Christopher Tahy 
Jews And Catholics Civilized Self-Released [2013] Fire Note Says: If you’re looking for something new, Jews and Catholics can catch you by surprise with Civilized. Album Review: I find it fitting here to start this review off with a religious analogy. Jews and Catholics have their many differences as well as certain similarities. The same … Read more
Pond Hobo Rocket Modular Recordings [2013] Fire Note Says: Perth natives continue to stir the Pond into a strange, interstellar brew. Album Review: Why can’t we just grade albums a fun factor anymore? If that was the case 5 headphones for Pond, done and done. This album was made by fans of music for fans … Read more
Man Man On Oni Pond ANTI- Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Man Man‘s fifth full length shows the group using many different sounds. Album Review: I‘m quite the Man Man fan. I‘ve heard at times that this fearsome Philly five-some can be hard to get into, that their unique sound could be mistaken for “insane … Read more
If you’re a fan of The White Stripes like The Fire Note, then you know how raw, primal, and fierce they can sound. Not to call their later work tame by any means but the Stripes were special early on. Their talent has always been highlighted in their records well beyond their singles hence our … Read more
O’Brother Disillusion Triple Crown Records [2013] Fire Note Says: O’Brother opens up for experimentation on their second LP. Album Review: When I looked up O’Brothers’ previous LP Garden Window I saw phrases such as this: Instant classic; Metal album of 2011; grandiose and loud; stellar debut. As a result, I was really excited to see … Read more
Dirty Streets Blades Of Grass Alive Naturalsound Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Dirty Streets steep 60’s blues rock, touches of soul, and more contemporary influences on Blades of Grass. Album Review: The Alive Natural Sound catalogue was and is rife with great artists: The Black Keys; Buffalo Killers; Radio Moscow; Left Lane Cruiser; Swamp Dogg; … Read more
James Younger Feelin’ American Light Organ Records [2013] Fire Note Says: James Younger’s debut Feelin’ American wears its influences on his sleeve. Album Review: After reading an interview with Canadian James Younger these 11 breezy pop songs found on his solo debut could have had quite the spark. But, the adherence to past influences such … Read more
The Urinals Negative Capability In The Red Records [2013] Fire Note Says: The Urinals surge from the punk underground with the reissue of retrospective Negative Capability. Album Review: These are the things that label In The Red records lives for: seemingly influencing about half their catalogue of artists, The Urinals’ brand of minute-long art punk … Read more
Organs Headin’ For The Door Killer Diller Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Organs debut LP is an energized weaponization of the blues—and all in under 23 minutes. Album Review: The NYC three-piece Organs is a band that rocks the question “When I rock ‘jump,’ you rock ‘how high?’” Their debut through Killer Diller Records, Headin’ … Read more
Morningbell Bôa Noite Self-Released [2013] Fire Note Says: Morningbell’s Bôa Noite is an exercise in time and space jubilation! Album Review: It’s rare to find a group such as Morningbell, excess without pretension (I may be glancing your way Arcade Fire). Taking their name from Kid A’s “Morning Bell,” this band has big brains and … Read more
Bosnian Rainbows Bosnian Rainbows Sargent House Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Bosnian Rainbows are consistently interesting on their self-titled debut. Album Review: It’s a really funny thing to hear Mars Volta axe man/composer Omar Rodriguez Lopez talk about a less is more musical philosophy. During a recent Orange Amp promo video, Rodriguez Lopez gets down … Read more
The White Stripes Nine Miles From The White City Third Man Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Vault Package #16 captures The White Stripes at one of their highest points! Album Review: When we last left our good friend Jack White, he was giving us an interesting-yet flawed-look at the past. Jack White and The Bricks … Read more
Baroness Live At Maida Vale BBC EP Relapse Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Baroness release a short and sweet live EP which shows why they’re still a force to be reckoned with. Album Review: Savanna, Georgia’s Baroness has been a group with quite a history. Releasing three of the most acclaimed and intelligent metal albums … Read more
Time Cat Space And Time Cat EP Self-Released [2013] Fire Note Says: Akron’s Time Cat turns up the blues rock on their new EP. Album Review: I hate to scold a band, especially when it’s not all that deserved. After seeing this Akron blues duo perform live I had a lot of hopes for their … Read more
The Fire Note has been all over Rose Windows since they released their excellent debut on Sub Pop Records just a month ago. Their new album, The Sun Dogs, was *Headphone Approved* (TFN review HERE) and the record has been spinning at TFN headquarters ever since. The Fire Note had the chance to catch up … Read more
Secret Colours Peach Self-Released [2013] Fire Note Says: Secret Colours check all the boxes when it comes to psychedelia. Album Review: Leave it to a band like Chicago’s Secret Colours to right my wrongs and relieve my muddled mind. Debating review scores, struggling for references, and more times than not writing myself into a corner, … Read more
Elusive Parallelograms Fragments Self-Released [2013] Fire Note Says: Elusive Parallelograms show solid chops and song schizophrenia on Fragments EP Album Review: If I were a psychologist evaluating Milwaukee’s prolific Elusive Parallelograms, some of these terms might pop up: schizophrenia, bipolar, post-traumatic stress. By no means am I trying to give Elusive Parallelograms new Fragments EP … Read more
Owen L’ami Du Peuple Polyvinyl Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Chicago’s Owen delivers thoughtfully constructed indie rock. Album Review: I have to admit that when I first heard this album I was very skeptical. I started asking questions: “Can someone be too indie for their own good?” and “Why does it sound like Owen’s emulating … Read more
ASG Blood Drive Relapse Records [2013] Fire Note Says: ASG’s Blood Drive delivers a satisfying metal experience. Album Review: The metal genre today is literally saturated with thousands of bands and hundreds of genres and sub-genres. Mastodon, The Sword, Torche, Between The Buried and Me, Sleep, Electric Wizard, Baroness, Black Tusk, Helmet, High On Fire; … Read more
Wolf People Fain Jagjaguwar Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Wolf People compose a codex entitled: Progressive Rock for Beginners. Album Review: When a band goes after its influences and tries to hit near the roots of the progressive rock tree a few concepts, places, and bands come to mind. Headley Grange being a great place … Read more
Rose Windows The Sun Dogs Sub Pop Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Take Rose Windows as your spirit guide, for they will not lead you astray. Album Review: Sub Pop has acquired quite an eclectic catalog of artists over the years. Nirvana, Mudhoney, Fleet Foxes, The Postal Service, METZ, The Shins, Wolf Parade; it’s no … Read more
Hooded Fang Gravez Full Time Hobby Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Hooded Fang pack charm and quirk into blistering power pop. Album Review: I know it’s common to chide a band for their overuse of a trope or technique over an entire album. But I won’t do that here: Canada’s Polaris Prize-nominated Hooded Fang not … Read more
King Tuff Was Dead Burger Records [2013] Fire Note Says: King Tuff’s reissue Was Dead is a garage weirdo’s pride for the simple things. Album Review: Kyle Thomas (aka King Tuff) is a simple man enjoying the simple pleasures of Brattleboro, Vermont. Way back in 2006 when not drinking endless cups of black coffee, sketching … Read more
Portugal. The Man Evil Friends Atlantic Records [2013] Fire Note Says: A more progressive Portugal goes for bombast on Evil Friends. Album Review: I hate to say it but I have been losing faith in Portugal. The Man. Seeing them live seemed to damage my progressive psyche. I was expecting progressive laden guitar explosions, a … Read more
Naam Vow Tee Pee Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Brooklyn’s Naam works to stand out with their groovy Vow. Album Review: Naam is a band that’s put me in quite a pickle. Their second LP Vow was really trying very hard to get me to like it. With influences ranging from Wolfmother to Graveyard, from … Read more