The Masons – Let You Down Easy / 2007 75 or Less Records / 14 Tracks / http://www.themasonswebsite.com / http://www.75orlessrecords.com / “Preemptive Denial†is a track that has in it a very early nineties alternative sound, with equal hints the B-52s and Sonic Youth. There is a simplistic approach to the vocals that matches well with the instrumentation present during songs like “Preemptive Denialâ€. The thing that makes this track…
A Shoreline Dream – Coastal / 2007 Latenight Weeknight / 4 Tracks / http://www.ashorelinedream.com/COASTAL / The slightly electronic feel of “Ukraine†starts off “Coastalâ€. A Shoreline Dream make a play for the Smashing Pumpkins meets Morrissey set with this track, but comes at it in a very unique way. The vocals are present and do have a focal point during this track, but the instrumentation seems to be the thing…
Ben Weasel and his Iron String Quartet – These Ones Are Bitter/ 2007 Mendota Recording Co./ 14 Tracks / http://benweasel.mu.nu/ / http://www.mendotarecording.com / After five years hiatus Ben Weasel former front man of legendary pop-punk bands Screeching Weasel and The Riverdales is back and has made damn sure that the wait was worth it with These Ones Are Bitter. Taking everything that only a master of the pop and punk…
Spokane – Little Hours / 2007 JagJaguwar / 10 Tracks / http://www.jagjaguwar.com/ Spokane offers listeners a melodic and sad album with their newest release Little Hours. It starts out with “Singing†which does a good job of giving the listener a taste of what they will hear throughout the entire album and has some neat nature noises which is a bonus to what is coming. “Minor Careers†doesn’t differ too…
Colbie Caillat – Coco / 2007 Universal / 12 Tracks / http://www.colbiecaillatmusic.com / http://www.universalrepublic.com / Colbie Caillat’s “Coco†starts off in a very sedate way. The first track on the album is “Oxygenâ€, and it provides listeners with a brand of rock infused pop music. Hints of Kelly Clarkson and Sheryl Crow both present themselves throughout “Oxygenâ€, placing Caillat into good company right from the opening gate. “The Little Things 
50 Cent – AYO Technology (Feat. Justin Timberlake & Timbaland) / 2007 Shady / 4 Tracks / http://www.50cent.com / I thought that 50 Cent was supposed to be hard, a ghetto warrior that was shot a shitload of times and lived to rap about it. Last time I checked, Justin Timberlake and Timbaland do not seem to be individuals that scream “street credâ€. They are able to bash out catchy…
Army of Me – Citizen / 2007 Doghouse / 12 Tracks / http://www.armyofmeonline.com / http://www.doghouserecords.com / â€Perfect†starts off “Citizenâ€, and it has a sound that parallels a blend of Simple Plan and Say Anything, but individuals would barely know that from the quiet vocals and guitars that start off the track. The production present during this track is interesting, and it seems to vary as much as the arrangements…
Patchwork – Work and Worry / 2007 Self / 6 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/patchworknoise / It seems as if less and less truly independent bands are sending me their material for review. As the magazine has grown, fewer and fewer unsigned acts find their way into a review. I have no clue why that is, as NeuFutur reviews everything that we receive, but it is always nice to hear a band…
Machine Head – The Blackening / 2007 Roadrunner / 8 Tracks / http://www.machinehead1.com / http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com / Machine Head is a band that has been around for about as long as I have listened to metal. Their first album came out in 1994, and the band was around for a few years before that. So, “The Blackeningâ€, their sixth album, should be a pinnacle with which they can achieve new levels…
With Passion – What We See When We Shut Our Eyes / 2006 Earache / 10 Tracks / http://www.withpassionmetal.com / http://www.earache.com / This California band does not take more than ten seconds to start rocking the faces off of their listeners. The music that they play is a brand of progressive cum speed metal that is shrill, melodic, and orchestral all at the same time. The band can bring the…
Snatches of Pink – Love is Dead / 2007 Self / 15 Tracks / http://www.snatchesofpink.com / Snatches of Pink on their “Love is Dead†play a brand of sleaze rock that brings individuals back to the days of Spinal Tap and the New York Dolls. The lead vocals during “Rocks†(and extended to the whole of the disc) have more than a passing resemblance to those provided by Mike Ness…
OST: Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof / 2007 Warner Bros / 16 Tracks / http://www.warnerbros.com / http://www.deathproof.net / Everyone knows that this soundtrack is for the movie that was Quentin Tarantino’s part of Grindhouse, “Death Proofâ€. The tracks here feel like they are taken from an earlier period. The first track on this score is Jack Nitzche’s “The Last Raceâ€. This track has the seventies orchestral heaviness present in droves, with…
Protest Hill – The City Echoes Our Hearts / 2007 Latest Flame / 11 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/protesthill / http://www.latestflame.com / Protest Hill plays a brand of indie-heavy pop-rock that is similar to the work of a Fray, Ben Folds, or Jack Johnson. “All That You Need†is the first track on “The City Echoes Our Heartsâ€, and it blends Tori Amos ‘s style of piano playing with bassy instrumentation and…
Hotel Alexis – Goliath, I’m On Your Side / 2006 Broken Sparrow / 14 Tracks / http://www.hotelalexis.com / http://www.brokensparrow.com / There is little more to say about Hotel Alexis besides the fact that they play a brand of indie rock that has no time referent; tracks like “Soft Soft War†and “San Diego Backslide†paint a quiet yet nuanced picture of the band. “I Will Arrange for You to Fall…
Gallows – Orchestra of Wolves / 2007 Epitaph / 15 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/gallows / http://www.epitaph.com / Gallows play a brand of hardcore metal that goes into the style of acts like Men’s Recovery Project and Agoraphobic Nosebleed at times. However, during tracks like “Kill The Rhythm†and “Come Firendly Bombsâ€, the band create a much more approachable sound than any of those two acts. This means that during a “Come…
The Electric Soft Parade – No Need To Be Down-Hearted / 2007 Better Looking / 12 Tracks /http://www.electricsoftparade.com / The Electric Soft Parade plays a very soft, looking-back style of rock during their “No Need To Be Down-Heartedâ€. This is moderated by the inclusion of a nineties alternative sensibility and a current electronic fuzz that makes a song like “Life in the Backseat†approachable by all. The band moves from…
Yoko – Open Your Box / 2007 Astralwerks / 14 Tracks / http://www.astralwerks.com/ono / Pretty much anyone that is into music will remember who Yoko Ono is. But, like me, I had no clue what music ey was currently making for an album like “Open Your Boxâ€. The tracks on here are all remixes of Ono’s work, from dance stars as storied as Basement Jaxx, Felix Da Housecat, Pet Shop…
The Pipettes – Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me / 2007 Memphis / 4 Tracks / http://www.thepipettes.co.uk / http://www.islandrecords.com / This British act is definitely copping style off of the sixties girl group acts, as well as those artists that followed in the same general style. This EP starts out with the really fifties-sounding title track, with a little bit of Donnas and Sounds thrown into the mix. The track…
The Orangeburg Massacre – Moorea / 2007 Pluto / 11 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/orangeburgamassacre / http://www.plutorecords.com / Often time, I have to look and see what the website of a band is by going on Google and plugging in their name. I find interesting things sometimes: apparently, the band is named after an event that turned bloody after being a nonviolent protest at the only bowling alley in Orangeburg, South Carolina.…
Steve Bertrand – Pain Is A Megaphone / 2007 Icon MES / 9 Tracks / http://www.stevebertand.com / Steve Bertrand starts off “Pain Is A Megaphone†in a pop-rock way. The first track on the CD is “The Last Mile Is The Longestâ€, and it shows influences as wide as Bon Jovi, Matchbox 20, Semisonic, and Bryan Adams. Most times on an album it feels as if the music and the…