Kevin Poindexter Alex Calder Time Captured Tracks Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Ex Mac DeMarco band mate steps forward with a great lo-fi record of his own. Album Review: Alex Calder has the unenviable task of being a songwriter who was previously in a band, Makeout Videotape, with Mac DeMarco. DeMarco casts a long shadow, and if … Read more
William Tyler Impossible Truth Merge Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Tyler takes you on an acoustic psychedelic trip on Impossible Truth. Album Review: This is a tough one to review, not because it’s a bad record, in fact it’s damn good. It’s tough because it’s an instrumental guitar record, and I am about as fluent … Read more
The Knife Shaking The Habitual Mute Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Shaking the Habitual is a jaw dropping psychedelic record dressed up in electronic clothing! Album Review: The Knife, the Swedish duo comprised of brother and sister Olof Dreijer and Karin Dreijer Andersson, have taken a long time to release a follow up their 2006 … Read more
British Sea Power Machineries Of Joy Rough Trade Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Machineries of Joy pleases with its maturity and artistic growth. Album Review: The biggest critique of the 80% of the recorded work of British Sea Power, is that it doesn’t sound like the first album, The Decline of British Sea Power. Well, … Read more
White Fence Cyclops Reap Castle Face Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Cyclops Reap is the best White Fence record to date! Album Review: Tim Presley, the main man behind White Fence, had a banner year in 2012. Not only did he release two stellar records as White Fence, Family Perfume Vol 1 & 2, but … Read more
Purling Hiss Water On Mars Drag City Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Purling Hiss proves rock is alive in well on the streets of Philadelphia. Album Review: Purling Hiss is a Philadelphia band that melds together the aggressiveness of the Stooges and Comets on Fire, with the somewhat poppier side of J Mascis and Dinosaur … Read more
Fol Chen The False Alarms Asthmatic Kitty Records [2013] Fire Note Says: The False Alarms has a detached coolness to it that sounds beamed in from another planet. Album Review: Fol Chen is a synth pop band, formerly cloaked in secrecy, but now with the addition of vocalist Sinosa Loa, the band has a face … Read more
Phosphorescent Muchacho Dead Oceans Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Muchaco is a powerful listen about broken hearts and moving on from Phosphorescent. Album Review: I’m not sure exactly the best way to describe Muchacho, the new record from Phosphorescent. It’s not exactly Americana/folk (which is what I was expecting based on the last record, Here’s … Read more
Black Bug Reflecting The Light HoZac Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Equal parts garage and experimental rock, Reflecting the Light is a giant kick in the ass! Album Review: Reflecting the Light is the sonic equivalent of turbo charged truck stop coffee that has been sitting on the warmer for a few hours. It’s dense, … Read more
Warm Soda Someone For You Castle Face Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Warm Soda fizzes over with a catchy power pop gem. Album Review: If you like your music fast and catchy, with a little garage rock power behind it, then Warm Soda is a band you are going to want to check out. Someone … Read more
Wire Change Becomes Us Pinkflag [2013] Fire Note Says: Wire looks back to their past to create an album that ranks among their finest. Album Review: Change Becomes Us, is the 4th full length from legendary art punks Wire since their return in 2000, and it is quite possibly the best of their post reunion … Read more
The Strokes Comedown Machine RCA Records [2013] Fire Note Says: The Strokes continue to evolve on the highly enjoyable Comedown Machine. Album Review: The Strokes are carrying a lot of baggage around these days, the kind of excess baggage that makes it tough to keep putting out records. For starters, they most likely aren’t ever … Read more
Suede Bloodsports Warner Bros. Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Suede comes back completely reinvigorated after their 11 year hiatus! Album Review: Suede (The London Suede as they are billed in the US) is back after 11 years, and they are hitting the pleasure points in my brain like they haven’t since their third album, Coming … Read more
Robyn Hitchcock Love From London Yep Roc Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Love From London has a more streamlined pop sound, but still retains all the trademark Hitchcock charm. Album Review: I’m not going to proclaim myself the world’s leading authority when it comes to the music of Robyn Hitchcock, but I think I’m pretty … Read more
Sunshine Sunshine Self-Released [2013] Fire Note Says: Vancouver’s Sunshine delivers on their debut lp! Album Review: If you’re a fan of shoegaze, dream pop, or bands with girl group influenced harmonies, then let me introduce you to Sunshine, a new 5 piece from Vancouver. With influences ranging from The Raveonettes (always a favorite of mine), … Read more
David Bowie The Next Day Columbia Records [2013] Fire Note Says: The Next Day marks the thrilling return of The Thin White Duke. Album Review: This is the album that nobody expected. David Bowie is unquestionably one of the most important and influential figures in rock history. When he had health issues on the tour … Read more
The Replacements Songs For Slim EP New West Records [2013] Fire Note Says: What more do I need to say…it’s The Replacements! Album Review: I can honestly say that I never in my wildest dreams expected to be listening to new music from The Replacements. Their last records, 1990’s All Shook Down, while a solid … Read more
Mazes Ores & Minerals FatCat Records [2013] Fire Note Says: UK band avoids the sophomore slump and adds excellent Krautrock elements on Ores & Minerals. Album Review: This is the stuff right here! A hot young guitar band from the UK adopts krautrock influences into their indie rock sound and not only avoids the sophomore … Read more
Shout Out Louds Optica Merge Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Shout Out Louds conjure up the spirits of New Order and The Cure on their 4th lp, Optica. Album Review: On their fourth lp Optica, the follow-up to 2010’s Work, the Shout Out Louds have crafted an album that is equal parts Cure inspired pop … Read more
Eat Skull III Woodsist Records [2013] Fire Note Says: III strips away the noise and shows off a psychedelic west coast vibe. Album Review: Has it really been four years since we last heard from Eat Skull? On their first two lps, both on the venerable Siltbreeze label, Eat Skull were your typical “better than … Read more
Ron Sexsmith Forever Endeavor Cooking Vinyl Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Forever Endeavor revels in all of its melancholy glory! Album Review: Forever Endeavor, the 12th album from Ron Sexsmith, finds the Canadian singer/songwriter in an even more reflective mood than normal. While he has never been accused of being upbeat, a throat cancer scare … Read more
Big Dick Big Dick Dirt Cult Records [2013] Fire Note Says: If you like post punk, you are going to love Big Dick. Album Review: I almost passed on this record without giving it a listen. How can a band named Big Dick be any good? It has to be some sort of moronic jokey … Read more
Tom Morgan Orange Syringe Fire Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Orange Syringe is a stark and beautiful record that is well worth checking out. Album Review: Let’s get one thing out of the way right now; no one is ever going to call Tom Morgan a great singer. His vocal range is limited and is … Read more
FIDLAR FIDLAR Mom + Pop Music [2013] Fire Note Says: Living the life of a skate punk never sounded as good as it does on the debut album from FIDLAR. Album Review: FIDLAR write songs about drinking beer, getting stoned, riding skateboards, having slutty girlfriends, going surfing….REPEAT. It helps that the songs are not just … Read more
Cheatahs Extended Plays Wichita Recordings [2013] Fire Note Says: Extended Plays is one of the most exciting debut records in years. Album Review: Extended Plays, the debut album from Cheatahs, is actually a compilation of two eps that the band released last year, SANS and Coared. If Swervedriver, Ride, and Slowdive are amongst your favorite … Read more