They Want My Soul, the eighth studio album from Spoon, is now out to the masses with loads critical praise. The band is currently on tour throughout North America and you can find a complete listing of announced shows below. SPOON 2014 TOUR 08/05/14 – San Diego, CA – Sleep Train Amphitheater at Chula Vista … Read more
Kahoots Take To The Fields Telegraph Harp Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Kahoots 12th LP is a great record that rewards listeners with repeated listens. Album Review: I have been listening to Massachusetts-based Kahoots’ new LP, Take to the Fields for about a month now and I think it is just now sinking into skull … Read more
The Muffs Whoop Dee Doo Burger Records [2014] Fire Note Says: The Muffs return with a walloping blast of 60’s inspired rock n roll. Album Review: “Sad Tomorrow” from The Muffs sophomore record, Blonder And Blonder (1995), is still one of my favorite songs from that era. I was always impressed with how tight but … Read more
Spoon They Want My Soul Loma Vista/Republic Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Spoon’s They Want My Soul is a near-perfect return to form. Album Review: Thank God for Spoon. There were many signs pointing to the demise of the rock band that truly owned the first decade of the new millennium with albums like Girls … Read more
Black Bananas Electric Brick Wall Drag City Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Electric Brick Wall is likely to be the most unique album you hear this year! Album Review: I confess, I had no idea what I was getting into when the new album from Black Bananas, Electric Brick Wall, hit my inbox. There was … Read more
The Number Ones (AKA THE #1S) hail from Dublin and play a very hazy shade of retro punk. Their self-titled debut is out next week on Deranged Records and it already sounds like a winner with its no frills straight up rock approach. “Girl” is the Friday Fire track today and it represents the more … Read more
Blank Pages Blank Pages Dirt Cult Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Catchy garage rock that is guaranteed to blow your hair back and make you raise a rock fist in the air! Album Review: This self-titled record from Germany’s Blank Pages reminds me of the time ol Marty McFly plugged the guitar into Doc Brown’s … Read more
Stardeath And The White Dwarfs Wastoid Federal Prism [2014] Fire Note Says: For their sophomore release Stardeath and the White Dwarfs tap a sound never heard before. Album Review: When starting a psych rock band a lot of factors could come into play for stardom. Oklahoma’s Stardeath and the White Dwarfs initially had one key … Read more
Band Of Skulls Himalayan Electric Blues Recordings [2014] Fire Note Says: With chops and moxie, Band of Skulls soldier on with fun, danceable tunes. Album Review: It’s funny, but a music lover of my prowess should really know more about Band of Skulls. Having come from a background of riffing blues, The Dead Weather, The … Read more
The Fire Note’s July Bandcamp feature keeps summer going with another batch of new artists for you to check out. In this edition you can find some gems from Dayton, Ohio, hypnotics from Paris, a Spanish lyric driven record from LA, a duo from D.C. and some indie pop from Buffalo. As always – Discover, … Read more
Worcester, MA ‘s The Hotelier is heading out on tour with Foxing in support of the band’s sophomore LP, Home, Like Noplace Is There. Little Big League and Prawn are playing on select dates as well. The Hotelier has also announced September dates with Laura Stevenson amongst their Riot Fest appearances in Toronto and Chicago. … Read more
Directed by Sophie Muller (No Doubt, Killers, Garbage) and shot in Bergman-esque black and white, “Heart Is A Drum” finds Beck in a rural backwoods limbo, encountering figures from his past, present and possible future-including one with an uncanny resemblance to his former self as captured in 1993’s immortal “Loser” clip. “Heart Is A Drum” … Read more
Newbury Comics has a classic from Jeff Buckley up for pre-order. Grace is easily one of my all-time favorite records. Buckley had one of those voices that was instantly recognizable and his version of Cohen’s “Hallelujah” found here may even surpass the original. To celebrate its 20th anniversary Grace will be given the special vinyl … Read more
Antemasque Antemasque Nadie Sound [2014] Fire Note Says: Mars Volta members renounce their prog pretensions and team up with Flea on their self-titled debut. Album Review: With as many lineup changes as the band went through over the course of their six-album run, combined with Omar Rodriguez-Lopez’s frenetic working pace (rivaling Robert Pollard in sheer … Read more
Joyce Manor Never Hungover Again Epitaph Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Joyce Manor upgrade their sound. Album Review: I like the fact that Torrance, California’s Joyce Manor get in and get out when it comes to records. With two albums under their belt that total about 33 minutes combined it seems that waiting two years … Read more
Do you enjoy electro-infused indie rock along the lines of Animal Collective and Yeasayer? Assuming you said yes, today’s Fire Track, “Flytrap,” from Chicago band YAWN should hit your musical sweet spot. I think you will like how the song ebbs and flows like an electro-smooth gulf wave with its Broken Bells type vocals before … Read more
Sweet Apple The Golden Age Of Glitter Tee Pee Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Sweet Apple invites you to turn it up and rip the knob off! Album Review: I hesitate to call Sweet Apple a supergroup, though some of the members are sort of famous, but that term supergroup has all sort of preconceived … Read more
Zig Zags Zig Zags In The Red Recordings [2014] Fire Note Says: Zig Zags’ fire and fury bubble the bong water on their self-titled debut. Album Review: When talking about LA’s Zig Zags a few things need to be mentioned: Ty Segall, Sweat Lodge, Bong-water colored vinyl, Monster Magnet, Fu Manchu, weird early Metallica thrash, … Read more
Army Navy The Wilderness Inside The Fever Zone Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Power-pop purveyors Army Navy’s third LP is polished and professional. Album Review: Los Angeles’ Army Navy is fronted by Justin Kennedy, who has bounced around indie music for quite a while now. Louie Schultz and Dougal Randall round out the band, whose … Read more
Betsy, Jon, Steph, and Drew are back with their third and finest album – and this time they’re joined by Andy Harris (ex Goodnight Loving) on organ! Only Come Out At Night is the second Sugar Stems album to be released on Dirtnap and follows last year’s Can’t Wait. Cover art is an original water … Read more
White Fence For The Recently Found Innocent Drag City Records [2014] Fire Note Says: White Fence breaks through to the next level and fulfills all expectations on their new album. Album Review: Tim Presley first came onto my radar as a member of Darker My Love, a band that really knocked me out with their … Read more
Bleachers Strange Desire RCA Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Check out Bleachers for an entertaining yet introspective summer album. Album Review: On the surface there are a lot of reasons to not give Bleachers a chance. The “band” is essentially the work and side project of Jack Antonoff, the guitarist for fun. On top of … Read more
Axxa/Abraxas (aka Ben Asbury), has just shared the video for his single “I Almost Fell”, from his recently released S/T debut. With the help of newly formed friends in Asheville (Asbury recently relocated to the city), the video came together, piece by piece over several weeks. When asked to describe the video, this is what … Read more
The Fresh & Onlys House Of Spirits Mexican Summer [2014] Fire Note Says: House of Spirits wanders a bit, but finds its footing in solid songwriting and production. Album Review: The Fresh & Onlys are a four-piece out of San Francisco, and while the band is often pigeon-holed as a “psychedelic” outfit who are part … Read more
Yes Heaven And Earth Frontiers Records[2014] Fire Note Says: Legendary prog masters keep it simple on their 21st album. Album Review: Yes has survived so many personnel changes that it almost seems incredulous that, for many, the thought of the band continuing without singer and co-founder Jon Anderson is sacrilege. But that is, sadly, what … Read more