Shell Of A Shell: Already There EP [Album Review]

Shell Of A Shell Already There EP Exploding In Sound Records [2018] Who: Nashville, Tennessee quartet, Shell of a Shell craft a delightful debut EP with Already There. Sound: Shell of a Shell will delight fans of Exploding In Sounds Record’s artist roster. They are a blend of Pile’s edginess mixed with a penchant for … Read more

Haley Heynderickx: I Need To Start A Garden [Album Review]

Haley Heynderickx I Need To Start A Garden Mama Bird Recording Co [2018] Fire Note Says: A striking debut album from singer-songwriter Haley Heynderickx. Album Review: Portland-based singer-songwriter Haley Heynderickx seems to have a strong understanding of the power of small details to make (or break) a musical performance. All eight of the songs on … Read more

Guided By Voices: Ogre’s Trumpet [Album Review]

Guided By Voices Ogre’s Trumpet GBV, Inc. [2018] Fire Note Says: The latest incarnation of a legendary band proves they’re still a deadly live act. Album Review: Sometimes bands release live albums as nothing more than sleazy cash grabs or they may be bankrupt of new and original ideas so they endlessly repackage past glories. … Read more

High Rise: High Rise II [Album Review]

High Rise High Rise II Black Edition [1986/2018] Who: High Rise entered into Tokyo’s underground music scene in 1984. High Rise II is their sophomore record of psychedelic garage guitar music from 1986 that has now been reissued newly mixed and mastered by High Rise bassist/vocalist Asahito Nanjo. Sound: High Rise are a full on … Read more

Superchunk: What A Time To Be Alive [Album Review]

Superchunk What A Time To Be Alive Merge Records [2018] Who: Chapel Hill’s Superchunk pull no punches and hit the current U.S. administration On the Mouth for being so Foolish. Sound: A relentless, urgent slice of Superchunk’s style of power-pop punk that never takes its foot off the gas. TFN Final Take: Superchunk have put … Read more

Kal Marks: Universal Care [Album Review]

Kal Marks Universal Care Exploding in Sound Records [2018] Who: Boston’s Kal Marks get the new year started off on the right foot. Universal Care is my first favorite new record of 2018! Sound: Universal Care finds the band evolving into a distinctive brand of intense and monolithic noise rock. It is still Kal Marks; … Read more

Marriage + Cancer: Marriage + Cancer [Album Review]

Marriage + Cancer Marriage + Cancer Self Sabotage Records [2018] Who: Portland’s Marriage + Cancer continue to scald everything in their path with their caustic noise rock! Sound: Uncompromising and brutal noise rock not unlike Jesus Lizard and In Utero-era Nirvana. TFN Final Take: It’s been awhile since Marriage + Cancer’s last release, Killjoy. That … Read more

Ty Segall: Freedom’s Goblin [Album Review]

Ty Segall Freedom’s Goblin Drag City Records [2018] Fire Note Says: Ty Segall creates a very fluid classic double album in Freedom’s Goblin. Album Review: The grandiose opening blare of instruments on Ty Segall’s new 75-minute double record, Freedom’s Goblin, really tells you all you need to know in its first 22 seconds. This is … Read more

Chiller: Chiller [Album Review]

Chiller Chiller Rockstar/Dirt Cult Records [2018] Who: This is the debut record from Moncton, Canada punks Chiller. The band is a continuation of Feral Trash which released Trashfiction in 2014 on Dirt Cult Records. Chiller is Ilisha and Eric of Feral Trash with local friends Erin (Black Tower) and Tim (Mother’s Children). Sound: Fresh melodic … Read more

R.E.M.: Automatic For The People (25th Anniversary Edition) [Album Review]

R.E.M. Automatic For The People (25th Anniversary Edition) Craft Recordings [2017] Fire Note Says: A masterpiece for all times! Album Review: R.E.M.’s Automatic For the People is a masterpiece that gets a lot of love on its 25th anniversary. A live disc and 20 demos/outtakes accompany the original album. The extras are interesting and noteworthy; … Read more

Tomas Fujiwara: Triple Double [Album Review]

Tomas Fujiwara Triple Double Firehouse 12 Records [2017] Fire Note Says: Tomas Fujiwara’s double trio stands out, even in another great year of recorded jazz and improvised music Album Review: Drummer Tomas Fujiwara has contributed to a number of great recordings in recent years, whether as a sideman or as a member of groups like … Read more

Jeff Rosenstock: POST- [Album Review]

Jeff Rosenstock POST- Polyvinyl Records [2018] Fire Note Says: Jeff is back! Album Review: Jeff Rosenstock started off this year with a bang as he released his third LP digitally for FREE on New Year’s Day! That is right – free. Now, I am sure we have all had the experience of downloading free music … Read more

Lorde: Melodrama [Album Review]

Lorde Melodrama Lava Records [2017] Fire Note Says: Lorde resists contemporary pop conventions and dusts off 80’s vinyl influences to craft one of the strongest and most original pop records of the year. Album Review: Four years ago, the meteoric rise of New Zealand’s Lorde was fueled by the strength of “Royals,” a single that … Read more

St. Vincent: Masseduction [Album Review]

St. Vincent Masseduction Loma Vista Recordings [2017] Fire Note Says: St. Vincent builds on the success of her last album, bringing her performance art mechanics, manic guitar noise and energetic electro-pop hysterics face to face with tragedy and lives to tell about it. Album Review: St. Vincent’s eponymously titled 4th solo album, released in 2014, … Read more

Rick Rude: Make Mine Tuesday [Album Review]

Rick Rude Make Mine Tuesday TinyRadars/Sophomore Lounge Records [2017] Who: New Hampshire’s Rick Rude make a lasting impression with Make Mine Tuesday. Sound: Make Mine Tuesday is a stunning debut album that is sure to make people who like Built to Spill, Heartless Bastards and The Pauses swoon. TFN Final Take: Another “Better Late than … Read more

(Sandy) Alex G: Rocket [Album Review]

(Sandy) Alex G Rocket Domino [2017] Who: The bedroom pop of Alexander Giannascoli aka (Sandy) Alex G has grown substantially since we first stumbled upon his 2014 record DSU on DIY label Orchid Tapes. Rocket is his sophomore record for Domino. Sound: (Sandy) Alex G plays a melodic pop that ranges from lo-fi experimentation to … Read more

The Menzingers: After The Party [Album Review]

The Menzingers After The Party Epitaph Records [2017] Fire Note Says: Bursting with big guitars, sweeping storytelling and endlessly catchy melodies, After the Party is a bold realization that finds The Menzingers’ raising the bar yet again. Album Review: From the crunchy guitars and lightning-fast drums of their debut record A Lesson in the Abuse … Read more

Pardoner: Uncontrollable Salvation [Album Review]

Pardoner Uncontrollable Salvation Father/Daughter Records [2017] Who: San Francisco’s Pardoner blend and bend their influences into a rather epic debut LP. Sound: Uncontrollable Salvation is a fantastic blend of fuzzy power noise slathered with skewed guitars, impeccable pop moments and an abundance of shoegaze noise. TFN Final Take: Pardoner’s debut LP, Uncontrollable Salvation was an … Read more

King Krule: The OOZ [Album Review]

King Krule The OOZ True Panther/XL Recordings [2017] Who: London’s Archy Marshall is a well-known and respected artist in the UK and has released work under his own name, Zoo Kid and King Krule as The OOZ is his sophomore release. Sound: King Krule has a unique sound that blends multiple styles of jazz, garage, … Read more

U-Men: U-Men [Album Review]

U-Men U-Men Sub Pop Records [2017] Who: From 1983 to 1987, the U-Men were the hype of the Seattle Underground. The band recorded a handful of singles and one full length album in 1988. This new collection features the U-Men’s entire studio-recorded output plus 5 unreleased songs. Sound: You might expect the early days of … Read more

Japanese Breakfast: Soft Sounds From Another Planet [Album Review]

Japanese Breakfast Soft Sounds From Another Planet Dead Oceans [2017] Who: Japanese Breakfast is the solo project of Michelle Zauner of Little Big League. She’s released two albums under the Japanese Breakfast moniker entitled Psychopomp in 2016 and her latest Soft Sounds From Another Earth. Sound: I have to say that Michelle Zauner has one … Read more

Protomartyr: Relatives In Descent [Album Review]

Protomartyr Relatives In Descent Domino Records [2017] Who: Detroit’s Protomartyr are a post punk band that has just released their fourth lp and first for Domino Records. Sound: If Nick Cave fronted a modern era post punk band with a refined edge and a spoken word style that is like The Hold Steady you would … Read more

Sleepies: Melt To You [Album Review]

Sleepies  Melt To You Mirror Universe Tapes [2017] Who: Brooklyn-based SLEEPiES release yet another winner with this 4-track EP. Sound: Melt To You EP is another product from the SLEEPiES machine that spits out cool music. Release after release, this band just hit the spot when you need some sketchy-yet-catchy post-punk rock. TFN Final Take: … Read more

Julien Baker: Turn Out The Lights [Album Review]

Julien Baker Turn Out The Lights 6131/Matador Records [2017] Fire Note Says: Julien Baker tells a story that you instantly will want to hear again. Album Review: When we first heard Julien Baker on her 2015 debut, Sprained Ankle, you had a feeling it wouldn’t be the last from the young Memphis artist. Her delicate … Read more

Spirit Of The Beehive: Pleasure Suck [Album Review]

Spirit Of The Beehive Pleasure Suck Tiny Engines [2017] Who: Philadelphia-based Spirit of the Beehive deliver a superb album packed with lo-fi psychedelic charm. Sound: Pleasure Suck is a giant leap forward for the band. Their earlier LP and EP were good, but this album emits a warm druggy vibe that is part slacker rock, … Read more