JJ Appleby’s Sweet Love is a timeless effort that touches upon the R&B and pop styles. The robust synthesizers that are interlaced through Sweet Love create a well-defined backdrop upon which JJ’s vocals can shine. The polish of the production here ensures that each of the elements, instrumental and vocal, can shine alone or as contributing to a more cohesive and coherent sound. The melodies of Sweet Love will bounce…
One of the best new voices in Americana interestingly enough is Australian. Ruby Boots (Bex Chilcott) made her way to Nashville from her native Perth years ago and has managed to record a remarkably powerful follow up to her 2016 full-length debut; the record is part Country, Southern Rock, Folk and Blues with plenty of attitude. John B. Moorewww.neufutur.com
The first single from the new Vessbroz album featuring Kyle Davis’ singing and lyric contributions, “Nothing”, has all the catchiness you’d hope for, but there’s an additional layer of substance coming from Davis’ songwriting skills. Davis doesn’t settle for just writing a grab bag of phrases but, instead, constructs a natural sounding lyric that his vocals handle with more than a little aplomb and that have something genuine and powerful…
Reina Mora’s first single from her debut album Bird’s Eye View is the invigorating “Trouble”. She wisely doesn’t aim for remaking the musical wheel with her first single release, but Mora does prove herself quite skillful at pouring old wine into new bottles with her mix of light atmospherics, an evocative performance both vocally and from the supporting musicians, and a definite rock attitude coming through the song. Cyrus Rhodesrapidfirepr.com/
Throughout his musical career, Luther Russell has been many things, but predictable is not one of them. Since going solo in the late 1990s (after leaving the Freewheelers), he has flirted with funk and soul music, power pop, punk rock and even hints of blues. The proof of this eclectic resume is all over the stunning two-disc anthology “Selective Memories.” The set also includes Russell’s work with the Freewheelers and…
Sounding as if they collectively woke up from a decades-long coma, Seattle’s Dirty Sidewalks play as if they stopped listening to music even before The Jesus & Mary Chain’s first break up in 1999. John B. Moorewww.neufutur.com
Morena me Llaman is a powerful track that draws upon a rich musical tradition. Edery’s vocals are punctuated here Maria Krupoves, adding a number of distinct twists and turns that listeners will continue to discover after numerous plays. The interaction is provided additional depth through the robust instrumentation on Morena me Llaman. There are more jangly and orderly elements to this composition that multiply the complexity to a degree that…
Boy George was way ahead of his time. A band fronted by a male who performed in full make up and androgynous clothes was groundbreaking in the early 1980s, when gay were almost unheard of at the time. The fact that Cultural Club had remarkably catchy songs certainly helped prove that the band and Boy George were more than just a gimmick. In fact, their music is right up there…
VAYA’s titular single is a slinky piece of hard rock that will tattoo its melodies deep into the minds and hearts of listeners. The act is able to call back to the halycon days of the 1980s and 1990s while keeping things current and contemporary. The vocals both tell a story and add to the overall harmonies of the effort. ELEPHANTUS, the other new track from VAYA, slows things down…
The Reason is the first effort on Ryan Zimmerman’s new EP, Ephemeral as a Kiss. The track showcases a nice blend of styles, with hints of acts as broad as Soundgarden and John Mayer. The specific array of styles that listeners can pick up after their first listen to Zimmerman’s Ephemeral as a Kiss EP is pretty substantial. Beyond his own unique approach to things, it is the fact that…
Feels Like a Holiday is the first track on Caroline Ferrante’s new EP, SKY. The track is confident, fun, and showcases a blend of straight-forward pop, island rock, and even the styling of performers like The Carpenters and Sheryl Crow. The production on Feels Like A Holiday is amazing, allowing each element ample opportunity to shine on its own or to contribute to this very cohesive and coherent opening. The…
All This Time We Wait is the new single from Boston’s Pale Monsters; the track comes from the act’s new release, Are You Feeling Alive?. The band come forth with an indie/alternative sound with a hint of 1960s rock. The vocals on All This Time We Wait build off of the work of performers like Rivers Cuomo and John Rzeznik. The distorted guitar on this introductory track calls back to…
JES’s “Get Me Through The Night” is a tremendously emotive EDM track that has both the instrumental arrangement and JES’s vocals pushing each other to a high level. The assertive beat that dominates the track is a great counterpoint to the much more human and emotionally affecting vocals laid down. What happens during Get Me Through The Night is that fans will be thinking about what JES is singing as their…
Tiny Fighter’s “New Century” is a complex track that deftly takes up a number of different genres in its sound. Hints of nineties alternative, the singer-songwriter tradition, and even hints of pop can all be discerned here. The thoughtful guitars, chunky bass lines, and on-point drums unite to make for a solid backdrop upon which Therese’s vocals can stretch their arms. A laid-back tempo allows alt-country and 1980s-era Cure influences to…
WOLVES’ “Animal” will immediately draw listeners in with an emphatic beat and a charismatic, sultry set of vocals. A bit of call and response to a choir of voices transforms this from a fun track to something that could easily be rocketing up the chart. With each piston hitting perfectly, it’s no surprise that Animal’s melodies will be bouncing around listeners’ minds long after the song ceases to play. WOLVES…
The Winter Sounds’ “Earth After a Thunderstorm” is a wonderful effort. The passion of the vocals, the effortless call backs to mid-1980s synth pop like Depeche Mode, Erasure and the Pet Shop Boys, and the twinkling instrumentation distinguishes this single from the rest of the music being played on the radio. SargeantJohn Sargeant, writing on NeuFutur as Sargeant, is the founder and editor-in-chief of NeuFutur Magazine, where he has covered…
The Chicago Vin Coalition’s Silence is Golden is an effort that effortlessly ties together the rock of the 1960s and 1970s, all while putting out vocals that are reminiscent of early Dylan or Tom Waits. The backing instrumentation provides the perfect backdrop for these vocals but do deserve their own time in the spotlight. The percussion, fuzzy vocals, and vocals unite to make for a track that simultaneously is radio-friendly…
Itamar Borochov’s Tangerines is the lead-off single from his latest release, Boomerang. The single will immmediately draw listeners’ attentions with the thoughtful and intricate piano line that begins the song, while the horn that kicks in shortly after adds considerable amounts of narration to the effort. Through taking a vocal-like approach to the trumpet’s arrangements, Itamar is able to make a sub-three minute track resound loudly in listener’s ears long after…
Birds is a tremendously emotive effort, the lead-off track from ShÄy’s new LP, Quest. The track blends together indie-rock with ambient and electronic elements. This unique mash-up of approaches and styles will have listeners focused in, as rich jazz horns and contemplative guitar lines unite into something special. The bit of vocals that are presented to listeners are the unifying element, making for a track that could easily make it onto…
Angela C. Howell’s “There’s Nothin I Don’t Love” is a sultry track that deflty links together blues, jazz, and funk into an alluring package. Angela’s vocals do more than merely building the lyrics side of things, adding considerably to the taut instrumentation that is present here. The sheer vocal range of Howell is a high-water mark for There’s Nothin I Don’t Love, further bolstered through the emotive guitars, the thick,…