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…
Sacha Sacket – Lovers and Leaders / 2007 Golden Sphinx / 11 Tracks / http://www.Sachasacket.com / Sacha Sacket plays a brand of pop music that takes on the style of a Stephen Curtis Chapman or a Michael Smith. However, during tracks like “Stayâ€, there seems to be much more of an electronic influence to the track than either of those two singer songwriters. It is almost as if Sacket has…
Bedouin Soundclash – Street Gospels / 2007 SideOneDummy / 13 Tracks / http://www.bedouinsoundclash.com / http://www.sideonedummy.com / “Walls Fall Down†really put Bedouin Soundclash in a position that reminds me of a modern Clash. The act is able to make a track that will come forth easily and naturally on rock radio, but does not lack in any sense in regards to the smartness of the instrumentations. There is an eclectic…
June – Make It Blur / 2007 Victory / 12 Tracks / http://www.junerock.com / http://www.victoryrecords.com / I have known about June for a few years now. They played with some of the bands around the Greencastle area right before or after signing with Victory Records, but I never had the chance to hear or review them before receiving “Make It Blur†in the mail. The disc starts out with “No…
V/A – Reggae Gold 2007 / 2007 VP Records / 15 Tracks / http://www.vprecords.com / I do not get much in the way of reggae albums. Pretty much the last one that I really think we received was probably the last Shaggy album, and that has been a few years ago. It doesn’t mean that I do not like the style, but that we here at NeuFutur do not get…
The Spoken X – Wild Child / 2007 Metro / 13 Tracks / http://www.thespokenx.com / The title track to “Wild Child†just exudes cool. From the spoken narrative that starts out the track (think the opening to “Shaftâ€) and the ropy, cop-drama bass line present, and an individual would have a good idea of what The Spoken X are trying to do with this album. Instead of just sticking with…
Alaria Taylor – Bread or Water / 2007 Self / 5 Tracks / http://www.alariataylor.com Alaria Taylor is perhaps the most decorated musician that you have never heard. Among these accolades are winning the VH-1 Song of the Year Contest and the Billboard Magazine World Song Contest. The five tracks that are on “Bread or Water†show the reason why Taylor has received all of these accolades. While the guitars start…
Brown Shoe – Vanity / 2007 Self / 13 Tracks / http://www.brownshoemusic.com It is a hell of time trying to find a band when you’ve screwed up their name. For the longest time, I thought the band’s name was “Brown Shoes†instead of “Brown Shoeâ€. After I got that problem worked out, I was able to hear the powerful indie rock of the band. Brown Shoe reminds me a lot…
Matt Woods – Something Surreal / 2004 Self / 12 Tracks / http://www.mattwoodsband.com / Most the time when I receive CDs done by a band with the name of an individual (typically the leader of the band), what I am “treated†to is something that is quiet, singer-songwriter styled, and is something that essentially rehashes the collected works of artists like Dave Matthews and John Maher. However, Matt Woods and…
The Campbells – The Kid From Gillette, Wyoming / 2007 Self / 8 Tracks / http://www.campbellsrock.com / The Campbells start out their “The Kid From Gillette, Wyoming†with a very early nineties type of alternative rock sound “My Silly Sparks†is a track that sounds as if The Campbells took equal amounts of Polaris and Soul Asylum and linked them together. There is still a little bit of fuzz coming…
Charlie Beresford – The Room is Empty / 2005 Self / 14 Tracks / http://www.charlieberesford.com / The dissonant opening that Charlie Beresford places on eir “The Room Is Empty†will provide individuals with a challenge. The artistic style of this track may be lost on some, but Beresford’s dedication to making “If Only†work will endear more than a fair share of fans. “Nosfer†is a twenty second string-heavy track…