BAMBARA DREAMVIOLENCE Emerald Weapon Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Musical chaos crammed between moments of decency. Album Review: While along the same vein as groups like Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Isis, BAMBARA’s DREAMVIOLENCE lacks certain finesse. The album starts out promising with “All the Same,” a melodic, ambient track with a very interesting, dreamlike … Read more
The Dear Hunter Migrant Equal Vision/Cave and Canary Records [2013] Fire Note Says: The Dear Hunter puts grand ambition aside and give us their best album to date. Album Review: Casey Crescenzo is a talented guy. A good songwriter, a more than capable singer, multi-instrumentalist – all that. The problem for a newcomer to The … Read more
Purling Hiss Water On Mars Drag City Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Purling Hiss proves rock is alive in well on the streets of Philadelphia. Album Review: Purling Hiss is a Philadelphia band that melds together the aggressiveness of the Stooges and Comets on Fire, with the somewhat poppier side of J Mascis and Dinosaur … Read more
Fairmont The Grand And Grandiose Mint 400 Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Fairmont deliver one of their most engaging records to date! Album Review: Clifton, New Jersey’s Fairmont is one of the hardest working indie pop bands out there that nobody has heard of. That is hard to believe as The Grand And Grandiose represents … Read more
Mudhoney Vanishing Point Sub Pop Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Mudhoney return after 5 years and guess what – they still have plenty to say! Album Review: There is nothing like a good raw Mudhoney record to bring a person back to music reality. The band has always been one of the grittiest Seattle groups … Read more
The Black Angels Indigo Meadow Blue Horizon [2013] Fire Note Says: The Black Angels play it straight with Indigo Meadow. Album Review: It is quite weird but after accidentally seeing The Black Angels at Bonnaroo in 2007 I was hooked. This is a good thing I found out later because The Black Angels are indeed … Read more
Fol Chen The False Alarms Asthmatic Kitty Records [2013] Fire Note Says: The False Alarms has a detached coolness to it that sounds beamed in from another planet. Album Review: Fol Chen is a synth pop band, formerly cloaked in secrecy, but now with the addition of vocalist Sinosa Loa, the band has a face … Read more
Bleached Ride Your Heart Dead Oceans Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Bleached release their debut that emotes the spirit of the 60’s girl group rock while sounding completely fresh in 2013! Album Review: Bleached have a cool name, a cool sound and a cool energy! I know that is a lot of cool but the … Read more
Phosphorescent Muchacho Dead Oceans Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Muchaco is a powerful listen about broken hearts and moving on from Phosphorescent. Album Review: I’m not sure exactly the best way to describe Muchacho, the new record from Phosphorescent. It’s not exactly Americana/folk (which is what I was expecting based on the last record, Here’s … Read more
Generationals Heza Polyvinyl Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Generationals rock it up a bit more on third long player Heza. Album Review: One thing I can say about New Orleans duo Generationals is that they are consistent. The band can produce indie pop with the best of them and on their third long player, Heza, … Read more
Caveman Caveman Fat Possum Records [2013] Fire Note Says: New York quintet drop an album of subtle, sun-drenched indie pop. Album Review: Some records have a way of sneaking up on you. Case in point: the sophomore album from Brooklyn’s Caveman. I really almost gave up on this and I am so glad I didn’t. … Read more
Black Bug Reflecting The Light HoZac Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Equal parts garage and experimental rock, Reflecting the Light is a giant kick in the ass! Album Review: Reflecting the Light is the sonic equivalent of turbo charged truck stop coffee that has been sitting on the warmer for a few hours. It’s dense, … Read more
Mark Kozelek Live At Mao Livehouse Shanghai & Beijing Caldo Verde Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Live Mark Kozelek showcases the true talent of this veteran singer/songwriter. Album Review: Mark Kozelek has worn several hats over the years but when you get a chance to check out his live sets you typically get to hear … Read more
Telekinesis Dormarion Merge Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Telekinesis returns with a bigger sound on third long player Dormarion. Album Review: Michael Benjamin Lerner’s Telekinesis project returns with its third record, Dormarion, and finds the group maturing its sound and confidently delivering an indie rock experience. You may remember that before Telekinesis’s 2011 sophomore effort, … Read more
Jack White And The Bricks Live On The Garden Bowl Lanes Third Man Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Jack White and The Bricks might just be another brick in the wall. Album Review: First things first – I love Third Man Records, I love Jack White, and I love vinyl. So when Third Man Records … Read more
Kait Lawson Until We Drown Madjack Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Planted firmly in southern roots, Kait Lawson’s debut album Until We Drown uses standout songwriting and mixed-genre sounds. Album Review: Rarely does a collection of songs capture the poetry of songwriting like Kait Lawson’s debut album, Until We Drown. The lyrics are unmatched, displaying … Read more
The Besnard Lakes Until In Excess, Imperceptible UFO Jagjaguwar Records [2013] Fire Note Says: The Besnard Lakes release another beautiful and enigmatic album. Album Review: Full disclosure: I am an unabashed superfan of this group. This puts me in a terrible place from which to listen critically to Montreal’s The Besnard Lakes’ fourth and most … Read more
Warm Soda Someone For You Castle Face Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Warm Soda fizzes over with a catchy power pop gem. Album Review: If you like your music fast and catchy, with a little garage rock power behind it, then Warm Soda is a band you are going to want to check out. Someone … Read more
Colleen Green Sock It To Me Hardly Arts Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Colleen Green charms you with her lo-fi pop punk flare! Album Review: There is a lot to be said about no gimmicks rock n roll and the Hardly Art debut, Sock It To Me, from Colleen Green is another example of how … Read more
Wire Change Becomes Us Pinkflag [2013] Fire Note Says: Wire looks back to their past to create an album that ranks among their finest. Album Review: Change Becomes Us, is the 4th full length from legendary art punks Wire since their return in 2000, and it is quite possibly the best of their post reunion … Read more
Preston Lovinggood Sun Songs Communicating Vessels [2013] Fire Note Says: Preston Lovinggood surprises with a sensuous debut album. Album Review: Preston Lovinggood was most recently in the band Wild Sweet Orange who were based out of Birmingham, AL. With this in mind I was expecting some strong Southern rock as I fired up Sun Songs. … Read more
Wavves Afraid Of Heights Mom + Pop Music [2013] Fire Note Says: Nathan Williams cleans it up and gives us a solid slab of SoCal stoner punk. Album Review: Given the straight-line creative arc within the Wavves discography, the high gloss production values of Afraid Of Heights should come as no surprise. Following two lo-fi … Read more
Rilo Kiley RKives Little Record Company [2013] Fire Note Says: Rilo Kiley return with a compilation of past goodies. Album Review: I have always thought that Rilo Kiley was a great band. The impeccable vocals of lead woman Jenny Lewis with the tight song structures and playing of the talented Blake Sennett, Pierre de Reeder … Read more
The Shilohs So Wild Light Organ Records [2013] Fire Note Says: The Shilohs grab ideas from all over the 60s rock scene, but So Wild never feels disjointed. Album Review: Starting with the standard 60s rock playbook, The Shilohs dig a bit deeper on their debut album to offer listeners a feel-good slice of classic … Read more
The Milk Carton Kids The Ash & Clay ANTI- Records [2013] Fire Note Says: The Milk Carton Kids return with a simple and elegant harmonizing sophomore record. Album Review: It is definitely getting crowded in the world of indie folk and the saturation will unfortunately detract listeners from the quality releases out there. Sometimes simple … Read more