Brian Q. Newcomb 
Joe Henry The Gospel According To Water earMUSIC [2019] Fire Note Says: Joe Henry’s 15th album arises out of a dire diagnosis, with reflections on mortality the befit a celebration of life. Album Review: Joe Henry’s 15th studio album, The Gospel According to Water, is unlike any other record you’ll listen to this year. All … Read more
Beck Hyperspace Capitol Record [2019] Album Review: It has been a fun and curious thing to watch the evolution of Beck’s musical career from his breakout single, Loser in 1994 with its mix of lo-hi folk, hip-hop and blues influence and 2017’s Colors which was all glossy, polished synth pop with an 80’s retro vibe. … Read more
Elvis Costello & The Imposters: “Just Trust” Tour; Taft Theatre; Cincinnati, OH – Tuesday, November 19, 2019 It’s strangely comforting that the once famously “angry young man,” Elvis Costello can still surprise and challenge an audience at the age of 65, 42 years after his debut album. The very artist who got banned from “Saturday … Read more
Dan Luke And The Raid Out Of The Blue New West Records [2019] Album Review: I knew I wanted to review the debut album by Dan Luke and the Raid when I first caught their “Exoskeleton” video in a random moment online. Something about these twenty year olds having their way with a couple piñatas … Read more
Daniel Martin Moore Never Look Away Ok/SofaBurn Records [2019] Fire Note Says: Kentucky folk singer/songwriter returns with 9th album of heart-felt songs. Album Review: If we’re not careful, the latest album from Kentucky folk singer/songwriter Daniel Martin Moore could easily get lost in all the commotion of noisy new releases that are seeking to make … Read more
Wilco Ode to Joy Tour w/ Special Guest Deep Sea Diver; Taft Theatre, Cincinnati, OH – Saturday, November 9, 2019 “Cincinnati, I’ve got to say, you are really bringing it,” stated Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy about 2/3rds of the way through their performance at the Taft Theatre on Saturday night. Tweedy is not one of … Read more
Tegan And Sara Hey, I’m Just Like You Sire Records [2019] Fire Note Says: Canadian duo Tegan and Sara give fresh recordings to songs written when they were teenagers on their ninth studio album. Album Review: Twins, Tegan and Sara Quin quite naturally tend to do a lot of things together. For instance, earlier this … Read more
Neil Young with Crazy Horse Colorado Reprise Records [2019] Fire Note Says: Neil Young regroups with Crazy Horse and Nils Lofgren, for an album that’s a mix of militant guitar activism on behalf of Mother Nature, and some nostalgia for an earlier time. Album Review: “You might say I’m an old white guy” Neil Young … Read more
Jesse Malin Sunset Kids Wicked Cool / Velvet Elk Records [2019] Fire Note Says: Jesse Malin’s 8th album recalls the best of an earlier era, with help from producer Lucinda Williams, and guest spots from Billie Joe Armstrong and Joseph Arthur. Album Review: Obviously, there’s no actual formula when it comes to writing a great … Read more
Kim Gordon No Home Record Matador Records [2019] Fire Note Says: After a long career playing bass in Sonic Youth, Kim Gordon steps out solo on an artful, noisy piece of self-expression that has a beat you can dance to. Album Review: Pretty sure the first time I saw Kim Gordon’s band Sonic Youth live … Read more
The New Pornographers In The Morse Code Of Brake Lights Concord Records [2019] Fire Note Says: The Carl Newman led New Pornographers, take on the world grim reality with bright, bold and aggressive pop song energy that rocks, with strings. Album Review: It seems the unspoken rule of thumb for songs by The New Pornographers’ … Read more
Brittany Howard Jaime ATO Records [2019] Album Review: Brittany Howard is best known for her two albums with the band Alabama Shakes, who’s 2015 release, Sound & Color, picked up four Grammy’s that year including Best Alternative Album, Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song for “Don’t Wanna Fight.” Now, setting the band aside for … Read more
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds Ghosteen Ghosteen Ltd. [2019] Album Review: Even though we’d been told that the 2016 release from Nick Cave And the Bad Seeds, Skeleton Tree, had been written before the tragic death of his 15-year-old son, Arthur, the album’s stark, grief-stricken music and Cave’s emotional rendering of the song’s lyrics, … Read more
Belle And Sebastian Days Of The Bagnold Summer Matador Records [2019] Album Review: Although it’s been four year since the last full-length album by the indie-pop/alternative band Belle and Sebastian, from Glasgow, Scotland, this new release might not qualify exactly as its latest release, as Days of the Bagnold Summer is a soundtrack album for … Read more
Bon Iver I,I Jagjaguwar [2019] Album Review: While “I,I”, the fourth album from Bon Iver, begins with “Yi” a 30 second smattering of electronic noise, voices, and an unsettling sense of dislocation, which would lead one to expect another album in the more experimental mode of 2016’s 22, A Million, soon something more focused and … Read more
The Black Keys w/ Modest Mouse; Let’s Rock Tour 2019; Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH – Wednesday, October 2, 2019 There are some bands who put so much distance between their latter day success and their modest early beginnings that its nearly impossible to imagine them learning their musical chops in a garage band from some … Read more
Temples Hot Motion ATO [2019] Fire Note Says: Neo-psychedelic British band, Temples is back with their third album, bringing more of their mix of pop song melodicism with just enough colorful progressive instrumental moves to keep everyone on their toes. Album Review: The advance materials for the Kettering, Northhampshire, England band Temples’ third album release … Read more
Wilco Ode To Joy dBpm [2019] Fire Note Says: Wilco’s 11th studio album starts out resembling Jeff Tweedy’s solo albums, but the second half brings the band back to life on some of their best pop singles. Album Review: The return of Wilco to the studio after a 2 and a half year hiatus from … Read more
The Lumineers III Dualtone/Decca [2019] Album Review: The Lumineers’ third outing, helpfully titled III, finds the songwriting duo of Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites attempting to take their folk-song storytelling up a notch. The band’s long-time member Neyla Pekarek, who played cello and sang backing vocals, left the band last year. Like novelists, “III” consists … Read more
Alasdair Roberts The Fiery Margin Drag City Records [2019] Fire Note Says: Scottish folk singer Alasdair Roberts returns with another album of originals that echo the traditional storytelling folk music that he would have grown up on. Album Review: Scottish folk singer Alasdair Roberts has been consistently releasing albums of both original music and projects … Read more
Pixies Beneath The Eyrie BMG/Infectious [2019] Album Review: For nearly a decade the reunited Pixies, who came back together in 2004, seemed willing to rest on the laurels of their iconic early masterpieces like Surfer Rosa and Doolittle, playing the old “hits” on the retro circuit. Now, as far as that goes, many of us … Read more
The Raconteurs w/ Special Guest Olivia Jean; “Help Us Stranger” Tour 2019; Express Live!, Columbus, OH September 13, 2019 As soon as the lights dropped at Express Live on the long-awaited Friday the 13th appearance, the outdoor stage which had been full of stage smoke for quite some time was filled with eerie red light … Read more
The Highwomen The Highwomen Low Country Sound/Elektra Records [2019] Album Review: The idea of a collaborative supergroup of female country artists is hardly novel, but dates all the way back to early sing-alongs on the Grand Ol’ Opry, but was no doubt given contemporary commercial viability when Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris came … Read more
David G. Smith Who Cares Hey Dave Music [2019] Fire Note Says: Americana singer/songwriter delivers a solid collection of story songs supported by the strong musicianship and production of Blue Miller. Album Review: Who Cares is the fourth independent studio album from David G. Smith, a singer/songwriter native to Iowa, who’s cultivated musical connections in … Read more
Sheer Mag A Distant Call Wilsuns Recording Co. [2019] Album Review: Philadelphia indie-rockers Sheer Mag kick off their sophomore outing with a sonic blast from the past, with vocalist Tina Halladay offering a full throated 80’s metal scream to launch the retro sound of “Steel Sharpens Steel,” with a nod to Judas Priest. Elsewhere, they … Read more