchange between her voice and Birnbaum's becomes an essential part of the Wilder Maker experience. In “Silver Cars” she tries to escape despair, using vehicular velocity to relieve the pressure, at least temporarily. “No one needs forgiveness for what they want,” she sings, as if in thematic conversation with Birnbaum's opener (even if he needs to apologize for more than desire). On “Against Numbers” she uses basketball as a metaphor for the way we get lost in our performance, reduced to a statistic instead of complex human beings. The music's anxiety comes through clearly, wanting to settle into a Krautrock groove but staying to fidgety to get comfortable. 

The biggest surprise comes with the appearance of Counting Crows' Adam Duritz, who has become a fan of the band and even discussed them on a recent podcast, highlighting Birnbaum's compositional skills. Duritz sings lead on “O Anna,” which may remind listeners of “Anna Begins,” but has no clear connection (unless it is early love turned to bitter regret). Duritz's familiar voice adds to the playlist effect of the album, even if the song fits tonally. Birnbaum himself closes out the album with “Jason,” a slow piano-based track that considers how you can “work so hard to change, but everybody keeps on seeing what they think they know.” The sentiment sounds particularly sharp at the end of an album with intention instability. Birnbaum might draw from Randy Newman here, but he focuses on the disc's opener. On “Letter,” his protagonist didn't know how to fix it. After a course of challenges, frustrations, and struggles, our last guide doesn't know if fixing it is worth it. Yet we move on, searching for a fit that works. We might just be the party band on an existential crisis, but it feels like there's something more going on underneath all of this flux. 

Justin Cober-Lake

[thosesharpnotes]

Gabriel Birnbaum from Wilder Maker is my guest this week @vinyldistrict. Hear our talk - and the band’s great new album - Saturday at 6pm on WFDU, 89.1 FM.

[thosesharpnotes]

Wilder Maker - Male Models (Western Vinyl, 2022 🇺🇸) Really enjoyed my conversation with Gabriel Birnbaum from Wilder Maker this week about their latest release, “Male Models”. If you’re looking for strong songwriting performed by a musically diverse group, you’ve come to the right place.

[speakers77]

[gizzasong]

25/07/2020:

Wilder Maker - Half an Orange Crush on a Blue Recycling Bin

[digitaltourbus]

Wilder Maker's Sean Mullins - GEAR MASTERS Ep. 345 [VIDEO] • Digital Tour Bus

On this episode of DTB’s “Gear Masters”, Sean Mullins, drummer of the indie rock band, Wilder Maker, shows off the gear that he uses onstage.

On this episode of DTB’s “Gear Masters”, Sean Mullins, drummer of the indie rock band, Wilder Maker, shows off the gear that he uses onstage.

[digitaltourbus]

Wilder Maker - BUS INVADERS Ep. 1536 [VIDEO] • Digital Tour Bus

On this episode of DTB’s “Bus Invaders”, we take you inside the touring vehicle of the indie rock band, Wilder Maker.

On this episode of DTB’s “Bus Invaders”, we take you inside the touring vehicle of the indie rock band, Wilder Maker.