Antemasque Antemasque Nadie Sound [2014] Fire Note Says: Mars Volta members renounce their prog pretensions and team up with Flea on their self-titled debut. Album Review: With as many lineup changes as the band went through over the course of their six-album run, combined with Omar Rodriguez-Lopez’s frenetic working pace (rivaling Robert Pollard in sheer … Read more
Joyce Manor Never Hungover Again Epitaph Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Joyce Manor upgrade their sound. Album Review: I like the fact that Torrance, California’s Joyce Manor get in and get out when it comes to records. With two albums under their belt that total about 33 minutes combined it seems that waiting two years … Read more
Sweet Apple The Golden Age Of Glitter Tee Pee Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Sweet Apple invites you to turn it up and rip the knob off! Album Review: I hesitate to call Sweet Apple a supergroup, though some of the members are sort of famous, but that term supergroup has all sort of preconceived … Read more
Zig Zags Zig Zags In The Red Recordings [2014] Fire Note Says: Zig Zags’ fire and fury bubble the bong water on their self-titled debut. Album Review: When talking about LA’s Zig Zags a few things need to be mentioned: Ty Segall, Sweat Lodge, Bong-water colored vinyl, Monster Magnet, Fu Manchu, weird early Metallica thrash, … Read more
Army Navy The Wilderness Inside The Fever Zone Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Power-pop purveyors Army Navy’s third LP is polished and professional. Album Review: Los Angeles’ Army Navy is fronted by Justin Kennedy, who has bounced around indie music for quite a while now. Louie Schultz and Dougal Randall round out the band, whose … Read more
White Fence For The Recently Found Innocent Drag City Records [2014] Fire Note Says: White Fence breaks through to the next level and fulfills all expectations on their new album. Album Review: Tim Presley first came onto my radar as a member of Darker My Love, a band that really knocked me out with their … Read more
Bleachers Strange Desire RCA Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Check out Bleachers for an entertaining yet introspective summer album. Album Review: On the surface there are a lot of reasons to not give Bleachers a chance. The “band” is essentially the work and side project of Jack Antonoff, the guitarist for fun. On top of … Read more
The Fresh & Onlys House Of Spirits Mexican Summer [2014] Fire Note Says: House of Spirits wanders a bit, but finds its footing in solid songwriting and production. Album Review: The Fresh & Onlys are a four-piece out of San Francisco, and while the band is often pigeon-holed as a “psychedelic” outfit who are part … Read more
Yes Heaven And Earth Frontiers Records[2014] Fire Note Says: Legendary prog masters keep it simple on their 21st album. Album Review: Yes has survived so many personnel changes that it almost seems incredulous that, for many, the thought of the band continuing without singer and co-founder Jon Anderson is sacrilege. But that is, sadly, what … Read more
You Blew It! You Blue It Topshelf Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Who doesn’t like a little Blue Album era Weezer! Album Review: When a record is a big part of your youth and influence on your band there is no better way to pay homage than a cover tribute EP. That is exactly the … Read more
Unicycle Loves You The Dead Age Mecca Lecca Recording Co. [2014] Fire Note Says: Unicycle Loves You is a wonderful blend of shoegaze, 60’s psychedelic pop, and noise/fuzz rock. Album Review: Unicycle Loves You are a Brooklyn-based trio. The Dead Age is their fourth studio LP, but this is the first one I have heard. … Read more
Sharon Van Etten Are We There Jagjaguwar [2014] Fire Note Says: Sharon Van Etten’s Are We There is a luscious, dense album. Album Review: Sharon Van Etten is probably a familiar name to most of you now. Linked to such other bands like The National and The Antlers, Van Etten continues to make a name … Read more
Eno & Hyde Someday World / High Life Warp Records [2014] Someday World: Fire Note Says: Someday World’s slick electro-pop contrasts nicely with High Life’s hypnotic, groove-heavy jams. Album Review: These days Brian Eno is probably most well-known as that guy who invented ambient music (even though there are certainly others who deserve such an … Read more
Matt Kivel Days Of Being Wild Woodsist Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Floating on a gorgeous ocean of reverb, Days of Being Wild is an unquestionable success! Album Review: Matt Kivel is a difficult artist to get, but difficult in the way that someone like Bon Iver was when For Emma, Forever Ago was released. … Read more
Sam Coffey and The Iron Lungs Gates Of Hell Southpaw Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Sam Coffey and The Iron Lungs perfectly balance garage rock with power pop. Album Review: Raw rock n roll will always have a place in my player so the new album from Toronto’s Sam Coffey and The Iron Lungs is … Read more
Morrissey World Peace Is None Of Your Business Harvest Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Surprise – Morrissey returns with plenty more to say. Album Review: With each later era record, Morrissey has always seemed to reinvent himself. Like any career artist, some albums are better than others and for Morrissey, his last record, Years of … Read more
Reigning Sound Shattered Merge Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Reigning Sound fill the heart with lots of soul. Album Review: Reigning Sound could have probably been huge as the band is fronted by Memphis garage punk legend Greg Cartwright (The Oblivians, Detroit Cobras, Compulsive Gamblers). Their debut was released in 2001 on Sympathy for the … Read more
Phish Fuego JEMP Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Phish return with the laidback, quirky Fuego. Album Review: Jam bands are a kind of love ‘em or hate ‘em proposition—at least on the surface. The term is so loose that it doesn’t really mean anything, signifying only that a band likes to improvise and stretch songs … Read more
Yonatan Gat Iberian Passage Joyful Noise Recordings [2014] Fire Note Says: Iberian Passage is light on quantity but full of (mostly) instrumental psych-guitar freakouts! Album Review: If you’re like me (and you probably are in this respect), you’ve never heard of Yonatan Gat. The Tel-Aviv-born New Yorker is guitarist for the band Monotonix (who have … Read more
Taking Back Sunday Happiness Is Hopeless Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Taking Back Sunday’s sixth album is highly listenable. Album Review: Taking Back Sunday is one of those bands that keeps churning out albums with little fanfare but with a polished, professional sound. Happiness Is is the New York band’s sixth studio album and seemingly … Read more
Beverly Careers Kanine Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Promising debut album from Frankie Rose and Drew Citron. Album Review: Beverly is a duo consisting of Drew Citron and Frankie Rose. The pair spent the bulk of 2013 on the road together as Citron played In Frankie’s band. The roles are reversed on Careers, the first … Read more
Braid No Coast Topshelf Records [2014] Fire Note Says: After 16 years, Braid find their way back into your stereo. Album Review: So what were you doing back in 1998? Maybe spinning math rock and emo veterans Braid’s last record Frame & Canvas? Well, that was the last time the Urbana, Illinois band released a … Read more
Strand Of Oaks HEAL Dead Oceans [2014] Fire Note Says: Strand Of Oaks cover tons of musical territory and HEAL is better for it. Album Review: HEAL is Timothy Showalter’s, a.k.a. Strand of Oaks, fourth LP and easily his most expansive as it takes you on a journey through some synth pop, a little post-punk, … Read more
Tigers Jaw Charmer Run For Cover Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Tigers Jaw’s transitional new record finds the band trying to charm a new muse. Album Review: I (very) briefly jumped on the emo bandwagon back in high school—mainly because it was the kind of music most of my friends at the time listened to … Read more
Street Eaters Blood//Muscles//Bones Nervous Intent Records [2014] Fire Note Says: Street Eaters newest LP is a buzz/fuzz rock veritable smorgasbord of sound and attitude. Album Review: I had not heard of Street Eaters until a few weeks ago when I received Blood//Muscles//Bones for a review. I have to say I am pleasantly surprised and impressed … Read more