Few artists are able to convey their essence with a single. Gary “G” Jenkins, known previously from his work in Silk, is able to do so with I Love. I Love begins with an emotive piano roll, punctuated with percussion. When Jenkins’ vocals begin to rise and fall, one gains a sense of the gravity the track possesses. The track succeeds in a number of ways. Listeners will be led…
You’d be forgiven for assuming Morgan Christopher Geer (aka Drunken Prayer) called Austin, hell even Nashville, home. But he’s actually from Portland, home to so many sound alike hipster bands. That alone should bring some added attention to his latest, Into the Missionfield, a nice blend of folk and alt country. With some dark themes, but surprisingly sweet melodies, he can sing about the devil taking your soul (“Always So…
Begin Again is Alex Montanez’s debut recording, and it represents an album that will stick with listeners long after it spins to a close. Listeners only need to focus on just a few seconds of Superman to understand this; the honest and earnest style cultivated on this EP is unheard of in current music. The singer / songwriter genre is jam-packed with artists, making it difficult for a performer to…
There is honesty to Henriksson’s voice that resonates through each of the tracks on The Hearts Cry. When tracks get mastered or a number of takes are used to create a single, I believe that a lot of the soul gets lost. When Henriksson’s vocals begin, one cannot help but imagine themselves in an intimate venue (a coffee shop, perhaps); what issues forth during a track like My Lagan Love…
It is typically not NeuFutur’s policy to review albums so far in advance, but the Monks of Mellonwah’s latest EP, Neurogenesis, is that solid of a title. This Australian act is helped through the inclusion of producer Jeff Bova in terms of how the finished product sounds, but the heart and soul of the band is what makes Neurogenesis so delectable. The Monks of Mellonwah are able to provide their…
Innovation in the music industry is rare. Bands may be able to change up the overall rock, pop, punk, or other archetype slightly, but few bands can honestly change the dominant paradigm. Rooftop Runners do that, even down to what cutting an EP means. Typically, bands create an EP when they only have a few worthwhile songs. Rooftop Runners make each track count, ensuring that listeners will be eagerly anticipating…
Oftentimes when I write reviews, I find that where a band hails has absolutely nothing to do with how they sound. Slim Loris, a Swedish export, is a perfect example of this. The style of music that they foster during Down To Earth takes influences from England, the United States, and countless different eras of rock. Low is the initial salvo on this disc, and it immediately hits listeners between…
Mike Moss creates utterly unique music that, while inspired by a wide array of different musicians, does not have any easy referent. Cold World Plastic Dream is a perfect example of this; there is a strong set of vocals that work off of a fuzzy, electronic nesting and Coldplay-like pianos. Only Lies is a bold gambit at the album’s fourth track. For this effort, there is little more than Moss’s…
Happy Enough Song is the first track on Doug Prescott’s latest, “The Journey & The Deep Blue Sea”. This track blends equal part seventies rock, Americana, and even country. This cross-over track even has time to include brass in its 2:36 runtime. Happy Enough Song is a microcosm of the styles and sounds broached during the entirety of this disc. Hideaway slows things up, linking together The Bellamy Brothers, Kansas,…
Drunksouls have not gotten the press that they deserve in the States; this eclectic French band deftly moves across genres and styles to create something utterly unique. The first track on Revolution is Drifter Song, and it links together Sublime, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Incubus to make a funky, laid-back bit of pop-rock. J’ai fait unreve (I Had A Dream) is a French language sound, but the rich instrumentation…
The swirling rock music that issues forth from the beginning of Art Kenyon’s Cocoon EP showcases his unique vocal styles. With an equally active instrumentation bolstering each line, what results in an introductory track like Cocoon is rock-radio gold. There are hints of Placebo and the Stereophonics present here, but there is simultaneously a grit that calls back to the down and dirty days of rock. The production of the…
‘Cause You’re Mine is the first track on Here On In, and it immediately introduces Trysette as a powerful force, with an overall style that builds off of the work of Natalie Cole and Sheryl Crow. The instrumentation, which normally fades into the background on current albums, properly bolsters and otherwise highlights these vocals. The momentum generated by this introductory track continues into The Right Thing. From the introductory…
Joe Cocker has one of the most unique voices in rock music. Hard Knocks is an extremely personal tale, and the overall album showcases all sides of the veteran performer. Whether it is showing off a fondness for precursor genres like blues and jazz or boldly forging through in new directions, Cocker ensures that listeners will not be bored. The set of musicians tapped to lay down hooks, drum lines,…
Shine is an immediate introduction to the band, and it will be what keeps one listening in. This is due to the fact that the band is able to fully insert themselves into this track. This emotive rock contains high energy and smart musicianship. While the genre seemed to be on its last legs a few years back, Act Thirt33n may single-handedly promote its revival. One need only listen to…
My Oh My is a track that spreads out over a number of different genres. There are hints of country, Broadway musicals, and the up-front vocals will draw listeners’ attention. The eclectic opening to Orly leads into Boy On A Hill. This track is more introspective and pensive; the pre-grunge created by Neil Young has a referent in the overall tack the song takes. The harmony between the instrumentation and…
It is rare to hear such a narrative-heavy album. Hints of Donovan, Phil Ochs, and Simon & Garfunkel can all be heard in Blood and Thunder’s first track, Mister D. The instrumentation on the track has a similar gravity to it. Strum takes an interesting tack during this album; rather than having the instrumental arrangements continually red-line a listener’s speakers, there is a careful consideration for how each part fits…
The guitar work is what will immediately bring listeners in to FlyPaper’s self-titled release. The titular track is the perfect introduction to the band, as this guitar is found alongside a rich and emotive set of vocals and utterly on point drum work. Taken together, what listeners will find is something unique, while still touching upon blues and rock. Is It Just Me slows things down, and allows FlyPaper to…
Before understanding that this is a side project of Dandy Warhols’ Taylor-Taylor, I originally thought The End Records had picked up a collection of rare tracks from the late modern period. While this is ultimately not true, One Model Nation is an act that calls back to the rich German musical tradition. This means that the band takes on Can, Kraftwerk, and even later acts like Joy Division during…
I personally thought the choice to put 20th century tracks in A Knight’s Tale showed the utter excess and lack of tradition that the movie industry had for period pieces. I think that Air’s commission to generate a soundtrack for the recently-restored Le Voyage Dans La Lune represents an entirely different beast. This is because Le Voyage Dans La Lune is a story about a trip to the moon, while…
On Better Luck Next Life, Royal Baths are able to take strains from two distinct rock styles (the more psychedelic rock overtones of Faster, Harder with the pre-grunge workings of a Neil Young). While other bands would have problems creating their own distinct musical style separate from these two musical styles, every track on Better Luck Next Life is an ode to how the band marches to their own drummer.…