Daughter If You Leave 4AD Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Daughter’s debut album is a quiet, damaged, three hankie affair. Album Review: Some music conjures up a strong sense of color or hue – the dark black of Swans, the Technicolor of Animal Collective, the sepia cast sounds of Beach House or the bright neons … Read more
The Vains Acoustic EP Self-Released [2013] Fire Note Says: The Vains release a record of acoustic gold. Album Review: The Vains are bound to take the music scene by storm. On their past releases, they presented a fast-paced, hard-hitting sound that reached beyond the typical indie punk style. With their Acoustic EP, featuring four acoustic … Read more
The Strokes Comedown Machine RCA Records [2013] Fire Note Says: The Strokes continue to evolve on the highly enjoyable Comedown Machine. Album Review: The Strokes are carrying a lot of baggage around these days, the kind of excess baggage that makes it tough to keep putting out records. For starters, they most likely aren’t ever … Read more
Harper Simon Division Street Play It Again Sam Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Harper Simon plugs in on his sophomore effort Division Street. Album Review: I can’t imagine how hard it is to be the son of legend Paul Simon. If I were Harper it probably would have been easy to create a metal or … Read more
Detroit Rebellion Fork In The Road EP Self-Released [2013] Fire Note Says: Detroit Rebellion creates murky garage blues that has potential. Album Review: First things first, Detroit Rebellion isn’t from the motor city. This might come as a shock to you but the duo hails for Providence, Rhode Island. That does not mean that they … Read more
The Virginmarys King Of Conflict Wind-Up Records [2013] Fire Note Says: The Virginmarys birth some immaculate rock n roll! Album Review: When a new band of British blokes hit’s the scene, they seem to garner a lot of attention and hype. Whether or not that’s warranted or not The Virginmarys show us that the proof … Read more
Devendra Banhart Mala Nonesuch Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Devendra Banhart’s debut on Nonesuch Mala is muy buena. Album Review: Devendra Banhart’s Mala is his latest release, his first since 2009’s What Will We Be. I came to this album with a recognition of Banhart’s name but not much previous exposure to his actual music. … Read more
The Grenadines The Grenadines Communicating Vessels [2013] Fire Note Says: The Grenadines debut album is a diverse and uneven ride. Album Review: Hailing from Birmingham, Alabama, The Grenadines make zero effort to conceal their Southern roots. Fronted by husband/wife team of Michael and Lauren Shackelford, they make a noise approximating a Dixie Yo La Tengo … Read more
Suede Bloodsports Warner Bros. Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Suede comes back completely reinvigorated after their 11 year hiatus! Album Review: Suede (The London Suede as they are billed in the US) is back after 11 years, and they are hitting the pleasure points in my brain like they haven’t since their third album, Coming … Read more
Wild Belle Isles Columbia Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Wild Belle’s debut provides a reggae-infused twist on The xx formula. Album Review: Wild Belle’s primary core is the brother-sister combination of Elliot and Natalie Bergman. They hail from Michigan and have made their debut with the album Isles. Natalie handles vocals on the majority of … Read more
Billy Bragg Tooth & Nail Cooking Vinyl Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Billy Bragg walks the dusty road and gets more personal than political this time out. Album Review: Billy Bragg has never been an artist that America has ever really understood. Mostly because dating back into the early 80’s his anti-folk electric guitar songs … Read more
Marnie Stern The Chronicles Of Marnia Kill Rock Stars [2013] Fire Note Says: Marnie Stern loosens things up and lets her vocals soar! Album Review: I will fully admit that The Chronicles of Marnia was the record I have been somewhat expecting from the crafty guitar slinger Marnie Stern. It is album that pushes her … Read more
Son Volt Honky Tonk Rounder Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Son Volt’s Honky Tonk is like a lost sleeve from the golden era of country music’s creative past. Album Review: Here’s a funny thing: when loading Honky Tonk into my iTunes library, the digital overlords saw fit to label it as “rock,” however, the two … Read more
Great White Buffalo Great White Buffalo Self-Released [2013] Fire Note Says: Great White Buffalo compose fun and heavy pop hooks. Album Review: A lot of bands put themselves out there with an adrenaline rush of a sound; Great White Buffalo is one of those bands which consist of members Graham Bockmiller, Stephen Johnson, Blake LaGrange, … Read more
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Specter At The Feast Abstract Dragon/Vagrant Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club mourn the loss of a loved one on the emotional Specter At The Feast. Album Review: There comes a time in every band’s career where life overshadows the music and for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club that … Read more
Palma Violets 180 Rough Trade Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Absurdly hyped London-based band delivers a fine, if flawed, debut. Album Review: Every few years the British music press, led by NME, goes insane over some foursome of young lads with bad haircuts. The Libertines, Arctic Monkeys, The Vaccines all come to mind. Like those … Read more
Robyn Hitchcock Love From London Yep Roc Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Love From London has a more streamlined pop sound, but still retains all the trademark Hitchcock charm. Album Review: I’m not going to proclaim myself the world’s leading authority when it comes to the music of Robyn Hitchcock, but I think I’m pretty … Read more
Low The Invisible Way Sub Pop Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Low return with plenty of new ideas on the engaging The Invisible Way. Album Review: The biggest story on Low’s tenth record, The Invisible Way, will be that Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy was sitting on the other side of the microphone and produced the thing. … Read more
Waxahatchee Cerulean Salt Don Giovanni Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Katie Crutchfield returns with a stunning second album as Waxahatchee. Album Review: Alabama singer/songwriter Katie Crutchfield cut her teeth with the indie punk band P.S. Eliot – a band whose members included twin sister Allison. Upon breaking up, Allison formed Swearin’ while Kate went solo. … Read more
Grave Babies Crusher Hardly Art Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Far from perfect, but equally far from terrible. Album Review: Here’s the thing about Grave Babies’ Crusher: I couldn’t tell you how many times I replayed this album. I couldn’t decide what to think about it: do I love it or hate it? I have … Read more
The Tame Impala North American tour with openers The Growl are the exact reason that we write. We caught the tour in Columbus on March 8th and these two bands exemplified our core values of what a show should be like almost to a T. The crowd, the venue, and the band where all there … Read more
The Sunflower Logic Clouds On The Polar Landscape EP Pink Banana Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Robert Pollard plays it loose and releases one of his most unique recordings to date! Album Review: If you are scratching your head some then you should be told right away that The Sunflower Logic is a Robert Pollard … Read more
Bears! Bears! Bears! All Dressed Up With Nowhere To Go Twirl Tunez Records [2013] Fire Note Says: Bears! Bears! Bears! version of dance gloom and doom shows promise on debut. Album Review: The debut LP, All Dressed Up With Nowhere To Go by Bears! Bears! Bears! puts me in an interesting predicament. On paper the … Read more
Lady Lazarus All My Love In Half Light Self-Released [2013] Fire Note Says: All My Love in Half Light is a solid sophomore album warranting Lady Lazarus attention on the ambient folk scene. Album Review: Lady Lazarus is an old soul playing to a new genre of ambient folk. Named from the Sylvia Plath poem … Read more
Various Artists Sound City: Real To Reel OST RCA Records [2013] Fire Note Says: The Sound City:Real To Reel soundtrack certainly complements the movie and makes you wish they had a bit more time. Album Review: Knowing the backstory helps a bit to understand this record. Sound City Studios was known for its high end … Read more