(4 out of 5 stars)"We need more 'acousticore' bands: The album kicks like a major punk record, has the melodic overtures of a pop album and boasts enough sappy lyrics to turn any frown upside down.”
- Alternative Press
(4.5 out of 5 stars)"It's easy to fall under the spell of O'Neill's seductive pen, with his vivid imagery and effortless rhymes. His melodies are equally enchanting, and the arrangements superb, as The Kings weave a sublime tapestry from Americana, melodic punk, and southern pop-rock. The use of brass is particularly impressive, rocking out here, adding atmosphere there, with piano often adding a genre twist to his song. A fabulous album, but they may come to rue their noble name, for surely they're destined for more greatness than nowhere can supply. "
- allmusic.com
"Sounds like a cross between Against Me! and the first Violent Femmes record."
- Mike Frame, Razorcake
(3.5 out of 5 stars)"Most of all, though, The Future Kings of Nowhere is the kind of band you sing along to, feeling it swell up in your heart as it rushes out your throat."
- Bryan Reed, The Daily Tarheel
(4.5 out of 5 stars)"If The Future Kings of Nowhere's first album is any indication of what is to come for this band, its coffee-stained songs written on paper napkins are about to make history. "
- Chris Cioffi, The Technician
"Just like the Kingston Trio, only faster and bloodier. "
- Metro Times
"The Future Kings of Nowhere take acoustic Americana and strap it to indie rock’s fun and reckless engine. Album opener 'Lather, Rinse, Repeat' has irrepressible energy and some trickily catchy chord changes. 'Never' is more straight-ahead, but just as propulsive, and 'C Is for Heartache' nods to the folk-punk of the Femmes."
- Michael Keefe, PopMatters
"...uncannily smart, spinning phrases like loopholes, casting anecdotes as metaphors and dropping narrative details like crumbs."
- Grayson Currin, The Independent Weekly
"...catchy breakup songs for people who don't even like catchy breakup songs"
- Ross Grady, trianglerock.com
"A complex and thought out album full of tunes about love, death, and alienation."
- Andrew Schwartz, The Rockit
"This Durham collective plays music that bristles with electricity -- which is significant in that they're an all-acoustic act. Unlike other unplugged Carolinian bands whose punk aesthetic often manifests in sparse instrumentation, this 7-10 member group adds trumpet, sax, trombone, accordion and saw to the mix. Their self-titled debut veers comfortably between up-tempo Weezer-like pop punk and the duskier sides of Devotchka, Calexico or Pinetop 7."
- John Schacht, Creative Loafing
"The Future Kings of Nowhere provided the introduction to the evening with their accessible and riveting 'acousticore' stylings. Lead singer Shayne O’Neill strummed his guitar so hard that it was amazing his strings didn’t fly off as he earnestly shot out his lyrics with the fiery passion of a preacher. His already converted choir of an audience listened intently. "
Brimming with wit and energy, The Future Kings of Nowhere play acoustic pop-punk antifolk with an occasional bit of country twang. They call it acousticore. High speed acoustic guitars, double-time drumming, lush harmonies, and a slew of auxiliary instruments create a frantic backdrop for these songs of love, death, and modern-day alienation. They sing with a disarming honesty that draws you in and a beat that keeps you moving. The hooks sink deep and the energy is unforgettable. One listen to their debut CD, released in June on 307 Knox Records, and you will be humming these tunes for weeks.
This is cut off all your hair, bounce around the room music. Don’t be surprised if you wake up drunk after their next show, with a new tattoo and a trespassing charge, to find a Future King correcting grammatical errors in the graffiti on the jailhouse walls!
Email us: futurekingsofnowhere (at) gmail (dot) com
The Future Kings of Nowhere's Friend Space (Top 28)
Does the show really start at 8 tomorrow? Thinking about heading down, but I don't get out of work until 7:45ish in Durham. Oh, well - hopefully I can catch an August show! Love you guys!
