“She Woke Up To Me†has an utterly infectious sound, with a bit of synthesizers that will worm its way into listeners’ ears and reside there for months after listening to the track. The inclusion of a similarly-infectious drum line and jangly, disco-infused guitar line further elevate this track into something special. All of these pieces unite together to create the perfect foil for the soulful singing that links together…
The title track for “Medicated Empty†ties together LostProphets, Muse, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Radiohead into something that immediately strives to distinguish itself from the pack. It is during “Your Infection†that the band is truly able to spread their wings, though. The confident guitars unite to splashy guitars and vocals that double dip by both furthering the narrative side of things while adding much to the intricate harmonies…
Christian music has always been a part of my post-youth life. I was first introduced to the music of the Newsboys back in about 2000, and ever since then, I’ve been attempting to find the best and brightest in the genre. Alexandra Celano’s 2009 release “I’m Overcome†came to us just a few days ago, and I have to say that it may just be the best Christian album of…
“Lunar Dance†is the first track on “Naughty and Niceâ€, and it will immediately show that CRGruve is attempting to do something significantly different with the rap genre than has been present in the past. This means that there are hints of Spandau Ballet and New Order even as a rap flow brings current acts (The Dream, Drake) into the mix. Where this initial track is challenging for those that…
“A Patriot’s Anthem†is a great introduction to Prospect Hill, as it allows listeners to see every part of the act work together in the creation of a memorable track. Prospect Hill skillfully moves through emo, rock, and even metal over the course of a few short minutes, all while the extraordinarily charismatic vocals hit on all cylinders. The production, while not as important as the performances of Prospect Hill…
Stephen Kellogg goes a little more country on his latest album, but that is far from being a bad thing. Songs like “A (With Love)†and “Satisfied Man†could have come straight out of Nashville’s Music Row, rather than from the mic of Massachusetts’ native Stephen Kellogg. John B. Moorewww.neufutur.com
It’s easy to forget just how long Blur has been around. Thanks to the handy timeline tucked inside the liner notes of the anthology Midlife: A Beginner’s Guide to Blur, you realize that they started before the EU was officially established, before the Soviet Union broke up and just one month after the Internet was opened to the public. The 25 tracks that make up the release – a collection…
You’d be forgiven for taking the Stone Roses for granted a bit. They only had one remarkable album (their self-titled debut) and it was released in 1989, at the beginning of alternative rock’s heyday, forcing them to compete with everyone from Depeche Mode to Nirvana. But thanks to Legacy Records, the Manchester-based band gets another shot. Because of the infectious, if a bit mopey single “I Wanna to Be Adored, 
The Early November – The Mother, the Mechanic, and the Path / 2006 Drive-Thru / 46 Tracks / http://www.theearlynovember.net / http://www.drivethrurecords.com / Reviewed 24 July 2006 In the 1970s, rock gave birth to a child embraced by all called the concept album. Since then, concepts have gone into hiding for the most part only to be resurfaced by The Early November in what could not be called merely a 3-disc…
The Eames Era plays a catchy brand of pop-infused rock that is catchy as all get out starting with “Little Brother†. The track shows The Eames Era as an act that is most comfortable in this earlier genre, while the band still makes the songs salient for the current audience. The band is able to craft shorter songs that make big impressions on anyone listening in. There may not…
“Go To Sleep†is not surprisingly a track that is sedate, a perfect bit of dream-pop that has influences including The Cranberries. “Got Your Note†is another of the same style of tracks but really succeeds in involving a slightly different sound as before with a stop-start sound and activist drums. Each of the tracks on “Double Dutch†is tenderly constructed with instrumentation that only bolster Ashlin’s already smooth vocals.…
Despite only having two members, the folk-inspired indie pop duo Smile Smile – comprised of Ryan Hamilton and Jencey Hirunrusme – manage to make some fairly expansive songs on their debut. Blue Roses, originally released in 2006 and re-released this summer, is remarkable in its simplicity. John B. Moorewww.neufutur.com
On first blush, it would appear that the architect of the new Love and Rockets tribute album was just pulling random names out of hat. How else do you explain one hit wonders Better Than Ezra, alongside more indie-minded artists like The Dandy Warhol’s, Frances Black and up-and-comers War Tapes? John B. Moorewww.neufutur.com
As sometime guitarist for Dayton’s favorite sons Guided By Voices and Robert Pollard’s post-break-up solo work, Doug Gillard delivered album after album of satisfying jangly lo-fi pop. On Call From Restricted, his own latest solo effort, Gillard delivers more the of that familiar jangly guitar pop, but with impressively accessible vocals. John B. Moorewww.neufutur.com
A live album by a band that’s been missing from radio for a good two decades is usually a bad sign. A gimmicky half acoustic, half plugged in record is even more ominous. But Philadelphia’s once-favorite sons have managed to pull of the difficult, putting out a nostalgia record that is just as good, if not better than anything they have done before. The first disc was recorded live in…
The only really disappointing thing about Let Go, The Silent Year’s latest EP is the length. At six songs, the band’s latest is an appropriate follow up to last year’s decent full length The Globe, managing to eclipse those songs both musically and lyrically. The group delivers unpretentious indie pop in the vein of What Made Milwaukee Famous and Vampire Weekend (without the goofy prep school kid attitude). The album…
“So Much Better†is a song that ties together rock and alternative music in a way that touches upon the work of Edwyn McCain, The Eagles, and even early (“A Boy Named Gooâ€-era Goo Goo Dolls). The production of “So Much Better†is important due to the openness that it allows. Each instrument is able to shine, while there is a warmth to the compositions here that will make it…
“Thank You†is a track that really has some common ground in Ugly Kid Joe’s “I Hate Everything About Youâ€, in terms of the sheer sarcasm that is present. In regards to the musical side of the track, what Sexstone does here is skillfully tie together punk, alt-country, and even grunge to create something that is fresh and uniquely theirs. “Where†follows up “Thank Youâ€, and is a sea change…
There’s something about acoustic guitars that draws former punk rockers like moths to a flame. Frank Turner, former member of Million Dead, unplugged after his band dissolved about three years ago and decided to go the route of Billy Bragg, writing lyrically smart, occasionally politically-tinged folk rock songs. On Love Ire & Song, his second full length (he’s also released a couple of EPs and a new LP is just…
I know that before receiving “Ride Onâ€, I was knowledgeable about some of Bo Diddley’s work but had no clue exactly how detailed and expansive the set of eir works truly was during this period. To put this in perspective, Hip-O Select is already on the third volume of their Diddley releases, and they are only three years out from Diddley’s debut release (1958’s eponymous album). Considering that Diddley was…