Fire Note Staff 
More than 170 local, regional, national and international musical acts will come together in Cincinnati to perform at the 2013 MidPoint Music Festival (MPMF). The 12th annual festival will present three days of live music on 16 stages in on Thursday, Sept. 26, Friday Sept. 27 and Saturday Sept. 28, 2013. With The Breeders, Kurt … Read more
When is the last time you had even a minute to search for new bands? What if The Fire Note helped out? Well – that is what our monthly Bandcamp feature is all about. Below is our August Bandcamp installment featuring artists that deserve your ear. Once again they are in no particular order and … Read more
We caught up with Joe Lewis of Black Joe Lewis at the Bunbury Festival in Cincinnati and had the privilege of asking him some questions. The good news is that he answered them! Without any more delay the Joe Lewis interview awaits you below. TFN: Talk about the new record – Electric Slave. Joe Lewis: … Read more
Here at The Fire Note we believe in the little guy. The indie mom and pop record stores, the indie record labels being run from basements, and the undiscovered bands all over the world making better music than their influences. This feature is for the little guys. Most of the artists listed here have records … Read more
Day 3 at Cincinnati’s Bunbury Music Festival was even hotter but that absolutely did not slow the bands or fans down from having a good time. Even a quick 20 minute early evening shower couldn’t hold the show back. Belle & Sebastian, Black Joe Lewis , The National and many others all had great shows … Read more
Day 2 at Cincinnati’s Bunbury Music Festival brought higher temperatures but that did not stop any of the artists from putting on killer sets. You can read below what several of our writers had to say about the fun at day 2 and we hope you enjoy the pictures! Saturday (Day 2) Culture Queer (Bud … Read more
The Fire Note was on the ground this past weekend for Cincinnati’s Bunbury Music Festival. The bands, festival organizers and the Queen City put on a great show for all that attended. Check out what some of our writers had to say and enjoy the pictures from Day 1! Friday (Day 1) The Features (Main … Read more
Cincinnati’s Bunbury Music Festival is quickly becoming a force to reckon with as it returns for its second year with its fan-friendly atmosphere. With fun., MGMT and The National headlining – all who attend will be in for a good time. The Fire Note will be on the ground in Cincy this weekend covering the … Read more
Here at The Fire Note we believe in the little guy. The indie mom and pop record stores, the indie record labels being run from basements, and the undiscovered bands all over the world making better music than their influences. This feature is for the little guys. Most of them have records available and they … Read more
The Fire Note receives hundreds of album submissions through the door each year so it is a wonder that we don’t miss more releases that we feel deserve coverage. The reality is that even though we listen to everything we clearly don’t have the time or capacity to write about every single one of them … Read more
I don’t think we need to tell anyone that The Fire Note gets excited on Record Store Day. This year especially it seems that there are tons of great titles coming out so we thought we would give our readers some hints on what you should check out and possibly grab Saturday! With that said … Read more
#50 Nada Surf The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy Barsuk Records [2012] The combining of Nada Surf’s focus with their high spirits made The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy one of the most optimistic records the band has released to date. The same confidence that has been with band over the years felt even stronger … Read more
The Fire Note wouldn’t be possible without the talented writers that have signed on here to share their educated thoughts and true enjoyment of music with our readers. Our year end Top 50 was created based on reviews from the collective but clearly everyone has different tastes and ideas when naming the best album released … Read more
Sufjan Stevens Silver & Gold: Songs For Christmas Asthmatic Kitty Records [2012] 59 songs at an almost 3 hour running time is a ton of Christmas but when you are talking about the quirky and confident Sufjan Stevens this is the collection for your indie music aficionado. Stevens also gives you an 80-page booklet, stickers, … Read more
Like many of you, The Fire Note is always looking for some quality new Christmas music around this time of year. Depending on your taste it can be a little difficult to navigate the onslaught of releases but we found some albums that I think will make your eggnog go down smoother! Various Artists Christmas … Read more
#10 Red River Dialect “awellupontheway” Self-Released [2012] We told you back in August about this totally under the radar psych-folk record from Red River Dialect should easily land high on our Top 50 and I would say number 10 is nails it. The Cornwall, England based band debut full length “awellupontheway” is a stunning 8 … Read more
#20 Beach House Bloom Sub Pop Records [2012] Indie dream pop group Beach House once again created a record that stays in its lane of expectations but swells up and beyond any type of ceiling you may think exists. Bloom was the group’s fourth long player and it was another atmospheric pop journey. Bloom was … Read more
#30 The Shins Port Of Morrow Columbia Records [2012] Five years is a lifetime in the music scene but that is exactly how long it has been since the release of The Shins last record Wincing The Night Away [2007]. The band of course changed as The Shins are mostly James Mercer now but the … Read more
#40 Archie Powell & The Exports Great Ideas In Action Good Land Records [2012] Sometimes it is best to not change a thing when you have a winning formula and that is exactly the way we felt about the sophomore outing from Chicago’s Archie Powell & The Exports titled Great Ideas In Action. Great Ideas … Read more
#50 Nada Surf The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy Barsuk Records [2012] The combining of Nada Surf’s focus with their high spirits made The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy one of the most optimistic records the band has released to date. The same confidence that has been with band over the years felt even stronger … Read more
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The Fire Note By accessing this Website, you are agreeing to be bound by these Terms of Use, all applicable laws and regulations, and agree that you are responsible for compliance with any applicable local laws. If you do not agree with any of these terms, you are prohibited from using or accessing this site. … Read more
Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit Here We RestLightning Rod Records [2011] As a quality contributing past member of the Drive-By Truckers, I have always held the bar higher for Jason Isbell compared to some of his Americana peers. This may or may not be fair but I always thought that his past performance would … Read more