Brian Q. Newcomb 
Roger Waters Is This The Life We Really Want? Columbia Records [2017] Fire Note Says: Roger Waters creates a soundtrack for the resistance to Trump’s American dream, echoing his past work with Pink Floyd. Album Review: Roger Waters is angry. Let me rephrase that: Roger Waters is ANGRY! Of course, if you’ve been paying attention … Read more
U2 w/ The Lumineers: MetLife Stadium; Meadowlands, New Jersey – Wednesday, June 28, 2017 After U2’s triumphant tour two years ago in support of their Son(g)s of Innocence release, everyone expected the next tour would center around the promised sequel, Songs of Experience. While the album was given a positive review critically in some corners … Read more
King Washington Potential The End Records [2017] Fire Note Says: Inventive modern pop/rock quartet from LA, King Washington channel the best musical inclinations of the past in a hip, fresh sound. Album Review: King Washington is a talented indie-rock band from LA whose sound reveals artists that have mastered the musical vocabulary of some of … Read more
Deep State Thought Garden Friendship Fever [2017] Fire Note Says: Deep State churn up a big, fast, punk rock sound on their second album, Thought Garden. Album Review: The four-piece punk rock band Deep State, from Athens, GA, churn up a big, fast swirl of sound for their second album, Thought Garden. From the start … Read more
Fleet Foxes Crack-Up Nonesuch Records [2017] Fire Note Says: Fleet Foxes go through artistic growth on Crack-Up. Album Review: Remember back to hazy, crazy days of the summer of 2008, when people were listening to folk music again, and we all fell in love with an indie act from Seattle that was leading the pack … Read more
Todd Rundgren White Night Cleopatra Records [2017] Fire Note Says: Veteran rocker Todd Rundgren mixes it up with Robyn, Trent Rezner of NIN, some new hip-hop friends, and a host of his contemporaries as he stretches out on this experimental synth pop collection. Album Review: Disclaimer: Although I’ve written professionally (and as a hobby) as … Read more
Chris Stapleton From A Room: Volume 1 Mercury Records Nashville [2017] Fire Note Says: Chris Stapleton has arrived just in time to save country music from itself. Album Review: By the time, Chris Stapleton got around to releasing his 2015 solo debut, Traveller, he’d pretty much proved there he was an artist deeply rooted in … Read more
Nowhere Else Festival: Featuring Over the Rhine & the Band of Sweethearts, Birds of Chicago, Red Dirt Boys, Carrie Newcomer, Carrie Rodriguez, “Treasure of the Broken Land: The Songs of Mark Heard” with various artists, Matt Haeck, Levi Parham, and Phil Madiera Clinton County, OH – May 27 & 28, 2017 The forecast for Memorial … Read more
Gorillaz Humanz Parlophone/Warner Bros. [2017] Fire Note Says: Cartoon urban, dance/rap-core band, Gorillaz return with a mix-tape for the apocalypse. Album Review: Two cartoon bands come to mind: Gorillaz, and The Archies. Okay, The Monkees’ four characters were definitely conceived as cartoon-esque two-dimensional stick figures, but as time developed they grew as individualized, even humanized … Read more
Feist Pleasure Interscope Records [2017] Fire Note Says: Folk pop Feist expands the creative palette for her folk pop fanbase with an eclectic and creative album celebrating life’s Pleasure. Album Review: Folk/pop singer Feist first came to international attention with the breakthrough success of her songs “1234” and “I Feel It All,” from the breakthrough … Read more
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers w/ Joe Walsh: Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO – May 12, 2017 When Tom Petty led the Heartbreakers to the stage for their 40th Anniversary Tour stop in St. Louis, the large screens at the rear of the stage projected a photo of one wall of the band’s practice space, … Read more
Bob Dylan Triplicate Columbia Records [2017] Fire Note Says: Dylan attempts to “uncover” these familiar songs. Album Review: By now, any fan of Bob Dylan is familiar with that hilarious comment to the over-serious music journalist in the now infamous, televised 1965 press conference in San Francisco which can be found on youtube.com. Dylan had … Read more
The Afghan Whigs In Spades Sub Pop Records [2017] Fire Note Says: The Afghan Whigs’ Greg Dulli returns with a more compositionally rich and textured musical approach that echoes classical musical themes that run in tension with the demanding drums, guitars and Dulli’s compelling vocal howl. Album Review: At a time when alternative music had … Read more
Dave Perkins Fugitive Colors Lugnut Music [2017] Fire Note Says: Longtime Nashville guitarist sideman, delivers another record of strong songs, and blistering guitar work. Album Review: The first time I saw Dave Perkins play live was about 30 years ago at a summer music festival and he was promoting his first solo album on What? … Read more
Depeche Mode Spirit Columbia Records [2017] Fire Note Says: On their 14th studio album, synth pop pioneers Depeche Mode have become more predictable compared to their early work. Album Review: By now, nearly 40 years in, Depeche Mode must be the most popular and successful of the 80s bands that abandoned traditional instruments for the … Read more
Ray Davies Americana Sony/Legacy Recrodings [2017] Fire Note Says: Kinks’ rocker Ray Davies joins with alt-country Jayhawks to take a musical journey through the wild west, sorting reality from fantasy in pursuit of the American Dream Album Review: Ray Davies, 73, is still best remembered for a pop song he wrote and recorded with the … Read more
Chris Shiflett West Coast Town SideOneDummy Records [2017] Fire Note Says: Foo Fighter’s Chris Shiflett’s high octane approach emphasizes the rock in country rock. Album Review: If you didn’t know that the Foo Fighter’s lead guitarist Chris Shiflett had also played with Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, the country rock direction on his latest … Read more
Robert Randolph & The Family Band Got Soul Sony Masterworks [2017] Fire Note Says: Nothing else sounds like the mysterious pedal steel guitar in the hands of Robert Randolph, who mixes blues, gospel, R&B with jam band rock on his latest studio outing. Album Review: Fifteen years ago, Robert Randolph and his Family Band burst … Read more
Aimee Mann Mental Illness Superego [2017] Fire Note Says: Aimee Mann returns to her most comfortable acoustic folk/pop surroundings. Album Review: If Aimee Mann had another pop/rock band album in her after the break-up of her 80’s breakout as vocalist and bassist with the band ‘Til Tuesday, she got that out of her system with … Read more
Craig Finn We All Want The Same Things Partison Records [2017] Fire Note Says: The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn finds his own voice, a stark story teller juxtaposing a bleak world view with uplifting music. Album Review: Craig Finn’s songs, with his band The Hold Steady and on his two previous solo releases, have always … Read more
Gary Clark Jr. Live / North America 2016 Warner Bros. Records [2017] Fire Note Says: More proof why you should see Gary Clark Jr. live. Album Review: As an introduction to “Honest I Do,” on this second live album in just 3 years time, blues guitarist Gary Clark Jr. offers this shout out to his … Read more
Bill Mallonee & The Big Sky Ramblers The Rags Of Absence Self-Released [2017] Fire Note Says: Mallonee’s literate poetic sensibilities matched by the music’s virtuosity and tone, produce another powerful concoction. Album Review: The first time I heard songs by singer/songwriter Bill Mallonee was when his debut major label album with Vigilantes of Love arrived … Read more
Spoon Hot Thoughts Matador Records [2017] Fire Note Says: Austin’s Spoon returns with another strong collection, emphasizing keyboards over a disco beat, and jazzy inclinations. Album Review: In a world that is constantly changing, and as likely to disappoint as often as it pleases, we’ll always be able to count on Spoon, the Austin indie … Read more
The Shins Heartworms Aural Apothecary/Columbia Records [2017] Fire Note Says: The Shins bring a creative, cool, and connected song-craft. Album Review: Like most everybody else, I first discovered The Shins in that great scene in the coming of age movie “Garden State” (2004) where Zach Braff’s character tries on the headphones of Natalie Portman to … Read more
Ha Ha Tonka Heart-Shaped Mountain Bloodshot Records [2017] Fire Note Says: Stretching the category of roots rock, Ha Ha Tonka mix a variety 80’s classic alternative sounds with an organic country rock flare. Album Review: A decade into their relationship with Bloodshot Records, Ha Ha Tonka release their 5th album of rootsy Mid-American college rock … Read more