The Cleaners From Venus Volume 3 (Box Set) Captured Tracks [2014] Fire Note Says: The third box set from The Cleaners From Venus is far and away the best one yet, and absolutely essential listening. Album Review: Captured Tracks has now released their third box set from The Cleaners From Venus, the legendary lo-fi 80s … Read more
How To Dress Well What Is This Heart? Weird World Recording Co. [2014] Fire Note Says: How To Dress Well strikes again with another soulful release. Album Review: The cover of How To Dress Well’s sophomore LP, What Is This Heart?, is simply a close-up photo portrait of Tom Krell, the man behind How To … Read more
Parquet Courts Sunbathing Animal What’s Your Rupture? / Mom & Pop Music [2014] Fire Note Says: Parquet Courts are the current New York City sound. Album Review: Sometimes it is hard to explain why an album puts up a roadblock but that is exactly what happened to me on the third record from breakout band … Read more
Heavens To Betsy Calculated Kill Rock Stars [2014] Fire Note Says: Heavens To Betsy‘s anger couldn‘t be more captivating on Calculated. Album Review: When people hear the name Corin Tucker they should get excited—if they don’t, shame on them. A prominent figure in music from the 90’s through today, Corin Tucker has made her waves … Read more
Greys If Anything Carpark Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Greys’ debut LP bridges a gap between genres and offers a refreshing blend of heavy noise rock with pop sensibility. Album Review: Last years’ Greys 7” Drift was one of my favorite 7” releases for 2013. A really heavy noise rocker. I enjoyed it so much; … Read more
Priests Bodies and Control and Money and Power Don Giovanni Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Priests give indie punk rock a shot in the arm and then they pummel the injection site. Album Review: Almost 10 months ago, I ran across a Priests video on YouTube. Cannot remember how I stumbled onto it, but it … Read more
Curtis Harding Soul Power Burger Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Curtis Harding is an emerging artist that you should get to know now. Album Review: The retro soul movement keeps inching toward the forefront of the indie scene and leading the way is Atlanta’s Curtis Harding. You may already know the name as he was … Read more
Tame Impala Live Versions Modular Recordings [2014] Fire Note Says: Tame Impala‘s Live Versions offers small twists on some old favorites. Album Review: It‘s a real challenge for bands to become important in their genre. For Australia’s Tame Impala that seems to be no problem. It‘s also an impressive feat because your could consider Tame … Read more
The Moles Flashbacks And Dream Sequences: The Story of The Moles Fire Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Amazing career retrospective from one of the great “lost” bands of the 90’s. Album Review: Are The Moles one of the great lost bands of the 90’s? Fire Records makes a strong argument for this with the release … Read more
The Strypes Snapshot Virgin EMI Records [2014] Fire Note Says: The Strypes show that age means nothing on contagious debut! Album Review: Every now and then you run across a new band whose debut is so strong that you want to remember the first time you heard them. First time, many of us heard The … Read more
Buffalo Killers Heavy Reverie Sun Pedal Recordings [2014] Fire Note Says: The Buffalo Killers return with a sonically polished 5th studio effort entitled Heavy Reverie. Album Review: The Buffalo Killers are no strangers to success. In fact, their previous four albums have gained them critical claim from Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes who knows … Read more
Lykke Li I Never Learn Atlantic Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Lykke Li’s third album is not only her best yet but also one of the top break up records released this decade. Album Review: There is nothing like a good breakup record. Time and time again these type of heart driven albums make for … Read more
Easton Stagger Phillips Resolution Road Campfire Propaganda/Rebeltone Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Easton Stagger Phillips return with a sophomore record that is a breath of fresh Alaskan air! Album Review: What happens when you get three extremely talented singer/songwriters in one room together? You guessed it – great songs, great harmonies and a record that … Read more
Black Pistol Fire Hush Or Howl Modern Outsider Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Black Pistol Fire hits the target with their second album. Album Review: Black Pistol Fire has followed up their strong debut from last year, Big Beat ‘59, with an even better sophomore effort with Hush or Howl. The duo, consisting of Canadians … Read more
Lab Partners Seven Seas Pravda Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Lab Partners have returned with an early contender for Album of the Year. Album Review: Dayton, Ohio’s favorite guitar hero’s the Lab Partners have returned with their first record since their 2010’ LP Moonlight Music, which was released by Chicago Label Pravda. The same label … Read more
Woods With Light And With Love Woodsist Records [2014] Fire Note Says: With Light and With Love is the 5th amazing album in a row from Woods! Album Review: 2012’s Bend Beyond was the fourth fantastic album in a row from Woods and one of my top ten albums for the year. When a band … Read more
The Afghan Whigs Do To The Beast Sub Pop Records [2014] Fire Note Says: 16 years? No problem – The Afghan Whigs pick right back up where they left off! Album Review: If you caught The Afghan Whigs 2012 reunion tour, you probably were not that surprised to hear the announcement of the band’s first … Read more
together PANGEA Badillac Harvest Records [2014] Fire Note Says: LA trio does garage punk the way it’s supposed to be done. Album Review: I’ll be perfectly honest: I hadn’t heard of these guys until Badillac started getting some positive reviews in the music press. Although this is their third long player, it is their first … Read more
Mac DeMarco Salad Days Captured Tracks [2014] Fire Note Says: There isn’t a song less than great on Salad Days! Album Review: Salad Days, the second album (or third if you count Rock and Roll Nightclub as an lp) from Mac DeMarco could easily have been a letdown, but instead it ends up being incredibly … Read more
The Singles Look How Fast A Heart Can Break Sound Artifacts Music [2014] Fire Note Says: The Singles hit a home run on their third swing. Album Review: This long-awaited, third full-length release from former Detroit band The Singles may be the ideal record for summer 2014. Look How Fast a Heart Can Break, the … Read more
Tony Molina Dissed And Dismissed Melters/Slumberland Records [2013/2014] Fire Note Says: Tony Molina only needs 12 minutes to win you over! Album Review: Veteran Bay Area musician Tony Molina released a limited run record last year that I guarantee not enough people heard. His twelve minute album, Dissed And Dismissed, came out on the small … Read more
Temples Sun Structures Fat Possum Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Temples’ impressive debut is melodic psych done right Album Review: Temples is a four-piece hailing from the small English town of Kettering and while they haven’t been around for long, their brand of pop-inflected psych rock has garnered a lot of attention. Listening to Sun … Read more
The War On Drugs Lost In The Dream Secretly Canadian Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Lost In The Dream is an instant classic. Album Review: Hailing from Philadelphia, The War on Drugs is the musical brainchild of Adam Granduciel, but also includes Dave Hartley and Robbie Bennett. The band had previously existed somewhat in the … Read more
Overlake Sighs Killing Horse Records [2014] Fire Note Says: 90’s guitar fueled indie rock is alive and well with Overlake’s new LP Sighs. Album Review: My first thought after listening to New Jersey natives Overlake’s new record Sighs was – why did I just now find out about this band? The answer is simply that … Read more
Damien Jurado Brothers and Sisters of the Eternal Son Secretly Canadian Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Damien Jurado creates a masterpiece in an underrated career. Album Review: There is a lot of music out there to discover. I’d heard of Damien Jurado and even owned a few of his records before giving a listen to … Read more