Thee Oh Sees: Live In San Francisco [Album Review]

Thee Oh Sees Live In San Francisco Castle Face Records [2016] Fire Drill Album Review: Have you been following Castle Face’s Live In San Francisco series? If so, you have already heard great sets from the Ty Segall Band, FUZZ, Destruction Unit, White Fence and OBN III’s but this is the record we have all … Read more

Tegan And Sara: Love You To Death [Album Review]

Tegan And Sara Love You To Death Warner Bros. Records [2016] Fire Note Says: A summer dance pop record that touches all the bases. Album Review: Fans who loved the musical evolution that took folk/rock twin-sister act Tegan and Sara into synth-pop territory for 2013’s Greg Kurstin produced Heartthrob, will find plenty to appreciate on … Read more

Bright Eyes – The Studio Albums 2000-2011 Limited Edition Vinyl Box Set

Bright Eyes are re-releasing six albums mastered by legendary engineer Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering. The reissues will be released as a box set, available on Vinyl or CD format, on Sept 16th, 2016. The reissues will be available individually in November. The Studio Albums 2000-2011 box set includes remastered versions of Fevers and Mirrors … Read more

Connections: Midnight Run [Album Review]

Connections Midnight Run Anyway Records [2016] Fire Note Says: Connections perfectly turn up the lo-fi on Midnight Run. Album Review: I don’t think it would surprise anyone to hear that I am a big Guided By Voices fan. Their recent rock out trend is great but I do miss the magic which was found on … Read more

Case/Lang/Veirs: Case/Lang/Veirs [Album Review]

Case/Lang/Veirs Case/Lang/Veirs ANTI- [2016] Fire Note Says: This isn’t just your typical collaboration. Album Review: To borrow a phrase from this record’s boldest rocker, in a world dominated by American Idol Voices, Disney divas and flash in the pan pop star wannabes, the collaboration of k.d. lang, Neko Casa and Laura Veirs proves to be … Read more

The Wedding Present – “Bear” [Video]

The Wedding Present had some great records early in their career such as and Seamonsters (1991) and Watusi (1994) but it is great to see the band releasing new material today. Here is the video for their new single “Bear” off the upcoming Going, Going… on September 2nd via Scopitones.

The new record sounds like a monster with its opening four instrumental songs, before breaking out with a jangle of clanging guitars, a squeal of feedback and a rush of adrenaline.

The tracklisting for the the new album is below along with pre-order info as it is available in three audio-visual formats: standard CD + DVD, deluxe CD + DVD in hard-bound ‘book pack’ with extra tracks + lyrics, deluxe double 180g LP + DVD with extra tracks + lyrics.

Tracklisting: 1. Kittery / 2. Greenland / 3. Marblehead / 4. Sprague / 5. Two Bridges / 6. Little Silver / 7. Bear / 8. Secretary / 9. Birdsnest / 10. Kill Devil Hills / 11. Bells / 12. Fifty-Six / 13. Fordland / 14. Emporia / 15. Broken Bow / 16. Lead / 17. Ten Sleep / 18. Wales / 19. Rachel / 20. Santa Monica

Pre-order Going, Going… HERE.

Bill Mallonee & The Big Sky Ramblers – Slow Trauma / Muriah Rose – Beneath The Clay [Album Reviews]

Bill Mallonee & The Big Sky Ramblers / Muriah Rose Slow Trauma / Beneath The Clay Self-Released [2016] Fire Note Says: Both experience and new beginnings shine on solo records from husband and wife team Mallonee and Rose. Album Review: Okay, let me climb up on a soapbox for a minute: Sometimes, often it seems, … Read more

Free Pizza: Berlin, DE [Album Review]

Free Pizza Berlin, DE BUFU Records [2016] Fire Drill Album Review: If you have 14 minutes then you have enough time to check out this mini 7 song album from Boston’s Free Pizza. This disjointed slightly off-kilter delivery reminds of classics from The Cleaners From Venus and Television Personalities, as the songs have a very … Read more

The Dead Ships – “First Mistakes” [Video]

The Dead Ships debut full-length LP CITYCIDE is out now on Nevado Music. Here is the band’s new video for “First Mistakes” off of the album. The Dead Ships had an opportunity to sit in with multi-platinum producer/guitarist Chris Thorn of Blind Melon and Awolnation to make an alternate version of “First Mistakes” heard in the video.

About the video, The Dead Ships’ Devlin McClusky says, “Because most of the songs were written to help process grief so many have an undercurrent of sadness. First mistakes feels more hopeful but still comes from and always reminds me of such a sad period.” He adds, “When [director] Kelly Reed came to us with the concept of taped up smiles, it brought to the fore some of the darker parts of the emotional spectrum that may be overlooked by the first listen to such a sentimental feeling like “it was good to be alive”. I love those studies that come out every now again that show the physical formation of a smile on your face actually stimulates parts of your brain and causes a chain reaction that puts you in a better mood. No one wants to force a smile, but you can always assert some level of control over yourself and change how you feel.”

Kevin Morby: Singing Saw [Album Review]

Kevin Morby Singing Saw Dead Oceans [2016] Fire Drill Album Review: From the surreal instrumentation to a voice that at times sounds like a young Dylan, Kevin Morby hits all the right notes on his third full length Singing Saw. You may question – how do I not know about this guy? Well you might … Read more

Mumblr: The Never Ending Get Down [Album Review]

Mumblr The Never Ending Get Down Fleeting Youth Records [2016] Fire Drill Album Review: The slow-fast, quiet-loud combo that takes place on Mumblr’s new record, The Never Ending Get Down, creates a fantastic and entertaining dynamic. The Philadelphia foursome try to break some from their earlier punk/emo tag as they incorporate a much more unique … Read more

Ty Segall – “Californian Hills” [Video]

We always enjoy some Ty Segall and today we get the new animated video for “Californian Hills.” It is another track off of Emotional Mugger and the video for sure will leave lasting images in your head.

The video, directed by Meghan Tryon and Garrett Davis, has a lot going on including jesters, knights and clowns. That is right clowns! Enjoy but don’t watch too many times as you might start seeing spots!

The Avett Brothers: True Sadness [Album Review]

The Avett Brothers True Sadness American Recordings/Republic Records [2016] Fire Drill Album Review: It is hard to believe that bluegrass-folksters, The Avett Brothers are on their ninth full length. The band which I always thought would be bigger than Mumford & Sons when they both shared the stage with Dylan at the 2011 Oscars, has … Read more