Higher Education’s “Gift Called Life” is a ska/reggae-fueled effort that ties together 311, Sublime, and Incubus into a catchy and intense bundle. The charisma of the vocals and tautness of the band immediately draws fans in, while the dynamics established through Gift Called Life makes converts to the Higher Education cause. This single is hooky, draws upon the mid to late 1990s while having a current and contemporary sound, and…
Beaux Cheveux are able to make a funky and downright sultry approach to their fans with their new single, “Rio Grande”. The track blends the bass-heavy funk lines of the early 1990s Compton scene with a cool, calm, and collected indie-rock sound inspired by Bjork and Portishead. Rio Grande is musically compelling, adding a further level of depth than laid down by the hauntingly beautiful vocals. Together, the instrumental and…
Karen Atkins’ “High On Love (Can’t Get Too)” is a funky, slinky effort that refuses to fit into any one specific era or musical style. Splashy drums, knotty bass lines, and sizzling guitar work combine here to establish a robust backdrop upon which Atkins’ vocals can shine. A two-part harmony between the male and female vox adds further complexity to an already-heady effort. High On Love is an effort that…
Joe Lington’s Remember is a song that will bury its melodies deep into listeners’ minds and hearts. The high energy of the song’s beat works well to highlight Joe’s vocals, which build themselves upon the example of performers like Flo Rida and Jason DeRulo. The thick, lush bass line and infectious chorus will ensure that listeners continue to play Remember through the end of the winter and well into the…
“Bitcoin”, the latest single from Atlanta transplant ZanMan Trippin, is an effor that will hang on current rap stations even as the effort draws upon the performances of mid-oughts Soulja Boy and Gorilla Zoe. The boming bass line is the perfect counterpoint for ZanMan Trippin’s flow. As the single moves into the chorus, listeners will be picked up by an infectious set of vocals. Bitcoin is timely and it provides fans with…
Jasmine Crowe’s “Breaking Things” immediately showcases the vocal ability of Crowe while the instrumentation pulls back to the synth-pop of the mid-1980s. The driving tempo and intricate bass lines are bolstered through the additional harmonies laid down by Jasmine make Breaking Things into a must-listen. An infectious harmony is laid down, tattooing itself deep into the minds and hearts of listeners. We covered a Crowe track – Skeleton – a…
AWOLNATION’s “Handyman” is an engrossing and musically complex effort that will continue to give up more of itself with each subsequent listen. The ebbing and flowing of the instrumentation and the alluring vocals pull well from 1970s rock, U2, and the current generation of performers. AWOLNATION are able to add to the corpus of modern rock as laid down by performers like Of Mice And Men and Coldplay while imbuing…
Captain of Sorrow is a pretty apt moniker for Danish singer Hans-Christian’s latest project. “Racetrack Babies” – appropriately enough the name of his band that initially started work on this album before they imploded – is a soaring, ambitious, though certainly moody collection of songs.
Vocalist/multi-instrumentalist/composer, Severine is a lot of things but one thing she wasn’t until now; a solo artist. “Down the Rivers” is her second single after a life filled with travel (both national and international), touring and recording with bands and finally deciding that she was ready to take the next step as a musician. With so much recording software out there, it’s empowering because everyone can take steps to record…
Ashley Delima’s debut single “Stay in America” enlists some heavyweight songwriting, production, and musical talent to make the biggest possible splash. Producer Marc Swersky teams with Delima and songwriter Brielle Brown and some of the best accompanying musicians working in popular music today strengthening her efforts here. The burning heart of the song, her words and voice, is what matters most and it gains immense luster from the surrounding virtues.…
The debut single from C.K. and the Rising Tide, “Friends”, comes from an uniquely magical configuration of musicians. Brother C.K. and Wayne Flach have played together before in an earlier band named The Kindness and C.K. released his first solo recording Empty Mansions following the band’s disbandment. The well-received album promised to be the first of many for C.K. Flach and he definitely demonstrated the needed songwriting skills to sustain…
Texas-based indie label Saustex Records has put out a wildly eclectic mix of punk rock and country albums and just about everything in between over the years. So, it seems rather fitting then that they would be the label to put out the equally eclectic solo debut from San Antonio’s Harvey McLaughlin. Tabloid News is ‘70s-inspired piano jamming at it’s best, pulling in influences like “Closing Time”-era Tom Waits, Randy…
The third release from Hudson Valley based singer/songwriter Leo Harmonay, LHarmonic, is full of the usual signatures elements in both his performances and songwriter that marks him as a different breed of cat from his contemporaries. The unique confluence of a number of musical influences makes this a potent stew from the beginning, but it also possesses a relaxed musical character and confidence in its writing reflecting his steady growth…
We’ve had a few moments to dig in to DJ NoMis’ music and pick his brain about his influences and overall reasons for creating music, but we felt as if NeuFutur readers were missing pieces of the performer’s back story. This larticle begins in 2016, when DJ NoMis took the initiative to create music and established his company, 2020 Sound. In the years since, DJ NoMis has continually refined and evolved his…
On Freedom, Monique Barry is able to create a haunting blend of goth and new age music. A guitar line provides a bit of darker, grittier sound to an effort that is already emotionally intense. The production on this single is fantastic, allowing each constituent element the ability to shine alone while contributing to a very cohesive output. Barry’s vocals pull double duty here in that they provide listeners with…
Today, we are speaking with guitarist-singer Randy Ludwig, of LA’s pop act Dizzy Box Nine. Can you give us a little background information about yourself? How did you get into music?
Raiden’s “Always Find You” is given an otherworldly sound with the presence of YURI (Girls’ Generation). On this track, YURI’s vocals do more than tell a story – they work with the lush arrangements of RAIDEN to make a wholly engrossing effort. Always Find You ebbs and flows before shifting into a chorus that will take listeners by their lapels and refuse to let them go. Whether it be EDM,…
As frontman for The Legendary Shack Shakers, J.D. Wilkes has been one of the loudest and earliest voices in the Bluegrass/Americana revival going back two decades now. And while it finally seems the rest of the music world is catching up with him, he pivots slightly on his impressive and impressively experimental solo debut.
IBRU’s “My Life” is a fantastic track. The rich vocals laid down by IBRU will tantalize while the lyrical content will be appreciated by anyone that has had difficulty in their lives. The blend of luscious vocals and an on-point instrumentation makes this a must-play for any independent or reggae radio station. There is an honest sound to IBRU’s work here that lifts up the traditional standards of the reggae…
Dirty Heads “Celebrate” is a skillful blend of electronic, rock, and rap styles. The effort features The Unlikely Candidates, which are able to make the effort resound through approaches and distinct musical era. The track is able to pull out hints of G-Eazy, Wiz Khalifa, and Ed Sheeran while having all of the gravitas and musical complexity of a Coldplay or OneRepublic. Dirty Heads are able to create a sound that…