Ricked Wicky Swimmer To A Liquid Armchair Guided By Voices Inc. [2015] Fire Note Says: The third time’s the charm for this Robert Pollard side project. Album Review: Critical writings on Robert Pollard’s 21st century output have generally fallen into two groups: the True Believers for whom Uncle Bob can never err and those that … Read more
Slow And Steady In Time We Belong Broken Circles [2015] Fire Drill Album Review: In Time We Belong is a conflicted record in many ways—from the way its arrangements feel like they’re being stretched to encompass both modern-day guitar rock and early 2000s emo clichés, to the contrast between lyrical abstractions and generalized platitudes like … Read more
Kurt Vile b’lieve i’m goin’ (deep) down… Matador Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Kurt Vile is back with another great sounding storybook. Album Review: Like bands, the singer/songwriter can be broken down into categories. You have your super voices grouping that I still use Jeff Buckley and Elliott Smith as the bar for comparison, there … Read more
Telekinesis Ad Infinitum Merge Records [2015] Fire Drill Album Review: I will stand by Telekinesis’ debut album (Telekinesis!) as one of the best power pop collections in the past ten years. Sadly, Michael Lerner (the artist behind the Telekinesis moniker) continues to drift away from the sound that worked so well then. His latest album, … Read more
The Libertines Anthems For Doomed Youth Harvest Records [2015] Fire Note Says: This is what became of the likely lads, and it’s as good as you hoped it would be! Album Review: Much has been made of the reconciliation between dual/duel frontmen Carl Barat and Pete Doherty, and even more has been made of the … Read more
Beach House Depression Cherry Sub Pop Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Beach House brings the mellow, with a dash of urgency, on their latest effort. Album Review: Beach House (Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally) has returned with their fifth studio album, Depression Cherry. The Baltimore duo’s trademark sound is on display once again, and with … Read more
The Dead Weather Dodge And Burn Third Man Records [2015] Fire Note Says: The Dead Weather storm back into play with the fun and scuzzy Dodge And Burn. Album Review: I have to get something off my chest. Jack White’s last album, Lazaretto was not a 4 headphone record. With a handful of good tracks, … Read more
The New Old-Fashioned Low-Down Dirty Summer Nights Self-Released [2015] Fire Note Says: The New Old-Fashioned knock it out of the park on their second album Album Review: Some albums just hit you at the right moment—lyrics, songwriting, and arrangements combine in a way that connects with you, and become more than the sum of their … Read more
Ryan Adams 1989 PAX-AM Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Ryan Adams takes Taylor Swift’s 1989 for a spin. Album Review: Talk about speed. Ryan Adams announces that he is working on a track by track cover of Taylor Swift’s 1989 (2014) and the social media world can’t get enough which includes Swift. Fans faint, tweens … Read more
Girl Band Holding Hands With Jamie Rough Trade Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Brutal noise rock that dares you to like it. Rewards await those that can get past the initial layer of ugliness and brash noise. Album Review: Girl Band, a quartet from Dublin, have been wowing me over the past year through various … Read more
Lucero All A Man Should Do ATO Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Lucero tones down the party for a minute with their spirited Memphis soul. Album Review: Lucero is easily one of the hardest working bands out there and have been grinding the highways since the late 90’s. The group continues to struggle with life … Read more
Metric Pagans In Vegas Universal Music Group [2015] Fire Note Says: Metric prove that selling out isn’t always a bad thing. Album Review: It really all started going sideways once Metric committed to doing the theme song for the third Twilight movie, Eclipse. That song, written by film score composer Howard Shore, bore zero resemblance … Read more
Battles La Di Da Di Warp Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Battles go purely instrumental on their taut third full length. Album Review: Battles is a band whose fly-by-the-seat-of-their-pants approach can now be clearly segmented into three distinct, yet logically progressing, eras.
Mike Krol Turkey Merge Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Mike Krol gives you a short but fun fuzzy rocker in Turkey. Album Review: 19 minutes. That is what you get on Mike Krol’s Merge debut Turkey. 19 minutes of feedback heavy indie rock that catches your ear fast and then quickly dissipates. This is Krol’s … Read more
Low Ones And Sixes Sub Pop Records [2015] Fire Drill Album Review: You always know what you are going to get with Low. The longtime and forever pioneer of the Slowcore movement, Low’s soft intricate and complex compositions will wow you both sonically and vocally. On the group’s eleventh record, Ones and Sixes, vocalists Mimi … Read more
Say Hi Bleeders Digest Barsuk Records [2015] Fire Drill Album Review: Say Hi is Seattle’s Eric Elbogen and he has been making records under this moniker since 2002. His ninth, Bleeders Digest, is an album about vampires and a sequel to Impeccable Blahs (2002). Say Hi’s sound has not changed much over the years and … Read more
Gary Clark Jr. The Story Of Sonny Boy Slim Warner Bros. Records [2015] Fire Note Says: There is no denying it – Gary Clark Jr. can play! Album Review: Gary Clark Jr. has exploded since his 2012 Blak and Blu album put him on the map with its bluesy rock that was both soulful and … Read more
The Dear Hunter Act IV: Rebirth In Reprise Cave & Canary Goods/Equal Vision Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Casey Crescenzo continues the Dear Hunter story – with diminishing returns. Album Review: Since we last checked in with the titular character in The Dear Hunter series, mastermind Casey Crescenzo has tasted the sweet flavor of artistic … Read more
Various Artists Aquabear Legion Volume 5 Aquabear Legion [2015] Fire Drill Album Review: If you live outside of Ohio you might be surprised to know that the Buckeye State has some kick ass music. Well, this new compilation from Aquabear Legion will easily enlighten your perspective with material from some bands you might already know … Read more
Thunderbitch Thunderbitch Self-Released [2015] Fire Drill Album Review: What a fun record! The Alabama Shakes frontwoman, Brittany Howard, just dropped on us a powerful new rock project perfectly titled Thunderbitch. The record holds to its namesake right from the dynamic opener, “Leather Jacket” to its rock out finale “Heavenly Feeling.” I liked the Shakes latest … Read more
HeCTA The Diet Merge Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Kurt Wagner follows a new path with his band HeCTA. Album Review: Kurt Wagner tends to duck any fight to establish a legacy as a treasured American songwriter. He’s a considerable talent, but not particularly interested in pushing it on you. Where Lambchop cut a very … Read more
Radkey Dark Black Makeup +180 Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Radkey’s full-length debut is fast and furious. Album Review: Beware the speed when listening to Radkey’s debut album, Dark Black Makeup. I found this out the hard way when recently traveling down the highway. The album was blaring in my car and within seconds I … Read more
Barrence Whitfield & The Savages Under The Savage Sky Bloodshot Records [2015] Fire Drill Album Review: Many of us were not around for the early Barrence Whitfield era back in the 80’s but all you really need to know is that his punk rock soul is pure. On his sophomore release for Bloodshot, Under The … Read more
Spock’s Beard The Oblivion Particle Inside Out Music[2015] Fire Note Says: Album number twelve finds Spock’s Beard finally settling into their own skin. Album Review: Since Prog legend Neal Morse left Spock’s Beard in 2002 they have been struggling to find an identity. For four albums after that major defection, drummer Nick D’Virgilio, in true … Read more
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats Stax Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Rateliff and The Night Sweats will make your soul shake it. Album Review: If you heard the simple folk on Nathaniel Rateliff’s 2010 solo debut, In Memory Of Loss, and last year’s Falling Faster Than You Can … Read more