Curl Up And Die may just be the band that has been present through the entirety of the time that NeuFutur has been a print zine. Our first review of Curl Up and Die was about their “The Only Good Bug Is A Dead Bug†album, and the band has tightened up their sound more than a little bit since then. The screamed-out vocals of Mike really do not convey…
Jill Cunniff was formerly with the band Luscious Jackson. While I am 23, the band achieved prominence and then moved away from that prominence before I was big into indie music. Thus, the tracks on this disc have little in the way of reference points with which I can work. The smooth pop music of Cunniff on “City Beach†could be enough to catapult eir into the mainstream again. The…
The production value of “Kelsey Grammer Loves Usâ€, specifically during “ExBoyfriendsâ€, is not the best. The track puts a heavy focus on the vocal component of the act, with the guitars only weakly responding to the act. However, Cult of Sue Todd are not slouches in regard to the arrangements that they bring to their listeners. “ExBoyfriends†is just one of many tracks that builds up from one thing (vocals)…
The opening instrumental track, “Majestic Twelve†really shows Cue The Doves as a band that has a lot to say. The first track is more of an introduction of the styles that will be present throughout the CD. “Sphere of the Abyss†is a track that really gets individuals thinking; the style is much more rooted in the alternative rock of the early nineties, even as the vocals come forth…
Crystal Skulls start off their “Outgiong Behavior†with a track that is firmly grounded in sixties music. This title track sets the stage for the rest of the album, and moves beyond the superficial sounds of the sixties into something much more musically literate. “Baby Boyâ€, the second track, feels much more in step with the eighties brand of goth rock (taking into consideration bands like The Cure). “Baby Boy 
“One For Katie†is the first track on “We’re Gonna Have A Parade!â€. Immediately, what comes forth is a band that is confident and technically skilled; the act’s overall sound here touches upon The Ataris, MxPx, and even NoFX. Pop-punk, rock, and even mid-nineties emo are all here, and “We’re Gonna Have A Parade!†has just started. With each subsequent track, Alert the Press adds something new to their toolbox.
“Estranger†is a track that could easily be played on any hair metal station, but Vangough really makes the track germane for today’s listeners through a perfect balance of theatric metal with a power and fury that cannot be denied. One has to also look at the length of the compositions that are on “Manikin Paradeâ€; many of the tracks are in the five to nine minute realm, showcasing one…
“Indestructible†showcases Play The Angel as an act that can shoot between rock, emo, punk, and hard rock in the course of just a few seconds. The act has a sound that is similar to what other bands have placed on the radio in the last few years, but Play The Angel look to increase the odds significantly. After listeners take in just one of the five cuts on the…
“Let Me In†is the first track that listeners should focus in on when they want to educate themselves about Gaby V. The touching guitar work that opens up the track acts as the perfect entry into the Paul Simon-like allure of his vocals. There is a vibrant sound here that will ensure that listeners remember this track, no matter how long it has been since listeners would have put…
Coming through like an actually-female singer like Claudio (a fake-female singer) from Coheed and Cambria, Cruiserweight’s “Sweet Weaponry†comes through in an intense way, even if it is a little on the sterile side. “Vermont†is a track that sounds like it should be in the middle of the disc, in the sense that Cruiserweight is already at the top of their game, and with their incorporation of Sean Neil’s…
