Category: Features

Posted on: March 26, 2009 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

Rock Bottom by Michael Shilling / Black Dogs: The Possibly True Story of Classic Rock’s Greatest Robbery by Jason Buhrmester

Writing a great rock novel is a whole lot harder than it sounds. There have been countless attempts over the years and the result is usually a collection of boring tour urban legends and rejected VH1 Behind the Music scripts. It’s a pretty big feat then that both Michael Shilling and Jason Buhrmester have managed to turn in solid rock stories just months apart from each other. Shilling’s Rock Bottom…

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Posted on: March 26, 2009 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

NOFX: Backstage Passport (DVD)

I’ve never really understood the fascination with concert DVDs. They always seemed to be a bit like dry humping to me – not even close to the real thing. The whole point of a going to a show is the experience: sweating your ass off, getting beer spilled on you, leaving the club with ringing ears and your voice shot. Thankfully, NOFX’s latest video tour diary – originally aired on…

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Posted on: March 21, 2009 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

Artist Vs Poet – Artist Vs Poet EP (CD)

One look at the band photo and it’s easy to dismiss the Dallas-based five piece Artist Vs Poet as little more than hoodie-sporting, auto-tune dependent Millennials with influences that don’t go deeper than last year’s Hot Topic best-sellers. A rash, slightly unfair judgment call, but pretty damn accurate if their 5-song EP is any indication to what the future holds. Sure there’s nothing flat out offensive about the music, aside…

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Posted on: March 20, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 0

Secrets of the Furious Five (DVD)

Secrets of the Furious Five is a short-form sequel of sorts to Kung Fu Panda. Originally presented as an additional feature present on the Kung Fu Panda release, it was broken out to its own DVD release with the inclusion of a number of additional features. The movie starts out with Po being tapped by Master Shifu to head up a class teaching karate to younger (rabbit) individuals; through telling…

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Posted on: March 20, 2009 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

Luis Felipe Edwards: Rosa Blanca (Cabernet Sauvignon 2006)

We at NeuFutur have not had much in the way of experience with wine reviewing. Our previous experiences have dealt with a limited subset of wine varietals, and the latest effort for the Luis Felipe Edwards company, their 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, is the first of the type we’ve been able to review. This organically grown wine has a bouquet that is unique in its marriage of soft notes with an…

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Posted on: March 20, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 0

Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume (Nintendo DS)

Even though the game is third in its series (being preceded by Valkyrie Profile and VP 2: Silmeria), players do not need to be familiar with the previous efforts to enjoy Square Enix’s latest offering for the Nintendo DS. The title, which was released only in November of last year for the Japanese market, surrounds Wylfred, which has been given a bad lot in life. Rather than merely accept that,…

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Posted on: March 19, 2009 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

Beastie Boys – Paul’s Boutique (20th Anniversary Edition) (CD)

It’s hard to overplay the importance of 1989’s Paul’s Boutique to the success of the Beastie Boys. The follow up to the band’s sophomoric, party album Licensed to Ill, the Dust Brother produced Paul’s Boutique took the band from novelty white rappers to a legitimate musical talent, pushing the boundaries of a still new genre at the time. There is still plenty of humor, just much less chauvinistic posturing with…

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Posted on: March 19, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 0

NeuFutur.com , NeuFutur Magazine, and Total Assault Offer 16 Frames Contest

To celebrate the March 24th release of their major label debut album, Where It Ends, 16 Frames and neufutur.com want to hook up one grand prize winner with a shiny new iPod Nano. The decked out iPod will be loaded up with the new Matt Serletic (Matchbox 20, Santana) produced album featuring the single “Back Again” and engraved with the band’s logo on the back.

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Posted on: March 18, 2009 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

Religulous (DVD)

It’s a little surprising that the religious right, usually front and center, picket signs and bull horns in hand at any movie even vaguely touching on Christianity, never bothered to turn out in force to picket Bill Maher’s wickedly funny, and powerful documentary on religion. Judging by the early rumblings against the soon-to-be-released sequel to the Da Vinci Code, it can’t be that they have finally learned that this is…

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Posted on: March 18, 2009 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

Danny Rocco – The Future is Now (CD)

Long Island’s Danny Rocco aims pretty high with his debut The Future is Now, going beyond the staid and routine songs his peers have been churning out. Unfortunately he doesn’t always reach the intended heights. The acoustic strumming, singer songwriter (backed by the band End the Stars) starts the album of with the strongly original, addictive title track “The Future is Now,” but the rest of the album tries, and…

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Posted on: March 16, 2009 Posted by: Kristopher Shepard Comments: 0

Heartless Bastards – The Mountain (CD)

With a new lineup backing up the only original member Erika Wennerstrom and a new surrounding city in Austin, Texas what’s the newest release from Heartless Bastards going to sound like? I’m a long time fan of Heartless Bastards so when I was handed their latest release I was pretty excited to find out just that. Known for their no frills rock and roll sound and the blasting vocals of…

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Posted on: March 16, 2009 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

Willie Nelson – Naked Willie (CD)

At 75 and with a legacy as a national musical treasure already firmly cemented, you’d think Willie Nelson would at least take a little time off to relax. On average, the prolific cowboy churns out at least two or three releases a year. This year looks to be no different.

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Posted on: March 16, 2009 Posted by: Kristopher Shepard Comments: 0

Art Brut – Art Brut Vs. Satan (CD)

Art Brut one of the better pop driven indie-rock bands out there’s newest album Art Brut Vs. Satan, available April 21,2009, is another assshaker all the way. From songs about growing up to an ode to the “record buying public” and a great song about finding the greatness that is The Replacements, Art Brut Vs. Satan is another great album by Art Brut. Over eleven tracks they once again turn…

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Posted on: March 16, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 0

Wild Beasts – Limbo, Panto (CD)

This debut recording, from the introduction that Wild Beasts give listeners with their “Vigil For a Fuddy Duddy”, is one of the best ways to get to know a band that I have ever heard. Where it seems that a number of bands start off slowly and gradually introduce potential fans to the band’s mystique, the Wild Beasts lay everything out on the table from the get-go. What the band…

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Posted on: March 15, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 0

My Pet Shop (Nintendo DS)

My Pet Shop should be the next big thing for kids to harass their parents about until they receive. This is because the game surrounds a cutely-rendered character and a number of animals. The animals are all crafted in a cute but realistic type of style, allowing players to rapidly differentiate between the different breeds and types of animals present. The fact that this title is for the DS ensures…

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Posted on: March 15, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 0

Brutha – S/T (CD)

Let’s face it: with the exception of a few acts and a few labels, modern R&B is in a dire state. Most artists that have been in the game for a few years find it impossible to reinvent themselves, and acts that are first coming out are not exploring much in the way of new territory. For fans of R&B, there is one singular hope: Brutha. On their self-titled introduction,…

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Posted on: March 15, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 2

Marianne Kesler – Pear In The Pink Thing (CD)

It’s always nice to see a musician enjoy success from Ohio, and Marianne Kesler has just done that with her “Pear In The Pink Thing”. What she has done with this album has, while touching on some common threads, really defined what it is to be a woman and a musician in the current music scene. Whether it is during the disc’s first track “Mystery”, or even the last (“The…

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Posted on: March 15, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 0

Maestro Dobel Diamond Tequila (80 Proof)

At the very least, the Maestro Dobel Diamond Tequila is the most experience spirit that we have ever had in the NeuFutur offices. Retailing at anywhere between 70 and 90 dollars, the Dobel Diamond is a majestic creature. A heavy stopper keeps the top orderly, while etched glass and a metal base tie everything together. Pulling out the dense and heavy metal and rubber cork gives imbibers their first impressions…

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Posted on: March 14, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 0

Boca Loca Cachaca (80 Proof)

Growing up, I was aware of a number of different “types” of alcohol. For drinkers, there were tequilas, rums, vodkas, and gins. Of course, there were liqueurs, but they really weren’t seen as something that one could get a good buzz going off of. After opening the NeuFutur alcohol section, the alcohol scene became much more nuanced, with different efforts pushing the boundaries. Boca Loca Cachaca, my first experience with…

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Posted on: March 14, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 0

Drakensang: The Dark Eye (PC)

It seems that some of the best RPGs are those that are developed and released for foreign markets (particularly Europe) then transferred over to the United States. For example, Gothic (and in particular, Gothic III), is critically underrated. Despite the fact that a number of these titles gain a pretty hellacious layer of dust on United States store shelves, THQ has decided to bring out Drakensang: The Dark Eye for…

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