Koop – Koop Islands / 2007 Atlantic / 11 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/koop / Koop is an odd band. I believe, in the 2,500+ discs that I’ve reviewed in the last decade, that they are the first to link together the swing genre with a more Caribbean type of sound. Where I originally thought that the style would not work in the slightest, just listening to a few seconds of “Koop…
Brian Dewan – Words of Wisdom / 2007 Eschatone / 16 Tracks / http://www.briandewan.com / http://www.eschatone.com / Brian Dewan is one weird individual. The sing-song nature of “Words of Wisdom†(the opening track), could conceivably be on a Disney movie or some odd, out of the way, radio station. Dewan’s opening to the album “Words of Wisdom†is primarily vocal, with only the lightest in terms of instrumentation to fill…
Dri – Smoke Rings / 2007 Range Life / 11 Tracks / http://www.rangeliferecords.com / Do you remember the band The Anniversary? That act that got oh so freaking angry whenever an interview or review called them “emoâ€? Well, Dri was a member of that band. Dri is also currently a member of Art in Manila and Fourth of July. The songs that are present on “Smoke Rings†in no way…
Benzos – Branches / 2007 Stinky / 12 Tracks / http:/www.benzosmusic.com / “Branches†stars off with “Sell This Thingâ€, a track that has a heavy instrumental component to it. During this track, Benzos creates a style that touches upon acts such as Coldplay and Snow Patrol, while still having the jangly guitar work of an early Radiohead or Oasis. The result is something that has more than a little bit…
The Chinese Stars – Listen To Your Left Brain / 2007 Three One G / 9 Tracks / http://www.thechinesestars.com / http://www.threeoneg.com / This Rhode Island band was formed from the ashes of Arab on Radar and Six Finger Satellite. I was not familiar with the band before receiving “Listen To Your Left Brainâ€, even though this is their second full length and fifth release in total since the band’s founding…
Seven Mary Three has signed to Bellum Records (a division of ICON MES), and on February 19, 2008 will release their sixth album DAY&NIGHTDRIVING. The first single, “Last Kiss,†impacts Rock radio formats on February 4th, along with a music video to be serviced to all local, regional, and national broadcast outlets as well as online and retail. The band will host a record release show in their hometown of…
Opeth – The Roundhouse Tapes / 2007 Peaceville / 9 Tracks / http://www.opeth.com / http://www.peaceville.com /  Opeth have been making intense metal music since 1990, and they have been doing just that with singer Mikael since 1992. Since then, they have provided fans with 8 full length albums and a smattering of other material. “The Roundhouse Tapes†are recordings that were captured from a live performance at (you guessed…
Five For Fighting – Back Country Special Edition / 2007 Aware / 15 Tracks / http://www.fiveforfighting.com / http://www.awarerecords.com / Wow, did you know that Five For Fighting only had one individual? All this time, I guess I just presumed that there were five individuals in this band. John Ondrasik, the face behind Five For Fighting, has released four full-length albums to this point, and tracks representing these four albums have…
Anna Ternheim – S/T / 2007 Decca / 6 Tracks / http://www.decca.com Anna Ternheim has been around for a few years, releasing eir first EP in 1996 (“Sovaâ€) and eir first LP in 2004 (“Somebody Outsideâ€). It is just this year (and March 2008, when eir latest full length is released) that individuals in the United States will be able to hear the ability and talent of Ternheim for themselves.…
Dusty Rhodes and the River Band – First You Live / 2007 SideOneDummy / 13 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/dustyrhodes / http://www.sideonedummy.com / When I see the logo for SideOneDummy on a CD, I’m expecting some form of punk music to be assaulting my ears. This is not the desire of Dusty Rhodes and the River Band, as they provide a style of rock that is very linked into the overall sound…
Michael Hurley – Ancestral Swamp / 2007 Gnomonsong / 11 Tracks / http://www.snockonews.net / http://www.gnomonsong.com / Michael Hurley is one of the most storied folk musicians that is still around today. Songs of eir have been covered by bands such as Cat Power (“Sweedeedee†and Troubled Waterâ€) and the Violent Femmes (“Werewolfâ€).  In the years since ey released eir first album “First Songâ€, ey has been prolific – “Ancestral Swamp 
Van Morrison – Still On Top: The Greatest Hits / 2007 Hip-O / 21 Tracks / http://www.vanmorrison.co.uk / http://www.hip-o.com / There have been a number of greatest hits albums put out covering some stages of Van Morrison’s career, but there never has been one that has had a complete grasp on eir career. I first was introduced to the “Greatest Hits†aspect of Van Morrison through the release of the…
V/A – Change / 2007 Sub City / 38 Tracks / http://www.hopelessrecords.com / http://www.subcity.net / SubCity Records is an imprint of Hopeless Records. They have been creating samplers for about a decade now (give or take a year), and their funds have went to a number of good causes (anti-suicide charities, and they now have a more general mission – “to have an impact that goes beyond musicâ€. Change! is…
Serena Ryder – Told You In A Whispered Song / 2007 Atlantic / 5 Tracks / http://www.serenaryder.com / http://www.atlanticrecords.com / For a while before looking it up, I was confusing Serena Ryder with Sarina Paris. Both are Canadians, but there’s quite a few years difference between the ending of Paris’ popular musical career and the beginning of Ryder’s popular phase. The tracks on “Told You In A Whispered Song†provide…
Keith Sweat – A Christmas of Love / 2007 Rhino / 9 Tracks / http://www.rhino.com / I had no idea that Keith Sweat was still even around. Individuals that may not know exactly who Sweat is may remember eir from some of eir previous hits, which included the likes of “I Want Herâ€, “Make It Last Foreverâ€, “Twisted†and “Nobodyâ€. This is a purely Christmas type of album, and marks…
OST: Atonement / 2007 Decca / 15 Tracks / http://www.focusfeatures.com/atonement / Atonement is director Joe Wright’s adaptation of Ian McEwan’s 2001 novel, of the same name. The film itself features James McAvoy (Band of Brothers, Chronicles of Narnia) and Keira Knightley (Pirates of the Caribbean, Love Actually), and is set in the 1930s, detailing the lives of Briony, Robbie, and Cecilia. The soundtrack for the film was created by Dario…
The Killers – Sawdust / 2007 Island / 17 Tracks / http://www.thekillersmusic.com / http://www.islandrecords.com / Before I start this review, I have to saw that “Tranquilize†is one of the best songs of the year 2007. The fact that it has Lou Reed on it only increases the amount I enjoy the song, and the accompanying video does not paint The Killers as any sort of slouches either. “Tranquilize†is…
Rick Springfield – Christmas With You / 2007 Gomer / 15 Tracks / http://www.rickspringfield.com / Of course, Rick Springfield is the mastermind behind the song “Jessie’s Girlâ€. This song was released a good twenty years ago and the catchiness of the song has been enough to keep Rick Springfield at least somewhat in the public eye since then. However, there has not really been a follow-up that has reached the…
Vashti Bunyan – Some Things Just Stick In Your Mind / 2007 Dicristina / 25 Tracks / http://www.dicristina.com / We at NeuFutur have reviewed Bunyan’s works before. Eir career in a quick nutshell: “Just Another Diamond Dayâ€, eir debut LP, was released in 1970. “Lookaftering†was intended to come out soon after “Just Another Diamond Dayâ€, but was unreleased until Bunyan finished it up and Fat Possum released it in…
American Steel – Destroy Their Future / 2007 Fat Wreck / 12 Tracks / http://www.americansteel.com / http://www.fatwreck.com / American Steel has been around for a few years and “Destroy Their Future†marks the fourth full length released by the band. Individuals may think that their Fat Wreck Chords debut is their first, but they would be mistaken; this mature (in regards to arrangements and overall sound) band comes forth first…