Son Lux has officially signed with Joyful Noise Recordings and already has a limited edition 7″ single available. Son Lux is Ryan Lott – music school grad, member of sss (with Serengeti & Sufjan Stevens), and one of the most inventive composers around. Son Lux’s debut recording, At War With Walls and Mazes (Anticon), earned … Read more
The Fire Note receives hundreds of album submissions through the door each year so it is a wonder that we don’t miss more releases that we feel deserve coverage. The reality is that even though we listen to everything we clearly don’t have the time or capacity to write about every single one of them … Read more
Todd Rundgren State Esoteric Recordings [2013] Fire Note Says: The State of Todd Rundgren’s Union of Pop and Art. Album Review: Although Todd Rundgren stepped away from his band Nazz to begin his eventually successful solo career in 1970, in the 43 intervening years that lead up to this 23rd solo release, State, Rundgren has … Read more
On The Water False Starts Self-Released [2013] Fire Note Says: False Starts shows promise, but its title is a little close for comfort. Album Review: There’s plenty to be said for bands who just like to have a good time. Whether it’s weekend guitar heroes playing in a seedy bar or a group of friends … Read more
Huey Lewis & The News Sports (30th Anniversary Edition) Universal Music Group [2013] Fire Note Says: A guilty pop-rock pleasure that is now 30 years old! Album Review: A lot can be said about 80’s music and most of the time it is negative. When I think eighties, my mind always strays to Echo & … Read more
To celebrate the new release Ghost on Ghost (see TFN Headphone Approved review HERE), Iron and Wine have added fall dates to their 2013 tour. See below for details. Iron and Wine Tour Dates May 14 – New York, NY – Beacon Theatre May 15 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer May 16 – Richmond, … Read more
In 1952 a record label started in a bustling Tennessee town. They were fond of acoustic tile, storefronts, the color yellow, the owner producing recording sessions and music that generally moved people. Their output couldn’t be pigeonholed to any one genre. They released everything….country, rock and roll, gospel, bluegrass, rockabilly, blues. If there’s an American … Read more
Secret Colours revel in being the bastard seed of the ’60s psychedelia and ’90s Britpop bloodlines. You can check out their new video for “Blackhole” which features doppelgängers, gas masks, and actress Katey Meyer’s affinity for swirls. Watch below…if you dare! Secret Colours’ Peach will be released May 28th shortly after the band begins touring … Read more
pacificUV After The Dream You Are Awake Mazarine Records [2013] Fire Note Says: pacificUV let more sun shine in through the haze on their fourth LP. Album Review: pacificUV is an indie-rock band from Athens, Georgia and After The Dream You Are Awake represents the groups fourth full length. Their 2012 long player, Weekends, found … Read more
Purson The Circle And The Blue Door Rise Above Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Purson explores all that was good about late sixties/early seventies folk, prog and hard rock. Album Review: It’s not very often that we here at The Fire Note take notice of a heavy metal band. I personally find all the satanic … Read more
Victory Victory Is Music Reserva Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Catchy, if slightly unoriginal, bedroom rock from LA based band, Victory. Album Review: Victory is the project of Robert Fleming, a Los Angeles resident who has clearly studied his Spoon records. So much so, that for the first two listens, all I could think of … Read more
Superchunk will release I Hate Music, their tenth studio album, on August 20. After taking nearly a decade off following the release of Here’s to Shutting Up, Mac, Laura, Jon, and Jim decided to shout it out again in 2010 with Majesty Shredding, an album perfectly described by its own title. The band’s forthcoming release, … Read more
Into It. Over It., the brainchild of Chicago, IL musician Evan Weiss, has signed with Triple Crown Records and will release a new full-length in September. Weiss is currently in the studio recording with Brian Deck (Modest Mouse, Iron & Wine). You can see the teaser video below. Having played in a number of bands … Read more
FYF Celebrates 10 Years With Sets From: My Bloody Valentine, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV on the Radio, MGMT, Beach House, FLAG (Keith, Chuck, Dez, Billy & Stephen playing the songs of Black Flag), Deerhunter, Devendra Banhart, The Breeders (Performing Last Splash), Yo La Tengo, Solange, Washed Out, Toro y Moi, Holy Ghost!, Death Grips, Strfker, … Read more
Wampire Curiosity Polyvinyl Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Portland duo tries a plethora of influences on for size. And it all fits. Album Review: Wampire’s debut album, Curiosity, is one of those hard to pin down records. For days on end I listened, and kept listening. Was this really that good? Or have I been … Read more
Koji Crooked In My Mind Run For Cover Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Koji’s solid singer/songwriter debut brings intensity back to the acoustic guitar. Album Review: Rarely in these days of digital downloads, streaming and playlists do you come across a record that makes you want to sit down, kick back and just enjoy the … Read more
Blackout Beach Blues Trip Soft Abuse Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Carey Mercer’s Blackout Beach goes for the gusto with a sinisterly, theatric aplomb rarely heard today. Album Review: Carey Mercer is a strange animal, the Canadian song craftsman takes many different avenues from being experimental to an almost stripped approach. Whether it’s through rocking … Read more
Brett and Rennie Sparks have been collaborating on music for over 20 years. With lyrics by Rennie and music by Brett, The Handsome Family infuse their singular art with everything from punk rock to folk, and have garnered extensive critical acclaim over the years. The Handsome Family’s songs have been covered by many notable artists … Read more
Balmorhea have released the music video for their song “Pyrakantha” from their recently released full-length album Stranger (Western Vinyl). Having just wrapped up a successful European tour, the Austin, TX band are back home for a brief time before heading off to play Lunario de Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City on June 6th. The music … Read more
Here is the new Lana Del Rey video for “Young & Beautiful” from The Great Gatsby soundtrack. The movie hit theaters today and the tracklist for the soundtrack is below. The Great Gatsby OST: 1. 100$ Bill – JAY Z 2. Back To Black – Beyoncé x André 3000 3. Bang Bang – will.i.am 4. … Read more
Fans of Foxygen are well aware that this band is ready for the camera and has a flair for the dramatic. With that, we present the Internet with a music video eight years in the making! No Destruction was directed by Jonathan Rado and Sam France’s childhood friend Bryan Felber (University of the Streets). No … Read more
Vampire Weekend Modern Vampires Of The City XL Recordings [2013] Fire Note Says: Vampire Weekend successfully change things up on album number three! Album Review: I don’t know why but I really wanted to hate this new third record from Vampire Weekend. Maybe it was the title: Modern Vampires Of The City – kinda goofy … Read more
The Shouting Matches Grownass Man Middle West Records [2013] Fire Note Says: The Shouting Matches are loose and fun on their debut album. Album Review: Many of you will be interested in The Shouting Matches because of its superstar member Justin Vernon. Yes, he of Bon Iver fame has made a blues-rock album with two … Read more
!!! Thr!!!er Warp Records [2013] Fire Note Says: !!! wants us to party like it’s 1983. Album Review: It’ll be 30 years this December since Michael Jackson dropped Thriller onto an unsuspecting world. (That is almost as hard to believe as the fact that next month will mark the fourth anniversary of his death.) It … Read more
Wolf People have released the second video from their second album, Fain, for the track “Empty Vessels.” Jack Sharp says of the track: “A storm is coming. Empty Vessels was written in fits and starts over a long wet summer under the spell of George Ewart Evans, an oral historian from Suffolk, whose books I … Read more