Category: Music Reviews

Posted on: December 4, 2010 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

The October – …Bye Bye Beautiful (CD)

The jangly guitar work that starts off “Bye Bye Beautiful” is reminiscent of the work that late eighties Cure would release on their album. However, during tracks like “Through the Waves and Stars”, a blend of Blur, Muse, and Oasis is much more the course of the day than anything else. In much of the same way, The October come up with a sound that is very radio friendly. Te…

Posted on: December 3, 2010 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Sinead O’Connor – Collaborations (CD)

The idea that Sinead O’Connor is merely a one-hit wonder is one that should be abolished. The tracks on “Collaborations” throw this idea out the video, as track after track finds O’Connor working at eir peak with some of the biggest names in music, including but not limited to Peter Gabriel, Moby, The Edge and Afro Celt Sound System. The different tracks elicit something different from O’Connor each time; a…

Posted on: December 3, 2010 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

The Mommyheads – Finest Specimens (CD)

You’d be forgiven if you have never heard of The Mommyheads. A definitive example of a cult band, the San Francisco, by way of New York, indie band had a handful of small label releases throughout the 90’s, one shot at the majors with a Geffen release, then disbanded shortly after in 1998. During their time together, the band did manage to collect a slew of positive reviews from critics…

Posted on: December 3, 2010 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Tom Petty – Damn The Torpedoes (2 CD Set)

There is no denying that Tom Petty is still one of rock’s best-known performers. “Damn The Torpedoes”, eir third album, was released in 1979 and prominently featured such rock radio standards as “Refugee” and “Don’t Do Me Like That”. Over thirty year out from its initial release, and the album is still getting substantial play. The long life exhibited by this release has brought Interscope to release a substantially upgraded…

Posted on: December 3, 2010 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

The October – …Bye Bye Beautiful (CD)

The jangly guitar work that starts off “Bye Bye Beautiful” is reminiscent of the work that late eighties Cure would release on their album. However, during tracks like “Through the Waves and Stars”, a blend of Blur, Muse, and Oasis is much more the course of the day than anything else. In much of the same way, The October come up with a sound that is very radio friendly. Te…

Posted on: December 3, 2010 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Dustin O’Halloran – Piano Solos Vol 2 (CD)

After coming into O’Halloran’s work after listening to different rock and metal CDs, I Have to say that this is a sea change. Even calling this album that is still something of an understatement. What O’Halloran does here is create classical influenced but modern piano solos, of the quality one would expect foor a movie or television shows. Where individuals that are used to lyrical content in music may be…

Posted on: December 2, 2010 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

The Ocean – Aeolian (CD)

The style of “Aeolian” is fairly undistinguished during “The City and The Sea”. Sure, there is some point where an individual has to go back and say that “yes, this is metal” but beyond this, what else does The Ocean bring to the table? In fact, what The Ocean seem to bring to the table on “Aeolian” is a very long and drawn out approach to creating metal that stays…

Posted on: December 2, 2010 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

The Obsoletes – Is This Progress? (CD)

Reminiscent of early Fastball and Barenaked Ladies, The Obsoletes do not easily fit into the mold that so many new-rock bands find themselves. Mixing so many inflences, Uncle Tupelo and Matthew Sweet to name a few, The Obsoletes burn through “Is This Progress” with the talent necessary to string together so many different bands without seeing bland or rote. Each track is mastered to such a point to flow perfectly…

Posted on: November 30, 2010 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Oasis – Stop The Clocks (CD)

Everyone remembers who Oasis are/were. They were the British act who in the mid nineties became nearly as famous as the Beatles while sounding somewhat similar to the Fab Four, albeit with slightly newer influences. The brothers that founded the band – Noel and Liam – were the equivalent of a Mick and Keith or a Steven and Joe, with a number of well documented blowups. The band has fallen…

Posted on: November 30, 2010 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

CORINNE BAILEY RAE: THE LOVE EP, JANUARY 25

Following on the heels of her recent digital single “Is This Love,” GRAMMY®-winning artist Corinne Bailey Rae will release The Love EP on January 25th, 2011, on Capitol Records. The Love EP is a five-song collection of covers that Bailey Rae calls an “homage to some of my favorite musicians, as well as a conversation between some of my musical influences.” The Love EP opens with a cover of Prince’s…

Posted on: November 30, 2010 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

The Ocean – Aeolian (CD)

The style of “Aeolian” is fairly undistinguished during “The City and The Sea”. Sure, there is some point where an individual has to go back and say that “yes, this is metal” but beyond this, what else does The Ocean bring to the table? In fact, what The Ocean seem to bring to the table on “Aeolian” is a very long and drawn out approach to creating metal that stays…

Posted on: November 29, 2010 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

NVS – Silicon Valley Modern Suicide (CD)

The snotty, Fred Schneider-style of NVS’s vocalist Walter is in no way what I expected from this band. “The Beast Within” has a straight-forward punk type of sound, but a very emotive type of style that does not necessarily mesh perfectly with the music laid down. The band has been around for seven years, so there is some maturity floating around on this album. With this point, a song like…

Posted on: November 29, 2010 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Brennan Dylan – Bullet Ride (CD)

The bit of industrial and electronic music that comes issuing forth at the beginning of “Bullet Ride” primes listeners for what is to come. Fast, slow, intense, and more meandering sections all mesh to create a microcosm of the genre. While an instrumental concoction of Dylan, “War Parade” is nevertheless a track that has tremendous narrative qualities. Deftly integrating synthesizers, guitars, and drums into one coherent expression, Dylan gives listeners…

Posted on: November 29, 2010 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 1

Intended Creation – Awake EP (CD)

The 100 seconds that “Train” occupies at the beginning of the “Awake” EP are tremendous important, an insight in which listeners can gain their first glance of Intended Creation. What they will immediately learn from “Train” is that the band operates on a number of distinct levels. This means that while Intended Creation can come forth with a tremendously compelling interplay between drums and guitar, that the act looks to…

Posted on: November 29, 2010 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Nexcyx – S/T EP (CD)

We here at NeuFutur were lucky enough to get a copy of the Nexcyx debut EP a few days back, and we would like to give this release some love. What the act does for pop music is nothing less than impressive, and I’d personally like to get in at the ground floor. Take a listen to the band’s first single, “Take A Minute”, and you’ll see what I mean.…

Posted on: November 29, 2010 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Kristina Westin – In The Back of My Mind (CD)

“In The Back of My Mind” is slated to be released in just a few days, and “I’m at War” is early evidence why listeners should be lining up to purchase it now. This is because that there is such a unique set of influences working throughout this introductory track that fans of all stripes can appreciate it. The horns take on equal parts jazz and ska, while there is…

Posted on: November 29, 2010 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Adam Rader – S/T EP (CD)

It is always difficult to come forth with a cover of a track that is as storied as Mac Davis’ “In the Ghetto”. Performed by as wide of a swath as both Elvis and South Park’s Cartman, it stands to reason that there is little that performers could do to otherwise make this track their own. Adam Rader, a singer-songwriter, looks to imbue the track with just a little bit…

Posted on: November 29, 2010 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Paolo Nutini – Live Sessions (CD)

I had seen a lot of Paolo Nutini posters around campus in the last few months, so I thought “why not review this EP”. This EP has live versions of four songs from three locations, which provide individuals with an introduction to Nutini. For those individuals that already have the LP, “Live Sessions” allows fans to hear different versions of their favorite album tracks. “Jenny Don’t Be Hasty” is the…

Posted on: November 29, 2010 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Nural – The Weight of the World (CD)

Nural come out immediately from the gates with a brutal, driving brand of rock that cannot be classified as emo or punk, but rather in the vein of other genre-straddling bands like the All-American Rejects and Local H. And hell, with all this great instrumentation, the band has placed a tremendous weight on the vocals, making them the key purveyors of “The Weight of the World’s” infectious, Nickelback-like harmonies. The…