Smoking Popes: Into The Agony [Album Review]

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Smoking Popes Into The Agony Asian Man Records [2018] Fire Note Says: Chicago punk/pop Smoking Popes return with original line-up, and nod their heads as much to Judy Garland as they do to Jesus. Album Review: One of the albums that got lost in the shuffle of new releases late in the fall that’s worthy … Read more

Pedro The Lion: Phoenix [Album Review]

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Pedro The Lion Phoenix Polyvinyl Records [2019] Fire Note Says: It is the nature of the “Phoenix,” to rise up, lift off, and take flight – that is what David Bazan accomplishes on the return of Pedro the Lion. Album Review: It’s always a curious thing when an artist who is the dominant artistic driver … Read more

Deerhunter: Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared? [Album Review]

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Deerhunter Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared? 4AD [2019] Fire Note Says: Rock’s last great hope? Deerhunter makes a strong case on their eighth full-length. Album Review: Deerhunter saves the world! Wouldn’t that be nice? All the ragged dreams of a future in which guitar-driven rock music rules the airwaves rest on the shoulders of just … Read more

The Dandy Warhols – “Motor City Steel” [Video]

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The Dandy Warhols celebrate their jubilee year by dropping their appropriately-titled “Why You So Crazy” LP on January 25th. The band now have released the new video for “Motor City Steel.” “‘Motor City Steel’ is a true story,” says Courtney Taylor-Taylor. “I lived in a small SW Washington town from 2006–2014 ‎ and found this to be a fairly common occurrence. The guys generally get online to check out fishing gear, truck parts, and compound bows, etc., whereas more and more, the gals check out New York, Paris, Hollywood and the like. I changed the names for the song but when ‘Rikki’ finally did come back it was well over a year later. They are married now and have two kids.”

Mozes And The Firstborn – “Blow Up” [Video]

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Today, Mozes and the Firstborn have released a new music video for their latest single “Blow Up.” The psychedelic glitch-y inspired visuals were co-created by bassist Corto Blommaert.

The worldwide release of their third full-length album, Dadcore, is on Jan 25th via Burger Records. The band has an extensive US tour planned along with a newly announced EU tour which can all be found below.

Mozes US Tour Dates:
WED 23 JAN Soda Bar, San Diego
THU 24 JAN The Wayfarer, Costa Mesa
FRI 25 JAN Bootleg Theater, Los Angeles
SAT 26 JAN Bottom of the Hill, San Fran
MON 28 JAN Doug Fir Lounge, Portland
TUE 29 JAN The Sunset Tavern, Seattle
WED 30 JAN The Bartlett, Spokane
THU 31 JAN Neurolux, Boise
FRI 01 FEB Kilby Court, Salt Lake City
SAT 02 FEB Larimer Lounge, Denver
MON 04 FEB The Riot Room, KCMO
TUE 05 FEB Triple Crown Whiskey Bar & Raccoon Motel, Davenport
WED 06 FEB First Avenue, Minneapolis
THU 07 FEB Cactus Club, Milwaukee
FRI 08 FEB The Ready Room, St. Louis
SAT 09 FEB Schubas Tavern, Chicago
SUN 10 FEB Ace of Cups, Columbus
TUE 12 FEB The Middle East Restaurant and Nightclub, Cambridge
WED 13 FEB Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia
THU 14 FEB DC9 Nightclub, Washington
FRI 15 FEB Rough Trade NYC, NY
SAT 16 FEB Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro
SUN 17 FEB The EARL, Atlanta
MON 18 FEB The Basement, Nashville
TUE 19 FEB The Hi Tone, Memphis
WED 20 FEB Gasa Gasa, New Orleans
THU 21 FEB White Oak Music Hall, Houston
FRI 22 FEB The Independent Bar & Kitchen, Dallas
SAT 23 FEB HOTEL VEGAS, Austin
MON 25 FEB Valley Bar, Phoenix

Mozes and the Firstborn European Tour Dates:
27th Feb – Berlin, Lido
28th Feb – Hamburg, Knust
1st March – Frankfurt, Das Bett
2nd March – Osnabrück, Rosenhof
7th March – Amsterdam, Bitterzoet
11th March – Paris, Supersonic
12th March – London, Shacklewell Arms
13th March – Hasselt, Muziekodroom
14th March – Utrecht, EKKO
16th March – Amsterdam, AFAS Live

The C.I.A.: The C.I.A. [Album Review]

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The C.I.A. The C.I.A. In The Red [2018] Who: The C.I.A. was the sixth Ty Segall related album of 2018 and is a collaboration with his wife, Denée Segall, and Emmett Kelly (The Cairo Gang), a longtime member of his band. Sound: Denée Segall takes the lead vocal duties here and gives a punk delivery … Read more

FEELS – “Awful Need” [Video]

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Los Angeles four-piece FEELS today shared the new video for “Awful Need,” the second song released off their forthcoming new album, Post Earth, produced by Tim Green (the former guitarist of punk iconoclasts Nation of Ulysses, who has worked with Sleater-Kinney, Bikini Kill, Joanna Newsom, and Jawbreaker, among others) and directed by Shane McKenzie and the band.

Talking about the track, the band’s Shannon Lay said: “’Awful Need’ is about our search for identity, it is a journey we will be on all our lives; but it is also a reminder that we do not have to be defined by those things. We are always learning to shed what no longer benefits us, we are building on the grave of useless thought. Who you are does not need a title, a label, you are simply and perfectly you.”

Post Earth will be released on February 22, 2019 via Wichita Recordings and is now available for pre-order on all formats, including a limited edition red vinyl, HERE. FEELS are also confirmed to support Ex Hex on a run of April and May North American tour dates, following a lengthy UK and EU tour that includes dates with Screaming Females. All dates are below.

FEELS tour dates:
2/19 Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo (record release show)
3/07 Brighton, UK @ The Hope & Ruin
3/08 Manchester, UK @ Yes
3/09 Glasgow, UK @ Nice & Sleazy
3/10 Leeds, UK @ Headrow House
3/11 London, UK @ Moth Club
3/12 Margate, UK @ Elsewhere
3/13 Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
3/14 Hamburg, DE @ Hafenklang
3/15 Offenbach, DE @ Hafen 2
3/16 Halle, DE @ Huhnermanhattan
3/17 Berlin, DE @ Westgermany
3/18 Aarhus, DK @ Tape
3/19 Malmo, SE @ Plan B
3/20 Stockholm, SE @ Hus 7*
3/21 Copenhagen, DK @ Loppen*
3/22 Groningen, NL @ Vera*
3/23 Rotterdam, NL @ Rotown*
3/24 Gent, BE @ De Aap
3/25 Liege, BE @ La Zone
3/26 Lille, FR @ DIY Cafe
3/27 Rennes, FR @ Mondo Bizarro
3/28 Paris, FR @ Mains D’oeuvre
3/29 Vevey, CH @ Rocking Chair
3/30 Zurich, CH @ Gonzo Club
3/31 Lugano, CH @ Lido San Domenico
4/02 Oviedo, ES @ Lata De Zinc
4/03 Madrid, ES @ Wurlitzer Ballroom
4/04 Valencia, ES @ 16 Toneladas
4/05 Barcelona, ES @ Barcelona Psych Fest
4/06 Bordeaux, FR @ Void
4/07 Le Havre, FR @ Mc Daids
4/17 Boise, ID @ Neurolux**
4/18 Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theatre**
4/19 Vancouver, BC @ The Biltmore**
4/20 Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile**
4/23 San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall**
4/24 Fresno, CA @ Strummer’s**
4/26 Tustin, CA @ Marty’s On Newport**
4/27 Phoenix, CA @ Rebel Lounge**
4/28 Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress**
4/30 Austin, TX @ Barracuda**
5/01 Dallas, TX @ Curtain Club**
5/03 Nashville, TN @ Exit/In**
5/04 Asheville, NC @ The Grey Eagle**
* with Screaming Females
** with Ex Hex

Jon Spencer – “Beetle Boots” [Video]

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In anticipation of his US tour beginning this Friday in Philadelphia (see all dates below), Jon Spencer and his band, the Hitmakers, have launched the video for their latest “Beetle Boots.” The track appears on Spencer’s debut solo album, Spencer Sings The Hits!, which is out now via In The Red Records.

01/11/19 – Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s (w/ Taiwan Housing Project
01/12/19 – Washington, DC – Black Cat (w/ The Ar-Kaics)
01/13/19 – Richmond, VA – Richmond Music Hall (w/ The Ar-Kaics)
01/14/19 – Durham, NC – Motorco Music Hall (w/ Dex Romweber Duo)
01/15/19 – Asheville, NC – Grey Eagle (w/ Uncle Kurtis)
01/16/19 – Atlanta, GA – The Earl (w/ Subsonics)
01/17/19 – Birmingham, AL – Saturn (w/ Dan Sartain)
01/18/19 – New Orleans, LA – One Eyed Jacks (w/ Chicken Snake)
01/19/19 – Houston, TX – House of Blues – Bronze Peacock (w/ Poizen)
01/20/19 – Austin, TX – 3TEN ACL (w/ Hey Jellie)
01/21/19 – San Antonio, TX – Paper Tiger (w/ Rocket 808)
01/22/19 – Dallas, TX – Club Dada (w/ Mind Spiders)
01/23/19 – Little Rock, AR – Stickyz
01/24/19 – Memphis, TN – Hi-Tone Café (w/ NOTS)
01/25/19 – Nashville, TN – Exit/In (w/ NOTS)
01/26/19 – Knoxville, TN – Pilot Light (w/ NOTS)
01/27/19 – Charlotte, NC – Side Stage at the Neighborhood Theatre (w/ Dex Romweber Duo)
01/28/19 – Virginia Beach, VA – Bunker Brewpub & Cadence Hall (w/ Des Demonas)
01/29/19 – Harrisonburg, VA – The Golden Pony (w/ Shagwuf, Des Demonas)
01/30/19 – Lancaster, PA – Chameleon Club (w/ Des Demonas)
01/31/19 – Brooklyn, NY – Rough Trade (w/ Bodega)
02/01/19 – Allston, MA – Great Scott (w/ Bodega)
02/02/19 – Pawtucket, RI – The Met (w/ Bodega)
2/20/19 – Toyko, Japan – Liquid Room
2/21/19 – Osaka, Japan – Shangri –La (w/ King Brothers)
2/23/19 – Los Angeles, CA – The Echo
2/24/19 – San Francisco, CA – Slim’s
2/26/19 – Seattle, WA – The Crocodile
2/27/19 – Portland, OR – Dante’s

John Davis (Superdrag) & Matthew Caws (Nada Surf) Collaboration

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Nada Surf’s Matthew Caws is excited to share his collaboration with Superdrag’s John Davis, “We Are In The Wild And We Are Home.” The proceeds from sales of the track will benefit Americares, a non-profit disaster relief and global health organization providing immediate response to emergency medical needs and supporting long-term health care initiatives for … Read more

RAT BOY – “Don’t Hesitate” [Video]

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RAT BOY have a new album titled Internationally Unknown, coming on January 25, 2019 via Hellcat Records. The album was produced by Rancid’s Tim Armstrong and the band were just confirmed to perform at Coachella.

“Don’t Hesitate” is the primer for what to expect from Internationally Unknown. RAT BOY blends an anthemic aggro punk with boisterous hip-hop beats, all the while maintain the personality and attitude that first earned him attention. Meanwhile, the lyrics explore a conflict between outlaws and the police during a post-apocalyptic disorder.

RAT BOY first found Tim Armstrong’s punk/hip-hop band Transplants in his father’s record collection, and subsequently delved into his back catalogue with Rancid and Operation Ivy. RAT BOY had repeatedly mentioned his admiration of Armstrong in interviews, which led to the L.A. punk veteran discovering the young Essex upstart.

Separated by 30 years of age and the Atlantic Ocean, RAT BOY and Armstrong sound like the very definition of an odd couple. But they immediately connected on their first phone call, through a shared love for mixing the visceral energy of punk with hip-hop beats. In many ways, it’s hardly surprising: both musicians share similar influences and often reflect on their upbringing in their lyrics.

The pair met at Armstrong’s Shiprec Studios where he had just finished producing The Interrupters’ latest album and immediately captured three demos on their first day together, with members of The Interrupters backing them on bass and drums. Not only did they have chemistry but they had a wealth of unorthodox creative ideas, such as chopping up live drums before filtering them through an old tape machine or RAT BOY playing Armstrong’s left-handed guitar upside down.

The momentum was such that the project was entirely written and recorded during three visits, which amounted to a total of two months’ work. RAT BOY’s live band joined him in Los Angeles, while other collaborators include former Aggrolites bassist J Bonner and The Interrupters’ vocalist Aimee Interrupter. John King of The Dust Brothers (Beastie Boys, Beck) also contributed production. The result is twelve tracks which amplify RAT ROY’s rabble-rousing riot act to a new level.

Stella Donnelly – “Old Man” [Video]

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Stella Donnelly is a proud, self-proclaimed sh*t-stirrer. Her debut album, Beware of the Dogs, is out March 8th via Secretly Canadian, and her North American tour will kick off a week later. Today, Donnelly shares the video for lead single and biting album opener, “Old Man,” in which she targets the song’s titular creep, “Oh are you scared of me old man or are you scared of what I’ll do? You grabbed me with an open hand.

When something needs to be said, whether it’s to an abusive man, a terrible boss, or a clueless significant other, the 26-year old Fremantle, Western Australian-based musician is fearless in telling it like it is. Delivered entirely with a sarcastic wink and a full heart, Beware of the Dogs proves across 13 life-affirming songs the power in sticking up for yourself, your friends, and what’s right.

Beware of the Dogs is a portrait of Donnelly taking charge. It showcases an artist totally in command of her voice, able to wield her inviting charm and razor-sharp wit into authentically raw songs. She says, “this album made me feel like I was back in the driver’s seat. It was really liberating and grounding to realize that no one can f**k with this except me.”


Beware of the Dogs Tracklist:
1. Old Man
2. Mosquito
3. Season’s Greetings
4. Allergies
5. Tricks
6. Boys Will Be Boys
7. Lunch
8. Bistro
9. Die
10. Beware of the Dogs
11. U Owe Me
12. Watching Telly
13. Face It

Preorder Beware of the Dogs – HERE

Stella Donnelly Tour Dates:
Fri. March 15 – Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall #
Sat. March 16 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s #
Mon. March 18 – Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade #
Wed. March 20 – Hamden, CT @ Space Ballroom #
Fri. March 22 – Somerville, MA @ ONCE Ballroom #
Sat. March 23 – Montreal, QC @ Casa Del Popolo #
Sun. March 24 – Toronto, ON @ The Drake Hotel #
Mon. March 25 – Detroit, MI @ Deluxx Fluxx #
Wed. March 27 – Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups #
Thu. March 28 – Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop #
Fri. March 29 – Chicago, IL @ Schuba’s #
Sat. March 30 – St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club #
Tue. April 2 – Seattle, WA @ Barboza #
Wed. April 3 – Portland, OR @ Polaris Hall #
Fri. April 5 – San Francisco, CA @ Cafe Du Nord #
Sat. April 6 – Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Theater #
Thu. April 11 – Berlin, DE @ Badehaus
Fri. April 12 – Hamburg, DE @ Skybar
Sat. April 13 – Rotterdam, NL @ Rotown
Mon. April 15 – Cologne, DE @ Yuca
Tue. April 16 – Brussels, BE @ Botanique
Wed. April 17 – Amiens, FR @ La Lune Des Pirates *
Thu. April 18 – Paris, FR @ Le Pop Up Du Label
Tue. April 23 – Cardiff, UK @ Clwb Ifor Bach
Wed. April 24 – Bristol, UK @ Thekla
Thu. April 25 – Southampton, UK @ Joiners
Sat. April 27 – Brighton, UK @ Haunt
Sun. April 28 – Manchester, UK @ Yes
Mon. April 29 – Dublin, IE @ Grand Social
Wed. May 1 – Glasgow, UK The Blue Arrow
Thu. May 2 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Community Room
Sat. May 4 – Liverpool, UK @ Liverpool Sound City
Sun. May 5 – Nottingham, UK @ Bodega
Tue. May 7 – London, UK @ Scala

# = with Faye Webster
* = supporting Yak

Brainiac: Electro-Shock For President (White Vinyl | 1000 Copies) & Hissing Prigs In Static Couture (Blue Swirl Vinyl | 500 Copies)

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To coincide with Eric Mahoney’s upcoming 2019 Brainiac documentary, Transmissions After Zero, Touch & Go Records are releasing limited edition color vinyl reissues of Electro-shock for President EP and Hissing Prigs in Static Couture full-length March 8, 2019. The Electro-shock For President EP is limited to 1000 copies on white vinyl and Hissing Prigs in … Read more

Priests Announce New Album, Share Video For Title Track, Announce 2019 Tour Dates

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Washington, D.C. rock iconoclasts Priests return on April 5th with a new record titled The Seduction of Kansas via Sister Polygon Records. They also have a world tour planned (dates below) and this video for the title track.

Entering their eighth year as a band, Priests—drummer Daniele Daniele, vocalist Katie Alice Greer, and guitarist G.L. Jaguar—remain an inspired anomaly in modern music. A band on its own label—jolting the greater music world with early releases by Downtown Boys, Snail Mail, Sneaks, and Gauche—they are living proof that it is still possible to work on one’s own terms, to collectively cultivate one’s own world.

Priests enlisted two primary collaborators in writing, arranging, and recording The Seduction of Kansas. After playing cello, mellotron, and lap steel on Nothing Feels Natural, multi-instrumentalist Janel Leppin (Mellow Diamond, Marissa Nadler) returned to breathe air into Priests’ demos, serving as primary bassist and a fourth songwriting collaborator on The Seduction of Kansas. The band also found a kindred spirit in producer John Congleton (Angel Olsen, St. Vincent), recording for two weeks at his Elmwood Studio in Dallas. It marked the band’s first time opening up their creative work to collaborate with someone outside of their DC-based community—a decidedly less hermetic approach. Priests found a third collaborator in bassist Alexandra Tyson, who has also joined the touring band. The songwriting process found the group once again analyzing the textures and scopes of albums as aggressive as they are introspective, like Massive Attack’s Mezzanine, Portishead’s Third, and Nine Inch Nails’ Downward Spiral.


THE SEDUCTION OF KANSAS TRACKLISTING
1. Jesus’ Son
2. The Seduction of Kansas
3. Youtube Sartre
4. I’m Clean
5. Ice Cream
6. Good Time Charlie
7. 68 Screen
8. Not Perceived
9. Control Freak
10. Carol
11. Interlude
12. Texas Instruments

PRIESTS 2019 TOUR DATES
Fri. March 8 – Savannah, GA @ Savannah Stopover Music Festival
Sat. March 9 – Birmingham, AL @ The Firehouse
Mon. March 11 – Fri. March 15 – Austin, TX @ SXSW
Sun. March 17 – Nashville, TN @ Exit / In
Mon. March 18 – Knoxville, TN @ The Pilot Light
Mon. April 15 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
Tue. April 16 – Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere
Thu. April 18 – Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
Fri. April 19 – Montreal, QC @ Casa Del Popolo
Sat. April 20 – Toronto, ON @ The Garrison
Sun. April 21 – Detroit, MI @ El Club
Mon. April 22 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
Thu. April 25 – Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon
Fri. April 26 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
Sat. April 27 – Omaha, NE @ Reverb
Sun. April 28 – Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews
Tue. April 30 – Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop
Wed. May 1 – Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups
Sat. May 11 – Brighton, UK @ The Great Escape
Sun. May 12 – Bristol, UK @ Rough Trade
Mon. May 13 – Manchester, UK @ YES (Pink Room)
Tues. May 14 – Glasgow, UK @ The Hug and Pint
Wed. May 15 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
Thu. May 16 – London, UK @ 100 Club
Fri. 17 May – Lille, FR @ Aeronef
Sat. 18 May – Paris, FR @ Supersonic
Mon. 20 May – Brussels, BE @ Botanique (Witloof Bar)
Tue. 21 May – Cologne, DE @ Bumann & Sohn
Wed. 22 May – Munich, DE @ Import/Export
Thu. 23 May – Zurich, CH @ Rote Fabrik
Fri. 24 May – Heidelberg, DE @ Queer Festival (Karlstorbahnhof)
Sat, 25 May – Amsterdam, NL @ London Calling
Mon. 27 May – Aarhus DK @ Tape
Tue. 28 May – Copenhagen, DK @ Loppen
Wed. 29 May – Berlin, DE @ Kantine am Berghain
Thu. 30 May – Hamburg, DE @ Hafenklag (Goldener Salon)
Fri. 31 May – Hilvarenbeek, NL @ Best Kept Secret Festival
Sat. 1 June – Neustrelitz, DE @ Immergut Festival
Sat. June 15 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
Sun. June 16 – Durham, NC @ The Pinhook
Mon. June 17 – Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn
Tue. June 18 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa
Thu. June 20 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
Fri. June 21 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda
Sat. June 22 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
Mon. June 24 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sister
Tue. June 25 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar
Wed. June 26 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
Thu. June 27 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom
Sat. June 29 – Oakland, CA @ Starline Social Club
Mon. July 1 – Portland, OR @ Polaris Hall
Tue. July 2 – Vancouver, BC @ The Bitmore
Wed. July 3 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos
Sat. July 6 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
Sun. July 7 – Denver, CO @ Lost Lake
Tue. July 9 – Kansas City, MO @ The Record Bar
Wed. July 10 – St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway

Richard Lloyd: The Countdown [Album Review]

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Richard Lloyd The Countdown Plowboy Records [2018] Fire Note Says: Richard Lloyd, formerly of the band Television, and guitarist for Matthew Sweet, as well as the author of one last year’s great rock star memoirs, “Everything Is Combustible,” has a new collection of songs that comes for free inside the just released paperback edition, a … Read more

This Pine Box: The Way Out (Fall Swirl Vinyl | 100 Copies)

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Soul Step Records has announced that their next release is from Springboro OH’s This Pine Box. This band has been maturing and making local waves since 2016. You may remember we featured them in our Bandcamp discover series and their big break was being named WNKU’s “Artist of The Month.” They also were featured at … Read more

Midnight Oil: Armistice Day – Live At The Domain, Sydney [Album Review]

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Midnight Oil Armistice Day: Live At The Domain, Sydney Sony Music [2018] Fire Note Says: The “Power And the Passion” lives on with this new burning live set from Midnight Oil. Album Review: One of the best bits of news early in 2017, was that Midnight Oil had reformed, and was planning a global tour, … Read more

Muse: Simulation Theory [Album Review]

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Muse Simulation Theory Warner Bros. Records [2018] Fire Note Says: On their 8th album, Muse loosens the concept formula enough for more humanity to shine through their larger-than-life arena rock anthems. Album Review: Muse’s 8th album in their nearly 20 year career, starts off with a rhythmic drum beat that could easily have been designed … Read more

The Dandy Warhols Celebrate 25 Years; Release New Album & Tour

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Celebrations for The Dandy Warhols’ 25th anniversary include a new album, ‘Why You So Crazy’ (Dine Alone Records) out January 25th, a single-shot 360° short film featuring Mad Men’s Jessica Paré for the single ‘Be Alright,’ and a 2019 tour of Europe, the UK and North America as well as exclusive goodies available via PledgeMusic. … Read more

TFN Interview with TFS Gareth Liddiard

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If you haven’t heard the name yet, Australia’s Tropical Fuck Storm, is a band you’re going to be hearing a lot more about. Releasing their debut, A Laughing Death In Meatspace on Joyful Noise Recordings this year. The debut reflects the state of the world through a funhouse mirror. It’s then chopped and screwed and … Read more

Prog 2018: The Year In Review

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As another calendar year comes to an end it seems like 2018 was full of yardmarkers – elections, mass shootings, North Korea, etc. But it will be remembered in the Prog community as the 50th Anniversary of some of the genre’s most beloved acts: Yes, King Crimson and Jethro Tull all turned fifty this year … Read more

Jeff Tweedy: WARM [Album Review]

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Jeff Tweedy WARM dBpm Records [2018] Fire Note Says: Jeff Tweedy, of Wilco and Uncle Tupelo, delivers a singer/songwriter solo turn that touches base with his roots rock/alt country origins. Album Review: One of the factors that attracts us to a certain writer, artist or musician is an ineffable sense that they have something in … Read more

The 1975: A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships [Album Review]

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The 1975 A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships Interscope Records [2018] Fire Note Says: Third album from The 1975 delivers more great pop melodies, with an undercurrent of loneliness and addiction… so it’s a party! Album Review: The 1975’s lead singer Matt Healy gets right to the point in “Give Yourself a Try,” the opening … Read more

Richard Thompson – 13 Rivers Tour [Concert Review]

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Richard Thompson; Southgate House Revival, Newport, KY – Thursday, December 6, 2018 Thursday night’s performance by Richard Thompson and his trio would have been a revelation, if I hadn’t come in with such high expectations. But having seen Thompson back in the early 90’s when major label tour support was still a thing, and he … Read more

The Fire Note Writer Edition Top Albums of 2018

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The Fire Note would not be possible without the talented writers that share their educated thoughts and true enjoyment of music with our readers. The time and commitment that goes into writing consistently is appreciated by TFN and taken for granted by everyone else! Our official year end Top 50 is coming soon but clearly … Read more