Lacquer – Rebuilt / 2007 Self / http://www.lacquerbadlands.com / “Ripper†is a track that will bring listeners back to the Motley Crue-like rock of the eighties. Lacquer is a little more complex than that comparison would seem, as there are hints of Ramones-like pop punk and even a little bit of a Replacements/Husker Du sound during this track. The musical progression during “Ripper†is something that individuals will feel comfortable…
Tum Tum – Eat or Get Ate / 2007 Universal / 18 Tracks / http://www.universalrepublic.com / http://www.ttownmusic.net / One has to wonder why that a rapper named eirself after a character in the 3 Ninjas set of movies. This is the debut album by Tum Tum, and tracks here feature talents like Mannie Fresh, Trae, Jim Jones, and some up and coming rappers (Double T, Lil Ronnie, Don Dada, and…
Deepak Chopra – A Gift of Love II / 2002 Rasa / 23 Tracks / http://www.rasamusic.com / Besides the music of The Buddhist Monks that I received a few months ago, Deepak Chopra’s “A Gift of Love†has to rank right up there in terms of the weirdness scale. This is the style of music that would be played at a number of import houses and other new-age shops, so…
Carina Round – Slow Motion Addict / 2006 Weapons of Mass Entertainment / 12 Tracks / http://www.carinaround.com / http://www.interscope.com / I must admit, I felt a little wary after looking at the sticker on the cover of “Slow Motion Addictâ€, where some yob from the NME said that “At her best she fucks up the blues like no Midlander since Led Zepâ€. The disc’s first track is “Stolen Carâ€, and…
Tyrone Wells – Hold On / 2007 Universal Republic / 12 Tracks / http://www.tyronewells.com / I had absolutely no idea who Tyrone Wells was when we received the CD here at NeuFutur headquarters. Essentially, Wells gained prominence through having eir songs played on a number of shows I wouldn’t touch with a twenty foot pole. These include: One Tree Hill, Numb3rs, Meet the Barkers, and Three Moons over Milford. Essentially,…
Chasing Victory – Fiends / 2007 Mono Vs Stereo / 10 Tracks / http://www.chasingvictory.com / http://www.monovsstereo.com / Chasing Victory is a band that is from deep in the heart of Georgia. They’ve toured before with Project 86, August Burns Red, and The Devil Wears Prada. This means that they are a Christian hardcore band, but one would likely not hear that when the horns kick in on a track like…
Paris Bennett – Princess P / 2007 306 / 16 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/parisbennett / http://www.tvtrecords.com / Paris Bennett was one of the stars from American Idol . Specifically (for those people that actually pay attention to it), ey was the fifth place winner in the fifth season of Idol. The introductory track to the disc, “All Hair the Princessâ€, is a song that reflects a gospel influence. “Ordinary Love†is…
Tum Tum – Eat or Get Ate / 2007 Universal / 18 Tracks / http://www.universalrepublic.com / http://www.ttownmusic.net / One has to wonder why that a rapper named eirself after a character in the 3 Ninjas set of movies. This is the debut album by Tum Tum, and tracks here feature talents like Mannie Fresh, Trae, Jim Jones, and some up and coming rappers (Double T, Lil Ronnie, Don Dada, and…
OST: Kyle XY / 2007 ABC Family / 14 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/kylexy I know that a lot of individuals are really into Kyle XY. I never got to watch the show because it didn’t seem like something that would be too terribly interesting to me, and I didn’t even have cable until last month. Regardless, the disc has a who’s who of solid indie rock, alternative rock, and emo bands.…
Dethklok – Dethalbum / 2007 Williams Street / 16 Tracks / http://www.adultswim.com/ Metalocalypse is my favorite show on Adult Swim, and ranks right up there with Duckman and The Critic for being the best animated show of all time. I received the CD one day after stopping at the post office to pick up my pile of packages, and slipped it in before I went on a trip back to…
Scorpions – Humanity Hour 1 / 12 Tracks / http://www.the-scorpions.com / http://www.ilovethatsong.com / I was always into hair metal when I was in high school. Needless to say, I was really worried when I thought I was “playing†the new Scorpions album and heard music that resembled Oasis. Luckily, I just had the wrong disc in the player. Anyways, I really got into hair metal after picking up a greatest…
Jimmy Eat World – “Big Casino†/ 2007 Interscope / 1 Track / http://www.jimmyeatworld.com / Jimmy Eat World has been a band that has impressed me (“Lucky Denver Mintâ€) and disappointed me in the past (changing “Bleed Americanâ€â€™s title). However, it has been a number of years since either of those events happened, so it seems like good policy to give the band another chance. There hopeful vocals that are…
The GoStation – Passion Before Function / 2007 Self / 10 Tracks / http://www.thegostation.com / The GoStation sure love their Oasis, don’t they? Whether it is the opening strains of â€All Together Now†or the ending riffs of “When I’m Goneâ€, the band has a lot of debts to pay the Gallagher brothers. I can understand why the band would want to do that; Oasis was a band that pushed…
Bear Hands – Golden EP / 2007 Freedom in Exile / 4 Tracks / http://www.bearhandsband.com / Bear Hands start out their “Golden EP†with their own interpretation of indie rock. This means that there are hints of the energetic alt-country punk of a Lucero, the prim and proper alt-rock of Weezer, and even a little hit of the fuzz and meandering arrangements that brought Jane’s Addiction to prominence all those…
Laura Aidanblaise – Get Thee to the World / 2007 Self / http://www.myspace.com/lauraaidanblaise “Get Thee to the World†shows Aidanblaise as one of the most innovative indie artists currently creating music. While it is a forgone conclusion that most instrumentation is created to highlight a singer, Aidanblaise takes this to its’ logical conclusion. The pacing and emotional intensity of the instrumentation is directly linked to Aidanblaise’s vocals, something that becomes…
Foley McKenna Band – Moving My Feet / 2007 Self / 5 Tracks / http://www.thefmb.net / “Kimberley†is the first track on “Moving My Feetâ€. It starts out with a soulful set of guitars that do not easily fall into a genre category. The vocals slide in soon after, and blend together the work of Adam Duritz (Counting Crows) with Matchbox 20. There seems to be a little more in…
MOTU – Going Back To Memphis / 2007 Self / 11 Tracks / http://www.motu.net / “So Lonely†starts out “Going Back To Memphisâ€, and it shows MOTU as an act that is tremendously influenced by blues. The male vocals during “So Lonely†have a Randy Newman-like approach to them, and the inclusion of the second, female vocals on the track give the track further expansion. The instrumentation of the track…
Michael Hensley – Fire Behind Me / 2007 Self / 12 Tracks / http://www.michael-hensley.com / “This Machine†is the first track on “Fire Behind Meâ€, and it shows Hensley as a purveyor of dance music. Specifically, the track is supported by hints of Pet Shop Boys, Erasure, and Depeche Mode. Besides being influenced by these earlier dance acts, Hensley’s music on “Fire Behind Me† is imbued with a current and…
The Payola Reserve – 200 Years / 2007 Self / 13 Tracks / http://www.thepayolareserve.com / The Payola Reserve have a smoothed out sound that blends a Radiohead sound with a more classic, folk style. “Grade A Television†starts off “200 Yearsâ€, and it is here where The Payola Reserve begin to impress listeners. They impress listeners through this blending of styles, and through the confidence of the band’s lead singer.…
Lifehouse – Who We Are / 2007 Geffen / 12 Tracks / http://www.geffen.com /  http://www.lifehousemusic.com / You know, I had no clue that Lifehouse took their name from a failed Who follow-up to their classic album “Tommyâ€. Enough for random trivia: “Who We Are†marks the fourth full length album for Lifehouse, and it shows the same sort of stable sound that acts like Nickelback and Daughtry have been creating…