Parkay Quarts Content Nausea What’s Your Rupture? Records [2014] Fire Note Says: A late 2014 release from Parquet Courts offshoot project is a must have! Album Review: Parkay Quarts is the side project of Andrew Savage and Austin Brown of Parquet Courts, and one can only assume that this side project is a way of … Read more
The Decemberists What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World Capitol Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Lighter and a bit brighter, The Decemberists have greater focus on their 7th studio record. Album Review: The folky harmonica driven song that gives this 7th studio album from Portland, Oregon’s The Decemberists its title is “12-17-12,” a song … Read more
COZY Button By Button HoZac Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Give COZY 31 minutes and they will make you believe they are the best band in the world! Album Review: Two things you need to know right off the bat about COZY, they play loud, catchy power pop punk with attitude and they are on … Read more
Panda Bear Panda Bear Meets The Grim Reaper Domino Records [2015] Fire Note Says: Panda Bear’s latest is more accessible and tuneful. Album Review: Animal Collective and one of its core members Noah Lennox have been on the cutting edge of indie music for the past 15 years. Lennox performs as a solo act under … Read more
Luluc Passerby Sub Pop Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Luluc’s Passerby is a perfect album for a quiet wintry day. Album Review: Luluc’s sophomore album Passerby came out in July of 2014 and went unnoticed in some parts (like The Fire Note, for example). In spite of the Australian duo’s pedigree and lush songwriting, it … Read more
Speaking Suns Vanishing Country Great Guys Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Speaking Suns’ debut is a surprisingly mature musical statement. Album Review: Originally hailing from the land of Dave Chappelle and famous liberal arts school Antioch College (a.k.a. Yellow Springs, OH), Speaking Suns is a pretty young band—both in the age of its members and … Read more
The Smashing Pumpkins Monuments To An Elegy Martha’s Music/BMG [2014] Fire Note Says: If you don’t over-think it, Monuments to An Elegy has a lot to offer. Album Review: Billy Corgan is one of those smart rockers, maybe too smart for his own good. One clue you may be dealing with someone who over-thinks their … Read more
Sturgill Simpson Metamodern Sounds in Country Music High Top Mountain Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Sturgill Simpson’s country album transcends the genre. Album Review: Ask someone what kind of music they like and the response is typically I like everything but…. If you, like me, are wont to respond with “country music” please do not … Read more
Red Aunts Come Up For A Closer Look In The Red Recordings [2014] Fire Note Says: Get to know the Red Aunts! Album Review: For most, this new compilation release from the Red Aunts will be an introductory point and that is just fine. The all-female punk band from Long Beach, California ruled the underground … Read more
Philip Selway Weatherhouse Bella Union [2014] Fire Note Says: Radiohead’s drummer returns with a solo album that builds on the successes of his debut. Album Review: While Thom Yorke’s solo work is probably the most well-known to come out of the band’s frequent downtime, he isn’t the only member to release music outside of the … Read more
Cracker Berkeley To Bakersfield 429 Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Cracker still matters 20 years later. Album Review: Okay, let’s begin with a favorite rock star interview moment. Back in 1994, Cracker was on tour promoting its successful sophomore effort, Kerosene Hat, in an opening slot with Gin Blossoms and headliner Spin Doctors in major … Read more
Matthew Melton Outside Of Paradise Southpaw Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Matthew Melton hits all the right chords on catchy sophomore outing. Album Review: From the opening guitar ramble on Matthew Melton’s sophomore album, Outside of Paradise, you just know that you are in for a really cool lo-fi garage ride. You may know Melton … Read more
Ty Segall $ingle$ 2 Drag City Records [2014] Fire Note Says: A fantastic collection of non-album singles and b sides brings 2014 to the perfect end for Ty Segall fans. Album Review: How does Ty Segall cap off a brilliant 2014, a year that saw him releasing the best album of his career and one … Read more
If you are a Guided By Voices fan then you have probably been on the hunt for the newly released Dogfish Head Beer Thousand box set. Not only does it come with six 750ml bottles of imperial lager but accompanying the beer release is a Guided By Voices 10-inch record with 10 songs recorded live … Read more
The New Basement Tapes Lost On The River Harvest Records [2014] Fire Note Says: A pleasant exploration of early Dylan through the eyes of some very different songwriters. Of course, the original “Basement Tapes,” were recordings made in Woodstock, NY in 1967, when Bob Dylan, recovering from a motorcycle accident, spent 5 months woodsheding songs … Read more
Christian Bland & The Revelators The Unseen Green Obscene The Reverberation Appreciation Society [2014] Fire Note Says: Christian Bland and the Revelators third album is an homage to past heroes. Album Review: The Black Angels’ Passover just so happens to be considered a modern day psychedelic classic. With its dark titles, imagery, and piercing sounds … Read more
Bush Man On The Run BMG [2014] Fire Note Says: Bush pleases the crowd with the hard-rocking Man On The Run. Album Review: As a child of the 80’s and 90’s there is something comforting about the bands of my youth sticking around and putting out new content. Bush was one of the biggest outfits … Read more
The Paperhead Africa Avenue Trouble In Mind Records [2014] Fire Note Says: The Paperhead play the 60’s with a modern pulse. Album Review: If you have been around music long enough (yes I am calling myself old) then the statement “Sooner or later, everything old is new again” seems to ring true with every “fresh” … Read more
Steve Taylor & The Perfect Foil Goliath Splint Entertainment [2014] Fire Note Says: Goliath is a loud, fast, rock & roll record. Album Review: It’s easy to get excited about a bright band of youngsters who appear on the scene with a fresh burst of creativity and energy (see The Strypes), or celebrate a band … Read more
Dads I’ll Be The Tornado 6131 Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Dads brings a grunge aesthetic with a modern twist with I’ll Be The Tornado. Album Review: Dads is a New Jersey-based duo consisting of John Bradley (drums and vocals) and Scott Scharinger (guitar and vocals). Their style can be described as 1990’s-inspired indie rock. … Read more
Flying Lotus You’re Dead! Warp Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Flying Lotus defies description with You’re Dead. Album Review: Flying Lotus, nee Steven Ellison, can be counted on to make interesting music. His latest, You’re Dead!, ups that factor by a degree or two. This is Flying Lotus’ fifth studio album and his experience is … Read more
TV On The Radio Seeds Harvest Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Seeds is a profound journey through pain and loss, and ultimately, spiritual recovery and rebirth! Album Review: TV on the Radio were part of that first wave of “blog bands” that hit it big in the early 2000’s based on the promise of their … Read more
Wilco Alpha Mike Foxtrot: Rare Tracks 1994-2014 Nonesuch Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Rarities compilation aimed at the sweet spot of many of Wilco’s hard-core fans. Album Review: Twenty years is a long time. And if you’re industrious or plagued by insomnia you can make a lot of music in twenty years. That seems to … Read more
Radio Moscow Magical Dirt Alive Naturalsound Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Radio Moscow sows seeds of psych while reaping funky blues riffs. Album Review: When I first heard Radio Moscow for the first time, their sound had no problem hooking me. During the very much appreciated live compilation record, Alive at the Deep Blues Fest, … Read more
Prince Art Official Age Warner Bros. Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Prince has arisen from cold storage hibernation to rock a new generation. Album Review: While Prince’s self-released albums of the last decade or so have been strong enough to satisfy long-time fans, there has been real excitement about his return to a relationship with … Read more