Category: Features

Posted on: March 23, 2012 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

Kasher in the Rye: The True Tale of a White Boy from Oakland Who Became a Drug Addict, Criminal, Mental Patient, and Then Turned 16 By Moshe Kasher (Book)

We’ve come to expect that books, even memoirs, by comedians will be… well, funny. That’s not the case with up-and-coming stand up Moshe Kasher’s autobiography of his childhood. Well, that’s not entirely true. There are some funny asides and anecdotes, but that’s a result of the author just being naturally humorous and self-deprecating. But on the whole, Kasher in the Rye is a dark look at a tragic childhood a…

Posted on: March 22, 2012 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Opening Sound – Opening Sound (CD)

I believe that the most difficult task that a musician can take is committing oneself to the creation of a ten minute-plus track. The difficulty of this effort is so high due to the sheer amount of work one has to put in. It is simply not enough to merely repeat different arrangements (albeit with minor variations) for the bulk of the composition. Opening Sound dives headlong into this…

Posted on: March 21, 2012 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 1

Gary “G” Jenkins – I Love (Single)

Few artists are able to convey their essence with a single. Gary “G” Jenkins, known previously from his work in Silk, is able to do so with I Love. I Love begins with an emotive piano roll, punctuated with percussion. When Jenkins’ vocals begin to rise and fall, one gains a sense of the gravity the track possesses. The track succeeds in a number of ways. Listeners will be led…

Posted on: March 21, 2012 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

Drunken Prayer – Into the Missionfield (CD)

You’d be forgiven for assuming Morgan Christopher Geer (aka Drunken Prayer) called Austin, hell even Nashville, home. But he’s actually from Portland, home to so many sound alike hipster bands. That alone should bring some added attention to his latest, Into the Missionfield, a nice blend of folk and alt country. With some dark themes, but surprisingly sweet melodies, he can sing about the devil taking your soul (“Always So…

Posted on: March 21, 2012 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

Myth of the American Sleep Over (DVD)

It’s easy to compare Myth of the American Sleep Over, the debut film by David Robert Mitchell, to Rickard Linklater’s classic take on high school Dazed and Confused. It’s easy, yes, but also pretty damn accurate. Myth of the American Sleep Over focuses on a group of teens in the Detroit suburbs clinging to the last few days of summer, searching for romance. Comprised of unknown actors, and set in…

Posted on: March 20, 2012 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Alex Montanez – Begin Again (CD)

Begin Again is Alex Montanez’s debut recording, and it represents an album that will stick with listeners long after it spins to a close. Listeners only need to focus on just a few seconds of Superman to understand this; the honest and earnest style cultivated on this EP is unheard of in current music. The singer / songwriter genre is jam-packed with artists, making it difficult for a performer to…

Posted on: March 19, 2012 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Deborah Henriksson – The Hearts Cry (CD)

There is honesty to Henriksson’s voice that resonates through each of the tracks on The Hearts Cry. When tracks get mastered or a number of takes are used to create a single, I believe that a lot of the soul gets lost. When Henriksson’s vocals begin, one cannot help but imagine themselves in an intimate venue (a coffee shop, perhaps); what issues forth during a track like My Lagan Love…

Posted on: March 19, 2012 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Monks of Mellonwah – Neurogenesis EP (CD)

It is typically not NeuFutur’s policy to review albums so far in advance, but the Monks of Mellonwah’s latest EP, Neurogenesis, is that solid of a title. This Australian act is helped through the inclusion of producer Jeff Bova in terms of how the finished product sounds, but the heart and soul of the band is what makes Neurogenesis so delectable. The Monks of Mellonwah are able to provide their…

Posted on: March 18, 2012 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 1

Mike Moss – Cold World Plastic Dream (CD)

Mike Moss creates utterly unique music that, while inspired by a wide array of different musicians, does not have any easy referent. Cold World Plastic Dream is a perfect example of this; there is a strong set of vocals that work off of a fuzzy, electronic nesting and Coldplay-like pianos. Only Lies is a bold gambit at the album’s fourth track. For this effort, there is little more than Moss’s…

Posted on: March 18, 2012 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

MLB 12: The Show (PS3 / Vita)

There are a number of yearly titles that are released in the sports fields. In all honesty, it is hard to typically tell what the differences in these titles are from year to year, unless I have the press release in front of me. Sony is one of the few companies that break from this trend, and MLB 12: The Show continues this strong commitment to quality. The Vita version…

Posted on: March 17, 2012 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

The New Adventures of Old Christine: The Complete Fifth Season (DVD Set)

Few shows are able to make it to the five season mark without losing a substantial amount of steam. The New Adventures of Old Christine was able to keep the same frenetic energy that was a hallmark of the show’s earlier seasons, while still presenting enough twists and turns to keep viewers tuned in. The Warner Archive’s version of these 21 episodes are at least as crisp in terms of…

Posted on: March 16, 2012 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Big Time (DVD)

Pathfinder Pictures is 0one of our favorite movie companies. They provide easy access to a number of Oscar-worthy films that would not normally see a United States release. By continually coming world cinema for gems, they have been able to create a tremendous release schedule. 2005’s Big Time is a perfect example of this commitment to excellence. Pathfinder’s print of this film is fantastic, suffering neither from any limitations of…

Posted on: March 16, 2012 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Art Kenyon – Cocoon EP (CD)

The swirling rock music that issues forth from the beginning of Art Kenyon’s Cocoon EP showcases his unique vocal styles. With an equally active instrumentation bolstering each line, what results in an introductory track like Cocoon is rock-radio gold. There are hints of Placebo and the Stereophonics present here, but there is simultaneously a grit that calls back to the down and dirty days of rock. The production of the…

Posted on: March 15, 2012 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Silent Hill: Downpour (Sony Playstation 3)

Silent Hill: Downpour has been taken over by a new developing company; as a fan of the original games, I was more than a little bit concerned what changes would be made to the title. Simply, one need not worry about what Vatra has done – they have ratcheted up the creepy ambiances and have made a much more immersive title as a result. Players take the role of Murphy…

Posted on: March 15, 2012 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Camel Spiders (DVD)

Out of all phobias, I believe that the one concerning spiders is simultaneously the most popular and the most justified. I believe that the fear of spiders was first boosted by the release of 1990’s Arachnophobia, and will be further bolstered with the release of Camel Spiders. Roger Corman is the producer here, and a quick viewing shows that the film draws a great deal of inspiration from Corman’s library…

Posted on: March 15, 2012 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Jeremy Fink and The Meaning of Life (DVD)

The fantastical world that is created in Jeremy Fink and The Meaning of Life is akin to that presented in the Percy Jackson or the Harry Potter series. On the eve of eir 13th birthday, Jeremy Fink comes into the possession of a box inscribed with “The Meaning of Life”. Jeremy and eir buddy Lizzy attempt to find out what the box could mean, and their journey tests the limits…

Posted on: March 15, 2012 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

The Killing: Season 1 (DVD and Blu-Ray)

AMC has had a number of strong shows in the last few years. So many, in fact, that the network can seriously be said to have a leg up on many of the broadcast networks. Fox has captured the thirteen episodes of The Killing’s first season in glorious Blu-Ray and DVD, and has peppered a great many special features into this release. This release then is perfect for anyone that…

Posted on: March 13, 2012 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

Flatscreen by Adam Wilson (Book)

Meet contemporary fiction’s latest anti-hero, an out of shape 20-something suburban druggie, mooching off his divorced parents who has never worked a day in his life and really has no plans to as long as he can live in his mom’s basement and count on dad’s money to buy more pot. Flatscreen’s Eli Schwartz is the a latest character to take that well-trodden path in coming-of-age fiction, but thanks to…

Posted on: March 13, 2012 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

The Other F Word (DVD)

There is something hilarious about a guy who gets paid to take the stage in front of hundreds night after night and sing “Fuck Authority” at the top of his lungs, reprimand his pre-teen daughter for using a naughty word at home. The Other F Word is the brilliant documentary by Andrea Blaugrund Nevins based partly on ex-Pennywise front man Jim Lindberg’s 2008 memoir Punk Rock Dad. The film features…

Posted on: March 12, 2012 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

NeuFutur Magazine’s B-52’s Blu-Ray Contest

We have another contest that we are beginning at NeuFutur Magazine and NeuFutur Online. Until the end of the month (3/31), all U.S. and Canada residents are eligible to enter for one Blu-Ray copy of the new B-52’s release, With the Wild Crowd – Live in Athens, GA. This release captures all the intensity and spirit that fans have associated with the B-52s since they began in 1977. Favorite tracks,…