Category: Features

Posted on: May 11, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 0

Mike Jones – The Voice (CD)

Before “The Voice” came out, I could have sworn that Mike Jones was destined to be a one-hit wonder. However, the work that ey has put forth on “The Voice” is enough to cement eir in the annals of rap music. On this release, Jones is all business – there is only one skit (the introduction to “Scandalous Hoes”) – and nary a weak track to be heard here. The…

Posted on: May 10, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 0

We Shall Remain: America Through Native Eyes (DVD)

We Shall Remain ties together the past, present, and future of the United States in a titular fashion. By providing a Native American view to things, there are countless individuals, movements, and other issues that never received the coverage that they should have. The different episodes of this series are given more than enough time to showcase the different trends and threads that were running through the period, instead of…

Posted on: May 10, 2009 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

Wish You Were Here: An Essential Guide to Your favorite Music Scenes – From Punk to Indie and Everything In Between by Leslie Simon (Book)

Ever wondered exactly which Haagan Dazs Henry Rollins used to work at in D.C.? Or, how about what San Francisco collective local punk rockers can visit to take classes on underwear making? Neither have I, but thank God Leslie Simon has. In what has got to be the best guide book on punk rock… well ever, rock journalist Simon answers a slew of questions never asked about punk rock and…

Posted on: May 10, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 1

A Little Princess (DVD)

This 1986 movie, based off of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s (The Secret Garden) work, shows that made for television productions can have the same endearing property as modern, high-budget masterpieces. While the cast of actors may not be well known to the current film-watching public, the quality of Maureen Lipman or Miriam Margolyes is head and shoulders above the average performance rendered by a good half of Hollywood at this present…

Posted on: May 9, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 0

Kaleo Futuristo – The Future Is Now! (CD)

“I Thought” is a tasty bit of R&B that draws equal inspiration from all different facets of the genre, tying together Aaliyah, Bow Wow, and even Justin Timberlake. The track itself benefits from a solid backing beat, creating for Kaleo a song that should be played on rotation on R&B radio through the country. “Love Slave” further builds off of “I Thought”, creating for listeners a track that is truly…

Posted on: May 6, 2009 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

Depeche Mode – Sounds of the Universe (CD)

Depeche Mode, one of Britain’s best known synth bands, has been slammed by fans and critics for abandoning the sound that made them one of the few late 80’s/early 90’s bands that managed to be both cool enough for the hipsters and accepted by the broader public.

Posted on: May 6, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 0

Gigantor: The Collection Volume 1 (DVD Set)

Sure, the artistic style of Gigantor may be dated, but this 1964 production is integral for the fledging anime movement that would ultimately take over all creative venues in Japan, as well as influencing generations of animations all over the world. For individuals that want to be amazed by nearly 11 hours of Gigantor, topped with a number of awesome extras, E1’s “Gigantor: The Collection” is something that is a…

Posted on: May 5, 2009 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

Pulling – The Complete First Season (DVD)

Coming off like a British version of Sex and The City, without the obsessive comments about shoes, Pulling does a far better job of appealing to members of both sexes. The first season of the show, originally aired in the UK in 2006, is finally making it to the U.S. via DVD.

Posted on: May 5, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 0

Rhoda: Season One (DVD)

While I was about a decade out from being born when Rhoda hit the airwaves, I still was fairly cognizant of the show through the reruns that were present on TV Land and the like. I was actually surprised when I received this DVD set, as I did not believe that a show like Rhoda was scorned for so long in regards to having a DVD set released. For those…

Posted on: May 5, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 0

El Chicano – In The Eye of the Storm (CD)

El Chicano has been on the music scene for nearly 40 years: 1970 marked the first time that the band came together and created their own special type of Latino R&B meets funk. “In The Eye of the Storm” is a documentary that shows the evolution of the band from their earliest days to the present, while the second disc captures their magic in a May 2008 show at The…

Posted on: May 5, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 0

The Ascent of Money (DVD)

The Ascent of Money is one of the few DVDs that one can actually watch that provides a fair and balanced perspective into what is currently happening regarding the economy. Where there are a number of different talking heads weighing in on the issue, only Niall Ferguson seems to have a solid head on eir shoulders. The Ascent of Money, adapted from one of Ferguson’s lectures on the circuit, is…

Posted on: May 4, 2009 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

The Casting Out – Go Crazy! Throw Fireworks! (CD)

Though The Casting Out is led by former BoySetsFire singer Nathan Gray, don’t expect this new outfit to sound anything remotely like the post hardcore band he used to front. On the band’s debut, Go Crazy! Throw Fireworks!, the angry guitars and angsty bellows have been replaced by a more pop/punk sound and a few song-along choruses.

Posted on: May 3, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 0

Blue Ice Organic Wheat Vodka (Vodka)

We have had the ability to taste a number of different types of vodka over the year or so that the alcohol review section has been active. However, we have not had too much in the “organic” section of things, and Blue Ice is one of many reviews that we are conducting over the course of the next month to see how organic spirits stack up to their non-organic brethren.…

Posted on: May 3, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 0

Dark Matter (DVD)

Very few directors of opera, I believe, take the plunge in directing a feature film, and even smaller of a number tackle a project with Meryl Streep. That is what Chen Shi-Zheng did with “Dark Matter”, and eir aptitude and skill behind the camera is enough to even take someone like Streep’s style to the next level. The film itself deals with the linkages between Streep’s character (Joanna), a rich…

Posted on: May 3, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 1

The Showdown (DVD)

The Showdown is a Western, showcasing the trials and tribulations of US Marshal Luke Canfield, played here by Bob Handegan, a powerful newcomer to film. Specifically, Luke is pitted against a gang, a group of ruffians that would like no more than to murder the love of eir life, Dixie (Ann Hagemann) and son. Whether Luke folds under the pressure and allows the gang to run roughshod over eir territory…

Posted on: May 2, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 0

Paramount Blu-Ray Reviews: Ferris Bueller, Grease, Saturday Night Fever

These three classic films are released on Blu-Ray for the first time, and each brings something slightly different to the table. Despite the difference in release year (1977, 1978, and 1986), each of the films are brought to the current period in terms of video and audio quality. Each of the releases will provide purchasers with a tremendous amount of added features, as they represent at the base level the…

Posted on: May 2, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 0

Enchanted April (DVD)

Enchanted April was originally a book written by Elizabeth von Arnim, and the book itself was brought to the silver screen on the seventieth anniversary of the release. The film centers around two women that wish to be free of the monotony of their daily lives. Packing up and taking a trip away from these lives, their husbands, and damp, murky England, they set out to the Italian Riviera. Adding…

Posted on: May 2, 2009 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

Bob Dylan – Together Through Life (Columbia)

Though not as prolific as sometime tour mate Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan has yet to show no sign of slowing down anytime soon. On his 33rd record, Together Through Life, Dylan has clearly gone back to the old Sun and Chess Recordings for inspiration and the result is fantastic for long time Dylan devotees (another obvious influence is Dylan’s Sirius/XM radio show “Theme Time Radio Hour”).

Posted on: May 1, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 0

November Son (DVD)

To be honest, this is the first GLBT-related horror film that I have seen. The one thing that I can first notice is that while the stars are up and coming Judith O’Dea (Night of the Living Dead) and Brinke Stevens (The Slumber Party Massacre), the skill that they put forth on the screen is equivalent to that of even seasoned actors. The film itself surrounds a cast that were…