Bill Mallonee & The Big Sky Ramblers Forest Full Of Wolves Self-Released [2018] Fire Note Says: Bill Mallonee is one of those best-kept secrets you really want to share with the rest of the music loving world. Album Review: No one is ever going to call singer/songwriter Bill Mallonee an under-achiever. His latest release, a … Read more
Stars There Is No Love In Fluorescent Light Last Gang Records [2017] Who: Veteran indie pop band from Canada. Sound: Indie pop with a heart and a head. TFN Final Take: Stars is like a well-worn glove that is comfortable, reliable, but lacking in surprise or unpredictability. There is nothing wrong with that; they are … Read more
Brian Fallon Sleepwalkers Island Records [2018] Fire Note Says: A surprisingly joyful outing, Sleepwalkers makes clear that while Brian Fallon is certainly interested in evolving, it’s not likely that he ever really will. Album Review: Brian Fallon occupies a singular place in today’s rock and roll landscape. Like fellow folk-rock travelers Dave Hause and Chuck … Read more
Car Seat Headrest Twin Fantasy Matador Records [2018] Fire Note Says: Car Seat Headrest give the original 2011 Twin Fantasy a shot of rock adrenaline. Album Review: Twin Fantasy is a re-recorded, re-imagined new version of Will Toledo’s 2011 self-released Bandcamp record of the same name. Toledo will for sure take some critical hits for … Read more
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
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: Wrong Creatures Tour, Newport Music Hall, Columbus, Ohio – Friday, February 9, 2018 The Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, with it’s gloriously long moniker, arrived in middle America in support of their 8th album, Wrong Creatures (see album review HERE) on Friday night, playing the Columbus club closest to the Ohio State … Read more
Calexico The Thread That Keeps Us ANTI- [2018] Fire Note Says: Arizona’s Calexico offers up alt rock anthems and eclectic musical ruminations on the world at risk and the love that will sustain us in “the age of extremes,” on their ninth album, The Thread That Keeps Us. Album Review: The ninth album from Arizona-based … Read more
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
Sunwatchers II Trouble In Mind Records [2018] Who: Sunwatchers are a New York-based ensemble (featuring current & former members of NYMPH, Dark Meat, Chris Forsyth’s Solar Motel Band & Arthur Doyle’s New Quiet Screamers) that offer a combination of avant-jazz, punk, psychedelia, Ethio-jazz and desert blues. II is their sophomore record and the follow up … Read more
The Angelica Sanchez Trio Float The Edge Clean Feed Records [2017] Fire Note Says: The Angelica Sanchez Trio’s 2017 release should not be missed. Album Review: If there is a downside to the abundance of incredible musicians currently working and recording in jazz and improvised music, it’s that it can be hard to keep up. … Read more
Neil Young + Promise Of The Real The Visitor Reprise Records [2017] Fire Note Says: At 72, Neil Young is still making a difference, wearing his politics on his sleeve, and producing anthems for the resistance. Album Review: Neil Young has never been an artist to shrink back from a difficult political moment and leave … Read more
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) 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
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Wrong Creatures Vagrant Records [2018] Fire Note Says: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club delivers another solid outing shaped by riff-rock and post-punk distortion. Album Review: There are those bands that you just want to root for, they may not yet have produced that breakthrough album you know they are capable of, but … Read more
Glen Hansard Between Two Shores ANTI- [2018] Fire Note Says: Irish folk rocker Glen Hansard, of The Swell Season and The Frames, continues to deliver strong songs. Album Review: One of my favorite musical scenes in film is that long opening sequence at the beginning of the movie “Once,” where you can hear Glen Hansard … Read more
Salad Boys This Is Glue Trouble In Mind Records [2018] Who: Christchurch, New Zealand band Salad Boys return with their sophomore record This Is Glue. The album follows their well received 2015 debut Metalmania. Sound: This Is Glue has plenty of riffs and melodies that are slightly fuzzed up with that New Zealand sound like … Read more
The Bad Plus Never Stop II Legbreaker Records [2018] Fire Note Says: The Bad Plus has its first lineup change in 18 years, and doesn’t drop a step. Album Review: With Never Stop II, released just 19 days after original pianist Ethan Iverson’s last performance as a member of the band, The Bad Plus has … Read more
Björk Utopia One Little Indian Records [2017] Fire Note Says: While highly recommended, Björk’s tenth album is still a challenging listen. Album Review: Listening to the latest from Icelandic chanteuse Björk, can feel like stepping through the curtain to enter an audio/visual piece at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC. At first it can … Read more
Unlikely Friends Crooked Numbers Swoon Records [2018] Who: Unlikely Friends (UF) is made up of veteran artists from the Northwest which includes D. Crane (of Seattle’s BOAT), Charles Bert (of Seattle quiet indie-pop band Math & Physics Club, Chris MacFarlane (owner of local indie-pop record store/label Jigsaw Records) on drums plus a rotating cast of … Read more
Starcrawler Starcrawler Rough Trade [2018] Who: Starcrawler are a 4-piece band from Los Angeles California and their self-titled debut was produced by Ryan Adams. The members are lead vocalist Arrow de Wilde, guitarist Henri Cash, drummer Austin Smith and bassist Tim Franco. The youngest member is 16 and the oldest is 22. Sound: Starcrawler give … Read more
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
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard Gumboot Soup ATO/Flightless Records [2017] Fire Note Says: Australia’s psych rock heroes make good on their promise! Album Review: Australia’s King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard made the crazy announcement back in November of 2016 that the band would release five albums in 2017. Releasing this much music in … Read more
Hüsker Dü Savage Young Dü Numero Group [2017] Fire Note Says: This 69 track box set delivers a rare and complete look at seminal Minneapolis hardcore punk trio, Hüsker Dü’s early beginnings, a collector’s dream. Album Review: By the time Hüsker Dü – Grant Hart, Greg Norton and Bob Mould – were playing their first … Read more
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
Mavis Staples If All I Was Was Black ANTI- [2017] Fire Note Says: In the Trump era, Mavis Staples – who earned her chops with the Staples Singers, and lately has been backing up Bob Dylan – works with producer Jeff Tweedy to provide positive anthems for the resistance. Album Review: B.B. King once told … Read more