There are approximately 150,000,000 bands currently playing and recording original music. The only problem is that roughly 2% of them can truly be considered “original” in any realistic sense of the word. Thankfully, every once in a great while a band like Body Futures will appear like magic out of the morass of faux-folk and soulless “indie” rock. Their debut album “Brand New Silhouettes” should remind jaded listeners of the existence of genuine, exciting songcraft.

Milwaukee, WI’s Body Futures combine flawless pop sensibilities with full-speed-ahead rock dynamics, punctuated with insanely catchy choruses and utilizing unconventional instrumentation (effect-driven autoharp?) to produce a sound at once naggingly familiar and indefinable. Vocalist Dixie Jacobs (who doubles on the aforementioned autoharp and synthesizer) provides crystal-clear vocal melodies, offset by drummer D.J. Hostettler’s slightly more unhinged call-and-response rejoinders. Hyperactive bassist Michael Wojtasiak and dextrous guitarist Christopher Maury provide clusters of harmonies, creating a multifaceted wall of sound.

As unique and intriguing as the songs are, the inspirations behind said songs are equally fascinating. For example, “Sha Na Na: Clone Project Alpha” deals with Elmer Edward Solly, the escaped convict who masqueraded as a dead member of Sha Na Na, while “When You Had A Jaw” is a tribute to Hostettler’s recently deceased father, replacing any trace of the maudlin with a large dose of dark humor.

Body Futures’ members have no shortage of experience: Jacobs was a member of the avant-pop combo White, Wrench, Conservatory, while Hostettler recorded and toured extensively as drummer for noise-pop combo IfIHadAHiFi. Wojtasiak played with Milwaukee stalwarts Five Mod Four as well as owning and operating No Karma Records, and Maury was a founding member of the well-regarded Everybody at Midnight.

Body Futures formed in the summer of 2012, and spent the following year writing and rehearsing, prior to their live debut in 2013. Plans were immediately set in motion to set their songs down on tape, and, following an agreement with Latest Flame Records, the band entered Milwaukee’s Howl Street Studios with the justly renowned Shane Hochstetler during the soon-to-be-legendary Polar Vortex of 2014 to record what would become “Brand New Silhouettes.”

Vinyl will either be RED or GOLD. You'll find out when the shrink-wrap is removed.