Siren is the introductory track on We Are The West’s The Golden Shore, setting the stage for a fantastically immersive and deep album. The instrumentation and the raw passion of the band’s vocals unite to make something effecting from the get go. Hints of indie, 1970s singer-songwriters, and even bits of of 1960s Dylan can be discerned during he early stages of this release. The titular effort on the album ramps…
Sheldon Universe’s “Pretty Woman” is a sexy and sultry track that has a chill R&B, funk, and EDM-infused beat. SU’s vocals during this singles are unparalleled, reaching high and low points with absolute ease. The insistent beat, building off of the work of RAM-era Daft Punk, ensures that it can easily be slotted in to many a DJ’s set. With just a hint of a Latin flare that is weaved…
Rollin is a brooding, deep effort that will stick around with listeners long after the effort ceases to play. The band takes the standards of performers like 311, Sublime, and Linkin Park to make something wholly unique. Rollin has intense vocals, strong instrumentation, and a sound that refreshes the hard rock style of the late 1990s and early 2000s in an alluring way. The vocals stand out but only because…
Polo is the latest single by SK Quinn, an effort that immediately will draw listeners in with a sexy, sultry sound and an infectious beat. The heavier hammering of the percussive elements and the more twinkling side of the production unite to create a backdrop upon which SK Quinn’s vocals can be highlighted. Fans of Jason Derulo, early Chris Brown or Trey Songz will find something in Polo, while the…
Keith Morris’ teaming with the band Crooked Numbers has produced an indelible musical work embodying the Trump era of American history with Psychopaths & Sycophants. The ten song collection, however, has the lasting effect of music for all time, rather than limited to its historical context, and Morris’ superior talents as a songwriting allow him to bring something profound of himself to bear on the outcomes for these tracks. The…
“Rearranged” – the debut EP by Mark Rogers was recorded and mastered at Master Sound in Virginia Beach, VA by Bob Ulsh and produced by Mark Rogers himself, Bob Ulsh and Larry Berwald, with Mark’s “dream team” of Tidewater, VA players, which they’re called by many. His music is acoustic guitar-based featuring well-crafted hooks, nice vocal harmonies, thoughtful lyrics, a bit of folk rock jangle and a pinch of bossa…
We may just be a few months into the new year, but it’s safe to say Professor And The Madman are the best punk rock supergroup we’ll hear all year. Fronted by Alfie Agnew (Adolescents, D.I.) and Sean Elliott (D.I., Mind Over Four), the rest of the band is filled out with members of The Damned, past and present – Rat Scabies on drums and Paul Gray on bass. John…
The nine song collection from Noble Son entitled Joy in Violence is an outgrowth of an episode with mental illness that the creative mastermind behind the project, Adam Kirschner, recently experienced. He sat down and composed eight songs in fourteen days and followed that up with likely six intense days recording the album with Joel Hamilton and a small coterie of musicians in South Carolina. The result is a full…
There’s always a sense of hesitation when a universally adored, classic band puts out new music after years away. The Pixies are probably one of the best examples. “Indie Cindy,” the 2014 post-reunion album that came after two decades of silence was… well, underwhelming. Expectations are just too high for most bands to meet. The Breeders, coincidentally made up of former Pixies bassist Kim Deal, may be one of the…
As co-founder of the Byrds, the Flying Burrito Brothers and dependable solo artist, it’s reassuring to see Chris Hillman get his due with the re-release of two of his earliest going-it-alone records. SargeantJohn Sargeant, writing on NeuFutur as Sargeant, is the founder and editor-in-chief of NeuFutur Magazine, where he has covered independent music, PC hardware, consumer tech, and gaming culture since 1998. With over 25 years of continuous digital publishing…
Physician and author Robin Kelly has pursued a musical career for some time now and continues achieving startling results with each new release. His fifth studio recording Orewa Heartbeat is an outstanding collection of songs aiming to delve deep into the reality of our experiences while avoiding any self-indulgence common to less artful practitioners of the form. Much of Kelly’s Eastern influenced belief system works its way into attitudes in…
Dan Rodriguez’s music mixes the hard bitten rock and roll style from a Detroit upbringing with the singer/songwriter aesthetic defining much of his adopted Minneapolis scene. He sounds comfortable working in both styles and the six songs on his new release 25 Years underscores the confidence guiding his work. Rodriguez hired John Fields to handle production duties for this EP release and he brings an unity of sound to 25…
RĀI’s Southern upbringing ensures his musical talents are heavily influenced by the classic sounds of R&B, soul, and gospel and illuminates his music in a way few other performers from his generation manifest for audiences. His new single “Back to Life” is alluring R&B and soul with a positive message that RĀI embodies in the way he approach his life and art alike – he’s committed to embedding positive messages…
Based out of Charleston, South Carolina, the duo of John and Kevin Shields write and perform under the moniker Little Stranger and their latest single “Sing It High” will be wildly entertaining for those familiar with the duo and potentially revelatory for those encountering their work for the first time. It’s easy to hear, when you listen to this song, why Little Stranger has commanded such a passionate, albeit still…
Emo bands never die… they just usually grow up and keep making the same records they made in the early aughts. In the case James Dewees (aka Reggie & the Full Effect), that means another so-so effort with hints of promise that ultimately falls apart after repeated listens. John B. Moorewww.neufutur.com
Lexie Rose’s rise from under the radar budding songwriting talent to major global star begins with this five song EP release. On My Own finds the seventeen year old giant in the making working alongside top notch producer Max Allyn to craft a collection that aims high and consistently hits its mark. It isn’t just breathtaking to hear a young songwriter so capable of learning from her collaborators; it’s equally…
Johnny Chops’ new album Johnny Chops & The Razors begins with Believer, an emphatic blues-rock track that deftly brings together country, rock and a hint of psychedelia tinge. The resulting effort is catchy, musically intense, and stands up easily to repeat plays. A lush production on this releases ensures that each element is able to shine on its own or as contributing to a larger whole. SargeantJohn Sargeant, writing on NeuFutur…
Since their debut just over a decade ago, Scottish alt pop band The Fratellis have been churning out infectiously catchy pop, with enough jangly guitars and power chords to appease the indie kids, but also boasting a much wider appeal. And “In Your Own Sweet Time,” their fifth record, is no different. John B. Moorewww.neufutur.com
Monsieur Jobs’ “Chow Chow eyyy Pow Pow” is an attention grabbing debut single featuring a cadre of top flight musical and songwriting talent. No Mercy’s long-standing vocalist Martin Citron gives this immediate commercial appeal it might have otherwise lacked, but the combination of Toby Holguin, Leo Jaramillo, Stan Kolev, and Charlie Illera deliver the goods from a musical point of view and their contributions are informed by a deep grounding…
At the Gates requires no introduction, not from someone the likes of me at the very least. Hailed among the forefathers of the Gothenburg melodic death metal scene, these Swedes have been iconic in shaping a genre and spawned a legion of like-minded bands in their decades-long career. Saif Shaikh